Page 44 of Pregnant at the Palace Altar

She did not return her mother’s hug, though she didn’t fight it off either. She stood there stiffly, her green eyes oddly blank. He was not certain he’d ever seen her quite so disassociated from what was happening around her. It was a feeling, a coping mechanism he understood so well because...

He used it almost every day. And it was fine for him,rightfor him and his many sins, but he could not stand to see it in Katerina. He wished to whisk her away from this woman who would suck all the light right out of her.

Her own mother.

“Your Majesty,” Ghavriella greeted, though she did not curtsy as she should have.

Diamandis said nothing in return. He needed to combat his temper before he dealt with this...contemptible creature.

“Is there a reason you’re here, Mother?” Katerina said. There was no emotional response in her words, merely a kind of bland, detached politeness she’d often trotted out as his assistant when dealing with difficult people.

Including him.

That darkness deep inside twisted harder because no doubt he deserved it. He was no better than her mother.

You could be...

“I thought you both should know the truth, lest it come up at an...inopportune time. I don’t suppose we could perhaps have this conversation over lunch?”

“I’m afraid that won’t be possible today, Ms. Floros,” Diamandis said before Katerina could respond. No matter what, he would not allow this woman to be under the palace roof any longer than necessary.

“Well, surely your wife’s mother qualifies for a stay in the palace?”

“We will be quite happy to make arrangements for you.”But not in the palacewas left unsaid, but he could tell by the flash of temper in her green eyes—eyes that matched Katerina’s—that she understood the slight.

“What truth did you wish us to know, Ms. Floros? I assure you, the throne will handle whatever it is with the necessary action.”

“Action?” She let out a little laugh. “Well, good luck with that, I suppose. We can’t all bag kings.” Ghavriella sent Katerina a nasty little smile. “I guess you reallywerewatching and learning, no matter what you said.”

There was a flash in Katerina’s gaze then, but it passed quickly. Banked. Hidden. Diamandis wished he could save her from whatever pathetic ploy this was, but she was determined to see it through. So he’d do what he could to hurry the woman along.

“I’m afraid Katerina and I have important business to attend to. Perhaps you’d like to share your information with Katerina’s assistant, and we can go from there.”

“I doubt Katerina wants her assistant to know who her biological father is,” Ghavriella said, examining her nails.

He expected Katerina to have some reaction to that, but she seemed as detached and uninterested as ever.

“Itwillcome out now, I fear. Better we control the narrative, don’t you think?”

“You have claimed many men as my father over the years. Why should I believe it this time?” Katerina asked.

“Because it is a secret I have tried to keep by using those other men. No one wants their daughter’s father to be a jailed traitor, after all.”

Diamandis had been on the receiving end of many attempts at manipulation since he had been made king. In those early days, he had fallen for far too many. These days, he did not let them win.

But a cold dread coiled tightly within him. “Is this a generic traitor or...?”

“Thropos Palia.”

Katerina thought maybe she’d heard that name before, but couldn’t remember when or where. One look at Diamandis told her thatheknew the name.

Katerina had been determined to be unaffected. It would just be another lie. Something to get under her skin—no, not even that. It would be something that would get Ghavriella the attention she so craved. From a powerful man.

Themostpowerful man.

She’d have to think about Katerina at all to care about getting under her skin.

“I mean, the king marrying the daughter of one of the men responsible for his parents’ deaths is quite a story, don’t you think?”

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