The Lost Princes of Ambria 06 - Taming the Lost Prince by Raye Morgan
Authors: Raye Morgan
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stopped short, turning red. She couldn’t really say that, could she? To her horror, she realized it was a lie. And she couldn’t lie to Pellea of all people. She stared, wide-eyed, not sure how to get out of this trap she’d wandered into.
But Pellea didn’t seem to notice. She nodded, searching her eyes with a sense of sympathy and compassion that didn’t leave any more room for suspicion. “Okay. Oh, Kayla, I understand, and I’m sorry if it seemed I was implying anything more.” She smiled with a sweetness that had once been her trademark, but wasn’t often seen of late. “I won’t do it again.”
“Thanks.” She smiled back, feeling a sense of relief that her friend and employer cared enough to make that pledge. And yet, in the pit of her stomach there lurked an aching tangle of guilt.
As of now, it seemed she was the only one who remembered what had happened that last night in Trialta. She had to keep it that way. But how could she do that when temptation was always lurking?
Somehow, she had to work at distancing herself from Max. She had to be unavailable when he was around. It shouldn’t be too hard. He was going to be very busy getting to know the rest of the royals and learning what his duties and responsibilities would be here in the castle. She would try to stay just as busy somewhere else. She might even ask for another assignment on the continent, one where she could take Teddy with her.
Yes, that was a good idea. She would leave the castle for a while. She would do something. She had to fix this. And she would.
“Did he tell you why Mercuria wants him to come back and stand trial?” Pellea asked.
“No. He didn’t seem to know why.”
“Hmmph.” Pellea didn’t sound convinced. “It’s a real problem, you know. We owe that country a lot. They helped us during the war. Without their help, we might not have succeeded. And now that we’ve got a sort of truce going, they are the ones who act as go-between, our line of communication to the Granvillis. They’re strong allies. I can’t turn my back on a solid request like this. I can’t ignore our friends. They won’t be there for us next time if I do.”
The worry in her voice sent Kayla’s nerves quivering. They couldn’t possibly be considering giving him up to the Mercurian royals—could they? Impossible.
“Send out the diplomats,” she suggested, only half joking.
“Oh, definitely. Droves of them.” She smiled, but it faded quickly. “I’ve got to admit, it worries me quite a bit. I’m going to have to make a call to them soon. I’ve got to tell them something. Max is going to have to level with me. And regardless, we’ll have to find some way to either meet their demands or placate them.”
“Meet their demands?” Kayla repeated, her dread growing.
Pellea gave her a reassuring pat. “Placating is probably safer,” she noted. Then she made a face. “If we sent him back to them, lord only knows what he might do.”
Kayla was beginning to rebel. After all, he wasn’t all that bad. A bit nonconformist, of course, but all in all, he was definitely a good guy, at least in her experience with him.
But Pellea was still thinking of examples. She shook her head. “Last night at the ball, when he was presented to the old duchess, my Great-Aunt Judis, I was afraid he was going to say something like, ‘Hey, Toots, could you get me a refill on this drink while you’re up?’”
Kayla’s eyes widened. “He didn’t!”
“No, he didn’t.” She raised a significant eyebrow. “But there’s something about him that keeps making me scared he will.”
Despite her regard for him as a man, Kayla knew exactly what she meant. She frowned, trying to key in to the heart of the matter.
“He just doesn’t have the proper instincts.”
“Exactly.”
She looked up hopefully. “He’ll learn.”
Pellea sighed. “Of course he will. But can we wait around for that to develop on its own? I think not.” She drew in a
But Pellea didn’t seem to notice. She nodded, searching her eyes with a sense of sympathy and compassion that didn’t leave any more room for suspicion. “Okay. Oh, Kayla, I understand, and I’m sorry if it seemed I was implying anything more.” She smiled with a sweetness that had once been her trademark, but wasn’t often seen of late. “I won’t do it again.”
“Thanks.” She smiled back, feeling a sense of relief that her friend and employer cared enough to make that pledge. And yet, in the pit of her stomach there lurked an aching tangle of guilt.
As of now, it seemed she was the only one who remembered what had happened that last night in Trialta. She had to keep it that way. But how could she do that when temptation was always lurking?
Somehow, she had to work at distancing herself from Max. She had to be unavailable when he was around. It shouldn’t be too hard. He was going to be very busy getting to know the rest of the royals and learning what his duties and responsibilities would be here in the castle. She would try to stay just as busy somewhere else. She might even ask for another assignment on the continent, one where she could take Teddy with her.
Yes, that was a good idea. She would leave the castle for a while. She would do something. She had to fix this. And she would.
“Did he tell you why Mercuria wants him to come back and stand trial?” Pellea asked.
“No. He didn’t seem to know why.”
“Hmmph.” Pellea didn’t sound convinced. “It’s a real problem, you know. We owe that country a lot. They helped us during the war. Without their help, we might not have succeeded. And now that we’ve got a sort of truce going, they are the ones who act as go-between, our line of communication to the Granvillis. They’re strong allies. I can’t turn my back on a solid request like this. I can’t ignore our friends. They won’t be there for us next time if I do.”
The worry in her voice sent Kayla’s nerves quivering. They couldn’t possibly be considering giving him up to the Mercurian royals—could they? Impossible.
“Send out the diplomats,” she suggested, only half joking.
“Oh, definitely. Droves of them.” She smiled, but it faded quickly. “I’ve got to admit, it worries me quite a bit. I’m going to have to make a call to them soon. I’ve got to tell them something. Max is going to have to level with me. And regardless, we’ll have to find some way to either meet their demands or placate them.”
“Meet their demands?” Kayla repeated, her dread growing.
Pellea gave her a reassuring pat. “Placating is probably safer,” she noted. Then she made a face. “If we sent him back to them, lord only knows what he might do.”
Kayla was beginning to rebel. After all, he wasn’t all that bad. A bit nonconformist, of course, but all in all, he was definitely a good guy, at least in her experience with him.
But Pellea was still thinking of examples. She shook her head. “Last night at the ball, when he was presented to the old duchess, my Great-Aunt Judis, I was afraid he was going to say something like, ‘Hey, Toots, could you get me a refill on this drink while you’re up?’”
Kayla’s eyes widened. “He didn’t!”
“No, he didn’t.” She raised a significant eyebrow. “But there’s something about him that keeps making me scared he will.”
Despite her regard for him as a man, Kayla knew exactly what she meant. She frowned, trying to key in to the heart of the matter.
“He just doesn’t have the proper instincts.”
“Exactly.”
She looked up hopefully. “He’ll learn.”
Pellea sighed. “Of course he will. But can we wait around for that to develop on its own? I think not.” She drew in a
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