The Prince's Scandalous Wedding Vow

She lifted her hand and waved to the crowds, smiling when she spotted a sign with her name, but she never once looked at him.

He told himself he didn’t mind, but he did. He actually minded a great deal. And so he focused on other things, turning from Josephine’s elegant profile, and how beautiful she looked in her lovely gown, to nod and wave to the crowd.

He’d done what he needed to do today. He’d married, and one day in the future there would be another baby, the heir, and his father could return to his room and his bed, and take his medicine, and escape his pain.

“I think we will save the cake and champagne for later this afternoon,” he said as the coach passed through the palace gates. “Let my father rest and my mother relax, and then we’ll meet before dinner and have a toast before your father goes home.”

She turned her head then and looked him in the eye. “Yes, Your Highness.”

“Josephine.”

“You got what you wanted, Alexander. Your father can rest easy now. But please don’t expect me to celebrate.”

Josephine had just finished changing into a slim skirt and elegant blouse—her new official royal uniform, it seemed—when a knock sounded on her door. It was one of her ladies, and she was in tears.

“He’s gone,” she choked. “King Bruno is dead.”

* * *

That day there was no celebratory cake or champagne. Indeed, the entire wedding was eclipsed by the death of Aargau’s beloved king. The shocked public immediately went into mourning.

Josephine herself didn’t know what to feel. On one hand, she was glad the king was no longer suffering, but she felt for Serena and for Alexander. They had been expecting his death but not quite so soon.

Perhaps it was better it had happened so suddenly.

Perhaps it was best that it had happened today as it shifted the focus from the newlywed couple to the funeral for the late king.

Josephine’s father returned to Khronos and Josephine kept to her rooms, or when she did go out, she walked the safe paths on the castle grounds, going from the rose garden to the orangery and then through the vegetable garden and the orchard.

Alexander did not come to her, and she did not seek him out.

His mother, though, was another matter, and Josephine took to spending a half hour in the queen’s chamber every afternoon after her garden walk, either reading or attempting to do some needlework. She was terrible at needlework but her efforts seemed to please Serena, and so she tried. Serena would have tea served and the two of them would pretend to eat one of the cakes that accompanied the tea tray. During their time together, Serena did not mention her son and Josephine did not bring him up. Sometimes Serena would say something about the funeral plans—the funeral now just days away—and Josephine would nod and listen, because Serena seemed to need that.

Josephine needed someone to talk to as well, but the ladies surrounding her were employees, staff members, not friends. It would have helped to have a friend in the palace. Someone Josephine trusted, someone Josephine could ask for advice, because clearly Alexander had no need of her, not anymore. He was much in demand, busy planning funerals and coronations. Why did he need her now? He didn’t. She resolved that the day after the funeral, she’d go. She wouldn’t make a fuss. She’d slip away. It was the best way to handle the goodbye since they weren’t exactly her strength and Alexander wouldn’t pursue her. Alexander no longer needed her.

* * *

Alexander was in his tower office at his desk when his secretary approached, letting him know that he had a visitor.

“It’s Claudia,” his secretary said. “I’ve taken her upstairs to the library. I thought it better than in the palace.”

“Thank you,” he said, rising and heading for the stairs.

Claudia was pacing the library when he entered. “I wasn’t sure you’d see me.”

“Why wouldn’t I?”

“You’ve avoided all of us since the trip.”

“Gerard told me you’d left Roche for a while.” He hesitated. “Someone else said you’ve been in Paris.”

“I’ve been in Zurich, not Paris.” She looked at him hard. “I thought I’d hear from you, though. I was sure I would. I even left my number with your secretary in case you wanted to speak to me. But when you didn’t, I began to worry.”

He arched a brow. “Worry about what?”

Her relief gave way to wariness. “You don’t remember the fight on the trip, do you?”

“Why would you say that?”

Claudia sat down in one of the winged chairs. “Because I keep thinking, if you remembered what happened, you would have taken action. But you’ve done nothing, at least not as far as I can see, and I’ve been on tenterhooks waiting for you to reach out to me.”

When he said nothing, she added, “I’m not trying to cause a problem, but I keep thinking, something’s not right. This just isn’t like you.”

He drew a slow breath, telling himself not to react. “What should I have done?”

Her brow creased. “Then? Or now?”

Alexander hated not remembering; he hated the blank spots in his memory. “Both.”

“I think this is the wrong place to start the conversation. I think we need to back up and I need to say that you weren’t rough with me. You were never rough with me in any way, at any time. You do know that, don’t you?”

He clasped his hands tightly behind his back, not trusting himself to speak. Why was Claudia here? What did she want? Was this a trick? Was she going to ask for money?

“I don’t know what game Damian is playing with you, Alex, but you weren’t drinking that night, and you didn’t hurt me.” Her voice broke. “He did. You saved me. You found us on my balcony and you tried to help

me and he clubbed you with the lantern.” She gasped for air. “I ran away terrified, and I’ve been terrified every day since.”

Alexander didn’t even realize he’d been holding his breath until little spots danced before his eyes. He exhaled roughly. “Why?” he ground out.

“Because I thought he’d killed you, and I was so afraid he’d kill me. And then when you were found, I was afraid he’d try to silence me. I’ve been hiding from him. Hiding from everyone, but I can’t live like this. I can’t avoid him forever.”

“Why were you two fighting that night?”

“He thought I was flirting with you. He can’t stand it if I speak to you or look at you. He’s so jealous of you. You must know that. You have everything he ever wanted—”

“He was always like a brother to me. Growing up, he was always saving me from the worst fights.”

“That’s not true, either. He was behind those fights and behind those beatings. He always arrived after you were beat up and bloody, didn’t he?” Her voice quavered. “Did you ever wonder how he always just happened to be there when you were getting the snot kicked out of you? It was because he paid the other boys to beat you up. He paid them so that he could come and look like the hero when actually all they’d done was what he longed to do—hurt you.”

“What do you want from me? Money? A couple hundred thousand euros? What is it, Claudia?”

“I just want to be safe. That’s why I’m leaving. I have my own money, and friends in Vancouver, but I needed you to know the truth. I couldn’t just go and have you think that you are any way responsible for what happened on that trip.”

“I’m not a monster, then,” he said under his breath, but Claudia had heard him.

“A monster, Alex? Never. You’ve always been my hero!”

Aimee saw Claudia out and Alexander paced his room for a moment, trying to process everything he’d just learned.

He hadn’t hurt Claudia. He hadn’t betrayed anyone. He hadn’t failed anyone—with the exception of Josephine, then.