Page 22 of Mistaken as His Royal Bride

Maddi was fairly sure he didn’t mean that as a compliment. Self-consciousness struck again. ‘I didn’t go to university. I was never academically inclined. When I left school I went to work in Dublin in a...a casino.’ She almost winced as she said this.

‘As a croupier?’

She shook her head. ‘No, a waitress.’

She shuddered slightly as she recalled the wandering hands of some of the male clients. Especially after a few drinks or winnings.

Quickly, she said, ‘But I also worked in restaurants, and as a nanny for a while. I’m an expert in cooking for kids of a certain age and convincing them that broccoli is fun to eat.’

Aristedes looked mildly horrified. Princess Laiahadgone to university, to do a degree in international relations and economics. She was able to navigate a state dinner for up to a hundred people without breaking a sweat.Shewas obviously ideal to become the wife of King Aristedes. No wonder he was so intent on pursuing her.

For the first time in her life Maddi felt inadequate, when before she’d always held a certain amount of pride in her ability to jump into any situation and do well in spite of her lack of academic qualifications.

Feeling defensive, she asked, ‘What did you do at university?’

He looked at her. ‘I didn’t go.’

‘Oh? Why not?’ Maybe he’d already had all the information. She wouldn’t be surprised.

‘My father died when I was eighteen and I became King. There was no time to go to university.’

‘Did you want to go?’

‘I had a place at Harvard. Yes, I would have loved it.’

Maddi’s heart squeezed. He actually sounded wistful.

‘What were you going to study?’

His mouth quirked slightly. ‘Engineering.’

Maddi sat back. ‘That’s impressive.’

‘I still did the degree. I just had to do it remotely. Here.’

‘Not quite the same experience as living at a university and being relatively carefree for four years.’

‘No. But then I was never destined for a carefree life.’

‘Do you mind that your brother got to have that life and you didn’t?’

He blinked. ‘No, of course not. He has his own set of challenges that I have never faced.’

Like what?Maddi wanted to ask.

But their plates were being cleared now, and coffee was served with little delicious biscuits.

Ari cursed the woman opposite him. Her innocent questions were precipitating a slew of memories. One of which was particularly vivid. He’d been playing chase with Dax, the two of them scuffed and dusty. He remembered that his stomach had hurt from laughing. Suddenly he’d been hauled up by the back of his shirt to see his father’s humourless chief advisor glaring at him.

‘It’s time for your lessons. You’ve been told you can’t play in the palace like this any more. It’s not seemly for the heir to the throne.’

Ari remembered the stone-like feeling sinking into his belly. All the happiness gone. The look of disappointment on Dax’s face as Ari had been led away to the dusty and musty schoolroom.

Not a hugely traumatic memory, to be fair, but it had signalled the end of the only time in his life when he remembered being free. When he’d had his brother by his side all the time. Before they’d effectively been split up.

He remembered that had also been around the time that his parents’ marriage had fractured in plain sight. He’d been told not long afterwards that a princess had been born in another country and that one day she would be his wife. The thought had terrified Ari as a child. Especially when he’d seen his own mother so upset and unhappy.

He’d vowed all the way back then, with a child’s logic, that he would never cause his wife to be that unhappy. It was only as he’d grown up that he’d realised what that would mean. No emotion. No love. Because love only caused things like jealousy and insecurity and ultimately tragedy.

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