Page 13 of The Royal Marriage Alliance

“Stellan is on his way here. His mother has him running an errand, but he should be back any moment.” He locks his phone and stuffs it back into the pocket of his shorts.

An errand? The crown prince runserrands?

I try to imagine running to the store to get a gallon of milk or even just going to a coffee shop to get a latte. I don’t even know how to drive.

What an interesting life. One that could possibly be mine.

“Interesting,” King Basilicus says.

I look up and notice that he’s studying me.

“What is interesting?” I ask.

“Your eyes.” He knits his brows as he looks at me. “They’re bright green.”

Father turns his head sharply, narrowing his eyes at me.

I blink. “Sorry. I didn’t realize.”

“What does green mean?” King Basilicus asks.

“Jealousy.” I glance down, clearing my throat.

I can feel my father’s glare. He probably didn’t want me telling the dragon king that bit of information.

“What are you jealous about?” King Basilicus crosses his arms over his chest and he looks back and forth between my father and me.

I chew on my lip and look at my father, wondering if I should answer or not. After considering for just a moment, I decide I should tell him. I don’t want to hide anything from him if he’s to be my father-in-law.

“You said Prince Stellan was running an errand. I’ve never done anything like that before. It kind of sounds fun.” I dare to glance at my father and his face immediately softens.

King Basilicus moves his chair and it scrapes against the concrete as he sits down. He motions toward the other chairs around the table. “Take a seat.” He folds his hand on the table as Father and I take a seat. “I am wondering what this is about. You have me very curious.”

“A lot has happened, but I think it’s best if we wait for Prince Stellan,” Father says, not giving any hints as to the nature of our visit.

King Basilicus’s attention goes to something behind us. “Ah, Stellan, join us.”

I have to force myself not to turn around and gawk at the newcomer. I only get one chance to make a first impression and I want it to be a good one. So I wait until he stands right beside his father to look at him.

My mouth goes dry as I glance up at the man who has joined us. He, like his father, is extremely tall. He doesn’t have dark hair at all, like I thought. Instead, his hair is a sandy blond, with varying shades highlighted through his hair. His skin is tanned—most likely from spending a lot oftime outdoors. It makes me very aware of the fact that I’ve spent most of my winter indoors and am pale.

The thing that stands out most about Stellan’s appearance is his eyes. They’re a bright, teal green. Or maybe blue. I can’t exactly tell because they seem to change colors, though not like a fae. His eye color depends on how the light hits them.

King Basilicus motions toward Father and me. “Stellan, this is Emperor Emrys and his younger daughter, Im—”

I cut him off. “Wisteria.” I clear my throat. “My name is Wisteria.”

Stellan bows to my father. “Hello, Emperor Emrys.” He gives me a half bow. “Princess Wisteria.”

Princess is better than Imperial Highness I suppose.

“It’s just Wisteria,” I tell him.

Prince Stellan looks at me for a long moment, his eyes looking more green in the light as he studies me. I should probably look away, but I can’t. I don’t want to. I wonder for a moment what color my eyes are, but I suppose it doesn’t matter. Prince Stellan won’t know what the different colors mean for my mood—that is something he will find out later on, as he gets to know me.

“Emperor Emrys is here to talk about the wedding,” King Basilicus says.

It’s impossible to miss the way the smile slips off of Prince Stellan’s face. He turns away from me, looking at his father. It takes him a few seconds to force his smile back into place.

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