Zia is a princess who works as a chambermaid in a hotel. As a disgraced princess by virtue of her heritage as the daughter of a hated dictator, she never expected to become a real royal. Orazio is the wealthy King, who agreed to take the throne when he didn’t really want it but their two countries are on the brink of a reunification and Zia (real name Annunziata and no, she doesn’t like it either) is the princess he doesn’t want to marry although popular opinion would put them together. Zia tells him straight off that she doesn’t want to marry him. She settles into Princess school on his yacht to learn how to be a princess so as not to frighten off the locals. They fight their attraction.

Orazio tries to play it cool because he’s scared of frightening her off and Zia doesn’t trust anyone, not even him. But the passion sucks them in, changes attitudes, burns them up. Zia wants to be loved, Orazio doesn’t even want to recognise that love exists. The scene is set for misunderstanding but there is no pregnancy, blackmail or convenient marriage in this story….for those of you who care.

UPDATE (Oct 2025): Aristide and Tabby’s story will be called the “King’s Promised Princess“.