Page 52 of Tall, Royal and Grumpy

YESSSSS

Mariyah

HOW WHEN WHERE

Mariyah

BABY IM SOOOO HAPPY FOR U

* * *

KAI

The next day was an important day.

It was the final conference of this year’s Peace Celebrations—the Business Initiative Effort—that I had planned with Uncle, Fay, and a large team of civil servants and event planners.

The whole day ended with a soiree at the centuries old Pavilion City Hall. But instead of focusing on the older CEO of the international bank, Reynold-Notts, speaking to me, I was standing in the middle of the grand room, focusing on something past his shoulder.

Through the crowd of hundreds of people in dressed-down suits—ties and blazers gone—and simple, elegant dresses, between staff holding silver trays with tall flutes of drinks. Not to the dessert table against the furthest wall like everyone else, longingly wondering if it would be socially acceptable to go for another mini apple pastry or square of chocolate cake. But to where this pint-sized crown princess was talking to a middle-aged lady and my brother, Fay.

Esmeralda. My Esmeralda—was I allowed to call her that yet or was it too early?

She was wearing a dress in Jahandar’s national colour—a dark rose red—with matching pointed heels. The flowy skirt, sitting below her knees, was embroidered in the traditional Jahandar style of flowers and vines climbing up the fabric. It’s fitted sleeves ended above her elbows, and the bodice hugged her breasts in a way that wasn’t revealing, but I was having obscene thoughts of palming her over the fabric. And sat across her neck above the wide, curved neckline was a simple, elegant gold chain, matching the dangly earrings and bracelet she wore.

She looked beautiful. Stunning. Perfect. So damn distracting.

Whatever Fay leaned into her and said made her chuckle. She pushed at his shoulder playfully and I felt a pang of jealousy that it wasn’t me in his place. When she tucked a lock of curled hair behind her ear, my fingers twitched around the thin glass in my hand. I wished I could play with her hair again like I had done last night in the hours we spent chatting after that mind-blowing kiss.

Seven years she’d liked me from afar, and I didn’t know how she’d done it. I was struggling to last a day away from her. I wanted to be right next to her. Touching her in some way.

“What are you looking at, Your Highness?”

I shot straight and right out of my reverie as the older CEO glanced over his shoulder to follow the direction of my stare. He looked back at me with a massive grin on his face. Shit.

“Is the dessert table calling your name?”

I released the breath I was holding in and smiled. “You caught me,” I said, feigning embarrassment, and the man chuckled.

“Caught you doing what?”

“Ah, Prince Arsh,” the older CEO gushed.

I stepped back to let Uncle insert himself next to me. He’d taken off his black suit jacket like so many others and had a glass in his hand.

“I was just telling your nephew he should head over to the dessert table he’s been eyeing instead of being shy like everyone else here.”

Uncle chuckled and slapped a hand on my shoulder. “Morro is right. Go for it, Kai. Don’t be shy.”

If they both insisted, who was I to say no? Although I didn’t intend to go to the dessert table directly.

With a polite thank you and smile, I headed around Uncle and the older man, placing my untouched glass on a passing staff member’s silver tray. My path aimed straight for Esmeralda.

She spotted me coming towards her just as I passed her older brother, King Kareem, in conversation with the Queen of Prio and another man. Her eyes grew larger, and her sudden skittishness sent a surge of excitement rushing through me. She was trying to tame an excited smile. It wasn’t quite working, and damn if I didn’t find it absolutely adorable.

Leaning into Fay, she whispered something right in his ear.

It was probably wrong that I felt viciously jealous of my own brother. So much so I wanted to shove him away so her lips weren’t touching the shell of his ear. I knew it was irrational, but still. I felt it.

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