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And despite her own increasing loneliness, she tried to do what she had proood wife to Xaviero, even though their tiether was so restricted Her foolish heart leapt with pleasure whenever they had a jointscheduled, when they would sit at opposite ends of a long, polished table while their aides tossed out subjects for discussion Or, briefly, they e smiles if their respective retinues happened to pass each other along the wide, marble corridors of the palace

They were rarely alone, except in bed when they would fall into each other’s arms as if their lives depended on it And in the pleasure that followed, Cathy couldn’t bring herself to spoil the moment with a litany of complaints about how little they saw of each other Maybe it was the same for every royal wife—one of the downsides behind the supposed fairy tale of privilege In a ith her limited access to hiht band of gold on her finger and the royal crest which adorned her notepaper

Atsilently in the background, pretending not to listen but watching carefully for any sign that the royal coupleCathy to eat rather self-consciously, worried that her table ht explain why the waistbands on some of her dresses had become a little loose of late

‘You’ve lost weight,’ said Xaviero one evening as she was dressing for a fornitary

‘Have I?’ she questioned And if her voice sounded a little dazed, it was because she was still reeling fro room He had wandered in to ask her to fix his cufflinks—a ridiculously si slightly flustered, until she had gathered her thoughts together enough to realise why

Because they didn’t do intimacy—not unless it was in the purely sexual sense Xaviero had a valet to do his cufflinks A tailor to measure his clothes Aides he could confide in, and question about current affairs Chefs to prepare his meals He didn’t need a wife in the way that other men did His as an accessory—a co to be a competent princess

‘You know you have,’ he said as he slowly circled her, like a predator eyeing up his victim ‘That dress fitted you perfectly the last time you wore it’

‘Only a few pounds,’ said Cathy ‘And I’m…I’m surprised you noticed’

Xaviero’s eyes narrowed, allowing his gaze to drift over the creae which was displayed to perfection by the soft sheen of the scarlet gown she wore His voice thickened and he felt the fanificent body, ht’

‘I wasn’t trying to’

She looked strained, he thought The slight weight loss had made her cheekbones appear sharp and slanted, so that her face looked all eyes Was she doing tooherself too hard in her atteone unnoticed Hadn’t the court already expressed approval of her induction into the di Cesere fas about the wisdoe to such a woman?

‘Would you like a weekend away?’ he questioned suddenly

Cathy finished clipping in a diainning to thud with hope A weekend away? Maybe like the honeymoon they’d never had? She turned round in the chair, a smile on her face as she beamed up at him ‘Oh, Xaviero—I’d love it! Do you really mean it?’

‘Why not?’ His lips curved into a speculative ss—in spite of hi her carte blanche to spend his fortune as the mood took her In fact, as far as he knew she had asked for nothing If she had been trying to impress him with her restraint, then she had succeeded admirably—and maybe noas the tiested softly ‘Buy yourself so from the latest collections’

It felt like a slap to the face but Cathy’s smile didn’t waver How quickly she had becos by your facial expression ‘Flavia?’ she echoed

‘Sì The two of you get on well, don’t you?’

‘’Well, yes, we do—but that isn’t the point I thought you meant us…the two of us’