But today it all felt too much. She was surrounded by officials and courtiers and staff and even family and yet she felt more alone than ever. A loneliness she must conceal. No more moments of weakness. Instead she forced her tired brain to focus. Smiled at the official. ‘I truly appreciate your time and your patience. I will read all these documents and I am sure I will come back to you with further questions.’
The grey-haired man positively beamed at her. ‘Thank you, ma’am, for listening so attentively and I look forward to further discussions.’
Once the man had left, Gabi yawned discreetly, stretched and tried to recall what the next official engagement was. She turned to face the door at the sound of the turn of the handle, royal smile back in place.
‘Cesar?’ Her heart gave a little hop, skip and jump—it clearly hadn’t caught up with the fact that this man would deem such a reaction a physical weakness, no doubt. She frowned. Surely she wasn’t supposed to see him until an official dinner the following evening.
‘Surprise,’ he said.
Gabi had no idea where he was going with this so contented herself with silence.
‘I’m whisking you away,’ he announced.
Huh? ‘I don’t understand.’
He entered the room and stood in front of her. ‘I have cleared your schedule and I am taking you away from it all,’ he announced with a theatrical flourish. ‘On a Christmas break. It is a week until Christmas. I would like you to visit my country and see some of the Christmas traditions of Aguilarez. You need a break. Some time out.’
‘But...’
‘No buts. I have cleared it all with the Queen.’
‘But... I haven’t even packed.’
‘All sorted. We are leaving now.’ Gabi tried to get her brain to assess the situation but it was simply too tiring. The idea of a break made her whole body tingle with relief. The idea of a break with Cesar made her whole body tingle. Full stop.
‘Where are we going?’
‘To a royal residence in Aguilarez. The car’s waiting outside.’
Gabi felt a giddy sense of anticipation as she rose to her feet; this was really happening. ‘There are also photographers waiting outside,’ Cesar said and a tiny dart of disappointment quivered. Of course this was a publicity stunt, part of the romance illusion. No doubt Cesar had upped his game in response to the article of the previous day and she should be grateful for that. Or perhaps her moment of weakness had made him think it was expedient to whisk her away before she actually ran away. As her mother had.
As if he read her mind his lips twisted in a grimace. ‘I have done a deal with them. In return for a few smiles now and the promise of a future story they will leave us be for a few days. I can’t guarantee utter press blackout but it will be easier.’
‘Thank you.’ God, how she wished she could read his mind, see underneath the diplomacy. Figure out if all of this was a cool, calculated attempt to persuade her to marry him or whether he cared. Whoa. Careful, Gabi. It was a pointless question and she shouldn’t care about the answer. Caring didn’t come into it, other than the basic respect and liking that Cesar had offered her.
She followed him to the car, held his hand and smiled with what she hoped was a regal yet love-dazed expression on her face.
Once the vehicle had set off at a smooth glide, Cesar glanced at her and said, ‘Why don’t you take the opportunity to sleep?’
The idea was tempting but she knew she wouldn’t be able to do it—would be too worried she might snore or drool or say something mad in her sleep. Especially if Cesar Asturias should venture into her dreams. She glanced at his handsome face, the cool features, and decided instead to take this opportunity to try and find out something about him. Maybe even get some insight into who this man was. She’d caught glimpses but it was as if he guarded himself so well he had forgotten who he was.
‘I’m fine but I’d like to use this break to get to know each other better, so maybe we should start now. Perhaps you could tell me a bit about your job, about your life these past years.’
His stance was relaxed but she sensed a hint of wariness. ‘I’m an ambassador. I promote Aguilarez. I make sure we play our part on the world stage. We may be small but we are still significant. Both our countries are. Our tourist trade is booming. We also export wines and olives and, of course, people are always interested in our royal family.’
‘Do you enjoy it? That first night you said that sometime it chafes to be what you have been preordained to be.’
‘I should not have said that. My job is one that I enjoy and am good at. It also brings all the perks of an enjoyable lifestyle.’
Gabi frowned, sensed that what he said was true but that there was another stratum beneath the words. ‘There’s something you aren’t telling me.’
Cesar looked as though he sincerely wished she had opted to take a nap. ‘Not at all,’ he said lightly. ‘It’s a great job, hard work but fun as well. Of course, there are some frustrations.’
‘Such as.’
‘Being royal has its disadvantages. People are always more interested in my latest relationship or which star-studded party I may attend next, or what my
family is up to. There is also the fact that I have to always remember I am a mouthpiece for the Asturias clan. But these are simply minor inconveniences.’