Read Online Asteria In Love with the Prince by Tanya Korval - Free Book Online Page A

Our glasses were never empty: I was noticing how much all of the Asterians drank, even during the day. I had to keep reminding myself to hold back: I’ve never been much of a drinker and I knew I’d be in serious trouble if I even attempted to keep up.
    “Your meeting with Mr. Foreaux is at nine, Your Highness,” the female aide, told Jagor. I’d learned that her name was Ismelda. I hadn’t dared speak to her since the plane.
    “I may need to talk to the English there. I’ll take Lucy.” Ismelda merely nodded. Did he actually need me or was it an excuse; and did she suspect? Jagor looked at me. “You’ll need something appropriate. Go into town this afternoon and pick something out.”
    His dresser found me after lunch. “Elegant and classical,” he told me in Asterian. “The skirt should be long. A simple neckline.”
    I nodded frantically, trying to remember it all. “Thank you for the new wardrobe – it’s all fantastic.”
    He sniffed and regarded me. “It will suffice,” he told me. I wasn’t sure if he was being a perfectionist or if it was me that didn’t measure up. “You’ll need this.” And he pressed a credit card into my hand. White and gold. I drew my breath in sharply as I read the embossed letters.
    Lucy M Snow – Aide to the Prince of Asteria.
     
    ***
     
    Two of the bodyguards drove me into town, silent and serious behind their sunglasses. We were in a black SUV with tinted windows: I found myself wondering if they were bulletproof, and whether we needed that sort of security.
    The views got better and better: first, we were winding our way down the hill, looking out over the sea. Then, as we swept through the center, I noticed red and white stripes at the edge of the road: we were on one of the streets used for the Grand Prix, speeding around the same turns that Formula One drivers faced. If anyone else had been at the wheel, they would have been whooping it up, but the driver remained silent and impassive. I was pretty sure his name was Hahn: he was easy to remember because he had a shiny, bald head and was shorter than the rest. The other guard was Stavo: blond hair and quite good looking, in a cold sort of way.
    I still needed to know more about life in Asteria. A lot more. I tried to start a conversation. “So: been with the Prince long?”
    There was a pause, almost deliberately rude, as if they were debating whether it was worth their time to answer. “Five years,” answered Stavo at last. Did they resent me, or the complications I brought with me, or did they just not like change? Well, tough: if we were all going to work together, they’d have to get used to me. I made up my mind to get at least one of them to crack a smile by the end of the day.
    The store was a small boutique right in the center. Hahn parked outside, on super-triple-yellow-park-here-and-die lines: one of the advantages of royalty. The store owner himself showed us inside, hung the ‘closed’ sign, locked the door and introduced us to his entire staff, who were lined up waiting for us. I was offered wine or champagne but played it safe with coffee, and for the next hour was shown a selection of gowns from designers I’d only ever read about. It was so far from my normal shopping experience, I felt a little lost. I mumbled something half out loud about which dress would work with the shoes I had. The owner reacted as if I’d slapped him. “ Mademoiselle!” he gasped in horror. “We will find you whatever shoes the dress requires!”
    Eventually I settled on a long blue strapless gown. I was pretty sure the neckline qualified as ‘simple’, although being strapless it felt a little perilous. The skirt was long and loose, covering me to the ankles while still showing off the curves of my hips and ass. I had a feeling Jagor would approve.
    I needed a second opinion, though: and I hadn’t forgotten about my mission to get the two bodyguards to loosen up a little. When I came out of the changing