“How’s it going out there?” Zoya asks when I pop back into the kitchen for a refill of goat cheese-filled grapes. “It sounds so quiet.”

“It’s definitely more funeral than party. Callista won’t stop glaring at Thom.” I don’t know who is more miserable—me or Thom.

“Is it true that he’s wearing all black?”

“Yup. Head to toe, including his tie and shirt.” He looks like a gangster—a really hot, built gangster. I want to jump him.

“I bet Callista loves that.” Zoya piles on the hors d'oeuvres. Another server bustles in with an empty platter and says, “I need more quinoa-and-kale-stuffed dates!”

Wow, I can’t believe those are disappearing so fast. “Who would have thought quinoa and kale would be the hit of the party?”

Zoya smirks. “It probably helps that I sautéed the quinoa and kale in both butter and bacon fat.”

I burst out giggling. There’s no doubt the partygoers would die of horror if they knew that the seemingly healthy appetizer was most likely the one with the highest fat and cholesterol content. “Well, everything does taste better with bacon.”

I heft up my full platter and push my way through the swinging kitchen doors, back in the hallway to the ballroom. I don’t normally work as a server, and especially not after being fired with no notice, but Mrs. Holloway had no choice when three of the servers came down with a stomach bug. I’ve substituted for sick servers in the past, so I have the experience and was the logical choice to fill in. She looked like she had sucked a lemon when she asked me to work the ball, but I was too grateful to have my departure delayed by a couple of days to take too much pleasure in her discomfort.

I enter the grand ballroom and start circulating discreetly, offering my platter with a polite query every few guests. I know the drill well enough that I can give my job a fraction of my attention and save the rest for Thom. A quick scan of the room reveals him standing across the dance floor, a blandly courteous mask on his face as he greets his guests, Louis and Johan flanking him. The musicians are playing a waltz and people are dressed to the nines—men in tuxedos whirl women dripping with jewels in designer gowns around the floor. Everything looks fairy-tale perfect, down to the handsome prince and the beautiful princess trying to drag him onto the dance floor. One would never know that Thom was the second son.

Callista has a careful smile pinned to her perfectly made-up face, but she doesn’t look happy as Thom firmly resists her tugs. He says something to her that has her dropping her smile and I shiver involuntarily at the ugly look that crosses her face. Her smile quickly returns however and she laughs airily as she moves away from Thom, giving her hand to a handsome man in a military dress uniform I recognize as Sensensian as he leads her to the floor.

For a moment Thom is alone, and despite the crowd in the ballroom and the presence of Louis and Johan, he looks as lonely as I feel. I want more than anything to go to him. He must feel my gaze because he turns his head towards me and his eyes meet mine. My breath catches at the soul-deep yearning I see in his gaze, and without even realizing it my feet start walking to him.

Dancing bodies suddenly move in between us and I bump into a guest. “I’m so sorry,” I gasp as a stuffed grape almost ends up decorating the bodice of a sequined dress.

I get a sniff and a glare in reply as the woman and her partner dance off. “These look so delicious, I think I’ll have a few. Let’s find a quiet corner while I stuff my face.” I look up as Nicole Hou gently guides me to a quiet corner away from the dance floor.

“Thanks,” I whisper to Nicole while I scan for Thom. Unfortunately, he has been joined by an older gentleman who is talking animatedly. Thom looks like he is listening attentively, but he glances up and pins me with his gaze immediately. I can see some of the tension ease from him when he sees me with Nicole, and a corner of his mouth lifts in a private smile for me. Even from a ballroom away that tiny gesture warms my very soul.

“I would ask how you’re doing, but I can see that you both look like shit,” Nicole murmurs to me while munching on a grape. I grimace. Nicole is about the only one of Thom’s friends who knows the real him and about us, and I’m glad I don’t have to pretend with her.

“I got caught doing the dirty with Thom in the library.”

“Oh, a naughty clue game.” Nicole claps her hands lightly. “I like it. Can I do maid Muriel in the cloakroom next?” She tips her head to a dark-haired waitress who is hefting a tray of champagne flutes around the room.

I cover my mouth with the back of my hand to hide a snort. “If you get her consent, then yes, but make sure Holloway isn’t anywhere near because fornicating with the aristocracy during work hours is a fireable offense.”

My friend catches on quick. “Oh no, she didn’t.”

“She did. It was the right thing to do.” I’m not mad she fired me. I’m mad she made those shitty remarks about my sweet mother. “I’m supposed to be on the job, not doing the job.”

Nicole giggles. “Come and work for me.”

“Um, I don’t know how to sew.”

“There’s plenty of other shit to do in my workshop, trust me.” She scans the crowd. “Thom looks like he wants the ground to open up and swallow him. I don’t see him and Callista lasting for more than a month. She’s too wretched and he’s too in love with you.”

