“My queen. Cousin.” Greg acknowledged, bringing himself next to Sush, facing the royal couple.

“Your Majesties,” Sush greeted with a bow and curtsy.

Lucy’s brow lifted at the title and the formalities, which she and Xandar returned before the queen said, “Honestly, Sush. You’ve been calling me Paw for years. This isn’t an email. It’s either Paw or Lucy, especially now that we’re technically closer through a…” she glimpsed at the duke and said, “...family member. Actually, I’d prefer Lucy.”

The hint wasn’t even subtle.

That was when Greg had an epiphany - the queen never even allowed Izabella to address her like a friend. The one time Izabella tried,...