Royally Screwed - Lynn Van Dorn Page 0,88

out. And one night it was so bad, Jacki wanted to take me to the hospital, which I knew couldn’t happen. She wanted to alert you, or Philippe, that I’d been… badly beaten, but I wouldn’t let her. So instead she convinced Angelo to come, and he saw what had happened, and he promised me it would never happen again.” Tears pricked at the corners of Yuri’s eyes and he swiped them away. “And it didn’t, I swear. That’s what that fight between them was about. Angelo was so angry that Francis had come back for me that he lost his head entirely. Blackheath’s father got him out of the country to stave off a diplomatic incident with Tanzhir and I thought that was it. But it wasn’t. He came back to Oxford. He said…”

Yuri’s voice failed him. He reached for a glass and the pitcher of ice water that sat on his father’s desk. He poured himself a glass and drank it all in just a few gulps.

“He said?” Queen Eleanor prompted gently.

“He said he had pictures. Of me. And of the things he’d done to me. And had me do. He threatened to send them to a tabloid. I… went running to Angelo because he… we…”

“I know you’ve had your fights, but Angelo has always been your friend,” Alex said, throwing him a lifeline. “The two of you were practically inseparable as kids. I imagine that the relationship solidified at school, then at Oxford.”

Yuri nodded gratefully. “Exactly. Angelo said he’d come and make sure I was safe. But even with his guard, Francis managed to stab him. I know the knife he used,” he said, wanting to stop but now that he’d gotten going, not able to do so. “He used to show it to me. He’d cut me, sometimes, with it. It was very sharp. He never cut deeply, but he knew it frightened me and… god, I’m so, so sorry.” His legs unable to keep him standing without wobbling, Yuri sank down into one of the chairs in front of his father’s desk.

“Sorry for what, dear?” His mother asked. She sorted out a length of red silk and attempted to thread her needle, but her fingers trembled so badly she pricked her finger then dropped it. “Damn.” She wiped her eyes and seemed to compose herself before going on. “Sweetheart, you’re not the first person to love unwisely. You certainly won’t be the last. I do wish you’d come to speak with us about it, however. We’re your parents, darling, and we will always help you. No matter what.”

“Your brother has… is… well, let’s just say very little shocks us at this point, son,” the king said.

“That’s Archie, not me,” Alex felt the need to point out.

“Yeah, we all know you’re perfect,” Yuri sniped at him. He turned back to face his parents. “I need to go back to England, to be with him. Angelo. He saved me. I can’t just abandon him. He’s my betrothed.”

Yuri’s parents looked at one another, then his father spoke. “Not for much longer. The proceedings to dissolve your betrothal have already begun. King Aryan is poised to make Prince Angelo his heir. I believe they are already looking for a bride for him.”

“No.” Yuri’s stomach plummeted. “No. It’s not possible.”

“I’m afraid it is. The Tanzhiris have been looking to get out of the betrothal since you were born, Yuri, only they’ve never had the legal grounds to do so. They’re now trying to use Prince Angelo’s attack as grounds that the betrothal should be dissolved. Our lawyers are going back and forth, but things will likely go Tanzhir’s way in this.”

“But… but Angelo… he can’t.” Yuri’s voice stiffened. “He won’t. I’ll see to it. He’s my betrothed and I’m not giving him up.”

King Claudius and Queen Eleanor stared at their son. The queen’s embroidery slipped to the floor where one of the palace cats came and sniffed it. Deciding it wasn’t food, the cat hopped up onto Alex’s lap where he petted it absently.

“This isn’t a love match,” the queen eventually said. “It’s never been a love match. This is your opportunity, Yuri, to find a man you can fall in love with. It’s really the only silver lining in this situation.”

Yuri crossed his arms over his chest. “I’ve already found a man to love. It was a lot of effort and took years. I’m not going through that again. Angelo is mine and I’m not giving him up now.