Page 71 of Songs and Spun Gold
Her friend beamed. “The entire thing was magnificent. Itwas one of the best I’ve ever seen! I thought the understudy did a marvelous job.” Her own expression turned mischievous as she grinned at Katy. “Katy could tell you more about him. She convinced him to spend the rest of the evening with her.”
“Oh, really?” he replied, eyebrows raising as he returned his full gaze to Katy. Once again, her traitorous cheeks began their journey to crimson as she glared at her friend. “And how did you like the young man, fair Katrin?” His voice was grave while his eyes danced at her.
Crossing her arms, she turned her nose up at him. “He was a rogue,” she sniffed. The right side of his face – the one hidden from her friends – turned impish just for her. “He wore two faces, and I don’t know which one to believe, if either.”
The amusement fell out of his face, but he kept the public side polite.
“It displeases me to hear that he was such a disappointment to you,” he said softly.
“Didn’t you also meet someone that night, Your Highness?” Fritz interjected. No longer resting his forearms on his knees with clasped hands, he was now leaned back in his chair, arms folded across his chest as he stared the younger man down.
Raising his eyebrows, the prince lifted his head and turned a faintly amused expression to his antagonist. “My, the gossip has spread wide, hasn’t it? Or has my guard been telling tales?”
“Yes, please do tell us how you abandoned the girl that you loved,” Katy quipped, folding her arms. “You must admit, it’s not a good look, Your Highness.”
“Why so formal, fair Katrin?” he asked. “I would prefer that you simply call me Axel.” Free of his head, his hand drifted down, and he wrapped his forefinger around one of her curls.
Springing to her feet, Katy stomped over to a chair next to Angelika and dropped into it with a huff. “Just Axel would be disrespectful from a poor miller’s daughter,” she retorted. Herblush deepened as he repositioned himself to face her, the twinkle in his eyes brightening as they measured the distance between the chair she had chosen and each of her friends.
“But not for my fiancée,” he replied merrily. Katy shot a glance at Fritz, trying to hide her wince at his tight jaw.
This wasn’t working. Jumping to her feet once again, she fumbled, “Perhaps I’ll take that tour after all, Your Highness.” Maybe he would talk about the building instead of their relationship.
Angelika’s eyes bounced between the other three while she worried at her lower lip. “Fritz and I should head back to the inn to pack our things.”
“I only need five minutes,” Fritz argued stiffly. He was still watching the prince, whose eyes remained fixed on Katy as he pushed himself confidently off the sofa. “If His Highness is willing to show us, I would like to see the castle.”
“But of course,” Prince Axel glibly interjected. Sauntering forward a few steps, he slid a hand over Katy’s shoulder. “Nothing would please me more than to ensure that you are satisfied regarding Katrin’s accommodations and comfort.”
“She’s not your pet,” Fritz growled, taking a step toward the prince as Katy shrugged away from his hand.
“Certainly not,” Prince Axel replied easily. “She is a delightful young lady and deserves the finer things of life. Which, incidentally, she will be able to access here.”
“How would you know? You just met her!”
“Fritz.”
“She is fiery, adorably easily flummoxed, loves her family, and is incorrigibly honest. Do you disagree?”
“Listening to Otto isn’t the same as knowing her.”
“Fritz!”
“Of course, it isn’t. I’m an excellent judge of character; I had her measure before her cousin told me a thing about her.”He broke eye contact with Fritz long enough to throw Katy a quick wink.
Fritz took another few strides forward, putting himself in Prince Axel’s face. Both were tall, but Fritz had an inch or two on the young royal. “You don’t deserve to even look at her! A man who would fall in love with a woman at first sight only to cast her aside for the next pretty face could never deserve my Katy.”
She had been ready to reprimand him again, maybe step between the two and force some distance, but those last two words stunned her.My Katy.She knew that he had been ready to propose, but even so—
Prince Axel appeared struck as well. The light in his eyes dimmed as he tilted his head toward her. “So youhavedecided to return to your village, then?”
“She doesn’t need you or your father to take care of her family,” Fritz responded belligerently.
Glaring at him, Katy snapped, “I already told you, Fritz, I won’t let you! This is my problem to fix.”
“But he—”
“I’ve made my decision. I’m sorry, Fritz. I really am. I never wanted any of this.” Gunther, yes. But not like this. “But it is what it is, and neither of us can change it. So we might as well accept it.”
