Royally Unprepared: Prince of Pout (Part 1) (Royal Misadventures Book 5)

by Elizabeth Stevens

  “Beer snob,” Natalia said with a hint of a laugh. “That’s what you are.”

  “We prefer the term connoisseur,” Tati shot back with a wink.

  “You are so not a connoisseur,” Natalia giggled as Tati threaded her way through the crowd. “She does take her beer seriously, though,” she said to me.

  “She does. It is a Tati thing or an Australian thing?” I asked.

  Natalia seemed to think for a moment. “Both?” She nodded. “Both. Both is good. Sometimes I think she should go into micro-brewing. I think she’d have a blast.”

  “Can you study that?”

  “At uni?” she asked and I nodded. “You can. Though Anya won’t put it down on her preferences.”

  “Has she put in her references yet?”

  Natalia shook her head. “She’s got a few more weeks and she’s dragging her heels. Last I heard, she was thinking Communications.”

  “Not film studies?”

  “I don’t know. She seems on the fence about film studies. I think she’d like to, but she thinks being the next Dad will be a better career or something? Easier maybe? I’m not sure you’d have to ask her.”

  “I will. Thank you. Though what do you mean by the next Max?”

  Natalia looked at me and grinned. “Oh. So Max is trying to convince Tati to be the next royal advisor after him.”

  I was so busy wondering about how Tati would be suited to that role and what it would be like working together as well as being married that I almost missed Natalia’s next words.

  “Of course when Anya was convinced you were marrying…um…she who shall not be named, she wasn’t sure how’d she’d work with you when she was in love with you but couldn’t have you. But even then, she didn’t seem overly deterred.”

  “She would be very good at it, I think. With some training.”

  “That’s what Dad says. Now it’s just a matter of convincing her.”

  “I’ll make sure I talk to her about it,” I promised her.

  “Good,” Natalia said with a smile. “I think she could do with the reassurance from you.”

  Tati came back with drinks – and a Champagne for herself because apparently all the beers available were too light – and we did our job of mingling with the other guests.

  Lord Barr found Natalia a little later and they spent some time with us and some time doing their own thing. Kostin apparently had been commandeered by Amanda. I saw him with her throughout the night, being introduced to her sycophantic friends but maintaining his perfect mask of politeness.

  It was those times I looked at Tati by my side and was once again thankful that I’d chosen to follow my heart instead of my head.

  Chapter Fifteen

  “I promised something more for you. I didn’t promise how much,” I warned my mother and she waved away my ‘excuses’.

  “What is it you have for me then?” she asked, looking between us expectantly.

  “A date.” Tati gripped my hand tighter in excitement.

  Mother grinned as much as her regal composure would allow. Had it just been our families in the room, she probably would have giggled.

  “And what is the date?” Mother prompted.

  Alaina and all the aides were ready with their notes.

  “December the fifth–”

  “Wonderful!” Mother cried as Alaina said, “That’s a Friday…?” as though checking we wanted to marry on a Friday.

  “2020,” I finished and Mother’s excitement fell into a frown.

  “2020?” she admonished. “2020? I need to wait for a wedding until 2020?”

  “Tati will still be in her first year of university if we do it this year,” I explained.

  “And there seems something really romantic about marrying in winter,” Tati said, her cheeks colouring as though she was a little embarrassed about thinking such a thing.

  We had tried to find time to talk about the wedding in the past week. But between obligations and just wanting to spend some time together, the only thing we’d really settled on was a date.

  “And…these were the only considerations, were they?” Max asked.

  “Exactly what are you implying, Father?” Tati asked, pretending to be insulted.

  “Does this have anything to do with the fact that you’re hoping your great-grandmother will be dead by then?” Max asked, a wry tilt to his lips.

  “I am shocked and appalled that you would think such a thing,” Tati said, her hand on her chest. “I would in no way consider drawing out my wedding date in the hopes the old bat croaks it in the meantime.”

  Max barely stifled a laugh. “Of course not.”

  “No. But if nature was to run its course, then that it totally not my fault.”

  “Can we come back to the fact that your proposed date is almost two years away,” Mother said, sitting even further forward in her seat so I was almost worried she might fall off.

  “Two years is probably a lot quicker than if we had done this the more customary way,” I reminded her.

  “What exactly do you think the customary way is, Mitya?” she asked me, a faint hint of a raised eyebrow as though she was looking forward to this.

  “Meeting each other, dating for a while, then getting engaged and then marriage.”

  “Dating again!” Father sighed and Mother hushed him.

  “How important is the university thing?” she asked, then amended, “What I mean is, out of curiosity, is there a reason you’re against marrying during your first year?”

  Tati shifted next to me and I knew she was feeling self-conscious about her next words. “It sounds really stupid, probably. But I kind of don’t want to be that girl.” She blinked. “Mind you…” She looked down at the ring on her hand. “I’m sort of already that girl. Official or not.” She looked at me. “We could… I guess we could do it this December?”

  I looked at her and thought about it. We’d discussed the next year in part because we felt twelve months may have been a rush with Tati’s first semester, and six or eighteen months would have put it in summer.

