The Princess and the Player (Royally Pitched 1)

“Is he in his office?”

“He is.”

“Can you see if he has a moment for me?”

Millie bit her lip and shifted her feet again. “I know you have the iPad. And I know what I’ll see later when I go to wipe the history. You can stop pretending.”

Ele’s spine stiffened briefly before she unfolded her hands and pulled the device from behind her back. She stood and deposited it into Millie’s waiting hands.

“You won’t see much. He’s been especially quiet the last few days.”

“Maybe Sir Nico put out a gag order.”

“Maybe. Doesn’t matter anyway.”

“Of course.”

“I’m going to see Jamie.”

Ele left the room, Millie, and the way-too-tempting iPad behind.

Long ago, this estate had been planned as the ducal home for the next in line to the throne. The tradition still stood. Jamie and Ele had grown up in the house, and after their university stints and Jamie’s time in the Royal Navy, they had found themselves back here. It was not one of the familial homes open to the public, but its proximity to Shuffington Palace meant they had regular access to the seat of government and a bustling city life around them. She both loved and hated the house. The portraits and gilded fixtures, the furniture and sprawling staircases, the endless rooms and glorious ceiling meant it was both a castle—housing the royal family in elegant casings—and a home—trapping them with frightening memories.

Ele’s heels clicked on the parquet floor, announcing her arrival before she rounded the corner into Jamie’s office.

“None of the etiquette training quite paid off for the elephant feet,” Jamie teased.

Despite herself, Ele smiled. “I blame walking with a book on my head. It weighed me down, and I had to work harder to get anywhere.”

“Quite a believable theory actually,” he said with a smirk.

Jamie came out from behind his desk, unrolling his sleeves and fastening the buttons. When he reached Ele, he pulled her into a brief hug. “It’s lucky we’re here at the same time. I feel like our schedules have been opposite each other.”

Ele smoothed her skirt for something to do with her hands, refusing to address the deliberate avoidance she’d engaged in over the past two months. “We see each other.”

Jamie turned away and walked to the sitting area. “Sit,” he invited as he lowered himself into the brown leather club chair.

Once Ele was settled, she got straight to the point. “I’ve been summoned to the palace.” When no reaction was forthcoming, she continued, “Do you know what for?”

Jamie didn’t say anything for a bit. His gaze was focused just beyond Ele, into a distant thought only Jamie could see.

“James?” Ele said finally when the silence threatened to drive her mad.

He blinked, returning his gaze to her. “Do you want me to go with you? I’m sure Charlotte can make my excuses if you need me.”

Ele startled. “Do I need you?”

Before, as children, Jamie and Ele had been inseparable. Mischievous, often indulged, and adventurous, they enjoyed their share of scrapes. When Jamie was diagnosed with Leukemia, their dependence on each other only increased. And when he went into remission, the bond was so cemented, no wrecking ball or chisel could come between them. They bore their studies, their troubles, their triumphs, and their punishments together, as one. As the official duties had increased over the last couple of years, they’d found less and less time together. And they’d learned to fight for themselves rather than for each other. Jamie’s offer, therefore, indicated a summons more serious than Ele had imagined.

Jamie didn’t look away. “Perhaps,” he answered cryptically.

Ele instinctively shook her head. “No. I’ll be fine.”

“If it’s any consolation—”

“Your Highness,” Robert said from the door, “we need to leave for the palace.”

Ele stood.