Pretender to the Throne by Maisey Yates

Author:Maisey Yates
Language: eng
Format: epub, mobi
Publisher: Harlequin
Published: 2013-03-24T16:00:00+00:00

CHAPTER TEN

HE COULDN’T HIDE the headlines from her forever. But he would do his best. He had expected...something triumphant. Something about Layna’s bravery. About her beauty, at least her inner beauty, to grace the pages of the newspapers. But he was disappointed.

There were before and after photos. Layna, young, radiant and golden, and Layna as she was now. With the scars that had changed the landscape of her face.

And they asked would she now be the face of the nation. And suddenly...suddenly they were acting like he was a saint. Honoring past commitments in spite of present circumstances.

Isn’t that what you wanted?

His blood boiled. Rage spiking through him. At the media. At himself. He had used her. He had exposed her to this.

And he would protect her from it as long as he could. Because he needed her. Of that he was certain. He had no idea how he would rule without her.

He couldn’t dwell on it now. Today he was seeing his father. Today, he was facing the hardest part of his past.

At least Layna would be beside him.

* * *

His father was an old man. That was his first thought when he walked into the hospital room and saw the man he’d always thought of as so imposing, hooked up to all the machinery.

He was asleep. Or maybe he was unconscious. Xander wasn’t sure. He wasn’t certain he could get close enough to find out.

Delicate fingers wrapped around his hand and he looked down at the top of Layna’s head. Shocked that she was there. Shocked that she was touching him.

“I told you,” she said. “You aren’t alone.”

“You don’t owe me anything, Layna.”

“I know. This isn’t about owing you. This is about getting you through.”

“I didn’t help you get through.”

“And I didn’t help you. But that was then. And we’re both here now.”

He wanted to tell her he didn’t need any help getting through, but the words stuck in his throat. “What do we do exactly? He isn’t awake.”

“Talk to him.”

“I would feel stupid.”

“King Stephanos.”

She approached the bed, small and regal. Yes, it was she who belonged in this position while he...he was not sure he had a place in life much less in Kyonos.

“It’s Layna Xenakos. And I’m here with Xander. He’s home. He’s here for you. For Kyonos.”

She turned back to face him and the sun caught in her hair, catching the deep golds that were woven in with the browns. She was practically glowing, and he had a feeling he couldn’t even blame the sun. She seemed to glow from the inside. “I don’t feel silly.”

“No,” he said. “I can see that. But it’s been longer since I talked to him so...”

“Yeah, like a week longer.” She reached out and grabbed his arm, squeezed it. “I understand, though. I know you left on poor terms.”

“Understatement there.”

He looked at his father and tried to find one part of himself there. Because part of him had always hoped his mother had been wrong. But he could see nothing of himself in the old man.

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