A Right Royal Ruse: A Fake Dating Royal Rom-Com by Maude Winters

Author:Maude Winters [Winters, Maude]
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9798876443465
Publisher: Palas Publishing LLC
Published: 2024-03-14T18:30:00+00:00

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Kiersten

“There you are,” mother says.

I stand in the throne room trying to pull it together. I’ve just had a massive breakdown over something very silly and she is the last person I want to see.

“Go away, Mum. I’m fine,” I whinge.

“You were crying? Why are you crying?”

“It’s stupid and I’m over it.”

“Is this about Olav? Did you⁠—”

“Not everything is about men,” I say sharply before I soften.

My mother is the most loving person. She is not coming for me. I don’t need to come for her.

“Sorry. I’m upset. Something Natalie said earlier… Olav made a joke and he meant nothing by it. I lost it—didn’t mean to hurt me. He talked me off the ledge. I’m fine now.”

“Good,” Mum says. “What did Natalie say?”

“Does it really matter?”

“It will always matter to me, sweetheart.”

“I’m worth more than just a well-bred, well-turned-out broodmare. I don’t take kindly to the assumption I’m just out to marry someone like him. I’m not, you know? I’m not out to marry him so I can realise the dream of making royal babies. I don’t know what I want. I like him, but I’m young. I want to have a life.”

“No one thinks that.”

“Natalie strongly implied it.”

“I think she thought she was joking. You must understand she’s a bit immune to it since it’s all anyone tells her about herself. She loves you, though. She doesn’t want that for you. And being me isn’t so bad, but I know what you are saying.”

“I’m do not mean to imply you were that way or that Dad treats you like that. Nor am I saying Olav has ever treated me like that. He doesn’t. If he did, we’d be done-zo. I don’t like anyone saying I’m only good for making babies. It’s not true. I am just… frightened and figuring life out. Losing Manny broke me. You must believe that on Sally, I feel like I am making my life better. That I can be on her back and love what I do. I got lost somewhere in the last year with expectations and… I acted out and did some stupid things.”

“Like?”

“It doesn’t matter, Mummy. Trust me. Just know that I began to let other people tell me my worth and I regret it. And Manny’s injury was a wakeup call to make me trust my gut. I may never forgive myself for what happened. I will always feel sick over it. What I can do is use it to make my life better. It all seems very stupid. I can tell Dad doesn’t even care⁠—”

“Oh, sweetheart, we both want you to be happy. All we have ever wanted for every one of you is for you all to be happy. And you are, right?”

I shrug. “I am trying to love myself again.”

She smiles. “Dad may not quite understand the horse. He may never understand loving one animal as much as you have some of these, but he knows I do.”

“He only said yes because Olav said he loved me.

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