Alex tensed. He couldn't possibly tell his sister that he had spent the night with William. She wouldn't understand—or worse, she would scold him harshly.
He frowned, pretending to be indignant. "Did you come into my room without permission?"
Franziska frowned back at him. "Father told me you've finally decided to take your duties seriously, and I came to congratulate you. I knocked, and you didn't answer."
"So you just came in?"
"Just to check, and obviously you weren't there. Were you wandering around the city again?"
"No. I was at the palace."
"But not in your room."
Alex crossed his arms and looked away from her face. "I needed to think. I didn't go out—you can ask the guards."
"We both know you know how to slip by unnoticed."
"So what if I do? What do you care?"
"I'm your sister. Of course I care."
"If you really cared, you wouldn't question me so harshly."
Franziska made an irritated sound, grabbed him by the arm, and shoved him into the room. She closed the door behind her and gave him such a piercing look that Alex felt as if he were standing before the king.
They shared the same gaze and the same pragmatism. His sister would have made an excellent queen, if only she hadn't renounced the throne.
Maybe she hated him for that.
"I'm thinking about your reputation, Alex. You don't realize what you're risking by behaving like a shallow boy."
"I'm not betrothed to anyone. I don't see what's wrong with having a little fun."
"Have you ever stopped to listen to the gossip circulating at court?"
"No. I'm not interested. They can say whatever they want if it makes them feel better."
"You should be." Franziska stepped closer, her voice low and threatening. "Your political power depends on the court. The more they respect you, the more powerful you are. And right now, very few believe you're cut out to be a ruler."
"I'll make them change their minds."
"That's not how it works!"
Alex stiffened. She had always been strict, but it was the first time his sister had raised her voice at him.
Franziska sighed and sat down, then ran a hand over her face.
"I'm saying this for you, for your future. Once people brand you, you can't change it so easily."
"I didn't go out."
"Do you take me for a fool?"
"I didn't go out!" Alex spread his arms, anger and disappointment clashing in his chest. "At least believe me, damn it!"
She looked at him for a moment, then nodded. "All right. Then where were you?"
"I was thinking. Alone."
They stared at each other in silence, then Franziska looked away. If she didn't believed him, she gave no sign of it.
"Alex, to the court you're a shallow, capricious prince. A man who frequents brothels and gets… you know." She waved a hand. "They think you're easy manipulated, that you don't care about the throne, and that you'll leave the management of the kingdom to them."
"I have no intention of doing that."
"Of course not, but do you think they'll make it easy for you? Once you're king, they'll do everything they can to undermine you—and never openly. They might even go so far as to alter your decrees to damage your image. To make you appear, in the eyes of the people, as an incapable man who needs the Council to rule."
Alex stepped back and dropped onto the bed. He had always known where his behavior would lead, but he had never cared.
Not before meeting William.
"I don't want that to happen."
"Then commit to change."
"I'm trying!"
"Not enough, brother." Franziska stood and moved closer to him. "I would have liked to be in your place, you know. I could have married Sven somehow and ascended the throne. But I chose not to."
"Are you blaming me?"
"No, Alex. Giving it up was my choice. Because you're my brother and I love you. But we both know that neither of us is truly happy."
"If you want the crown, I can give it to you even tomorrow. I've already made the Pact, I have my mage, and my mind is safe."
Franziska sighed and knelt in front of him. "I can't. You have far more magic than I do, far more than our father. The throne is yours."
"But I don't want it!"
"Why? I don't understand…"
"Because I can't have what you all have!" Alex brought his hand to his chest and clenched the fabric of his shirt. "Because you have Sven, Freya has Ian, and our father has our mother. But who will I have?"
Franziska frowned, and a strange expression clouded her gaze.
"Are you afraid of marriage?"
"I've fallen in love and I can't have that person because of this cursed crown!"
He hid his face in his hands and took a sharp breath. He needed to calm down before he risked revealing William's name. His sister wouldn't tell anyone, but she would look at him with quiet reproach, and Alex couldn't bear that.
Franziska rested a hand on his knee. "Is it for this person that you want to give everything up?"
"I wish I could, but I know I can't. So I've decided I'll become the prince you all want. And maybe then I'll find a way to have this person by my side."
His sister stood and took a breath. "I'm sorry. I was harsh, and I shouldn't have been."
Alex shook his head but said nothing. She had acted exactly as she always did, in the pragmatic, rational way that would make her a perfect queen.
"Sven knows, right?"
"Don't be angry with him. He's just following my orders."
Franziska laughed and sat beside him. "You know I'm not that terrifying. Maybe I'm a bit too strict, but… I do it for you. I'm afraid the court will find a way to destroy you. Maybe by exploiting your good heart or the people you care about."
"I know, I'm doing my best, I promise you."
"Alex, won't you tell me who this person is?"
He shook his head.
"You don't trust me, then?"
"I'm just afraid you'll look at me as if I were an idiot."
"Because you fell in love?" Franziska stroked his back. "No one can command their own heart. I can't blame you for something you have no control over. It happened, and I'm happy for you, even if you don't believe me."
