MADDI WATCHED AS the festival below them in the desert became a smaller and smaller dot. Laia was down there somewhere, watching this plane leave. Maddi sent her a wish that she would escape somewhere until it was safe for her to emerge and become Queen.
She was aware of King Aristedes on the other side of the aisle. She could feel his gaze on her but she was avoiding looking at him. It was like looking at the sun. Too dangerous.
She felt very self-conscious in her costume, which, out of context looked cheap and tacky and bared far too much flesh.
‘What on earth was that spectacle?’
Maddi bristled at his scathing tone. Reluctantly she looked at him. ‘It’s a famous festival. It brings art and music and people together in an extravaganza of creativity and innovation. There’s nothing else like it in the world.’
‘It looked ridiculous.’
Maddi turned her body to face him and opened her mouth, but then she saw his gaze drop to her chest for a split second. A zing of electricity skated over her skin and it shocked her so much that she forgot what she was going to say.
He raised a brow. ‘I think you can remove your...glasses now.’
Maddi frowned, and then realised he was referring to the goggles on her head. She pulled them off, wincing a little as they caught on her hair.
The air inside the private jet suddenly felt cold, and it wasn’t just the chilly atmosphere caused by King Aristedes. Air-conditioning. She shivered and he noticed.
He frowned. ‘You’re wearing next to nothing. Do you have other clothes with you?’
He and his security team had allowed her to go to their tent and collect her bag and other things. So she did have a change of clothes with her. She wasn’t sure it was going to be much of an improvement, though. But she jumped at the chance to get out of his disturbing presence even for a few minutes and collect her thoughts.
‘Yes, I do. I’ll go and change.’
‘There’s a bedroom and bathroom at the back.’
Maddi stood up with as much grace as she could muster, considering she looked like an extra from a Mad Max movie, and went to the back of the plane.
She closed the door to the bedroom suite behind her and took a deep, shaky breath. She’d done it. She’d fooled King Aristedes into thinking she was Laia. Even if it only allowed Laia enough time to get away it would be worth it.
Maddi looked around the suite. It was sumptuous, but understated, in a palette of cream and gold and beige like the rest of the plane. There was luxurious carpet underfoot.
She’d grown used to luxury since living in the castle on Isla’Rosa, but this was another level.
She put her bag down on the bed and opened it, choosing some clothes to change into.
She went into the bathroom, and the sight of the massive walk-in shower made her very conscious of the thick layer of grime and dust she’d acquired over the last twenty-four hours.
Stripping off, Maddi turned on the water and stepped under the hot steaming spray with a little groan of satisfaction. It took her an age to do her hair and scrub at her face until she was sure all the make-up was off.
When she stepped out, she wrapped her hair in a towel and pulled on a robe. She looked at herself in the mirror and balked—because suddenly the difference between her and her sister looked much starker. She would never get away with convincing the King that she was Laia now.
She was much paler than Laia, having grown up in Ireland, so she hadn’t cultivated the natural tan her sister had. Her hair was also a bit darker because she hadn’t grown up in the sun. Her eyes looked much darker now, too.
This had been a nuts idea. But it was too late to turn back. And if it allowed Laia to get away to somewhere she could hide out then it had to be worth it.
Maddi got dressed, dried her hair, and then, fully prepared for the King to realise instantly that she wasn’t Laia, went out to meet her fate.
Ari heard the door open behind him and didn’t like the way a sizzle of anticipation skated along his nerve-endings. It was most unwelcome. But from the moment he’d locked eyes with Princess Laia in that godforsaken circus amusement park something in his awareness of her had shifted. As if a gear had clicked into place.
She’d never had that effect on him before. Granted, he hadn’t seen her in almost four years, and perhaps now that she was a fully grown woman...
‘Sorry, I took a shower. I hope that’s okay.’
He could smell her before he saw her. Musk and rose. She came alongside him and he turned his head. His eyeline was at her slim waist. She was now wearing short cut-off shorts covered in sequins. Bare, shapely legs led down to a pair of pretty feet in gladiator sandals. Nails painted a coral colour.
