“It certainly looks like you have your pick of ladies here tonight.”
“Do I?”
Serafia turned to look at him and was surprised to see the serious way he was looking at her. He had the same heated intensity in his eyes he’d had the day he pinned her against the armoire. What exactly did he mean by that? She couldn’t possibly be his pick when there were so many younger, more attractive women in the room tonight. “I...uh...” She hesitated. “I...think you’ve got a lot to choose from and a long night ahead of you. Don’t make a decision too quickly. Keep your options open.”
Gabriel sighed and turned away to look at the crowd. “I’ll try.”
A man in a tuxedo approached them on the landing and bowed to Gabriel. “If Your Majesty is ready, I’ll cue the musicians to announce your arrival.”
“Yes, I suppose it’s time.”
“May I escort you downstairs, Señorita Espina?”
“Yes, thank you.” She took the man’s arm and turned back to Gabriel. “I’ll see you downstairs after the guests have all been presented.”
“You’re not going down with me?”
Serafia chuckled. “This is like the arrival at the airport, but without the pushy reporters. You need to have your moment. Alone.” She wouldn’t make many new girlfriends tonight if she showed up on the king’s arm and beat them all to the punch.
“Good luck,” she said, giving him a wink before carefully descending the staircase and joining the crowd. She parted with her escort, finding a spot at the edge of the room near one of the royal guards to watch Gabriel’s entrance.
The orchestra started playing Alma’s national anthem. The bustling crowd immediately grew silent and everyone turned their gaze to the flag hanging from the second-floor railing. When the last note died out, Gabriel appeared at the top of the stairs looking as much like a king as a man raised to have the position.
“His Royal Highness, El Príncipe Gabriel, the future El Rey Don Gabriel the First of Alma.”
The crowd applauded as he came down the stairs. The air in the room was electric with excitement. Gabriel didn’t fully appreciate how important this was for the people of Alma. They were free, and his arrival was the living, breathing evidence of that freedom. People bowed and curtseyed as he passed.
“Oh my God, he’s so handsome. I didn’t think it was possible, but he’s even more attractive than Rafe.”
Serafia turned to see a young woman and her mother standing nearby. The woman was maybe twenty-three and she was in a sapphire-blue gown that looked amazing with her golden skin and flaxen hair. Her mother was an older carbon copy in a more sedate silver gown. They were both dripping with diamonds, but the twinkle in their eyes sparkled even brighter as they looked at Gabriel.
“Oh, Dita,” the mother gushed. “He’s perfect for you. This is your big chance tonight. You look absolutely flawless, better than any of the other girls here.” She looked around the room, scanning the competition again. Her gaze lit on Serafia for only a moment, then moved on as though she were an insignificant presence. Apparently the woman didn’t read Vogue, or she would realize she was standing beside a former supermodel.
Serafia recognized her, however. At the mention of her daughter’s name, she realized the mother was Felicia Gomez. The Gomez family was one of the richest in Alma, although unlike the Rowlings, they were natives like the Espinas. Many of the wealthier families had fled Alma when Tantaberra came to power, but the Gomez family had stayed.
Serafia had never met them, but she had heard her mother talk about them from time to time. It was rarely flattering. She got the impression that they were fair-weather friend types who worked hard to ingratiate themselves with whoever was in power. She didn’t know what they had to do to maintain their money and lands under the dictatorship, but she was certain it was a price the Espinas wouldn’t have paid.
It would not surprise her mother at all to know they were here on the hunt for a rich husband. With the dictatorship dissolved, they had to put themselves in a good position with the new royal family, and what better way than to marry into it? Serafia took a step closer to listen in as Felicia continued her instructions to Dita.
“When we’re introduced to the king, remember everything I’ve told you. You’ve got to make a good impression on him. Be coquettish, but not too aggressive. Make eye contact, but don’t hold it for too long. Make him come to you and then you’ll have him like putty in your hands. It worked on your father. It will work on him. You deserve to be queen, always remember that.”