“I WON’T STAND for this!”
The queen’s harsh words echoed in Leo’s mind. He knew she wasn’t going to take well to his interference in the royal wedding plans, but it was time his mother realized her time as regent—of steamrolling over everyone—was almost at an end. By the end of the year he would be king.
As his mother glared at him, he couldn’t help but wonder if part of her hostility was due to the part he played in his father’s death. Ever since that horrific day, his relationship with his mother had been strained.
Or it could be that she resented having to step in as regent. Though if that were the case, why had she given him so much freedom up until now? If it weren’t for public pressure, would she have pushed him to marry—to step into his birthright?
He had a lot of questions, but he couldn’t bring himself to dredge up the past—the most painful period of his life. Because even though he and his father disagreed on certain things, Leo had looked up to his father like some kids idolized sports figures and actors. His father had been his role model.
“Mother, I know you love Giselle, but if you keep interfering with her wedding, you’re going to drive a permanent wedge between the two of you.”
The queen’s eyes flared with anger. “And you think bringing in some stranger that knows nothing of our customs is the solution?”
“I do.” He made sure to keep his voice calm. “Bianca is quite capable—”
“Bianca?” His mother crossed her arms as she continued to frown at him. “You’re on a first name basis with this woman?”
There was no point in denying it. “Yes, we are on a first name basis. It is not uncommon to call people by their first names.”
“And this woman, is she beautiful?”
His jaw tightened in frustration, but he immediately released the tension. He didn’t want his very astute mother to get a whiff of his discomfort. She would take it and turn it on him.
“She’s a wedding planner. I did not notice her looks.” He was lying, but his mother didn’t need to know everything.
The queen arched a penciled brow. “I do not believe you.”
“This isn’t about me or for that matter Bianca. This is about stopping the fighting between you and Giselle. Her wedding is supposed to be a happy time for her—”
“Her wedding is a duty—an obligation—just as yours will be. It’s about forging an alliance with another country. It’s about the future of Patazonia.”
Leave it to his mother to remove the emotions and go straight for business. Many outsiders thought being part of the royal family was all about sitting back and letting everyone wait on them. But there were things that an outsider didn’t know or stop to consider.
As a prince, he was raised to consider how his choices would affect the future of Patazonia. Everything he did was scrutinized by the press—most of the time their headlines were erroneous. But it didn’t diminish his need to make careful decisions.
Just like now when there was a growing divide between the royal family and its citizens. The woman he married needed to bridge the gap between the palace and the commoners. It was imperative.
His mother had picked up right where the king had left off with the old-school philosophies. She preferred to remain on her side of the palace wall and rule while the citizens were to remain disconnected on the other side.
When he became king, things were going to change. He wanted to be a king of the people, not a distant, cold ruler. He could do better. This whole dynasty could step up their game by being more interactive and breaking down some of the traditions that had kept them locked in their ivy tower.
He met his mother’s angry gaze. “Does the future of this country include fighting?”
His mother gasped. “We were not fighting. We do not fight.”
“Then what would you call the slamming of doors and the yelling that has disrupted the entire household?”
His mother’s gaze lowered. “Your sister might have gotten a bit emotional over some points with the wedding.”
“Some?”
“She wants to throw away everything traditional. But she’s a princess. A princess must adhere to certain protocols.”
“And was that how it was for you?”
“I don’t know what you mean?” His mother glanced away.
This was his opportunity to ask her a question he’d wondered about for a long time. “Did you love my father? Or was it all about obligation?”
The queen, who always prided herself on maintaining her composure, looked at him slack-jawed. Was what he’d asked really that out of line? He supposed. Still, he needed to know the truth.
“This isn’t about me or your father.” The queen’s voice was strained. Her face had noticeably paled.
“It might not have been but it is now—”
“No. It’s not.” Her firm tone let him know that he’d most definitely crossed a line. “Mrs. Schmidt knows what’s best for your sister’s wedding. After all, she’s been planning royal weddings for nearly fifty years. She helped plan your father’s and mine.”
