Dr. Lewis nodded his head. “It’s an honor to meet you, Your Majesty.”

Though the words were spoken in Italian, Alejandro couldn’t miss the English accent. “Where are you from, Dr. Lewis?”

“Montreal.”

“Dr. Lewis has made some wonderful strides in the treatment of cases like yours,” Dr. Marois said.

Alejandro fought back his impatience and the never-ending sense of dread. “I appreciate your making time to see me.” Alejandro shook the man’s hand. “Please, sit down. I am interested to hear about these wonderful strides of yours.”

“Thank you, Your Majesty. I hope my research will be of some help to you.”

“As do I.”

* * *

Cassie stopped beside a climbing rosebush and ran her finger along one of the silky blooms. The riot of flowers scented the morning, competing with the salty air.

“It’s so peaceful here.”

Levi leaned down and plucked a purple anemone from the flower bed to his right. He twirled it between his fingertips before he offered it to her. “Garrett and Janessa often enjoy spending time here at the end of a long day.”

“I’m sure they have a lot of those.” Cassie considered the new Meridian princess. “How is Janessa settling into her royal duties?”

“Very well.” Levi’s gaze returned to the path in front of him. “It doesn’t hurt that the royal family has all been so welcoming to her.”

“I have to admit, I was surprised by that,” Cassie said. “The announcement of Garrett’s engagement was entirely unexpected.”

“I understand some weren’t happy that he married a commoner.”

“This certainly isn’t the first time such a thing has happened.” Cassie wasn’t about to admit she’d had her own misgivings about the match, although not for the reasons Levi implied. Rather, she was more concerned that Janessa’s upbringing in the United States would influence Meridia’s foreign policy. Already they had to deal with the impact of having a US naval base in close proximity, thanks to the alliance.

She and Levi strolled past the swimming pool. “Does the family often have time to swim?”

“Not as much as they would like, but when Prince Stefano and Princess Alora bring their children, it is a common occurrence.”

Cassie thought of Stefano and his new bride and two stepchildren. “The Meridian royal family has certainly been through a lot of changes over the past year.”

“Yes, they have,” Levi agreed. “It has been good to see them enjoy some peace after the struggles of the recent past.”

“You’re talking about the bombing attempts.”

“Yes.”

Cassie shuddered at the reality that she had nearly died a few hundred feet from here when she had attended Garrett and Janessa’s wedding, which had included multiple explosive devices.

“I was at Garrett’s wedding.”

Levi glanced at her. “Yes, I know.”

“You said you are the head of security here.”

“That’s right.”

“Is it you I owe for saving my life and the lives of the others in attendance that day?” Cassie asked.

“Some might blame me and my staff for not preventing the presence of the bombs in the first place.”