Blood Beneath the Crown

The letter arrived just before sunset. I knew it was important because the palace messenger didn’t knock. He opened my door and walked inside. “Vivienne Vale?” I looked up from the dress I was repairing. “Yes?” He held out a sealed envelope. “The royal family requests your presence immediately.” I stared at the black wax seal. The royal crest. My stomach tightened. “Why?” “I wasn’t told.” Of course he wasn’t. People like me weren’t given explanations. We were given orders. I wiped my hands on my apron and took the letter. The moment I broke the seal, I knew something was wrong. The message contained only one sentence. Report to the royal council chamber at once. No explanation. No reason. Nothing. I had worked in the palace for years. I knew when something was normal. This wasn’t. I changed out of my work clothes and followed the messenger through the palace. With every step, my uneasiness grew. Why would the royal family need me? I wasn’t important. I was a seamstress. A healer when someone needed one. A palace servant. Nothing more. At least, that’s what everyone believed. I reached the council chamber. The guards opened the doors. And I stopped. King Octavian was there. Queen Marcella stood beside him. Several royal advisers filled the room. And sitting across from them was a man I had never seen before. A Mafia King. Alessandro De Rossi. I knew the name. Everyone did. His family controlled half the criminal world. My heart began pounding. Not because I knew him. Because I knew what his family had done. Five years disappeared in an instant. I was fifteen again. Beneath the floorboards. My mother’s hands over my mouth. My father’s scream. The blade. The blood. The glove. De Rossi. I forced myself to breathe. Nobody could know. Nobody could know that I was the girl who survived. King Octavian looked at me. “Vivienne.” I curtsied. “Your Majesty.” “Come closer.” I obeyed. Alessandro watched me. His expression was unreadable. He didn’t recognize me. Why would he? He hadn’t been there. He had never seen my face. That was the first bit of luck I’d had in years. King Octavian folded his hands. “I have difficult news.” I waited. “Princess Aurélie is missing.” My eyes widened. “What?” “She disappeared this afternoon.” Queen Marcella looked devastated. “We’ve searched everywhere.” “And you haven’t found her?” “No.” My gaze moved between them. “What does this have to do with me?” The king didn’t answer immediately. That silence frightened me more than anything he could have said. Finally, he spoke. “Her wedding is tomorrow.” I stared at him. “To Alessandro De Rossi.” My eyes moved toward Alessandro. His jaw was tight. He looked furious. Then the king said the words that changed my life. “We need you to take her place.” I laughed. I actually laughed. It was the only thing my mind could think to do. “I’m sorry?” “You heard me.” “Your Majesty, I’m not a princess.” “We know.” “I’m not noble.” “We know.” “I’m a palace worker.” “We know.” I looked around the room. “This makes no sense.” Queen Marcella stepped forward. “Vivienne, the alliance between the crown and the De Rossi family cannot be broken.” “Then find the princess.” “We are trying.” “Try harder.” Silence. I immediately regretted saying it. King Octavian’s expression hardened. “This isn’t a request.” My heart dropped. I looked at Alessandro. He was watching me closely now. “You’re forcing her?” he asked. The king looked at him. “We are asking her to protect the kingdom.” Alessandro gave a humorless laugh. “That’s a convenient way to describe it.” I looked at him again. For the first time, I wondered whether he actually wanted this marriage. He didn’t look pleased. But that didn’t matter. My answer was still no. “I can’t.” The king’s expression changed. “You can.” “No.” “Vivienne.” “I said no.” The guards behind me shifted. My stomach turned cold. King Octavian lowered his voice. “If you refuse, you will be removed from the palace.” I swallowed. “You’re threatening me?” “No.” His eyes hardened. “I’m explaining the consequences.” I stared at him. “If I leave the palace, I have nowhere to go.” He knew. Of course he knew. After my family died, I had nobody. The palace had been the only place that gave me work, food, and somewhere to sleep. If they took that away— I had nothing. Queen Marcella’s expression softened. “Vivienne, we wouldn’t be asking if there were another choice.” “There is always another choice.” “Not this time.” I looked down at my hands. My fingers were trembling. Then Alessandro spoke. “What does she receive?” Everyone looked at him. He continued. “If she’s sacrificing her life for this alliance, what is she being given in return?” King Octavian didn’t answer. I did. “Money.” Every eye turned toward me. I lifted my chin. “If you want me to become your princess, your replacement bride, whatever ridiculous thing you’re calling it…” I looked directly at the king. “Then pay me.” Queen Marcella looked shocked. Alessandro looked amused. The king stared at me for several seconds. “How much?” I named an amount. Enough to survive. Enough to never have to depend on anyone again. The king agreed. But he added one condition. I would live under royal protection. I would marry Alessandro. And I would never reveal that I was not the original bride. I almost laughed. They wanted me to pretend to be a princess. They wanted me to marry the most dangerous man in the kingdom. And they wanted me to smile while doing it. Fine. I could smile. I had been pretending to be fine for five years. I could pretend for a little longer. But as I looked at Alessandro, another thought entered my mind. He was the son of the man whose Mafia had destroyed my family. If I married him, I wouldn’t just become rich. I would gain access to everything. His home. His people. His secrets. His empire. Maybe this wasn’t a trap. Maybe it was an opportunity. I stood. “I’ll do it.” Queen Marcella exhaled in relief. King Octavian nodded. Alessandro continued staring at me. “You’re agreeing rather quickly.” I looked at him. “You don’t know me.” “No.” “Then don’t assume you understand me.” His eyes narrowed. For the first time, something sparked between us. Curiosity. Maybe even attraction. He didn’t know what was hiding behind my eyes. He didn’t know about my family. He didn’t know about the floorboards. He didn’t know about the blood. And he certainly didn’t know that I had just agreed to marry the man whose family I had spent five years hating. I turned toward the door. Tomorrow, I would become Mrs. Alessandro De Rossi. The Mafia King’s wife. But he didn’t know the truth. I wasn’t walking toward him because I loved him. I wasn’t marrying him because I wanted his crown. I was marrying him because I needed a way into his world. And if the answers to my family’s murder were hidden inside that world— I would find them. Even if I had to sleep beside the enemy to do it.