for our father: a female heir or a son with a male spouse? I think the first option would be more palatable. You’re not a lesbian, are you? That would make things harder, probably, but—”
Her cheeks darkly colored, Nadia said, “I’m not a lesbian. Why on earth would you think that?”
“Good. One less complication. So all we need to do is get me out of the palace and then out of the country somehow.”
“Angel, what are you proposing? If you leave, Father will just find a way to bring you back.”
Angelo grinned at his sister. “Me, and my husband.”
Nadia gasped. “You can’t be serious. This is your chance to get out of the betrothal. Why are you doing this for me? Not that I’m unhappy, exactly, but…”
“I don’t want to be king. What I want is Yuri. That you do want to be queen is a happy coincidence and means it’s more likely you’ll help me without a fuss.”
Her mouth dropped open. “So you’re not doing this for me, are you? What is Prince Yuri to you, Angel?”
“My betrothed,” Angelo said, smiling at his sister.
“Oh my god. You’re in love with him. What the hell? When did you become gay? I know our father seems to think you were somehow contaminated by the prince’s gayness, but that’s not a thing.” She paused and frowned at Angelo. “Is it?”
“Not that it really matters, but I’m not gay and I am in love with Yuri. I don’t even care what that makes me. It doesn’t matter. Only Yuri does. And your happiness, of course,” he added as an afterthought.
“Nice to know I rank in there somewhere,” she grumbled, but her furious anger had fled. “What’s our plan?”
“I have no idea, but find a way to get me out of here. I’ll take it from there. And can you get me my mobile? That would be great. And tell me Roger isn’t in jail or something stupid.”
“Roger?” Nadia frowned. “How many boyfriends do you have? Maybe you’re the one who needs to look into having a harem.”
“He’s on my security detail and came with me. He’s tall, pasty, and ginger. I imagine he’d stick out here like a sore thumb.”
“Oh, him. No, you’re fine. He’s outside your door.”
“Good. And Philippe?”
“With Mama, probably.”
“You can trust Roger implicitly. And probably Philippe. He wants what’s best for Yuri and that’s me. He should also help you. How about my mobile?”
Nadia shook her head. “I haven’t seen it. I’ll see what I can find out. Mama might know.”
Angelo yawned. Despite having done nothing over the past three days but lie on his back, he was exhausted. “Right. Can you get a message to Yuri for me?”
“I suppose so. What do you want to say?”
“Tell him that I’m coming for him, betrothal or not. He’s still mine.”
Nadia made a face. “Ew, but okay. I’ll find a way to get it to him. Rest. I’ll figure this out. If I can’t manage an escape plan then I’ll never be able to manage a kingdom. Leave things to me.”
31
Yuri Explains Everything
The first thing Yuri said to his father after arriving at the palace and being shown to his father’s study was, “It was Francis, not Angelo, and you could’ve listened to me for once.”
“You’re home, where you need to be,” the king said. “Now you may tell me whatever you wish and I don’t have to be further concerned about your safety.”
His mother, seated near her husband and working on some sort of embroidery project like it was still the Middle Ages, added, “We’ve been very worried about you, dear. I’m sure you can understand that.”
Alex, who had been standing next to Yuri, went and sat on an adjacent settee. “For the record, if my opinion carries any weight at all, I think you should listen to what Yuri has to say.”
Everyone looked at Yuri expectantly. He took a deep breath and started to speak. For himself, he’d never be able to say these words, but for Angelo, he’d do anything.
“It’s Lord Blackheath,” Yuri finally said. “He’s behind everything. He… I… god, this is so hard. He was very flatteringly attentive, at first. We went on dates and we spent hours talking in college. But then he was more possessive. He didn’t like me spending time with anyone who wasn’t him, including Jacki. He would punish me for perceived crimes. I did things that… and by the time I knew I was in trouble, I didn’t know how to get