[english] Suddenly Royal

Author :
Nichole Chase

Royal Donors Cause Congestion on Campus


—College Daily


To say my day was not going well, would be like saying the French Revolution had been a bit troublesome for Marie Antoinette. My truck had coughed and sputtered all the way to school. Only half of the students in my first class showed up, and then I couldn’t find the tests I had spent the entire weekend grading. My entire day was turning into a bad country song. By the time lunch rolled around I had been more than ready for a break. I snagged a sandwich and ate it on my way to the library. The server for our building was down and I needed to do some research.


That’s when I ran into all of the people. It was like the entire student body had gathered in the middle of the school for a pep rally. Hordes of giggling freshmen were pushing their way to the front and one of them elbowed me, making me drop the notebook I was carrying. The fraternities and sororities had painted signs and hung them on trees to wee someone. I grimaced when I realized one of them was actually a sheet that didn’t look very clean. I looked from the signs to the crowd and realized I would never be able to make it up the stairs to the library. Standing in the middle of the steps was a group of people, but my eyes focused on the tall blond man. I couldn’t pull my eyes away from him. He was joking with a girl while she batted her eyes and twirled a lock of hair around her finger.


I tried to see exactly why everyone was so excited, but none of it made sense. Donors came to the school all the time and most of the self-absorbed student body never noticed. The man on the steps was attractive enough to be a movie star and had to be what had brought the mob out.


“Do you see him, Sam? The prince?” One of the girls...

 

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Chapter One

For Daniele, Ben, Andrew, and Lily

Royal Donors Cause Congestion on Campus

—College Daily

To say my day was not going well, would be like saying the French Revolution had been a bit troublesome for Marie Antoinette. My truck had coughed and sputtered all the way to school. Only half of the students in my first class showed up, and then I couldn’t find the tests I had spent the entire weekend grading. My entire day was turning into a bad country song. By the time lunch rolled around I had been more than ready for a break. I snagged a sandwich and ate it on my way to the library. The server for our building was down and I needed to do some research.

That’s when I ran into all of the people. It was like the entire student body had gathered in the middle of the school for a pep rally. Hordes of giggling freshmen were pushing their way to the front and one of them elbowed me, making me drop the notebook I was carrying. The fraternities and sororities had painted signs and hung them on trees to welcome someone. I grimaced when I realized one of them was actually a sheet that didn’t look very clean. I looked from the signs to the crowd and realized I would never be able to make it up the stairs to the library. Standing in the middle of the steps was a group of people, but my eyes focused on the tall blond man. I couldn’t pull my eyes away from him. He was joking with a girl while she batted her eyes and twirled a lock of hair around her finger.

I tried to see exactly why everyone was so excited, but none of it made sense. Donors came to the school all the time and most of the self-absorbed student body never noticed. The man on the steps was attractive enough to be a movie star and had to be what had brought the mob out.

“Do you see him, Sam? The prince?” One of the girls in my first class pulled on my arm.

“Prince? Yeah, I see him.” A prince? A real-life prince with a crown and throne? No wonder the masses were out in the snow. A royal donor would bring out everyone. Movie stars were one thing, but a prince? That wasn’t something you saw every day. I wondered why royalty would be donating to our school, but standing out in the cold watching some guy flirt was not part of my plans. I only had a little longer before I had to be at the research center and a lot to get done in the meantime.

“He’s gorgeous,” the girl gushed while her friends made noises of agreement.

“Yeah, I guess.” I rolled my eyes.

“Even you have to admit he’s hot.” She laughed at me. What the hell did that mean? I wasn’t blind. Of course I noticed he was hot. What the hell kind of good would that do me? I’d never see him again. He was a freaking prince!

Spinning on my heel I headed for a side entrance only to see it was blocked by police. Gritting my teeth I stomped through the snow to the back entrance. It took forever, because I was dodging mobs of people. I almost tripped on a cord and the news reporter hollered at me. I gave him my best eat-shit-and-die look, but he wasn’t fazed. By the time I reached the back steps I was ready to murder someone.

There was a group of cops standing at the door, but I didn’t care. I marched up and went straight for the entrance.

“You can’t go in there, miss.”

“Why not? I pay tuition so I can use this library.”

“It’s closed right now. Should be open again in an hour or so.”

“I’ll be busy in an hour.” I gave him my best imitation of puppy eyes. “I just need to use the Internet and check out some books. Please? I’ll be good. One of you guys can come in with me.”

“Sorry.”

I took a deep breath, the cold air stinging my lungs, and turned back toward the parking lot. I went straight to my truck, cranked it up, and headed for the center. The stars had aligned and I would not be doing what I had needed to, so I might as well throw myself into the other part of my work.

Working with the birds brightened my mood. After checking through the cages to make sure there were no problems, I moved to weighing and measuring the birds. When I got to Dover, an owl who had been hit by a car, I cooed softly. She had lost an eye, so tended to be nervous when people approached her mew.

“Hi, sweetheart. Time for some food.” I unlocked the cage door and stepped in slowly. I untied the string that held her to her perch and gave her a good look-over.

Once I had her in the office, I weighed her, careful to note the exact amount in our logs before getting her food.

“Eat up. You know you want it.” I lifted the mouse to her beak but she turned away. “Aw, c’mon, Dover. It’s yummy mouse guts. Your favorite.”

She ruffled her feathers and sighed. Dover was beautiful, but getting her to eat was always a frustrating process. I lifted the mouse to her beak again, making sure she could see the food out of her good eye. Delicately, as if she was doing me a favor, she took a small bite.

“That’s it,” I hummed. “Eat up.”

Slowly she lifted her claw and grasped the mouse. I sighed in relief. She needed to eat to keep her weight up. It was also how we administered her medicine. Dover was a smart bird and I suspected she knew we were putting something in her food.

Once she was done, I took a few measurements and took her back to her mew. I checked the cage quickly and then cleaned up any mess she had made. I checked all our log books to make sure nothing had been missed, made a few notes about a Harris hawk with an injured wing, and closed up shop.

I felt much better by the time I was ready to leave. The annoyances from earlier didn’t seem like such a big deal and I was looking forward to getting home. After double-checking the medicines and the food for the next day, I flipped the lights and headed out the door. I fished out my keys to lock the gate as I neared the entrance. No one else would be in until the morning.

“Samantha Rousseau?”

I looked up at the man standing just outside the gate to my research center. Dark pants met with a black blazer and an equally boring tie. The only thing remarkable about him was the expensive pair of sunglasses sitting on his nose and the little gizmo tucked into his ear, complete with a curly cord running down into his shirt collar.

“Yeah?” I finished locking the bottom of the gate and stood up. He wasn’t a very tall man, possibly my father’s age, but he radiated power. Since I tend to have issues with authority, I immediately disliked the guy. He hadn’t really given me a reason to not like him, but people that think they’re better than you or know more than you make me itch.

“Are you Samantha Rousseau?” he asked again. He didn’t introduce himself or make an attempt to appear friendly. No offer to shake hands.

“Who wants to know?” I slung my bag over my shoulder as I headed toward the old pickup I drive. Authority dude followed close behind, making my hackles rise even farther.

“If you are Samantha, I need to speak with you privately.”

I threw my bag into the back of my truck and turned around to look at him. I didn’t bother to keep the annoyance off my face when I realized how close he was standing to me. “Well, if I was Samantha, you’re in luck. There isn’t anyone else around.” I motioned toward the unoccupied parking lot. We were the only two people.

His frosty expression seemed to crack a little and he gave me something that could almost pass as a smile. “Miss Rousseau, I would like to ask you to accompany me. I have someone who would like to speak to you downtown.”

“Uh, yeah. That’s not going to happen, Mr. Uptight. Look, if you’re here about my father’s medical bills, I made a payment today. If he could make any more payments, then we would, but since he can’t work I doubt that’s going to happen anytime soon.” I yanked open the door to my truck and started to climb in. A hand landed on my shoulder and I reacted without thinking. Grabbing his fingers, I twisted as I turned and swung my other arm around in an attempt to clock him. Unfortunately he seemed to be expecting this move and countered smoothly. Taking his hand back, he ducked under my swing and danced out of way.

“Who the hell do you think you are?” Brushing some of my brown hair out of my eyes, I glared at him. The fact that his weird smile had grown made me even more irritated.

“Nicely executed, Miss Rousseau. You almost had me.” Authority Dude nodded his head at me. I clenched my fists at my sides to keep from trying to cream him. What a snide little…

“Here is my card. My name is Duvall. It would please my boss a great deal if you could meet us for dinner tonight. She is staying at the Parallel and has dinner reservations set for eight thirty at the restaurant downstairs.” I looked at his card and then back to his face. What on earth could this be about? The Parallel was the nicest hotel in town. I looked back at his card and noticed the odd crest at the top. A small bird rested on a branch that wrapped around a blue shield. Who was this weird little dude wearing an earpiece?

“Who’s your boss?”

“The Duchess Rose Sverelle of Dollange.”

I looked at him for a moment to see if he was joking. Nope, his face was still set in that frosty, serious expression. I blinked slowly and looked back at his card before...

 

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“So?” Jess’s voice cut through my thoughts and I tore my eyes from the screen.

“What?”

“I asked what your big plans were.” Jess frowned. “Quit staring at Prince Yummy and pay attention.”

“Prince Yummy?” Bert pulled off the apron and frowned at Jess. I tried to not laugh.

“That’s what the undergrads were calling him. It’s annoying, but it stuck in my head.” Jess hopped down and wrapped her arms around Bert’s neck. She wasn’t a short girl, but she looked petite next to her boyfriend. I started to leave to avoid their PDA, but she wasn’t ready to let me escape. She leaned back and frowned at me. “You didn’t answer!”

“I’m going to dinner with Prince Yummy’s dear old aunt.” I smiled at her shocked expression and made my way to my tiny bedroom.

I was flicking through the clothes in my closet when my bedroom door banged open. Jess was looking at me like I was crazy, so I just shrugged.

“You’re serious.”

“Yeah. I’ve got to be at the Parallel in less than three hours.”

“Oh my God. You’re going to have dinner with a duchess? Is Prince Yummy going to be there too?” Her eyes were huge and I frowned. It would be much better if someone like Jess went to this dinner. She was gorgeous and people tended to like her immediately. I, on the other hand, rarely dressed up and couldn’t remember the last time I painted my fingernails. What was the point if I was going to be scraping dirt out from under my nails in a few hours?

“I don’t know about Prince Yummy.” I shook my head. I needed to find out his name so I didn’t accidently refer to him that way.

“Why?” She sat down on my bed and watched as I pulled out the few dresses I owned. I held up a bright summer print and she shook her head.

“I don’t know. Some guy showed up at work and said the duchess wanted to have dinner with me. I guess Dr. Geller forgot to tell me she was coming.” I looked at the dresses in my hands and put the blue back. Black was probably the safest option. That way if I spilled anything on myself, it wouldn’t be overly obvious.

