Now Presenting (I'm No Princess Book 1) Read online

  “Lia, you want anything?” I asked her.

  “I’m good for now. Thanks,” she replied with a smile and I saw how her eyes were having trouble staying off Mikelson.

  I nodded and headed for the drinks trolley, where it appeared you went up to like a bar and someone poured you a drink. Naturally, as I went, my heel got caught in the rug on the floor and I stumbled. But thankfully someone caught me and I stumbled into them rather than falling over.

  I giggled out of sheer awkwardness and look up to see that super angry older military guy from the state dinner glaring at me. Said giggle died pretty quickly as I stood up quite successfully by myself.

  “Uh, excuse me,” I said awkwardly and realised I probably looked more drunk than sober. “I mean thanks…” I huffed an awkward laugh and his face was still stony. If this was the unofficial head of the military, my guess would be he was Dmitri’s superior and I wouldn’t be surprised if the crown prince had learnt how to be a statue off this guy.

  “But of course, Lady Tatiana,” he replied with a harsh voice.

  I licked my lips and looked around, not sure about protocol when someone knows you and you didn’t know them. But I saw no one I knew close enough or paying attention to help me.

  “Forgive my manners, my lady. I am General Arnold Arnell.” He swept into a low bow that I thought was probably intended as more of an insult than a compliment.

  “Uh, General Arnell. Pleasure to meet you.” I curtsied because I had no idea what I was supposed to do and he looked at me like he was all too well aware that I didn’t know what I was doing. And he certainly didn’t find it as endearing as Rex.

  “Indeed,” he said curtly, his eyes sweeping over my like I was a particularly bad smell under his nose. Then he inclined his head and strode off.

  I let out a deep breath and hurried to the drinks trolley, seeing one face I recognised. “Lancaster.” I smiled.

  “My lady.” He bowed. “Can I get you a drink?”

  “You can. Please tell me you have beer?”

  “What kind, my lady?”

  I leant towards him conspiratorially. “Look, at this point, I’d take a Carlton Draught.”

  He frowned in confusion. “A what, my lady?”

  I shook my head. “Never mind. Whatever you have. Three please.”

  I looked around the room as he poured them into glasses and I saw Arnell watching me as he spoke to a group of other men. It was then I noticed that there were very few other women in the room and I wondered why the hell Lia and I had been invited when it was quite clearly a meeting of the boys’ club.

  “Here you are, my lady,” Lancaster said and I turned back to him with a smile. “Can I help you carry them?”

  “No, thanks. I’ll be fine.”

  Lancaster looked at me like he wanted to say more. But only said, “Are you sure, my lady?”

  I held my hands out. “I am. Thanks.”

  We got all three glasses settled in my hands and I made my careful way back to Lia, Nico and Mikelson. I was sure I looked like Jenn after about five rounds when she’s making her way back from the bar at the pub at home. Tongue out, fierce concentration, protecting those drinks with her life, slightly wobbly. Although my wobble had more to do with heels and less to do with alcohol consumption.

  But I managed to avoid most people and only sloshed beer on my shoes once by the time I got back to the others with a triumphant smile on my face.

  “Well, Publympics taught you well,” Lia laughed.

  I nodded as I passed the boys their beers. “It did. Reigning champ two months in a row.”

  “Two months?” Lia scoffed, like it was an insignificant achievement.

  “Hey, I was only eighteen in September!” I reminded her.

  “Publympics?” Nico asked, obviously intrigued.

  I nodded, but couldn’t reply as the, “Dinner is served,” rang out.

  Dad came to lead me to my seat as Nico directed Lia to a seat on the other side of the table.

  “Are you behaving?” Dad asked me with a twinkle in his eyes.

  I gasped in mock-horror. “Yes. Thank you. I’m being very good.”

  Dad grinned. “Good. I need to sit by Rex tonight. I’ll talk to you later.”

  “But Dad! Who does that leave me…?” Dad had walked off and the person that it left me with stood by my side.

  “Lady Tatiana.”

