“Who the hell are you? I think I’d know more about my family than you would.”
His lids narrowed on me, his gaze feeling like he could slice right through me. I never had the prince’s full attention, and I felt like I was drowning in it. Intense and heavy, he locked on to me, too confident to ever doubt himself.
“Well, I’m clearly a nobody to you, but someone might have to revisit their dear grandpa’s journals or something.” I tried to ignore the heat turning me the color of a tomato, my tongue resembling the Sahara Desert.
“Are you fucking kidding me right now?” His green eyes sparked with anger.
“Master Theodore, no need for that kind of language,” Martin scolded, nodding to me. “Let her continue.”
“Sure.” He shrugged, falling back in his seat like he couldn’t care less what I would say. “If she wants to humiliate herself, by all means.”
The professor arched an eyebrow, turning to me with a knowing smirk. “Go ahead, Spencer.”
“The first alliance was set on Spain. They had a bigger military, and Albert’s father wanted that. He was determined to get Princess Isabelle for Albert, but I guess your Grandpa Al was such a twat, she wouldn’t do it. Turned him down flat. Even her father, the king of Spain, thought it better she marry her cousin instead.” I clicked my tongue. “That’s got to hurt. That level of rejection.”
Theo’s shoulders moved up to his ears.
“That’s why he married Gertrude and declared war on Spain.”
The class was silent, all eyes dancing back and forth between us, ready for our own war to be declared.
“Sorry, Theodore, but Spencer is right.” Martin stood from his desk, going around to the projector, putting up a timeline on the screen, his voice rambling on. I heard none of it. I couldn’t fight the pride bursting at my chest, knowing I just schooled the Prince of Great Victoria on his own history. But the evil glares coming from my peers shifting in their seats suggested I made a mistake. How dare I correct the prince? He was right, even if he was wrong.
“Bollocks, girl,” Mina muttered. “If you weren’t on their radar before, you sure as hell are now.”
I swallowed, feeling the truth in her words. Briefly, my attention went back to the prince, expecting him to be another one glowering at me. He sat back, his fiery gaze heavy on me, but it wasn’t filled with malice. If anything, it was curious and intrigued, like he enjoyed being challenged. He didn’t break away when I caught him staring at me, unabashedly watching with a strange hitch on his lips.
I not only gained attention from people who never looked at me before, but I acquired the prince’s.
And somehow, I knew nothing would ever be the same after that.
Chapter 2
(Eight months later)
“We’re free!” Landen held up his arms to the sky, screaming at the top of his lungs. “We. Are. Free!” The final class of the year had let out. We were officially done with school here.
“Until your father forces you to enroll in the military.” Trying to hide my smile, I swept my hair off my shoulder, the May sun brushing softly over my skin, hinting at summer coming around the corner.
“Someone’s a killjoy.” He dropped his arms, glaring at me with his light brown eyes. He had to get them from his mom’s side since those of us on his father’s side had more the gray-blue color. “And I think I might have him talked into a gap year.”
“Your father? Really?” Mina raised a dark eyebrow at him.
“Of course, he said no. But I’m pretty sure the underlying meaning was I think you’re right, Landen, you should explore the world for at least a year. Might as well take two.”
“Yep, sounds exactly what my uncle would say.” I snorted, covering my mouth. Landen and I were extremely close. His family was very cold and uptight, so I was the only one he confided in. The last time he came over, and we got blinding drunk in my room, he confessed he was confused about his sexuality, saying he was still attracted to women, but from what I could gather, he was struggling, feeling the same about guys too.
“Shut up.” He pointed at me, his tie hanging loosely from his neck. “I plan on getting him trolleyed and then make him sign a contract I had my lawyer come up with saying he agrees to my year abroad. Bind that arsehole to it.”
“Lawyers? Contracts? Jesus.” Mina shook her head, laughing. “This is not normal.”
“Nothing about us is normal, darling.” He threw his arms around her, winking. “Speaking of not normal, how about you and me get hammered and have sex tonight?”
“Ugh. Not a chance.” She brushed off his arm, rolling her eyes. We all knew he was totally playing with her. They never had a single ounce of interest in each other. Landen hadn’t talked to me about his feelings since that one drunken night, keeping them stuffed away. He flirted relentlessly with girls with over-the-top declarations, almost like he hoped they wouldn’t take him seriously. I felt it was all an act because he wasn’t ready to face his true feelings yet.
“Hurt a man’s ego.” He rubbed the hereditary reddish-brown hair we both got from our fathers, looking anything but upset. My dad, Andrew, was a few years younger, but Fredrick Sutton looked and acted like my late grandfather, who I hadn’t liked either, taking on the patriarch role, always going on about legacy. I think someone was overcompensating for his tiny baron title. I always felt bad for Landen growing up with him. I saw Uncle Freddie enough when we went home for breaks, and I got used to hiding behind the tapestries. I think it was why Landen was very happy to head to boarding school with me, the opportunity to get away from his overbearing father.
“Think somehow you’ll get over it.” Mina nudged him playfully. “So, are we going out tonight? Celebrate our freedom from this place.”
“Yes. And more yes.” Landen bobbed his head frantically.
“I think so…” I glanced over my shoulder for a familiar form in the crowd.
“There is no think. This is mandatory.” Landen grabbed my hand, giving me a look I knew all too well.
“No. Please. Don’t,” I pleaded.
“Oh yes. It calls for it.”
“No, it really doesn’t.”
“Dying in your bed many years from now…” He started the famous movie quote he did every Christmas like tradition when we were eating. Always pissing off his father and making dinner awkward. Well, not for me. He could always make me giggle. It got us excused quickly, where we’d run off to his bedroom. “Would you be willing to trade all the days from this day to that for one chance…”
“Bloody hell, he’s doing it.” Wilhelmina let her head fall back, pinching her nose.
“Just one chance…” He held up his finger, stepping back from me, his voice belting out in the courtyard.
“Feck,” I muttered, letting my hair drop in front of my face. “Please stop.”
“To come back here and tell our enemies that they may take our lives, but they’ll never take…” He paused dramatically, everyone around stopping and staring at him. He jumped on a picnic table, his arms outstretched.