Max and the Prince Read Free

understand, but my family is held
to a higher moral standing.”
    So Lucien believed that any family in the public eye should
have higher moral standards than the rest of the populace. Useful to know.
    Max was puzzled. “Do they have problems with you being gay?”
Max couldn’t recall anyone in the British monarchy who was openly gay, but to
be honest, he didn’t pay that much attention.
    “They know that I am. They don’t—” He searched for the word.
“— approve as such. But as long as I keep it all behind closed doors,
it’s fine. After all, I have three older siblings who can take care of the
family firm and the appropriate number of heirs.”
    Bitter much?
    “So, this government official, you think he is the one
blackmailing you?”
    “No, God no. The authorities went down that road and Edward
denied everything and they couldn’t find any link or evidence.”
    Max pulled his lower lip between his teeth and considered the
information. Princely meltdown, photos, gay sex—none of it added up to Prince
Lucien needing an actual bodyguard.
    “There’s more, then,” Max said. There has to be.
    Lucien shifted uncomfortably. “The first few notes arrived
just after I was photographed with the man and they were sent to my parents.
Imagine that? Your parents being sent incriminating photos of their quiet son.
They were shocked, horrified, but they refused to negotiate with the
blackmailer. They ignored them, and there weren’t any more threats, no more
photos, and everything appeared to end. I just wanted to hand over any money
they wanted, but my family wouldn’t let me, and it seemed they were proved
right. Right then it seemed that whoever took the photos and threatened me had
given up.”
    “What do you mean, it seemed?”
    “Because then they found the body.”
    Lucien was growing agitated, twisting his fingers together,
and he was no longer flushed with embarrassment but spiky with the beginnings
of anger. A change of subject was probably a good idea.
    “What body?” Max said.
    “Wait, I have to get this straight in my head. I should
start with university.” Lucien closed his eyes and looked to be getting his
thoughts in order and Max had to hold back his instant state of alert at the
mention of a body. “I decided I wanted to study in the UK, anything to get away
from… everything. I’d already missed years by losing the plot, gap year from uni
after gap year, always an excuse not to go. Then suddenly, that is all I wanted
to do. My old tutor recommended Cardiff a long time ago when I was only twelve
or so, something about the UK Universities having the best research facilities
and Cardiff being a beautiful city. When I was applying I remembered what he
said.”
    “Not to mention it’s in a different country.” Max pointed
out.
    “Yes. I mean, at first my family didn’t like the idea of me
moving so far away without a security team. Or without the pomp and ceremony of
a visiting dignitary.” Lucien rolled his eyes. “But after everything I went
through when Seb died, I think my parents finally came to the decision that any
move to get my head out of my arse was a good one.”
    Max couldn’t help the small snort of amusement. The word arse coming out of Lucien’s mouth was just all wrong. Lucien frowned momentarily at
the snort but continued.
    “So some years later than the other students I should have
been with, I started my degree. I was registered as just Luke Magrello, the
normal guy with the funny accent.” He pointed at himself and offered a wry
smile. “Luke Magrello doesn’t need a bodyguard or any special treatment. The
threats had stopped. Everything was quiet, and I wanted to blend in and be
normal. I’m ashamed to say that I did my own bit of blackmailing by promising
my parents to never drink again if they’d only let me study at Cardiff and live
on campus and just be normal.”
    “Okay, let me understand this. You’re a prince, royalty, but
you imagined you could