“Some guy said she wanted to have dinner with you. Why do you think this has anything to do with Dr. Geller?” Jess crossed her legs and I realized she wasn’t leaving. “Seems pretty fishy. Are you sure he is who he says he is?” Jess was pretty practical when things boiled down to it.

“I think so. And if not, then I’ll have only wasted one night.” I shrugged. “Why else would a duchess want to talk to me? And she was at the school earlier. Maybe she’s a donor or something.” I laid the dress out on the bed and thought about jewelry. “I have no idea how to talk to her. I mean, do I address her as Duchess? My lady? Your Highness?” This wasn’t something I’d grown up knowing. It wasn’t like I was from England.

“The Internet is our friend!” Jess grabbed my laptop off the bedside table and popped it open. She typed for a moment and then looked up at me. “They are from Lilaria, right? Says here they’re big into birds, so I guess it makes sense.”

“Okay. What about their royalty?” I turned to look back at my closet, realizing I didn’t have an appropriate jacket.

“Just the usual stuff. A prince is addressed as His Royal Highness.” Jess skimmed through the link she was reading. “Address the duchess as Duchess Whatever. But it says you should adopt their type of formality.”

“So, I shouldn’t call him Prince-dude or her Royal-lady?”

“I think you nailed that one on the head.” Jess closed the computer. “You’ll be fine. Just be the charming person I know you can be.”

“Note to self: Don’t eat with fingers or burp in their faces. Got it.” I smiled at Jess and she laughed.

“We’ll save you some chili.” Jess got up and looked at me. “Text me when you get there and let me know it’s legit.”

“Sure.” I smiled at her over my shoulder as I headed for my bathroom. Time to make myself presentable. Thank God, I had time to shower.

Chapter Two

Royals in Rags

—The Chicago Gazette

My truck sounded like it was on its last leg as I pulled up to the hotel. The traffic had been terrible, so I didn’t have time to park the thing myself and avoid the embarrassment of valet. Cursing under my breath, I tried to stuff some of the garbage from the bench under the seat before the attendant opened my door. Looking up I smiled at the young guy.

“Sorry, the Bentley is being detailed.”

“Looks to me like you traded up, ma’am. This is a classic.” He held his hand out and helped me out of the car. I smiled gratefully at him because I had let Jess talk me into wearing heels tonight. He handed me my ticket and I gave him my keys.

I tried to not cringe as my truck made a coughing noise before it pulled away. The hostess was watching me through the glass doors, so I took a deep breath and held my head high, all the time quietly praying I wouldn’t end up busting my ass in the damn shoes. The doorman opened the door for me, but even he had a look of disdain as he studied me.

Chili was already sounding much better. Hopefully the food would be decent. And not overly expensive. I’d just sent three hundred dollars to the hospital for my dad’s monthly payment. To say I was scraping the bottom of the barrel would be putting it nicely. I smiled at the hostess, hoping that being polite would smooth over the truck fiasco.

“Hi. I’m meeting Duchess Sverelle for dinner.”

“Does she know you’re coming?” The blond woman’s voice grated on my ears. It was high and nasally. Why would they want that for their first impression? There are lots of blond, modelesque women who would love a job like this. Her eyes narrowed and ran over me in disgust.

“Since she’s the one who invited me, I would assume so.” Operation Nice was over.

“Uh huh. And what’s your name?” The woman looked down at the list in front of her with so much seriousness you would think it was full of people waiting for a heart transplant.

“Samantha Rousseau.” I watched her as she looked at the list and then back to me. “I’m from the university.”

“I see. Just a moment.” She walked away, her hair swishing behind her like she was walking in a wind tunnel for a photo shoot and I found myself wondering how she did that.

She returned a moment later, accompanied by a man with a bored look. He was tall, thin, and older, and reminded me of Alfred from the Batman movies. But without any of the humor or intelligence. His eyes traveled over my big winter coat and glimmered with disgust. He lived here, didn’t he? How could he think it was weird to wear a big winter coat?

“Miss…” He looked at me expectantly.

“Rousseau. Samantha Rousseau.”

“Miss Rousseau, your name isn’t on the list.”

“I’m sure it was a simple mistake.” I narrowed my eyes at the man. “Perhaps you could go check with the duchess.”

“I’m sure the duchess would have informed me had she been expecting someone else for dinner.” He smiled at me and I had to take a deep breath before answering.

“Well, as close as you apparently are with the duchess, it must’ve slipped her mind.” I leaned forward. “Look, I’m just trying to keep an appointment here. Can’t you go ask her if she was expecting me?”

“I’m afraid it is against policy to bother guests while they are dining.”

“You’ve got to be kidding me.” I brushed the hair out of my eyes and glared at mini-Alfred. “Just go ask her.”

“Miss Rousseau, this is a very respectable restaurant. I suggest you leave and not cause a scene. I will call security if I need to.”

“I suggest you go ask the duchess if she’s expecting me, or go ahead and call security and you can expect a scene. Then when she sees you escorting me out of the restaurant, you can explain why you sent me away.”

“I’ll go. This once.” He eyed me for a long moment before sighing heavily. “If it turns out you are not an invited member of their party, I will be returning with security.”

“And you can apologize when you get back with your tail between your legs.” Operation Pissed was coming into play. I had a hard time holding my tongue when I got into that mode.

The man sniffed again and I was tempted to offer him a tissue but bit the inside of my cheek instead. “We’ll see.”

He walked away from the little podium and the blond hostess took his place. She ignored me as if I wasn’t there, and that was just fine by me. I slid closer and looked at the sheet in front of her. Just before she covered it with her arm, my eyes landed on my name.

“Oh, now that’s just rude.” I turned away and quickly followed the old man to a table in the center of the room. Those petty jerks were trying to keep me out because they thought I didn’t belong? Because of my truck or my clothes?

My furious stride made quick work of the space between the...

 

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“I apologize for that terribly inappropriate behavior, Samantha.” Rose frowned.

“It’s okay, Duchess. I’m sure he was just trying to keep people from bothering you.” I was being generous. I was mentally debating egging the hotel.

“Please, call me Rose.” She smiled at me and I smiled back.

“Thank you, Rose.”

“Are you ready to order?” The waitress was back, her white button-up shirt was undone a bit and she stood close to the prince. The question had been addressed to him and only him. Rose looked at me and winked as if amused, but when I noted his uncomfortable expression I couldn’t help but feel bad for him. His face had transformed from friendly and thoughtful to stony.

“Actually, I haven’t had a chance to look at the selection.” I cleared my throat and picked up the large red menu.

“I’ll give you a little more time.”

“Could you turn the heat up a little?” The waitress started to turn, but his voice stopped her. His blue eyes locked on mine and for a minute I wondered if my clothes had caught on fire. Or maybe his accent had managed to make it hotter without turning up the heat. “I noticed your hands were cold.”

“No, no. I’m fine really.” It was cold in the restaurant, not that I noticed right this minute. Or maybe that was just the dress I was wearing. It wasn’t exactly designed for winter wear, but it was the nicest dress I owned. When my mother passed, it was one of the things I had made sure didn’t disappear. I wasn’t much of a fashionista, but I loved the vintage Chanel.

He looked at the waitress and smiled. “The heat, please.”

“Of course, Your Highness.” At her use of his title, the corners of his mouth twitched down briefly and he looked back at his menu.

“Thank you, but I really was fine.” I looked at him and narrowed my eyes. I didn’t care for men that ordered food for their women and picked out their clothing. Even if he was hot as hell. Maybe he was just used to making decisions for everyone.

“No reason to be uncomfortable.” He smiled, his eyes moving back to my face. I felt heat creep into my cheeks and I looked away. Squinting, I stared at my menu, not really seeing the words, and tried to crush the odd effect he seemed to have on me. This was a business meeting and it needed to stay professional.

I could feel his gaze like a hot touch and it was getting to me. It had been a while since I had been with a man, but that was fixable. They made toys to replace men. However, I had a feeling Prince Alex would make my toy wholly inadequate.

“Have you been here before, Samantha?” Rose’s voice drifted to my ears and I was glad for the distraction.

“No, this is the first time I’ve eaten at the Parallel, but I’ve heard the food is wonderful.” I smiled over my menu at the other woman. Sometimes there’s a feeling when you meet someone, a sense of understanding and connection. I felt it with Rose. “Dr. Geller comes here occasionally for business lunches. Speaking of Dr. Geller, I wasn’t able to get in touch with him before coming to dinner, so please forgive me for being unprepared. I’m not sure what exactly we’re discussing tonight.”

Rose smiled at me for a minute as if amused. I looked over at Prince Yummy—dang it, Alex, and frowned. His eyes were moving back and forth between me and his aunt, a small smile playing along his delicious lips.

“Let’s order and then we’ll talk about it. I’m starving.” Rose set her menu down, so I quickly looked through and picked something to eat. My mind was racing. Something weird was going on here and I was going to figure it out. I looked for the waitress and smiled, hoping that would bring her to the table a little faster so we could get down to business.

She glared at me as she sauntered back to us and I wondered why the staff here seemed to hate me so much. What on Earth had I done? Shown up to dinner with the duchess and the prince… Oh. The prince. She was glaring at me because I was eating dinner with Prince Yummy. Sheesh. It wasn’t like we were alone. Who brings their aunt on a date?

The thought brought heat to my cheeks—again. I was never going on a date with Alex. We were from different worlds. He wore expensive suits and probably never got his hands dirty. I wore blue jeans and flannel shirts. My hands were always dirty. Okay, not always dirty. I washed them, but I worked with animals and out in the field.

“You’re ready?” The waitress once again turned her body and ample cl**vage toward Alex and smiled.

“Ladies first.” Alex leaned forward so he could look around the waitress. “Samantha, what would you like?” My name spoken in that accent made it sound much sexier, but it was the glint in his blue eyes that made my skin hot.

“I’ll take the chicken, please.” There were no prices on the menu, but I was certain that had to be the cheapest thing on there. Chicken would certainly fall under lamb or duck. I hoped.

“Got it.” If the waitress had been chewing gum she would have popped it in her mouth at me. I was torn between amusement and being offended. She smiled at Rose, though. A disgustingly sweet expression that made her look sick. Or maybe it just made me nauseated. “And for you, Duchess?”

“I’ll have the same thing Lady Rousseau is having.” Rose pushed her menu toward the waitress, but the girl didn’t notice. She was looking at me with a worried expression. I shrugged, not sure what to say. A deep chuckle made me sit up straighter in my seat and look at Alex. He was watching me, an amused glint in his eyes as if he was in on a secret.

“I’d like the rib eye, please. Rare.” He handed his menu to the waitress without looking at her and leaned forward, his hands clasped in front of him, and smiled at me. “Samantha. Are you from here?”

