Page 17 of Falling for the King

‘You’re from Resleigh?’ Katerina asked.

‘I am. I lived abroad for a few years after university but moved back some time ago. All my family live there, they have for generations.’

Katerina looked at him quickly, her expression impossible to read, then back to Serena.

‘How lovely. Is this your first visit to Maynet?’

Serena laughed, a sound that inexplicitly grated on him and tightened the throbbing grip of his headache. ‘Goodness no, I’ve visited many times mainly for the charities I’m involved in and have been lucky enough to see quite a bit of this beautiful country.’

Stilted conversation continued back and forth as Xavier tried to pinpoint what exactly felt so wrong about seeing them together. When he married his wife would need at least a cordial relationship with Katerina, although a friendship would be far better and much easier. Katerina would remain a member of his family unless she chose to remarry. Then her position would become murkier, unprecedented. However, if she married someone outside of Maynet, the ties would be severed. That was the law. Currently that wasn’t a factor, Edgar had been rejected and Xavier would ensure it stayed that way. Because he selfishly didn’t want to lose such a valuable and hardworking member of his family? A great asset to the country? Or because the thought of her being committed to anyone, never mind the unworthy Edgar, made him want to lose the contents of his stomach.

His headache must be affecting his brain as it remained stuck on Katerina’s future marriage plans, not his own. On the spot he decided he wasn’t going to invite Serena for a private drink after the formalities ended as he’d originally intended. He could blame his headache for his change of plans though it wouldn’t be the reason, it wouldn’t come close.

Chapter 6

Katerina walked up the marble staircase, the king’s footsteps echoing in time with hers. It was colder in here than outside as the two of them headed to the top floor of the governor’s residence where they’d stayed for the past three nights. Goosebumps gathered along her skin, under her matching black dress and coat. Alone now that the security detail stayed downstairs, no words had passed between them since the finish of the black and white cocktail party. Only three hours in length, the event had seemed to go on forever and thankfully was the last official engagement of a long day. A long week. Tonight had been an endless round of people to converse with when all she’d wanted to do was watch the king with Serena.

With Serena.

All she needed to do was keep it together for another few minutes until she got to her room. And then she’d rebuild her defences for another day in the king’s presence. How she was going to keep doing that, especially after tonight, she wasn’t sure. She’d never known him to spend so much time in another woman’s company. She knew eventually he’d remarry and this time live happily ever after. As he deserved. And it was no surprise that Serena would be the type of woman he’d choose with her effortless grace and striking looks. Yet tonight, for reasons she didn’t want to examine too closely, it had seemed all wrong. Because she’d been caught unawares? She didn’t realise he was seeing anyone and after tonight the whole country would know.

Once again she relived last week’s early morning scene when she’d nearly kissed him and thanked fate, good luck, her stars, that she hadn’t. Although an incessantly treacherous part of herself regretted it. After tonight that would never happen. She should be relieved he was absolutely, completely, totally out of bounds. Instead, she felt sad, disappointed.

‘Serena seems very accomplished,’ she said surprising herself by bringing it up when she’d managed to stick to non-personal topics since the poolside incident. This was personal, very personal.

‘She is. What did you think of her?’

I didn’t like the way she looked at you. The way you spent all night with her. The way you introduced her to me making a claim for all to see.

‘She’s very beautiful.’

He didn’t respond instead upon reaching the top of the stairs he stopped.

‘There’s something I want to discuss. Would you join me for a drink?’

To tell her his intentions towards Serena? Her stomach pitched like she’d fallen off a cliff. Taking a deep breath she pushed back her fear and clung to her courage. ‘Of course.’

With her heart hammering he motioned for her to walk along the carpeted corridor to his suite of rooms, at the opposite end to hers. Silence filled the hallway more pronounced after the overwhelming noise in the marquee.

Reaching the last door Xavier turned the handle and ushered her inside a sitting room. Lit by four table lamps it was much dimmer than the corridor. A blazing hearth protected by an antique looking fireguard with the country emblem embossed in the front heated the space. A landscape oil painting hung over the huge mantlepiece and two wing-backed armchairs were placed in front with an oval coffee table in the middle. Two plush lounges sat facing each other in the centre of the room and along the wall a dark wooden sideboard had an assortment of platters filled with cheese, meat, fruit and bread spread along the top. The overall look was cosy, intimate. Had it been planned for him alone? For her? Or for Serena?

‘You haven’t eaten, please get some food.’ He went to a drinks cabinet and held up two bottles of wine. ‘Would you prefer red or white, or something stronger?’

Pouring her a glass of the requested red he chose something out of a decanter, a whisky perhaps, and knocked it back in a single shot. She couldn’t help staring, she’d never known him to do that as he refilled his glass and placed them both on the low table in front of the fire. As much as the thought of eating made her want to gag, she set out two plates and placed a bit of everything on each one. She’d noticed he hadn’t eaten either.

Moving to the table she put the plates down conscious of the king standing next to one of the chairs watching her. There was something different about him tonight, he was tense and quiet. Was he uncomfortable with what he was going to tell her? That alone was enough to make her stomach turn.

The hearth crackled creating shadows around the room, the heat of his stare and the flames from the fireplace had her shrugging off her coat and laying it over the back of her chair while he stood in his tuxedo, his tie still perfectly in place. Suddenly the sensible dress she’d worn all night, which she hadn’t had a qualm about choosing, felt inadequate and dowdy. She wished she’d worn something fancier and flashier rather than the style she’d favoured since her marriage.

He gave her the glass careful not to touch her and gestured to the armchair.

‘Take a seat.’

Taking a sip to steady herself she sank into the creaking leather.

‘You wanted to discuss something with me,’ she prompted as he sat opposite her.

‘I’m getting married.’