  I sighed as I dropped into my seat and fluffed my napkin into my lap. “Dmitri.”

  Lia sat across from me as seemed to be the usual and gave me a sympathetic look as the rest of the women around the table took their seats. Then it was the men’s turn to sit. Nico was next to Lia and Arnell on her other side. And the stupid general wouldn’t stop throwing me these shifty, unimpressed looks. Which made me far more nervous than usual.

  I couldn’t sit still in my chair and, without Dad, I felt even more of a loser at the table than usual. Dmitri was either quiet or talking to the men around me and even I’d realised that it wasn’t really practical to yell at my sister over the table. Besides, what would we talk about that wasn’t inappropriate for a military dinner? Lamingtons seemed the only safe topic.

  So I watched with some annoyance as Lia talked to Nico occasionally. They both smiled at me now and then like they wished they could involve me and I returned it so that didn’t think I was too lonely. Mind you, a bit more time to focus on eating and drinking so as to avoid dropping anything or spilling anything was quite good. Dad checked in a few times while he was in deep conversation with Rex and a few people around them. And Mikelson shot me looks from down the table that made me fight not to laugh.

  As Dmitri poured me a wine, he leant a little closer than I thought propriety dictated. “You would do well not to be so obviously flirting at this table with a member of the military.” His voice was low, but I certainly heard him.

  “Excuse me?” I asked, surreptitiously looking around the table to see if anyone noticed.

  “What you and Officer Cadet Mikelson do behind closed doors is one thing. What you do in the middle of a dinner in front of the military leaders is another.”

  I turned so quickly that our noses bumped and we both pulled away. I looked around the table once more, then leant into him. “I’m not flirting with anyone, your highness. An acquaintance is merely trying to make me feel less lonely.”

  I could tell by the look in his eyes – his lovely face was of course stony as usual – that he didn’t believe me.

  “I have zero interest in Mikelson and he is well aware of that fact. If I were worried about people flirting at the table, I’d look to your brother.”

  “I do not need to see him to know he will need reprimanding later, Lady Tatiana. Mikelson is lucky to be at this table. You would do well not to ruin his chances.”

  I huffed. “Seriously?” I hissed at him.

  “Yes,” Arnell said loudly to someone else, “you have to feel sorry for those countries who are stuck with such…uncouth nobles.”

  My cheeks burned and I wasn’t sure if I was more outraged or embarrassed. I looked around quickly, but neither Dad nor Rex were close enough to have heard him. At least I hoped they were out of hearing range.

  “It is a wonder they do not succumb to accidents,” Arnell continued and I felt my throat closing over.

  Less anger, more embarrassment.

  Lia caught my eye and we both knew who Arnell was talking about. It wasn’t until she looked away and put a hand on Nico’s arm gently that I realised Nico had been about to stand up.

  “You are suggesting we kill people merely because they are not as stuffy and boring as the rest of us?” Nico asked, outrage evident in his voice.

  “Dominic!” Dmitri snapped.

  “I am merely expressing a wonder that other countries need deal with the embarrassment of lesser nobility,” Arnell said, looking in my direction.

  “Says the man who will never be worthy o
f peerage,” Nico said vehemently.

  I felt myself begin to stand, but Dmitri surreptitiously laid a hand over mine for a split second on the table.

  “You forget yourself tonight, your highness,” Arnell said like he was discussing the weather.

  I may not have known what I was doing that night. But I knew what Nico was meant to be doing. He may have been a prince of Gallyr, but he was in his military uniform. That night he wasn’t the king’s son, he was Arnell’s inferior and he was walking a fine line between what was acceptable and not.

  “You forget yourself, General,” Nico replied. “You come into my father’s house and insult his guests?”

  Arnell looked around innocently. Everyone might have known he was referring to me, but he’d never expressly said anything. “Whatever do you mean, Officer Cadet?”

  I felt Dmitri stiffen beside me and snuck a look at him to find his jaw was twitching and his hand was a fist in his lap. I knew Nico should have kept his mouth shut, but I didn’t think it warranted that amount of anger.

