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“Yes?” he asked the member of palace staff standing in the hallway when he opened the door. I was impressed by how stiff he managed to make his voice sound. “Prince Elvis”—was he holding back a chuckle?—“is very busy settling in.”

“Apologies,” the fae said, just as stiffly. “It’s just that we have a room prepared down the hall for you—”

“My butler will be staying in here with me.” I interrupted, which made the fae blink at me in shock, then slowly turn his wary gaze to Vince.

“I’m very dedicated to the job,” Vince deadpanned, crossing his arms and leaning a shoulder against the doorframe.

The fae’s pale green cheeks turned dark in a rush. He quickly averted his eyes. “Yes. Of course.” After clearing his throat, he looked at me again and added, “The queen and your brothers have been informed of your early arrival, sir. They are not yet sure whether they will be able to join you for dinner.”

“We’ll be dining in here tonight anyway,” I said flatly, and in a sardonic tone, added, “So please tell them there’s no need to worry about trying to make time for a nice family dinner.”

“Tomorrow, of course, there will be a celebratory meal following the official announcement of your marriage to Princess Ianthe of the Summer Court,” the fae continued pleasantly while Vince’s entire body stiffened. “She and her retinue have already arrived and are settling into their rooms.”

“And where is Princess Ianthe’s room?” I asked, making sure to keep my tone languid and drawling, as if I didn’t overly care about the answer.

“She’s in the Cerulean Suite in the guest quarters, sir,” the fae said politely, then cast another intrigued glance at Vince, no doubt wondering where or how the butler who slept in my bedroom with me would fit into my ‘marriage’ with the princess.

My lips twitched, but I managed to keep a straight face as I dismissed the staff member, then I took a breath and turned to Vince.

“I think I should just go and get it over and done with,” I told him.

He tensed. “You mean go talk to the princess?”

“Yes.” I offered him a hesitant smile. “I don’t particularly want to have the conversation, but it’s not fair to her. I suppose there is a small chance she is fully invested in this arranged marriage, but the likelihood is she is dreading it as much as I would be.”

“Okay.” He shifted in place, still tense, his fingers flexing by his sides, before lunging at me and crushing his mouth to mine. The kiss was deep and wild and blistering hot, and I was panting by the time he finally ended it.

As I blinked in a daze, Vince dropped another kiss on my neck and stepped back.

“After you’re done, we’re going to spend the rest of the day naked in this big, fancy room, fucking in that big, fancy bed,” he informed me, flashing me a brief grin. “So don’t take too long, your highness.”

Chapter Forty-Four

Crossbody Treats Vince Like a Prince

Crossbody

My heart was rabbiting in my chest as I knocked on the door to the Cerulean Suite, located on the floor below my own rooms. Vince was upstairs waiting for me, and I wanted this conversation over with as swiftly and calmly as possible.

When the door opened and I saw Princess Ianthe standing there, her face vaguely familiar from youth, yet not at the same time, I froze up in panic.

So did she. Her delicate features stiffened, growing tight with apprehension before she schooled her expression into a polite mask and tried to give me a demure smile.

It looked more like a terrified grimace.

“Prince Elvis,” she said, her voice strained. “It’s a pleasure to see you.”

“And you.” I hesitated. “I’m sorry to intrude like this, but I was hoping to speak with you about—” I waved a vague hand. “—all this.”

She went still, her dark brown eyes growing shrewd and assessing as she watched me. Then she glanced around the hall and nodded, stepping back and holding the door open.

I walked inside and kept my distance, stopping beside a navy blue loveseat and resting one hand on its back. Ianthe, in her loose tan linen shirt and flowing trousers, closed the door and walked barefoot across the room to the sideboard.

“Would you like a drink?” she asked, seeming slightly more relaxed after her initial greeting.

“No,” I said quickly. “I won’t take up too much of your time.”

She nodded, pouring herself a small measure of amber liquid and knocking it back, which made my mouth twitch.