She began to touch up her painting with color. She’d already planned for this but given what Daniel had said about the Prince Regent wanting to nurture artistic talent, she had made sure to allow for “instruction.” It brought him into the painting, allowing his thoughts to translate onto the canvas until it became his more than hers.
And in such a way, she caught a prince.
At first, he only stood behind and frowned. But when she would turn and arch a brow at him, he would come closer. He offered opinions that she brushed into the design. Yellow sun, gold highlights, and a purplish blue for his eyes. And as she worked, Daniel supplied a steady stream of intelligent compliments. He praised the stroke of the highlights of gold, admired the depth of the eyes, and stood amazed by the richness of the grass around the lion.
It was all nonsense except that he understood things she had never thought through before. The space between brushstrokes, the depth of ink next to the purity of white. He used other words too, speaking about tension, texture, and light. Such educated words that she had never thought to apply to her paintings, and that made her seem more talented than she thought she was. Before, she would have run from his words. She did not like her thoughts—her art—being analyzed in such a way. But it was Daniel who said those things, and Daniel understood her in ways she never felt before. He held her secrets, and she trusted him.
His voice bolstered her and reassured Prinny. Before long, everyone in the room declared the work a masterpiece of Chinoiserie. A beautiful work of art done by both herself and the Prince Regent. Indeed, she asked if she could write his name upon it in Chinese and was given permission.
“There,” she said as she finished painting his name phonetically in Chinese characters. “Your art, Your Majesty.”
“And where is your name?” he asked.
“This painting is for you, Your Highness. I cannot—”
“You painted it. I instructed you.” The Prince Regent leaned forward. “How can I make you famous if you do not sign your name?”
She bowed her head. What could she do? She wrote the character for her name Li-Na, but she would not put Zhong behind it. She was no longer the servile girl who had lived there. And she had no other name. He didn’t understand. Two characters or three made no difference to him. Already he was talking about how he would show her painting to all the great people in the West. That she would be admired by all. That he would make her a great success because he could see talent and art in the lowest bootblack or humblest serving maid.
She said nothing. She knew what was coming next. After all, he was a royal who had lately become enamored of her. His gaze was already on her bodice. His hands tugged her away from her painting as he pressed her fingertips to his arm. She would have to run and that would end all the goodwill between Daniel and the Prince Regent, but she would not go where he obviously wanted her.
“Come with me, my dear,” Prinny said as he tugged on her arm.
“No, Your Highness—” she began, but he was not a man to listen.
“Let us discuss how I can best show you to the world—”
“My liege!” Daniel interrupted.
The power in his voice was enough to give the Prince Regent pause. Li-Na turned to Daniel, fear in her heart that she was about to be sold again. He wouldn’t do that to her, would he? Even for Stefan.
“I have a favor to beg,” Daniel continued. “A modest request that I implore with my deepest heart.”
The Prince Regent arched his brows. “About Stefan, I presume?”
“No.” The word was flat and hard. “A request about Miss Li-Na,” he said.
The Prince Regent’s brows arched, and his hand tightened on top of hers. “Have a care, Lord Daniel. I will grant you one favor and one alone. Do I intervene on your nephew’s behalf?”
The threat was clear. If he wanted guardianship of his nephew, then he had to release her to the Prince Regent. She knew it, she felt it, and terror had her heart pounding in her throat.
“No.” Again, Daniel’s word came out hard, in a way that brooked no defiance. Not even from a king.
Li-Na bit her lip. What was he doing? Was he sacrificing Stefan for her? Beside her, the Prince Regent grew impatient, but as always, Daniel took his time.
“Well? What is it?” the royal demanded.
“I need your help to obtain a special license,” he said, his gaze on her. Then he stepped forward and tugged her hand off the prince’s arm. “And the use of St. James’s for a wedding.”
“What?” the Prince Regent cried.
What?She didn’t say the word aloud, but her thoughts pounded with the question, nonetheless.
“You may not have understood Li-Na’s signature, my liege, but I did. Li-Na is her full name. She has no surname.” Then Daniel lifted her hand to his mouth. And as he pressed his lips to her wrist, he sank down on one knee before her. “I should like to give her my name, if she will have me.”
Li-Na stared at him, lowered before her. Even though she had told him of her desire, never in her rational mind had she ever though he would do it. Certainly not now, not here. And while she stared at him, he continued to speak, his words ringing loud for all to hear.
“You have my heart and my protection, Li-Na. Always. But you have brought me so much more because you see me as no one else has. You make me feel whole, and I find I will be less without you. Marry me.”