“And therein lies the problem, Mother. Giselle is young and times have changed. She doesn’t want the same things that a bride of fifty years ago would want.” When his mother went to argue, he held up a hand stopping her. “And, as the soon-to-be king, I believe the bride should have a say in her wedding.”
“But she’ll ruin everything.”
“I highly doubt it. I believe a compromise can be reached, marrying some of the old traditions with some of the current trends. And before you resist, remember your future relationship with your daughter is at stake.”
His mother huffed. “You’re exaggerating.”
“Am I?” He’d soothed his sister’s tears. He’d listened to her vent about moving away from Patazonia—away from his mother—and moving to her groom’s country. Leo knew it wasn’t all talk. There was some serious consideration going on.
His mother didn’t speak for a moment. At last he’d gotten through to her. “You really believe she’s that upset over this?”
“I do. And you need to be careful how you handle things going forward.”
“And you just want me to trust this stranger—this outsider?”
“I do. I think if you give Bianca a chance, you’ll like her. She’s a people person and well organized. Giselle has already met her and they’ve hit it off.” Now that he was finally getting through to his mother, he didn’t want to walk away without an understanding. “So will you give this a chance? Let Bianca try to bring peace to this family?”
His mother stirred her tea and then removed the silver spoon, setting it on the fine bone chine saucer. Even standing halfway across the room, he could see the wheels of her mind turning. This wasn’t going to be the easy agreement that he’d been hoping for.
Oh, well. So be it. He’d been negotiating with his mother since his father had died. He told himself it was just training for his future as king.
The queen took a sip of tea. Returning the cup to the saucer, she turned her full attention to him. “I’ll give your wedding planner a chance, if you’ll do something in return.”
And there she went with her negotiations, just as he’d predicted. At this point, he was willing to do most anything for some peace in his own home. And most of all, he wanted his younger sister to have the wedding of her dreams with the man she loved.
But he’d been down this road before. To have a party with his friends after graduation, it had cost him. He’d had to wear a suit and tie all summer as he’d visited country after country throughout Europe as part of a goodwill campaign. He couldn’t even imagine what this wedding would cost him.
He stifled the resigned sigh. “What do you want?”
A slight smile lifted the queen’s lips ever so briefly. “I want you to announce your engagement the day after your sister’s wedding.”
The day after? As in just a matter of a couple months? Seven weeks, give or take a day?
Leo swallowed hard. He struggled to maintain his composure. His gaze never wavered from his mother’s. He didn’t want her to detect any weakness. He knew his engagement must be announced soon if he were to be king by the New Year, but this felt so sudden—so final.
The queen held up a finger. “There’s one more caveat.”
Acid swirled in the pit of his stomach. “I’m listening.”
“If you don’t choose an appropriate wife by your sister’s reception, I’ll choose one for you.”
He schooled his features as he’d practiced since he was a child. Because a future king could not be emotional. His tutors had drilled that into him since he was just out of diapers.
He intended to tell his mother that horses would fly before he’d allow her to pick his wife, but instead he uttered, “It’s a deal.”
That little smile on his mother’s face bloomed into a full-fledged grin. She got to her feet and approached him. “This is for the best. You’ll see.”
He highly doubted it. “And you will play nice with the wedding planner?”
It was his mother’s turn to sigh. “I will do my best—”
“Mother?”
Her lips pressed into a firm line. “I will hear her out.”
“No.” He shook his head. “I will receive regular updates and I’ll hear everything. I will also have the final decision on the details of the wedding.”
“What?” His mother looked horrified. “But you know nothing about weddings.”
“I guess it’s my caveat. Now, do we have an agreement?”
“You drive a hard bargain.” His mother gave him an appraising look. “You’re so much like your father. He would be proud of you.”
“No one can ever replace him, but I try to do what I think he’d want of me.”
“Like the wedding.” The queen glanced away. “He would not approve of the bickering. Therefore, I will agree to your plan. However, you must keep in mind that this will be a state wedding with dignitaries in attendance.”
“Yes, Mother. But it’s also a personal, deeply touching moment for Giselle.”
“Agreed. Since we’re speaking of your father, you should know that he would not approve of you putting off your destiny for so long.”