  Nico opened his mouth, but Dmitri spoke first. “General, it is perhaps inadvisable to speak of things so transparently at the dinner table. We are all aware of Lady Tatiana’s failings, but pointing them out is certainly unnecessary.” He reached forward for his wine glass and took a sip like he’d just suggested that it complimented the fish stew perfectly.

  My eye caught Lia’s again and I knew what she saw on my face by the look on hers. But I was standing up before I’d processed that was my intention.

  “Indeed. Such passive-aggressive insults are surely below a man of your standing, General. At least Dmitri has the balls to just come out and say it. Allow me to excuse myself so you can speak more plainly behind my back!”

  I threw my napkin on the table, heedless that every single person at the table was watching me, and stormed out with all the grace and self-confidence I could muster.

  “Anya!” Nico yelled, but I ignored him and I ran up to my room, Nikolai following close behind.

  Chapter Nine

  Far too early in the morning, a swift banging on my door preceded my sister, who rushed into the room in the most unladylike manner I’d seen her in since she was about twelve.

  “Kostin’s home!” she cried excitedly.

  I looked up at her in confusion from my attempt at a morning news catch-up, glad I’d already sent the email to Mum. “Who’s what?”

  “Prince Konstantin. Kostin’s home!” she squealed and I realised that the Dmitri obsession must be well and truly over. Or she’d got to the point where she was just going to lust after all three of them until one noticed her.

  No, that was harsh. Lia was amazing in every aspect. She’d been the little girl who always dreamt of being a princess, even before we knew who Dad was and being a princess was actually not that far out of reach. Every Halloween, every dress-up party, every day if she could get away with it, she dressed up as a princess. She quoted Disney movies, sang at any bird who dared venture into the garden, and tried to tame mice.

  And it wasn’t only a lifelong dream to live in this fantasy world of princes and princesses and happily-ever-afters, Lia had all the bearing and the manners and the looks and the personality to be a freaking awesome princess. She was kind and thoughtful and sweet. I could see her helping to rule a country, heading charities (many of which she was already involved with), or just being beloved by a nation. Given the resources, she could make a real difference in the world and I wanted that for her.

  It didn’t hurt that she had a tendency to be quite keen on all three of Rex’s sons, and a few other nobles from the sound of it. And in some respects, I couldn’t blame her. It also wasn’t her fault that none of that was for me. I had to not judge what she wanted just because it sounded horrible to me.

  I wanted to write film scripts, for God’s sake. In what way was that going to change the world or help people? It wasn’t and it wasn’t intended to. I planned to be one of those nobles no one had heard of and even less people saw.

  “Tati!” Lia cried again and I pulled myself back to the present.

  “What?”

  “Come and meet him. He asked if you were here.”

  I blinked. “Why would Konstantin care if I was here?”

  Lia looked at me with her fondly exasperated face on. “Because you’re Dad’s daughter, too.”

  I sighed. “Fine. Will this do?” I asked her, pointing at my body.

  It might have been way too early to be awake. But, I was both awake and dressed. I’d avoided the jeans and hoody look for the most part after seeing Dad’s face clearly expressing his thoughts on the matter. Plus, after storming out of the military dinner four nights earlier, I’d put myself on a good behaviour bond. But we’d reached a compromise and it seemed an unnecessarily expensive pair of jeans combined with a nice sweater and/or button up shirt was perfectly acceptable, as long as I didn’t put my ratty Converse on with them. I was slowly getting used to the weird sensation of heels and jeans.

  Lia looked me over and I actually saw unrestrained pride in her eyes. I would have been put out that she preferred this over the real me if I wasn’t so desperate not to screw all this all up any more than I already had.

  “You look so beautiful,” she said warmly, then waved her hand at me. “Come on. Come on. You’ll like Kostin, I promise.”

  I rolled my eyes. “Well, he sure can’t be worse than the other two. Can he?”

