“Just sip it,” he murmurs, staring into my eyes. I know he can read the emotions churning inside them — all the fear and worry and butterfly-induced nausea. “It’ll calm your nerves.”
With a nod of appreciation, I take a hesitant sip. He’s right. The minute the warm liquid hits my stomach, I feel some of the swarming butterflies dissipate.
The atmosphere is unusually quiet as we roll onward, each of us wrapped up in our own thoughts, enveloped in that unique somberness that accompanies all funeral processions.
“So.” I clear my throat and they both look at me. “Who, exactly, are the Sterlings and why do we hate them?”
Carter snorts and takes another gulp of bourbon.
Chloe giggles. “First of all, we don’t hate them. There’s just… a lot of complicated history between the Sterlings and the Lancasters. Starting with the fact that Ava was engaged to Prince Henry. And her brother Alden was his best friend.”
“Is,” Carter corrects lowly. “Notwas. Henry isn’t dead, Chloe.”
“Really? How would you know, Carter? Last I checked, you haven’t even been to see him.”
“Don’t be a bitch, Chloe.”
She flips him off and takes another puff of pot.
“You were out with Ava the night of the fire,” I recall as fragments from a previous conversation suddenly click together in my mind. “At a club opening in Lund.”
Chloe blows out a perfect ring of smoke, smirking at her own parlor trick. “Yep. Hard to say what she was more upset about — the fact that her chance to be queen legitimately went up in smoke, or that her fiancé had the gall to inhale so much of it during that fire.”
“You make it sound as if she doesn’t care about him at all.”
Chloe shoots Carter an interesting look. “Care to offer an opinion on that, dear brother?”
He takes another gulp of bourbon and stares pointedly out the window.
“So…” My brow creases as I try to sort out the complicated dynamics. “Youaren’tfriends, then?”
“We were growing up. All five of us, actually — me, Carter, Henry, Ava, Alden. Thick as thieves.”
“And now?”
“Now, Ava and I are more like… frenemies?” She shrugs. “Our families are connected.”
“Meaning…”
“Look, E, you’re new to all this, so I don’t think you realize just how small the circle of aristocratic families in Germania is. Even if you don’t like someone, it’s practically guaranteed you’ll cross paths relatively often at charity fundraisers, galas, balls, coronations…”
“Funerals,” Carter supplies darkly.
We all go silent again.
“My point is, if I avoided every asshole in this country, there’d be no one left.Includingmy own flesh and blood,” she says glancing briefly at Carter again. “But if you want my advice… just be on your guard around them, okay? Especially once they find out who you really are.”
“Theywon’t,” I insist. “I’m undercover. Your new royal aide, remember?”
“Mhm. But don’t be shocked if they figure it out eventually. Ava and Alden have been groomed for this life since infancy. They love nothing better than a juicy piece of gossip, and they know exactly how to use it to their own advantage.” Chloe shakes her head. “They play the political game better than anyone I’ve ever met. Maybe even Octavia. How else do you think a girl gets a Crown Prince as handsome as Henry toproposeat the ripe age of twenty-five?”
With Chloe’s words tumbling around inside my head, I stare out the tinted window taking slow sips of bourbon to settle my churning stomach. About twenty minutes later, we pull up in front of a stately manor house. It’s half the size of the Lockwood Estate but no less beautiful. Two white-gloved butlers sweep open the imposing carved oak doors as we roll to a stop. I watch, dazzled, as two of the most attractive humans I’ve ever seen step out into the morning light.
Platinum blond and staggeringly tall, they’re the picture of elegance as they descend the steps to the gently sloping driveway where we’re idling. Our chauffeur gets out to hold open the limousine door for them. I slide down the leather bench seat to make some room and find myself pressed uncomfortably close to Carter’s side.
“Sorry,” I murmur.
His Adam’s apple bobs roughly. “Don’t worry about it.”