If only Mack could have taken the beautiful feeling of rightness that he had while kissing Gloria and translated it to everything else going on, life would have been easy. But the weekend passed in a haze of business and tension. Normally, he and his brothers went into sugar-shock every time they had to deal with their mother and William together, but for two, painful days, instead of smooches and pet-names, they had to deal with frosty silences and guilty looks.

“I can’t stand to watch this any longer,” Mack whispered to Gloria as the two of them stood to the side in the ballroom of one of Solrighavn’s most luxurious marina restaurants as the pre-wedding press event got underway.

Gloria hummed as she too watched the royal couple. “If they would just stand closer together, I think they’d present a better image to the press,” she said, leaning closer.

Mack breathed in her scent. Her brother had sent some of her things from London, including some sort of perfume that went straight to Mack’s head. In the slinky, gold dress she wore, her curly hair caught up in a style that both highlighted Gloria’s natural beauty and made her look as elegant as any princess, she was holding her own in the room full of Aegirian nobility—everyone from their cousins, Duke Larson Appelgren and his sister, Elna, to Earl Linqvist—and the press.

“You think if the two of them closed the distance they’d be all right?” he asked, resting his hand on the small of her back as if taking her advice for himself.

She sent him a flirty smile. Her dark eyes glittered with mischief. He would have been perfectly willing to make all sorts of mischief with her, press event or no, but after the way they’d been caught last time, he wasn’t willing to risk it.

“What I think,” she said, lowering her voice and studying the royal couple, “is that Dr. Hayes looks guilty as sin by keeping his distance from her. And while we both know he’s probably only slumping his shoulders and not looking your mother in the eye like that because he’s embarrassed, it strikes me that what your mother really needs right now is for him to march in like an alpha male and take charge of the situation.”

Mack laughed. “William is many things, but he’s not an alpha male.”

She glanced to him. “They’re overrated anyhow,” she said with a wink.

A chuckle filled Mack’s chest, spearing his heart. He wasn’t sure if she was taking a dig at him for not being the alpha type, like Alek was, or complimenting him for being something better with that wink of hers. Either way, he wasn’t going to knock it. Gloria was the best thing that had happened to him in a long time.

And oddly enough, she helped him to see the way that he could make a meaningful contribution to his family, a way he could truly be a part of things where he’d only ever felt useless before.

“I’m going to go talk to mother,” he said, touching her back one more time before leaning away from her. “I need to see if I can get to the bottom of this. Will you be okay on your own?”

“Of course,” she said, looking perfectly poised as she did. “Besides, I see Tracy and Emma, and I’ve been meaning to chat with them since the other day.”

Mack grinned, then kissed her cheek. Let the throngs of Aegirian press make what they would of that.

He gave Gloria one last look before heading toward his mother and William, who looked completely miserable. The press event had been organized to satisfy the hunger for royal wedding news, since there was only space for one reporter and camera team on the yacht, where the wedding would take place. Somehow, Tracy Minhall had been picked to be the journalist who would cover the wedding itself, which meant that every other reporter and news outlet in Aegiria and a dozen other countries was packed into the ballroom, eager to seek out a story about the royal couple. And Gloria was right—the way his mother and William were standing now, the story they’d all come away with wouldn’t be one that anybody in the royal family would like.

Of course, as soon as he came to within ten feet of his mother and William, William met his eyes with a look of relief—which quickly turned to embarrassment—then bolted. Mack paused, mouth dropping open in surprise and a failed attempt to come up with something to say that would draw William back, then shook his head and continued on to his mother, who looked miserable.

“He’s hardly said three words to me all weekend,” his mother lamented as Mack took up the place by her side.

They paused to smile for the camera as a couple of photojournalists snapped pics of the two of them.

“Prince Mikael, how do you feel about your mother’s wedding?” a young man with a tablet and stylus rushed up to get a quote while he could.

“I couldn’t be happier,” he said, resting a hand on his mother’s back. “I’ve always admired Dr. Hayes and his conservation efforts, and he makes my mother extraordinarily happy.”