“I know.” The weight of her words had been pressing on him for some time. It’s why he was willing to go along with his mother’s bargain. At least Giselle would end up happy. “I will take the throne by the New Year.”
His mother turned back to the table. “I have a list of appropriate women for you to consider for your queen.”
He’d already been introduced to some women his mother deemed “appropriate.” His mother’s ideal woman was quiet, meek and dare he say it—boring. He needed a strong woman who spoke her own mind and had a sense of humor so he wouldn’t bore of her too quickly.
Sadly, he’d squandered his time to find a wife on his own terms. Now he was left to choose from his mother’s preapproved candidates. And his mother knew she had the upper hand. If he had any doubts, the Cheshire smile on her face said it all.
He needed a bit of time to accept what was about to happen—he was going to marry a woman of his mother’s choosing. “I must go check on our guest and make sure she has settled in.”
His mother turned back to him. “But I’ll see you at dinner?”
“I would not miss the kickoff to your birthday celebrations.” This was a milestone for his mother. She would turn sixty and a lengthy celebration would ensue over the next few weeks. “We’ll both be there.”
“Very well.”
And with their agreement in place, he departed. His mother wasn’t quite herself. Sure, she was one to cling to traditions, but behind closed doors she normally relaxed a bit. That was not the case lately. This wedding had everyone on edge. He was really hoping Bianca would help bring his family back together again.
Speaking of Bianca, he should check on her before dinner, just to make sure she’d settled in without any problems. At least that’s what he told himself. Because the truth was that the flight home hadn’t gone the way he’d planned. One problem after another kept creeping up and stealing away his time.
But no more. He took the steps two at a time, anxious to see Bianca once more. He wanted to show her around the palace and help her get her bearings as she launched into the wedding preparations.
He stopped outside her door and knocked. “Bianca? It’s Leo.”
Nothing.
He should probably just walk away and leave well enough alone, but he couldn’t resist trying once more.
This time he knocked harder. Louder. “Bianca?”
With a resigned sigh, he turned toward his own private set of rooms. He’d taken no more than three steps when he heard her door swing open.
“Were you looking for me?”
He turned. “I was.”
“Sorry. I was out on the balcony, enjoying what’s left of this beautiful day.”
He retraced his steps. “Your room, is it to your liking?”
“Yes, it is. I think it’s the most beautiful room I’ve ever stayed in.”
“That’s good.” That’s good? Was that the best he could do?
But the thing was that every time he was within Bianca’s gravitational pull, it messed with his thinking. His thoughts got tangled and his words seemed to lack substance.
It wasn’t like him to be caught up in a beautiful woman. Yes, he’d admired many attractive women and he’d definitely enjoyed their time. But none of them had ever driven him to go out of his way to know more about them.
“I was just working on some preliminary plans for the wedding,” Bianca said, interrupting his thoughts. “Well, it’s more like a list of questions.” Her glittering brown eyes lifted until their gazes met. “Perhaps you’d care to help me.”
“Yes.” What was he saying? He knew next to nothing about weddings. And that was being generous.
But if this gave him more of an opportunity to spend time with Bianca, then he was all for it. He stepped into the room, closing the door behind him. It was then that he inhaled the gentlest scent of wildflowers. It wasn’t the first time he’d come across the unique scent.
As he followed Bianca to the balcony, he realized it was her. She was the one who smelled like sweet blossoms. He didn’t think he’d ever come across a field of wildflowers without thinking of her.
When she came to a sudden stop, he nearly ran into her. As it was, his hands reached out for her tiny waist, his fingers wrapping around her so as not to bump her into the table.
She turned in his hands. “Sorry.” Their gazes met once more. This time he was holding her and he didn’t want to let go.
The breath hitched in his throat. His gaze dipped to her berry-red lips. They looked so full, so succulent. What would she do if he were to draw her to him and pluck a deep, long kiss?
He could have his choice of women. There was even a stack of biographies from available, eager women waiting for him on his desk. So why was he drawn to this quiet wedding planner?