“I’m a transplant. My family moved here ten years ago for a job. Thankfully, the college I wanted was nearby.”

“Is that so?” Alex leaned forward and looked at me intently. “I would think most people going off to college would want to get as far away from home as possible.”

“My mother passed away and I didn’t want to leave my father.” I didn’t like where this conversation was going. I felt like I was giving away secrets. Secrets that could be important for some reason.

“How is your stepfather? I understand he’s been sick.” Rose’s eyebrows drew together. “I can’t say I care very much for the way that healthcare is handled in the States.”

“He’s handling everything very well, thank you.” I guess my outburst with her lackey earlier hadn’t gone unreported. “But we’re not here to discuss my family. What kind of questions do you have about the center and our program?”

Rose leaned forward. “Actually, your family is exactly why I am here.”

Chapter Three

How to Lose a Royal

—Perry Talks

“My family?” I felt my eyebrows rise and tried to control my expression. What the hell was going on?

“Why did you decide to keep your mother’s maiden name when she married your father?” Rose folded her hands in front of her and her eyes bored into mine.

“I’m not sure why that would be any of your business.” I looked at Alex, but his face gave nothing away. “I thought I was here to discuss the raptor program for Dr. Geller.”

“Yes, I realized that earlier. However, I was hoping to discuss something else.” Rose leaned back as the waitress and several helpers delivered their food to the table. “I was hoping to discuss you.”

“I can’t imagine why.” Shaking my head, I leaned back so the waitress could set my plate in front of me. “Thank you.”

“Do you know much about Lilaria?” Rose took a sip from her glass before picking up her fork and knife. “We’re a small but proud country.”

“No, I can’t say I know much about your homeland.”

“Let me tell you a bit about it. We control a rather large portion of Europe’s oil resources, which brings a great deal of wealth to our citizens, but it also brings trouble. In the late eighteen hundreds, a royal family of the name Malatar felt it was time for a change; however, they didn’t want an outright war. You see, they didn’t have many supporters. The country was flourishing and the people were happy.” Rose looked at the waitress, who seemed to be taking longer than needed to deliver Alex’s plate. With annoyance, I realized she was buttering his roll while pushing her cl**vage into his face. I don’t know why I cared, but it bothered me. Here we were trying to have an important conversation and this chick was acting like a dog in heat. He didn’t look exactly happy about it, but also looked like he wasn’t sure how to stop it without a fuss.

When the waitress stood up with a smile on her face, I pushed my dinner roll in her direction. “What exceptional service the Parallel offers. Thank you.” The waitress’s eyebrows pulled together, but there wasn’t much she could do. Taking the butter knife off my dish, she slathered the roll with butter and set it back on...

 

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“Did she know?” I looked at Rose and hoped she didn’t notice the tears in my eyes. Mom had been gone for five years, but it still hurt when I heard her voice in my head like that. And now, to find out this, I wasn’t sure what to do. What to think.

“I’m not sure. It’s likely she knew a little, but I don’t believe she knew everything.” Rose frowned. “I’m sorry we didn’t find you sooner. I would have liked to have met your mother. I understand she was a brilliant biologist.”

“She was.” My eyes slid around the room as I tried to regain my composure. How could she not tell me? Did she know the truth? Part of the truth? And what about my dad? My feet started to itch and I wanted to get up and go demand an answer.

“I’m leaving in a couple of days to head home. I’d like it very much if you would return with me.” Rose leaned forward. “The Rousseau family was a very important one and my sister is extremely excited to meet you.”

“In a few days? I can’t. I have school. Projects. I can’t just leave.” I shook my head. A queen wanted to meet me? This was insane. “What would I do?”

“Aunt, surely we can give her more time to consider everything.” Alex looked at Rose, his bright blue eyes serious. “That’s a lot to put on her all at once.”

“True.” Rose picked up her fork and knife and cut her chicken. “But the world has a way of throwing us curve balls. We have to decide whether to swing or strike out. This is your moment, Samantha. You’re up to bat.”

I snorted. I couldn’t help it. The duchess had just made a baseball analogy about my life. I picked up the glass of wine, deciding I needed a sip to help calm my jangling nerves. “How long would I be away?”

“That would depend on you. There is a ceremony to be performed. Legalities to be followed through with. Of course, once you take control of the estate and become the family head, it would be pertinent for you to stay in the country as much as possible. You would be your family’s voice on the council to the queen.”

“You’ve got to be kidding me.” I looked at her, my mouth hanging open. “Holy shit. You’re serious.” Rose’s mouth twitched and I realized I had just cursed in the presence of royalty. “Sorry. A seat on the council to the queen? You guys know nothing about me!”

“That’s not true. You’ve made the dean’s list at your school every year. You were the top student to be chosen for your graduate program. You are dutiful to your family and take good care of your stepfather. You are a remarkable young woman our country would be proud to have.”

I knew my mouth was still agape. I didn’t care. Rose had just outlined my life, but instead of making it sound boring, she had made it sound like I was a saint.

“I can’t just leave school. My degree is very important to me.” I’d worked so hard to get to where I was. The scholarships alone had taken countless hours of work to receive.

“Raptors are incredibly important in our country. Each of the noble houses has one as their symbol. Your family is the merlin. A small but fierce bird. There are several well-known schools and programs that would be pleased to have you. And you would have the added benefits of our medical system for your father.” Rose looked up from her food. “There are many treatments available overseas your government has not allowed here.”

That gave me pause. More than anything she could have said tonight, that was the one thing that would make me seriously consider this craziness. From the look in her eyes, she knew it, too. I was being maneuvered. I didn’t like it, but at the same time, she made a good case. And I knew about merlins. They were amazing birds.

“I need to think about this.” I picked up my fork and pushed the potatoes on my plate.

“Of course.” Rose smiled and I caught a hint of victory in it. “Like I said, I will be here for a few more days. And if you decide to come, we can push it back a little so you can accomplish any tasks you’d need to do first. I’m sure you will want to speak with your father, as well.”

“Thank you, but I’m not sure I’ll be going.” I took another sip of wine. And then another. Oh good God. What would Dad say?

“I hope he will be able to come for the ceremony.” Rose sipped from her wine. “If you decide to take up the mantle, of course.”

If I decided, of course. I had a feeling it wouldn’t be that easy.

“If you come out, you’ll have to go hunting with me.” Alex nodded toward me.

“I’m not much of a hunter.” I racked my brain, wondering why he would think I would want to go hunting, but found it a little difficult to get past the fact he had asked me to do something with him. “I’ve only shot a gun a few times.”

He chuckled and the sound sent a wave of goose bumps over my arms. “No, I meant with birds. I own several hawks that are excellent hunters.”

“Oh.” That made much more sense. I scooped some of the food into my mouth, enjoying the flavors. Despite the crappy service, the Parallel’s food had lived up to the hype. “I’ve been a few times, but don’t have a bird of my own.”

“I’d be happy to lend you one of my birds. I’ve been away for a while, so it would be good to have help exercising them.” The corners of my mouth pulled up a little. He was being nice. There was no way he didn’t have a gamekeeper to help him take care of the birds while he was away.

“What do you have?” I pulled apart some of the bread I had asked the waitress to butter.

“Three Harris hawks.”

“Alex and his father are very large bird advocates in our country.” Rose tilted her glass toward her nephew. “He presented his first bill to the Lilarian council when he was twelve. He called for stricter punishments for the purposeful deaths of raptors and endangered birds.”

I looked over at Alex and felt my first true smile of the night. “That’s a pretty big proposal. Good for you.”

“Didn’t do it for me.” Alex sipped from his glass and smiled.

Chapter Four

Playboy Prince on the Prowl

—L.A. Chatter

When I asked for the bill, Rose waved it off. “You’re our guest. We will take care of the bill.”

“Thank you.” I didn’t want to offend her by insisting, even though it made me uncomfortable.

“I hope to hear from you soon, Samantha.” Rose looked over her shoulder and Duvall appeared from the shadows of the room. I tried to keep my face from registering my shock. The man gave me the willies. He handed Rose a card and a pen. She wrote something on the back and handed it to me. “Call me if you have any questions. That’s my direct line.”

“Thank you.” I tucked the card into the small purse I was carrying. I was sure Rose didn’t give out that number very often, so didn’t want to risk losing it.

“Off to bed then, for me. I’m not as young as I used to be. But don’t let that stop you and Alex. I’ve heard there are many interesting places in town for young people.” Rose held her hand out to me and pulled me close once. Softly she kissed my cheek and smiled. “It’s been a pleasure, my dear. A pleasure.”

“Very much so.” I bussed her cheek and tried to suppress the queasy feeling that surfaced when she suggested I spend more time with Alex. What the hell was I going to do with a prince? Good grief, even the voice in my head squeaked when I thought the word prince.

I watched quietly as Alex kissed his aunt good-bye before Duvall ushered her through the restaurant. I looked up into Alex’s amused eyes when he cleared his throat.

“Would you like to get a drink? The bartender seems rather knowledgeable.” His eyes slid over my body in a lazy perusal. “Or if you’d prefer, we could try somewhere else.”

“I probably shouldn’t.” The most attractive man I had ever met just asked me for a drink and I tell him no? I’m insane. I’m sure he was just trying to be polite. “I drove, so no more drinks for me tonight.”

“Ah.” He looked down at me and I felt small. Not in the personal sense, but literally small. The man was tall. “Well then, let me walk you to your car.”

“Thank you.” As we moved toward the entrance, he placed a hand on the small of my back. The warmth from his palm seeped through the thin material of my dress and made me shiver.

“I thought you weren’t cold.” He dipped his head so his breath tickled my ear.

“I’m not.” My voice sounded a little breathy and I swallowed to wet my throat. “I mean, it’s cooler closer to the door.”

“Hm.” As we neared the door, he dropped his hand from my back and smiled at the hostess. “Our coats, please.”

“Of course.” She batted her eyes and I had to fight to not roll mine. When she brought our coats back, she practically threw mine at me and I had to scramble to not drop it. Alex swooped down and grabbed the coat before it could touch the floor...

 

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“Agreed.” He leaned closer to me, the heat from his body warming my arm. “There are much more enjoyable ways of losing sleep.” He winked jauntily and looked toward the curb. “Our ride.”

The black limo pulled up to the hotel and the attendant opened the door for us. Alex led me to the car and I tried to not focus on the fact that he was still holding my fingers. I felt foolish sliding into the luxury car. The last time I had been in a limo was prom, a thousand years ago. My date had been drunk and thrown up on my dress. Not exactly good memories.

Alex slid into the seat and looked at me. I started to shift uncomfortably. “What?”

“Your address?” He smiled and I found myself flushing again.

“Oh.” I rattled off the street address and watched as Alex nodded at the driver. Once we pulled away from the curb, the driver closed the window between the front and back. I leaned into my seat and watched as the lights of the city flew by.

