Page 2 of Pregnant at the Palace Altar

“What is?” Diamandis said between gritted teeth, beyond irritated that his frustration was leaking through whennothingabout Katerina Floros mattered to him.Nothing.Not why she’d left or what state she was currently in.

She had left. The end.

“She didn’t seem to want to see me, so I didn’t approach her and ask. Of course every pregnancy and woman is different, or so I’ve read, but she seemed to be even farther along thanme. Considering how you had her working practically around the clock, I’m not sure how she found the time to become pregnant while working for you.” Then all the casual indifference turned sharp, her dark gaze pinning his. “I don’t supposeyouhad anything to do with it.”

“With what?”

She rolled her eyes. “Please tell me you’re not the deadbeat father of her baby, Diamandis.”

Diamandis straightened and stared down at his sister. “I am the king of Kalyva.”

“So?”

She really was the most impossible creature. He did not understand why Lysias didn’t...dosomething about her.

Or why you, the king and her brother, don’t.

But that was neither here nor there. “I amnota deadbeat. Nor the father of Katerina’s child. She left in the dark of night all those months ago and I have not seen her since.”

“Yes, six months ago. About the time she likely found out she was pregnant. It just seems likely that the two events are connected.”

“I assure youIhad nothing to do with whatever predicament she finds herself in.”

Zandra shrugged, her hands resting over her own rounded belly. Diamandis refused to let his imagination create a version of Katerina in that state.

He was aking. If the regrettable night of passion had led to a child, his efficient assistant would have informed him and requested compensation. They would have dealt with the problem at hand. There would have been no cause to run away.

To do so would be foolish and shortsighted, and Katerina had never been any of those things, even in the aftermath of their one...hiccup.

He preferred to refer to it as that.

“I have much to do, Zandra. Was there anything else you wished to discuss?”

She eyed him carefully, and he did not know what his sister was searching for, or whether she found it. She moved forward, brushing a kiss across his cheek. “Nothing else, Diamandis. I will see you at dinner.” Then she departed.

Diamandis stood exactly where he was. He told himself that this information changed nothing. He would go on about his day as planned.

He pressed the button on his desk that would alert his assistant that his presence was required.

While he waited, Diamandis stood staring blindly out the window. It was impossible. He was sure it was impossible.

But unfortunately, Zandra was correct. Katerina’s life as his assistanthadbeen demanding. When would she have had time to go off and engage in some affair? He would have heard about it, known about it.

So there was only one course of action now, no matter how impossible this all seemed.

When his new assistantfinallyappeared, Diamandis didn’t look at him. He simply said, “I will be flying to Athens. Make the arrangements. Immediately.”

“The brave, courageous prince stood between the princess and the dangerous dragon, and with one mighty swipe he saved the princess from certain death!”

Katerina Floroshatedthis story, but the children in her classroom loved it. The illustration of the prince slaying the dragon was just gruesome enough to be titillating for the four-year-old set, the tale of a prince and princess and a dragon just imaginative enough to fill many of them with the typical childhood awe.

Any awe Katerina might have had at royalty and glittering dresses and fearsome princes had long since fallen prey to disillusionment. Instead, she felt sorry for the dragon.Helikely had been minding his own business, doing his job, only to have the prince swoop in and ruin everything.

The children made excited conversation about the illustration, as per usual, and then Katerina hurried them through their end-of-day routines. Parents began to arrive to pick up their children after long days at work.

It was hard for Katerina to believe she would be one of them soon—rushing about, working and parenting. She liked to believe she’d be the flawless, unbothered mother with big smiles and hugs. She had a bad feeling she’d be the harried one, bustling around, begging for the children topleasemove along faster because they had places to be. But that was still a little way off...though it was getting ever closer.

Once all the children had been picked up, and most of the staff had gone, Katerina collected her things. Her boss—the director of the childcare center and Katerina’s personal savior—joined her.

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