Page 1 of A Royal Promise
Chapter One
Drew
Parents should never involve themselves in the art of matchmaking.
Especially when said parents were forcing their son to spend time with the most conceited, stuck-up woman in existence.
Drew hadn’t even had time to unpack his suitcase after a trip to Edgemont for his childhood friend, Rosalie’s, vow renewal ceremony. Yet his parents were already throwing Clarissa at him. Again.
Technically, Clarissa was the one throwingherselfat him. However, his parents knew she was interested, and they were the ones who kept inviting her family back to visit, so they were the ones he blamed.
As the Crown Prince of Glencrest, Drew understood they needed him to marry one day to continue the family line for the throne. As their son, he wished his parents wouldn’t try to make him spend time with such a miserable woman.
He reached into his pocket, feeling a little more at ease as his fingers traced the worn creases of the piece of paper he oftencarried with him—the one his best friend, Bri, had almost seen while they were at Rosalie’s wedding. If she’d seen it too early, before he was ready for that conversation, the results could have been disastrous. For now, it was better off safely tucked into his pocket as a reminder for him—a beacon of hope that he might live out his greatest dream someday.
Drew shivered the second he saw Clarissa sashaying toward him, swaying her hips so forcefully he was shocked they didn’t pop out of their sockets. The plum dress she wore was tight and revealing. He was sure plenty of men would find her pretty—beautiful even—with her feminine figure and sleek dark-brown hair. But there was only one woman he had eyes for—and it wasnother.
“Andy,” Clarissa called out in a honeyed tone, wiggling her fingers at him.
He did his best to refrain from wincing. Drew hated it when people shortened his full name, Andrew, toAndy.
“Clarissa,” he responded flatly.
Her black stilettos echoed off the gray marble floors of the palace’s main hallway. He looked down at the floors then up at the white coffered ceiling—anywhere but at her.
As she got closer to him, he couldn’t help himself. His lips pulled into a grimace, and he involuntarily shivered again. When she reached him, Clarissa wrapped her fingers around his arm, squeezing it.
“Have you been working out?” She puckered her lips and leaned in, kissing his cheek.
His whole body tensed, and it took everything in him not to wipe at his cheek with his sleeve. He removed his arm from her talon-like grasp only for her to take hold of it again a second later. She may as well have been made of Velcro for how much she clung to him.
Drew didn’t care that Clarissa was the daughter of a trusted duke on his father’s council. That only meant she should’ve been raised with more decorum and understanding of how to act in the royal sphere. It definitely didn’t give her the freedom to hang all over him.
Before he could ask her why she was there, she provided him with an answer.
“My parents had a meeting with your parents this morning. Isn’t it great that we can spend the day together? I have a feeling we’ll be spending a lot more time together in the future.” She smiled widely and shot him a wink, still keeping a death grip on his arm.
“Splendid.” Drew forced a smile. “Why would we be spending more time together, though?”
Clarissa playfully pushed his chest. “Oh, Andy. You’re hilarious.”
He heard more footsteps coming from around the corner and sighed with relief. Finally, his parents and Clarissa’s parents, the Duke and Duchess of Berwyn, came into view. It felt like an eternity as he waited for them to walk down the long hallway and join them.
Drew sent his mom an expression that said, “Help me.” She shook her head and shot him a stern look. He took that as her telling him to play nice. He was on his own, and nothing about this was nice—he was seriously starting to worry about the circulation in his arm.
“I see Clarissa has found you. Isn’t it wonderful she could come along today?” his father, King Maxwell, said.
“Just magnificent,” Drew gritted out.
“I couldn’t agree more.” Clarissa somehow squeezed his bicep even tighter.
“You two look darling together.” Clarissa’s mother, Felicity, placed her hand over her heart.
Clarissa let go of her hold on his arm, providing him a momentary sense of relief, before wrapping both arms around his waist. “Don’t we?”
Drew shot his mom another look, and she finally acquiesced. “Why don’t we go for a walk on the forest trails? It’s beautiful outside today.”
“That sounds lovely, Your Majesty.” Clarissa’s mother nodded at his mom, and they led the way to the back doors of the palace. Drew knew from experience that Clarissa wasn’t any less handsy or forward with their parents around, but at least he wouldn’t have to be alone with her.
