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‘I hope you are right.’ Cressida sighed.
They finished their ice creams and finally there was nothing else to do but make their grand arrival at the palace. Usually a high-profile guest was welcomed in grand style, with all the staff lined up at the foot of the wide concrete steps while the Royal family stood waiting at the top. Today, the steps were empty save for a single butler, who stood at the end. Cressida recognised him as Hansel, the second most senior member of the royal house staff. A harsh laugh escaped her throat at the thought that her father had not even deemed her arrival home after almost five years away to be worthy of the head butler.
‘Your Highnesses, allow me to be the first to congratulate you on your recent nuptials and to formally welcome you back to Monteverre.’ The older man bowed, escorting them inside and down the long familiar corridors to the grand salon.
Inside, the Sandoval family waited, her mother and sister sitting down while her father stood poised at the mantelpiece, just as she’d expected. It was his usual show of force, he was a tall man and he liked to stand in the position of power in a room when welcoming guests.
She had almost forgotten that Khal was by her side until her father stepped forward, greeting him before he greeted his own daughter.
‘Welcome back to my humble kingdom, Sheikh Khalil,’ King Fabian said loudly. ‘I believe you have already been introduced to my eldest daughter, Crown Princess Eleanor.’
Khal glanced uncomfortably from Cressida to her father, before stepping forward and making his introduction to her older sister.
Eleanor was thinner than she remembered; that was the first thought Cressida had before her sister stepped forward suddenly and embraced her.
‘Cress, it has been far too long.’ Eleanor did not gu
sh; there was nothing false about the way she held the embrace for a long moment before pulling away. For a moment it almost felt as though they were children again, before anything had ever changed.
The moment did not last long, however, her father booming across the little interlude in his usual fashion. ‘And here she is, the woman of the hour,’ he pronounced with mock pride.
Cressida felt Khal stiffen beside her, his hand tightening on hers.
‘Father, I hope you are well.’ She opted for the polite approach, ignoring the urge to simply speak her mind and address the very large elephant present in the room.
‘I’m quite well, considering the stress that I and the royal team have been under for the past three days.’ His lips tightened in what she supposed was an attempt at a smile. ‘I doubt you’ve been put under much pressure, hiding out there in the desert.’
He looked to Khal in a very male attempt at camaraderie, clearly expecting her husband to share in his joke. Khal did not.
‘Perhaps we should take things to a more business setting. Leave the women to catch up. It has been such a long time since Cressida has seen her family.’
Cressida tried not to react to the way the King referred to her mother and sister as her family, not his. He had no need to hide his true feelings now, she supposed. She had never been a Sandoval by birth but now she was no longer even a Sandoval by name. He could pretend that she had never existed and never feel the difference.
‘This matter concerns your daughter just as much as it concerns our kingdoms—’ Khal began, his shoulders straightening.
‘No, you should go. You are much better at all of this.’ Cressida squeezed her husband’s hand lightly. ‘I trust you to speak on my behalf.’
‘You are sure?’ He dipped his head, speaking quietly near her ear.
Cressida nodded, smiling as he placed a delicate kiss on her palm and left the room with a few long powerful strides, her father at his heels.
‘So you found love, after all.’ Her mother’s voice drifted across the room.
Cressida had almost forgotten that her mother was there at all, considering she had not stood once since she had entered the room. ‘We have a comfortable arrangement. It’s more than I could have hoped for, considering the circumstances.’ Cressida spoke evenly.
‘What your father and I had... Sorry, King Fabian and I...’ Her mother cleared her throat suddenly, the first sign of emotion crossing heavily lined features. ‘Our arranged marriage was comfortable at best. Dangerously passionate at worst.’ She took a long sip of her brandy, rising to her feet and swaying slightly. ‘What you want is something in the middle, something warm that will last, not burn itself out before you’ve even had a chance.’
Eleanor cleared her throat, ever the peacemaker of the family. ‘He seems quite fond of you,’ she offered kindly. ‘I’m happy for you, little sister.’
‘I was nervous about coming here today, considering what has been said.’ She met her older sister’s eyes, feeling her voice quivering slightly. ‘You must know that I would have told you, had I been allowed to.’
‘Yes, yes.’ Queen Aurelia sighed heavily, making her way slowly across the room towards the sideboard and the brandy decanter that stood upon it. ‘We would all have done a great many things, had we been allowed to.’
Something within Cressida seemed to stretch thin and snap apart. Years of hurt and emotional pain rose to the surface, her temper rising with it.
‘Your attitude is appalling, Mother.’ Eleanor spoke first, surprising Cressida with the backbone in her voice. Her elder sister had always been the strong, silent one. Never sharing the details of her own seemingly perfect marriage. Always simply moving forward with her duty and not getting involved in any of the family politics that might have arisen.
‘My attitude?’ Queen Aurelia laughed, filling up her glass almost to the top with amber liquid, not seeming to care that it was barely midday. ‘At least I did not run away the first chance I got. At least I put my family first.’
