“What? No.” She shakes her head. “They were so brave.”
“They loved you.”
“They were excited to meet their future King.”
“And Queen.” The word slips out. I clear my throat to cover it up, looking away from Cara.
She’s not the future Queen. No one knows about our supposed upcoming engagement, and no one was looking at her as my bride.
But she was there, and she was loved.
I never saw my mother act like Cara did, or be received as openly as Cara was. I never saw kids flock to her, and photographers snap pictures of her.
My mother was cold. She cheated on my father and then she left. I haven’t spoken to her in years. I guess, in a way, I always assumed that becoming King would be easier if I did it on my own. I’d protect myself from going through the heartbreak that my father went through.
Cara’s different, though. She would make a great queen.
But it’s. Not. Real. How many times do I have to remind myself of that?
I stare at the island passing us by as our driver winds through the lush countryside. We drive over rolling hills, and the true sense of responsibility starts to weight on me. This is my kingdom.
Then, Cara’s hand slips into mine. I turn to meet her gaze, and a soft smile stares back at me. Her eyes speak volumes, even though we don’t say a word.
She’s here beside me, and that’s real enough for now.
The car comes to a stop and the driver opens my door.
“Your Highness,” he nods, helping me out of the vehicle. “Do you need anything else? I’ve had the staff prepare dinner for you. The chef and maid are still here for your dinner service, but I’ve told them you won’t be needing them afterward.”
“Thank you. We’ll be fine.”
Cara appears at my side, not having waited for the driver to open her door. She smiles at him before slipping her arm around my waist to help me into the villa.
14
Cara
The lines on Theo’s face betray how much his shoulder hurts him. As he sinks down onto the plush sofa in the villa’s living room, I watch him dig around his pocket for his bottle of painkillers.
I hate seeing him like this, and it surprises me just how much I care.
Sitting down next to him, I lay my hand on his thigh as we watch the chef and the rest of the staff prepare our dinner. Theo lets out a long breath. He closes his eyes, and within moments, he’s asleep.
My heart squeezes.
Of course I care about him—we’ve been friends our whole lives. Even when I was with Luca, Theo meant a lot to me.
But it’s like he said, something shifted between us on that sailboat. Things changed when we kissed, whether I want to admit it or not. Today, seeing him acting like the King of Argyle, I saw another side of him.
He’s not just the strait-laced Prince who does his duty. It runs deeper than just doing what he’s supposed to do. It’s his passion. His calling. He’s dedicated and caring, and he’ll be a great king.
Maybe, just maybe, there’s room in that story for me.
But is that what I want, or am I just being blinded by the luxury of the royal life?
As we wait for our dinner to be prepared, I drift off to a place between wakefulness and sleep. My mind runs away with all the possibilities that could be. If we didn’t have the weight of the past between us. If I hadn’t been promised to his brother. If he wasn’t going to be King.
A future with Theo would be bright. I liked seeing him interact with his subjects today. He had a glow in his eye, and he made sure to give every single person his full attention. It made us incredibly late for every stop on the schedule—and exhausted him in the process—but it showed me the kind of King he’s going to be.
He’s not a slave to his responsibilities—he embraces them. I used to think Theo was a bit boring, and I assumed it was because he knew he would be King. I never realized that ‘boring’ for me was fulfilling for him.
Once we tell our parents that we’re not going through with the engagement, all this will be left behind. I’m sure my mother will make sure that I leave Argyle, then. I’ll have ruined my chances with not