Claimed: Gowns & Crowns, Book 3 Read Online Free

time, yes,” Cyril gestured to the dune where Stefan had most assuredly found Nicki…and for more than a chat. “The queen has eyes in the back of her head when it comes to ferreting out presumed romantic entanglements. Because you have not been careful, and given the woman’s apparent connections in Alaçati, the queen is giving serious thought to assigning Miss Clark to you when you go to—”
    “No,” snapped Stefan, so sharply that Cyril frowned at him in surprise. It was not his place to rebuke the chief advisor, but he didn’t care. Almost against his will, Stefan let his gaze snap once more to where Nicki was haggling with a body board vendor in front of one of the posh hotels along the beach. A small crowd had gathered around her, as small crowds tended to do. Again, not because she was beautiful, in the traditional sense…she was merely irresistible.
    She was also a menace.
    “She is untrained to go on any sort of mission, diplomatic or otherwise,” Stefan snapped. “She also has no sense of decorum, of her limits, of—”
    Cyril’s lifted hand cut him off.
    “I’m not the one you have to convince,” he said. A cheerful horn beeped behind them, and they both turned. Stefan’s eyes narrowed as Cyril merely sighed.
    “As I said,” Cyril murmured.
    Rolling up to them in a golf cart was none other than Queen Catherine of Garronia, wife to King Jasen and mother to the crown prince Kristos…and the late crown prince Ari. She appeared thoroughly delighted to be out on the beach, and it was early enough that there were not enough tourists who understood the significance of a lead cart surrounded by three attendant carts, each with men holding guns below the sight line of the vehicles’ dashboards.
    For her part, Queen Catherine appeared to be unarmed, but Kristos rode with her. Dimitri Korba, bodyguard to the royal family, rode in the closest cart to the queen’s, and Stefan grimaced. “What’s happened?”
    “The final interviews with the man found with Ari’s watch were reported this morning,” Cyril said quietly. “I’d hoped to work out a strategy with you before the queen was made aware of the information.”
    “It appears we’re too late on that.”
    “It seems so.” Cyril nodded. “And given her state of excitement, the news supports her desire to find Ari alive.”
    “And do you believe he is?” Stefan asked. “Still alive?”
    Cyril managed a pleasant expression, but spoke through his teeth. “I do not. At this point, however, we have to find something other than a few bits of debris scavenged by fishermen in order to put the queen’s mind to rest. Otherwise, I fear she will never get past this.”
    Stefan schooled his expression into polite interest. He understood Cyril’s concern. When Prince Ari had crashed his plane over a year ago, flying into a dangerous storm that he had no business trying to weather on his own, the entire royal family had been devastated. King Jasen had seemed to age a decade overnight, while the queen had held on to a fleeting hope that Ari was—somehow—still alive. A hope that was fanned with each new discovery of some missing piece of wreckage offered up by the Aegean Sea.
    Now that hope had flared into a brilliant beacon of light.
    “Stefan!” Queen Catherine said, jumping lightly out of the cart as Kristos slowed the vehicle. “Tell me I’ve not come too late and that Cyril hasn’t spoiled my update.”
    Cyril bowed. “Not at all, your majesty—”
    “Oh, please.” She waved off the honorific. “There is no one around. Dispense with the formality, I beg you.” She turned to Stefan. “Our plans are moving forward. We have additional information about Ari’s watch, and where it was located.”
    “Near Alaçati.” Stefan nodded. Ari’s custom flight and dive watch had been spotted by Dimitri and the American Lauren Grant while Dimitri had been traveling with her to a nearby island. Dimitri had nearly leveled the fisherman who’d