The Prince That Got Away ( A Royal Romance Novel )

The Unlikely Ally

Present Day...
Emilia's POV:-

The off-shoulder black crepe jumpsuit, black Dior heels, and black leather handbag made me look like a completely different person. My hair was tied up in a loose half ponytail and my lips were painted a wine-red color.

The girl in the mirror was sophisticated and sure of herself. No one would have guessed that not so long ago I was jobless and deemed a failure by my own mother. Not that she ever said it to my face. Only tried shoving job ads in my face every minute.

I wasn't rich by any means and knowing I had splurged so much money on my look for today made me feel guilty. Except I was no saint and looking good appealed to the vain part of my personality.

Then there was the fact that today's party was the perfect opportunity to do some networking. After all, tonight's party would be attended by authors and big people in the publishing industry along with celebrities and the creme de la creme of the city. I still suck at socializing but maybe my appearance would boost my confidence.

My mother gazes at me with pride and awe as I climb down the staircase. All these years later, we still live in the same house with its cross-gabled roof. The only thing that has changed is that Samantha and Lola moved out two years ago after she got married again.

Logan was a good man and Lola was more attached to him than her own biological father. So far Samantha's marriage was going well and I had started to feel pressured to settle down myself.

" Emilia you look wonderful! Let me take a few pictures of you before you leave. "

After Mom had enough pictures of me to show off to her friends on social media she finally let me go.

For the past couple of months, she's been riding high telling everyone her daughter is a bestselling author. My book series did top the romance category list on Amazon, but I was very far from becoming a household name or the next J.K Rowling.
Nevertheless, it was adorable seeing her so proud of me when not so long ago I felt I was only capable of letting her down.

Lord Howard's home was one of those huge baroque-style waterfront mansions built facing the River Shaheet. It reminded me of the party that I attended at a similar property seven years ago. It wasn't exactly a fond memory considering that I got drunk and was escorted home by ' he who must not be named '.

The topiary gardens around the house and the fruit trees decorated with fairy lights give the property a magical feel. A band plays its rendition of 'Can't Keep My Eyes Off You' and a few couples are slowly dancing to it. Lord Howard himself is standing near a huge ice sculpture of a waltzing couple, a champagne flute in his hand. He's talking to a man in a black tuxedo who literally towers over him.

Lord William Howard had become a surrogate father to me in the last couple of months. He was a very successful New York Times best-selling author who had somehow managed to stumble upon my book. Strangely he had loved it even though he was a crime fiction author. Since then he has acted as a mentor to me. Tonight he was hosting a lavish birthday party which he insisted I attend.

He smiles as he sees me. For a fifty-two year old he's maintained himself very well and looks like a doppelganger of George Clooney. He also has quite a colorful love life and has even dated girls around my age but my relationship with him is strictly platonic. William mutters something to the man beside him and he turns to look at me.

For a moment time stood still as my eyes locked with his intense gray ones. He looked both familiar and a complete stranger all at the same time.

Time had been good to Prince Louis. He was more broad-shouldered and well built possibly due to his years in the air force. His cheekbones had become more prominent and his face more rugged than when he was a teenager. The person who stood in front of me was both more charismatic and intimidating than he was all those years ago.