Timmy:How do you feel?
Lilly:Like I’m going to puke.
Timmy:Fair reaction. Is Keller with you?
Lilly:His hand is on my thigh as I text you.
Timmy:Good. As long as someone is there to metaphorically hold your hand.
Lilly:He’s here. He’s barely left my side all day. He keeps telling me I’m going to do great, but all I can think about is, for the love of God, don’t puke on the king.
Timmy:I think that’s something solid to repeat in your head. But also... don’t forget the filter. You’re not spraying down wet tits anymore. You’re dignified now.
I snort, and Keller leans in, whispering, “What’s so funny?”
“Timmy,” I answer. I flash him the text, and Keller chuckles as well.
“Yeah, no more wet tits.” He keeps his voice so quiet, so close to my ear, that I know only I can hear him. “Unless it’s your wet tits in the shower, with me.”
“Like this morning?” I ask him.
His hand slides farther up my leg, the dress I’m wearing riding up with his hand. “Yes,” he whispers again, and I’m not sure if he’s doing it on purpose, but his touch, his voice? They’re washing away the nerves and making me focus on one thing alone—the desire I have for this man.
“Don’t start something you can’t finish,” I tell him quietly.
“I don’t mind finishing you, as long as you’re quiet,” he whispers back.
My eyes flash to his, and I shake my head while smiling. “No way can I be quiet with you.”
“Missed opportunity.”
I lean into his touch and rest my head against his shoulder. “Keller?”
“Yeah, love?”
“I’m scared.”
“I know.” He wraps his arm around me and holds me tight. “You have all the right to be scared.”
“What if... what if King Theo doesn’t like me?”
“I would be hard-pressed to see that happening. He’s going to love you. Just like I do.” He kisses the top of my head. “Now stop worrying and think about all the good things that are going to happen. You’re going to meet your grandfather for the first time. Now that’s something to be excited about.”
“You’re right,” I say. “That is exciting. But also... puke worthy.”
He chuckles. “If you need to puke, you tell me. I’ll get you everything you need.”
ChapterTwenty
KELLER
“Wow,” Lilly breathes as she looks out the window at the fast-approaching Strombly Palace. Ever since we reached the capital, she’s been glued to the window, taking in all the buildings, saying how they look like something you’d see at EPCOT, which made me laugh. “It’s breathtaking. I wasn’t expecting it to look so... medieval. I had more Buckingham Palace vibes in mind, you know? But this is... this is breathtaking.”
Strombly Palace sits on the top of a secluded hill, surrounded by an expansive stone wall that circles the entire perimeter. Only accessible by the famous Strombly Bridge, with its imposing heights over the Torske River, the palace’s structure is made up of tall towers, bastions, a myriad of stone carvings perched high, gracefully large windows, and burnt-orange roofs. Outfitted with a plush green courtyard at the center of the majestic building, a marble ballroom, and an endless number of bedrooms.
“It is, isn’t it?” I say, marveling at the building I’ve known as my home.
Brimar pulls the car into the castle and around to the grand entrance, where staff is lined up, waiting for us.
