The Prince's Christmas Vow

Her words stopped him from reaching out to her. Through all of this, he hadn’t stopped to consider what he’d been asking of her. Asking her to remain his princess would put her whole life under the media’s microscope. They wouldn’t leave any stone in her life unturned—including her mother’s illness.

In the end, the title of princess would bring her more pain than joy. He couldn’t—wouldn’t—do that to her.

Though the thought of walking away from her killed him, he had to do it. He loved her so much that he couldn’t risk letting anything happen to her like what had happened to his mother. He’d vowed to protect Zoe, no matter what it cost him.

Besides, Zoe already had more than enough issues with her ailing mother. He couldn’t put it off. He had to walk away now—before he lost his nerve. With a heavy heart, he started for the exit.

He paused at the doorway. He couldn’t bring himself to turn around and see the pain swimming in her eyes. Instead he called out, “I’m sorry. My security will see that you get home safely.”

Tonight he wouldn’t sleep. Tonight he needed a long run on the beach. A chance to pull himself together—to figure out how he was once again going to let go of the woman he loved.

CHAPTER NINETEEN

SUMMONED TO THE PALACE.

This couldn’t be good.

What did the king want to speak to her about? The incident yesterday with the stalker? Or was this meeting about the prince? Did the king want an assurance from her that she’d go away quietly once the ball was over?

Zoe’s stomach quivered as the butler guided her through the grand entryway that was bigger than the entire apartment she shared with her mother. Instead of going to the left toward the offices, she was guided to the right. The staccato sound of her heels over the polished marble floor echoed against the ornate walls. She found her mouth gaping open in awe at such beauty.

As she made her way down a wide hallway, it was impossible not to gawk at the stunning artwork. Classic paintings hung on the wall between each doorway. There were also a handful of sculptures on pedestals. She was drawn to one such sculpture of a mother and her child. Zoe was struck by the emotion on the mother’s face. Sadness assailed Zoe that she would never know such happiness while holding Demetrius’s child.

Noticing that the butler had kept moving, she rushed to catch up. She couldn’t even imagine what it was like to live there. It was like a museum. At the end of the impressive hallway were French doors that the butler swung open and then stood aside for her to pass by him. She glanced around at the enormous veranda with enough lawn furniture to easily accommodate a large luncheon party, but today the area was deserted, which seemed a shame on such a sunny day.

Though the last thing in the world Zoe felt like doing was partying. Right now, all she wanted to do was get as far from here as possible. So if the king had called her here to kick her out, he need not have wasted his time. She’d already moved back to her apartment.

“His Majesty is this way.” For a man of his advanced years, the butler was surprisingly spry. He set off at a brisk pace down one of the many meandering paths in the sprawling garden.

As impressive as the interior of the palace was, she found the gardens utterly breathtaking. Geometrically shaped hedges surrounded each section. Within each section, there was just one vibrant color whether it was a flower, a fruit or a vegetable. It was awe inspiring. This whole place was a true treasure, in every sense of the word.

The butler came to a stop. “Your Majesty, Ms. Zoe Sarris.”

She wasn’t quite sure how to greet the king as their one and only meeting had been strained at best. This time things weren’t much different. They really needed to stop meeting like this.

For the lack of an alternative, she did a quick curtsy and waited until the king spoke first. “May I call you Zoe?”

She nodded, too nervous to speak.

“Zoe, thanks for coming. Please walk with me.” She nodded and moved to his side. “I heard about your unfortunate encounter yesterday. I’m sorry that happened. Are you okay? Is there anything you need?”

Other than a bandage for her broken heart, there wasn’t much anyone could do. “I...I’m fine.”

The king sent her a speculative look, but he didn’t say anything else about the incident. “My wife loved the garden. She’d spend a lot of time out here. She said that everyone should pause to smell the roses...and often.”