Page 27 of Royal Resistance

I glance at him with confusion. “You want me to miss my home?”

“Of course not. But if you missed being a princess, that might fit into my three-part plan.”

“Plan for what?”

“To get you to agree to marry me.”

9

Magnus

Selene doesn’t say anything, which I take as a win because she doesn’t say no. We walk in silence, and I let her take it in.

I want her to like it here. My whole reason for the walk is for her to see Battle Harbour—see the positives, the advantages.

I wanted her to see it so much that I got Duncan to make a few calls. The square is so busy this morning because I have friends who want to help.

They don’t have to know they may be helping me find a queen for them, but they are willing to stop me in the street and fake a random conversation.

“What do you think of my home?” I finally ask, mainly to see if my plan is working.

“You’re doing a nice job selling it,” she says.

My heart sinks. Does the see right through me? Or am I just really bad at this?

For once, I’m not ready to give up when I’m not the best at something.

“I’m selling Laandia,” I correct. “Battle Harbour, actually. It’s my home, and I love it, but living in a fishing village isn’t for everyone.”

“It’s more than that,” she says. “It’s… quaint. Colourful.”

“That it is.”

“Like you.”

I laugh. “No one has ever called me quaint before. Colourful, definitely.”

“That’s what I meant. Why do you want to marry me?”

Now we’re getting somewhere. Selene’s lack of subtleness is refreshing and definitely makes this easier. If she weren’t so blunt, then I might convince myself that I’m just taking a walk around town with a beautiful woman.

No plan or ulterior motive.

But I do have both.

And because I suspect Selene is being honest, I am too. “Because you were born to be a queen, and that’s what I need. This king stuff is new to me—”

“King stuff?”

“Being a king. Figuring it out. Ruling. I need help.”

Her expression agrees with that, but I plow forward. “I’ll get it, but it’ll take time. Having someone like you by my side would make it much easier.”

“Having a therapist? Because that’s all I am now.” There’s bitterness in her tone, mixed with sadness.

“That’s not true, and you know it. You’ve got a presence, a vibe… I’m not explaining this well.” Duncan laid it out so clearly last night. After the ball was over, we had a debrief, just the two of us.

Both of us know that my being a king will be a challenge. We made lists of who might help and who might harm the monarchy. We talked about me marrying sooner rather than later.