Royalty, Romance Novels + Secret Attackers

A Bargain

I avoided August the next day, mostly staying in my room and taking the occasional walk to the garden.

He sent me a bouquet of flowers- a pathetic apology that I immediately threw away. If he was actually sorry he could apologize in person.

My mother visited me a few times, firstly to argue about how I made our family look bad, then later came back to try to smooth things over to get me to relent, but my mind was set. I want absolutely nothing to do with Prince Augustus.

Even Gia tried to get me to come around, saying that the rumors the maids were spreading was that August was actually really sweet. It's hard to believe considering I've only ever seen the sour side.

I don't know how they even came to that conclusion.

I must have gotten too bold because when I leave my room to take a stroll in the garden, I spot him talking to a maid. She's smiling and blushing at him. I roll my eyes at the pair.

Taking advantage of the opportunity, I rush away while he's preoccupied. A few turns later and I see my door. I allow myself to smile, relieved. Free and clear.

Until an arm slams beside me. I shriek and jump back, bumping into my door.

"Wait! I need to talk to you." His eyes take in the maids still in the hall. The one he was just talking to gives a little wave. "Alone."

I consider bickering, but realize he might just take the request up with my parents. It would be easier to hear him out now and just be done with it. I sigh and open my door, silently following him in.

"What?" I snap as soon as the doors closed.

"I need to properly apologize. Clearly flowers don't cut it."

I make a face. "Clearly."

He wrings his hands before they snap into fists at his sides. He straightens, sighing. "I'm sorry for knocking over the statue and not giving you the proper attention on your tour. I truly did not mean to do that, and I know understand how important that was to you." He doesn't address the elephant in the room.

I take a deep breath and lift my chin. "I accept your apology. And I guess I owe you an apology too. So, sorry for blowing up at you." Even though you deserved it.

"Thank you." He looks around my room for a second, his eyes catching on my book still on the table. "There's also something else I wanted to speak to you about."

"Oh?" I'm curious.

"Marriage."

My mouth drops open. "What?" That wasn't the response I thought he would say.

He jumps to explain, "In order for you to take the throne, you need to marry. I need to find an alliance for my kingdom quickly. I'm not likely to find a better candidate so quickly, and it seems like you are running low on options as well. I'm suggesting we fake a marriage. In a few years we split up and go our separate ways. It would be mutually beneficial."

"We could do that?" I ask him, disbelief in my voice.

"You would be a queen, so you could make whatever new law in order to get us both out of it."

My eyes narrow. "But you said at dinner last night that I would make a terrible queen."

He takes a step back. "Now you're putting words in my mouth. I never said that. Besides, that's not really up to me anyway."

I frown and start to pace the floor. He is giving me a way to satisfy my mother and the law to obtain my throne. But am I really going to forget what he's done? Surely there's more where that came from if I marry him. Can I even last a few years with him? But will any other better offers come my way, especially after rejecting Christopher? Other people would be wary of my commitment.