Page 60 of Mistaken as His Royal Bride

She was momentarily distracted by the fact that he was only wearing sweatpants, his broad back bare.

For some reason he looked remote. Untouchable. Maddi came closer and saw what he was looking at on the screen. Her insides fell to the floor. She might have fallen to the floor too, if she hadn’t locked her knees.

On the screen was footage of Princess Laia, arriving back into Isla’Rosa on the royal jet. She looked both glowing and drawn at the same time. Tense. It was the first time Maddi had laid eyes on her in... How long had it been? It felt like aeons. But it had just been weeks.

Reporters were calling out to her as she emerged from the plane. ‘Princess Laia, what about your engagement to King Aristedes? Why did you leave Santanger?’

Maddi realised with a jolt that they obviously believed Laia had flown in from Santanger. And why wouldn’t they? She’d been here for the last few weeks with her fiancé, as far as the world was aware.

Except she hadn’t been. Maddi had. Living in a make-believe land that was now collapsing around her.

Her brain hurt as she tried to untangle what this all meant.

At that moment Princess Laia looked at the camera and said, very clearly, ‘I have no comment to make at this time except to say that I’m looking forward to my coronation in a few days’ time.’

Laia’s birthday.

Maddi realised that they had done it. Laia had managed to get back to Isla’Rosa just in time for her birthday and her coronation.

At that moment Ari flicked a switch and the TV went black. There was a heavy silence in the room. He knew she was there.

Without turning around, he said, ‘As you can see, your job here is done.’

Maddi went cold inside at the detached tone of his voice. She walked to stand in front of him. He looked impossibly remote. Like a stranger. Not like the man who had made love to her just short hours before with such hunger.

‘Ari...’

He looked at her and she almost took a step back. His face and eyes were devoid of all expression.

‘I’ll arrange for Hannah to come and help you pack your things. You’ll leave the country discreetly, to minimise the chances of anyone seeing you.’

It took a second for what he meant to sink in.Of course.If anyone saw her here, then it would expose both him and Princess Laia. Obviously she had to go.

‘And then what?’

‘And then what, Maddi? Then you get on with your life as Princess Laia’s—sorry, asQueenLaia’s lady-in-waiting. What did you think?’

What had she thought?

She’d known this was coming. She’d felt it last night. And for the last few days. Like a sword hanging over her head. In a way it was almost a relief. She wouldn’t have to pretend to be someone else any more.

It was a relief tempered with such pain, though.

As if she had to hear him say it to be sure, she said, ‘This is it then...? Even once Laia has become Queen you don’t...we can’t see each other again?’

Maddi had wanted to make it sound like a statement, but it came out like a question.

He smiled, but it was mirthless. ‘No, Maddi. I told you not to confuse sex with emotion. You said you knew what you were getting into. But maybe the great sex confused you. Because it was amazing sex. I’ll grant you that. For a novice you were...spectacular.’

For a second Maddi was so outraged she couldn’t speak. She’d never hit another person in her life, but right now she wanted to strike at Ari and his hateful words.

She’d been such a fool to allow intimacy to grow between them. Her anger started to burn, and she welcomed it because it was cauterising her raw wound.

‘Don’t patronise me, Ari. I might have been physically innocent, but I’m not emotionally naive. And thank you for the compliment. You’ve certainly opened my eyes as to what to expect from a satisfying lover. I won’t settle for less in future.’

His jaw clenched at that, but it was small comfort.

He said, ‘Be honest, Maddi, what were you really hoping for? A declaration of love?’