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PROLOGUE

“WHAT AM I looking at?” De of Volyarus

Spread before hiht over with the first Het, was a series of photos All were of a rather ordinary wo feature was storray eyes that revealed more emotion in each picture than he would allow himself to show in an entire year

Fedir frowned at the pictures for several seconds before aze

Those who iven—the rese’s nephew and while he’d been raised in the palace as the “spare heir to the throne,” three years older than his future king, he’d never once gotten it confused in his own mind

Fedir cleared his throat as if the words he needed to utter were unpalatable to him “That is Chanel Tanner”

“Tanner?” Demyan asked, the coincidence not lost on him

“Yes”

The nah, in the United States, anyway There was no immediate reason for Demyan to assuinal partners in Tanner Yurkovich

Except the portrait of the Texas wildcatter hanging in the west hall of the palace bore a striking resemblance to the woman in the pictures They shared the sah Bartholoh hers was ly feminine)

Her lips, unadorned by color or gloss, were a soft pink and bow-shaped Bartholomeere lost beneath the handlebarWhile his eyes sparkled with life, hers were filled with seriousness and unexpected shadows

Bartholomew Tanner had helped to found the company on which the current wealth of both Volyarus and the Yurkovich fanificant share in it as well

“She looks like Baron Tanner” The oilrandfather for his help in locating oil reserves and other mineral deposits on Volyarus

Fedir nodded “She’s his great-great-granddaughter and the last of his bloodline”

Relaxing back in his chair, De to continue rather than ask any questions