Chapter 172

My energy was already depleted, and that little dose of champagne tipped me over the edge into irresistible sleepiness. The servants had changed our sheets and re-set the bed while we were at dinner. I was out of my dress and tucking myself under the covers in minutes.

Nolan changed into some black silk pajama pants and a tank top, and brought his laptop with him to bed. He sat beside me while I drifted off. He would type a little, then stroke my hair absentmindedly; type more, pet my hair… till I was soothed into a deep slumber.

“Hey.”

I woke to Nolan’s smiling face looking down at me.

“Hey yourself.” I tried to reach up for him, but my arm was too tired and flopped right back down. “What time is it?”

“It’s almost five a.m. I’m sorry to wake you up so early, but I have a favor to ask of you.”

I rolled onto my back, rubbing my eyes awake. Nolan looked sharp, handsome and squeaky clean. He’d gotten a shave and a haircut, and was dressed in a beautiful royal blue suit.

“What’s up?” I asked.

“I’m going to give a speech in a couple hours, and I want you to come with me.”

“Oh.” I was waking up quickly now. “Like a televised thing?”

“Yes. In front of Parliament. It’s scheduled for nine a.m., but we’ll need to leave by seven for all the security protocols.”

I sat up. “You really want me to go with you?”

“Absolutely. I would like nothing more.”

“Do I need to say anything?”

He shrugged. “No. Though I suppose you are likely to have some questions directed at you during the Q&A. It’s up to you if you want to answer them, though.”

“You trust me to do that?”

Nolan’s eyes narrowed. “Of course I trust you. You’re well-spoken and very natural in front of a crowd.”

“But I don’t have to talk, right? I could just stand with you?”

“If that’s what you want, then that’s fine. I will be happy just to have you by my side. And I’m sure everyone will be thrilled to see you again.”

I had an hour to get ready. Nolan returned to his office to practice his speech while I hurried through a full morning refresh, starting with a quick shower. I didn’t have time to overthink my look. I tied my hair up into a tidy, professional-looking bun and put on some simple but meticulously applied makeup, finishing the look off with a bold matte burgundy lipstick.

And then it was the age-old question: what to wear.

It was clear today, no more rain in the forecast, but it was a blustery cold morning. I started assembling a layered look. Textured black tights under a short, structured black dress, thigh-high boots and a heavy, expensive coat the color of cream. And a silky royal blue scarf that matched Nolan’s suit.

Studying myself in the mirror, though, I realized it was missing something. I’d done too good a job looking the part of a royal Luna. I looked great, very sophisticated – but not very me.

I was next door in my studio the next thing I knew.

I had an idea. My look just needed one more embellishment, a little pop of color and flair. All my fabric scraps were still here, piled in drawers just the way I’d left them. I dug around until I found the fabric I wanted, then made quick work of fashioning myself a couple accessories.

Nolan appeared in the doorway right on time.

It was like déjà vu. Me working in my studio, him coming to find me here. I caught his eye as he strode across the room in my direction and could tell he was thinking something similar.

“I’ve missed watching you work.” He paused at a distance, his hands in his pockets. Giving me space to finish working.

I grinned up at him. “I’m done, I promise. I just need to glance in the mirror and then I’ll be ready to go.”

Inspired by my deep red lip color, I had used a velvety, wine-red fabric to create a wide belt for my waist and a matching headband for my hair.

Nolan appeared in the mirror behind me as I finished getting both accessories in place.

“You look perfect,” he said, sidling up behind me.

I glanced at the slender watch on my wrist. “Don’t get any ideas. We’re already running a few minutes behind.”

He put a careful, gentle hand to the side of my neck and stroked it lightly. “Doesn’t matter,” he said quietly.

My head fell to the side a little, an involuntary reflex. Nolan took the opportunity to lean in and press his mouth against my exposed skin, kissing my neck and breathing in my scent.

It tickled. “Don’t give me the giggles,” I warned him. “Not right before we’re about to be on TV.”

I started getting nervous in earnest once we were in the limo. The motorcade surrounding us was huge. We moved through the city in slow motion, weaving our way toward the old-town square via a back route that avoided all high-traffic areas.

“You okay?” Nolan caught my eye. He was cool as a cucumber.

I was not. “This feels kind of crazy, to be honest.”

He held out his hand and I slid mine into it. “You’re going to be great.”

I nodded. “I know it’ll be fine. It’s just that I still feel like I’m pretending.”

“What do you mean?”

I had to look away from his calm, princely gaze before I could answer. “This seems to come so naturally to you, but I guess that’s because this is the world you grew up in. To me, it feels… I dunno, sometimes I feel like an imposter in these scenarios. Like I don’t really belong here.”

Nolan squeezed my hand. “Yena.” His voice was very firm, demanding my attention and eye contact. “You have proven several times over how much you belong here.”

I wanted to believe him. But as we approached Parliament, I glimpsed the crowd that was waiting there for us and my anxiety spiked again.

It was not just a crowd. It was a hoard.

The street outside the hulking marble government building was absolutely packed with bodies.

The press teams were all in place on the steps as well, testing out their equipment and getting their cameras rolling just yards away from the podium where Nolan would be speaking in a few minutes.

He tugged on my hand again. “Yena, listen to me.”

“I’m listening.” I tore my eyes away from the mind-boggling scene on the street.

“There’s something you should know.” The look in his green eyes was very serious and started, actually, to alarm me.

“What?”

“A long time ago there was a prophecy. It was about you, Yena. You and me.”

I stared at him. Thinking maybe he was beginning some sort of joke I didn’t understand.

“I’ll tell you more when we return home. But you should know this before we go up there. You were born for this. No one belongs here more than you. The blood in your veins is the blood of royalty.”

“You’re being serious, aren’t you?” I asked him, trying to process what he was saying to me.

“Yes.” He took my hand to his mouth, kissed it sweetly. “This is your fate, Yena. These are your people. You are their Queen.”