Betrothed: To the People’s Prince

them, too.’

‘Am I going to live here?’ Nicky gazed around in awe. ‘Cool!’

‘It is cool,’ Nikos said gravely. ‘I’m not sure if your mother thinks so.’

‘I don’t think so.’ She was fighting for control. She was taking in the crumbling facade of a once magnificent palace. The derelict gardens. Twenty people lined up to see what she would do.

‘Do I have a choice?’ she muttered.

‘No.’

‘Fine, then,’ she snapped. She was being thrown in at the deep end, like it or not. She had no choice but to swim. ‘I can be a princess if I need to.’

He smiled at that. ‘Of course you can.’

‘Okay,’ she muttered.

‘Well, then…’

‘Well, then.’ She took a deep breath. She braced her shoulders and stepped forward. She ignored the sensation of Nikos at her back, watching her. Judging her?

‘Hi,’ she said, in her best managing-the-staff voice. A voice she hadn’t quite perfected. ‘You know who I am. I probably should remember all of you but it’s been almost ten years since I’ve been on the island so you need to forgive me. You’ll also need to forgive me if I don’t get things right-the things I’m supposed to do. But three things I do know, and I might as well say them now. First, not one of you will lose your job for anything except incompetence or dishonesty. Not while I’m here. Second, your salary will stay the same until I have time to review it and even then it won’t drop. And finally…I hate your uniforms. Hate ’em. Who’s interested in giving me suggestions for change?’

She was fabulous. She was just as he’d always imagined she’d be.

She’d been here for what-twenty minutes-and the staff were already putty in her hands. Her career had her moving with some of the world’s wealthiest, most flamboyant people. She was good at her job. It showed.

He was proud of her.

How corny was that? How patronising?

He didn’t have to tell her what to do, he thought. He just had to stand back and watch. And wonder.

She’d already had volunteers to redesign the uniform. She’d already said she’d like to use first names-if that was okay? The staff were already halfway to being in love with her.

Who could blame them?

‘So remind me.’ She was at the end of the line, looking back at him. ‘The reception is at seven?’

‘Yes.’

‘Will my people have the details?’

My people. Just like that, she’d taken on the mantel of royalty. And once again she’d moved him to the sidelines.

‘Yes,’ he said shortly. ‘Your staff are putting on the reception.’

‘So I’ll see you then?’

‘Yes.’

She nodded. The eyes gazing at him were expressionless.

‘We’ll be happy to receive you, then,’ she said.

And that was that. He’d been dismissed by royalty.

His gaze met hers and held. Then, very slowly, he nodded. And smiled.

‘Until then, Your Highness,’ he said softly and gave her a gentle, mocking salute. ‘Off you go and introduce Oscar to his new home.’

It took all the courage in the world to watch him go-not to call him back-to stop herself whimpering in terror. But this role was hers. She’d returned to the island as Crown Princess. She had to take the responsibility.

Her dream as a kid-to take on this responsibility with Nikos-was just that-a dream. He’d married someone else. He’d moved on.

Somehow, she must too.

The housekeeper-Mrs Lavros-no first names here!-gave her a cursory tour of the palace, apologising over and over. ‘There’s not been money for repairs. We’re so thankful you’re finally here. We’re so sorry we couldn’t get it how we’d like it.’ But neither Athena or Nicky-or Oscar either, for that matter-minded shabby.

‘Ooh, it’s cool,’ Nicky said, and Athena gazed in awe at the vast chandelier in the bedchamber they’d just been ushered into and had to agree. This was the King’s bedchamber, with a smaller bedroom leading off to the side. ‘The smaller room’s for the King’s valet,’ Mrs Lavros told her. ‘It’s been years since the King’s been here, but we’ve kept it aired. There’s clean linen on the beds…’

Athena was no longer listening. She was staring out of the window at the beach that had been forbidden to mere mortals since Giorgos’s ancestors had plundered this place and made it theirs.

Nicky and Oscar were already out on the terrace, scrambling through the balustrades, figuring how they could clamber down to the cliff path.

She was a princess. Did princesses…clamber?

‘Has Nikos seen this?’ she breathed. The beach was wide and golden, curving from headland to headland. The sea was glistening diamonds-fabulous, romantic.

‘I’m not sure,’ the housekeeper told her. ‘But if you please, ma’am, what will you wear tonight?’

Tonight. A royal reception. How many people? She stopped thinking about clambering.

‘Something…simple?’ she ventured.

The housekeeper’s face fell. ‘Everyone wants to meet you,’ she said. ‘We so want our own princess. Prince Alexandros and Princess Lily will be here from Sappheiros, of course, and they’re wonderful, but they’re not our ruling family. Prince Alexandros will wear his medals,’ she said wistfully. ‘Don’t you have a formal gown?’

It was said without much hope.

And Athena looked at her two suitcases and knew her lack of hope was justified.

She’d packed for four weeks and she’d travelled light. She’d brought one formal little black dress.

Nikos should have warned her. Nikos should have warned her about the reception, she thought again, feeling anger build.

But…

But.

Prince Alexandros and Princess Lily would be here.

And…this was really huge…Nikos would be here as well.

Nikos, who’d fathered a child to another woman before she’d left the island. Nikos, who’d married Marika. Nikos, who she’d thought she loved with all her heart. Who’d finally, dreadfully, taught her not to trust… anyone.

He’d thrown her in the deep end here-but she would not sink.

He hadn’t warned her. He’d expect her to be…ordinary.

She glanced at her watch. It was still only midday. She had seven hours. Could she?

Nikos would be here.

She would be a princess.

Nothing to it, she thought, mentally spitting on her hands and getting down and dusty. She wasn’t fashion editor of one of the world’s biggest glossies for nothing.

‘Mrs Lavros, if my cellphone doesn’t work here then I need a landline,’ she said. ‘And the Internet. I need help to become a princess and I need it fast.’

She didn’t come down until seven-thirty. She almost didn’t come down then.

She was listening to Nicky read. She and Nicky had changed reader/listener roles about two years back when he’d decreed her choice of stories was boring. Since then this had become her special time of day-to quieten nerves, to remind herself what was important, to focus solely on the two of them.

And this night she needed her quiet time more than she’d ever needed it in her life. This night she was terrified.