Total pages in book: 124
Estimated words: 116570 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 583(@200wpm)___ 466(@250wpm)___ 389(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 116570 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 583(@200wpm)___ 466(@250wpm)___ 389(@300wpm)
What about how I had felt the last few months, reading headlines of him with women the press thought he was dating? Or watching him be a future king from the sidelines? What about me, the woman who let herself start to fall for a guy, only to have him disappear! What about all the hate that would be thrown at me if I held on to the silly belief that I could be with him, that somehow, we could make it work. This wasn’t a long-distance relationship! It was complicated and messy, and I didn’t want to be hurt more.
I was trying to save myself.
And they were telling me to suffer for him.
It wasn’t fair.
Why were they making it harder?
“I called you this afternoon. But I was told you left the palace with Eliza and Wolfgang?” the Adelaar said. He looked over his speech for the evening as one valet adjusted the medals on his coat, and the other fixed the hem on his trousers.
“Yes,” I answered, hoping he would not ask any more than that.
“Where did Eliza want to go that you had to accompany her and not her own guards?” he questioned, but before I could answer, he spoke to the speechwriter behind him. “I know that earlier I requested you take out the statement about the convention, but on second thought, by doing so, it seems I am avoiding the subject.”
The woman took a step closer. “So, you wish to add it again, sir?”
“Yes, discretely and in passing. Something along the lines of honoring the long history of the partnership between our two countries,” he directed, handing back the papers to her before adjusting his sleeves. “Ah, yes, Iskandar, as you were saying? Eliza? Is she all right? Where did you take her?”
“Yes, she is fine,” I stated. “She went to see a friend.”
At that, his eyes shifted to mine. “A friend?”
I nodded.
He looked me over, and for the first time, I felt heavy under his gaze. I did not want to meet it. “Do I know of this friend who requires you to leave your post and not give word?”
“Yes.”
“Iskandar, you are being cryptic, which is odd because you have never hesitated to answer my questions fully before,” he replied.
The Code of Honor required that we always be honest with our monarchs should they ask anything of us. Tell the whole truth, no matter the situation or the time, whether it costs you your position or offends anyone else. However, that was only when asked. Which was why I wished he had not asked. All I wanted was to see nothing and hear nothing of their lives, just protect them. Why was everyone making this difficult?
“You are silent, and now I am curious. What happened this afternoon, Iskandar?” he questioned, stepping off the box he stood on and walking over. His eyebrow raised.
I glanced over his shoulders at the room, which was still full of others.
“Seattle.” It was all I could answer.
His eyes widened, and he searched my face.
“I will have the room,” he ordered, and immediately, everyone stopped what they were doing and walked out. Only when the doors closed on the speechwriter, and we were alone, did his shoulders drop and his tone change. “Odette?”
I nodded.
“She is here?”
I nodded again.
“When?” His whole demeanor changed, and his voice softened.
“She arrived at ten seventeen this morning.”
“And it is now six forty-five in the evening, Iskandar. Why did you not tell me? Where is she? How did you know she was here? Is she in the palace now? Will she be at the state dinner tonight? I did not see her name on the list. No, that is not possible. Obviously, she cannot be there; I would have been informed. Is she in the palace? Where?”
I could not read the expression on his face. He seemed torn for whatever reason, nor could he allow me to answer the series of questions he was still asking.
“Iskandar, you are not speaking.” He finally paused to listen.
“I sought to see you, but you have been in meetings till now. Ms. Odette is staying at the Lal-et-Loire Hotel. Wolfgang had someone at the EIM inform him should Ms. Odette enter the country. She is not in the palace, nor will she be at the dinner. However—” I stopped because I had answered his questions and did not want to speak beyond that.
“However?” he pressed. “Finish what you were about to say.”
“I had nothing more to say.”
“Iskandar, you may be older than me, but I have many more years of lying under my belt. So, I can personally tell you, as an expert, you are horrible at it. What were you about to say? It is unlike you to be whatever it is you are being right now.”
He was right about that.