Mattias made a noise that might have been sympathetic if it were coming from anyone else. “I know. Politeness is taxing to your contrary nature. But your guests leave in the morning, and you can go back to being your normal, cranky self.”
“I’d say you were being rude, but I’m actually too tired to argue with you,” Leo said with a sigh. “I’m exhausted from avoiding discussions about when I’m going to propose to Sophia with Prince Stephan. How can Sophia be so clever and her little brother be such a dunce?”
“He’s certainly finding it hard to accept that you have no intention of making a match,” Mattias said, “but luckily he doesn’t have any sway in the matter.”
Prince Stephan, Sophia’s younger brother, had spent the week dropping none-too-subtle hints about how a marriage between Leo and Sophia would create one of the most powerful alliances on the entire continent and narrowing his eyes at Leo when he avoided the topic of conversation. Stephan was almost painfully insistent that there be a match between the kingdoms, so much so that in a fit of pique four days into the visit, Leo had grumbled to Mattias that he was going to propose to Stephan instead, just to shut him up.
Mattias had simply raised an eyebrow and said, “And what will you do if he accepts?”
The idea of Leo and Stephan was laughable anyway, because if there was one thing Leo had no patience for, it was idiots—and Prince Stephan truly was an idiot. Although he shared his sister’s flaming red hair and well-formed features, he did not share her intelligence. If he had, he would have recognised the trade proposals Mattias and Leo were offering as the boon they were, instead of remaining stuck on the idea that his sister would marry the king.
Still, tomorrow their visitors would leave, and life would go back to normal. Leo couldn’t wait. It had been a long week, the days filled with meetings and politics and treaty negotiations, and the evenings taken up with long, pointless dinners where he and Sophia sat together and engaged in polite conversation and Leo watched the bards and troupes of acrobats and jugglers with a fake smile plastered in place.
He might have enjoyed the entertainment more, except he was too busy wishing he was in a certain small cottage with a certain long-limbed groom, engaging in some acrobatics of their own.
He took solace in the knowledge that Sophia wanted to marry him even less than he wanted to marry her. The irony of it was, that as he’d gotten to know Sophia, it had become apparent that she was someone hecouldhave settled down with, given her wit and charm—except neither of them were interested in each other that way, which was frankly a relief.
“Leo? Are you wool-gathering again?” Mattias’s voice cut in. “I said, make sure you wear this.” He held out Leo’s hated coronet.
“Really?”
Mattias muttered something under his breath about difficult children and shoved the coronet forward at Leo, who knew better than to argue. He ducked his head enough that Mattias was able to settle the coronet in place, brushing his fingers through Leo’s curls to make them sit properly before giving a satisfied nod. “There. You look every inch a ruler, sire.”
Leo poked his tongue out, but he was secretly pleased that he came up to scratch. It was professional pride, not vanity.
Mattias himself looked particularly well-turned-out in tight black trousers, matching boots that had been polished until they shone, a fitted linen shirt that emphasised his long, lean frame, and a deep blue jacket that made his eyes gleam like sapphires. Leo felt a nostalgic echo of his childhood crush. “You look rather fine yourself, Chancellor,” he said with a raised eyebrow. “Maybe you’ll finally meet a woman who can tolerate you, dressed like that.”
Mattias laughed and poked his own tongue out, but Leo noted his cheeks were tinged with pink, which was unlike him. “Come on. They’re waiting for us in the Great Hall,” Mattias said and led the way downstairs.
* * *
The Great Hall had been decorated for the occasion, which was exactly as lavish as expected. The colourful tapestries that hung from the walls were, for once, free of dust and cobwebs, and the walls gleamed under the illumination of lanterns set into sconces in a way that suggested the stone had been scrubbed within an inch of its life.
The room wasn’t the only thing that gleamed. Every noble family from Lilleforth was represented and, like Mattias, the guests had all made an effort to look their best in honour of visiting royalty. Leo took a moment to be glad that Mattias had insisted he wear his coronet and robe.
The evening passed without incident, the wine flowing freely as the guests were plied with course after course of fine food, and Leo spent his time at the king’s table greeting anyone who made their way up to him and ensuring he made plenty of flattering comments about his visitors. It was mind-numbing, but he’d done it before, and he caught Mattias giving a tiny approving nod every time Leo went out of his way to assure his guests that it wassuchan honour to host the court of Evergreen.
Once the food had been cleared, the musicians started to play a jaunty tune, and Prince Stephan was less than subtle when he declared, “And of course you’ll dance with my sister, Your Majesty?”
“Of course,” Leo said, standing and extending a hand to Sophia. She finished her glass of wine before she gave a small nod of her head and took the proffered hand. Leo led her out to the open space and led her in a simple two-step. Other couples soon joined them, and Leo found that he was enjoying himself more than he’d expected. Sophia was rather fetching in an emerald-green gown and light on her feet as they danced, as was Leo. Her cheeks were rosy, but whether from the dancing or the wine she’d consumed, Leo couldn’t say.
When the dance came to an end, Sophia’s gaze flicked to the side and Leo followed it, only to find her brother watching them, his brow creased. Sophia gave Leo a bow and he mirrored her action, and she used the resulting closeness of her mouth to Leo’s ear to murmur, “I think he’s finally realising his hopes of a wedding are in vain.”
“I should hope so,” Leo whispered back, “since we’ve been quite clear all along.”
The music started up again and they resumed dancing. “My brother has always been oblivious to that which he didn’t want to see,” Sophia said with a sigh, “but we just have to get through tonight without being manoeuvred into an arrangement.” Her mouth quirked up. “I’m sure your groom would have something to say about you getting betrothed. Besides,” she confided, her face flushing darker and her voice low, “I find my eye drawn to another.”
“You mean there’s a better royal match than me? Impossible!” Leo teased.
“He’s not even royalty. He’s a mere knight, although an uncommonly handsome one,” she said with another sigh. “And my brother will disapprove, I have no doubt. But I know who I want, and I mean to have him—that is, if he’ll haveme.”
“Anyone who doesn’t jump at the chance to wed you is an idiot,” Leo said.
Sophia gave a sharp smile. “So, what does that make you then, Your Majesty?”
Leo laughed. “Someone who’s not nearly clever enough to keep up with you. I hope your knight is quick-witted as well as handsome.”
“Oh, he is,” Sophia said, her smile widening as the music slowed and the dancing stopped. “And now we should find other partners, lest my brother gets his hopes up again.”
