Page 32 of Falling for the Queen Mother

His life was about to change. It hadn't truly registered with him until after they'd left the marina, but he wasn't just going to be interviewed, it would air, and his life as he knew it would be over.

Even if he and Alaina were able to find a way to make it so the legal marriage never happened, it would be on the Internet forever. He'd always be the man who was the king's stepfather, at least for a brief period of time.

"It can be lovely," she confirmed. "Out in the middle of nowhere. Just us and the water. The crew is amazing, of course."

It would also confine them to a much smaller space. They'd be limited to the yacht itself. There would be plenty of opportunity to avoid each other if that's what the wanted, but it seemed more likely that they'd spend time together rather than disappearing to another part of an island.

"Do we have the supplies to stay out for several days?" It wouldn't be ideal to return to a dock to restock essentials, but maybe they could do that at the house.

"We likely have enough for several days. We usually do, just in case, but we can restock at the house if we decide to stay out longer than that."

"Then I think that would be my first choice, unless there's some reason I'm not aware of to change that plan." His inner introvert was coming out. It didn't always, but now he felt like being away from anyone and everyone. The island would also provide that, but being at sea added a layer of distance that made him a bit more comfortable.

"I'll check with the captain. There's also extra clothes and trunks on here somewhere so you'll be able to get in the water if you want."

"Perfect."

They lay in the sun for a while longer but didn't talk much. The breeze and warmth combined to help drift Nate into a dozing state. A nap sounded like a lovely idea if he was going to have to deal with all of the other things for the rest of the evening.

He wouldn't sleep long. Not if he could help it.

But when he woke up, the cool of early twilight had overtaken the warmth of the sun. Nate looked over to see that Alaina no longer sat in the seat next to him. Where could she have gone?

That was when he noticed a light blanket over him. Had Alaina placed it there or had a crew member?

He stood, folded the blanket, and laid it on the lounge chair. Looking around, he decided to go back toward the only place he knew - the suite where they'd changed clothes. Once off the deck, he found a staircase, but rather than going down, he looked around and realized there was a... what exactly did one call a living room or sitting room on a yacht?

Regardless, there was one. Alaina stood with her back to him as she stared out one of the windows and spoke to someone on the phone. She didn't turn when he pressed the glass door open, but when she smiled, he knew she could see him in the reflection of the window.

"All right, love. I'll talk to you later." She disconnected the call and turned to look at him. "Did you have a nice nap?"

Nate nodded. "I didn't mean to actually fall asleep, much less for so long." He gave a slight shake of his head. "How long was I asleep?"

"A couple of hours. I wouldn't have let you sleep much longer. The interview will air shortly." She motioned toward a television mounted on one of the walls. "It's cooler than I thought it would be even though it's still partly light outside. In here might be nicer. We can eat while we watch."

"I don't know if I can do that. My stomach may not be able to handle it."

A concerned look crossed her face. "Are you all right?"

He sat on the sofa. "I am. I'm just not familiar with this sort of thing, and my stomach is kind of in knots."

Alaina sat a foot or so away from him. "I get that. I had to get used to it in the beginning, too. It's still not my favorite thing, but I've learned to deal with it." She winced. "Most of the time."

"Will this one be easier or harder than the others?" He stretched his legs out onto a footstool.

She thought about it for a moment. "I'm not sure. The first few were incredibly hard. It was new. The first couple after being widowed were also very challenging. This one is very different. I don't know how it's going to go or how I'm going to feel about it."

"I can understand that." Nate reached over and covered her hand with his. "But whatever it looks like, we'll be together so you won't have to go through it alone."

She turned her hand over and gave his a light squeeze. "I appreciate that. I don't like being alone." With her other hand, she picked up the remote and turned the television on, clicking through the options until she found the right one. Blowing out a breath, she spoke again. "Here goes nothing."

It could have been worse. Much worse.

The interview wasn't bad at all. It had been edited well. The overall tone was sympathetic to their situation. It would likely be received that way by the general public. Alaina imagined the Press Office would be happy with it as well. She would likely hear from them or Frederick shortly, though they wouldn't know that she and Nathaniel had watched it live.

"What do you think?" Nathaniel's voice sounded cautious, like he wasn't certain what he was supposed to think.

"I think it couldn't have gone much better given everything we know about what's going on behind the scenes." She took a sip of her drink then tugged the blanket higher around her. "It didn't give away anything that might suggest something could be amiss in the palace."