Torrid Throne (The Forbidden Royals Trilogy Book 2) Page 6

  “Good luck with that.”

  “I know something that’ll cheer you up.” Her eyes twinkle as she reaches into the pocket of her thin maroon cardigan and fishes out a handful of pills. There are about ten of them, all different shapes, sizes, and colors. “Pick your poison.”

  “Chloe.”

  “What? Don’t give me that look.”

  “You’re walking around with half a pharmacy in your pocket! Do you even know what those are? What they do?”

  “The little white ones make you chill. The little orange ones make you focus. And the little blue ones…” Her eyebrows waggle. “Well, those won’t do much of anything for you or me, but they certainly come in handy when you’re dating an older man.”

  “Ew.”

  “Don’t knock it till you’ve tried it, E. Silver foxes are a hell of a lot better between the sheets than college frat boys, I’ll tell you that much.”

  “I think I’ll stick with my own choices, thanks.”

  “If by that you mean celibacy…”

  “Hey! Lay off. It’s not like there are many options around here to choose from.” I gesture around the barren courtyard, its snow-covered paths lacking any signs of life — plant or human. “This place is a ghost town.”

  “And when was the last time you called Alden?”

  I press my lips together.

  “Mhmm. I thought as much. I know he’s been calling you. Asking to come visit. Why aren’t you letting him?”

  “It’s complicated,” I mutter, Carter’s face flashing through my mind unbidden.

  “He’s hot. You’re hot. He’s single. You’re single.” She shrugs. “Seems pretty simple if you ask me.”

  “I didn’t.”

  “Cranky, cranky! You know, one of these little white pills would do wonders for your disposition.” She waggles her fingers. “Come on, just give it a try.”

  “I’m all set.”

  She shrugs and pockets the pills again. “You know where to find me if you change your mind.”

  A breeze kicks up, sending a rush of cool air across the terrace. I shiver and pull my jacket a bit tighter around my body. Chloe, dressed only in a thin sweater, pushes abruptly to her feet.

  “Come on, let’s go in before we freeze to death. I promise not to tease you about the fact that I know nuns with more exciting sex lives.”

  “You know nuns?” I ask doubtfully.

  “My social circles are wide and varied.”

  I roll my eyes as I rise and follow her inside, shutting the glass terrace doors behind us. When I turn, I find her sprawled on my bed — her red hair splayed across the gold duvet, designer heels dangling off the edge as she scrolls through the tablet that controls my suite’s sound, temperature, and light settings.

  “Make yourself at home,” I say, voice wry.

  She taps the tablet screen and music begins to drift through the bluetooth speakers mounted in the ceiling. I recognize the song from my new playlist — ‘Castle’ by Halsey — and can’t help bobbing my head to the beat as I walk to the bed and plop myself down beside her. For a few moments, we listen in silence.

  “Is it because you’re in love with him?” she asks abruptly.

  I glance over, stunned by her question. My heart begins to pound. “What? Who?”

  “You, pushing Alden away. Is it because you’re secretly in love with that guy Owen? Your childhood friend. The one you don’t see anymore.”

  I swallow hard, not sure whether to be relieved or annoyed. “No. I’m not in love with Owen.”

  “Then why push Alden away? I don’t understand it.”

  "Maybe he’s not my type.”

  “That’s not possible. Have you seen the boy? He’s everyone’s type.”

  “Fine! So he’s hot!” I scoff. “That doesn’t mean I’m required to go out with him.”

  “Actually…”

  I narrow my eyes at her. “What?”

  “Nothing.”

  “I know that look. It’s not nothing.”

  “If I tell you, you’ll only get upset.”

  “If you don’t tell me, I promise you’ll be the upset one.” I wait a few beats. “Chloe Florence Thorne!”

  “Whoa, whoa, whoa! Leave my middle name out of this!”

  “Then spill.”

  “Fine! Jesus. You really would benefit from popping one of those white pills.” She sits up, sighing dramatically. “I overheard Octavia talking to her new assistant. It sounded like she was…”

  My brows lift. “Yes?”

  “Like she was setting up dates.” Chloe winces. “For you. Here at the palace and out on the town.”

