Chapter 191
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Keira stood under the scalding spray of the shower after Alexei left and she had cleaned up the room, she realized she needed to get a move on, letting the water wash away the lingering scent of sex and tiredness from her brain. Steam filled the bathroom as she tried to process everything that had happened in the span of a few hours.
Heir to the throne. Potential mother of future royalty. A life where her children might never have the freedom to choose their own paths. What was she doing?
She pressed her palms against the marble shower wall, water cascading down her back. When she’d agreed to come to Wystovia, she’d thought the worst thing would be learning proper etiquette and dealing with media scrutiny. The succession issue changed everything.
After a while she reluctantly stepped out, wrapping herself in a plush towel. Through the bathroom door, she could hear movement in the other room.
“Miss Warner?” A voice called. “I have your dress for this evening.”
Keira cracked open the door to find a young woman holding a garment bag. Not Maria, thank God.
“Thank you…?” Keira said
“Elena, miss. I’m to help you prepare for dinner with the royal family.” The woman’s English was accented but clear, her manner warm. “Prince Alexei requested I assist you.”
Of course he had. Keira was beginning to understand that in this world, every detail was managed, every appearance carefully orchestrated.
“That’s very kind, but I can manage-
“If I may, miss,” Elena interrupted gently, “Prince Alexei was quite specific about ensuring you felt prepared.”
Keira’s could see the kindness in the woman’s eyes. After Maria’s passive–aggressive welcome and the king’s interrogation, this felt like a gift.
“Alright,” she conceded. “What do I need to know?”
Elena smiled, hanging the garment bag on the wardrobe door. “First, let’s see about your hair. And I’ll explain the dinner protocol while we work.”
An hour later, Keira barely recognized herself in the mirror. The dress was a deep emerald silk that somehow made her eyes look even bluer. Elena had arranged her hair in an elegant updo that showed off her neck. Diamond earrings Alexei had sent completed the look.
“You look beautiful, miss,” Elena said, stepping back to admire her work.
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“I look like someone pretending to be a princess,” Keira muttered.
Elena’s expression softened. “If I may… you look like someone who belongs here.”
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A knock at the door interrupted them. Elena moved to answer it, and Keira heard Alexei’s voice in the hallway.
“Is she ready?”
“Just finished, Your Highness.”
Keira took a deep breath, squared her shoulders, and walked into the sitting room. Alexei stood near the door wearing a perfectly tailored dark suit that made him look every inch the prince he was born to be and smoking hot.
His eyes swept over her, and something heated flickered in his expression before he controlled it.
“You’re stunning,” he said simply.
Heat crept up her neck. “Elena worked miracles.”
“Elena enhanced what was already there.” He moved closer, offering his arm. “Ready to meet my brother and Amelia?”
“As ready as someone can be for their second royal interrogation of the day.”
Alexei’s mouth quirked. “Niko’s different from my father. He’s very different in private.”
“And his wife?”
“Amelia will adore you. She’s American too, actually. From San Francisco.”
That stopped Keira short. “She’s American? How did-” This was a shock.
“Long story. But she understands what it’s like to be an outsider marrying into this family.” His expression grew serious. “She can help you navigate things I can’t.”
They walked through the palace corridors, passing staff who bowed respectfully as they went. Keira was still getting used to that, the automatic deference to Alexei’s rank.
“About earlier,” she said quietly as they approached the private dining room. “The succession thing. I’m sorry that I lost my temper and said some things.”
“After dinner,” he agreed. “When we have privacy we can talk more, but I have to say your little hissy fits always make me hard.”
She playfully slapped him.
They paused outside a set of double doors. Alexei turned to face her, his hands settling on her
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shoulders.
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“Whatever my brother says, whatever questions they ask, just be yourself. That’s all I need from you. Be yourself.”
“Even if myself isn’t royal material?”
“Especially then.” He leaned down, brushing his lips against her forehead.
The doors opened, revealing a dining room that was somehow both grand and intimate. A long table set for six, crystal and silver gleaming in candlelight. Two people rose as they entered.
Prince Niko was unmistakably Alexei’s brother, tall and dark–haired with the same sharp jawline. But where Alexei carried himself with casual confidence, Niko had a more formal bearing, the weight of future kingship visible in his posture.