  “December is often quite busy…” Alaina said slowly and I wasn’t sure if she was encouraging us or trying to discourage us. “And winter can tend to be cold and the snow can make it difficult to get the carriage where it needs to go.”

  Mother nodded. “There is nothing worse than one of its wheels getting stuck on a pile of snow.”

  Tati looked like she was going to say something, then thought better of it and I wondered what it was.

  “That would… That would be unfortunate,” was what she went with.

  I hid a smile. “How about we look at February, then? It would still look like a proper European winter, but without as many of the…”

  “Hassles?” Max asked.

  “One way to put it.”

  Tati smiled at me. “February would be nice. As long there will still be snow. Jenn and Bea will be really upset if there’s no snow.”

  “Oh, Jenn and Bea will be really upset,” Max teased.

  Tati nodded. “Okay. I might quite like the idea, as long as Dmitri is okay with it?”

  “If it’s what you want, I am very okay with it.”

  Alaina flicked through her notes. “February is less busy.”

  “Even with Valentine’s Day?” Tati asked.

  Alaina nodded. “Less busy. February is Gallyr’s third-busiest month for weddings. But one of the least busy for the chapel. It will come down to where you want to have the reception.”

  Tati sighed. “Right. Any usual places?”

  “We can talk about it later,” I said to her.

  She smiled. “I know. I know, but we did promise some decisions and our main decision was going to be a date. So any dates make a difference for reception venues?”

  “There is always the palace ballroom, which is likely to be free almost any day you want it,” Alaina said. “There are a variety of other pla
ces depending on what you want. Obviously dates will depend.”

  “Can we tentatively pencil a date in, then once Anya and Mitya work out a venue for the reception we can check the date?” Mother asked.

  Alaina nodded. “We can.”

  “What’s likely to be less busy?” Tati asked.

  “A weekend?” Alaina asked.

  Tati and I looked at each other and shrugged.

  “Probably better?” Tati asked.

  I nodded. “Sure.”

  Alaina thought about it. “The first and last are likely to be less busy.”

  “How about the first then?” I asked. “That way Jenn and Bea will miss less uni.”

  “I’m sure that’s the first thing on their minds,” Max chuckled and Tati snorted.

  “What do you think?” I asked Tati.

  She nodded, still smiling widely. “I think it sounds good.”

  “The first of February then?” Alaina looked around at us.

  “That sounds lovely,” Mother said warmly.

  “I can’t see why not,” Father said.

  We all turned to Max, who asked, “What? I just have to walk her down the aisle. I’m happy to do that anytime.”

  “The first of February it is, then,” Alaina said.

  “I’m going to have to go and tell Jenn and Bea,” Tati said. “If they hear from a news article again, I won’t live long enough to go dress shopping.” She paused and smiled. “I’m going to need to go dress shopping…”

  “Mitya, that reminds me,” Mother started. “The third to stand up with you?”

  “I was thinking Luka? Or perhaps Pietr?”

  Mother and Father both nodded.

  “Both are good choices,” Father said. “You’ll need to work out which one, then.”

  “Unless Tati has a fourth she’d like to include?” Mother said with a teasing smile.

  Tati grinned back at her. “No. Three is maximum. I don’t think I even know a fourth person.”

  “The Marquise would be a wonderful bridesmaid, surely?” I joked and everyone turned to look at me.

  “Was that an actual joke?” Tati asked. “In public, no less.”

  I cleared my throat. “I just thought…”

  “No.” Tati took my hand. “It was good. I’m just surprised.”

  “I think we all were, dear,” Mother said. “Do you have any more decisions for me today? Or shall we have the afternoon to ourselves?”

  “Speak for yourself. Some of us still have work to do,” Father muttered.

  “Either way.” Mother looked at me.

  I shook my head. “That’s all we have so far.”

  “I will put the announcement out on Monday, give Lady Tatiana time to talk with Miss Jennifer and Miss Bianca,” Alaina said. “And the offers for the dress will be in by the end of the week.”

  Tati blinked. “Offers?”

  Mother nodded. “Yes, dear. Designers are likely to offer to make you a custom dress.”

  “Oh God…” Tati muttered. “So I can’t just go to shops and try them on while we drink Champagne and Lia laughs at me for looking like a marshmallow?”

  Mother beamed at her. “You can do whatever you like, dear. But there will be a list of designers available for you to look over next weekend if you’d like.”

  “Would… Would you go over them with me?”

  Mother’s smile somehow managed to grow. “I’d be honoured, dear.”

  “Anything else, your majesties?” Alaina asked, getting ready to get up.

  Father shook his head. “No. Thank you, Miss Lloyd.”

  We all got up, and Tati and I wandered reasonably aimlessly through the palace.

  “Have you got to work this afternoon?” Tati asked me, swinging my hand.

  “I do not.” I paused and amended, “I could but I choose to not.”

  “And have you got anything on tonight?”

  I shook my head. “No.”

  “So we have a whole night to ourselves?”

  “It would seem that way.”

  “Huh. We didn’t even have to try to wangle it.”

  I laughed. “No, we did not. Would you like to go out? The crown prince is excellent at booking posh restaurants at the last minute.”

