The Wrong Prince Read Free Page B

STORMED INTO THE DESERTED courtyard. A flock of sparrows took off before him, clearly startled by his inelegant arrival, but he barely noticed them as he fought to recapture his breath.
    So, Lucie’s alternate lover had been his brother? Shocked, he gripped the back of a wooden bench. Why, the ruthless girl had played both princes. No doubt she’d hoped her scheme would ultimately land her a royal title. And somehow, it had!
    Geo wondered how he was to live with himself henceforth, having known his own brother’s bride in the carnal sense. Surely, Dmitri knew not of her duplicity? And why would Lucie ever tell him? The Crown Prince was clearly the choice partner for an aspiring queen.
    His fingers sweat against the wood. He forced himself to let go, and beat his fist upon a limestone column instead. Dmitri. How in the blazes had mild, meek, bookish Dmitri landed an exotic minx like Luccia Camerlane and managed to keep it secret? Geo was entirely taken aback. He never would have suspected that his only sibling, who squandered so many hours locked alone in his study poring over old poems, possessed any firsthand knowledge of women.
    The prince paused, pondering this. Regardless of his broken heart and Lucie’s irrefutable profession, something still wasn’t adding up. The polite yet thoroughly blank expression on Dmitri’s face when he beheld Lucie that evening appeared as though he’d never seen the girl before in his life.
    Well, the two enacted a convincing charade, Geo decided, peering out to the northern hills. The moon was making her fickle debut, peeking dimly over the treetops, only to disappear again behind a tuft of cloud. Geo squinted, catching shapes weaving down the distant hills. Little black figures were scattered among the terrain, yet moved rapidly in apparent formation. He rubbed his eyes. Did the early stars trick him?
    Alas, the shapes were real. And they only encroached closer by the moment. Were these more guests, he wondered, coming to join the festivities? It was too late for additional guests. And there were too many, pacing far too quickly.
    The prince’s pulse galloped in time with the powerful steeds he could now make out. Abandoning further thought, he fled, boots pounding against the soil as he sprinted back to the banquet. With every step, he was losing time, precious time. Why had he retreated so far away?
    He returned to the lawn where the royal and noble families continued celebrating into the oncoming night. Sir Kellan was the first to greet him, appearing on the verge of inquiring of his whereabouts, until he registered the look on Geo’s face.
    No words needed to be exchanged. Kellan stepped out of the way, allowing Geo to access the king, who reclined at the table, listening to a ballad sung by the bard. “Father.” Geo brought his lips to the man’s ear, clasping a hand over his velvet-padded shoulder. “They are coming.”
    Discreetly, King Marco Straussen lifted his bald, crowned head. “You’re sure?”
    “I saw them with my own eyes.”
    More knights came up behind them. “Who?” they asked.
    “Llewesians.” The word was bitter on Geo’s tongue. “A whole army.”
    The king lowered his glistening forehead into his hand.
    “Sire?” Sir Roc’s eyes were wide with concern. “At your command….”
    Geo glanced over at Dmitri, who was still seated. Their mother was elsewhere, parading Lucie about as she mingled with the guests, no one any the wiser. In spite of everything, he was sorry his brother’s evening was about to be interrupted, if not gravely spoiled.
    The king heaved a defeated sigh. “Order guards to every post. Men, don your armor. The banquet shall conclude—”
    A battle cry rippled through the air. Geo sucked in a breath of surprise, backing into the table as those seated shot to their feet. He’d been too late. Foreign bugles rang a horrific tune, and the whinnying of invading horses was imminent.
    The Llewesian soldiers stormed in, knocking