I feel my cheeks heat. My courage is all used up. King Lazuli dips down and brushes his lips against mine. My mouth responds, moving languidly over his, even though the entire situation freaks me out. At least we’ve definitely given the world a show.

This time when the king pulls away, his lips skim over my cheek to my ear. “You’re cute when you blush.”

My nostrils flare in annoyance, but I compose my face before anyone takes notice. The king’s hands linger, one in particular gets comfortable around my waist.

His eyes drop to my gown. “You look gorgeous—the dress fits you perfectly.”

The mention of this hateful gown reminds me that the king is more than just silky words and soft caresses. He’s the enemy.

I give him a tight smile since I can’t be openly rude to him while so much attention is on us.

King Lazuli seems to understand this, and a sly grin spreads across his face. “Like the color?”

“Uh huh.” I clench my jaw so much it hurts.

The people who cluster around the king have focused their attention on me, and I know my pleasant exterior is cracking. I entwine my fingers around the king’s, and pry his hand from my waist.

“Mind if I steal the king for a moment?” I ask the crowd.

The group shakes their heads and shrugs. “Thanks—I promise I’ll only be a moment.” I drag the king away from the crowd, not that he seems to mind it in the least. The camera crews start to follow us, so I turn and give them all a death glare. It’s enough for them to keep their distance. For now. I know I’ve caused too much of a scene for them to stay away long.

Once I get the king a safe distance away from the crowd, I drop the act. “I’ll do it.”

“Oh? And what exactly is it that you’ll do?” the king asks.

I narrow my eyes. “Whatever it is you want with me.”

I can see the king’s breath catch. He’s getting exactly what he wants, just like he promised me he would.

“But—” I say, “I have a condition.”

The king raises his eyebrows and waits for me to continue.

“You need to compromise with the WUN—don’t cripple their economy, don’t withhold needed funds. Give my homeland enough benefits to get them back on their feet.”

“You do realize that’s incredibly vague,” the king says. What he doesn’t say is that in his world, ambiguity is an exploitable weakness.

I touch his arm; I’m going to have to get used to his touch if I go through with this. He glances down at where my hand rests, then back to my face. His eyes are vulnerable.