Page 98 of Scandal Queen

His eyes held steady on my face. “Because you aren’t sure about us or because you are worried about the monarchy?”

“Because I don’t want to be the reason you aren’t with your family.”

He sighed and leant towards me, his gaze tighteningly intense. “Leia, you are my family now.”

I nodded silently. His words, they delved deep into my soul. All my life I’d wanted someone like him, someone to stand by my side and tell me I was worth it, that the battle they had face to support me was worth it.

My mother never could. The draw of heroin had always been too strong. Her love for it greater than the love she held for her own daughter.

Ollie wanted Daisy and me more than he wanted anything else. More than he wanted to be king.

A single tear slipped down my face. “You shouldn’t have to choose between us,”

His phone beeped and he broke our intense gaze to bend down and pick it up. When he saw the screen, he snorted. “It’s not a hard decision to make.”

An image had already been uploaded onto a news website of us leaving the palace gates in dangerous weather conditions: Heir to the throne breaks tradition and flees palace with royal lover.

His baleful eyes lifted to mine. “It bites my arse they are still calling you a royal lover.”

I chuckled and leant over to kiss his cheek. “Better than royal harlot.”

He smiled and it warmed the chill settled across my heart. We would be okay, I knew it. Whatever happened, the three of us would always be okay.

“Come, let’s get moving before we get stuck on the side of the road for the whole of the Christmas holiday.”

His smile stretched. “You really are doubting my driving skills. You know I passed my test when I was seventeen, first time?”

“Was it a royal dispensation?”

He lifted an eyebrow and I chuckled, the heavy atmosphere of the car that we seemed to be constantly followed by lifted. “No, Miss Lawrence. When did you pass yours?”

I slunk down in my seat, my cheeks hot. “Uh. I haven’t.”

“Oh really?” The left side of his lips curved upwards. “So judgemental, with no grounds.”

“I’ve tried. Patrick tried to teach me in an Asda car park, but it didn’t go well.”

Ollie laughed, his hands gripping the steering wheel. “All the truths are coming out today.”

I crimped my lips into a line. “Can we just go, Your Highness?” We both laughed but I couldn’t stop the darting thought zapping across my brain that wondered what it would be like for him not to have that title anymore.

What if he really did become just Ollie?

I’d like to say it was a change I wouldn’t accept, that my dedication to the man he was when we first met knew no bounds.

But there was also a part of me who knew it would be simply amazing. And that’s probably the most selfish thought I’d ever have. More than wanting to keep Daisy to myself and never looking for her father. Wanting to keep the future king to myself and preventing him from following his rightful path—that would be the lowest thing I’d ever do.

Would I do it anyway?

I couldn’t answer that.

“Come on.” I leant over and patted his knee. “Let’s go and tell Nana we need to peel more potatoes.”

“And she won’t mind?”

I laughed softly. “She won’t mind if you are there. Me on the other hand, I’m sure she’ll have something to say to.”

The snow seemed to fall faster, the headlights of the car sweeping through a wall of white and conversation lapsed while Ollie concentrated on getting us to the other branch of that little family of ours, preferably without wrapping us around a lamp post like a pretzel.