I hated shaking hands. You could never be sure where their fingers had just been, and they always held on for too long. Everyone wanted a piece of their king, and I didn’t have very many pieces to give.

The only hand I enjoyed touching was Bryce’s. I saw the look on her face when she read my note. She had looked defiant but excited, her breath coming in sharp and short.

I did my duty and gave everyone a small piece of attention. It was part of my job to glad-hand these people, since one day I might need them. I had to keep them happy if I wanted to keep them obedient.

Though how many of these people in here were supporting the rebellion, I couldn’t be sure. Some of them were rebellious bastards, and that was certain, but how many of them exactly was a mystery.

It didn’t matter, at least not tonight. I wasn’t going to solve any serious national crises over a feast.

No, I had more important things to do.

Once I was finished with the room, I quickly disappeared out the front door. My security detail stuck with me as I doubled back through the side halls, heading toward the balcony.

I pushed open the doors and stepped outside. I looked at the security captain, a man named Alfonse.

“Al, stay back, will you? The girl might be coming soon. Let her through if she shows.”

He nodded. “Very well, sir.”

They melted into the hallway as I stepped out onto the large balcony. It overlooked the city, and I was always impressed by the view.

Stehen was as modern a city as we had in Starkland, though the country was slowly catching up. The Starklandian people were hearty peasant folks, but they sure as hell loved their high-speed internet and their iPads. As far as I was concerned, progress was a great thing, and I wanted every single person in my kingdom to advance in life.

That was what bothered me the most about the rebels in the south. They wanted democracy, which was all well and good, but they also thought I was some kind of tyrant. Truthfully, the cabinet ministers did most of the ruling, and I was only consulted on the most important matters. Besides, I only wanted what was best for my people. I wanted every single one of them to have the best life possible, and I couldn’t do that with the rebels killing and attacking towns and villages.

They called me a tyrant. They called me a dictator, a killer. But the truth was, those rebels were far more violent than I ever was. I cautioned my generals, made sure they didn’t harm any civilians, but the rebels didn’t care about that. They burned, raped, and killed indiscriminately, all in the name of democracy. They were really just a bunch of killers and thieves seizing this opportunity to wreak some havoc.

I took a deep breath and then let it out, calming myself down. Democracy was something I wanted for Starkland as well, but it just wasn’t the time. Things were too uncertain.

I heard steps coming up behind me and turned. Standing in the doorway, looking nervous, was Bryce.

I grinned hugely at her. I knew she’d come. “Fancy seeing you here,” I said to her.

“It’s beautiful out here,” she said, walking toward me.

Instantly my heart started beating harder in my chest. The girl was absolutely gorgeous, with long beautiful legs and a body that I needed to feel underneath me. Every inch of her skin screamed to be touched and fucked, especially those lips.

“I come out here sometimes,” I said, turning back toward the city. “I like to look out over Stehen and think about my duties.”

“What are your duties?” she asked, coming up next to me at the balcony.

“Truthfully, not as many as you’d think. I may be the king, but it’s still the twenty-first century. I’m not some absolute dictator.”

“Sounds really difficult,” she said, sarcastic.

I laughed. “I guess you wouldn’t understand.”

“You’re right. I’m just a regular peasant.”

“True. A regular peasant, but a beautiful one and with good ancestry.”

“You’re so flattering.” She rolled her eyes at me.

I laughed again, smirking at her. “What do you think of all this so far?”

“It’s nice,” she admitted. “Starkland is a beautiful country.”

“It is,” I agreed. “I love it.”

“I can see why. I mean, some of this stuff is nicer than America.”

“I take pride in trying to keep the country modern.”

“But it’s the ancient stuff that makes it so gorgeous, you know?”

I nodded. “I couldn’t agree more, which is actually why I wanted to speak with you.”

“You want to talk about architecture with me?”

I shook my head. “No. Not exactly. I wanted to talk about you.”

“I think you’ve done enough of that already,” she said.

“Maybe. Do you know why you’re here, Bryce?”

“I assumed it was because you guys wanted a little photo op with my father. It’s good PR to have the old royal family make nice with the current one, right?”

I grinned hugely, really enjoying how quickly she had grasped that concept. Bryce was clearly a very intelligent girl, not to mention gorgeous and fiery. I found myself wanting to press her against the railing, slide my hands up along her legs, and feel exactly how soaking wet she was. I didn’t care who saw us.

“That’s right,” I said instead, “but it’s not the whole story.”

“Well, go ahead and tell me. I have nothing else to do.”

“Truth is, Bryce, I need an heir. In a monarchy, especially in a Starklandian monarchy, royal boy children are the most important thing. Since I’m without children, I need to make some, and quick.”

She raised an eyebrow. “What are you saying?”

“My advisors believe you’d be the perfect match,” I said. “You’re American and foreign, but you have royal blood in your veins. They think that if we got married, you could give me sons and strengthen my legitimacy.”

She gaped at me. “That’s what this is about?”

“That’s right,” I said. “My advisors want you to marry me. And I want to fuck that perfect, soaking pussy of yours and put my child inside you.”

She stepped away from me, her eyes wide. “We barely know each other.”

“True,” I said, agreeing. “We have two weeks to fix that, though.”

“This is crazy,” she said softly.

“Relax,” I said, laughing. “Nobody is forcing you into anything. I swear that no matter what, this will be your choice. But you should think about it. There are perks to being the queen of Starkland.”

She shook her head slowly. “I don’t want to be queen of anything.”

“Maybe not, but you do want to feel me between your legs. I can see it in your eyes.” I stepped toward her, smirking at her, my heart racing. “I know you want to taste my cock, feel my hands slap your ass as I fuck you until you come.”

“No,” she said softly. “You’re just a crude asshole.”

“Maybe, but I’m a crude asshole king. I can give you things you can only dream about.”

“I don’t want anything from you.”

“Not yet you don’t.”

“Not ever. No way.” She turned back toward the castle. “Take me back to my room.”

“If that’s what you want.” I followed her inside and nodded at my guards. “They’ll take you back. I need to return to the banquet.”

She followed Al for a few steps before stopping and looking back at me. There was something wild and intense in her gaze, something I couldn’t exactly read. She shook her head and then turned away and was gone.

That last look sent shivers down my spine. I didn’t know what it meant, and I was very good at reading people. One second the girl seemed to despise me, and the next I could see true passion in her eyes.

It was beyond exciting. I’d never met a woman like her who didn’t instantly throw herself at me. There were millions of women in Starkland who would do anything to be my queen.

But not Bryce Koch. She was just some foreign American girl of no real consequence, and yet I wanted her more than I could explain.

Maybe it was madness, or maybe there was something else. Either way, I was going to have her. By the end of this trip, Bryce was going to beg to be my queen, and once she finally did, I’d give her exactly what she wanted.