"You've always hated feelings."
"That's not true. If I hated them, I wouldn't have married the man I love." She smiled at him. "It's fine if you don't want to tell me who they are. But if you need someone to talk to, you can count on me."
"Thank you."
Franziska got up from the bed. "And if you need someone to cover for you, I'm here."
Alex looked her in the eyes. Had she realized he hadn't slept alone?
She gave him a knowing smile. "I've had my own secret affairs, you know."
"I hope not with just anyone."
"Oh no. It was Sven, actually, and our sister Freya covered for me." She raised a finger to her lips. "But I'd appreciate it if you kept it a secret."
Alex scratched the back of his neck, his cheeks suddenly burning. "If I… told you who they are, would you help me?"
"Only if it doesn't harm your position. I know this may seem cruel, but the stability of the kingdom comes before anything else." She took a breath. "But I would still help you be happy with this person, even if only for a short time."
"Thank you, I… I'll think about it."
His sister nodded and left the room. Alex didn't want to involve her yet, not before delivering the gift to William. Not before asking him to be his lover.
If Will refused, he would accept it and think only about the throne and his future.
-------------------------
Alex took a deep breath, straightened his jacket, and entered the Council Hall.
A clamor of voices and exclamations greeted him, making him regret the intimate quiet of William's chamber. Was a bit of silence really too much to ask? He just hoped he wouldn't end up with a headache.
His father had not arrived yet, and his seat at one end of the long table was still empty.
Alex walked to his chair and sat down. When he raised his gaze, silence had fallen.
"Surprised to see me?"
The royal advisors exchanged confused, startled glances, then one of them cleared his throat.
"Your Highness, we did not believe that you were free."
"I would make a terrible king if I skipped such lively meetings."
"It was just an exchange of opinions."
"Of course. Obviously." He crossed his legs. "Has anyone seen my mage? And if you could also tell me where his seat is, I would appreciate it."
One of the advisors pointed to the last chair, the one farthest from the king's seat. "That one, Your Highness."
Alex frowned. They had relegated him at the very end. "Very well. From now on, he will sit beside me."
"But that's Lord Ballard's seat."
"Not anymore."
"But, Your Highness, the mage is a commoner. He cannot sit so close to the royal family."
"He is my Court Mage, and I want him beside me." Alex smiled. "That's not an unreasonable request, is it?"
The advisors exchanged doubtful looks, but they obeyed the order. Alex had just managed to make himself even more unpopular, but he did not care—William deserved to sit at his side.
As soon as the mage entered the room, the silence grew heavier.
His poison-green eyes swept across the hall, then fixed on the prince's face. Alex motioned for him to sit beside him, and a faint note of displeasure curved William's lips.
He crossed the room and sat down next to Alex.
"This was a terrible decision," he whispered.
"Why? You are my Court Mage, and I want you beside me."
"Because I am not noble. You have just torn apart centuries of tradition."
Alex smiled at him. "I am an innovative prince."
"You are impulsive. Lord Ballard will—"
"What does this mean?" exclaimed a rough male voice.
Alex leaned toward the doorway. Lord Ballard, the bastard who weeks earlier had thrown an inkwell at William, was glaring at the mage with open hostility.
"Who allowed the Xianese to steal my seat?"
"I did." The prince stood up. "Do you have a problem with that, advisor?"
Ballard stiffened. "He is a commoner. Sitting so close to you and Your Majesty—"
"What? Do you think he might infect us with some strange disease? I can assure you that William washes every day. Far more than certain nobles."
A light ripple of laughter spread through the room, then quickly died down.
"It is etiquette," Ballard said through clenched teeth. "The seats closest to the king are reserved for nobles of the highest rank. The mage is fortunate he was even allowed into this room."
Alex raised an eyebrow. "At least he earned his place. I cannot say the same of those who inherited their positions from their fathers."
"I fear that is a flaw many of us share, Your Highness."
A jab at his incompetence? Excellent—the prince could not have asked for better.
He smiled pleasantly.
"True. But some of us make an effort to prove we deserve it." He sat back down. "We are here for the good of the kingdom, are we not? Titles should not matter, nor the chair on which you rest your noble asses. But I want my mage beside me, so I can make sure he takes accurate notes."
Lord Ballard snorted and took the last seat. Gradually, the other advisors resumed their murmurs.
William shot Alex a piercing look. "Have you lost your mind?"
"I have simply decided to make a few changes. And besides, you have to take notes for me and kick me if I fall asleep."
"You can be certain I will do so with great pleasure."
"Have you made up?" Nikolas's cheerful voice made Alex flinch.
"Good morning, Nik."
His best friend smiled and took a seat beside William. "The last time I saw you, you were at each other's throats. So the trip to Narea brought you closer?"
"More or less," Alex said.
"And you even decided to attend these boring meetings. Either you hit your head very hard, or William succeeded where all of us have always failed."
"He can be very persuasive when he wants to be."
"I must admit you are right."
William tensed, and for a brief moment Alex thought he looked uncomfortable.
He was about to ask if everything was all right, but the king's entrance brought silence down upon the hall.