“He’s coming!” an emotional voice carries through the crowd. Several girls burst into tears as the attention of the group shifts away from the princess toward an oak-lined path on the opposite side of the garden, and for the first time since we said goodbye, my eyes land on Theodore Geoffrey Edward George.The king of England. My maybe husband. The boy who broke my heart.
“—safe and looked after for ten minutes,” the guard says.
“What did you say?” I pull my gaze from Theo.
“Your friend will be fine.”
“How do I know you’re telling the truth?”
His lips form a tight line. “What do you think we’re going to do to her?”
I grit my teeth in frustration as my pulse pounds heavily. “Fine. I’ll see you soon.”
I slip away from the crowd and follow a sign down a path to the sunken garden, which is a cluster of low, rectangular fountains surrounded by shrubs. I lean over the edge of the water and stare at my wide-eyed reflection, wondering how the hell I ended up here. I search my pockets for a coin, hoping to wish my way out of this mess and spare Naomi from Canadian jail. Instead of money, I find a dog treat, a hair tie, and an empty gum wrapper. With a sigh, I reach my hand into the cold water and scrape a handful of coins off the bottom of the fountain.
“Whatever it takes,” I mutter to myself.
“That’s bad luck, you know.”
My heart rate spikes at the British lilt, but when I turn around, it’s just another guard. I’m startled by how handsome he is. This must be the one Naomi was talking about—Major Winston. “Where’s Theo?”
“His Majesty will be here shortly. First, I need to confirm that you’re not carrying any weapons, and then I need to see that certificate you’re holding.” He motions for me to hold my arms out so he can search me.
“That wasn’t the deal!” I insist as he quickly pats me down.
“It’s the only deal you’re getting.”
Despite how badly I’ve wanted to make the marriage certificate go away, handing it over is shockingly difficult, but I’m at the mercy of the guard. I relinquish my only bargaining chip with a huff. He silently pockets it before leaving me alone in the garden with a wet arm and a handful of bad luck.
I close my eyes and toss all the coins over my head. They land with an ominous splash.
“Blimey, Wheeler. You didn’t have to resort to blackmail. If you wanted to see me so badly, you could have called.”
Theo strolls toward me, one side of his mouth hitched in a lazy grin that pierces me with its familiarity. I try to take in all of him at once, but don’t know what to focus on. He’s still distressingly hot, for one thing. His hair is dark, though it’s a bit shorter and less floppy than it was before. His eyes are alarmingly blue, still full of mischief. And even with all of that, there’s something different about him that I can’t quite place.
I’m so thunderstruck by his appearance that I barely register what he said. When my brain catches up enough to process his words, I realize another thing about him that hasn’t changed at all. His ego is still big enough to fill the miles between our countries.
I roll my eyes, hoping I haven’t been gaping at him for too long. “Ego check,Your Highness.”
“On what grounds?”
“I’m only here because your bodyguards have my friend Naomi in custody. They need to let her go.”
He suppresses a smile, clearly amused by this entire mess. “How’d she wind up in that predicament?”
General chaos, most likely. “She was causing a distraction. On my behalf.” I cross my arms, annoyed that he doesn’t look a fraction as flustered as I feel.
“Ahh.” His eyes light up. “One of your classic plans?”
“No. I don’t do that anymore.”
“But you must have had a reason for being here today. Correct me if I’m wrong, but you don’t even live in this country.”
“Neither do you!”
He has the nerve to laugh. I glower at him, my frustration mounting. He’s charming and carefree and gorgeous, with all the leverage in the world—and I’m in sweatpants and an old T-shirt, begging for a favor. I’ve never felt the gap in our respectivestatusesas much as I do now. “Let her go.”
“Is that what you wished for?” He nods to the fountain.
