“We are a good-looking family,” Luca said with a grin that made her glare at him.
His expression softened, and he took her hand. “You don’t need to marry Leo to matter, Lila. I hope you know that.”
Natalie grimaced. “I just hope your cousin won’t take offense on behalf of Lanover. We initially only planned to switch for a few days, and I actually thought he’d already have fallen in love with me by then.” She gave a pained laugh. “I was sure he’d forgive everything when we confessed the truth. But everything has spiraled out of control, and I’m terrified my foolish naïveté is going to cause an international incident.” She gave Luca a worried look. “Maybe we shouldn’t mention my reasons for the switch to Leo?”
“Maybe not,” he agreed solemnly, but he looked like he was once again struggling not to laugh at something she didn’t understand.
“I’m still surprised the princess was willing to take the risk,” he said after a moment of silence. “She should have known better.”
“When we discussed it, we thought it sounded like something the two of you would have done,” Natalie explained. “So we thought you’d have to forgive us.”
This time he did break out into laughter.
“We might have switched places a time or two when we were younger,” he admitted once his fresh mirth subsided.
“Does that mean you’ll forgive me for the deception?” Natalie asked in a small voice. “I truly regret it.”
“I don’t regret it at all,” he said promptly.
Her eyes flew to his. He was smiling, but his eyes were focused on the dark depths of the garden, his thoughts seemingly elsewhere. “It might have done a great deal of good.”
She waited, but he let the thought drop, turning to her with a twinkle. “Having confessed my own disgraceful past, I can hardly refuse to forgive you without making myself a hypocrite.”
Natalie bit her lip, not wanting to grow too hopeful. “You’re not upset that I’m not really a princess?”
He raised an eyebrow. “I think we’ve already covered the reprehensible nature of pursuing someone only for their rank. I may be a prince, but I believe the same principle applies. On the matter of your true identity, at least, we can make peace.”
Relief swept over Natalie, but she didn’t have time to enjoy it before his voice turned darker.
“There is, however, another matter. Your misguided swap with Princess Rose does not explain why I just found a masked man trying to stab you in the palace gardens.”
“That has nothing to do with the swap,” Natalie said. “At least not initially.” She explained her discovery of the note on Rose’s pillow and everything that had happened since, concluding with, “So you can see why I got so annoyed at you when you kept getting in the way.”
“See whyyouwere annoyed withme?” Luca looked up from examining the two notes, gathering wrath in his eyes. “See that you were determined to get yourself killed, more like! Of all the misguided, foolish, mule-headed?—”
“Don’t!” Natalie put up a hand to stop the rush of words, tears pricking at her eyes.
“I know it was foolish of me. I’ve realized that already. I’ll let Rose lecture me all she wants, but not you. There’s been no harm done to Lanover.”
“No harm to…” He twisted his body toward her, grasping her arm and staring down at her. “Do you think I’m worried about Lanover? You could have been killed! If I hadn’t heard you scream, you would have been!”
“Yes, that was very timely of you!” Natalie said, distracted by his words. “How did you manage to be on hand so quickly?”
“Timely.” He let out a breath, running a hand through his hair. “Do you have any idea how long I was searching? One of the servants told me she’d seen you dashing outside like you had wolves on your heels, and I went straight after you. I was searching for you all evening.” He fixed her with a direct look. “Did you think I was going to let you run away after that kiss?”
“Oh.” Natalie hung her head, her cheeks flushing.
“Yes,” he said. “Oh.”
He took one of her hands in both of his, holding it in a grip that was both warm and reassuring. His voice gentled as he spoke, drawing her eyes back to his.
“It was foolish of you to keep the notes secret and try to handle it yourself, but it was also brave. You were trying to protect Rose, and that at least, can be commended.”
Her flush deepened, but then he kept talking. “If you’d only told me when I repeatedly asked you what was going on. We could have had this place teeming with guards.”
She pulled her hand free and threw it in the air. “And you wonder that I didn’t want to tell you! That would have been a terrible idea! The blackmailer was canny enough to notice one girl hiding in the bushes. You would have scared him off before he ever got close.” She shook her head. “At least this time wasn’t a total disaster like last time. I managed to get a look at his face before he ran off.”
“Not a total disaster? Are you serious?” He stared at her. “He came within a breath of stabbing you!”
