Page 27 of Tall, Royal and Grumpy

The other princes and princesses had dispersed back to their temporary residence quickly after that, though Prince Arsh and Prince Fay had suggested an outing for some of the younger ones, taking Adam and Princess Dabira of Shah too.

Kai had headed to his office, and I had ended up in Chaukham Palace’s library, reading a Tregency romance that I had picked up from the shelves when Pierre found me. Hence, we were both tucked against the shelves while I stood upon a small stepladder and read aloud to him.

It was the first time I had seen Pierre without his chef’s coat on. He’d been hiding chiselled yet lean muscle under it the whole time. Paired with the way his stance showed-off his torso so well, objectively speaking, Pierre was pure eye candy. But I felt nothing. Because he wasn’t Kai.

I glanced back at the page. “He stumbled to a stop in the threshold of the room. Time slowed as his heart dropped out of his chest, the shatter as it hit the floor piercingly loud. His Juliet was laughing with another man. His best friend.”

“That’s what you deserve Marquess for shutting her out, idiot.”

I grinned. “Was he too late? Had she chosen Rauf instead?”

“Of course, she has. Juliet has a brain.”

“Pierre!” I laughed, lowering the book to glare at him.

But instead of Pierre’s voice, I heard Kai’s. “Esmeralda.”

My heart imploded in on itself, and I jerked my head up so fast I nearly gave myself whiplash.

Kai stood at the end of the aisle behind Pierre, looking as perfect and as gorgeous as he always did. He still wore the dark grey, three-piece suit from this morning, only rumpled where he’d loosened his tie and undone his waistcoat buttons. And fuck, those two casual touches were so bloody sexy paired with the natural frown on his brows and the five o’clock shadow on his jaw.

“Kai. Hi.” The air in the library had disappeared or my lungs were malfunctioning.

“Why if it isn’t my favourite prince,” Pierre said, pulling off the shelves.

Kai pressed his lips together and nodded at the sous chef. He stretched his shoulders wide as he pushed one hand into his suit trouser pocket. “Pierre.”

“Wow,” Pierre said, shaking his head. “So you’re gonna act like we haven’t been best friends since birth just because there’s a pretty princess here? I see how it is.”

I grinned between them, and Kai’s jaw shifted—locked or rolled, I couldn’t quite tell. “That’s not how it is,” he uttered gruffly, then angled his gaze to me. “Are you ready to go?”

I snapped the book shut. “Yes, I am.”

So, I had somehow ended up making plans with Kai to go to the palace stables before he’d disappeared into his office. Mariyah was going to be so proud of me.

“Dammit.” Pierre sighed. “I need to know if Juliet forgives Thornwell or not. Will you read to me again, Princess, after dinner before I head home? Please?”

“Deal, but only because I need to know too.”

“See you at eight then, Your Highness.” Pierre took my hand and pressed a light kiss to my knuckles.

The moment he disappeared around the bookshelves, my attention zoned in on Kai like only he existed. As if I wasn’t surrounded by my favourite thing in the world, books. His beautiful frown etched itself deeper on his face as he watched Pierre walk away. From his side-profile, I saw his cheek suck in until his jaw looked like the sharp edge of a knife.

I climbed down the two steps off the stepladder, catching Kai’s attention. “Shall we?”

It took a second or two, but he hummed his reply and stepped back, letting me head past him.

* * *

Chaukham Palace’s stables were like something out of a storybook. A huge, weathered oak building with several stalls curving out in a semi-circle on one side, situated in a huge, fenced paddock that was split in two. There were a few horses poking their heads out of the stalls on the side, and Kai patted the nose of a white horse we passed as we headed to the open doors of the structure.

I had changed out of my dress into more comfortable slim-fit jeans and a white long-sleeve under a zip-up dark green jumper. Kai said there was a pair of riding boots for me to use at the stables.

He, on the other hand, had only taken his suit jacket and tie off, and had donned the thickest, longest parka coat I had ever seen in my life. Like it was meant to be worn in the Tundra strip in northern Shah, rather than during a warmer winter day in Touma.

But the older, tanned man with a trimmed salt-and-pepper beard didn’t seem to question Kai’s odd choice of riding gear as he turned away from a young boy checking the stirrup dangling from the side of a gorgeous chocolate brown horse. No doubt a Thoroughbred reared from the strongest of horses from the State of Khaas.

“Prince Kai,” the man chirped happily over a bow. “I see you’ve brought a guest with you.”

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