Love doesn’t matter, I think. Out loud, I say, “During the abdication announcement today there was no mention of the engagement being canceled, and I’m so afraid that Thom will be forced to marry Lady Callista.”

Warm sympathy shines in Nicole’s dark brown eyes. “I saw the announcement on TV. I can’t believe Stephen would do such a thing, especially knowing the fallout for Thom. I have to say, however, even though this is pretty much the worst thing possible, Thom looks positively regal, even, dare I say it, kingly. I’ve never seen him like this before. He looks ready for that throne.”

Suddenly, tears burn the corners of my eyes. “Yeah. I don’t think there’s any way the Duke of Frederick or Lady Callista will let the crown slip through their fingers.”

Nicole sighs. “They have both Matlavia and Thom by the proverbial balls—my father is on the board of directors for the Sutton banks and told me how much money is on the line. I can’t believe Frederick would be bastard enough to bankrupt his own country, though I guess I shouldn’t be surprised since my own father only cares about carrying on his bloodline. Which reminds me, at least I have some good news to share, finally!”

“I could use some good news—what is it?”

“The Duke of Stoughton broke off our engagement today!”

“Wow, that is great news! But how did it happen? Thom told me he didn’t care you didn’t love him?”

“Well, he doesn’t care that I don’t love him, but he does care that I’m a lesbian! And more importantly, his grown-up children care that he may have more children that will impact their inheritance, so have been telling him stories about my wild past and sexual escapades. He was horrified and worried about his reputation and family getting stained by me, so he dumped me. My dad is seriously insulted on my behalf and it’s all I can do not to tell him I’m totally fine with it.”

Nicole looks so gleeful that I laugh—I’m happy at least one of us has escaped an unhappy marriage. But my laugh disappears as I look at Thom again, now with the Duke of Frederick talking to him. “I wish Thom’s equally unsavory past is enough to do the same for him.”

She sighs. “Me too. I wish there was something I could do.”

An idea tickles the base of my brain, but it’s too outlandish to mention, so I push it away. But something must show on my face, because Nicole’s eyes widen. “Wait a minute. You have an idea, don’t you?”

“What?” I pretend I don’t. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

Nicole vibrates with excitement. “Yes, you do. You just tugged on your ear and that’s always been your tell when you have a naughty idea. Whatever it is, I’ll help make it happen.”

I drop my hand away from my face. I hadn’t even realized I was doing it. “It was a stupid idea and that’s why my mouth is closed. I have to go get more goat cheese grapes.”

She grabs my arm. “No. You’re supposed to be taking care of the guests and I’m a guest. In fact, I’m in desperate need of assistance to the loo. Come on. Help me over to the sitting room or I’ll cause a big commotion. Besides, what does it matter? You said you were fired anyway.”

She drags me along beside her. Over in the corner, I see Holloway glaring at me, but Nicole’s right. I’ve already been fired. It’s not like she can get rid of me a second time.

I shake my hand from Nicole’s, straighten and push her into a small antechamber just off the ballroom. It’s a room where the butler preps a tea service for the front parlor. Since there’s a party in the ballroom and the kitchen is at full staff, this room is empty—and private.

“All right. You want to know my stupid plan? You marry Thom. Thom’s alliance with your family would allow him to borrow the money he needs to pay off the Suttons. Your dad gets off your back and stops arranging marriage to penis holders. You can lead separate lives with Thom here in Matlavia and you going wherever you want to go, being with whomever you want to be.” I fold my arms across my chest and wait for her to tell me my ideas are ridiculous. Because they are.

“A marriage of convenience?” She taps her chin as if giving this serious consideration.

“Yes, it’s stupid. I’m going to go back to my station now.”

“Wait.” She lunges forward and slams the door shut. “This is actually perfect. My father would die with happiness if I was Queen Nicole of Matlavia. In fact, I bet I could convince him to cover the whole Sutton loan so that Thom didn’t have to borrow from China or the US. We could have a marriage in name only, like you said. That means you can be with Thom and I can find my own love, on my own terms. I have to find Thom. Stay here!” Nicole swings open the door and dives into the crowd, leaving me reeling.

Could I have really found a solution?

“It’s an idea,” Thom says after a long period of contemplative silence.

“It’s a great idea,” Nicole snaps. She’s annoyed that Thom isn’t instantly buying into our grand plan and frankly, I’m a little stung as well. The more that Nicole pressed our idea, the better it sounded.

The sounds of the party buzz in the background as Thom takes another sip of his Corona. “What about kids?”

“What about them?” she asks.

“The monarchy exists to extend the monarchy. If we don’t have children, what’s the point of the marriage? And, you, Pen, you’re going to be okay with me sleeping with Nic?”

My stomach lurches. I hadn’t thought that far ahead, and from the green look on Nicole’s face, she hadn’t either.

