“The King?” I asked, realizing I was being rude a moment too late as he glanced sharply at me. “I’m sorry if I’ve been too forward, Bruno.”
“Not at all,” he replied with a strained smile. “Yes, I spent a lot of time with the King when he was… still around.”
His pain was obvious from the tone of his voice, and I knew not to pry further. But Bruno surprised me by telling me more himself, without being prompted to.
“My father and I were close, perhaps closer than he ever was with Olivier. It was a reason of constant quarreling between us,” he admitted. “But I don’t regret my bond with my father.”
“You shouldn’t,” I said softly. “You should never regret having a bond with your family.”
He rewarded me with the warmest smile I’d seen from him yet.
We shifted our attention to the books, my fingers wandering over the beautiful spines.
“Who picked Alice in Wonderland?” I asked, giving him a conspiratorial look. “I can’t imagine the Queen enjoying something quite so whimsical. She seems quite…”
“Stuck-up?” Bruno suggested. “A royal pain in the ass?”
“Stop,” I giggled. “Someone could overhear you.”
“Oh, I assure you,” he said, a devilish glint in his steel grey eyes. “We won’t be disturbed here. I made sure of it.”
There was a hint of darkness to his voice that made me pick and choose my next words.
“I liked Alice in Wonderland as well,” I admitted. “In fact, it was my favorite as a little girl. My mother used to tell me stories when I was a child. One every night. But Alice was one I picked up myself, and I lost myself in the story. I have a special bond with that book.”
“As do I,” Bruno replied, his jaw twitching as it set firmly into place. “It was my mother’s favorite, too.”
A silence lay on the room, and I wasn’t certain whether he’d go on, but after a moment’s pause, he started speaking again.
“My mother died when I was very young,” he said. “I don’t have many memories of her. But she read me the story night after night. I know it word for word.”
“That is a beautiful memory,” I muttered, stopping before a shelf that caught my attention. “There are so many copies of the book here.”
“The King collected them for my mother,” Bruno said with the hint of a smile. “She got one as a present for every birthday and every Christmas. It was their tradition.”
“I wonder how the Queen handled it,” I said softly, then turned in Bruno’s direction. “I’m sorry, I don’t mean to be rude… I just wonder what it was like, living here with your mum when the Queen and Olivier were in the same building. Were things tense between you?”
“They used to be,” Bruno admitted. “But after my mother passed away, something changed. I don’t think the Queen minds me being around so much. She doesn’t make my life more difficult, at least.”
“And that’s saying a lot for the queen,” I replied, making him laugh out loud. “You know it’s true!”
“It is,” he admitted. “She can be a lot to handle. But I am indebted to her, and I am grateful for what she’s given me. I can stay here, take care of royal business, and help where I am most needed.”
“It doesn’t bother you?” I asked, turning around with my hands placed behind my back. I looked into Bruno’s eyes, imploring him to be honest with me. “You don’t want a different life? You don’t want to be somewhere else?”
Bruno smirked at me before taking a step forward. His hand touched the books behind me, thoughtfully ghosting over the spines.
“No, Amber,” he muttered, his eyes finding mine. “I’m right where I want to be.”
His words sent a quiver of excitement through my body, and I looked down at the floor, blushing fiercely, but unable to fight the smile off my face.
“I like your dress, by the way,” he added after a moment of silence. “Suits you.”
I smiled in response. I was wearing a black velvet dress with long sleeves and ruching in the front, which exposed my legs, longer in a pair of peeptoe booties from Manolo Blahnik. The dress itself had a line of buttons down the front, pretty silver ones that were almost like brooches. I loved that they didn’t match.
“Thanks,” I managed to get out before snapping back to reality. “So, about this challenge. What do we have to do?”
“You haven’t figured it out yet?” he asked, grinning wickedly at me. “You have to win a royal subject’s approval, of course.”
Did I imagine it, or did a shadow of doubt cross his face for just a second?
“Well, what do I need to do?” I asked, giggling. “I think I’m doing a pretty stellar job so far, don’t you?”
“Indeed,” he replied, raising his brows at me. “But let’s stay a little while longer, at least for pretense’s sake. I can’t let you go quite yet.”
Something about his tone excited me, and I found myself nodding at his words, saying, “I’m not going anywhere. Why don’t you show me around the library? I’d love to see more.”
“Of course.”
He took my hand and helped me up the spiral staircase onto the upper floor. There, the ceiling was even taller, and the bookshelves covered every bit of wall available. There was even a ladder so one could reach the upper shelves without trouble.
“It’s very romantic that the King had those doors made just for your mother,” I muttered to myself. “She must have meant a lot to him.”
“She did,” Bruno replied, his voice unwavering and deep.
“You don’t let yourself slip for a second, do you?”
He turned his eyes to mine with question marks written all over them, and I looked away, blushing.
“I’m sorry, I don’t mean to pry, truly. I just… observe things about people.”
“And what else have you observed about me?” he asked, his eyes darkening as he took a step closer.
I turned to face the bookshelves, admiring several editions of A Little Princess while being aware of his presence right behind me. His scent lingered in the air between us, pine needles and wood on the fire. I wanted him to come closer, intensely aware of just what I was thinking.
Olivier would kill him, I thought to myself as guilt washed over me. This is ridiculous. I’m in love with another man.
Yet the spark between us was undeniable. It was right there, jumping between us, daring either one of us to make a move. It was hard to fight it, but I knew I’d remain loyal to Olivier until the end.
I offered Bruno a shy smile before stepping aside, muttering, “No matter.”
“It does matter,” he growled, his hand wrapping around my arm. I looked up at him, surprised by his sudden show of interest. “Amber, don’t walk away just yet.”
I looked up into those stormy eyes, saying, “Why the sudden interest in me? You didn’t seem very excited about my presence when you picked me up at the airport.”
“Well, rumor is,” he replied, smirking. “You’re quite popular with the prince.”