  I groan and press my palms into my eyes, as if I might shut out the horror of my own reality. I knew this would happen eventually; courtship was one of the terms of my negotiation with Octavia. And yet, somehow, I’ve managed to put the idea out of my head until this moment.

  “You know… you don’t seem particularly surprised by this revelation,” Chloe points out. “In fact, it almost seems like you were expecting this news.”

  “Well, the thing is…” I quickly fill her in on the conversation I shared with her mother last week.

  “Jesus, E! You had a showdown with Medusa and you didn’t even tell me about it?”

  “I haven’t seen you!”

  “I live two suites away.”

  “I’m sorry, okay? It’s been a crazy week. I’ve had nonstop press appearances and I haven’t been sleeping well.”

  “Mmm. So I heard.”

  I tilt my head. “You heard? From who?”

  “Carter may’ve mentioned something.”

  My stomach flips at the idea of Chloe discussing me with her brother. “What did he say?”

  “Just that you’ve been having nightmares. That he can hear you through the wall at night, screaming your head off.” Her eyes narrow in suspicion. “Why? Is there something else he would’ve told me?”

  “Of course not.” My pulse is racing like I’ve just run a marathon. “I’m just surprised he mentioned it.”

  “He is my brother. We do occasionally speak.” Her lips twist. “At least, when he’s actually here. I swear, that boy has been avoiding this castle like the plague. If I didn’t know better, I’d say he’s got a girlfriend.”

  I go still.

  She snorts as if the idea is ludicrous. “That’ll be the day. There’s a better chance of Octavia voluntarily relinquishing her crown than Carter actually settling down with one girl. That boy and monogamy do not mix.”

  I attempt a smile, but it feels faint.

  “I mean, I’m no prude. But once, at our cousin Imogen’s wedding, I caught Carter in the coat room with not one, not two, but three bridesmaids. At the same time. The man ensnared an entire bridal party with minimal effort.” She shakes her head. “And that’s nothing compared to—”

  “Enough! I get it.”

  Her mouth snaps closed and her eyes widen as she takes in my expression. “Dude. Are you okay?”

  “I’m fine.” My nostrils flare out as I try to regulate my breathing. “I’ve just heard enough about Carter’s sexual exploits to last a lifetime. Okay?”

  She holds her hands up defensively. “Sorry. I didn’t realize it would bother you so much.”

  “It doesn’t,” I retort a bit too emphatically.

  “Clearly.”

  Avoiding her curious stare, I rack my brain for a new topic. “Weren’t we discussing Octavia? And her plans for my so-called courtship? You never finished telling me what you overheard her saying to her assistant.”

  “It wasn’t much, honestly. Just something about lords and dukes and tea. I would’ve gotten more detail but my eyes have a tendency to glaze over when the conversation turns to finger sandwiches.”

  “Then you’re useless to me.”

  “Not entirely. I did hear one pertinent name before I fell into an Octavia-induced coma.”

  My brows lift. “Well, are you going to make me shake it out of you?”


  “Westgate.”

  “Is that a person?”

  “A place. A house, actually. Which you should know — you’ve been there.”

  I start. “I have?”

  “Yes. It’s where we picked up Alden and Ava last month, on our way to the funeral. The Sterling’s country manor.”

  I remember the mansion, poised on the edge of a lake in a beautiful region just outside the city limits. I didn’t leave the limousine, but from what I could tell through my tinted window, it was a stunning estate.

  Not that a pretty vista will make my visit there any more tolerable. Being manipulated into dating Germania’s most eligible bachelors isn’t exactly high up on my list of priorities.

  “First you, now Octavia… Is there some kind of Thorne family conspiracy to get me to date Alden?”

  “Trust me, the day I plot with my mother instead of against her is the day you’ll be able to catch hypothermia in Hell.” She shrugs her slim shoulders. “Our motives don’t overlap.”

  “So what’s Octavia’s motive?”

  “The Sterlings are one of the wealthiest aristocratic households in the country. For that fact alone, the royal family was thrilled when Henry proposed to Ava. But now that he’s in the hospital… it’s only a matter of time before Ava calls off the engagement. She’s not the candlelight vigil type.”