Nicole makes a face. “Pen can have your kids.”

“And you’ll pretend to be their mother while Pen is what? Their nanny? She gives birth to them and they’ll run around calling you Mom and Pen Auntie Penelope? On birthdays and holidays, they’ll crawl into your bed and not Pen’s. You’ll be the mother of the bride, the one they thank whenever they achieve something special.”

Nic shrugs. “I’m fine with that. At least you two get to be together.”

Thom shoots me an inquisitive look. “And that’ll be enough?”

Thom addresses his soft words to Nic, but they’re directed to me and they’re painting a picture that I’m having a hard time coping with. I’d come to terms with being his secret lover. At first, it was difficult reading about his frequent conquests and the lewd insinuations the gossip columnists would make about his voracious sexual appetite, but since he always came home to me, I learned to deal.

Thom was careful not to be seen with the same woman twice. He wasn’t photographed kissing anyone or holding them, but sometimes the paparazzi would catch him sitting so close to another woman that my heart would sink and I wouldn’t be able to sleep until he’d crawled into bed and wrapped his strong arms around me.

I drop my eyes to the tips of my sturdy black shoes. When I entered the small antechamber off the ballroom, I was elated. Nicole and I have conjured up a genius solution, but the more he talks, the more he points out the potential problems, the more that I wonder if I can keep it up. My mother died of a broken heart. She thought that her noble lover would eventually acknowledge her, but he never did. She remained a chambermaid in the royal household with a child that never knew her father. At least I got to call her “mother.” At least, when I held her hand as she passed, she could acknowledge me.

“You guys,” Nicole interjects, her voice sounding overloud after all the heavy silence. “It doesn’t have to be permanent. The whole kid thing can wait. We marry long enough for Matlavia to crawl out of debt and then Thom and I will cut the strings. Royals get divorced all the time. It’s no big deal.”

The door behind me swings open and in the opening stands Callista. Her ball gown makes swishing noises as she swans in. The anxious, ugly feeling I always get when she’s around stirs in my gut followed by a bucket of guilt. It’s not Callista’s fault that her father is a supreme asshole who has no concern for anyone else in the world but himself. It’s not really Callista I dislike, but her father.

“There you are. I don’t appreciate being abandoned during our engagement party. People are starting to wonder what’s going on.” Her gaze skips over me entirely and lands on Nicole. “I don’t want you alone in rooms with other women.”

“Nic’s an old friend,” Thom replies.

He makes no mention of me, and the omission hurts more than it should. I’m staff, which means I’m invisible.

“I don’t care. We’re to be married and therefore you can’t spend time with other women. I won’t have it. Get out.” Callista points an imperious finger at the open doorway. The big gold ring on her middle finger taunts me. My hand creeps up my chest to cover my mother’s pendant.

“You’re causing a scene,” Nic snaps and shuts the door in the face of a growing number of curious faces. “Thom and I have business to discuss.”

“Then discuss it during normal business hours. Thom is mine now.”

I can’t help myself from gasping. Those words are like a punch to the gut.

Callista spins toward me. “Who the hell is this?”

Who the hell is this? Not even Who the hell are you? She doesn’t even ask me because I’m a servant and therefore not worth her time or attention.

“What do you care?” Nic retorts.

“Why do I care? My future husband is closeted in a tiny room with his perverted mistress and a servant. I’m owed an explanation.”

“I’m a pervert?” Nic screeches.

Callista lifts her chin. “If the dirty shoe fits, you should wear it,” she replies haughtily. “And you, Prince Thomas, I’m tired of your cold shoulder and your dismissiveness. You’re being paid to dance attendance on me, so I want you out there wearing your most adoring mask, swooning at my feet.”

“Or else?” Thom says finally.

“Yes. Or else. I own you and your country. You can diddle your servants, watch your perverted lesbian shows on your own time, but when I’m around, you pay attention to me or I’ll burn this whole fucking country to the ground. You, girl, get down on your knees before your future queen.”

I barely register her command. My mind’s fixated on her earlier threat. Your country. It’s not just about me and Thom and our pretend children. It’s about all the children. It’s about Matlavia.

“You’re not queen yet,” Thom says with suppressed fury. He rises to his feet and takes a step toward Callista. There’s a glint in his eye that signals he’s done with all this bullshit.

I slide between the two before anything irreversibly bad occurs. Choking all my pride down, I bow deeply toward Callista. “I’m sorry, Lady Callista. I lost my way but I’m leaving now.”

“Pen—” Thom starts to say.

Callista cuts him off. “You’re lucky I don’t make her crawl. Don’t make it worse for her.”

I keep my head down as I exit the room. I understand why Stephen left. When you are responsible for an entire country, you can’t make decisions based on your own feelings any longer. You have to look at the big picture always. This is bigger than our simple love.

I close the door behind me and walk away—something I should have done years ago.