A Princess in Theory (Reluctant Royals #1)(67)

Her skin warmed beneath his hand.

“Is this what your life is like here?” The sounds of thousands of digital shutters clicking made her glance away from him. She squeezed her eyes shut.

“It’s usually not quite this intense, but I am royalty. Celebrity is part of the package.” He shrugged. “I guess it’s the princely equivalent of the ritual animal murder you participate in.”

“Sacrifice,” she corrected. Thabiso felt her smile against his knuckles, and it washed over him like the rush of a great waterfall.

“Whatever you wish to call it. Like your sacrifice, it’s not fun, but it’s necessary for achieving my goals.”

If he moved his hand just a bit, he could trace the outline of her mouth with his fingertips . . .

“You can stop touching me now,” she said, turning her head and breaking contact with him. “I thought we weren’t going to pretend.”

He hated to lose the feel of her soft skin, but he pulled his hand away. “I’m not pretending.”

He turned to find his parents watching with the bland, regal expression that had frightened him as a child because it was so different from the loving, expressive parents he knew.

“Come. It is time to meet my parents.”

He could feel Ledi’s intake of breath and the straightening of her spine. Likotsi had wondered whether she’d be up to the task; Thabiso’s only question was if it was worthy of her.

They stopped in front of his parents, who had gone into full “frosty royal” mode. They looked down at her as if she were a gaudy souvenir he’d picked up at the airport gift shop.

“Mother. Father. Allow me to reintroduce my bride-to-be, Naledi Ajoua.”

Naledi shifted nervously then gave a little wave. “Queen Ramatla, King Lerumo. It’s a pleasure to meet you.”

The queen ran her eyes over Ledi in frank assessment and sniffed.

“I hope in the future she chooses more appropriate attire for public appearances. This sartorial choice is quite unbecoming of a supposed future queen.”

Thabiso had known his parents would be upset, but he’d thought his finally being committed to marriage would smooth over any rough edges. That would be too damn simple of course.

“The view from the plane was beautiful,” Ledi said. “I was looking down at the mountains and waterfalls and wondering why my parents would leave such a place.” She returned the assessing look his mother had just given her. “Thank you for clearing that up for me.”

The queen inhaled sharply and the king’s thick eyebrows rose.

Naledi looked up at Thabiso. “Your family is delightful, but I’d prefer to meet mine now if that’s all right.”

“I am here, my niece.” Alehk stepped forward, and before Thabiso could make an appropriate introduction, Ledi was pulled from his side and engulfed in a hug. “My god, you are so grown-up! The last time I saw you, you were up to my knee!”

Ledi stared at him. “I’m sorry, I don’t remember. I—”

“Do not apologize.” Alehk wiped at his eyes. “I am your uncle Alehk. I represent the Jaramis, as your grandparents, our village elders, are at hospital. This is your cousin, Nyakalla.”

A thin, slightly hunched over young woman wearing a dark blue cloak and black headwrap stepped from beside Alehk and embraced Naledi, too. Nyakalla’s frailty was shocking after not seeing her for some time. She’d always been sickly; she’d been born with health issues and her mother had died from complications in the delivery room, despite Thesolo’s low maternal mortality rate. Nyakalla’s survival had been alternately considered a miracle and a pity by whispering aunties. She didn’t leave Lek Hemane, their hometown, often, and had been raised in part by Annie and Makalele. He wondered if her somber appearance was spurred by their sickness.

Thabiso detested Alehk, but the expression on Ledi’s face washed all of that away, just for a moment. She pulled back from her cousin’s embrace and looked at her. “We have the same nose. And smile,” she added when Nyakalla twitched her nose and laughed.

“I am happy to see you again after all of these years, my cousin. Our grandmother always believed you would return.” Her eyes filled with tears that she blinked away. “You can call me Nya, as you did when we were children, if you’d like.”

Naledi blinked several times, then cleared her throat. “And you can call me Ledi.”

They looked at each other, assessing each other with wide smiles.

Nya looked away, as if she were embarrassed. “I would love to learn about New York. I’ve dreamed of going there, but I’ve never left Thesolo.”

“There are rats in New York. Huge ones,” Thabiso interjected.

Nya and Ledi looked even more alike as they rolled their eyes in unison.

“Maybe you can tell me about Thesolo, and I can tell you about New York?” Ledi said. “He’s right about the rats, but there are giant vermin here, too, I’m sure.”

She didn’t glance at him, but the barb still hit its mark.

“We should return to the palace to prepare for the engagement celebration,” the king said. His voice boomed, but there was a glint of amusement in his eyes.

“Naledi will ride with us,” Alehk said, stepping between her and Thabiso.

“No, she’ll ride in the royal carriage,” Thabiso said.