Though Bianca was beautiful with her long loose curls, a golden complexion and dark lashes that framed her eyes, which were the mirrors to her soul, she was not from Patazonia. She was not royal. She was not even the daughter of an influential businessman. In his mother’s eyes, Bianca was a nobody.
But to him, she was intriguing. She was tempting. And the more time he spent with her, the more captivated he became.
As though Bianca could read his thoughts, she moved out of his grasp. “I... I meant to offer you some coffee. I just brewed a pot.”
He raked his fingers through his hair. A cup of coffee would be good. It would give his hands something to do besides finding their way back to her. Because if he were to pull her close again, he couldn’t guarantee that things wouldn’t move from a business relationship to something much more intimate.
“That sounds good.” He took a seat at the small table on the balcony.
A minute later, Bianca returned with a full cup. “I forgot to ask what you take in your coffee.”
“Black is fine.” Right now, he wasn’t sure he would actually notice what he was drinking. As Bianca took a seat next to him, his full attention returned to her. “How may I help with the wedding?”
She opened her laptop and moved her cursor to the top of a form. “Do you know approximately how many guests to expect?”
While the sun began its slow descent toward the horizon, he answered as many of her questions as he could. He surprised himself by how many details he’d picked up on by listening to his sister and mother argue.
He knew things about his sister’s dress. Whether the ceremony would be ultraformal. And he knew where the reception was being held. Even the number of courses to be served for dinner.
“I’d like to do something for my sister on her wedding day,” he said. “She’s making a lot of concessions to please my mother and go along with tradition, but I think she needs a chance to let down her hair and live it up on her big day. Do you have any ideas?”
Bianca stopped typing and thought for a moment. “Since the wedding is early in the day, you could do an after-party.”
“An after-party.” He mulled this over. “Does this mean we could have a select list of guests?”
“Certainly. You could exclude some of the guests from the ceremony and include some others that were not fortunate enough to receive a ceremony invite. The after-party can be as formal or informal as you’d like.”
This appealed to him. He knew his sister and her fiancé had a lot of friends—friends that had to be overlooked for invitations to the ceremony in order to invite heads of state and dignitaries from all over Europe and beyond. This would be a way for his sister to have everyone she cared about around her on her big day.
“I like it,” he said. “But for the moment, let’s just keep this between us. I’ll have a list of guests for you by the end of the week.”
“That’s good because we don’t have much time to plan something like this.” She hesitated.
“What’s bothering you?”
Her gaze lifted to meet his. “With it being so close to the wedding, a lot of people might have other obligations already?”
“Let me worry about it. You pick out an appropriate invite and I’ll put together the list.”
“What about the venue?”
“That’s the easiest part. We will have it at the Hampstead estate next to the lake. It’s about fifteen kilometers from here. Far enough that it won’t bother my mother with the loud music.”
Bianca’s eyes widened. “You were serious about letting your hair down.”
“Definitely. I just wish I’d have thought of it.”
“Why? I don’t mind sharing ideas with you. After all, it’s my job.”
He shook his head. “It’s not that. If I’d have had this idea a lot sooner, I could have booked some headline bands. As it is, they are probably all booked.”
They continued to talk about bands. He named the ones he’d heard his sister mention. Then he inquired about Bianca’s favorite band and in turn, he told her his. For a moment, it wasn’t work. It was like they were two friends getting to know each other.
“Thank you.” Bianca finished her list of potential bands. “I’ll do the best I can to get someone your sister will approve of.”
“And my mother doesn’t need to know about any of this for now. Speaking of which, it is time to dress for dinner.” He got to his feet. And then he realized he needed to make something else perfectly clear. “You will be reporting to me on this wedding. I know my mother likes to think she’s in control, but I would like to have dinner with you each evening to go over everything—to make sure we’re on track.”
Bianca nodded. “Understood. And we can discuss my promotional campaign.”
He couldn’t help but smile. “I won’t forget. I already have my people working on some preliminary mockups. I’ll have them for you to approve shortly.”
Her face lit up with excitement. “Thank you.”
“I’ll stop back and walk you to dinner.” And with that he left.