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thoroughly assessing gaze over Alyse. ‘Why have you returned from the honeymoon so early?’
Alyse licked her dry lips. ‘Leo— He had work to do.’
‘Work? On his honeymoon?’ Sophia’s mouth pinched tight. ‘How do you think the public will react to that? They want to see a young married couple in love, you know. They want to see you celebrating. The monarchy still depends on you.’
Alyse thought of what Leo had said about his parents: their affairs, careless spending and utter indifference to their own people. In light of all that, Sophia’s insistence on royal decorum seemed hypocritical at best. ‘I would think,’ she answered, her voice wavering only slightly, ‘the monarchy depends on you just as much.’
Sophia’s mouth tightened further and her pale-blue eyes flashed ice. ‘Don’t be impertinent.’
‘I wasn’t. I was being honest.’
‘I can do without your honesty. The only reason you’ve risen so high is because we decided it would be so.’
‘And the only reason you decided it would be so is because it benefitted you,’ Alyse retorted, a sudden anger and courage rising up inside her. ‘With Leo and I in the spotlight, you could continue to do as you pleased—which it seems is all you’ve ever done.’ Two spots of bright colour appeared on Sophia’s high cheekbones. ‘Oh, I know it grates on you,’ Alyse continued, her temper now truly lit. ‘To see your precious first-born married to a commoner.’
‘Precious first-born?’ Sophia’s mouth twisted. ‘Has Leo not even told you about his brother? But then I suppose he doesn’t tell you anything.’
Alyse stared at her, nonplussed. ‘His brother...?’
‘Alessandro. His older brother. My husband disinherited him when he was twenty-one and Leo was eighteen. He would have been King.’ For a second, no more, Alyse thought she heard a faint note of bitterness or even sorrow in Sophia’s voice. Had she loved her son Alessandro? Loved him, perhaps, more than Leo?
‘We don’t talk about him,’ Sophia continued flatly. ‘The media stopped raking his story up over and over again years ago. But, if you wondered why the monarchy needed to be stabilised and restored, why we needed you, it’s because of the scandal of Sandro leaving the way he did.’ Sophia’s eyes flashed malice. ‘I’m surprised Leo never told you.’
Alyse didn’t answer. She didn’t sound at all surprised. Had Sophia guessed her schoolgirl feelings for Leo; had she perhaps used them against her all those years ago when she’d suggested their engagement? It seemed all too possible. She was shrewd and calculating and those ice-blue eyes missed nothing.
‘Be careful,’ Sophia continued softly. ‘If the sorry truth of your relationship with Leo comes out now, the scandal will consume us all, including you. You might have enjoyed all the attention these last few years, but it won’t be quite so pleasant when everyone starts to hate you.’ Sophia’s mouth curved in a cruel smile. ‘Besides, you’d be no use to us then. No use to Leo.’
Alyse just stared, her mind spinning sickly, and with a click of her heels Sophia was gone, the door shutting firmly behind her.
Alyse sank back onto the bed. Had the Queen’s parting shot been a threat? No use to Leo. If the media ever turned on her, if she became a liability to the monarchy rather than an asset, would Leo still want to be married to her?
It was a horrible question to ask herself, and even worse to answer. Knowing just what he thought of their marriage, she had a terrible feeling he wouldn’t.
And what about his brother? She could hardly be surprised that Leo had never told her about Alessandro; he had told her barely anything personal about himself.
And yet, it could explain so much. She’d suspected his sense of cold detachment stemmed from his upbringing; with parents like King Alessandro and Queen Sophia, how could it not?
But a brother? A brother who had perhaps been the favourite, who had gone his own way, leaving Leo to try and make up for his absence? To prove himself through his endless royal duty?
She knew she was making assumptions, trying to understand the man who still seemed so much of an enigma to her.
The man who would come to her tonight...
She felt a shiver of anticipation for what lay ahead. Was it wrong—or perhaps just shameless—of her actually to be looking forward to tonight, at least in part? No matter how little Leo felt for her now, she still wanted him. Desperately.
* * *
Alyse didn’t see Leo until that evening, when the royal family assembled for a formal dinner. He looked stunning in black tie, which was the standard dress for these cold family dinners. King Alessandro and Queen Sophia preferred this kind of rigid formality, and as she sat down across from Leo she wondered how it had affected him. How it had affected his brother.
It still surprised her that she’d never even known about him, not from Leo, not from his family, not even from any of the articles she’d read about the Maldinian royal family. Her family.
Her and Leo’s engagement, and the accompanying scrutiny and excitement, must have taken the attention away from Leo’s brother, almost as if everyone had forgotten it. Him.
Everyone but Leo. Somehow she didn’t think he had forgotten his brother. She wanted to ask him about it, wanted to learn more about this man and what made him the way he was, and yet...
From the cool expression on Leo’s face, he didn’t want to have much conversation—not with anyone, and especially not with her.
The dinner was, as Alyse had expected, stilted and mainly silent. Alessandro and Sophia both made a few pointed references to their early return from honeymoon, but Leo was indifferent to any criticism, and Alyse just murmured something about looking forward to settling into life in the palace.
As if.
Alexa shot her an encouraging look when she made that remark, her dark-blue eyes—the same colour as Leo’s—flashing both spirit and sympathy. Alyse knew Alexa was engaged to marry a sheikh of a small Middle Eastern country next year, and she had a feeling her new sister-in-law didn’t relish the union. At least, Alyse thought with a sigh, Alexa hadn’t had to pretend to be in love with her fiancé. As far as Alyse knew, she’d only seen him a handful of times.
By ten o’clock the dinner was finished and Sophia was about to rise first to escort everyone out to the salon where they would have coffee and petits fours. It was another part of the formal ritual, and one Leo forestalled as he rose before his mother.
‘It’s been a very long day. Alyse and I will retire.’
Alyse felt herself blush even though there had been no innuendo in Leo’s words, just a statement of fact. Sophia looked frostily affronted but Leo didn’t even wait for her acquiescence as he took Alyse by the hand and led her from the dining room.
‘Your mother doesn’t like her order interrupted,’ Alyse murmured as they headed upstairs. Her heart was pounding hard and her head felt weirdly light.
‘My mother doesn’t like anyone to do anything except what she commands,’ Leo answered shortly. ‘She’ll have to get used to disappointment.’
They’d reached the top of the stairs and he drew her down the hallway to a wood-panelled door, opening it to reveal a luxurious and very masculine bedroom. The duvet on the canopied king-sized bed had been turned down and a fire blazed in the huge stone hearth.
Alyse swallowed in a desperate attempt to ease the dryness of her throat. ‘This all looks very romantic.’
‘Are you being cynical?’
‘No, Leo.’ She turned to him, tried to smile. She wasn’t going to let this evening descend into something base and soulless, or even just physical. ‘I was just stating a fact. Don’t worry, I don’t think you had anything do with it.’
Leo