“Do you have a roommate? Or do you still live with your father?” Alex shifted in his seat. I found it odd that we were in this huge car and yet both sat on the smallest bench in the very rear. Should I have scooted around once I climbed in? Was there limo etiquette?

“Yes. Jess and I have lived together since our freshman year.” I snorted. “And her boyfriend Bert, he practically lives with us.”

“And your boyfriend?” Alex watched my face carefully.

“Did you really just ask if I had a boyfriend?” I laughed.

“Apparently not very smoothly.” He laughed. “Are you ducking the question?”

“No boyfriend. I don’t have time for that type of stuff.” Boyfriends required time and patience. Not to mention energy, and lately all that was spent on my degree or taking care of my father.

He hmm’d to himself for a minute and I felt one of my eyebrows rise in amusement.

“What?” I asked.

“Well, if the only thing holding you here is school and your father, then there’s hope you will come home with us. No bothersome boyfriend to worry about.” He leaned back comfortably, his eyes trained on my face. “Besides, you’ll be on all the men’s radar when you get there. Beautiful, American, intelligent, and funny. Not to mention your comic-book knowledge. I might have some competition.”

“Oh.” Had he just called me attractive? Competition for me? I should know better. He was just being friendly, trying to convince me to go. Alex couldn’t be interested in someone like me. I was light-years from the type of women he was probably used to. I wasn’t sophisticated or fashionable. Hell, I hadn’t even known what fork to use at dinner tonight.

“Why does it matter to you?” I hoped he didn’t hear the irritation in my voice. I was mainly upset with myself for being disappointed. “Is there something in it for you if I go to Lilaria?”

He ran a hand across his jaw, taking his time before answering. “I’m not sure. You’re intriguing.”

“What does that mean?” Intriguing? As in a possible pawn he could use? Intriguing ideas? “Look, if I go to Lilaria and take a seat on the council, I’m not going to side with you on things just because you told me I was from a long-lost line of royalty. So if you’re planning on using me for some political maneuvering, you’d be sorely disappointed.”

“And that’s exactly why we need you.” Alex chuckled. “Lord, you’re a feisty woman.”

I snorted and started to respond but was interrupted by my beeping cell phone. I pulled it out of the little clutch I was carrying and checked the text message. Jess was making sure I was okay, so I sent her a quick message letting her know I was on my way home. She replied that I shouldn’t text and drive. Little did she know I was in a limo.

Before I could put the phone back in my purse, Alex held his hand out. “May I?”

“Uh, sure.” Not sure if he needed to use the phone or if he was being nosy, I watched as he unlocked the screen and typed something quickly. He held the phone to his ear and nodded.

“Now you have my number.” He turned it off and handed it back to me. “If you need anything or have any questions, let me know. Anything at all.”

The limo pulled off the expressway and turned toward my neighborhood. “Thanks.”

As we pulled up to my little house, I grew nervous. I berated myself, because it wasn’t like this was a date. He wasn’t going to be looking for a good-night kiss.

“Well, this is me.” I nodded toward my little house and watched his reaction. Would he think my house was sad? Or would he think it funny that a long-lost line of royalty lived in such an old home? I liked our little place. It was ours. Well, not really ours. We rented it but had been there for three years. It was home.

“Lovely place.” Alex opened the door to the limo and held his hand out for me. His warm fingers wrapped around mine to help me before moving to the small of my back as we walked through the snow-covered grass. I knew it was a gentlemanly thing to do, to assist a woman walking through the snow, but it amused me. I didn’t need help walking through my own yard. In fact, I was the last person to cut the grass.

“It does look pretty cozy all covered in snow.” When we got to the front stoop I turned to look at Alex and smiled. I pulled the keys out of my purse and looked for the door key. “Thank you for making sure I got home safely.”

“Thank you for letting me keep my dignity.” Alex stepped closer and brushed some of the hair away from my face. My breath caught as he leaned down and pressed a soft kiss to my cheek. “It’s been… an honor to meet you, Samantha.”

I looked at him sharply to see if he was joking, mocking what I had said when we first met, but it brought our faces nose-to-nose. There was an amused glint in his eyes, but underneath that was something much warmer. We stood there, neither moving, only our breaths tangling in the cold air between our lips. Part of me demanded to move closer, to press my hungry mouth to his, while another part of me screamed to run for the hills. He shifted closer and I tilted my head up as his hand moved to cup my cheek.

The front door was pulled open in a rush of warm air, and I almost stumbled off the top step. Alex’s warm fingers closed around my elbow to help steady me. I turned to look into Jess’s wide eyes and smiled weakly.

“Sorry, I thought you were having trouble with your key again.” Jess swung her gaze from Alex to me and back. “I didn’t mean to interrupt.”

“You didn’t. Alex brought me home when my truck wouldn’t start.” I cleared my throat and turned to smile at the prince standing on my tiny front porch.

“My pleasure.” Alex winked at me before tipping his head to Jess. “You must be Jess.” Holding his hand out, I watched as my roommate looked at it like it was something unreal before slowly leaning out of the front door to shake it.

“Yes. Jess. I am. I mean, I am Jess. Um, nice to meet you.” Jess looked at me and then back at Alex. She yanked her hand away from him. “Sorry. I didn’t mean to hold your hand like some kind of crazy stalker. Boyfriend! Bert! My boyfriend is in the living room.”

My eyes grew wider with each word out of Jess’s mouth and I had to fight to not laugh out loud. I looked over Jess’s shoulder to see Bert staring at us with the same look of amusement.

“Right. This is my roommate, the not-stalker and that’s her boyfriend, Bert, back there.” Bert raised his hand in greeting.

“Nice to meet you both.” Alex looked back at me, and I could see the amusement rippling in the blues of his eyes. “I’ll be in touch, Samantha.”

“Sure.” I nodded my head, trying to make everything seem very businesslike. “I look forward to it.” My heart stopped. Had I really just added that? What was wrong with me?

“As do I.” His eyes held mine before he bowed his head and backed down the steps. I didn’t move as I watched him walk across the lawn and climb through the limo door, which the driver was holding open. Turning, I shooed Jess back into the house and closed the door behind me. I leaned against the heavy wood and kicked the heels off my feet.

Jess stood there staring at me, her eyes the size of saucers. I sighed and shrugged out of my coat. “Go ahead and get it out of your system.”

“Prince Yummy brought you home.” Jess pointed a finger at me like I was in trouble. This was going to be bad.

“His Royal Highness, Prince Alex, brought me home.” I frowned at her. “You have to stop calling him that. It was stuck in my head all night.”

“His Royal Highness, Prince Alex of the Yummy, brought you home. In a limo.” Jess took a deep breath. “And you were about to kiss him. Right there. On our porch!”

“What? No. No I wasn’t.” I shook my head and dropped my coat on the rack before walking to the kitchen.

“I’m not blind, Sam. You were, like, this far apart!” She held her finger and thumb up so I could see the sliver of space between them. “You were going to kiss him!”...

 

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“What are you going to tell Prince Yumm—”

“Don’t call him that!” I slapped her arm. “What if you see him again and that accidently slips out?”

“Well, he’s already seen me in my nightshirt—it can’t get much more embarrassing.” I glared at her and she rolled her eyes. “Fine. What are you going to tell Prince Alex? He saved you from opening the door to some media-type person while still in your bathrobe.”

“It’s his fault I’m in this mess.”

“No it isn’t—it’s his aunt’s. Or more importantly, it’s whoever sold those pictures fault.” Jess scooted down into the couch cushions and glared at me. “You should blame them. He was just watching out for you.”

“You’re right. I’m going back to that restaurant and tearing the hostess a new one. It had to have been her. Lousy tramp.” I glared at the headline scrolling under the pictures. “You’ve got to be kidding. A Royal Hidden Among Us? That’s the best they could do? Why does it even matter?”

“Um, hello? Because nothing cool happens here and Alex is a serious hottie. He’s only the most eligible bachelor in the world.” There was no arguing about Alex’s hottie status, so I focused on something else.

“Why are they acting like I knew I was a royal? Do they just report whatever they want without checking facts?”

“It’s like a big game of Telephone. One station reports something with a tiny fact wrong. Then the next station just reports what they reported. The next one reports what the second station reported, but draws conclusions that aren’t right, and so on and so on.” Jess shrugged, the blanket falling off her shoulders.

“That’s terrible. And scary.” I looked back at the TV. “Not to mention it pisses me off.”

Jess stared at me. “You know, you haven’t said much about it. About being royal.”

“That’s because I came home, went to sleep, and woke up to people watching my house like Elvis had come back from the dead.” Jess just stared at me. I leaned my head back against the cushion and sighed. “Fine, I don’t know what to say. I mean, I have no proof, really. It’s not like I can ask my mom.” My throat tightened and I had to pause. “They seemed pretty convinced and I can’t imagine they would have come to me if they weren’t sure. It’s… a lot to take in. They want me to go back with them.”

“Go back with them?” Jess sat up a little. “Wow.”

“I don’t know if I’m going to do it.”

“Are you crazy? Of course you’re going! You have to!” Jess stared at me like I was losing my mind. “You need to know more about your family. And imagine what all you could do as a royal.”

“I have school and my dad.” I shook my head. “I have a life here, and they want me to just drop it and become someone else.”

“That’s stupid. You’d still be Sam! Take your dad with you. I’ve always heard they have great healthcare over there. I mean, it’s not perfect, but Lilaria is one of the leaders in new healthcare treatments.”

I sighed. Did everyone know about their healthcare but me? “Yeah, they told me. I need to talk to Dad. I don’t know if he’s even up for that trip.”

“How did your family end up in the States? I mean, you had no idea you were royalty.”

“Apparently we defected when there was an uprising. Our family was a target, so they left in the middle of the night with no word and went into hiding.” I shrugged. “They left everything, not wanting to draw attention to themselves. You know my great grandfather was a gambler, so I guess it’s no surprise we have no money left. What upsets me the most is the fact that Mom never told me.”

“Maybe she didn’t know.”

“I’ll never find out.” I looked back at the TV and grimaced. They were using my school ID photo. Oh, bad-hair days. “I guess I need to get dressed if someone is on their way here.”

“You better text Prince Charming back too.”

“Would you stop with the nicknames?” I stood up and stretched.

“No way. I’m having too much fun.”

I flipped her the bird on my way back to my room but she just laughed. We’d known each other for too long for it to be anything other than a joke. When I closed my door, I looked at the phone in my hand. Quickly, before I overthought it, I texted him.

Me: Thank you for the heads up. I probably would have walked right out into a reporter.

Immediately my phone dinged back.

Unknown: I should have been ready for this, I’m sorry. Duvall is on his way with your truck. Please be careful today.

I frowned. Why would I need to be careful? And I couldn’t imagine having to second-guess my every move, trying to figure out how it would be perceived by everyone. I set the phone down on the dresser and grabbed some clothes out of my closet. I hesitated for a minute, wondering if I should worry about what I was wearing, but decided to stick with my normal stuff. It would be stupid to get all dressed up when I would most likely be cleaning cages later. Besides, maybe if I acted like there was nothing different people would leave me alone.