His gaze tracked back up and he saw that she was wearing what looked like a lurid pink Spandex leotard under the shorts. No bra. Nothing to disguise the most beautifully shaped breasts he’d ever seen. Full and teardrop-shaped. Nipples hard and pushing against the material.
In an instant Ari was engulfed in more than heat. It was white-hot lust—for a woman he’d been promised to in marriage since she was a baby. And who he’d never had this reaction to before.
Her face was clean now. Paler than he remembered. But still beautiful. She’d grown into her beauty since he’d seen her last.
Those distinctive almond-shaped eyes... He’d always had the impression they were green in colour, but here on the plane they looked darker, almost more golden than green.
And her mouth... Had it always been that provocative, with a naturally pouting bow shape?
His conscience pricked. Did he not even recognise his own fiancée? He doused the heat in his body with ice and said sharply, ‘Don’t you have something to cover up with?’
Laia sat down in the chair and the movement made her breasts sway under the thin material. Ari could not understand this horny schoolboy reaction to a woman when he’d never indulged in such behaviour even when he had been a schoolboy. Control had always been key and he’d never lost it.
But her body was like a siren call.
He shook off his jacket and handed it over. ‘Here, put this on.’
He watched as the Princess slid her arms into his jacket and pulled it over her chest. He immediately lamented her hiding her body from view even as he welcomed it.
Was his reaction due to sexual frustration? Possibly. He’d let his last mistress go a few months ago, to focus exclusively on tracking down his wayward fiancée and making her his Queen. His last few lovers had been disappointing—not just sexually, but on every level—and he’d actually relished not having to play that game for the last few months.
It had galvanised him to follow through on this royal pact. He was ready to settle down. He was resigned to the fact that he would soon be committing to one woman, no matter their compatibility, because he’d vowed that he would never be unfaithful to her.
His father had been serially unfaithful to Ari’s mother and it had broken her. Turned her into someone unstable and bitter. Love was for fools. And so was chemistry. It didn’t last.
He knew he would like Laia enough to bed her, even if she wasn’t his usual type. So this unexpected heat he felt was...surprising. A distraction. Princess Laia Sant’Roman of Isla’Rosa had never so much as caused a blip of awareness in him. Another reason why she was so perfect.
What the hell was going on now?
‘I can’t believe you came all the way to the festival to find me.’
Maddi was still trembling from the excoriating look King Aristedes had just given her. It was clear that he couldn’t be more disgusted by her. She cursed herself again for not taking more care to pack her clothes in the tent. For not at least grabbing a sweatshirt or jacket.
King Aristedes’s jacket was warm around her shoulders. His scent was tantalising, deep and complex. Tones of leather and wood and something more exotic. She imagined a dark flower, blooming in the rocks against the odds, sending out a musky scent...
King Aristedes said, ‘I was growing tired of having my invitations ignored or rescinded. Enough is enough. We have a pact to honour, and it’s time to get on with our lives as King and Queen of Santanger.’
Maddi felt a spurt of loyalty to Laia. ‘And of Isla’Rosa. You’d be King of our—’ She corrected herself quickly. ‘My country too.’
He inclined his head. ‘That is part of the agreement, yes.’
Maddi’s hands curled into fists. ‘I don’t want Isla’Rosa to get lost in this agreement. The pact doesn’t say that we have to lose our independence—and yet that is what will happen, isn’t it?’
He said with casual arrogance, ‘Your marriage to me can only benefit Isla’Rosa, it needs investment to reach its full potential.’ And then, ‘There’s no reason why the privy council who are ruling until you come of age or marry can’t go on doing their very fine work. Let’s face it: they’ve proved their ability to rule during your...frequent absences.’
Maddi went cold. Laia had been right. He had no interest in her or her desire to be ruler of her own kingdom. Maddi knew that the members of the privy council appeared to be the ones with all the power, and in many ways they were. But Laia had been assuming more and more control since their father had died, and the council now deferred to her on almost every decision. She was no mere figurehead.
But of course King Aristedes didn’t know that, because her sister had been promoting an image of pleasure-seeking sybaritic socialite at every opportunity, in the hope of putting him off.
