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“Umm...”
It was only at her grumble that my eyes opened fully to her curls in my face. However, as the beep continued, she slid off me, rolling to the other side of the bed. Immediately, I wanted to pull her body back to me, missing the warmth of her skin on mine.
Beep.
Beep.
Sitting up, I grabbed my pants off the floor and pulled my phone out before sitting against the headboard, rubbing my eyes. The sun was not even up yet, and this had been the most rest I had gotten in the months. The last thing I wanted to do was see why in the hell I was being paged. If it were that important, someone would have come and woken me. So why could this not wait?
The moment I opened the message, I understood.
“Today’s morning headlines,” the message from Ambrose read. When that man slept, I had no idea.
I was expecting most of the headlines to be of the introduction or a profile of Odette. Most of them were except for the Morning Eagle. They had gone in a completely different direction, their headline reading, “I Am the Adelina Now.” Underneath it, a split photo of Sophia at Arthur’s funeral, in full mourning, juxtaposed with Odette, dressed up as Cinderella, speaking into a microphone from what I could only believe was the ball she had gone to last year. A crown already on her head and smile on her face, which normally would have looked innocent had it not been for their so-called “news.”
“Her first day within the palace, American singer and socialite Odette Wyntor tells Her Highness, Sophia De Loutherbergh, the Dowager Duchess of Elmburgh, to call her Adelina, causing Her Highness to burst out in tears.”
I did not think it could be worse; however, the following sentences proved me utterly incorrect. “Our sources close to the palace tell us that Odette Wyntor wasted no time in asserting her position within the palace, demanding her staff be given to her. She even went as far as to demand the secretary of Princess Eliza.”
I could not bear to read anymore.
The smearing and misinformation had already begun?
Glancing over at her, I watched as she buried her head into the pillow, her chest rising, a smile on her face. This was what she was going to have to wake up to? Frowning, I sent a message back to him. “No newspapers in the palace today, and no one is to mention it. Also, find out who this source close to the palace is.”
Though their “news” was utter trash, there was still a hint of truth. Had it just been of Sophia crying, I would have thought it was just luck. However, the news of Wolfgang being her personal secretary meant someone had spoken to someone.
“Yes, sir,” he replied immediately.
Putting the phone onto the bedside table, I lay back, wrapping my arms around her and pulling her naked body back. She rolled over, tossing her arm and leg over me. I kissed the side of her face. I wanted to be angry, but she sucked it all out of me, and I found myself drifting off with blissful ease. I swear I had only closed my eyes for a few minutes when all of a sudden, I heard the last voice I ever wanted to hear while naked in bed with my woman.
“Galahad!”
My eyes snapped open, and there at the foot of our bed stood my mother.
“Mother!” I exclaimed loudly, and when I did, Odette’s grumbled, opening her eyes.
“What is it?” Odette asked, sitting up from the bed while still naked.
Reaching for the sheets, I held them up, covering the side of her body. She was still confused until she turned and saw my mother as well. Gasping, she snatched the sheets from my hand, wrapping them around herself.
“Mother, what are you doing?” I tried not to holler, holding what little of the sheet that was left over my waist.
“Galahad, I am going to turn around so you may quickly return to your room, as Odette and I have another small talk,” she ordered, and the panic only worsened, not for me but Odette.
“Mother, this was my fault. I entered here—”
“Galahad.” She only called me that when she was very pissed, and she had called me that twice now. “I understand that it is considered normal for couples to engage in marital actives in these modern times, even if they are not married. There are some things we can join the modern world in, and there are some things we cannot. Especially in this palace! Especially considering, as you know, it is bad luck for a prince to do this. So, I am not asking you, nor do I want to hear your defenses. When I turn, you will have returned to your room as I have ordered.”
She did not say another word, only turned her back to us. Rising out of bed, I grabbed my pants, stepping into them before taking my shirt. I glanced back to Odette, trying to figure out what I could possibly signal or how to apologize, expecting her to be mortified. However, she sat up and frantically waved for me to leave.
“Go!” she mouthed to me, still holding up her sheet with one hand.
“I am sorry,” I mouthed back. This was my fault. I shouldn’t have come, or I should have left earlier.
I did not want to, but I feared staying and disobeying would make my mother take out more of her frustrations on Odette. So, I went to the door, now somewhat dressed. My mother did not meet my gaze, just looked at the floor. Bowing my head to her anyway, I spoke, “Your Majesty, I am leaving, and I beg of you to be careful with her. She is in possession of my heart.”
I glanced over her shoulder at Odette, and she gave me a look before mouthing, “Cheesy.”
