I’m so happy that even the prospect of dinner with our fathers can’t bring me down.

I’m grinning the entire time as I dress for dinner, and Justine is, too. More than once I interrupt her by coming up behind her and pulling her into my arms, then kissing her on her shoulder, her neck, her ear—anywhere I can reach. Every time, she laughs and wiggles out of my arms. “If you don’t stop that, we’ll be late.”

Somehow, we both manage to get dressed and out the door on time, and she hooks her arm through mine as we head down the corridor.

We’ve finally done it, I think, closing my hand over hers. We’ve finally found our common ground. We can finally begin building our life together, instead of fighting our circumstances.

I look down at her. She’s in a pale blue gown that highlights her dark hair. Her skin seems to glow, and her cheeks are still a little flushed. She looks so beautiful it makes me ache. Suddenly, without warning, I grab her and pull her into an alcove, pressing her up against the wall. Before she even has the chance to utter a sound of surprise, my mouth comes down on hers,

Heat explodes through me at the first touch of our lips. She seems to be experiencing a similar reaction, judging by the way she pulls me closer. My hands twine in her hair, and my hips press against hers, allowing her to feel how much I want her right now, even after the many, many times we joined today.

I could take her right here, I find myself thinking. No one ever comes this way, anyway. I could pull up her gown, lift up her leg, and…

She laughs against my lips and pulls away.

“Dinner,” she says breathlessly.

“Fuck dinner. Who cares if we’re a little late?”

“My father, for one.”

Her voice is still light as she says it, but the mention of King Max brings both of us back down to earth instantly. Her smile falls, and I find myself releasing her and stepping back.

Yeah, I suppose it’s important to go learn what my bastard of a father-in-law is up to. I sigh and rub the back of my neck. Nothing kills the mood like a bastard father-in-law.

We’re much more subdued as we continue down the corridor again. Justine takes my arm once more, smiling up at me, but I can see the concern in her eyes. She’s just as nervous about this dinner as I am.

When we reach the dining room, neither of our fathers have arrived yet. But my brother Andrew and his fiancée Victoria are there. Victoria grins when she sees me.

“We’d heard you decided to pop in for a surprise visit,” she says, coming toward me.

“Yes, our mother was quite delighted to hear you were here,” Andrew adds. “Though a little put out that you didn’t immediately come to greet her.”

There’s a pang of embarrassment in my stomach. I should have gone to see my mother as soon as we arrived.

“We’ve been resting for most of the day,” I say. “We traveled through the night to get here.”

My brother gives a small smile and claps me on the shoulder. “I understand that, but our mother might take a little convincing.”

“Not just our mother,” comes a voice from the door.

My stomach sinks even further when I turn to see Sophia standing there, staring at me with murderous intent. “You left me stranded in Berlin with that pompous asshole!”

Andrew comes to my aid. “You were hardly stranded, Sophia. You had the means and the knowledge to get yourself home. But if we’re laying blame, you and William both left Nicholas in Rosvalia without a word.”

Sophia’s cheeks go pink. “That was different. It was an emergency. Time was of the essence.” She turns her sisterly glare onto me again and crosses her arms. “And Nicholas wasn’t stuck with some annoying American—”

“What in heaven’s name is everyone arguing about?”

Everyone goes silent. My mother has appeared in the doorway, and she’s surveying all of us as if we’re a bunch of disobedient children. When her eyes land on me, though, her expression softens somewhat, and she smiles even as she shakes her head.

“William,” she begins.

“I know. I should have come and greeted you the moment we arrived,” I say, moving toward her with my arms outstretched. “It’s good to see you, Mother.”

“And you.” She pulls me into a hug, gripping me tightly. “Oh, I’ve missed you, William.”

“It’s only been a few weeks.”

“That’s a very long time for a mother.” She releases me, and I notice the faint glitter of tears in her eyes as she backs up. “But I’m glad you made it home. And Justine.” She turns to my wife. “It’s wonderful to see you, too.”

Justine begins to curtsy, but before she can finish, my mother reaches out and hugs her, too. Justine shoots me a startled look before allowing herself to return the hug.

“It’s so good to have you here, my dear,” my mother says. “You’re welcome any time.” She gives Justine a kiss on the cheek and releases her. “All of my children’s families are welcome here whenever they like. These halls are so much more lively when everyone’s here.” She surveys all of us again, and her grin widens. “Ah, and I can’t wait for the grandchildren to begin arriving! It’s been too long since we’ve had children in the palace.”

I look at Justine, imagining the four heirs we need to make, trying to picture what our sons might look like. But my wife suddenly appears to be very interested in getting the wrinkles out of her skirt. She doesn’t even glance my way.

“Speaking of children,” I say, trying to distract myself from the strange sinking feeling in my gut, “are Leo and Elle joining us tonight?”

“Not tonight,” my mother says. “Elle’s getting close to her due date, and the physician has put her on bed rest. They take most of their meals in their suite, but I’m sure they’d love a visit from you later.”

“Of course,” I say. I can’t believe that very soon I’ll have a baby niece or nephew—it seems like only yesterday Leo and I were little boys, chasing each other around the palace grounds and playing pranks on Andrew.

I almost say as much out loud, but a sudden tension comes over me, and I realize everyone else has tensed up, too. When I glance back at the door, I see that my father and King Maximilian have finally arrived.

“Good evening, everyone,” my father says. “Thank you for joining us for this formal dinner tonight. And may I say what an honor it is to have two such esteemed guests from our beloved neighbor Rosvalia.”

King Max doesn’t quite manage to hide his sneer as he strides toward his seat at one end of the table.

This is certainly going to be fun, I think wryly as I lead Justine to our chairs. She’s been placed next to her father, and I’m sitting beside her.

Everyone else takes their seats as well, with my father sitting directly across from King Maximilian at the opposite end of the table. The jovialness of a few moments ago is gone, replaced by a somber formality.

Justine’s hand brushes mine beneath the table. The touch is so light that at first I think it’s just an accident, but then I notice the stiffness in her body. Her hand brushes mine again, and this time, I sense the wordless plea. I lace my fingers through hers beneath the table. When I try to pull her hand closer to me, though, she resists. It takes me a moment to realize that she’s trying to keep our clasped hands well out of sight, away from the notice of her father.

I look at her more closely. She’s smiling, but the expression is forced. She’s worried about something, and I have a feeling it’s about more than just her father’s presence. I squeeze her hand tighter, then shift my eyes to King Maximilian.

He’s not looking at his daughter. Instead, he’s studying my family, and if I had to guess from his expression, he’s finding the lot of us well beneath his tastes.

You’d think he’d at least try to hide his contempt in front of my father, I think. King Max seems especially displeased by Andrew and Victoria, but after the way Andrew publicly embarrassed Rosvalia, I’m not surprised by that.

Still. My attention moves back to my wife, who’s trying desperately to appear happy and calm.

There’s something going on here. And I don’t intend to leave this table until I find out what it is.