I grabbed my favorite jeans and a plaid shirt and pulled my hair up into a ponytail before taking a minute to text my dad and let him know I would be over after school to talk about something. I’d call, but he often slept late. Grabbing my bag and shoes, I headed for the living room. Bert was sitting on the couch, eating a bowl of cereal.

“Hey. Would you mind giving me a ride to school? I’m not sure if my truck is up for it.”

“Sure.” Bert looked away from the television. “Are you worried about people giving you a hard time?”

“Nah. I guess they might ask questions, but it’s not really a big deal.”

“You don’t think it’s a big deal?”

I shrugged and sat down next to him. As I was lacing up my work boots I heard a knock on our front door. I started to go for it, but Bert stopped me.

“Let me get it.” Bert walked over to the door and peered out the curved window at the top before opening it a little ways. “Can I help you?”

“I’m Duvall. His Highness sent me for Lady Rousseau.”

Bert turned to look over his shoulder at me. “Were you expecting a Duvall, Lady Rousseau?”

I rolled my eyes. “Please see him in, Sir Bert.”

Bert stepped back and Duvall entered our tiny home. He was wearing his black suit and the little earpiece again. He walked directly toward me and produced my keys and two file folders.

“Good morning, Lady Rousseau. The duchess sent this for you to look through. She thought you might have more questions about your family. And Prince Alex sent the other folder.”

“Good morning.” I murmured the words as I immediately thumbed through the smaller folder from Alex. It was articles about the healthcare in their country, reports about chemo and cancer drugs that weren’t available in the States. Had he put this together himself? Or had he asked someone else to do it? Did it even matter? No matter how you cut it, he had sent me information he knew would make me want to go.

Everyone was watching me as I flipped through the folder, so I cleared my throat and closed the file. “Thank you for bringing these and my truck. I guess I’ll get it fixed later.”

“I believe the starter was broken. His Highness had it towed to a shop last night and fixed early this morning.”

“Oh.” I would have fixed it myself—paying for a garage was out of the question. I’d have to borrow money to pay it off. “Who should I pay for the repairs?”

“Prince Alex has already handled all the repairs, my lady.”

“What? And stop calling me that.” I frowned at him. “Please. I’m just Samantha.”

“As you wish.” Duvall nodded his head. “When is your first class?”

“Um, in an hour. Why?” I could feel my eyebrows drawing together. Could I have a moment to breathe? I was still processing the fact that Alex had paid for the repairs.

“I wanted to let the team know when we were leaving.” Duvall walked a couple of steps away and spoke into his shirt sleeve. Literally, into the cuff of his shirt sleeve the way the Secret Service does.

“Excuse me?” I stood up. “What do you mean we?”

“The duchess has sent a detail to stay with you. She’s worried you will run into problems with the way your media has attacked this story.” Duvall folded his hands in front of him. “I have a team of six if you include me and three cars.”

“What story? There is no story!” Three cars? Just for me to go to school? I put my hands on my h*ps and saw Bert trying to edge out of the room. “Bert! You’re a psych major. Don’t you agree that if I act like there is nothing going on, other people will behave that way too?”

“Well,” he said. His face looked a bit panicked. “I’m not sure this is the same thing as pretending...

 

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We could hear the security guard telling the reporters they weren’t allowed in the building as we climbed. When we got to the office I shared with several other graduate students, I sighed in relief. I turned and looked at the three people in suits.

“Samantha, this is Terrance Ross.” Duvall nodded at the man. He was tall with a shaved head. I held my hand out to shake. His palm engulfed mine and his smile was very formal.

“A pleasure to meet you, Duchess.”

“Sam or Samantha.” I sighed when Duvall cleared his throat. “At least when we’re alone, please.”

“And this is Rebecca Meyers.” The woman was younger than both of the men. Probably close to my age. She was wearing slacks and a button-up shirt under her winter jacket. Her blond hair was trimmed into a pixie cut that suited her face and friendly smile.

“Nice to meet you.” She shook my hand firmly. “Please, call me Becca.”

“Nice to meet you, Becca.” I looked over my shoulder at the door and saw the shadows of my co-workers leaning toward the door. “Well, might as well let you meet the idiots I work with.”

“I heard that.” Mary’s voice hollered from the other side of the door as the shadows cleared out of the way.

I opened the door to find Mary and two other graduate students staring at us. I moved aside so the others could come in and waved in their direction. “Guys, meet the suits. Suits, meet my co-workers.”

“Are you really a princess?” Mary leaned forward. “And please tell me we’re going to meet the prince.”

“What? No.” I set my bag down on my desk and opened it to find my notes for the next class. “And no.”

“But you’re royalty, right? Your face was all over the news this morning.” She reached over and turned the monitor of the guy next to her so we could see they were watching a live stream from one of the local stations.

“Turn that off!” I walked over and hit the monitor button.

“Geez, you can’t blame us for being curious! We’ve known you for years and you never told us.” Mary crossed her arms. I ground my teeth and counted to five before answering. Mary was not my favorite person in the program.

“I didn’t tell anyone. Because I didn’t know.” I frowned at everyone. “C’mon, guys. Don’t be weird. I’m the same ol’ Sam. I just have a royal ancestor.”

“Leave her alone, guys. We’ve all shoveled crap with her and spent hours studying manuals.” David, one of the doctoral students, said from the back of the room. I let my breath out in relief. David was a good guy and the others listened to him. I smiled at him and he nodded in return. “We’ve all got enough to focus on.”

I looked over at Duvall and lowered my voice. “Could you guys wait outside?”

“When is your class?” His accent drew the attention of some the closer people.

“About thirty minutes.”

“Very well. I’ll wait outside with Ross. Meyers will stay with you. She tends to blend in and make people less uncomfortable.”

“Why can’t you all go?” I hissed the words between my teeth.

“Lady Rousseau, someone will be with you at all times in public. I must follow the duchess’s instructions.” His face was impassive and I knew our whispering was making everyone even more curious so I gave in.

“Fine. Becca stays. Everyone else goes.” He started to say something so I cut him off. “Becca stays and everyone else hangs out in the background. No flying-V formations or people circling me like a mama bear protecting her cub when I go anywhere.”

“Yes, my lady.” Duvall bowed his head before exiting the room.

“I’m going to do a few things before I leave. Intro to Wildlife isn’t for thirty minutes and it’s in this building, so won’t take but a minute to get to.” I jerked my head toward my desk.

“Sounds good to me.” One thing I had noticed right away was Becca had an American accent. A Southern accent, to be exact, and it made everything feel a little less foreign and crazy.

I dragged a chair next to my desk for her and pulled out some papers, thumbing through my notes for today’s lecture, but my attention kept being pulled to the manila folders. I opened the one Rose had sent and studied the first few pages of notes. There were copies of birth certificates, a ship manifesto, and a few deeds for property in New York. Then I found the family tree. It was very generic-looking, no picture of a tree or fancy calligraphy. Just a chart, listing descendants. I traced down the lines until I found my mother’s name. There had been other branches but they had all ended in one fashion or another. A blank space was next to my mother with a line that led down to my full name.

Tracing the line down to me, I looked at my name and frowned. Samantha Ellen Frances Rousseau. I’d always hated having four names. It seemed so silly growing up. Everyone else had managed with just three. I flipped through some more of the paperwork, looking for anything that caught my eye or seemed familiar. Copies of my mother’s thesis and first write-up in a journal made me smile. She had been a brilliant scientist.

I looked up at the clock and decided I had enough time to look quickly through the other folder. The noise in the office soothed my nerves. The clicking of someone typing, the whispers of Mary as she flirted with David. David telling her to hush. It was nice to have a little normal for a few minutes.

Alex’s folder had several paper-clipped articles from medicine journals about homeopathic solutions for cancer and dealing with chemo along with information about a new drug that seemed to be helping ease the pain of some cancer patients without affecting their quality of life. The articles were fascinating and I felt hope swelling in my heart. Maybe jumping the pond wouldn’t be so bad. Especially if I was able to help Dad. Or at least make him more comfortable.

In the very back of the folder was a note in slanted text and a sticky note with a website address. Apparently this was a link to a doctor that worked strictly with patients suffering from prostate cancer. Alex wrote that the doctor lived in the UK and might be persuaded to give my father an in-depth examination.

Becca cleared her throat and I looked over to where she was sitting.

“Your class starts in five minutes.”

“What?” I looked at the clock on my desk and frowned. The time had flown by. I grabbed my stuff and put it in my bag before jerking my head toward the door. “Let’s go.”

The lecture hall was on the other side of the building, so we took the back stairs. I hesitated just inside the door when I saw all the people in the room. Almost every seat was taken, which was unusual for such an early class. Duvall looked at me with a blank face from near the stage and I wondered what was running through his mind because I sure as hell didn’t know what to think. My fingers tightened on the strap of my bag and I walked forward purposefully. Fake it ’til you make it would be my motto of the day. The room quieted except for a few whispers.

I set my bag down and turned toward the room. My eyes picked out familiar faces amongst a hundred or more that I had never seen before. “It makes my heart all types of bubbly to see so many people excited about the chapter on ornithology.” A faint ripple of amusement spread through the room. “For those of you that didn’t wake up this morning with a newfound love of birds, open your books to chapter twelve.”

I pulled my notes out and grabbed a dry erase marker. While the true students rifled through their bags, I quickly outlined some key points on the whiteboard. I turned back to the class and swallowed. I’d never spoken to this many people before and it was intimidating.

Hopping onto the small desk on the stage, I decided to focus on what I was supposed to be talking about and forget that most of these people had only come to stare at me. “Who can define a bird?”

A young undergrad’s hand shot into the air. I couldn’t remember her name, but I tended to refer to her as Hermione in my head. I nodded at her.

“An animal whose body is covered in feathers and forelimbs that modified into wings.” She smiled proudly.

“Yes, but that isn’t all that defines a bird. Anyone else?” I looked around the room. Someone I didn’t recognize raised their hand and I waited a beat before nodding for them to speak.

“Are you really a princess?”

“All little girls are princesses, didn’t you know that?” My heart sped up in my chest and I narrowed my eyes. Titters erupted around the classroom and I sat down on the top of the desk. “Now, who can tell me about birds?”

One of the male students raised his hand and I pointed in his direction. “They all have scaly legs, a beak with no teeth, and bear their young in a hard-shelled egg.”

“Good.” I jumped up and scribbled the definition on the board. “Does anyone have any idea how many types of birds there are in the world?”

There were more people with their hands raised when I turned back around. I tried to pick someone I recognized from the class, hoping they would stay on...

 

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“A sandwich is perfect. Why don’t I bring the food? I’ll meet you there, that way you don’t have to waste any of your time.”

