Page 71 of Royal Guard

“It’s very private,” he assured me. “A chance to get away from the public.”

I’m imagining things. He’s not—He can’t be….

“Would you like that, Your Majesty?”

He was.I could see it in his eyes, just as clearly as if he’d been some drunk in a bar propositioning me. He was offering passage through his country... but only if I promised to sleep with him. And as soon as the realization hit, it was confirmed: a twitch, at the corners of his mouth. He knew that I knew. And it amused him to see me struggle with it.

My first reaction was shock. He’d gamble with my country’s future, with millions of lives, just so he could say he’d bedded a queen? Then anger. Howdarehe? Of course I wasn’t going to—

Then my stomach lurched. What would happen if I didn’t do it? Even as a teenager, I’d followed the last war closely enough to know that moving our troops through Sorvatia had been vital to our victory. If I refused him, I was condemning us all.

This was my duty. I was asking my soldiers, maleand female, to lay down their lives for their country. All I had to do was endure an hour lying on silk sheets in a country house. No one would ever have to know.

My mother was right.This is what she’d meant: a queen’s relationships aren’t for love. I’d sleep with Belliani and, eventually, I’d marry a man like him to prevent some future war, or secure Lakovia’s safety for the future. That feeling I’d had, ever since the war... it would never go away. Because even when I married, I’d still be alone.

I swallowed and lowered my gaze. I could feel Belliani smirking. He knew what my answer was going to be.

52

GARRETT

I stood behind Belliani,listening with growing disbelief. At first, I thought I must have gotten it wrong. I wasn’t used to all this double-talk and subtlety. But when I saw the look on Kristina’s face, I was sure. This bastard was talking about bedding her. He was the opposite of her: he was everything I hated about politicians, playing with soldiers’ lives just to get what he wanted.

My hands curled into fists behind my back. I wanted to grab Belliani by the neck, ram his head into the wall, and shake him until he apologized. But she was The Queen. I had to let her deal with it her way. As soon as she’d given the bastard a dressing down, I could enjoy throwing him out.

But she didn’t yell at him. She sat there staring... and then lowered her eyes.She can’t be….

She was. She was considering it. She was going to sacrifice herself for the good of her country.

No way. No. Fucking. Way.I had to stop her, evenif it meant we lost the war. I stepped forward to grab Belliani.

But then, suddenly, I didn’t need to.

53

KRISTINA

It was the crown.

I’d been staring at the table. As I made my decision and lifted my head to look at Belliani, I felt its weight pressing down on me. I suddenly knew why they made it so heavy.

It was to remind you that you wereThe Queen.

I stood up. “President Belliani. If you think that I will spread my legs for you to—”

Belliani interrupted with smooth confidence. “Your Majesty! You are mistaken. I would never presume to—”

“I HADN’T. FINISHED. SPEAKING.”

The room went utterly silent. I’d done the Queen voice for the very first time. It had been inside me all along. All the color drained from Belliani’s face. “You will allow my troops to pass. You will allow me to save my people. You will do this without any sordid deal. Or you will make me into something you don’t want: an enemy.”

Belliani had to swallow three times before he could work up enough saliva to speak. “Of course, Your Majesty,” he croaked. “It would be my honor. I apologize for the misunderstanding.”

I glanced at Garrett and froze. The look on his face scalded my cheeks and sent a hot throb sinking down to my groin, where it detonated.Oh my God….

All of those rules and traditions, everything that had seemed so important, even his past: it had all just been overridden. He’d always seen me as a princess. He’d just seen me as a queen.

I had to get Belliani out of that room. I had to get him outnow.