“Is everything okay?” Hannah asked.
“It appears we’ve been called in for a royal audience. I apologize,mon chou,but I didn’t know. I had hoped my family would allow us some time to recover from our trip before they bombard us with questions, but apparently that is not the case.”
“Oh.” Hannah lookedat me with wide eyes. Given the tinted glass in the car, we’d both abandoned our sunglasses in favor of being able to watch the passing scenery, so I could see the uncertainty clouding her eyes. She bit her bottom lip and looked away.
“It’ll be okay, Hannah. Unlike your family, mine is all bark and no bite. Their qualms are with me, most likely since I went off book during my trip and canceledmost of my appointments and then fired my palace-appointed assistant. No doubt my brother just wants to call me to the carpet and—how do you say? Oh, yes: read me the riot act? Tear me a new asshole. But in the most civilized way, of course.”
“Of course,” Hannah returned weakly, and not with the laughter I’d intended. She was nervous and freaked out and there wasn’t much I could do as our sedanrolled to a stop in front of the palace’s rear entrance.
Fortunately, here at least we were spared the hoopla of the encroaching press. Given the upcoming winter, the palace was closed to tours, except for the gardens, and theCompagnie des Carabiniers du Princeran a tight ship when it came to protecting the royal family, especially on our own soil.
Before I could pop out and help Hannah exitthe vehicle, her door opened and Nicolas appeared with his hand out for her. She alighted from the sedan and looked around with an expression somewhere between amazement and fear. I crossed to her and took her sweaty hand in mine and gave it a reassuring squeeze.
“It’ll be okay,mon chou. It’s just my family. This’ll be a walk in the park.”
Judging by Hannah’s wide eyes and Nicolas’s carefullyblank expression, no one was buying my brand of bullshit.
A second car carrying Dimitri, Morgan, and a few other guards pulled up. Several members of staff from the palace materialized and began unpacking the vehicles. When I saw my monogrammed bags being stacked alongside Hannah’s on the curb, I paused. “Wait, there’s no need to unpack our bags. We’ll continue to my home down the coast oncewe’re finished here.”
“His Highness’s orders,Prince Lucien,” one of the butlers replied before he carried our bags into the palace.
My sense of foreboding doubled. First the sudden change in itinerary, and now they were off-loading our luggage into the palace?Merde,this wasn’t going to end well. But I couldn’t let Hannah freak out anymore.
“Ever stayed in a palace,mon chou?”
Hannah threwme a disbelieving look as we mounted the large staircase. “You know the only reason I even have a passport was to go on a three-day Mexican cruise. I hadn’t even left the North American continent before yesterday. Of course I haven’t stayed in a palace.”
Okay, she might be a tiny bit stressed. I gave her hand another reassuring squeeze, when really all I wanted to do was wrap my arms around herand carry her away from the horror show that was due to happen. I thought I’d have more time to prepare her for my family. My brother better not make her uncomfortable, because I would do whatever it took to protect her. Crown and family be damned.
When we reached the top of the staircase, a butler gestured toward the hall. “His Highness, Prince Sébastien, and Her Highness, Princess Vivian, arewaiting for you in the York Room.”
I sighed heavily. Of course they were. Then I gave Hannah a fake smile that fooled no one. “We’re in luck. Two for the price of one.”
“So your brotherandyour mother? We haven’t even talked about protocol! Do I curtsey? Am I allowed to shake their hand? Oh, my god. What do I do?” Hannah’s eyes were so large they almost swallowed her face and her breath wasleaving her in short panting huffs.
“It’s going to be okay,mon chou.” I stopped in an alcove off from the Mirror Gallery. Facing Hannah, I clasped her shoulders and ducked down until I could look into her eyes. “You’ve just got to breathe, Hannah. Slowly. In. And out. In. And out. They’re just people. We might have fancy titles and houses, but we’re people just like everyone else. They won’tbite. If you’re that freaked out about meeting them, I could arrange for you to wait for me in one of the private salons, and I’ll come get you when we’re done.”
“No.” Hannah took another deep breath, then met my eyes with a determined expression. “I’m okay. I can do this—meet your family. It’s okay. I’m okay. I just had a little meltdown. This is all kinda crazy, you know? I mean, my boyfriendis a freaking prince. Oh, God.Oh, God. They’re just people. No, I’m okay. I can do this.”
“If you’re sure. I want you to be comfortable. If you’re not ready to meet them yet—”
“No, it’s okay. I just needed a second to calm down. This is a lot to throw at a person all at once. I thought I’d have more time to mentally prepare, but I’m okay. I can do this.”
“Hell, yeah, you can. That’s the take-no-prisonersHannah I know and lo—” I snapped my mouth shut with an audible click. Fuck, it was too soon to say that. Judging by Hannah’s expression I might’ve just made a bad situation worse.
Fuck me.
“I…”
Hannah raised her hand. “It’s a figure of speech. It’s okay. It doesn’t have to mean anything.”
“Right.”
“Right,” Hannah murmured back.
“You ready to jump into the lion’s den?”
Hannah nodded slowly.“As ready as I’ll ever be.”
