Page 37 of Expecting Royal Twins!
Isabel’s mouth formed another perfect O. Clearly she was aghast at the idea.
Julianna leaned forward with interest. Niko couldn’t believe she was sitting here with their engagement on the line without saying a word.
Dmitar stared at him. “You have made it clear that is not an option.”
Isabel’s shoulders dropped. Her features relaxed. A smile tugged on the corners of her mouth.
Julianna leaned back against her chair, but her lips were pressed together.
Niko would have expected her to be happier. Perhaps she was nervous about his father’s intentions. Niko would put her at ease. “Marrying Julianna is best for Vernonia. No offence, Isabel.”
“None taken,” she said.
“So you’ve said over and over again.” Dmitar’s gaze went from Julianna to Isabel to Niko. “That leaves me no choice but to find Isabel another husband. One she must marry the minute the annulment is granted.”
“What?” Isabel shrieked.
“Why?” Julianna asked, sounding taken aback.
“Father.” Niko had brought Isabel here. He didn’t want the American to be forced into an arranged marriage. “You can’t be serious.”
“I’m very serious,” Dmitar explained. “If Izzy is married, the Separatists can be upset about the turn of events, but can do nothing to change the situation. If she remains single…”
Dread pulsed through Niko’s veins. “They could demand we remarry or use her to rally against you.”
“Yes,” Dmitar said.
Niko thought he’d considered every angle. He believed the Separatists were content with their coalition in the government, that they were comfortable with his family as heads of state. He was so focused on modernizing that he never thought they would demand a marriage alliance in the face of improved economic development. But apparently he had been wrong. Because of that, Isabel would be the one to pay. She did not deserve to have her life plans derailed any more than they already had been.
“No.” Isabel’s face paled. “There has to be another way. Anything…”
He respected the way she stood up for herself. “Let us have time to think of an alternative, Father.”
“The High Court convenes on Monday,” Dmitar said. “You have one day to think of an alternative that will maintain peace. Otherwise Izzy must get married.”
“Who do you plan to marry her off to?” Niko couldn’t think of anyone in the kingdom that would be a match. The thought of some other man with her…whoa, he needed to reel in his thoughts.
“I’ve been working on that, dear.” Beatrice stared at Izzy with interest. “Here’s the list of eligible royals I’ve come up with so far…”
Talk about a living nightmare. Izzy’s future was at stake. She had to think of something and fast.
Izzy lay in bed wide-awake. Her mind raced fast enough to capture the pole position at Darlington Raceway. Unable to sleep, she glanced at the clock. 2:04. No way she could sleep. Not with the conversations from dinner replaying through her mind like reruns of a TV show.
She imagined a show called The Royal Kresimirs. The preview would consist of shots of each of them. King Dmitar saying she needed to marry. Queen Beatrice rattling off a list of potential husbands. Prince Niko interjecting his opinion on each name his mother read. Princess Julianna smiling as she attempted to keep the peace. Izzy racking her brain to find a way out of being forced to marry.
But this was too far-fetched to be a television show. Something like this should never happen. Not in the twenty-first century. Not to an American citizen.
That gave Izzy an idea.
She could call the Embassy. Surely the State Department would help her out.
No, that would only solve her problem, not…Vernonia’s.
Izzy wasn’t attached to this strange country. Until yesterday she’d only heard of the place in the news, but Vernonia had meant something to her parents and to Uncle Frank. She wasn’t selfish enough to ignore the war fought here or pretend another one couldn’t happen again.
Her stomach growled.
She’d been so upset she couldn’t eat dinner. She’d even turned down a slice of chocolate torte served for dessert. That had been dumb. Chocolate always made her feel better. Maybe a leftover slice was in the kitchen. That would raise her spirits.
