Seduced by the Spare Heir

It wasn’t a horrible write-up, but she really wished she could have avoided the papers. How could he turn around and select one of the other women in Alma after this? No one wanted to be second choice and really, she wasn’t in the running to be queen, despite what they might think.

Or was she?

Gabriel seemed as serious about her as he had been about anything they’d discussed so far. He’d swept her off her feet and for once, she’d gone with it and had an amazing night. She hadn’t entertained second thoughts about it, but now anxiety started pooling in her stomach. She wasn’t opposed to being his lover, but queen? She wasn’t sure she could handle that. The only people more famous in Europe than models were the royal families. The United Kingdom’s Princess Kate couldn’t wear an unflattering dress or have a bad hair day without it being in the papers and commented on. Every time Prince Harry was seen with a woman, the rumors would fly.

Serafia knew what it was like. In her modeling days, it wasn’t enough for everyone to critique her appearance, and they did. Her whole life was public. The cameras showed up on dates, on vacations, while she was trying to spend a day with her family. If she was dating anyone famous, the magnifying glass tripled along with the coverage. It was incredibly difficult to maintain a relationship under the microscope, much less a shred of self-esteem.

It had nearly killed her to do it, but Serafia had escaped the spotlight. Gabriel’s queen would be subject to the same kind of scrutiny. The private would become painfully public, with every aspect of her life exposed. She had no intention of ever going back in front of the cameras.

Even for Gabriel. Even for the chance to be queen. She would be much happier in Barcelona, living a quiet, unexciting life. Passionless, yes, but private.

With a sigh, she folded up the paper and headed out to breakfast. By the time she reached the dining hall, Gabriel was dressed and waiting for her there. Without her standing by the closet, laying out his clothes, he’d opted for a pair of jeans and a clingy green T-shirt that matched his eyes. His hair was still wet and slicked back, his cheeks still slightly pink from his shave. He was sipping a cup of coffee and thumbing through emails on his smart phone.

“Good morning,” she said as she entered the room. She had her tablet in one hand and the newspaper in the other.

Gabriel smiled wide when he looked up at her. There was a wicked light in his eyes. “Good morning.”

Serafia took a seat at the table across from him, holding off their discussion as Marta poured her a cup of coffee and returned to the kitchen to bring out their breakfast. They were three bites into their tortilla de patatas before she spoke about it.

“Apparently,” she began, “we were not the only people out in the garden last night. Our kiss made the front page of the newspaper.” She laid the paper out on the table for Gabriel to look at it.

He picked it up, reading over the article as he chewed his eggs, a thoughtful expression on his face. “I’m not surprised,” he said at last, dropping the paper on the table and returning to his breakfast. He didn’t seem remotely concerned.

“It doesn’t bother you?” she asked.

“This isn’t my first romance documented in a gossip column. Nor is it yours, I’d wager. There’s nothing inflammatory about it, so why should I care? You’re not a dark secret I’m trying to hide.”

“The press scrutiny will be higher now. They’ll question every moment we’re together. We’ll need to meet with your press secretary, Hector, to discuss how to handle it.”

“I know how we’ll handle it,” he said, sipping his orange juice. “The palace will not comment on the personal life of the prince. Period. If and when I select a queen, I will announce it through the proper channels, not through some gossip column. They can speculate all they like. It doesn’t concern me.”

Serafia sat back in her chair. She was near speechless. That was the most tactful and diplomatic thing he could’ve said on the subject. Maybe her lessons were finally sinking in. “That is an excellent answer. I’ll make sure Hector knows that’s the official position of the palace.”

After a few minutes of silent eating, Gabriel put down his fork and looked at her. “What do you think about the article? You seemed to be more concerned about it than I am. Am I missing something?”

“No, it’s not the content of the article itself, so much as being in it. I’ve lived happily out of the spotlight for years,” she explained. “Finding myself back in the papers was...unnerving to say the least.”