“But does he?” the reporter asked.

“The two of them didn’t look particularly happy just now.”

Mack wanted to throttle the young man. Most of the older reporters knew better than to insult the queen with impertinent questions like that. Not that they wouldn’t find more covert ways to wheedle a negative story out of the whole event. But he didn’t like the young reporter’s aggressive manner.

So he put on a sheepish grin and lied through his teeth. “I’ll confess, there was a…problem with the herring at breakfast this morning going bad. We’ve all been feeling a bit off.” He pressed a hand to his stomach as if to prove it.

“Oh. I see.” The young reporter looked disappointed. “Thank you for that quote.” He marched off, scribbling something on his pad.

Fortunately, that gave Mack and Viktoria a few seconds to themselves.

Viktoria let out a tense breath. “Thank you for coming up with that story. I should have thought of something like that myself. It would certainly explain William’s sour expression.”

The fact that his mother was referring to her beloved as “William” and not “Willy” or “Sweet cheeks” or “Snookums” was as big a red flag as could be.

“Mother, you know it was Gloria and me in that dressing room and not Gloria and William.” He didn’t leave any room for doubt in the way he said it.

His mother sighed, her shoulders drooping. “I know. I know.” The emphasis she put on her second know felt, to Mack, like she was still trying to convince herself.

“If I had known it would cause all these problems, I would have kept myself in check,” he said.

She glanced guiltily up at him. “I don’t want you to cut short your own happiness because I can’t let go of things that happened over twenty years ago.”

Mack’s brow inched up. “So it was true? What Aunt Marina said about father?”

His mother sighed and pursed her lips, glancing out the window behind them at the boats in the harbor. The skies were overcast, lending a sense of gloom to everything. “Yes, it’s true.”

She was silent for a long time before shaking her head and turning back to Mack. “I was horrifically busy with that business with import tariffs. Although I don’t suppose you’re old enough to remember all that.”

“It rings a bell,” Mack said, although he was still in grammar school when the tariff problem arose.

“Anyhow, your father felt neglected. There was a woman….” She pressed her lips into a line, her brow knitting. “It doesn’t matter who it was. She was the wife of a friend. The two of them shared their sorrows a little too intimately one night.”

Mack swallowed, hating the story.

“He told me it was only the one time, and I believed him,” his mother rushed on, taking hold of his arm. “But something like that leaves you suspicious long after the fact. It’s why I’ve always tried to raise you boys to be honest above all else.”

“William is an honest man,” Mack said, taking her hands in his. For once, he felt as though he not only had a place in the family, he felt as though that place was crucial. His mother was confiding in him. She was relying on him, and he wouldn’t let her down. “You know that he loves you more than life itself, and that he would never do anything to hurt you that way.”

“I know. I do know.” Again, it sounded as though she were trying to convince herself. She sighed. “It’s just that Marina and I talked about it yesterday, and all those feelings of abandonment and betrayal came up again.” She glanced up to meet Mack’s eyes. “I’m not used to second-guessing myself. I’ve run this nation for decades without flinching. Which is why this whole thing has thrown me completely. Am I doing the right thing? Am I truly serving the needs of Aegiria? Or should I remain focused on governing, even if it means sacrificing my private life.”

Everything about her small speech made the hair on the back of Mack’s neck stand up. She couldn’t possibly be doubting whether to continue with the marriage, could she? And if she was, why did that feel so much like a kidnapping or a concert going awry or a yacht sinking?

“Did you say that Aunt Marina was talking to you about this?” he asked.

“Yes.” She sent him a weak smile. “That’s been the one good thing in this whole situation. Marina and I are close again after growing apart. She’s been such a help and a comfort.”

“Has she?” Mack’s suspicions ran wild. He shifted his weight, narrowing his eyes. “How did the two of you end up in the hall just as Gloria was coming out of the dressing room?” He searched back through his own memory of the incident, trying to remember if anything had prompted his mother and aunt to leave the room. He’d been too busy talking to his brothers to take notice of much.