  “But… she can’t dump him,” I insist, aghast at the thought. “He’s in a coma, for god’s sake.”

  “Yes. And I’m sure she’s unbelievably pissed he’s had the nerve to hang on this long, ruining her chances at a prosperous match. If he’d died right away, she wouldn’t be in this rather sticky predicament.”

  “That’s terrible.”

  “That’s Ava.”

  “My future sister-in-law, if Octavia gets her way.” I snort. “Now it all makes sense. Marrying into that family is just one more way she can torture me.”

  Chloe leans back against a pile of pillows with a sigh. “Maybe. But I’m guessing it has less to do with making your life miserable than it does consolidating the royal family’s wealth. Octavia knows if you marry Alden, all that Sterling money will be at her fingertips.”

  “Wow. How romantic.”

  “Haven’t you heard? Romance is dead.”

  “This from the girl who’s been pushing me to date?”

  “Screw. Not date. There’s a difference.”

  “Sorry to disappoint you, Chloe, but I’m not the screwing type.”

  “Then you’re missing out.” She shrugs. “Don’t shoot the messenger, but screwing Alden might be the only silver lining to be found when you’re eating finger sandwiches with the Sterlings in the countryside. And if you’re going to wind up married to him anyway… you might as well sample the goods…”

  “I honestly can’t even tell if you’re joking anymore.”

  “That’s half the fun of it though, right?”

  I heave a martyred sigh.

  “Oh, cheer up, buttercup. It could be worse.” Chloe smiles. “She could be trying to sell you off to the Earl of Cromwell — the one who kept stepping on your feet during the waltz at your coronation. Remember?”

  “How could I forget? I still haven’t regained feeling in my right pinky toe.”

  Chloe’s lips twitch. “You know, I probably have a pill for that…”

  I toss a pillow at her head.

  Chapter Seven

  “Cucumber sandwich, Your Royal Highness?”

  Pressing my lips together to contain a laugh, I shake my head at the waiter. Chloe catches my eye and I see her own lips are twisted in a barely-contained grin.

  As it turns out, we were both wrong about Octavia’s motives. Our trip to Westgate is not, in fact, a set-up for me to date Alden, but rather a tea hosted by his mother, Naomi Sterling — Baroness of Westgate. My gaze sweeps the large parlor where two dozen of Germania’s most well-connected (read: wealthy) women are floating around in the latest designer fashions. The cumulative cost of all the dresses, shoes, and accessories in this room is more than the GDP of most third world nations. And I’m not even including the royal jewels in that estimate.

  “Incoming,” Chloe warns lowly.

  I turn just in time to see Ava approaching, her navy blue cocktail dress a sharp backdrop against her long platinum locks. There’s a smile fixed on her face, but I notice not a smidge of warmth in her intent hazel eyes.

  “Princess Emilia! How good of you to come.”

  I return her frigid smile. “Oh, you know me — never pass up an excuse for a good cucumber sandwich.”

  Chloe snorts into her mimosa.

  “Happy we could oblige Your Royal Highness.” Ava’s eye twitches, a telltale sign of the anger boiling just beneath her surface. She glances at Chloe. “And Chloe — always wonderful to see you. It’s a shame your brother couldn’t come today. Strictly ladies only, at mother’s insistence. Such nonsense.”

  “Carter’s on that ski trip with Alden in the Alps. They’re not scheduled to come back until tomorrow, anyway.” Chloe’s voice drops to a murmur. “Selfish pricks should’ve taken me with them so I could get out of this.”

  Now it’s my turn to snort into my drink.

  Ava’s expression reveals she’s less than amused. “Well, when the boys return, we’ll all have to get together. It’s been far too long.”

  “Yes, things have been a bit busy lately!” Chloe says in a falsely bright tone. “What with your fiancé nearly dying and all. But sure, by all means, let’s throw a party!”

  Ava stiffens. “Henry’s condition is precisely the reason we must continue to live our lives to the fullest. That awful fire was a tragedy but, in a way, it was also a gift — it made me see just how precious our time here on earth is.”

