as the camera crews circle around us like vultures, capturing this ugly display for the whole world to see. Lucian angrily strides to the small stage set up for the band and rips the microphone out of the singer’s grasp.
“Clear off!”
I glance at Liam’s whitened face, to the advisors still sitting at the table, looking extremely uncomfortable. One of them finally gets up and walks to the king.
“Your Majesty, I must advise you to cease this quarreling with your brother. The people—”
“The people will obey my commands, or I will have them seized. Get out of my way, you old fool!”
Even Liam shows signs of wanting to intervene, but I hold his arm. “Let him.”
“He’s damaging us all!”
“No, he’s—”
“Ladies and gentlemen!” Lucian’s booming voice fills the square as he yells into the microphone. “I would like to thank you for attending the celebration of my coronation.”
Several male voices scream across the square, “Piss off!”
The king smiles, wavering on unsteady feet. Then his drunken gaze fixes on me. “Princess Daisy, please come to the stage.”
Liam grabs my wrist. “Don’t.”
“What’s he going to do besides embarrass the hell out of himself?”
“Maybe I don’t want my wife humiliated on national television.”
My heart swells with affection, and I lean forward to kiss his cheek. “It’ll be fine.”
His grasp slackens enough for me to break free, and then I walk toward the stage. From up here I can see how many signs there actually are. Holy shit. Absolutely none of them are in support of the new king, who seems to have trouble standing on the stage.
“My brother has made a mockery of the royal family. I believe that is why my father entrusted the throne to me. I believe he would’ve led this country into ruin, as he has the last few months with his shocking and inappropriate marriage to an American. Prince Liam has no respect for Anglefell or its people, and I will not stand by idly while he insults our culture.”
The advisors get up from the table as the crowd goes mental, shoving a guard backward. They flock toward Liam, who is still standing where I left him, seething.
“I would like to issue my first royal command, which is the immediate deportation of all illegal residents, including Princess Daisy.”
I’d like to see you try it, fucker.
“She is guilty of more than just entering the country illegally. This woman is a spy.” He points at me accidentally with the microphone, too drunk to realize it’s in his hand.
I grab the long stem, screaming into the microphone, “He murdered the king! He admitted it to Prince Li—”
My voice is cut as the speakers switch off, but the cameras are still recording every moment. Even as Lucian tosses the microphone aside with a scream of fury and grabs the ceremonial sword at his waist. He unsheathes it, and in the corner of my eye I see Liam sprinting toward me, screaming. Lucian swings the sword in a high arc, and I aim a kick between his legs. The triangular shape of my heel stabs into Lucian’s crotch, and he lets out a piteous moan, dropping the sword and falling to his knees. He gasps for breath, and suddenly the crowd breaks free of the metal fences. They destroy the table, shoving it on its side as the roast sow bursts over the ground, wine spilling like blood.
Lucian sits on his knees, clutching himself, the crown fallen by his side. “Seize her!”
The guards make a move to arrest me, but Liam stands between me and them. “Your orders are to arrest the king and keep him in the dungeons until further notice. Make your decision.”
Their eyes slide from me to the petulant man screaming on the ground, and they bend over, grabbing Lucian’s arms.
“Unhand me! I am your king!”
I tug at Liam’s sleeve. “We need to get the fuck out of here. This crowd is insane.”
“Yeah. Hold on.” Liam stoops to grab the crown, gazing at it with a strange look on his face.
The guards around Liam and I usher us to a running car as the riot breaks out in the town square. Liam shoves me inside unceremoniously, and our backs flatten against the seats as we drive off.
“So… what now?”
He breaks his gaze from the crown to look at me. I think he’s just as shocked as I am. “I have no clue. I knew he’d fuck up, but I didn’t think it’d happen so quickly.”