His mother shrugged, shaking his head as though she wasn’t sure what he was getting at. “I’d been consulting with the photographer about something. Marina came up to me and tugged me away. She didn’t have time for an explanation, she just said there was something I had to see.”

“Did she now?” Mack’s brow knit into a frown. Marina had said her assistant spotted him and Gloria through the window from the other wing. But he’d been the one facing out, not Gloria. If the assistant in question had seen them, it would have been obvious that he wasn’t William. And now that he thought of it, the assistant in question had never been called to the scene to corroborate what they’d seen. Could that have been deliberate?

Was it possible, just possible, that his Aunt Marina was the one attempting to put a stop to the wedding?

Mack glanced up, scanning the room in search of his aunt. His brothers were there, several cousins and members of the Aegirian nobility were there as well, keeping the press occupied. But no matter where he searched, he couldn’t spot Marina.

Until he turned toward the door leading to the kitchen and saw Gloria storming forward, a look of vengeance in her eyes and a firm grip on Marina’s wrist. Tracy Minhall marched with them, as if standing guard. And Marina looked as though she’d been caught with her hand in the cookie jar.

Gloria watched Mack cross the room to speak with his mother, and a zip of pride hit her. She wasn’t sure she’d be brave enough to speak to her mother about relationship problems. Then again, her parents had been happily married for over thirty-five years, and she was sure she’d get a smack if she were ever cheeky enough to ask about their love life. That was just another thing about Mack that she loved.

A hitch caught in her chest. She loved him. It was silly, really. She hadn’t known him that long. But the time they’d spent together felt like years instead of days. They had so many things in common that she was willing to put aside her lifetime of seriousness and logic to entertain the idea of soulmates.

No sooner had that thought struck her when she watched Dr. Hayes practically run away from Mack and the queen. She had to do something about that.

“Dr. Hayes, where are you going?” she asked, walking so that she would intercept him. They met in front of the door leading to the kitchen.

“Oh. Um. Yes. Uh. Miss Swann.” He wavered and stammered, not meeting her eyes. “I was just….” Gloria reached out to touch his arm, but he jerked away from her. “I’m sorry, Miss Swann, but I’m just not interested in anything like that.”

Heat flooded Gloria’s face. She wasn’t sure whether to be offended by his assumption or to feel sorry for him and the awkward situation he clearly didn’t know how to handle. She opted for the latter.

“We both know this is all just a strange misunderstanding, Dr. Hayes,” she said, taking a half step back to give him space. “And I’m sure the queen knows there’s nothing at all, even a little bit between you and I.”

At last, he dragged his eyes up to meet hers. “Of course, there’s nothing between the two of us. She should know that. But she’s…different somehow, and I don’t know how to make it better.”

“Maybe you don’t have to make it better.” Gloria shrugged. “Maybe things are fine and everyone just needs a little time to get over the awkwardness.” William didn’t look convinced, so she went on with, “It was a terribly awkward situation. We were all embarrassed. I’m sure the queen is still just embarrassed.”

He made a strangled sound. Gloria couldn’t tell if it was agreement or doubt.

“I’m sure if you take her aside and talk to her, the two of you can sort everything out.”

William sighed. “I can’t talk to her. I don’t know how to talk in situations like this.”

“Well, I know it’s trite and cliché, but women always respond well to flowers.”

She thought she was being ridiculous, but William’s eyes lit with inspiration. “Yes, that’s right. Flowers say ‘I’m sorry’.”

“They also say I love you and I’d never do anything deliberately to hurt you,” Gloria added.

“Flowers.” William nodded. “Yes, that’s it.”

Without another word, and with barely an acknowledgement, he marched off. Gloria tried not to laugh, but he was incredibly sweet in his awkwardness and single-mindedness. The queen was a lucky woman.

“What was that all about?”

Gloria turned to see that Tracy had walked up to her side and was glancing curiously after William.

“Nothing,” she answered. “There was a spot of bother the other day—”

“I remember,” Tracy cut in.

“—and I think it’s about to be resolved.”