  Lia snorted as we walked out and Nikolai and Neil followed us silently down to the same room I’d met Rex, Hilde and Dmitri in that first day. Dad and Rex were talking with Hilde and Dmitri. And Nico was talking animatedly to the guy who could only be the middle brother.

  At twenty-one, Konstantin exuded just as much of the perfect example of the Disney prince as I’d been led to believe – handsome, polite, thoughtful, kind, benevolent. Like Lia, he was involved with numerous charities and was always in the spotlight trying to get people to care about something important. He’d served his mandatory two years in the army and then moved on to do other things with his time, his money and his title. I’d always wondered what the country thought about him not being the heir, honestly.

  Like the crown prince, he had dark brown hair but, like his younger brother, his eyes were blue. Only a darker shade that looked much more like his mother’s colouring than Nico’s paler blues. And as he listened to whatever it was that Nico was saying, his face was open and polite, a small smile on his lips. He wore black suit pants and a blue shirt with a darker blue tie and his hair was perfectly swept back off his face.

  “Ah, girls,” Rex said as he turned to smile at us.

  That edge of carpet got me again and, though Lia tried to catch me, it was Dmitri’s hand that reached out and stopped me falling on my face. Unfortunately, I was overcompensating in trying to keep my footing by myself and I ended up basically throwing myself into his chest.

  He breathed out heavily as I landed. “Lady Tatiana,” he said, his voice low and obviously not thrilled.

  “Dmitri,” I replied with a nod as I looked up into those dark brown eyes.

  Which was a mistake as usual. Particularly since I’d barely looked at him since my fabulous behaviour at the military dinner.

  I was pinned for a moment, not sure what I was looking into, but not caring because he was gorgeous and warm and there was something addictive about the way my tummy fluttered around him. He was still holding my arm and my hand was on his chest when I heard Lia giggling as she said Konstantin’s name about three octaves higher than necessary. I cleared my throat and stepped away from Dmitri quickly enough that anyone watching was going to think there was something more to it than there was even when there wasn’t.

  So naturally I wasn’t watching where I was going and I bumped into someone behind me. There was a hand on my waist and I could guess who it was based on the sudden coldness in Dmitri’s eyes, let alone the way his hand lay on me.

&nb
sp; “Anya,” Nico said slowly, “are you all right?”

  As I turned, I manoeuvred myself to stepping away from both of them as best I could and smiled. “Just accident prone as usual,” I replied.

  He gave Dmitri a look that was all smooth arrogance and I wondered what it was about the brothers that made them seem to hate each other. I was under no delusions it was me. This felt like an old grudge. At the most, Nico was flirting with me to see if it got under Dmitri’s skin. I was pretty certain it did not get under Dmitri’s skin. I was pretty certain it was impossible for even tattoo ink to get under Dmitri’s skin.

  “It is nice for us all to be home at once, isn’t it Mitya?” Nico asked Dmitri.

  “Mother will be pleased about it,” Dmitri answered, his voice that stone cold I’d come to recognise far too well. And like the day I met him, it still slid over my skin far more tantalisingly than it should.

  “Anya!” Lia called and I looked to see her waving.

  “Excuse me,” I told the boys, pleased to have an excuse to leave that cold war. I went over and smiled at Konstantin.

  Lia put an arm around my shoulders and hugged me close. “Anya, this is Kostin. Kostin, my little sister Anya.”

  “Pleasure, my lady,” Kostin said with a short bow that was more just an inclination of the head. He was the picture of royalty; composed, handsome, pleasant. But I could see why Dad called him a robot. There was a little bit of a blankness in his eyes that suggested he was just playing a part. Or there really wasn’t anything going on at home.

  “Nice to meet you at last,” I told him.

  “Likewise. Natalia has told me so much about you.”

  I glared at Lia. “Has she? Seems you have me at a disadvantage then, Kostin.”

  He smile grew for a moment. “Not at all. Only good things.”

  I huffed a laugh. “Oh, I doubt that.”

  “Lia is nothing but a lady,” Kostin assured me and I watched Lia’s little excited smile.