Part 20 (1/2)

Chapter 19.

”What was that all about?” Kat asked as they left the parlor a respectable fifteen minutes after the King and Queen.

”I have no idea what you mean,” Sebastian responded. He wound his arm around her waist and steered her neatly down the hall, walking in step with his sister and Roman.

”Come on, really? That's all I'm going to get? From the man that made me explain the comedy of the Three Stooges to him for three hours.”

Roman smiled at her. ”Cheeky. I like this one.”

”The American likes you too.” They all laughed at that.

”It's not all that interesting,” Anastasia said. ”The King doesn't like Roman. Right now I don't really like the King.”

”Don't say that,” her husband said, his brow furrowing in displeasure. ”You know I never want to come between you and your family.”

”You do not come between me and my family,” she said, patting his hand. ”My country comes between me and my family.”

”I don't get it,” Kat whispered to Sebastian.

”She's angry with Prince Vlad. He has the tendency to cause trouble and not just in regards to Anton,” he replied.

”He has always had the King's ear. And he has always wanted more than that,” Anastasia explained. ”Anton is merely his puppet and I fear he will do whatever his father tells him to do. Which could mean bad things for Sezynia.”

”So you don't like Anton either?”

The royals all shared quick glances over Kat's head. ”Actually I have no problem with Anton. We talk quite often.” Anastasia met the look on her brother's face defiantly, waiting for him to begin the argument that was only ever banked, never done. ”I don't like his wife or his father. Or his mother all that much either actually.”

”Did I meet his mother?” Kat asked.

”No. She divorced Prince Vlad years ago. Lives in Prague now with her French lover making a mockery of the word Royal. Or at least that's what Mother says on the subject when she's had too many sidecars.”

Kat tried to picture the Queen less than composed but couldn't wrap her head around the image. She imagined her as more shrewd, not less so. ”She was always jealous of the Dragotsennya. Blamed the throne for the failure of her marriage and caused quite the scandal when she left,” Sebastian said.

”Dragotsennya?” Kat asked Anastasia, only slightly butchering the word.

”Dragotsennya the Jewel of Sezynia. It's the country's name for our mother.”

”They absolutely adore her,” Sebastian added. Kat couldn't help but think that was a lot of pressure for the companions of royalty. If ever there was an ideal to live up to. ”Anton's mother always resented it. She wasn't hated by any means but she wasn't the Queen and she wasn't the Jewel. It ate at her.”

”I understand the feeling,” Roman said.

”Do you now?” his wife asked with a raised brow.

”Yes, I do. You, Feyalka, are a treasure as well. I am still a pirate who stole you away. The country is wary of that.”

Anastasia let out an exasperated sigh. ”Because the King is. You are not a pirate my love, you are a saint who saved me from my loneliness, my duty, and myself.”

”Aren't they just adorable?” Sebastian drolled, his tone enough to stop the Princess from whispering in her husband's ear. She stuck her tongue out at her twin instead.

”Anyway, the whole thing with Prince Vlad is one of the reasons Baba takes the marriage requirement so very seriously. Now not just when but who as well.”

”I guess finding the right person is even more important than I thought,” Kat said in a tiny voice.

”No worries Kitty Kat. I know you can do it.” Sebastian squeezed his arm around her waist a bit tighter. Kat leaned into him for a moment before straightening away. But not before Anastasia and Roman noticed.

”The perfect match could happen like that,” the Princess said with a snap of her fingers. ”You just need to make sure you're paying attention.”

Sebastian just grinned at his sister. ”Me, pay attention? Never,” he laughed. ”That's what I keep the American around for. She's so level-headed and organized she can even get me in line.”

”You too now with 'the American' nonsense. You do remember when we met and I told you you best remember my name?”

An extremely intimate and suggestive smile started at the corner of his mouth. ”Oh I remember perfectly Kisa,” he murmured. Kat couldn't stop the blush descending at the look in his eyes or the way her tongue darted out to lick her lips, her mouth suddenly dry. He leaned into her and their eyes met; no way would she be able to retreat now.

”That looks like our cue to leave,” Roman whispered to his wife. His voice was low but it was enough to break Kat out of whatever spell Sebastian was casting on her.

”Goodnight brother. And Kat, so lovely to meet you,” Anastasia purred. She surprised them all by giving Kat a quick hug. ”May your dreams be pleasant and impa.s.sioned.”

”As should yours,” Sebastian replied with a quick shake of Roman's hand. ”Alone at last,” he murmured as they stood in the deserted corridor, listening as Roman and Anastasia's footsteps faded away.

”No,” Kat said. The word was hard to get out as he leaned into her.

”Why?” Sebastian walked her back into the wall, leaning over her in such a familiar way she couldn't chase away the memory of their first kiss overtaking her. It seemed like it was a completely different girl trapped in a kitchen having a Prince ride in and try to save the day. It was about time she returned the favor.

”Because you need to stop focusing on me. Don't forget what's important.”

”Maybe this is what's important,” he murmured, reaching a hand out to grab a strand of her hair, stroking it between his thumb and finger.

”No it's not,” she said, her voice striving for a note of conviction. Kat could sense how close to the edge she was and strove for the reaction she could always count on to clear her head annoyance. ”Didn't you promise me you'd start taking this thing seriously? Do you want Anton to win by default? Because you couldn't get your act together long enough to stop thinking with your d.i.c.k?”

Sebastian just smiled at her. ”Such ugly words coming out of such a pretty mouth.” He stared at her defiant eyes for a long time before straightening away. ”Someone has been hanging out with Lane too long.”

”Or you haven't hung out with her enough.” Kat slipped out from under his arm and took a few steps down the hall, removing herself from the coc.o.o.n of his charm. It tended to cloud her judgment and she needed all her wits about her if she was going to catapult a cad to the throne.

”Well lead the way then,” the Prince said after a moment. ”I am but your humble servant madam.”

She rolled her eyes at him, hands moving unconsciously to her hips, steeling for a fight. Sebastian loved it found her annoyance so s.e.xy she wouldn't have believed it. No one but his sister and Sergei ever challenged him and he found their sparring intoxicating ”You know I have no idea where I am.”

”Has that ever stopped you before?” he questioned lazily. ”Should I lead then?”

”By all means.”

He walked towards her, a c.o.c.ksure grin curving his face. He stopped just short of her, the toes of their shoes just barely touching. ”Can't I get a please?”

She had to look at him from under her eyelashes, not about to give even an inch to meet his eyes. ”Please,” she said through gritted teeth.

”That's much better.” Sebastian bowed her forward and hid a smile at the frustrated noises she was making. After winding themselves through endless corridors and archways, they finally arrived at the door to her suite.