“Good.” Tracy smiled, shifting to smile at the queen, who was talking to Mack. “I love this royal couple. I want to see the two of them happy together. I feel like I have a vested interest in them.”

Her gaze shifted. Gloria followed to see what else she was looking at. Across the room, Prince Johannes glanced away from the reporter he was chatting to. He met Tracy’s eyes, and instantly Gloria’s sense of romance sparked.

“Vested interest?” she asked casually.

“Well,” Tracy answered with a cagey grin.

The door to the kitchen swung open as a server took an empty tray in before Gloria could say something more. Out of the corner of her eye, she spotted Princess Marina through the gap in the door, huddled together with a group of reporters. The reporters looked as though they were being spoon-fed something other than refreshments.

“Psst, Tracy,” Gloria whispered, nudging her new friend.

When Tracy looked her way, Gloria nodded to the kitchen. Tracy gasped when she saw Marina through the door, which hadn’t fully closed after the server went through. The two of them moved slowly toward the door. Gloria strained to overhear what was being said.

“…infidelity is an issue,” Marina was saying to the reporters. “Dr. Hayes was caught red-handed the other day with a visiting dignitary. And I’m sure it isn’t the first time it’s happened.”

Gloria’s jaw dropped and angry heat flooded her face and neck. Tracy looked just as irate.

“And I’m sure you’ve all noticed how cold things are between the two of them today,” Marina went on. “In fact, if you ask me, I don’t think the wedding will take place. I’m sure my sister will—”

“Your sister will what?” Gloria demanded, bursting through the door.

Marina gasped so hard as she straightened that she started to cough. The reporters looked terrified to have been caught as well. One bolted before Gloria could stop her.

“There is no infidelity,” Tracy told the other reporters with a familiarity that hinted to Gloria that she knew them. “Whatever story she told you is a slanderous lie.”

“But,” one of them started, “she’s Princess Marina, the queen’s sister.”

“That doesn’t mean she isn’t lying,” Gloria said.

Marina snapped straight, glaring at Gloria, but her face was pale. “How dare you accuse me of dishonesty when you are the Jezebel in this situation.”

Gloria remained as calm as she could. She’d flown combat missions. She could deal with whatever battle Princess Marina was trying to wage. “I’m dating Prince Mikael,” she told the reporters. “The two of us were seen in an intimate situation, and, as a result, there was some confusion. And if you’d like to corroborate that story,” she went on as Princess Marina tried to interrupt, “any number of the palace staff and royal family can back up the true story.”

“What I’d like to know,” Tracy picked up where Gloria left off, “is why Princess Marina is making up stories and telling the press.”

“I’m doing no such thing,” Princess Marina protested.

“No?” Gloria crossed her arms, resting her weight on one hip. “Would you like to explain to the queen why you’re telling people the wedding might not take place?”

Tracy gasped. “Wait a minute. You’re the one trying to stop the wedding.”

Gloria was on the verge of cringing, thinking that Tracy’s accusation was one step too far, but Princess Marina’s color went splotchy, and she began to babble in her efforts to answer. “I did not. I am not. Why would you even think such a thing? How dare you?”

The bottom dropped out of Gloria’s stomach, and she let her arms fall to her sides. “Oh my gosh, you are the one who’s been trying to stop the wedding.”

“What a ridiculous slander.” Princess Marina was growing more flustered by the moment. “She’s my sister. I would never….”

Gloria reached out and grabbed her arm, tugging Princess Marina toward the door back into the ballroom. “If you would never, then you’ll have no problem explaining that.”

“You’ll be fine with telling Her Majesty everything you were telling these reporters,” Tracy added.

“I can’t…I won’t….” Princess Marina continued to stammer as Gloria marched her out into the ballroom and across to where Mack and the queen were still talking.

The two of them glanced up from their conversation with expressions of surprise. Gloria met Mack’s eyes with all the ferocity she felt. It was about time the royal family got to the bottom of all the problems surrounding the wedding. She was going to make Princess Marina confess if it was the last thing she ever did.