She hadn’t worn matching clothes with Mallory in twenty-five years. No way did she intend to start being cutesy now with her other sister. Not even in haute couture. Especially not in painful heels and a beauty-pageant-type sash that held a pearl encircled cameo of her dead mother.
But that was an issue Kelsey simply didn’t have the bandwidth to tackle today. Her hand covered the cameo with Serena’s face, suddenly craving contact with the mother she’d never really known. Wishing that she could sit with her and pour out her problems, and get the type of motherly advice that solved everything.
Because she hadn’t solved anything by herself.
Staying—and not being with Elias—didn’t seem possible.
Leaving because of a bad breakup seemed weak and immature, which just pissed her off.
Either way, the king expected her answer tomorrow.
And today she was about to be presented to the entire country as the missing Princess Valentina. It was time to pull herself together. Pouting was never a good look.
She pushed away the banana Mallory waved in front of her. Mustered up a bit of side-eye. “I thought you used to say that the best step was revenge sex?”
“That also has its merits.” Straight-ironed hair fell in a red stream across her shoulder as Mallory looked left at the lineup of minor royals and Parliament members milling near the doorway. “I’m not sure how easy that’ll be to accomplish with you being outed to the world in a few minutes. Let’s focus on eating all the pizza and pastries instead.”
“There’s this luncheon right after the presentation. Probably no pizza, but I’m betting the desserts will be killer. The palace chefs are in charge of the food.”
“Ludovico,” Mallory sighed with a far-off smile. They’d hunted down the pastry chef in the bowels of the palace to thank him after eating a sweet fried dough filled with cream and apricot jam that was basically bliss in a bun. The man was a magician. “You almost want to sleep with him just to see what yummy rolls or pancakes he’d make you the next morning.”
Kelsey ticked off points on her fingers. “I’m not sleeping with someone who’ll plump me up with impossible to resist sweets.” Because she was definitely off running as exercise now that she’d always associate it with Elias dumping her. “I’m not sleeping with a member of the staff.” Not again, anyway. Lesson learned. The hard way. “Oh, and I’m not sleeping with anyone in the near future because the only man I want is the man I can’t have. The one who refuses to be with me.”
“Shhh.” Mallory jerked down her hand and clapped a hand across her mouth. “Ix-nay on mentioning the odyguard-bay.”
“Mal, everyone in this room speaks not just two languages, but some three or four. You really think Pig Latin’s going to stump them?”
“I’m just reminding you to keep, you know”—she jerked her head toward Elias, standing against the wall—“a secret. You don’t want any blowback for your relationship, especially if you aren’t getting the perks of it anymore.”
Perks. Yeah. Kelsey assumed Mallory was talking about the toe-curling sex, which had been spectacular. But what she missed more was Elias by her side, solid as a rock. Listening to her. Laughing with her. Bolstering her. Taking lessons from his enviable sense of duty to his country that so helped her come to terms with her own.
As much as she appreciated Mallory dropping everything to come to Moncriano, it was Elias’s steady presence that had made the biggest difference. That had given her the strength to not just flounder in this strange land, but start to flourish.
In this room full of people who bowed to her, people who rejoiced at her simply being alive, people who were her family…
Kelsey had never felt more alone.
Mallory vaulted out of her seat like a Jack-in-the-Box. Having seen it happen repeatedly over the past two weeks, Kelsey knew it signaled another royal approaching. Her sister dropped into a deep curtsey.
“Your Majesty.”
“Miss Wishner.” The king was spiffed up in a lightgray suit, also wearing a sash. His bore a slew of fancy medallions on ribbons. “I hope you don’t find your duties as lady-in-waiting too onerous.”
“It’s a nice change of pace getting official recognition for putting up with her. I’ve often said I deserve a medal for it. Kelsey can be a pain in the neck.”
She squeezed her sister’s arm. “Mallory. Dial it back, okay?”
Her head dropped, red hair hiding her undoubtedly flaming face. “I’m so sorry, Your Majesty. I didn’t mean to badmouth the princess.”
But the king looked amused. “Nonsense. You should hear Christian and Genevieve peck at each other. I’m glad you feel comfortable enough to be honest.”
“Honestly, Kelsey is the other half of me.” Mallory thrust her arm through Kelsey’s. “She’s wonderful. Once you get to know her, you’ll see. There’s nobody more loyal or caring or trusting.”
That might be more embarrassing than her previous character testimonial. Sheesh. But also sweet. Definitely enough, though. “Mallory, would you go grab me a bottle of water?”
“Sure.” She did a bow/curtsey combo to the king and darted away.
“I do look forward to discovering all those qualities in you,” King Julian said quietly, head cocked to the side as he stared intently at her. He did that, quite often. Kelsey wondered if he was seeing her, his dead wife, or still trying to figure out who this stranger was that happened to be related to him.
“I’m also irrationally competitive at board games. And a massive introvert.” She might as well tell him, in case her nerves got the better of her and caused her to let him down. “I always wanted to watch people, not be the one everybody is staring it.”
The king took her hand in both of his and squeezed. “So watch them. See your people. Focus in on individual faces, not just the swath of the crowd. Watch the joy and excitement it brings them to be here, sharing in this momentous day.”
Instead of trying to get rid of the fear—which was impossible—his advice simply did a one-eighty in focus around it. It could work. “That’s…really helpful. Thank you, Tata.” Kelsey reached up to throw her other arm around his neck for a hug.
After a few pats on her back, the king kissed her forehead. “I’d like you to walk out right behind me.”
“Okay.” It was nice that he wanted her close. But…oh. Did that placement mean something? Weren’t they all walking out together?
“Papa, that’s not right.” Genevieve’s sharp rebuke had most of the heads in the room swiveling toward them. And given the pissy pout on her lips, the king’s request did indeed mean something.