It was common knowledge that King Aristedes was famously serious and strait-laced. Unlike his playboy younger brother, Crown Prince Dax, who seemed to be his opposite in every regard.
Thinking of the King’s intransigence, Maddi said, ‘Are you sure this is a good idea? We’re not very alike.’
One of Laia’s complaints was that she wasn’t even his type. He seemed to favour tall, leggy blondes. Ice-cold and perfect. Laia and Maddi bore the features and colouring of their mixed ancestry—Roman, Greek and Moorish.
King Aristedes’s deep voice pulled Maddi back to the conversation.
‘It’s not about whether we’re compatible—it’s bigger than that. Our marriage will honour a peace pact made by our fathers to ensure long-standing harmony in the region.’
The father Maddi had never met.
It was as if King Aristedes was pushing against that wound, bringing it back to life.
Hadn’t her father ever wondered about her? Cared what had happened to her?
Loved her at all?
In a bid to stop her mind going to dark places, Maddi focused on the conversation at hand, while trying not to let herself notice how King Aristedes’s muscles moved and bunched under his shirt and waistcoat. She’d somehow imagined the King to be...softer. But this man was the opposite of soft. He resembled a prize fighter in civilised clothing.
‘So you have no objection to a marriage that is not built on common interests or love?’ she asked.
‘None. And nor should you. This marriage is an important strategic alliance. Maybe if our countries had done this a long time ago we wouldn’t have suffered so much war and hardship.’
Maddi had studied the history of Isla’Rosa, and by extension some of the history of Santanger, and from those early battles in the Middle Ages right up to the last battle in the last century, it had been brutal.
Maddi still found it hard to get her head around the thought of such carnage on the pretty streets of Isla’Rosa’s main town and in the clear blue-green seas around the island. Maybe King Aristedes was right.
Maddi immediately felt disloyal to her sister.
It wasn’t that Laia didn’t want to do her duty—she did, passionately—but she’d revealed that she wanted to do it with someone by her side who could offer a real relationship. Love and respect and loyalty to the crown of Isla’Rosa, as well as her, of course.
Maddi admired Laia for her idealism about love, but she couldn’t understand it personally because she had grown up watching her mother do her best to hide her broken heart. She’d married eventually, and she was now relatively happy, but Maddi had always been aware of the deep sadness inside her.
So Maddi couldn’t envisage what it was to strive for love. As far as she could see it just brought pain and destruction. It was somewhat disturbing to realise that King Aristedes was making some sense to her...
‘Where are we going?’ she suddenly thought to ask, belatedly.
‘Straight to Santanger. The wedding will take place in a couple of weeks and there will be a lot of preparation.’
Maddi gulped. Further confirmation that King Aristedes was clearly set on having their marriage take place exactly as planned. No deviation.
A small rogue inside her was tempting her to test him. She said, ‘What if we delay the wedding until after I’m crowned Queen of Isla’Rosa?’
King Aristedes looked at her. Stern. No emotion. No softness. ‘That is impossible.’
‘Nothing is impossible,’ Maddi said, hoping to sound defiant but fearing she sounded hesitant.
He shook his head. ‘This will happen as per the agreement. You’ll become Queen of Isla’Rosa when we marry.’
Yes, but not before you become King of Isla’Rosa through that marriage and its precious independence is gone for ever.
King Aristedes looked impatient. ‘You’ve always known this was the agreement. You’ve had your whole life to prepare for this moment.’
That was true. She had to be careful. She was responding as Maddi, not Laia. Laia would be cool, calm and collected.
‘You’re right. I have.’
‘And I can trust that you won’t do a disappearing act once we land?’
Maddi envisaged Laia on another flight, hopefully to the other side of the world. No way would she jeopardise that.
She forced a smile. ‘Of course not. I’m committed to this.’
Right up until he realises I’m not Princess Laia and kicks me off Santanger.
Or, worse, locks her in a dungeon. She wouldn’t put it past this brooding taciturn king who had obviously reached the end of his patience to do something so drastic. Laia had shown her the terrifying dungeons in the castle on Isla’Rosa. They’d given Maddi nightmares for weeks.
