‘You look amazing,’ he whispered as his lips brushed the side of her cheek.
She patted her stomach. ‘Thank you, but I’m a bit nervous.’
He took a step back and offered out his arm to her. Right now, what he really wanted to do was kick the door closed behind them both, and keep Arissa all to himself. But this was all part and parcel of what he needed to do next.
He needed to introduce her to the other side of his life. The one that the world would normally see. Tonight was almost like a trial run. She still hadn’t told him why she wanted to stay out of the spotlight so much. He didn’t want to pry into her life. He wanted her to tell him when, and if, she was ready.
But tonight she would meet his mother’s friends and dignitaries from other countries. This ball was always less formal than any other thanks to the privacy surrounding it. He wanted Arissa to be comfortable in his home, and around his family, and this was the best place to start.
His brother and sister were already curious and had only been held off by his excuses of how much work he and Arissa were doing right now.
He smiled. He might have known his mother would manage to circumvent him in one way or another. And the fact that Arissa was currently wearing his great-grandmother’s jewellery gave him a feel for how much the Queen must have liked Arissa.
‘How did you find my mother?’ he asked.
She smiled as she slid her arm through his. ‘For a queen, she’s surprisingly like most mothers,’ she joked. ‘But you might have warned me how I was supposed to act around her.’
‘Like yourself,’ he said quickly. ‘And you didn’t need any warning. I knew she was going to love you anyway.’
He stopped at the top of the stairs. ‘I can see how much she likes you. That choker was my great-grandmother’s. It’s one of her favourites.’
Arissa’s hands went quickly to her throat as her eyes widened. ‘It is? Oh, wow. I had no idea. She never said.’
‘She wouldn’t.’ He looked down towards the ballroom. The music drifted up towards them and people were already circulating in the space below. The waiting staff wore red jackets and ties, or white blouses trimmed with red and black waistcoats. Silver trays were held aloft and the staff moved seamlessly amongst the guests.
Arissa shot him a sideways glance. ‘It all looks choreographed. Like some elaborate dance.’
He could sense her nerves and bent closer, tilting her chin up towards his. ‘You have nothing to worry about. Tonight is just about mixing with friends. You’ll get to meet some of the ministers from the surrounding countries.’ A bright laugh carried through the air and Philippe rolled his eyes. ‘And you’ll get to meet my Aunt Livia, who I guarantee will be the wickedest woman in the room.’
‘What about your brother and sister—and your father—what if they don’t like me?’
She’d never really seemed nervous like this around him before. He dipped his head and dropped a kiss on her lips. ‘They’ll love you. Because I do.’
For a second her pupils widened, as if she’d just taken stock of those words. He’d said them out loud without thinking. Something he’d never, ever done in the past. But before he had time to think about it any further there was a noise behind him.
One of the palace staff gave him a nod. ‘I’ll announce you,’ she said briefly.
‘Prince Philippe of Aronaz and Dr Arissa Cotter.’
Neither of them had time to think further as all the faces in the ballroom turned upwards to look at them. Arissa slid her arm into his elbow again and he put his hand over hers as they walked down the stairs.
He nodded at a few people on the way down, crossing the ballroom floor towards the area where the King and Queen and the rest of the royal family were congregated.
The crowd parted around them. His brother had an amused grin on his face. His sister was watching Arissa carefully. He could almost see her sizing Arissa up. His mother smiled approvingly and his father stopped the conversation he was in the middle of, to reach out his hands towards them both.
‘So this is the lady I’ve been hearing so much about. It’s a pleasure to meet you, Dr Cotter,’ said the King.