Page 20 of Mistaken as His Royal Bride

‘Okay, I will agree to pose as Laia...until she is found.’ Maddi crossed her fingers on her lap under the table.

The King’s eyes flicked down. A muscle pulsed in his jaw. ‘The table is made of glass, Maddi.’

She hadn’t noticed. She went puce and uncrossed her fingers. ‘I’m just saying that my priority is protecting her wishes, and if that means pretending to be her then so be it.’

‘Don’t worry. I have faith in my brother. He hasn’t failed me yet.’

Maddi privately wondered how accurate that was, when the guy was never not partying, but she kept it to herself.

‘So what happens now?’

He flicked another glance over her attire. She’d dressed in a hurry, pulling on a silk shirt and a pair of designer jeans. She’d had to go braless again, and the shirt was straining a little across her chest. Treacherously, she could feel the tips of her breasts pucker and tighten. She wanted to cross her arms, but didn’t want to draw even more attention to the area.

Aristedes said briskly, ‘I’ve postponed the wedding plans for now. My staff believe it’s so that we can spend more time getting to know one another, so you’ll be spared a wedding dress fitting. But I’ll arrange for a stylist to order some more...suitable clothes. Then you’ll be slotted into the schedule we had already arranged to introduce the people of Santanger to their future Queen.’

Maddi’s heart palpitated. She tried desperately to stop images of herself trying on wedding dresses from forming in her head. ‘Schedule...? That sounds busy.’

‘It is,’ agreed the King. ‘There’s an event most days, and you will need lessons in Santanger’s history and etiquette. Laia would have known what to do, but you’ll need all the help you can get.’

Suddenly Maddi realised that, whether she liked it or not, she was about to be thrown in at the deep end of being a princess. Her insides swooped sickeningly. She hadn’t considered things would go this far...but there was no turning back now.

Two days later, Maddi’s head throbbed from an overload of information and her body ached from being poked and prodded and waxed and buffed and pummelled. All in the name of transforming her into a sleeker version of her. Into Princess Laia.

She now had an entirely new wardrobe of clothes. Specifically to fither. The wispy, floaty bras were gone and had been replaced by items a little more...supportive, but no less provocative or wispy. It was good to feel a little less exposed again.

She had just had a lesson in Santanger royal etiquette from one of the King’s aides, and was now waiting for Hannah to take her to meet the King for lunch.

Maddi hadn’t seen him in two days and she was embarrassingly nervous. Like a teenager, with butterflies swooping around her belly. She was wearing a sleeveless plain shift dress in dark caramel tones. It came to her knees, but had a discreet little slit up one side. She wore matching court shoes. She fidgeted in the dress. She felt as if she was going to an interview for a job in a bank.

She’d pulled her hair back earlier into a low ponytail—she’d had it trimmed yesterday, to take some of the unruly heaviness out—but now, in a fit of something rebellious, Maddi pulled her hair free and left it loose, falling around her shoulders.

There was a knock on the door. Hannah appeared. ‘Princess Laia? If you’ll come with me, please, the King is ready for you.’

Maddi dutifully followed Hannah who was quickly becoming her only real touchstone in this vast and dizzying place full of labyrinthine corridors, dead ends, and spiral staircases disappearing to who knew where—towers for impersonators?

Maddi almost slammed into Hannah’s back before she realised they’d stopped outside a door. This was a different door from the one leading into Aristedes’s private suite of rooms. Once again, guards were present. One of them opened the door, stepped in, announced Maddi and then stood back to let her enter.

She realised immediately that it must be his offices. Bright and airy. Surprisingly modern. She saw an anteroom to one side with desks and staff. A couple looked up curiously. She seemed to be in a reception area.

And then a door opened to her right and there he was, effortlessly filling the frame with his tall, powerful build. He looked slightly hassled. A little bit grim.

‘Princess Laia, please come in.’

He stood back to let her pass and his scent washed over her and through her. Evocative and potent. His office was huge, with a separate seating area where there was a TV with a rolling news channel on mute. Floor-to-ceiling bookshelves filled one side, and vast windows looked out to the vista of the sea and the island on the other side.

There was a table set up for lunch. Aristedes gestured to it. ‘Please, take a seat.’

Maddi did so, aware of his eyes on her as he sat down too. Would he approve of her slightly more put-together appearance? She sneaked a look at him and flushed. His dark eyes were boring into her.

‘What is it? Do I not look the part? They spent hours working on me—’

‘My brother has gone AWOL.’

Maddi felt a jolt of relief. She put her hands in her lap. ‘Oh. Well, maybe he’s gone to a party somewhere.’

Aristedes’s expression darkened. ‘What are you suggesting?’

Maddi refused to let him intimidate her. ‘That he has a reputation for...such things.’

---