Chapter 4
Natalie flopped back on the enormous bed and gave a delighted sigh. The room that had been assigned to the visiting Arcadian princess was by far the nicest she had ever stayed in. It was almost too big—except for the fact she was sharing it with three other women.
She sat up again and smiled at Hilary, who was unpacking her bags into the ornate wardrobe provided.
“You don’t have to do that,” she said. “I’m not really Rose.”
Hilary didn’t pause. “That may be, and I’m not saying I approve of such shenanigans, mind!
But if I’m here, I might as well busy my hands as not.
Her Majesty insisted on sending four of us, but in truth, we’re likely to be sitting on our hands half the day, even with two girls to care for instead of one.
It’s not as if we’ll be expected to perform any excess duties in this place. ”
“Almost like a holiday, you could say,” Donna added, unpacking a small case onto the dressing table.
Cate chuckled. “And I, for one, plan to make the most of it.”
“Do you like working for the Arcadians?” Natalie asked, curious as to whether the women would speak freely in the absence of their princess.
“Oh yes, certainly,” Donna said without hesitation.
“They treat us fair and pay us well.” Hilary put the last piece of clothing away and turned to face the others.
“They’ve been more than kind to me,” Cate added.
“Her Majesty was only going to send three maids with Her Highness, but she added me at the last minute because she knew I’d taken a liking to a Lanoverian young man when he traveled through Arcadia recently.
He took a temporary job at our palace when we were needing some extra hands, but he left to return home a few months ago, and we’ve only been able to exchange letters since. ”
The other two women exchanged amused looks, clearly having heard all about Cate’s young man already.
“He works at the palace here now,” Cate finished with a flush. “So, as I said, I mean to make the most of my time here.”
Natalie raised her eyebrows, startled. “That’s very considerate of Queen Alyssa.”
“She didn’t do it purely from altruism.” Hilary nudged Cate. “We all know Her Majesty thinks there’s a chance her daughter will be staying here in Lanover. There’s nothing she wouldn’t do for her girl—including arranging for there to be a friendly face among the maids in her new home.”
“Maybe Cate won’t be the only one to decide to stay if the princess does.” Donna giggled. “I’d always heard the Lanoverians were a good-looking lot, and so far they haven’t disappointed.”
Natalie smiled as all three collapsed into giggles. A week earlier, she would have laughed with them and asked them to point out the men they’d noticed. But now she felt removed—unsure if her participation would be welcome while she was playing the role of their princess.
She stood up to leave and then remembered she had nowhere to go. She was already in her room. But so were the three maids. Did princesses always have so little privacy?
She brushed the thought aside and went over to admire the view from the closest window. Her room was located in a prime position with views of not only the palace gardens but the city spread out beyond them. The whole vista was enchanting.
Her awkwardness lifted, her thoughts turning to the welcome reception Leo had mentioned. She needed to make sure she looked just right—like a princess. She had only a short window to make an initial impression on him, and she wanted to take his breath away.
Thankfully her gowns left nothing to be desired.
Gwen had gifted them to her with the hope that once she had the wardrobe of a princess, she would stop strategizing to actually become one.
But Natalie had never been one to settle for half measures.
And it had been a long time since dresses were her primary reason for wanting to become a queen.
She chose a particularly flattering gown that was a perfect mix between formal and relaxed.
All three maids broke off their conversation to approve her choice and help her prepare for the evening.
As long as she was playing the role of the Arcadian princess, they were committed to ensuring she didn’t embarrass their kingdom with her appearance.
Natalie had spent the last year learning how to put her own hair up into formal arrangements, but it was much easier to sit back and allow Donna to do it. And when she finally sailed out of the room, the last pieces of Natalie’s confidence had returned.
A footman waited respectfully in the corridor outside, ready to lead her to the reception room where the event was being held. Natalie followed him in silence, wondering if she might possibly be dreaming. Could it really all be this easy?
The footman paused inside the door of the reception room, giving Natalie a chance to catch her breath as she took in the grand scale of the room and the sea of unfamiliar faces. His ringing voice cut through the conversations, announcing Rose’s name and title.
