She let out an inelegant snort that was at odds with her buttoned-up persona. “I was giving you a compliment, Theo. Take it.”
“Well, in that case, please continue. Start from the beginning and tell me all the things I did well in great detail.”
“I’d rather throw you out of the car,Your Serene Highness.”
I busted out a laugh and stretched my legs out in the back of the custom Lexus that had been a gift from the company when Jean and Katerina got engaged. The entire roof of the car was transparent, so we amassed plenty of waves from our fellow citizens as we passed by, which I reciprocated.
“There’s been a couple of changes to the schedule, so I’ll send you an updated itinerary shortly,” Amaya said. “The Australian ambassador came down with the flu, so your meeting tomorrow has been canceled, along with the dinner.” She finished typing and finally set her phone in her lap. “Looks like you’ve got a few days off now.”
“Perfect. Looks like the chocolate arrangement I sent worked its magic.” When she arched a brow, I rolled my eyes. “I’m kidding. Send her my well wishes and a huge bouquet of…I don’t know, something nice.”
“Already done.”
“What would we do without you?”
“I ask myself that every day,” she murmured before her phone began to ring and she answered.
The car pulled up to the back entrance of the palace closest to where my wing was, but just as I stepped out, Amaya covered the speaker on her phone and whispered my name.
“Something you need, Amaya?” I leaned down and clocked the worried pull between her brows. “Xanax? Perhaps a joint?”
“No,” she snapped. “Promise me you’ll keep a low profile during your time off. Just…try not to do anything I wouldn’t do,please?”
I scoffed. “Are you implying I’m some sort of unhinged party animal? That’s a rude insinuation, considering I plan to pass out in the next two hours. Possibly in my own bed.”
“I mean it, Theo. You’re the face of the royal family while Jean’s gone, so please just…act like it.”
The poor woman was so tense that I thought she might crush the phone in her white-knuckled grasp, so I figured I’d give her a bit of relief.
“Tell you what—you promise to give your cell a break and I’ll try not to give you an aneurysm,” I said.
“Deal.”
I nodded and shut the door, knowing there was no way in hell she’d follow through. Someone would have to pry that thing from her cold, dead hands before she took a break.
But at least that meant I wasn’t beholden to my promise, either.
Not that I planned on doing anything. I didn’t think. It wasn’t like I woke up and decided to do something scandalous—it just happened.
“Good evening, Your Serene Highness.” The security guard opened the door, bowing his head as I walked inside.
“I told you there’s no need for all that when it’s just me.”
He nodded at the camera up in the corner, and I sighed.
“Fine. Next time I expect a full bow, then. Really overdo it.”
“Yes, Your Serene?—”
“Oh, fuck off with that,” I said before waving him off with even more curses, and heard him chuckle in my wake.
My wing of the palace consisted of several rooms, large enough to fit a family should I decide to have one in the future. But for now it was silent, so quiet I could hear the grandfather clock down the hall.
I flipped on the TV in the sitting room and left the episode ofPeaky Blindersplaying for some background noise while I unknotted my tie. That choking device was always the first thing to come off, and I draped the silk over the doorknob leading to my bedroom as I entered?—
And came to a sudden stop.
Everything in my room was pristine—which wasn’t the way I’d left it, but was always what I came back to thanks to our amazing cleaning staff—but it was the small black box on my bed with a red bow that caught my attention.
