Mcclone The Accidental Princess (Her Royal Duty, #1)

1. Auflage 2023
ISBN: 978-1-944777-80-7
Verlag: Cardinal Press, LLC
Format: EPUB
Kopierschutz: Adobe DRM (»Systemvoraussetzungen)

E-Book, Englisch, 276 Seiten

Reihe: Her Royal Duty

A skeptical prince, an American heiress, and the enchanted ring...

Prince Richard de Thierry of San Montico believes legends and love are relics of the past. Attending a royal birthday ball in his honor is not at the top of his to-do list, but duty calls. There, he encounters the enchanting, accident-prone American heiress, Christina Armstrong, who he dislikes on sight and wants to avoid for the rest of the evening.

Christina, desperate to escape the spotlight, finds her clumsiness reaching new heights when she gets the fabled royal engagement ring stuck on her finger. The legend of the ring claims Prince Richard must marry the woman who wears the ring or abdicate, but both he and Christina are determined to defy destiny.

As royal wedding plans spiral out of control, Christina's charm and kindness breathe fresh air into the royal court, challenging Richard's beliefs about his kingdom. Though their chemistry is undeniable, they're forced to keep their distance as everyone pushes them together. But in their quest to remove the ring and debunk the legend, will they risk missing their chance at one true love?

The Accidental Princess

Her Royal Duty Series:
Book 1: (Christina and Richard)
Book 2: (Izzy and Nico)
Book 3: (Julianna and Alejandro)
Book 4: (Madeleine and Enrique)

Autoren/Hrsg.

Mcclone, Melissa

Leseproben

CHAPTER ONE

“Did you know she set fire to the White House, Your Highness?” Didier Alois whispered.

His Serene Highness Prince Richard de Thierry of San Montico stared at the unlikely pyromaniac—a young woman with a heart-shaped face and striking emerald eyes that matched her gown. The fitted bodice accentuated her curves. Her curly auburn hair flowed like silk past her shoulders and glimmered beneath the light of the crystal chandelier. Making her way along the great hall and the slow-moving receiving line, she curtsied and flashed a dazzling smile at dignitaries and royalty.

“Who is she?”

“Christina Armstrong, Your Highness,” Didier answered, loud enough to be heard above the din of the guests but soft enough to be heard only by Richard.

Trust Didi to know everything about the guests attending the royal birthday ball. Then again, as the royal advisor that was his job. Didi was only two years older than Richard, but he did his job as if he’d done it for the past forty years.

Richard wondered what else his best friend knew about Christina Armstrong. He was certain they had never met, but something about her seemed familiar. He noticed the older gentleman escorting her, and then it hit Richard. “Armstrong? As in Alan Armstrong, billionaire CEO and patriarch of America’s second most famous family?”

“Yes, Your Highness.”

Richard knew the type—he had been engaged to one. A rich man’s daughter who still used her daddy’s black card. Wealthy, spoiled, a title-seeking princess wannabe.

He clenched his gloved hands. “I told my mother not to invite any Americans. You know how they are about…royalty.”

“I doubt your mother had a choice whether to invite them, considering the substantial donation Armstrong International made to her charity fund.” Didier hesitated. “Not all American women are like—”

“This has nothing to do with her.”

Nothing at all.

But the way Richard’s chest tightened told him it did. Regaining control, he lowered his voice. “This is my birthday. I should have been consulted about the guest list.”

“Judging by the quality of the women who have arrived, I believe Princess Marguerite did quite well without your input, Your Highness.” Didier smiled. “I must say, Christina Armstrong even looks like a princess. She’s quite lovely. And with her upbringing and connections—”

“She is nothing more than an American heiress.”

“The legend cares nothing about—”

“The legend, Didi?” Simply saying the word “legend” left a bitter taste in Richard’s mouth. “Do you truly believe the royal engagement ring is going to fit one of these women, that we will find true love and everlasting happiness, that the island will prosper with our marriage? Especially if one is a pyromaniac?”

“I do, Your Highness.”

Ridiculous, utterly ridiculous. Even logical Didier believed in the legend of the ring, in magic. But Richard knew better. The pursuit of true love—or any kind of love—brought only heartache. Magic did not exist. Yet duty to his family and his country bound him to the legend. If only he had married…

Strains of Vivaldi, played by the seventy-piece orchestra, drifted in from the ballroom. They might as well be playing a requiem for all the fun Richard would have tonight. He knew what to expect, and he dreaded it.

