He should stop. She’s not at fault
Ha, that’s rich coming from you. Didn’t you just insult her for the very same thing?my inner voice sneers. I want to curse. Curse this whole damn mess dumped at our feet.
“Leave that to us. Amelia is a professional. And she can’t help what the press writes about her. Even we of the high nobility are entitled to a private life, Father,” I reply coldly and pull the silent Amelia along. I’m not in the mood for this stupid chatter now.
The invited reporters have already taken their seats, and I see Eric standing by the side of the podium, monitoring the proceedings. He nods briefly at me, which I return, before I scan the crowd. And I freeze. Because Albert Richardson is among them too.
My eyes dart to Eric, who just shrugs because he knows exactly how much I despise that man.
He despises everything about us, the royal family, and he's made more than a few missteps in the past. He's always ready to cross the line if it means creating a scandal around my family.
Amelia gasps and furrows her brow. Suddenly, her eyes widen, and she turns pale as a sheet.
What the hell?
In the very next moment, she squares her shoulders, and her face smooths into a calm, unreadable mask. My respect for her deepens. Something clearly terrified her, yet she composes herself completely and stands beside me with her head held high. Only the tightening grip on my hand gives her away. She nearly crushes it, and I narrow my eyes and turn to look at her.
What’s going on here?
I hate seeing her stand there, pale as a corpse, clinging to my hand like it’s the only thing keeping her grounded. I want nothing more than to pull her away from this place, but I can’t.
Amelia catches my expression, gives a barely perceptible shake of her head, then turns back to the reporters.
Dammit.
Eric steps onto the podium, and the show begins.
“Ladies and gentlemen, thank you very much for attending on such short notice. After today’s reports, Prince Nicolas found it appropriate to make a personal statement and clear up some rumors about his fiancée. Only relevant questions about this topic will be answered today. The press conference will be ended immediately if tensions rise or the situation gets out of control. You all know the rules. If everyone is ready, please join me in welcoming Prince Nicolas of Harlington and his fiancée, Lady Amelia Perlington.”
He turns toward us and gestures for us to move forward. I lead the way, holding Amelia’s hand firmly in mine. The moment we step onto the podium, I nod toward the reporters, while Amelia offers a polite but distant smile.
I wait until she takes a seat and then sit beside her, looking each attending press member in the eye.
“Ladies and gentlemen, you are here today because, barely twenty-four hours after announcing our engagement, a few wild rumors have started circulating. Let me make one thing clear: Lady Amelia Perlington is the most charming, loyal woman I have ever met, and exactly what Harlington needs. Exactly whatIneed. Shouldn’t that be the priority? She has always stood up for Harlington in every matter, has been one of our family’s closest friends for a long time. Therefore, I ask you to refrain from reports like the one I read this morning in theHarlington Post. Because none of it is true.” My gaze warns the men and women around me, but I see Albert preparing himself.
I clench my teeth and try to stay calm.
“Albert Richardson from theHarlington Post. Lady Amelia, you want to say you were not involved with Prince Nicolas’s brother beforehand? According to eyewitness reports, you were often and intimately seen with Prince Philipp. That raises the question of how the engagement with his brother could happen so suddenly, especially so shortly after his passing.”
My eyes automatically shift to Amelia, who takes a deep breath but then looks Albert directly in the eye.
All my muscles are taut, ready to snap, as I wait for what’s next.
“Yes, that’s exactly what I meant. Prince Philipp and I were friends since childhood. Our families have always been closely connected. Naturally, we’ve been seen together, especially since we’ve worked on several social projects. I don’t see anything wrong with that, nor do I understand how it relates to Nicolas. My engagement to Nicolas has nothing to do with my friendship with Philipp. That’s why I find your question a bit puzzling, Mr. Richardson. You’re not seriously suggesting that I’m moving from one prince to another, are you?”
I have to summon all my strength to keep my face expressionless and not stare at Amelia, but damn, that was a direct hit.
Smiling sweetly and blinking at him with innocent eyes, she leaves Richardson clenching his teeth. His colleagues watch with anticipation, as it’s clear he hadn’t expected such a comeback.
Now he has to tread carefully. He can’t accuse the crown without solid evidence. Amelia has cornered him with her response.
Eric tenses in the background but looks at Amelia with a certain respect.
Well, well, turns out Goldilocks has fangs.
“Oh no, I don’t mean to imply that at all, milady. I was just surprised because you two were never seen together before,” he answers, clearly strained, but his eyes sparkle dangerously.
Oh fuck.
