Page 24 of Promoted To His Princess

Her mouth was dry, her throat a desert. She didn’t want to be weak and give in, or take the food and drink he’d given her, though for what reason she didn’t know. Perhaps to prove to herself that she had some restraint, though that particular horse had long since bolted. But the glass of water at least looked very inviting and she couldn’t resist.

She leaned forward and picked up the glass, taking a sip. The water slid down her throat, cool and delicious.

‘And no,’ he went on, his voice just as cool as the water she was drinking. ‘I don’t require proof. I believe you.’

She hadn’t expected that. In fact, she had no idea what she’d expected. Thrown out on the street, ignored, punished...

You knew he wouldn’t do that.

But she didn’t know. She knew nothing about him other than that he was a selfish prince with a terrible reputation, who didn’t care about anything except his brother, and who growled when she kissed certain parts of him. That was the sum total of her knowledge.

He wasn’t selfish, not with you. He made you feel special. He set you free...

She forced those thoughts away, sipping on her water while her stomach growled helpfully. ‘The pill failed.’

‘Clearly.’ His tone was even drier.

‘I didn’t lie about that either. I was taking it and I—’

‘Again, I believe you. You’re nothing if not honest.’

Why did he make it sound as if that was a thing to be ashamed of?

She glanced at him, which was a mistake. Because he was staring intently at her, his gaze focused, the light from the fire glinting off the gold flecks buried in the darkness.

A thrill of heat went through her and she had to catch her breath.

‘So,’ he went on, not looking away, ‘how long have you known about this?

She could feel herself blushing, which was ridiculous because she never blushed. Ever. ‘Since tonight. I went to the doctor this afternoon because I’d been feeling tired and I’d put on some weight, which I normally don’t do.’

‘But not the palace doctor.’

She took another sip of water. ‘No. I didn’t want...’

‘You had a suspicion,’ he finished for her. ‘And you didn’t want him to know.’

It was true. Deep down there had been a kind of certainty that she hadn’t wanted to admit to herself. She’d been hoping her suspicions weren’t correct.

‘I wasn’t feeling sick. Just tired,’ she said, not wanting to talk about that. ‘And I thought I had a virus, but...’ She stopped again, glancing at the plate of fruit, since that was easier than looking at him.

She felt calmer, as if in response to his presence, which was very strange when she had no idea what he was going to do.

‘Eat the fruit,’ he said, a current of authority running through his voice. ‘You’re going to need it.’

She didn’t want to keep doing what he said, but found herself putting her water down, reaching for a piece of apple and putting it in her mouth anyway. It was crunchy and delicious and slightly sour, and she suddenly wanted to devour everything on the plate.

But she stopped herself from taking another piece, because she had to at least start getting herself under control. She’d find something to eat later. She’d done her duty and informed him of the situation, and now she needed to leave. He was in the middle of a party, after all. His engagement party. And she couldn’t outstay her welcome.

‘Your Highness,’ she began, keeping her hands firmly on the arms of the chair and not giving in to the urge to rub her palms on her thighs, ‘firstly, I don’t expect anything from you. I just thought you should know the situation. Secondly, I won’t be asking for any money or any—’

‘Spare me the speech,’ he murmured, the gold in his eyes glinting. ‘And eat the fruit. I’ll order you some more food.’

A surge of irritation went through her. ‘No, thank you. I’ll need to be getting back to my—’

‘No. You will not be going anywhere.’

She blinked. ‘What?’

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