Clearly satisfied that he had his errant fiancée under some kind of control at last, the King turned back to his laptop.
Maddi could understand Laia’s misgivings now. She could see how her sister had clashed with King Aristedes and his arrogance, and had taken the drastic actions she had to try and deter him. But he was like a rock. Immovable.
As for Maddi...she could only imagine what his reaction might be when he discovered the truth about who she was.
‘Are you sure you’ve nothing more substantial to change into?’
Maddi had an absurd urge to giggle at the look of distaste on the King’s face. Well, it was an urge either to giggle or melt in a puddle. Because when he looked at her like that he caused all sorts of illicit flutterings deep in her belly.
She glanced down at her attire. The hot pink Spandex leotard and cut-off shorts sparkling with plastic diamonds. Bare legs. Flat sandals. That little rogue inside her was almost glad on Laia’s behalf that she was causing such a spectacle.
‘I really don’t have anything else. It’s this...or what I was wearing before.’
They were due to land in the next few minutes.
King Aristedes made a sound and said ominously, ‘That will be rectified as soon as we get to the palace.’
Maddi looked out of the window and her heart quickened at the sight of Santanger in the distance. It was officially winter time now, but the sun glinted off the sea and the rocky island as if it was summer. Maddi knew the temperature would still be comfortable. Like Isla’Rosa, it had the perfect all-year-round climate.
A big change from growing up in damp Ireland, where you were lucky to get a summer and rain was a far too frequent reality.
Isla’Rosa was somewhere in the distance, to the west of Santanger. Too far away to be visible. It took an hour to fly from Isla’Rosa to Santanger. As Maddi had heard Laia say under her breath more than once, ‘Too close for comfort.’
As the plane grew closer and closer, Maddi could see a very impressive palace high on a hill overlooking the city down below. The palace made the castle on Isla’Rosa look like a shed. It was seriously impressive, both as an obviously defensive fortress but also as a royal palace, with whimsical towers and turrets.
Waves crashed against jagged rocks and Maddi shivered involuntarily again. She spotted some pristine beaches in the distance. White sands.
They were approaching the airport now, and the runway spread before them, a long black ribbon. The airport building was surprisingly modern. Perhaps an example of progress on Santanger, the vastly richer country.
The airport on Isla’Rosa was not modern, and that was being kind. That was another reason there was so much pressure on Laia to marry King Aristedes: for a much-needed financial injection into the economy. But Laia was determined to haul Isla’Rosa into the modern age in her own way. Maddi admired that.
The plane touched down and Maddi could see an entourage of people and cars waiting. Cars with flags. Suddenly the magnitude of what she was doing hit her and she went clammy with nerves.
‘Are you all right? You’re very pale,’ said the King.
Maddi nodded her head and smiled weakly. ‘Might have been something I ate.’
King Aristedes all but snorted derisively. ‘That wouldn’t surprise me.’
He was standing up now, and he filled the space effortlessly. Maddi stood up too, and felt momentarily light-headed. Actually, contrary to what she’d just told King Aristedes, she hadn’t had a solid meal in about forty-eight hours.
She must have swayed, or something, because suddenly her arm was in the King’s hand. Not even his jacket could act as a barrier to the shock of his touch. Firm and strong.
His voice was gruff when he asked, ‘Are you okay?’
Maddi nodded quickly. ‘Fine...just stood up too fast.’
The King took his hand away and Maddi started to take off his jacket. ‘You’ll probably need this.’
‘No.’ His voice was sharp. ‘Leave it on. There are clothes for you at the palace.’
Maddi frowned. ‘But...you don’t know my size.’
He looked at her. ‘Of course I do. I have all your information, as you have mine.’ His gaze swept her up and down. ‘Although I’ll admit you’ve changed a little in the four years since I’ve seen you. It’s not a big deal—we can find clothes to fit you.’
Maddi felt his look like the lick of a flame over her skin. Yet she was pretty sure his words weren’t complimentary. How humiliating that she found him attractive...
The discreet staff on the plane appeared and helped King Aristedes gather his things. The security men emerged again, from the front of the plane.
