To Entangle a Heart (Four Kingdoms Fairy Tale #2)

Prologue

LEO

Crown Prince Leo of Lanover stared down at the papers on the desk in front of him with unseeing eyes. Even when the study door opened, he didn’t look up.

“What’s this?” asked a voice as familiar as his own. “I thought you were eager to see the tour off—finally being entrusted with a responsible role and all that. If you’re having second thoughts, it’s a bit late now. The real adults won’t be back for weeks. You’re stuck with just me.”

Leo looked up at his cousin, now perched on the other side of the desk, one leg swinging. Luca had been born only three months after Leo and had always been more like a twin to him than a mere cousin.

“I was excited about it,” he said, “until my parents made a last minute confession.”

“That sounds ominous.” Laughter edged Luca’s voice, but Leo only grimaced.

“Turns out I have an extra responsibility to fulfill—one they forgot to warn me about ahead of time.”

Luca grinned. “Considering Uncle Frederic’s excellent memory, I assume it must be dire. Don’t tell me they’ve left the Dowager Duchess to nursemaid us, after all.”

“Worse,” Leo said grimly.

Luca’s eyebrows rose. “Worse? Don’t spare my feelings—tell me immediately!”

“It isn’t an elderly lady we’re being saddled with but a young one. A beautiful one our own age.”

Luca’s eyes narrowed. “That doesn’t sound dire to me.” He grinned. “Quite the opposite, in fact.”

“For you, perhaps, but not for me. My parents have hopes.”

“Hopes?” Luca straightened, slipping off the edge of the desk. “You can’t be serious! Who is she?”

“Princess Rose of Arcadia. King Max and Queen Alyssa’s only daughter.”

Luca whistled. “They’re serious, then! The Dowager Duchess has been pushing for a closer alliance with Arcadia forever.

” He frowned. “But what about the High King and all his decrees about kingdoms being ruled by love? Uncle and Father were both allowed to choose their own brides. I thought for sure they’d want a love match for you at least.”

“That’s the worst of it,” Leo said with a groan. “I haven’t just been encouraged to make an advantageous marriage, I’ve been ordered to fall in love first.”

Luca laughed. “As easy as that, is it?”

Leo glared at him. “You can laugh! No one is cold-bloodedly arranging your ‘love match’ ahead of time.”

“If she’s sufficiently beautiful and charming, I might be amenable,” Luca said with a grin.

“But my parents don’t consider me sober enough for marriage yet.

” His eyes twinkled as he looked at his cousin.

“They’re hoping your newfound responsibility will rub off on me. I heard the twins talking about it.”

Leo laughed in spite of himself. Luca’s younger sisters had always been a useful source of information to the older boys. They could never resist discussing every interesting tidbit they picked up.

“So do you mean to oblige your parents?” Luca watched his cousin with a gleam of genuine curiosity in his eyes.

Leo squared his shoulders. “Of course not.”

When his grandparents retired and his parents ascended to the throne, everything had changed.

They weren’t just his parents anymore, but King Frederic and Queen Evangeline.

And that made him crown prince. He had intended to work hard during their absence and prove to them that he was ready to take on the responsibility of his new role.

But while Leo was ready to dedicate his life to Lanover, he wanted a wife of his own choosing to partner with him in that effort.

It was outrageous of his parents—who had always championed the High King’s ways—to suddenly talk of marriage alliances.

Even if Princess Rose had been raised as royalty and therefore understood the burdens and responsibilities of the role.

His eyes narrowed as he thought of his father’s earnest words.

He knew his parents genuinely thought the Arcadian princess would be a good match for him. But his mother had married his father without any royal experience, and she had excelled in her role as crown princess. Leo was certain any bride he chose would do the same.

He ran a hand down his face. “I had so many plans for these weeks—projects I wanted to take on.” He sighed. “And now I’ll be spending my time dancing attendance on a princess who’s probably expecting a proposal at the end of her visit.”

“We could always switch places,” Luca said. “Or are you too responsible for tricks these days?”

Leo’s head snapped up at the slight mockery in Luca’s tone, but the teasing expression on his cousin’s face took any sting from his words. Leo laughed. Thank goodness Luca hadn’t gone on the tour. He always knew how to lighten Leo’s dark moods.

Leo stood and stretched. “Princess Rose might not know the two of us apart, but our own court certainly does—not to mention every servant and official at the palace.”

Luca laughed, clearly having achieved his purpose with the suggestion.

“Do you ever miss those days?” he asked, a little wistfully.

Leo didn’t respond because he didn’t know what to say. Some days he missed his old carefree life, but other days he relished the chance to be involved in things that really mattered. He wasn’t a child anymore.

He squared his shoulders. But that didn’t mean he had to fall in love with a stranger on command. He might be ready for more responsibility, but the old him hadn’t entirely disappeared either. He couldn’t stomach being bound for the rest of his life to a girl who hadn’t even chosen him for herself.

An idea occurred to him, and he turned to Luca with a glimmer of his old mischief.

“Actually, switching places isn’t a terrible idea.”

Luca looked alarmed. “Thousands of people trying to keep a secret, remember? I was only trying to make you laugh.”

Leo shook his head. “Obviously we can’t swap identities, but that doesn’t mean you can’t take on my role. Unofficially, of course.”

Luca frowned. “I have no dreams of playing crown prince—even temporarily.”

“I’m more than willing to do the crown prince duties—it’s the entertaining a princess part I’m not keen on.

But we can’t abandon a visiting royal entirely either.

Someone will have to entertain her—but it doesn’t have to be me.

There’s a second Lanoverian prince on hand, after all.

” He gave Luca a wicked grin. “And don’t try to claim you don’t want to—you already said you liked the idea of spending time with a beautiful young lady. ”

Luca laughed and held up his hands in surrender. “I walked straight into that one, didn’t I? Loaded the bow for you and everything.”

“So you’ll do it?” Leo asked quickly.

Luca clapped him on the shoulder. “Of course I’ll do it.

” He smirked. “I’ll even do my best to enjoy the ordeal.

” Leo grinned broadly, but Luca’s voice turned stern.

“As long as you don’t get any ideas about redirecting your parents in my direction.

I have no more interest in marriage alliances than you do. ”

Leo’s grin didn’t falter as weight lifted from his shoulders.

“There’s no need to worry about that. King Max and Queen Alyssa dote on their daughter.

They won’t consider sending her away from Arcadia unless it involves stepping up from princess to future queen.

” He shook his head. “Apparently they’re just as convinced as my parents that she’ll make an excellent queen. ”

“That’s all right, then,” Luca said, his cheerfulness restored. “You focus on managing the palace in your parents’ absence and leave the job of charming foreign princesses to me. It’s just playing to our strengths, really.”

With which parting shot he whisked himself back out of the room before Leo could protest.