Page 45 of Throne Off Course

Alexander caught it effortlessly, his expression far too pleased. “Assaulting the Crown Prince? Treason, I believe.”

“I’m glad you’re so amused.”

“Immensely.”

She groaned, squeezing her temples as if she could physically push out the headache pulsing there. “Okay. So if wedidn’t—” she waved vaguely at the bed “—then why am I here?”

Alexander shut his book, setting it on the table beside him. “Ah, well. That would be thanks to Sebastian’s party and your incredibly poor life choices.”

Emilia gaped. “My—what?”

He leaned forward slightly, elbows on his knees, practically radiating smugness. “Apparently, no one told you the cardinal rule of Sebastian’s parties.”

She narrowed her eyes. “Which is?”

“Never drink the punch.”

Emilia stared at him.

Alexander nodded solemnly. “And if you do, definitely don’t have more than one glass.”

A horrible, sinking feeling settled in her stomach. “…How many did I have?”

“I’m not entirely sure but I think at least three.”

She cradled her face in her hands, wishing that she could just disappear. “Oh, god.”

“Mmhmm.”

She suddenly looked up at him quizzically. “Okay. That explains why I don’t remember getting here. But it doesn’t explain why you didn’t just put me in a cab.”

Alexander gave a half-shrug. “I don’t actually know where you live.”

Emilia opened her mouth, then shut it.Okay. Fair.

“But you have people who can figure that out.”

Alexander raised an eyebrow. “You would have preferred that I alert palace staff to the fact that you accidentally passed out at a party with me?”

“I—” She stopped, frowning. “No, that sounds worse, actually.”

Alexander nodded. “Hence, Sebastian’s house, and I had a feeling you’d wake up and think you’d been abducted.”

Emilia hesitated, trying to process that. “So you… slept in a chair? Like, all night?”

Alexander shrugged, stretching slightly. “Sebastian’s other guest rooms were occupied, and I figured being seen on a couch by random partygoers wouldn’t be… ideal.”

Before she could overthink it, Alexander’s expression softened with amusement. “Besides, if I did go home, Sebastian would have had way too much fun messing with you about what may or may not have happened between us.”

Emilia buried her face in her hands. “Oh, god. You’re right. He’d have convinced me we eloped, wouldn’t he?”

Alexander tilted his head, eyes bright with quiet humor. “Bare minimum, yes.”

She sighed deeply. “Great. So we’re both here, and we have no idea where Sebastian is.”

“Exactly.”

Emilia ran a hand over her face. “We need to find him before he tells people I passed out in his house and you were lurking in the corner like some disapproving chaperone.”