“Now this is what I call a party!” he yells in my ear, spinning me around again, then pulling me in closer as the song comes to an end. Applause thundering around us, I lean forward into his space so he can hear my breathless words.
“If you spin me any faster, I’ll fall over and break my neck, Alden!”
“I hope not. I’d rather not go to jail for accidentally assassinating the queen.” He winks. “But if it means you’re having a good time, I’ll take the risk.”
I’m so out of breath, the laugh snags in my throat. No one is more surprised than me to realize he’s right: Iamhaving a good time.
When did having fun become such a foreign concept?
When did laughing morph into a distant memory?
Something is shaking loose inside me, thawing in the heat of my hammering heartbeat. I stand in the arms of a handsome, uncomplicated man, listening to the roar of my own pulse, feeling unflinchingly alive for the first time in months.
“So, what do you think?” Alden’s head jerks toward the stage. “Was the band worth the cash I dropped to get them here? Their rider alone set me back a good portion of my trust fund…”
I snort. “You don’t do anything by half measures, do you Alden?”
“Why on earth would I ever do that?” He shakes his head, grinning. “They were supposed to play the Prince of Luxembourg’s wedding this weekend, but I made it worth their while to come here instead.”
“Are you telling me you’ve caused an international incident over a little jazz?”
“A little jazz? You’re in the presence of greatness and you don’t even know it!” He pauses. “Oh, and the band’s decent too.”
“How humble of you.”
“Oh, come on. It’s my birthday! A little grandstanding is allowed.”
“I suppose. Though I’m not sure the Prince of Luxembourg would agree.”
“He might, if he were here.” Alden’s eyes are glazed with liquor and locked on mine as we sway to a slow song. “Personally, I think this party was worth going to war for.”
“Big fan of your birthday, are you?”
“Big fan ofthis.” His arms tighten around me and I feel a faint flutter in my stomach. “I’m glad you came. Did I tell you that already?”
“Only five or six times.”
“Not nearly enough. I have work to do.”
I laugh — a real, honest-to-god laugh, my first in quite a while. Alden watches the sound form with a mesmerized look on his face.
“Wow.”
“What?” I ask, clamping my lips together.
“It’s just good to see you smile. You’re always beautiful, but when you smile… You’re absolutely radiant, Your Majesty.”
“How long are you going to call me that?”
“What? Your official title?” His head tilts. “Forever, I’d imagine. Unless you plan on abdicating your throne anytime soon?”
I sigh. “Unfortunately, I don’t think there’s anyone I can abdicate to. Not unless my cousin wakes up.”
The smile drops off Alden’s face at the mention of Prince Henry. I instantly have the urge to insert my foot directly into my mouth. I was so caught up in the moment, I forgot how close Alden and Henry used to be before the fire that landed him in the hospital last fall.
“Oh, Alden — that was thoughtless of me. This is the last thing you should have to think about on you birthday. I’m sorry, I—”
“Don’t be. You’re allowed to talk about Henry.” Alden smiles, but there’s a tightness in his voice that wasn’t there before. “I’ve actually been meaning to ask… Has there been any change in his condition? I still visit the hospital regularly, but the doctors won’t let me into the burn ward. They say the risk of exposure to outside germs and infections is too great, in his weakened state.”