Leonardo Emerson Winthrope is the Crown Prince of Gefrington, while Tristan Quinn Calliwell is an orphan and a commoner. When Leonardo hires Tristan to look after his twin children, he doesn't expect to fall in love. After all, he's still trying to move on from his failed marriage. But he can't stop his burgeoning feelings.
Tristan knows his relationship with Leonardo will encounter some setbacks, so he isn't surprised when members of the peerage protest it out loud. There's nothing he can do about his status, though. He has zero idea about who his parents might have been. He hopes the citizens of Gefrington will come around someday and support his relationship with Leonardo.
Are Tristan and Leonardo doomed to an unhappy ending? Or will they find their happily ever after in the end?
"Somebody had an excellent time last night. Plenty of fun, eh?"
Leonardo could feel the heat creeping up his neck and cheeks, but he ignored Isaac's jibe while chewing on his breakfast. He could feel his parents' eyes on him, as well. There was nothing that he could do about all the unwanted attention, though. Hence, he decided to take the high road and pretended that they weren't all staring at him. Unfortunately, his plan didn't take into account the fact that his twin children were unusually chatty early that morning.
"Fun?" Alexander spoke up, smiling in that innocent manner that all children had. "Dad, is Uncle Isaac talking about you and Tristan?"
He was about to reply to his son's question when Jacqueline chimed in with her own observation. "I saw Tristan coming out from Dad's bedroom when I was on my way to breakfast. Can we also have a sleepover with Tristan, Dad? Please?"
He would probably combust from the embarrassment if he wasn't well-versed in the art of acting as if nothing was out of the ordinary. "It's nothing, Alex. Your uncle was being a nuisance. Jackie, we will talk about a sleepover some other time."
Queen Evelynne smiled and rubbed her palms with an obvious glee on her face. "Nonsense. We should have a nice conversation about that now. So, Jackie, are you sure that Tristan walked out from your father's bedroom?"
Jacqueline nodded while shoveling a spoonful of scrambled eggs into her mouth. "Tristan looked very handsome in his clothes. I think he wore the same clothes from last night."
Leonardo wanted to bang his head against the breakfast table, but he was too dignified to do something like that. His father smirked at him before stretching out one hand toward his mother and Isaac. He glared at his parents and younger brother because he knew what was coming up in the next second. His silent guess was accurate. He watched in resignation as his mother and Isaac each placed a thick wad of cash onto his father's hand.
"You've got to be kidding me? Don't the three of you have anything better to do in your spare time?"
His mother shrugged while grinning. "We do, but this is so much more exciting."
He shook his head before turning toward his father. "How much did you win?"
"Ten thousand a piece."
He gaped. "The citizens of Gefrington will be appalled if they know that members of the royal family are making bets on each other's lives."
"I doubt that," his mother piped up while sitting up straight. "Our bets may end up endearing us to them. They will probably stop labeling us as being stiff and boring."
He snorted. "Yeah. Right. Anyway, Isaac, how did you know about me and Tristan having ... I mean, doing the deed?"
Isaac snickered at his last minute save. His younger brother couldn't expect him to utter the word "sex" in front of his twins, but Isaac was far too amused for his comfort.
"Your tie."
He was astounded when his parents and younger brother chorused at the same time. He glanced down at his tie for a few seconds before gazing at his parents and Isaac once again.
"What's wrong with my tie?"
His father chuckled. "Nothing. However, as your father, I know that you own thousands of ties in your walk-in closet."
"You will only wear that particular red tie when you score in the sack."
"What's score in the sack, Dad?"
He glared at Isaac, who was simultaneously blushing and apologetic, before smiling at his son. "It's nothing important, Alex. I'll explain the phrase to you when you're older. Okay?"
"Okay."
"What's so special about that tie, Leo?"
He grimaced before facing his mother. "It was the tie I wore the first time I succeeded in ... you-know-what."
His mother smiled at him. "I see. So you always put that on after you-know-what?"
"Yeah. It's not intentional, though."
"Leo is a sentimental fool," Isaac teased. "He thinks of it as his lucky charm."
"I like lucky charms," Jacqueline piped up.
"Me, too," Alexander half-yelled from next to his sister.
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