Elizabeth Stevens [Stevens - Royally Unprepared: Prince of Pout (Part 1) (Royal Misadventures Book 5)

Royal Misadventures #5

Prince of Pout (Part 1)

ALSO BY ELIZABETH STEVENS

unvamped

Netherfield Prep

the Trouble with Hate is

Accidentally Perfect

Keeping Up Appearances

Love, Lust & Friendship

Valiant Valerie

Being Not Good

The Stand-In

No More Maybes Books

No More Maybes

Grays Blade

Royal Misadventures

Now Presenting

Lady in Training

Three of a Kind

Some Proposal

Royally Unprepared

Royal Misadventures Omnibus

Im No Princess: The Collection (Parts 1-4)

Royal Misadventures #5

Prince of Pout (Part 1)

Elizabeth Stevens

Sleeping Dragon Books

Royally Unprepared

by Elizabeth Stevens

Print ISBN: 978-1925928099

Digital ISBN: 978-1925928082

Cover art by: Izzie Duffield

Copyright 2019 Elizabeth Stevens

Worldwide Electronic & Digital Rights

Worldwide English Language Print Rights

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced, scanned or distributed in any form, including digital and electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without the prior written consent of the Publisher, except for brief quotes for use in reviews. This book is a work of fiction. Characters, names, places and incidents either are the product of the authors imagination or are used fictitiously, and any resemblance to any actual persons, living or dead, events, or locales is entirely coincidental.

To that day I apparently made up,

thanks for nothing, June 29.5.

A Gallyrian monarch was strong, proud, humble, and wise. That was what my father had always taught me, as his father had taught him, and his father before him, the whole way back to the first king so it was said.

But I didnt feel strong, proud, humble, or wise.

I felt lost.

I had a decision to make. One that affected the future of my whole country. One that affected every person I was responsible for. One that affected me.

There was only one choice I wanted to make, but I had to be sure it was the right one. I had to be sure it was right for her, for me and for the country. Id decided to go after Bronkala instead of announce my engagement to a woman I didnt want, to give us the time to make the choice I wanted to be the right one. But that had backfired and now I had to hope that three days were enough time.

After dismissing Tatis guard for the night, the silence between us was suffocating. But what I wanted to say to her would not do to be discussed in public.

My heart beat uncomfortably fast in my chest and, for a man who had been trained since birth to be cool and collected, I was anything but. I thought Id known what I was going to say to her. Now all I felt was panic.

She opened her door and Can we talk? burst out of me. Not that shed have noticed, because I was the perfect picture of in control on the outside.

Sure, she said as she indicated I precede her in. She closed the door behind us. Whats up?

Ive had time to think I started, feeling it barely sufficient for what I was feeling.

Okay? Tati looked at me strangely and my heart thudded in my chest again.

I was very close to messing this up and that was definitely the opposite of my intention. It was now or never.

I said nothing before because of your words to me you could not ask me to give up the true parts of myself and expect me to be happy. Well I could not either. I could not ask you to stand beside me when I knew how you felt about this life, my life. I could not ask you to put on that mask every day, to hide your true nature and become someone you are not.

I took a brief pause to breathe deeply and stick to the plan. I told you once I could understand what it was to put someone elses needs before my own, that I could put the needs of a whole country before my own for the sake of love. But if I have to give anyone my familys ring on Thursday, I would prefer it be to a woman I wanted to marry. I needed to know I took the chance. I chose to go to war instead of announce my engagement to a woman I do not want. And all that achieved was my little brother being injured and I still have to face the country and give someone a ring.

I understand if you cannot accept I went down on one knee before her, not realising until that moment I had pinned all my future happiness on her shoulders. But it was too late to take it back, and I would regret it if I did. Tatiana Bethany Penrose, you captured my heart the moment I saw you trip over that rug and ideally I would have waited for us to know each other better, to actually court you, if I had the time. But we both of us have our obligations and I do not have the luxury. Unfortunate timing or not, I would be honoured if you would be my wife.

She said nothing as she looked at me in what I could only describe as horror. Her mouth opened and closed a few times until she breathed out a simple, Dmitri and I felt like an utter fool. A fool and a bully.

I stood up swiftly, not wanting to make her any more uncomfortable. I understand, my

Do you? she snapped. Its just a lot to process. I

I do understand. It was not fair of me to ask this of you. You said time and again we only had these weeks and I did not respect your decision. Forgive me.

I turned and left, wanting to give her space and to drown my shame in the bottom of a bottle where I could forget it temporarily. I stormed passed Neil, sparing him little more than a nod. I was too angry with myself to care what impression he had of me as I thundered down the stairs, heading for my office.

Of course she would have said no. She had been warning me this whole time that she would always say no. Time and again. And the idiot I was, I didnt listen. Id decided to listen to my heart instead of my head. Which I had never done. Not once in my life.

Tatiana Penrose did something to me.

We may have only known each other for less than four months, but I hadnt been exaggerating in the heat of the moment. Since Id first seen her walk into the room back in November, Id been interested in her. She looked so much like her sister so familiar and yet there was nothing of the courtier about her so foreign.

Her hair had been a mess, shed had dark circles under her eyes, her clothes were wrinkled. But shed been tantalising, beautiful, fierce, an enigma. I hadnt needed to know her to know she was real, she was honest, she was tangible. Shed been this piece of what had felt like literal fresh air at the time, stumbling her way into my life and into my heart before I even knew to fortify the gates against her.

I hadnt cared that shed been travelling for a day, Id wanted to know more about her. Id needed to know more about her. From that moment, it had been nothing but me fighting against my growing feelings for her. Trying to hide every response I had to her sass, her smile, her defiance, her clumsiness, her laugh.

The moment Id seen her walking down the stairs with Max before the state dinner, Id been floored by the change. Even though she and Natalia had looked like twins, I knew which was my Tatiana. And not just by the scowl that hit her face when she saw me. Id been as disappointed as I had been stunned by her transformation. So Id felt more thankful than Id had any right to when it became obvious to me that she wasnt losing any of her personality just because shed changed her clothes.