  “Not as good as the Marquise, I’ll bet.”

  I tried to hold in a smile as a couple of servants went past. “No. Probably not. Is that a yes or a no to dinner?”

  “Hmm…” she mused. “I like the dinner part. But I’m less keen on the going out part.”

  “What about it makes you less keen?”

  “The pants part.”

  I looked at her. “The pants part?”

  She nodded. “Yes. I like the staying in and not wearing pants idea.”

  “I think that’s a very good idea.”

  “And some movies maybe?”

  “Dinner and a movie?” I chuckled.

  She nodded and swung my arm higher. “Yes. I think that sounds like a perfect first date, don’t you?”

  “We’re planning our wedding and this is our first date.”

  “At least it looks like our lives will never be boring.”

  I nodded. “This is true. Although, does dinner and a movie at home really count as a proper date?”

  “Dude!” she cried, looking at me aghast. “They are the best kind of proper dates!”

  I laughed and swung her into me to hug her. “I’ll take your word for it.”

  “Don’t tell me you’ve never dated. And escorts don’t count.”

  I tilted my head for a moment. “Then I’ve never really dated.”

  She sighed dramatically. “You have a lot of learning to do, your highness.”

  “And I’ll willingly learn if you’re the one teaching me, my lady. But I still maintain dinner and a movie at home is not proper first date material.”

  “And what do you count as a proper first date then, he who has never dated?”

  I pulled her closer. “I was going to keep it as a surprise for you.”

  “A surprise?”

  I nodded. “Yes. Is that allowed?”

  “Depends. Surprises have not gone so well for us, so far. Have they?” she asked.

  “Well, Gallyria Palace has always been the official home of the ruling family,” I started, feeling like I needed to explain it. “The children of the monarch usually live there until such time as they’re married. If they are not the heir, they move to a house of their choosing with their partner, this then becomes their family home.”

  “And if they are the heir?” she asked, suspicion evident in her voice, though I guessed she wondered what that had to do with a first date.

  “Then they traditionally live in the palace until they die.”

  “Cheery. Now when you say traditionally…?”

  I nodded. “I’ve spoken with Father and…we have made a compromise.”

  Her eyebrows rose and she smirked. “A compromise?”

  “Yes. He has offered us the duchy of Larovich as a wedding present.”

  “A duchy? A whole duchy?”

  “A whole duchy.”

  “We don’t need a duchy, do we?”

  “We don’t need one, but it does come with a few what I believe you call perks.”

  “Oh, perks?” She laughed. “And what exactly are the perks of the duchy of Larovich?”

  “To begin with, you would be a duchess in your own right, obviously–”

  “Which would make you Duke of Larovich if you didn’t insist on being called a prince,” she teased and rolled her eyes.

  I laughed. “Indeed. But it also comes with a very nice property with its very own home.”

  She looked at me quickly. “A home?”

  I nodded. “A home.”

  “And is this Australian-standard home, or Gallyrian Royal-standard home?”

  I wrapped my arms around her tightly. “It is smaller tha
n Genovich, but bigger than your mother’s home.”

  “Is this a yes or no type deal? Do we inspect said property beforehand…?”

  I shook my head. “For all intents and purposes, it is ours. The offer is but a formality.”

  “What about Nico and Kostin?”

  I frowned in surprise. “What about them?”

  “Well, won’t they need somewhere to live once they’re married?”

  I huffed a laugh. “The crown has enough properties to offer my brothers when the time comes.”

  “Well, Mr Money-Bags,” she giggled. “All right, then. That sounds lovely. Do I get to see a picture of this place I apparently now own or do I get to visit? Or is it like the holiday house at the beach you have but don’t get to nearly as often as you’d like?”

  I inclined my head. “We won’t get to spend as much time there as I suspect either of us will like. But I thought we were overdue for some time along so…”

  “So…?” she pressed when I didn’t continue.

  “It cannot be for a couple of weeks at least, but how would you like a holiday?”

  “Just us?”

  I nodded. “Yes. Just us.”

  She squealed and threw her arms around my neck. “I would so love a holiday that’s just us!”

  “Good,” I laughed, happy that she was happy. “It needs a bit of a tidy up, so that will all be–”

  “Wait.” Tati pulled away and looked at me. “What sort of tidy up? Because if there needs to be new paint, I want to pick it.”

  I grinned. “Not the renovation kind. I will leave all of that up to you, if you’d like.”

  She shook her head. “Well, I’ll be in charge. But you get to help.”

  “So generous, my lady.”

  She shrugged. “Benevolence is my middle name,” she said with a coy smile, then she kissed me.

  Royal Misadventures

  From here, the stories won’t be a full sub-series in a row the way the I’m No Princess stories were. So, the next story won’t be the Prince of Pout (Part Two). It’s going to be…something else I won’t divulge just yet.

  Coming soon will be parts of Lia’s story, story told from both Anya’s and Dmitri’s points of view, and the Aussies will descend on Gallyr! That’s right, Jenn and Bea are coming to visit and they are getting their own stories. The question remains, can any old Aussie find love in Gallyr?