“Why?” The question exited my mouth before I could rethink it.

“Why save you time?” His eyebrows drew together.

“Why do you want to have lunch with me? Surely you have more important things to do.”

“Well, I like your company for one thing.” He leaned a little closer. “And you underestimate your importance. I’m starting to think you’re very important.”

I didn’t know what to say. What could I say to that? There was no mistaking it this time. Alex was definitely flirting with me and I felt like a fish out of water. I was a terrible flirt, too blunt and not coy. And I blushed. Like I was doing right now.

“I make you nervous, don’t I?” His gaze turned thoughtful. “And not because of my rank. That doesn’t seem to faze you at all.”

“A title is a title. It doesn’t define the type of person you are.” I closed the notebook with the quizzes and took a deep breath.

“Very true.” Reaching out, he brushed a stray strand of brown hair that had escaped my ponytail back from my face. I froze and our gazes locked before I remembered the cameras. I looked over to where the students had been standing, but no one was there.

“We’re alone. Duvall and Becca saw everyone out and are watching the door.”

We’re alone. His words sent a shiver through my soul. Images of him and me on the desk filled my mind and my blush deepened. His fingers traced my jawline briefly before he stood up and gave me enough space to breathe again.

“Do you have a preference for lunch?”

“No mustard.” I stayed in my seat, feeling safer there.

“No mustard. I can manage that.” He turned and walked down the steps. I couldn’t stop my eyes from following his backside as he went.

“My office, it’s on the second floor.” I cleared my throat. “I share it, so there will be other people there. They might pester you.” In fact I was sure Mary would pester him.

“I’ll find it.” He smiled over his shoulder at me.

Chapter Seven

Chaos on Campus

—College Daily

“Unless you can tell me the number of toes a bird has, you have accidently wandered into the wrong class.” I put my hands on my h*ps and glared at the students. “And that means you need to drag your hung-over self out of your seat and go find the correct room. Now.”

I waited while half the room got up and left in an explosion of noise. Some people took pictures of me with their cell phones before they ducked out of the door, others laughed like it was all a big joke. When it finally quieted down, I looked up from my desk and tried to not groan. There were still too many people in the room, but at least a good portion of them had left. Taking a deep breath, I stood up and started the last lecture of the day.

By the time I was finished, I barely had any patience left. I had been asked if I was a princess, if I was really a teaching assistant, if I knew the Queen of England. People had taken my picture and recorded my lecture. Nothing had been accomplished in the lesson. I should have just canceled the class and hidden in a broom closet somewhere.

“Lady Rousseau, let’s wait to move until the room has cleared and there isn’t as much traffic in the hallways.” Becca glanced at me over my desk with a look of pity.

“Can you just kill me? Carry me out in a box?” I looked up at her. “Do you even have a gun?”

“What kind of bodyguard would I be if I needed a gun to kill someone?” Becca smiled at my expression. “Besides, it could’ve been worse.”

“That’s not comforting.” I leaned back in my chair and groaned. “Thank God I don’t have any more classes today.” I grabbed my notes and shoved them into my bag. My stomach was in knots and I wasn’t sure if it was because of the classes or the fact that I was supposed to go eat with Alex.

“Ready?” Becca asked.

“Yeah.” We left the room and headed for the back stairs. There were still people in the halls, but for the most part they moved out of our way. When I got to the office, Alex was leaning against the wall next to the door, a bag of food in one hand and a tray with drinks in the other. His head was against the wall, his eyes closed. I felt guilty that he looked so tired. He must’ve been up late to see to my truck and get me those notes. As we approached, one of the men in his detail said something quietly. He tilted his head to look at us and smiled. His gray suit made his blue eyes look almost silver and I felt my mouth go dry. Just being near him felt like something in my gut was tugging me to him. He was perfect, right down to the light stubble on his chin.

“No mustard.” He held the bag up in victory and I laughed. He looked so proud of himself I couldn’t help it. Some of my nerves melted away and I felt a bit more relaxed.

“C’mon.” I opened the door so he could walk in and almost melted in relief when no one else was inside. I had been dreading the stares and awkward conversation. “That’s my desk.” I pointed at the one near the window and he stood next to the chair Becca had used earlier. I checked the message board, watching him from the corner of my eye before going to find some paper towels.

“Thank you.” He sat down when I handed him the napkins. “I hope you like red meat. I have a weakness for hamburgers. The bigger the better.”

“You’re in luck. The hamburgers from the cafeteria are great.” I spread the fries onto a napkin so we could both get to them. “So tell me. How did you manage to go in the cafeteria and come out alive?”

“Many years of practice.” He took a bite of his burger and groaned. “Ah, now that is good.”

“Why not just send someone else for them?” I took a bite of my food and mentally agreed with him.

“I was hoping it would draw away some of your fake students.”

“You mean you prostituted yourself out to the masses? To draw them away? That was… sweet.” He choked on his drink and coughed roughly. I set down my sandwich and slapped him on the back.

“I hadn’t thought about it that way.” He chuckled. “But it was worth it if it helped you.”

“Well, thank you.” I picked my sandwich back up and smiled at him. “For lunch and for pimping yourself out.”

“I told you I wouldn’t throw you to the wolves.” He winked at me, and I didn’t have the heart to tell him about all the people who had still crashed my classes. “Did you have a chance to look through the notes I sent?”

“A little.” I pushed some of the fries toward him. He seemed to like those just as much as he liked the hamburger. “I have to admit I’m interested in the specialist you listed.”

“There is a great deal of information online, too much to print out.”

“Thanks. I’ll look it over before I talk to Dad.” I pulled my phone out of my pocket and checked for new text messages. Still nothing from my father, so I texted the lady that came to check on him twice a day. Patricia was a neighbor who had been good friends with my mother. She wouldn’t let me pay her, and honestly, I have no idea how I would have anyway. But knowing she went to check on Dad to make sure he didn’t need anything was a huge relief.

Patricia: He’s got one of his migraines today and is sleeping. I’ll let him know you’re coming over later.

I sighed in relief and told her thank you.

“Everything okay?”

“Yeah. Dad hasn’t texted me since yesterday and I was getting worried. He gets terrible headaches sometimes.”

“But he’s fine?”

“Fine as can be.” I chewed on some fries and thought about it. “A family friend checks on him a couple of times a day to help out. She said he was sleeping.”

We didn’t say anything else for a little while, just munched on our food and watched the light snowfall. It was going to be a cold afternoon. At least I wouldn’t be in the truck. The heat took forever to warm up. Which reminded me…

“Thank you for seeing to my truck. Tell me how much the repairs were and I’ll get the money to you.”

“Don’t worry about it. I was happy to see to it.”

“Alex, I appreciate it, but I don’t feel right letting you pay for it. It’s not your fault the starter died.” I set my sandwich down and looked at him. The thought of someone paying for me didn’t sit well. Especially someone I had only met the night before.

“If we hadn’t invited you out, you likely wouldn’t have been stranded. It is my obligation.” Alex leaned back in his chair as if amused by my obvious disapproval.

“In which case it wouldn’t have started this morning and I would have been late for class. Arguing when it happened is silly. It’s my car, my responsibility.”

“Fine. You can pay me back after you’re granted your lands and title.”

I thought it over for a minute before I realized...

 

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Jess nodded her head. “It’ll look good on my resume. He’s written so many articles it’s insane and it lets me work on some really interesting projects. Even if I do have to put up with his comb-over and bean-dip breath.” Jess sighed dramatically.

“You chose it.” It was an old argument.

“I thought you might need someone to go with you to the raptor center, but it looks like you’ve got it covered.” Jess’s eyes darted between me and Alex. I knew she was trying to figure out if he was going with me. I could almost feel her mentally prodding me for answers. Or maybe that was the foot she was using to kick my leg.

“There are three bodyguards standing outside the door waiting on me.” I batted her foot away from me.

“Not to mention the three that followed me.” Alex laughed.

“Oh, are you going with Sam?” Jess turned bright eyes toward him. He seemed to pick up on her tone and leaned back in his chair, that little smile playing on his mouth.

“She was kind enough to offer to show me the birds.”

“Uh huh.” She turned and smiled at me. I thought about shoving her off the desk.

“Alex has birds at home. I thought he might enjoy seeing the ones we have here.” I stood up and started collecting the trash. Alex held open the bag so I could stuff the wrappers inside.

“Well, I guess I’ll go on to my office then.” Jess stood up and picked up her bag. “Have you heard from Dr. Geller?”

“Shoot. I need to check my e-mail. Today has thrown me off.” I sat back down at my computer and opened up my account, scanning the messages. I frowned when I saw the one from Dr. Geller. Apparently the dean had contacted him, so he knew a little bit about what was going on. He would be in early tomorrow to talk.

“Greeeaaat,” I muttered.

“Geller unhappy?” Jess looked over my shoulder.

“The dean called him.” I met Alex’s eyes. His face was blank and I knew he was waiting for more information. “I think he was just surprised to not have heard the news from me.”

“It’s not like you exactly had time.” Jess shrugged. “You’ll be fine. Geller loves you.”

“We’ll see.” Would he still love me if I went to Lilaria? He had invested a lot of time in my education. Was I really thinking about going?

“I’m going to run. I’ve got some papers to grade and I don’t want to do it tonight.” Jess looked over at Alex. “Enjoy the birds. Don’t let the eagle bite you. He’s a moody bastard.”

“I shall endeavor to keep my fingers to myself.”

“You do that.” Jess moved out of his sight and winked at me.

I looked away from her and down at my computer to log off. “See you later.” I didn’t look up when I heard the door open. I was worried Alex would see the relief on my face. The longer Jess was around him, the bolder she would become in her jokes.

“She’s a good friend.” Alex said it like he knew for sure after spending less than an hour with her.

“I have good taste.” I smiled at him as I picked up my bag. “Ready?”

“Lead the way.” He opened the door for me and motioned into the hall. There were people in suits filling the area just outside the office.

“Uh, I need to head over to the center.” I looked at Duvall, who motioned at the others. Someone handed Alex a winter coat and we headed down the stairs. There were more people in the lobby than normal and I had a sneaking suspicion it wasn’t because of the snow. In fact, the ones that normally used the area to study looked irritated. I didn’t blame them.

“Sir, should I send someone for your car as well?” A man that rivaled Alex in size leaned close.

“No, I’ll be accompanying Samantha.” Alex nodded at me.

“Yes, sir.” The man moved ahead of us to clear the door.

A young woman with red hair broke away from a group near the elevator and stopped in our path. She was vaguely familiar, but I couldn’t remember where I knew her from. Her shirt was unbuttoned much farther than it normally would’ve been considering the frigid air outside, and from the way her friends giggled, I was sure it was just for Alex’s benefit.

“May I have your autograph?” She smiled around the bodyguards at Alex, her eyes practically shimmering like an anime cartoon. The guards continued to block her, allowing Alex to make the decision.