  “Wow, Ava.” Chloe’s eyes roll. “Those acting classes your parents bankrolled are really paying off.”

  Oh boy.

  I take a large swig of my champagne.

  “Excuse me?” Ava’s grip is so tight around the stem of her glass, her knuckles have gone totally white. “I’m not sure I like what you’re implying, Chloe.”

  “And I’m not sure I like you setting your sights on my brother again, now that the Crown Prince is suddenly out of commission.”

  I flinch. “Again?”

  Ava glances at me, amused. “Oh — did you not know? Before Henry and I got engaged, Carter and I were together.”

  What?!

  I try to swallow down the question, but I can’t. “For how long?”

  “Three years,” she informs me happily.

  “On and off,” Chloe interjects. “Mostly off.”

  “Even so.” Ava’s victorious smile is painful — a dagger straight to my heart. She leans in, eyes locked on mine. “You never forget your first love. Wouldn’t you agree, Your Highness?”

  I blink rapidly, searching my brain for a proper response. Something breezy, that won’t reveal my deep distress at this unexpected conversational twist.

  You never forget your first love.

  Thankfully, Chloe jumps in and rescues me. “Judging by the past-season Prada heels you’re wearing, I know you’re a fan of dredging up ancient history, Ava — but don’t you think it’s time you moved on?” She arches her slender red eyebrows. “Oh! Wait. My mistake. You do have a fiancé lying in the hospital. Isn’t that right? Tell us, when did you last visit him? Have you ever been to visit him? Because I go twice a week and, funnily enough, I’ve never once bumped into you in that waiting room.”

  “They won’t allow visitors,” Ava snaps, her defensive tone unmistakable. “He’s cordoned off in the burn unit.”

  “I’ll take that as a no then,” Chloe murmurs.

  I swallow another long sip of my drink. It’s almost empty.

  Definitely time to flag down another waiter…

  “You don’t know the first thing about what I’ve been going through.” Ava’s voice trembles as though she’s suddenly overcome with grief, but it doesn’t ring tr
ue. “This has been the most difficult time of my life.”

  “Cut the dramatics, Ava.” Chloe’s eyes roll. “You’re more upset about losing your shot at becoming the queen than you are about losing the man you’re supposed to love.”

  “And what exactly would you know about love, Chloe Thorne? I’ve known you since we were children and in all that time, not one person has ever spared you more than a single night’s worth of attention.”

  “Enough. Both of you.” I cut in before Chloe can retort. “Can we at least attempt to get through this damn tea party without bloodshed?”

  “Aw! I see you have a new watchdog, Chloe,” Ava laughs as her eyes slide to mine. “How… cute.”

  It takes effort to keep myself from snapping back at her but, seeing as I’m the one calling for peace here, I force a benign smile instead.

  “So, Your Highness—” Funny how my title sounds like an insult on Ava’s lips. “How have you been holding up? I haven’t seen you since the coronation. It was such a trauma, I figured you’d be simply wasting away from the stress!” Her eyes cut me down, taking in every curve of my size six body in the fitted green wrap dress I’m wearing. “I’m happy to see you’re not skin and bones. In fact, you’re looking quite healthy these days.”

  I flinch, despite my best efforts to conceal it.

  Ava sees my reaction and her smile widens — a shark smelling blood in the water. Her voice is full of false sweetness. “I hope I haven’t offended you, Princess! I just envy your ability to maintain such a full figure. No mater how much I eat, I can’t seem to put on any weight at all! You must tell me your secret.”

  “Oh, go peel a grape, Ava,” Chloe hisses, leaning forward. “You’ve been on the air diet since we were twelve.”

  Ava’s eyes sharpen. “I don’t have to ask your secret to staying thin, Chloe. Everyone in this room knows your diet consists of a steady supply of booze and pills. Everyone in this country, actually, seeing as your last two overdoses were splashed all over the papers.” She pauses. “Perhaps you can give the People’s Princess some pointers before they have to build additional weight supports for her throne.”

  Chloe takes a stride forward, fully prepared to go to battle on my behalf. “Listen here, you frostbitten little bitch—”