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“Miss, are you ready?” He pulled out his...well, my schedule.
”Yes.” For the first time, I actually felt like I was.
I checked my watch for what felt like the hundredth time. I had thought after landing I’d go right back to the palace, but instead, I was taken to Trinity Row to have dinner at the behest of the prime minister because he had gotten word that tomorrow’s news headlines would be that he and I were at odds over the Nationalism Reform Act he wished to enact. He wanted to get ahead of it—even though it was the one headline that I didn’t mind the public reading. I was against the bill, and yet I had to work to stop that headline at short notice. Truthfully, no notice, despite already having plans.
“Please see that we keep this as brief as possible,” I said to Balduin, fixing my tie as we pulled up the prime minister’s residence, with a red door and a slew of reporters already across the street. Not likely by chance. “Very, very brief, Balduin.”
“Yes, sir,” Balduin said as Hermenegild stepped out with his wife, a typical Ersovian beauty with bright-blue eyes and long, brown hair.
Doing my best to put a pleasant expression on my face, I nodded once, and the door opened for me.
“Prince Galahad!”
“Prince Galahad, where is Odette?”
“Adelaar over here, sir! How do you feel about the bill?”
“If there is a tie, which will you chose—the people or the alliance?
Ignoring the press, I focused on the man before me. “Prime Minister. Mrs. Hermenegild.”
“Your Highness, we thank you for making the time.” The prime minister nodded as his wife curtsied. I moved to step forward, but he lifted his arm, ushering me to turn so we could take a photo together. I bit the inside of my cheek but turned, looking at the press, waving like a good puppet until we were finally free to go.
“His Highness only has few minutes to spare, Mr. Prime Minister—”
“Oh, hello.” Hermenegild jumped back, startled by Balduin, and looked at his wife. “Sorry, sir, I did not see you down there.”
This son of a bloody whore.
“Have you ever thought of glasses then, Mr. Prime Minister? I’m small but not so small that you shouldn’t be able to see me. I did not know your sight was so poor. Or are you trying to make fun of my height?” Balduin said and shocked us all.
“Of course not.” Hermenegild nodded at him.
“Would anyone like refreshments?” Mrs. Hermenegild asked quickly to save the man from apologizing. “They are in the dining room. Please, Your Highness.”
I glanced down at Balduin, and he held his head high.
I grinned, walking forward. At least this wasn’t completely humorless. Watching someone take the prime minister to task, even for a second, almost made up for being here at all.
“Everyone, His Royal Highness, Prince Galahad.”
Turning the corner, I prepared to shake the hands of other men and women of parliament only to find that it was not only not a member of parliament, but there, dressed in a rather suggestive black gown, was the one and only Sabina Franziska. Every panic button and alarm went off in my mind. Of all the places, how had she managed to get in here? My gaze shifted to the prime minister, wondering if he had plotted from the very beginning? And what end was he was trying to accomplish?
“Your Highness?” Mrs. Hermenegild questioned as the server was still waiting for me to take a glass of wine.
“Thank you.” I nodded, taking it from him and turning my back on Sabina, looking at the rest of the guests in attendance.
I would not allow anyone to manipulate or entrap me. I made it all around the room until finally reaching Sabina again.
“Your Highness.” She curtsied much longer than she needed to.
I did not give her my hand. Instead, I smiled. “You are capable of getting into anywhere, Ms. Franziska.”
“I was lucky enough to be invited by Sir Wolverhover.” She nodded at the lanky young man beside her.
“Sir Wolverhover, thank goodness you are here. If you weren’t, I’m sure the press would have a field day, making up new false rumors of tonight’s dinner,” I replied.
“Thank you, sir?” he replied, though clearly uncomfortable. Good, if I had to be, the rest of them should have been as well.