Maddi could see more people outside now. The clammy panic was back. She clutched the King’s jacket around her like armour, as ineffectual as it was. She put her bag over her body. She felt very self-conscious.
Staff whispered into the King’s ear and he looked stern again. Steps were brought to the plane. The door was opened. At the last moment Maddi remembered she had sunglasses and put them on.
King Aristedes stood at the door and gestured to her. ‘Time to go.’
Maddi stepped into the doorway, glad of her sunglasses against the glare of the sun. She started to walk down the steps, very aware of her bare legs. The air was a lot cooler than it had been in the desert, but still pleasantly mild.
Out of the corner of her eye she spotted flashes of light and looked over. A crowd of photographers were just beyond a chain-link fence. She heard a curse behind her, and then there was a hand on her waist.
She almost lost her footing on the last step when King Aristedes said, ‘Don’t look at them. Come this way.’
She was bundled into the back of a sleek SUV with tinted windows and one of those little flags denoting a state car before she could think straight, and then they were moving out of the airport in a cavalcade, along wide roads lined with trees.
The roads soon brought them into the city, also called Santanger. It was a very substantial city, and an intriguing mix of old and new. The old part was full of small winding streets and honey-coloured stone buildings with terracotta tiles. Window boxes overflowing with flowers added bright pops of colour.
There was a massive cathedral overlooking the sea, Baroque in design and also of honey-coloured stone.
Glossy-looking boutiques on the winding road down to a marina told the story of wealth in this large island kingdom. And Maddi wasn’t prepared for the vista opening up into a thoroughly modern part of the city, with soaring steel and glass buildings. It was the financial district. Which reminded Maddi that King Aristedes was renowned for his financial acumen and hosted one of the world’s most prestigious global economic events on the island every year.
Apart from his inherited royal wealth, he was also one of the most independently wealthy men in the world. Not that Maddi cared a fig about that. The kind of wealth she valued was in getting to know her sister and finding a place she could really call home on Isla’Rosa.
The car turned away from the marina and went up a hill, out of the city. Soon they were driving under a massive stone arch guarded by men in uniform. Now they were clearly on private property.
Still, Maddi wasn’t prepared when the cars drove into a massive courtyard with views straight out to the Mediterranean as far as the eye could see under a bright blue sky, not a cloud in sight. Water sparkled from an elaborate central fountain.
Her mouth dropped open. Beside her, King Aristedes said, ‘Anyone would think you’d never been here before.’
She hadn’t.
But of course Laia had, over the years, albeit infrequently.
Maddi clamped her mouth shut. Then, weakly, she said, ‘It just...never fails to take my breath away.’
The car had come to a stop now, and King Aristedes stepped out. A man in what looked like a butler’s uniform stepped forward and opened Maddi’s door. She saw his eyes widen when she got out in her garish outfit.
Thankfully there didn’t seem to be many other staff waiting for them, apart from the entourage from the airport and the security men. God only knew what they were thinking.
The palace up close was even more intimidating. A vast soaring entrance led into an open courtyard with another fountain. Off the inner courtyard there were numerous passageways.
A woman about her own age approached Maddi, smiling.
King Aristedes said, ‘This is Hannah. She will take you to your rooms and show you where to find other clothes.’
Suddenly, at the prospect of the King leaving her to her own devices, Maddi felt very alone. ‘Where are you going?’
King Aristedes looked at her as if she had two heads. Clearly he wasn’t used to being questioned.
‘As you can imagine, I have some work to take care of,’ he said. ‘We will have dinner together this evening. I will send for you.’
And then he walked away, flanked by about a dozen very officious-looking people.
Hannah said, ‘Please come this way, Princess Laia.’
Maddi followed the girl through a warren of corridors, each more sumptuous than the last, with murals painted on the walls depicting scenes from around the island. They passed more inner courtyards with a distinctly Moorish influence. Evidently they shared the same marauding ancestors...
Then they took an elevator up a few floors. This level was hushed and even more opulent. It had to be where the bedrooms were. Hannah stopped outside some massive double doors and opened them with a flourish. Maddi stepped inside and it was like stepping into a dream.