Beside him stood a woman with auburn hair and intelligent green eyes, beautiful in an understated way. She smiled as they approached, and Keira felt some of her tension ease.
“Niko, Amelia,” Alexei said formally, “may I present Keira Warner. Keira, my brother Prince Niko and his wife Princess Amelia.”
Keira had rehearsed this moment with Elena. She executed a brief curtsy, not too deep, and waited for them to extend their hands first.
“Miss Warner,” Niko said, his handshake firm. “Welcome to Wystovia.”
“Thank you, Your Highness.”
Amelia stepped forward, ignoring protocol entirely and pulling Keira into a warm hug. “Oh, forget all that formal nonsense. It’s so good to meet you.”
Keira blinked in surprise at the casual warmth. “It’s lovely to meet you both as well.”
Niko said with fond exasperation, “In privacy we are just Niko and Amelia please.”
Amelia linked her arm through Keira’s. “Come, sit next to me. I want to hear everything.”
As they settled at the table, Keira caught Alexei’s eye. He was smiling, clearly pleased with how the introduction had gone.
“So,” Amelia said once wine had been poured, “Alexei tells us you were his assistant?”
“For about two years, yes.”
“That must have been… interesting,” Niko said diplomatically.
Keira couldn’t help but laugh. “That’s one word for it. Your brother can be quite… demanding.”
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“Hey,” Alexei protested. “I prefer focused.”
“You prefer getting your way… always” Keira shot back without thinking.
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Silence fell for a moment, and she realized she’d just contradicted a prince in front of the future king and queen. Heat flooded her cheeks.
But then Niko laughed, a genuine sound of delight. “Oh, I like her already. It’s about time someone called you out, brother. Not having a woman fall at your feet.”
“She’s been calling me out from day one,” Alexei said dryly. “It’s become a professional hazard.”
The conversation flowed more easily after that. Amelia regaled them with stories of her own adjustment to royal life, making Keira feel less alone.
Niko proved to be drier humor than his brother, but equally charming in his own way. Keira could feel there was some tension just below the surface between Niko and Amelia.
They were served wine and talked for a few minutes before Maria joined them. She swept into the dining room like she owned it, her dark hair perfectly coiffed, wearing a red dress. Keira felt her stomach tighten as Maria’s gaze found hers across the room. “I see I’m not late.”
“Cousin,” Alexei said coolly as Maria approached their table.
“Alexei,” Maria replied, her voice honey–sweet. “I was so sorry to miss your arrival earlier. I was… showing Miss Warner to her accommodations.”
Keira saw Amelia’s eyes narrow slightly at Maria’s tone. Apparently, she wasn’t the only one who picked up on the underlying hostility.
“How thoughtful of you,” Amelia said, watching Maria like she was a snake with two heads. “I’m sure Keira appreciated the welcome.”
“Oh, we had quite the chat, didn’t we?” Maria turned to Keira with a smile that didn’t reach her eyes. “I was just explaining some of our… traditions here at the palace.”
“Traditions,” Keira repeated flatly, taking a sip of her wine.
Before Maria could elaborate, the dining room doors opened again. Everyone rose immediately, and Keira followed suit, recognizing the formal entrance of the King. He strode in with the same presence she’d experienced earlier, though his expression seemed marginally less severe than during their private meeting.
“Father,” both Alexei and Niko said in unison, bowing their heads slightly.
“Your Majesty,” Amelia added with a practiced curtsy. Keira didn’t look to see how Maria reacted to the king, only following Amelia’s lead.
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Keira executed what she hoped was an appropriate curtsy of her own, grateful for Elena’s quick tutorial. “Your Majesty.”
The King’s gaze swept the assembled group before settling on her. “Miss Warner. I trust you’ve found the palace accommodations satisfactory?”
“Very much so, Sir. Thank you.”
“Excellent.” He moved to take his seat at the head of the table, and everyone else followed suit. “I apologize for the delay. Affairs of state, you understand.”
As the staff began serving the first course, Keira found herself seated between Alexei and Amelia, with Maria directly across from her. The positioning felt strategic, and she wondered if it was intentional. Niko was across from his wife and next to Maria.
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