Women dressed in designer gowns would try to catch his eye, but they had only one thing on their mind—trying on the royal engagement ring and seeing if it fit. It was a Cinderella nightmare come true.

His.

Richard didn’t want the ring to fit anyone.

Yet, no one cared what he thought. If they did, the palace wouldn’t be full of guests.

And not just women.

Men dressed in tuxedos held drinks and waited to console the women whose fingers didn’t fit the ring.

Ridiculous.

The air-kissing, the meaningless toasts, the inconsequential conversations. His so-called guests had less substance than the effervescent bubbles rising in the overpriced champagne his mother had ordered.

He should never have agreed to this farce of a party. Never. He should be sailing, relaxing on his yacht, and drinking his favorite beer. If it were not for the legend…

The legend of the ring.

Richard wanted no part of it. He didn’t believe in the legend any more than he believed in the tooth fairy or love at first sight. Perhaps a hundred years ago, legends made some sort of sense to people who were more willing to believe in magic, but not today.

He was following his father’s wishes and bringing San Montico into the present, but the task was monumentally slow. Each step toward progress required a battle against the majority who resisted change. The harder Richard pushed for progress, the harder the people fought against it. The citizens of the island clung to old-fashioned traditions and myths like drowning rats on lifelines during a raging storm at sea.

He’d quickly realized the antiquated customs that people held so dear to their hearts—such as the legend of the ring—were preventing San Montico from moving forward. Only by doing away with the old ways could real progress take place. Once Richard proved the legend was nothing more than a fairy tale, San Montico could take a giant leap toward modernization. His ideas ranged from updating the infrastructure to upgrading the technology that lagged the neighboring lands. The healthcare system was good, but he wanted to make it better. Making these changes was the best thing for his country, the best thing for himself.

“The legend is pure fantasy, Didi, and I will prove it. As soon as the clock strikes midnight, this will be over.”

“Perhaps it will be only the beginning. The legend has proved itself true in the past, Your Highness.”

Richard would not believe it. “It is nothing more than a self-fulfilling prophecy. The legend came true because my ancestors, including my own parents, chose to make it come true. I choose not to. Why don’t you get married and take the pressure off me?”

Didier sighed. “If you recall, Your Highness, tradition dictates I may not marry until you do.”

Another stupid custom. Richard’s marital status should have nothing to do with his royal advisor’s. If only Didier weren’t so entrenched in following the “old” ways. “I should have known there was another reason for your wanting me to marry.”

“My only reason has to do with our country. You need to find a wife, Your Highness.”

“I have tried to find a wife, Didi.”

Richard had done everything possible not to fall prey to the legend. He had dated more than his share of women. Up until six months ago, he thought he had found the one, only to discover he was hugely mistaken. The woman had used him, destroying his trust and hurting him in ways he’d never imagined. Since then, it had been a race to find another fiancée before his birthday, so this ridiculous party with the ring and him as the featured guests could have been avoided. But he could not open his heart to just anyone. A part of him wondered if he would be able to after suffering such a betrayal, but he had to try.

“I’ve gone above and beyond the call of duty,” he added. “Surely that must count.”

“But none of your efforts have…succeeded, Your Highness. You are unmarried, and San Montico needs an heir.”

Richard was tired of hearing what San Montico expected of him. He knew. The expectations had been drummed into him from the day he was born. He straightened his gloves. “I can provide an heir without marrying.”

Didier cringed. “Your Highness.”

Perhaps Richard had overstepped the boundary with that one, but he couldn’t help himself. No one was on his side. The entire island, including his mother and uncle, expected him to fall in love and marry one of the women attending his birthday ball. “Look at the problems other royal families have had, especially the Windsors. An arranged marriage simply to provide an heir makes no sense and adds nothing but more stress to an outdated institution.”

“Are you talking about matrimony or monarchies, Your Highness?”

Leave it to Didier to make Richard laugh.

“We will have to finish this discussion later,” Didier whispered. “Here comes Mr. Armstrong and his daughter, Your Highness.”

Richard nodded.

The dignified, tuxedo-clad Alan Armstrong bowed in front of him. “Your Highness, may I present my daughter, Christina.”

Attractive, yes. Princess material, no.

Her rosy blush and wide eyes told Richard she was impressed by him, probably even in awe. What more could he expect from an American? Especially one who set fires, accidental or not. When he married, he would select a woman who saw him as a man, not a prince. In the meantime, he forced a smile. “It is my pleasure to meet your lovely...