Let Chantelle interrogate the imposter

“Very well. You may interrogate my doppelgänger, but do not cause any harm. We may yet have need of him — or her.”

Stewart shakes his head in disbelief at the thought that his duplicate could be either Duncan or Adella. He would not have thought it possible, but there is much about this day that defies his understanding of potentiality.

“I must get to my father at once,” he says. “Either MacTavish or I will come for you to find out what you have learned. To make sure you are talking to one of us and not another imposter, we must have a sign.”

“A code word?” asks Chantelle.

“That will be more efficient than having you examine my genitals for hickies every time,” he replies, smiling despite the circumstances. “Besides, I’m not sure ol’ MacTavish’s heart could stand up to you probing his nether regions!”

“He could use someone tending to his ‘nether regions,’” she replies. “He is wound tighter than a new clock.”

They decide to use the phrase “beautiful moonlight” as their identifier. The words were inspired by the night they first met as Stewart rode through the forest. It seems so long ago and a different life since Chantelle seduced him, fully intending to kill him after driving him to exhaustion through hours of relentless screwing. Fortunately, she discovered his royal identity before that happened, and she quickly found out that she cared for much more about him than his cock.

“Beautiful moonlight,” said Stewart again, for emphasis. “Do not trust anyone unless they say those words. Now, I must get to Father before Norbier or Dathan bring him to harm!”

He gives his secret lover a passionate kiss and embrace and departs his chambers, listening for Chantelle to lock the door behind him.

As he hurries to locate his father, his thoughts race. So much has happened in the past hour, but there is so much more that he doesn’t know, and the feeling of being out of control plagues him.

With Tristian, MacTavish, and Chantelle each following up on different leads, he feels as if he is groping through a maze in the dark, blindly taking the next step. He isn’t even entirely sure where to find his father at the moment.