A vast bedroom with a carpet so soft underfoot it felt like walking on air. A huge four-poster bed dressed in crisp white and blue linen.
The sleek bathroom featured two sinks, a walk-in shower, and a bath that oozed decadence, with shelves stocked with exclusive products.
There was also a lounge area, with a couch and a TV, books on shelves and all the latest glossy magazines spread out on a coffee table.
But the jewel in the crown of this room was the terrace, just beyond the open French doors. It was wide and generous, overflowing with colourful flowers from pots and planters trailing over the edge of the stone balcony. From there, Maddi had an unobstructed view out to sea, and far down below to where the city shone in the sunlight.
The palace spread out on either side of her...majestic. She could see formal gardens. An inviting pool. There was a larger terrace, presumably used for social gatherings but for now it was empty except for a peacock, which chose that exact moment to puff up its gloriously hued feathers, as if showing off just for Maddi.
She couldn’t help smiling at the sight. And then she promptly stopped smiling when she thought of Laia.
Hannah cleared her throat behind her. ‘Princess Laia, would you like some lunch?’
Maddi turned around just as her stomach rumbled. She made a face. ‘Yes, please. I’m starving.’
Hannah’s eyes widened. Maddi cursed silently. She had to remember she was pretending to be a princess. Well, she was actually a princess, but...
Her head started to throb lightly.
Hannah asked, ‘Anything in particular?’
Maddi was about to say she’d eat everything and anything, but she stopped herself and said, ‘A chicken salad would be lovely. With some bread. And fruit...and cheese. If that’s okay?’
Hannah smiled. ‘Not a problem. I’ll return shortly. Please help yourself to whatever clothes you like in the dressing room. They’re part of your trousseau from the King.’
Maddi had almost forgotten she was still in the King’s jacket, which reached only to the top of her thighs.
Hannah left and she went into the dressing room. It was huge and stuffed with clothes as far as the eye could see. And shoes and jewellery.
Maddi touched the iridescent colours of an evening gown. It shimmered as it moved slightly. She let go, afraid she might dirty it. With a growing sense of futility she searched in vain for some more casual clothes—jeans and a T-shirt, or athleisure wear.
Eventually she found a loose pair of trousers and a silk shirt. She opened the drawers and gasped when she saw the wispiest items of underwear. She pulled out a bra and it almost floated away it was so delicate. She grew hot at the thought of the King approving such purchases.
But of course he’d be too busy to bother himself with such things. He’d probably given someone a brief and they’d researched Princess Laia. Because all of these items were definitely suited to her sister more than to Maddi.
Maddi’s style ran in a more eclectic direction. And she definitely needed more support from her underwear. Especially if that censorious look from the King on the plane was anything to go by. Just thinking of it again made her skin prickle and warmth bloom between her thighs.
These bras wouldn’t go near fitting her, so she’d have to do without. She grabbed underwear and the shirt and trousers, and slipped out of her own clothes and into the new ones. They felt as light as air against her skin. She tied the ends of the shirt around her waist.
Hannah returned with a delicious lunch and left it on the table on the terrace. Maddi ate it with relish and savoured the view.
And then she thought of Laia and felt guilty. She got her phone out of her bag—it had been turned off since she got on the plane. She switched it on and there were numerous messages from Laia.
Are you okay? Where are you?
You’re completely crazy, you know that?
Thank you, Mads, you’ve saved my life...
Where are you? Please let me know you’re okay...
Maddi smiled and texted back.
I’m fine. We came straight to Santanger. The King has no idea I’m not you...yet. I hope this gives you enough time to get away...let me know where you are. By the way, I’m wearing clothes from your ‘trousseau’. I hope you don’t mind! I miss you! xx
Maddi sent the message and waited. Nothing. She presumed Laia must be travelling and put the phone down.
She sat looking at the view for a few more minutes, sipping her water, and then she started to feel restless.
She wanted to explore, but she wasn’t sure if she was allowed to roam around. But then...she wasn’t a prisoner, was she? Why shouldn’t she explore the palace a little bit?