“I’m sorry, I can’t sign anything.” Alex flashed a panty-dropping smile and she made a little moue of disappointment before turning toward me.

“Would you sign?” She pushed the notebook toward me.

“Um.” My eyebrows rose so high, I thought they might try to escape my face.

“You were the TA in one of my classes last semester. I can’t believe I know a royal.” She shoved the notebook toward me and I had no choice but to grab it. I felt awkward and clumsy as I stared at this girl who acted as though she knew me.

“As much as we would love to sign it for you, we’re not allowed to give autographs.” Alex took the notebook from my hands and held it out to the girl.

“So you are a royal?” Something in her eyes shifted to a shrewd glint. With one simple sentence, Alex had confirmed all the news reports floating around and sent the rumor mill into overdrive.

“I’m a grad student.” I tried to keep my face friendly, but I had a feeling she wasn’t some silly co-ed.

“But you’re also part of the royal family from Lilaria?”

“I’m sorry, we’re going to be late.” I tried to smile, but it probably looked deranged.

“My brother works for WKFS. He’d let you tell the story in your own words.” She stepped closer and I saw the guards around us move into action. Duvall slid between us and Becca stepped close to my right side. Alex put a hand on my elbow and steered me away from the redhead.

“Let’s go.” A thread of anger slid through his quiet words as we tried to walk around everyone.

“Samantha, are you and the prince dating? Have you always known you were from a royal family?” The heat that would have normally flooded my cheeks was countered by the cold that seeped up my spine.

I didn’t look back up until we’d gone through the security checkpoint. That was when I noticed the extra campus guards. Instead of the usual one, there were three. They each looked me over with interest but also made sure no one was following us.

The cold air slammed into me and I scrambled to button up my coat. Alex had dropped his hand from my arm but stayed close by my side as we walked through the campus to the parking lot. Despite my earlier instructions to not walk around me like they were guarding the crown jewels, the team was carefully edging people away from us.

“It’s a pretty campus. I imagine it’s very nice in the summer.”

“Are you trying to distract me?” I looked up at him, amused.

“Is it working?” He cut his eyes toward me. “You looked like you were leading a funeral procession.”

“I did not!” I laughed, realizing he was right. “Okay. It’s just weird. And strange. And disconcerting. All these people staring at me. I’ve been here for four years, but they’re acting like I’ve suddenly sprouted a second head.”

“You’re a novelty.” We got to the car and he opened the door. “It’ll wear off. Probably.”

“You Lilarians aren’t a very comforting bunch.” I pulled my bag off my shoulder so I could slide into the seat. He laughed as he closed the door and walked around the car.

Chapter Eight

Raptor Center Receives Large Grant

—Minnesota Raptor Association

The ride to the center was long, but it would have been shorter if people had stopped turning to look in our windows. When we pulled into the gravel parking lot where I had met Duvall yesterday, I hopped out of the car before Alex could get around to my side and shouldered my bag again.

“Well, this is it. Last chance to come up with something interesting to do. If you stay I might put you to work.” I looked at him, not sure if I wanted him to stay or go. Logically, I knew I’d get more work done if he wasn’t there, but I was also starting to enjoy his company.

“Use me as you see fit.” Alex stepped close, his eyes lit with mischief. “I’m at your disposal.”

“You may regret that.” I tried to keep my voice calm but failed.

“I highly doubt it.” Stepping around me, he opened the gate and we walked toward the main building. People stopped to stare at us, but for the most part no one really bothered me. For the first time that day I felt normal, like I could be myself.

I threw by bag down in a corner of the office and looked around for any notes. David had been here earlier in the day and checked on the birds. Thankfully everyone seemed to be handling the weather well.

“You might want to leave your suit jacket.” I grabbed Dr. Geller’s large snow coat from the rack and tossed it to Alex. He traded coats and hung his jacket on the rack.

This was the part...

 

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“Yeah, I saw you guys. You were busy flirting with a blond girl outside the library and I couldn’t get through the front doors. I had to go all the way around to the back and they still wouldn’t let me in with the fancy-schmancy prince visiting.” He laughed at my barb and I remembered the way he had been laughing with the girl. Something in my chest tightened. I tried to stomp the emotion down because I had no reason to care.

“Jackie.” He said her name with a fond tone and I felt my back stiffen. There was no reason I should care if he liked her. Just because he had been flirting with me didn’t mean anything. And really, I had no use for a prince. “She was assigned to show us the campus. Part of a sorority, I believe.”

I continued chopping up mice bits and ground my teeth. Of course she was. Cute, blond, designer clothes. Probably a business major so she’d have a degree when she went to work for the family company. Plus, she’d looked adorable standing next to Alex for the camera’s that had come to record the event. They had looked cute standing next to each other. And comfortable with each other.

I grunted. “Yes, she was the perfect little host, I’m sure.”

“Yes, Jackie was an… excellent escort.” Escort? Escort? Alex’s next words cut through my thoughts with amusement. “How small are you planning on cutting those?”

“Shit.” I frowned and looked at the mess I had made. I pushed it aside and started on another mouse. I’d freeze this for one of the birds we had to syringe feed.

“You know, if I didn’t know better, I’d think you were jealous.”

I spun around to glare at him. I opened my mouth and closed it. If I denied it, I’d look like an ass, but I couldn’t just tell him the truth. Shit, shit, shit. I was jealous. Snap out of it, Sam!

“Your ego is something of a wonder, isn’t it?” I glared at him as he put Dover on her perch to finish eating.

“I think I like this look on you.” His eyes were a different shade of blue as he regarded me. “Jackie was nice, very friendly, and dumb as a rock. She is nothing compared to you.” He pulled the gloves off as he walked toward me. I flattened myself against the counter with each step he took. Placing a hand on either side of me, he leaned forward. “Put down the knife, Samantha.”

“Why?” I hadn’t realized I was still holding it. My voice had been too high; excited. This close to him my brain was turning into mush. His blue eyes peered down into mine and I felt small and feminine.

“Because I’m going to kiss you and I don’t want to be stabbed when I do it.” His hand moved to mine and carefully plied my fingers away from the blades’ handle. When he had disarmed me, he dipped his head down toward mine and I felt my heart beat speed up. While his breath tickled my lips, he carefully pulled my work gloves off. One of his hands moved to cup my cheek, tilting my face upward. Our eyes stayed locked until his warm lips touched mine. It started out slow and tender, our breaths mingling while we touched with feather light brushes. I was putty in his hands, my body no longer under my command.

I ran my hands over his chest, tracing the muscles I had caught hints of through his shirt. Eventually I tangled my fingers in his hair. He mumbled things I didn’t understand and didn’t need to, the tone making it obvious. He tasted like a dark, decadent dessert. I had a feeling I could live on that taste alone for months; that his kiss was something I could become addicted to.

The sound of wings flapping and loud squawking had us pulling apart. My breathing was heavy and I felt lightheaded. Alex ran a thumb over my bottom lip, his eyes bright with a mixture of surprise and desire.

“I think someone is jealous.” I bit my lip and looked over his shoulder to where Dover was glaring at us.

“Not much I can do about that.” He leaned forward and nipped my bottom lip. I melted back into him, already craving his taste again. His hands moved up my sides, his thumbs barely grazing the sides of my br**sts. I sucked in a breath at his touch and moaned softly.

One of the side doors opened and we froze at the sound of voices. Alex smiled at the look on my face, but pulled away. I adjusted my shirt, hoping I didn’t have that ‘just kissed’ look. Alex picked up my gloves and handed them to me. I pulled them back on and turned back to what I was doing.

“Hey, Sam?” David’s voice heralded his entry into the room. Alex moved over to the sink to wash his hands and I heard David’s footsteps pause.

“What’s up?” I turned to look at him, the knife in my hand. His eyes moved from Alex to me, noting how close we were standing.

“I wanted to see how Dover was healing. Dr. Geller asked me to keep an eye on her while he was gone.” Something in his tone changed and I realized he appeared pissed.

“She’s doing good.” I felt my eyebrows draw together. David was usually a bit distant, but friendly. Did he think I had ignored the owl because of everything going on? Everyone brought friends or family to the center, so he couldn’t be upset at Alex’s presence.

“Have you given her the medicine yet?” David glared at Alex, who had turned around to lean against the sink. There wasn’t much space between us and I could see the calculating gleam in David’s eyes.

“Yep.” My response was curt, annoyed by the judging look in his eyes.

“Good.” He grabbed a glove from one of the shelves and walked over to check out Dover. I turned back to my task and frowned.

“She’s a beautiful bird.” Alex had stayed leaning against the counter, so close that my elbow hit him when I went back to work.

“Yes. She is.” David’s voice sounded odd, so I tried to peek over my shoulder. Dover was sitting on his arm, but his eyes were trained on Alex. “She’s been through a lot. I’d hate to see her hurt any more.”

I turned back to the mouse I was holding and frowned. Why did he sound so angry?

“I’m sure everyone here takes very good care of her.” Alex’s voice sounded affable, but there was something odd about the way he phrased his words.

“Often people hurt things on accident.” David’s voice took on an edge. “No one plans on hurting anyone, but it happens.”

Anyone? I froze at and set down the knife I was holding. Slowly I turned around and glared at David. He was ignoring me, his gaze still glued on Alex.

“I have no intention of hurting Samantha.” Alex’s posture was relaxed, at odds with his words.

“She’s been through enough. I’ve watched her fight her way through the death of her mom and now her dad. Don’t pull her into something just for her to have to fight some more.”

“David!” I felt my mouth fall open in shock. How had the conversation turned into this?

“She’s like my sister and I’m tired of seeing her screwed over.” His eyes turned to me apologetically.

“I can understand that.” Alex stood up straight. “But I think she can take care of herself.”

“Just remember there are people, here in the real world, that love her.” My heart squeezed with David’s words. I had grown really close to everyone in the office. David had been a big help when I was applying for a master’s position. He wasn’t one for too much emotion, so to hear him say that made me want to throw my arms around him in a hug.

Alex nodded his head and David turned back to Dover. I stood there staring at them both, wondering what on Earth had happened to my life.

“Close your mouth, Sam.” David didn’t look at me, but his voice shook me out of my thoughts. I grabbed the gloves off the floor and turned back to the task at hand.

Alex’s phone rang and he walked away to answer it. I could hear him but couldn’t make out what he was saying. When I had finished cutting up the food, I split it up and went to deliver it to the birds in the building. When I got back, David was finishing up his examination of Dover. He put her back in her pen and replaced his gloves on the shelf.

“See you later?” David looked at me from where he was standing and I nodded my head.

“Yeah. Geller will be back tomorrow.”

“I know.” He turned to leave. “See you then.”

“David?” He stopped and looked at me. “I love you guys, too.”

