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But she wasn’t a princess, and he wasn’t free to choose her, even if he wanted to. Especially not now. Not when he was the king of a whole freaking country.
Someone knocked on the door, and she stood, her heart speeding because if someone was knocking, it was probably him. “Come in,” she called out nervously. The door opened, and she composed herself for the confrontation that would more than likely come. “Leo, I—” She broke off immediately, because it wasn’t Leo. It was a man she’d never seen before. “Oh. Sorry. I thought… Can I help you?”
The man shut the door behind him, holding on to the knob, his gaze falling on her empty luggage in the corner of the bedroom. “As you know, things have changed here. The king is dead, and Prince Leopold…it’s going to be a rough couple of months for him, to say the least.”
Leopold. That sounded so stuffy. So not like Leo. Not the real version of him, anyway. Not the one she knew. She wrapped her arms around herself, watching him closely, because she couldn’t quite figure out what he wanted from her. “Yes, I’d imagine so. My sympathies are with him. His father was a good man.”
“Yes. He was.” The man cleared his throat. “I’m Harry, by the way. Prince Leopold’s advisor.”
“Alicia Forkes,” she said slowly. “Nice to meet you, Harry.”
He bowed slightly, his upper lip stiff. “Indeed.”
When he fell silent, not speaking, she shifted on her feet uncomfortably, not liking the way he looked at her, as if she was beneath his notice. “Is there something I can help you with? Did Leo—Prince Leopold—send you here?”
“No.” He frowned. “Well, yes. He did.”
She frowned. “Okay?”
“I’m here to help you pack and to escort you to the car that’s waiting for you. He thanks you for your cooperation and invites you to visit in the future, though I’d rather you didn’t.”
He snapped his fingers, and three servants came in immediately, grabbing her luggage and opening drawers to pull her clothing out. “What are they doing?”
“Speeding along the process, of course,” Harry replied.
What a jerk.
“But…” Her heart twisted, not because of the man’s words, but because she was clearly being dismissed by Leo. They were actually packing her clothes for her. When he’d told her she was free to go, she hadn’t thought he meant he was going to kick her out. She’d thought he was giving her the choice he should have given her all along—and she’d been planning to stay, like he’d wanted. To apologize for her words the night before and see things through to the end. Even though she was well aware there was no happily ever after for them. The research on the internet had confirmed that.
Shaking her head, she said, “I thought—”
“He’s changed his mind,” he said simply, pressing a pompous hand to his stomach and inclining his head. “Though he wishes you to keep him informed of the outcome of…well, you know.”
She hugged herself, swallowing hard. “Yeah. Sure. I’ll let him know.”
“Excellent.” Harry smiled, but his eyes were cold. “He’ll be pleased with your cooperation, I’m sure.”
Yeah, I bet he will. “May I speak to him before I go? I just want to—”
“I’m sorry, but we don’t think that’s wise,” he said, his tone completely unapologetic as he cut her off again. “We think it’s best if you leave quietly.”
Stiffening, she lifted a brow, mimicking Leo. “We?”
“The prince’s…” He broke off, correcting himself. “The king’s team.”
She gripped her elbows hard. “And why is that?”
“There’s no doubt that he has old feelings for you, but with his royal lineage, we can’t afford to have you hanging around, clouding his judgment in his future affairs, and mucking up his search for an appropriate wife to join him as he begins his reign.” He held his hands out, palms up. “Now, more than ever, it is important his mind remain clear. He must keep his eyes focused on the future of Randovia.”
“And you’re afraid I’ll interfere with those things?”
“Possibly. He knows what he has to do for his country, and what his duties are. But if you’re here”—Harry shrugged—“those duties might go unattended, and we can’t afford to risk that for a girl who used to live in her car in New York City. I’m sure you understand our stance.”
Ah. And there it was. The truth. The hard, cold fact that a girl like her wasn’t good enough for the king—something she’d known all along, no matter how much she’d tried to ignore the big, giant, dirty elephant in the room every time they were together. “I want to speak with Leo before I go.”
“Absolutely not,” he said quickly, his eyes narrowing at her familiar use of his name. “King Leopold has no interest in seeing you again, hence my presence here instead of his, and you need to return to your life in Harlem, Ms. Forkes. To your job at Baker…who, if you must know, is quite happy with your work.”
She blinked. “What work?”
