The butler opened the door and gave me a look that clearly said two things. First of all, he knew exactly who I was, and secondly, he wasn’t at all impressed that I was standing outside his door. I gave him a warm smile, though I intentionally added a condescending flare to the look, hoping to convey my own message.

He gave a curt nod as he invited me into the house, leading me to the sitting room and assuring me I wouldn’t be alone for long. Though I told him to take his time, I hoped he would hurry.

When Sophia finally appeared, I gave her the warmest welcome I could manage in spite of the sick feeling I had in the pit of my stomach. All I could think about was when we’d met at boarding school in Switzerland. Of course, neither of us were Swiss, but that didn’t stop our parents from sending us to what they believed to be the best school in the entire northern hemisphere.

She teased me relentlessly in any way she could—always surrounded by her friends and admirers, each one willing to jump in and make fun of me in whatever way she deemed to be appropriate at the time. I swallowed my pride, however, and gave her a kiss on each of her cheeks.

“It’s good to see you,” I said in a tone that was flatter than I intended it to be. She gave me an equally graceless greeting, and I knew she was wondering what it was that I came for.

“Antonio, what a surprise to see you here in England. What brings you over this way? Certainly not my family. I thought you had forgotten us after you were officially promised the throne.” She spoke in a tone that sounded nearly sadistic in a way, and I couldn’t help but give her an uneasy smile. She walked up to me and put her arms around my neck, draping her hands over each other.

“I trust you are here for reasons that have nothing to do with the Swedish incident,” she said with a wink. I put my hands on her wrists and gently removed them from behind my back and looked down at her. It was difficult for me to be cordial, but I knew this was my chance at getting the throne.

“Could we go to the garden? There’s something I wish to discuss with you.” I looked into her eyes, but there was no passion in my gaze, nor was there any in hers as she held my stare. She hesitated a moment, as though she were trying to decide if her chances of being seductive were better inside than they were out. Evidently deciding in favor of the gardens, she motioned for me to follow her.

Once we were outside, I cut right to the chase.

“I know that we haven’t always had the closest of relationships, Sophia, but I have come to you with a proposition,” I said, letting my words linger in the air. She raised an eyebrow, clearly intrigued but not wanting to admit it.

“Oh?” she asked, and I was quick to nod.

“Yes, in fact, it is such a proposition, it is a proposal itself,” I said with pride in my voice. I knew it was unromantic, but I could see by the immediate cock of her head that she was interested in hearing what I had to say.

“I am hoping to inherit the throne one day soon, and Mother and Father have discussed the same topic with me just recently. I have expressed my desires, and they both agree that the time is right, provided that I take the throne with a queen by my side.” Again, I didn’t do anything to add romance to the situation. I didn’t feel anything for this woman, and I wasn’t going to act as though I did.

“What’s in it for me?” she asked in a tone that was all too close to the movies. I smiled a pained smile, doing my best to hide it under charm.

“Why, you would have all the freedom and benefits of being my wife.”

“You mean all I have to do is marry you, and I’m going to automatically be the Queen? I hope you know that means I am going to require being treated like the Queen, and being respected like the Queen.” She let her voice linger, and I could feel a knot forming once again in the pit of my stomach. I forced a smile.

“Of course, I know what it means and you are the one who I have decided to ask. You aren’t my only choice, Sophia, but you are my first choice and I can imagine you are going to be one of the only people my parents would be comfortable handing the throne over to.” I waited, and she smiled, though there was something in her smile I didn’t particularly care for.

“Your parents have always loved me, and I have to admit, I’m glad you decided to ask me first. I don’t know that you could have done any better with anyone else.” She winked as she spoke and turned to go back inside the mansion.

“Oh, and how do you plan to work out the details of the wedding?” I called after her. She paused and turned slightly. I could see in her face a form of happiness that made me uncomfortable, but I ignored the feeling.

“I’m going to leave that to you,” she said with another smile. Within minutes, I was alone in the garden, surrounded by the bees and butterflies. I allowed my head to fall to my chest and sighed. It wasn’t that this woman could get the best of me, but she could certainly try—and that wasn’t want I wanted to deal with.

Come on, Antonio, you can handle her. Nothing can stand in the way of you and your throne now. Marry this girl, and your problems will be solved.

Marry her and forget about her. It’s what you want, and it’s what you’ll get.