Silence fell as everyone turned to look at her. It held for only a second before fresh conversations broke out in a wave that swept across the room and crashed against her. Natalie smiled in the face of the challenge. She dared any of them to question her royal status.
None of the courtiers who approached her gave any hint of disbelief, however.
Instead, they all greeted her with the same empty, impersonal words of greeting.
She caught glimpses of curiosity and wary caution beneath some of the masks, but no one broke script with the foreign princess.
By the time she’d repeated herself for the thirtieth time, assuring the latest Lanoverian that her travel had gone smoothly, her fixed smile was starting to slip.
A brief break in the endless stream of people gave her the chance to examine the room.
She spotted Rose by the refreshment table, her plate piled high and an expression of delight on her face as she bit into a pastry.
Rose wasn’t being accosted by an endless stream of people who all wanted to say the same inane thing the previous twenty people had said.
Natalie’s stomach rumbled, and she took a determined step toward Rose.
If anyone tried to intercept her, she’d just have to find a polite way to brush them off.
But her steps faltered of their own accord as she caught sight of Leo.
He stood against one of the other walls, talking earnestly with the older courtier who’d been introduced on her arrival as the duke of Sessily.
Natalie’s stomach gave another soft gurgle, but she shook her head.
She couldn’t lose focus. She hadn’t come to the reception as Rose in order to meet the Lanoverian court.
She had come there to spend time with Leo, and instead of thinking about her stomach, she should be focusing on the bigger goal.
She just needed a chance to get to know him. Once she saw the real him, she would feel the spark that had been missing at their meeting. It would certainly not be a hardship to spend time with such a handsome man.
She changed direction, moving toward Leo instead of the refreshment table. He hadn’t spotted her yet, but he could hardly rebuff her at a reception held in her honor.
Someone stepped smoothly in front of her, halting her forward progress just before she reached the crown prince. The unwelcome face grinned down at her, the smile bordering on a smirk.
“Excuse me,” she said in the sweetest tones she could manage, her eyes still on Leo as she attempted to sidestep his cousin.
Luca stepped with her, keeping his position between her and the crown prince.
Natalie sighed. “Can I help you, Your Highness?”
“I thought we agreed on first names, Lee-lah,” he said, pronouncing her nickname slowly, his mouth seeming to savor each syllable.
She put her hands on her hips. “I remember making that agreement with Leo, Prince Luca, not with you.”
“But I came to rescue you.” He adopted a hurt expression that didn’t reach his laughing eyes. “Surely I deserve some reward.”
Natalie raised an eyebrow. “Rescue me from what exactly?”
“Hunger, of course,” he replied promptly, gesturing toward the refreshment table. “I saw you eyeing it earlier, so don’t tell me you’re not hungry.”
Natalie sighed. If she tried to deny it, her stomach would probably betray her and give its loudest rumble yet. She hadn’t eaten since arriving in the capital, and she was starving.
She sent a final glance toward Leo. But there was little point trying to spend time with him if his cousin was determined to hover at her side, laughing at her the whole time. She would have to find another opportunity.
“Lead on, then, Luca,” she said in a resigned voice.
Luca offered his arm courteously, but Natalie ignored it, starting toward the refreshments alone. Luca laughed quietly and caught up in two strides.
When they reached their destination, Natalie gave a quick glance back toward Leo and caught him looking in her direction. But he immediately turned back to the duke, showing no inclination to end his conversation and join them.
A fleeting thought whispered in her brain. Who exactly had Luca been rescuing?
She shook it off. Leo and Luca might have run wild in their younger years, but he had grown up now.
He wouldn’t have been left in charge during the new king and queen’s absence unless they judged him sufficiently responsible.
There was no way the crown prince was trying to avoid the foreign princess who had just arrived for a diplomatic visit.
Natalie piled her plate high, refusing to dwell on Leo’s distance. The food looked too good not to be enjoyed in the moment.
As she turned from the table with a full plate, she was abruptly reminded of Luca’s presence. He stood, watching her with an appreciative gleam in his eye while his own plate remained empty.
“It’s nice to see that our Lanoverian chefs meet with Arcadian approval,” he said.