“Does the king know I know?”
He shook his head.
That meant that throughout dinner we would need to pretend. I looked up at him. “I don’t want to ruin this for you.”
“Good,” he replied with a grin. “I’m trying to avoid prison.”
“Then you should have gone back to America.” Those were my words, but with all my heart, I was glad he hadn’t.
“Yesterday?” I whispered as we were descending the staircase. “You were at dinner last night.” I looked up at his handsome face. “I didn’t know.”
“You barely looked my direction.”
“I must keep from staring tonight.”
Oliver
It took every ounce of willpower within me not to touch Lucille, to simply place my hand in the small of her back as I’d done at the birthday celebration. I’d watched long hours of videos and had been told by Lady Caroline that not only did the princess and I have a tense relationship, we also didn’t do public displays of affection.
From what I’d surmised, the prince and princess didn’t do many private displays of affection either. That could account for the lack of heirs.
When I’d entered Lucille’s suite, I’d done so to convince myself that I could stay in character. If I could convince Lucille that I was Roman, I could convince anyone. And as the harsh words left my lips, I detested the man I’d become more than before.
It was the princess’s spirit that called to me.
She didn’t apologize or wilt like a helpless flower. That was what I’d been told to expect. Instead, standing there in a pale green dress, she stood her ground. I should have walked away.
It was her comment that tugged at my heart.
Of course, she wasn’t a dog, a bitch to come on command. The idea that she would even have that thought was more than I could take. I should have continued to walk away. Now the damage was done.
Entering the dining room, I tried to forget that Lucille knew my secret, while remembering to act aloof. As the butler stepped forward and pulled back Lucille’s chair, I took the seat to her side. Soon, the king would be seated to my other side at the head of the table.
“Mum,” I said, standing with a bow as the queen entered.
“Your Majesty,” Lucille said, standing with a curtsy before taking her seat again.
“Lucille,” the queen said as she took the seat across from me. “I hear you’re leaving us, going back to Monovia.”
“Yes, ma’am. The unrest has quieted.”
The queen turned to me. “Your father told me about your speech to the Parliament, Roman. He is pleased.”
I nodded, refusing to turn to my side to see the reaction of the woman there. She knew it was an impostor who addressed Parliament. As the queen continued to speak, I assessed what I had done. By involving Lucille in the charade, she was an accomplice. If I failed, she could be punished as I would be, imprisoned in an actual prison.
“Roman.”
Lucille tapped my leg below the table.
“Sorry, Mum. My mind is wandering.”
“I was asking you why you were sending Lucille to Annabella. Surely, it is better to have her near.”
Oh, it was better. It was also hell.
“The duchess has her duties in Monovia.” I turned to Lucille. “Is returning a problem?”
Her eyes barely met mine. “No, Your Highness.”
“Where is Papa?” I asked.
“He will be here soon,” the queen replied as the butler filled her cup with tea.
Once the king was present, the dining room busied with women and men bringing us our meal.
Keeping Lucille to my side helped me stay focused on the king and queen. Listening to King Theodore question Lucille about her duties in Monovia, I recalled my first meeting with the ruler of Molave.
“Are you taking me to my sentencing?” I asked Lord Martin as we traversed the long hallways of the palace. It was the same day I’d given my vow.
“Stay in character, Your Highness.”
My circulation thumped in my ears as it would prior to a live performance. “I thought he knew.”
“He does.”
“This is a test,” I assessed as we entered the outer chamber to the king’s study.
“Perhaps think of it as an audition.”
Before I could respond to Lord Martin, the woman behind a desk stood and curtsied, calling me your highness.
“A very important one, sir,” Lord Martin replied softly.
I took a deep breath and turned to the woman. “The king requested my presence.”
“He is waiting for you, Your Highness.”
“Then get on with it.” I stepped toward the double doors. When I turned back, Lord Martin nodded.
The woman opened the door and curtsied to the king. “Your Grace, Prince Roman is here.”
“Yes, yes,” the king replied, waving me in.
I tried not to marvel at my proximity to Theodore Godfrey III. I’d been studying him as well as his son for nearly over a month, and while I stood by my assessment that Molave was a strange world within itself, I also recognized the power the man before me held. He’d sat at tables with rulers, presidents, and prime ministers from all over the globe. He’d brought his country into the modern world while maintaining its sovereignty. He was beloved and revered.
Stepping forward, the woman closed the door behind me, leaving me alone with King Theodore. I bowed at the waist. “Papa.”
His dark eyes narrowed as they swept over me. Finally, he spoke. “Come, have a seat, boy.”
Boy.
Roman Godfrey was a forty-three-year-old man, the first in line for the seat across the desk.
King Theodore leaned back in his chair. “Tell me what you know.”
“I know a wide range of things.”
He lifted a paper from his blotter and turned it my direction. It was the paper the chief minister had me sign.
“Your Majesty,” I said.
Placing the paper on the desk, he leaned forward. “No one will see that from this day forward if things continue as planned.”
I nodded.
“I know why Elizabeth thought you would be best for this role. However, these are very unusual times. I’m not pleased that my son isn’t the man to step up.” His gaze honed in on mine. “Tell me why you are that man. Why are you willing to sacrifice your life for Molave?”
Stay in character.
I sat taller. “It is my duty.”
“You are not Molavian.”
“As your son…”
The king grinned. “My son would not have replied as politely.”
“I’m still learning, sir.”
“You’re aware of what’s happening in the streets?”
“I’m aware of the unrest due to the recently sanctioned tariffs. I’ve just moments ago received clearance to learn the reason behind the tariffs as well as other vital information.”
“You will come to me each evening at five thirty, here in my office. We have a standing meeting. Thirty minutes. It is all we’ll need. You will talk to me about what you’ve learned, and I will inform you of new developments.”
“The prince…?”