Page 62 of Songs and Spun Gold
CHAPTER 16
Axel
Axel couldn’t help the grin spreading across his face as he approached her. After all of his worrying, too.
She turned slowly, wavering on her feet. Her eyes were wide, and her mouth was open slightly as she stared at him. Lifting her unresisting hand, he pressed his lips lightly to her knuckles, his eyes never leaving hers.
“I can’t tell you how delighted I am to see you here, Katy,” he whispered. She continued to stare at him, mouth flopping like a fish. “And to think, only yesterday I was mourning the fact that I would never see you again.”
“But—” She stuttered as she finally found her voice. “But you’re G—”
He swiftly leaned forward, placing his lips next to her ear so the acoustics couldn’t pick up his voice. “If you care for me at all, please do not call me that here.” She began to draw back, but he leaned forward with her. “I’ll explain later, I promise.”
She gave him a slight nod as he withdrew. Behind him, he heard Otto release a quiet sigh.
“Axel,” his mother said, a rebuke in her voice. “What about Heidi?”
He almost confessed that “Heidi” stood before her, but he stopped himself at the last moment. Katy had attended the show; his cover story would be blown. “As I’ve told you, Mother, though I believed myself madly in love with her, it wouldnever have worked out between us.”
“Yes, but—”
“And how can I deeply mourn her loss when faced with such loveliness as I see here before me?” he continued blithely. He winked at Katy, but instead of smiling back, her mouth finally snapped shut as she narrowed her eyes at him.
“Well!” huffed his mother, dropping back against her throne and pursing her lips. She opened her mouth like she planned to say something else, but her eyes darted to the young woman in front of him, and she closed it again. “If you are determined. But what does the young lady say?”
“It doesn’t matter,” the king said stiffly. “By completing the challenge, she agreed to marry him.”
Katy spun back to face his parents. “No! I—I can’t marry him. That is, I really,reallywould rather not.”
Axel fought the downward pull on his lips at this outburst. Placing a tentative hand on her back, he whispered, “Katy?”
“This audience is over. Come, Carina.” Father stood and held out his arm. Mother narrowed her eyes at Axel before rising gracefully from her seat and taking it, heading for the exit.
Instead of shaking him off as he had feared, Katy twisted her head to look at him with a frantic expression. “Please! Help me convince him!”
“But, Katy…” His forehead creased as he set his other hand on her shoulder and turned her to face him. “I don’t understand. Why?”
“Excuse me, Your Highness.” The quiet voice of his guard drew both his and Katy’s attention. “Perhaps we should relocate?”
Axel followed the direction of Otto’s subtle nod. The king and queen had left, but Lord Ulrich was still standing on the dais. The advisor was pretending to fiddle with his sleeve, but his eyes gleamed in the early morning light as he watched themwith interest.
“A wise suggestion, Otto. If you would, please, Katy,” Axel murmured, lightly gripping her arm.
She glared daggers at him as she ripped her arm out of his hold. “You may call me Katrin.”
“Later, Kat,” the guard urged. Axel’s eyes widened in surprise. “Let’s get out of here before you have it out with him.”
“With you, too,” she muttered, but she started stomping toward the throne room door.
Axel raised an eyebrow at his guard, but Otto only shook his head and motioned to the exit. “Later.”
Within a few minutes, the prince was closing the door of an empty sitting room. Katy stormed across the room to a window, while Otto took up a post next to the door.
As soon as the door was closed, Katy whirled to face him, her loose, wild curls flying out to the sides with the motion. Pointing her finger accusingly at him, she hissed, “You lied to me!”
“I know. I’m sorry.” Axel held his hands up, palms out. “But I promise, my name was the only thing I told you that wasn’t true.”
She stalked toward him. Her mouth was scrunched up in fury. “Why? Why didn’t you tell me who you really were?”