He winked before turning and leaving the way he came. Alex was still on the phone, so I checked the time before going about cleaning. I was almost finished by the time he was done with his conversation.

“I didn’t mean to leave you with all the cleanup.” Alex took the broom out of my hand.

“There’s not much to do.” I shrugged and rinsed out one of the rags while he swept the trash I had collected into the dustpan.

“Still, I said I would help.” He frowned.

“It’s really okay.” I headed for the office where our coats were hanging with him following close behind.

As I reached for my coat, I was spun around and pressed against the wall. Alex leaned down to nuzzle my neck before dragging his lips across mine. There it was, my new drug...

 

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“Did you know?” I sat down and looked at him. “Did Mom tell you?”

“I think you’re going to have to start at the beginning.” He passed me a piece of bread. “All I know is I woke up today to seeing you on the news and had voicemail from several news stations.”

“Oh, Dad, I’m so sorry.” I sighed and poked at my food. “I should’ve asked them to send someone over for you.”

“Who to send who over?”

“Mom was from a royal family. I don’t know if she knew or not, but I sure didn’t. But they gave me a detail to keep the press away and I should have asked them to send someone over here for you too. I mean, the duchess that came to tell me about my family assigned a detail.”

“Huh.” We ate in silence for a few minutes, each of us working through things in our heads. “I don’t guess they’re going to bother me too much, since I’m just your stepfather.”

“You’re not just my stepfather. You’re my dad.” I knew he would understand the differentiation.

“I know, but that probably makes a difference to the people wanting to ask questions.”

“Did she know?”

“Your mom was always a mystery, Sam. That’s one of the things I loved about her. She was brilliant, funny, and the most loving woman. But I knew there were things about her I would never learn.” He smiled at me, his love for her still as alive as ever. “She never told me she was from a royal line, but I know she placed a great deal of emphasis on family. I suppose that could mean something.”

“I have this folder full of birth certificates and a family tree. Of ship itineraries and land deeds.” I frowned. “And it all leads back to Duke Rousseau of Lilaria.”

“Why did they hunt you down?” Dad had always been practical. It was probably why he had done so well in the military. “Seems like a lot of work just to tell you your great-great-great-grandfather used to own some land.”

“They want to reinstate my title.” I bit into my bread and chewed thoughtfully. “Supposedly the queen has made it her life task to bring back the families that left.”

He looked at me, processing what that could mean. “They want you to move back, then?”

“Yes. I think so.” I frowned. “They aren’t pressuring me, but there’s a lot to accepting the position. I’d be on the council to the queen.” I laughed. It was such a ridiculous thought. “I’d be in charge of lands and a house.”

“That’s a very big honor.” Dad looked at me seriously and I stopped my giggles.

“It is. But me? On the council to a queen?” I shook my head. “Can you imagine?” I snorted. “I don’t know anything about their country and let’s face it, I’m not the most diplomatic person.”

“Maybe that’s what they need. New insight and someone that isn’t constrained by centuries of protocol.”

The fact that he was echoing what Alex said scared me. I stared at him while he ate. Did he really think it would be a good idea?

“They also have a really great healthcare system.” I watched him for any indications that this would excite him. “They have a really great specialist that would be willing to work with you.”

“Don’t base your decision on me, Sam. The truth is if it’s my time there isn’t anything to be done about it. You know that.” My heart clenched and I fought the tears that gathered at the back of my eyes.

“Anything has to be better than what you’re going through.” I reached out and grabbed his hand. He was only fifty-five and yet his hands looked like those of an eighty-year-old. There were bruises from all the IVs, shots, and blood work. This was only his second round of chemotherapy, and yet it had already taken so much out of him.

“I’ve had a wonderful life, Sam. You and your mom have given me everything I could need.”

“Don’t talk like that,” I snapped at him, angry he seemed to have given up. He smiled and squeezed my hand, not bothered by my anger.

“Baby, I’ve always told you that you should travel. Here’s a chance in a lifetime.” Traveling had been Dad’s favorite part of being in the service. He’d told me and Mom countless times about the places he had seen.

“This isn’t the same thing. This wouldn’t be a vacation.”

“I know. If you decide to go, you need to do it for the right reasons. You need to do it because you’re ready to accept the responsibility.” He laughed. “Though I bet there are some amazing perks as well. It can’t be all bad, can it?”

I smiled, even though I didn’t feel like it. I remembered the media hounding me as I left the center and how the people I’d known for years had treated me differently.

Later that night, Dad fell asleep in his chair in front of the television. I went to the kitchen and sorted out his medicine for the night and got him a glass of milk. When I came back into the living room, I stopped and watched him for a minute. He looked so tired and worn out it made my heart ache. He’d barely started the chemo and I hated seeing him so vulnerable. He was my father; he was supposed to be invincible.

As I worked on setting up his medicine, I caught the glint of something out of the corner of my eye. I turned around to look out the kitchen window and froze. There was a man with a camera standing just on the other side of the glass. The light above the kitchen table must have reflected off the lens, because he wasn’t using a flash. From the way his finger moved over the button on the top of the camera, I knew he was taking pictures.

Anger surged through my chest as I stalked to the window and turned the blinds down. Taking slow steps so I wouldn’t wake Dad, I walked into the living room to close the blinds. Standing outside was a woman taking pictures of Dad asleep in the recliner.

“Get the hell out of here!” I ran to the window and twisted the blinds closed.

“What? What’s going on?” Dad tried to sit up in his seat.

“It’s nothing. Go back to sleep.” I couldn’t disguise the anger in my voice. They had been taking pictures of my father! He was sick. Did they have no morals?

“Doesn’t sound like nothing.” He wrestled with the handle on the side of his seat. “Is someone outside?”

“I’ve got it, Dad. I’ll tell the security detail.” Grabbing my coat, I yanked the door open and waved at the car idling in the driveway.

“Becca!” The sound of a camera drew my attention to the side of my house. The female photographer was snapping pictures. “Get the hell out of here! This is private property.” I dug in my pocket for my cell phone, intent on calling the police.

“Stop where you are!” Becca was moving across the lawn in angry strides.

“I’m calling the cops, a**hole!” The other photographer ran past the house and toward a van at the end of the street.

The cops said they would send a car out, but they wouldn’t be able to stay at the house all night. I growled in frustration and asked Becca to stay and make sure no one bothered my dad. After she made some calls, another bodyguard showed up to stay. I grilled him, making sure he understood no one was to come on the property at all.

Dad spent a good amount of time trying to calm me down, but it only made me angrier. No one should be taking pictures of my father. Especially to sell to papers or tabloids. When I realized my anger was making him agitated I tried to relax—no reason to have him stressed over something I was handling.

I got him his medicine and helped him to bed even though he tried to wave me away. Patricia would be over bright and early so I didn’t have to worry about him tomorrow. He hated having someone check on him every day, but I needed to know he was okay.

I didn’t say anything in the car on the way to my house. When they told me someone would be staying overnight, I didn’t argue. Duvall seemed to understand my quiet and spoke to Parker, who had taken a seat on the couch. Jess and Bert had already gone to bed, so the house was relatively quiet. I showed Parker where the bathroom was and told him to help himself in the kitchen before I went to my room.

Opening the computer, I searched for the specialist Alex had provided information about. Dr. Bielefeld was originally from Germany, but currently worked in France and Lilaria, enjoying a dual citizenship. He’d been written into many medical journals for his work with holistic and natural methods for dealing with cancer. I read for hours, searching through the articles for patient health and longevity. While some of his patients responded well to his methods, others required a balance of the normal medicines with the herbal supplements.

From what I could tell, he seemed to believe each person required a program tailored for their individual needs. He apparently didn’t have a problem mixing the more Western medicines with his holistic approach and obviously had a great understanding of them both. All the testimonials were glowing and happy; even the families of patients who died seemed to believe he had helped their loved one’s...

 

Suddenly Royal
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“And have you? Will I have another friend in Lilaria?” His words eased some of the guilt in my heart.

“I believe so.” I paused, the words stuck in my throat. “I need to at least go and see if it’s where I belong. If I’m a right fit.”

“Well, we can unenroll you for the semester and I can give the classes you’ve been handling to one of the other grad students. If you decide to make it a permanent move, then we’ll make it final.” He smiled sadly. “I hate to see you go, Sam. You’re one of the most dedicated students I’ve had in a long time, but I understand that at times life takes us in different directions than we planned.”

“I still want to finish my master’s, Dr. Geller. It just might take longer than I wanted.”

“If nothing else, I will give you the name of my friend. Perhaps you will find a way to still work with birds.” He stood up and moved around his desk.

“That would be great.” I frowned. “I’m really sorry it’s turned out this way. I know… I know you’ve put a lot of time into my degree and I feel like I’m letting you down.”

“Nonsense. If anything, you’ll take a great deal of information with you. Lilaria’s noble houses have been aligned with birds for centuries. Maybe you were meant to do this all along.”

Something in my stomach loosened and for the first time I felt good about my decision. He seemed to understand what I was thinking because he laughed.

“Did you think I was going to yell and try to guilt you into staying?”

“Not really. I just hated to leave like this. It felt wrong.”

“When will you be going?” He leaned against his desk.

“I’m not sure, but I probably shouldn’t come back to the school. I’m causing too much trouble.” I sighed. “In fact, I should probably clear out my desk today.”

“If you need anything, let me know.” He looked at me seriously. “I mean it. Anything. We’re all going to be rooting for you.”

“Thank you.”

After I left his office, I went straight to the one I shared. Everyone was in there, and they all looked up when Becca and I came through the door. I walked over to my desk before stopping and turning to look at everyone.

“Well, looks like someone else is going to get the window desk.”

“Oh my God, Geller kicked you out of the program?” Mary looked at me with wide eyes.

“Um, no. I’m withdrawing. I can’t teach classes and uphold my course load if there are eight news vans following me everywhere.” I started pulling stuff out of my drawers and shoving it into my bag.

“What are you going to do?” David spun around in his desk chair and looked at me seriously. “Are you going to finish your degree somewhere else?”

“I don’t know yet.” I started to tell them I was going to Lilaria but stopped. “I have several options to choose from.”

“Like what?” Mary walked over to my desk with a box and helped me put some of my books and papers in it.

“Do you still have my field guide?” I brushed off her question.

“Oh, yeah. Hold on.” She ran to her desk and fished through her bag. “Here it is.”

“So, you’re just leaving?” David asked.

“I’ll be in touch. It’s not like I won’t ever see you guys again.”

“We should throw you a party!” Mary sat on the window ledge and looked at me. “It’ll be fun. We can invite the whole department.”

“Mary, I think that would be difficult right now.” David narrowed his eyes at her. “She has security following her to the bathroom. You really think they’re going to let her have a party?”

“Becca does not follow me into the bathroom.” I glared at David. “And there isn’t time. I’ll probably be leaving in a couple of days.”

“Are you going to Lilaria?” David leaned forward, his elbows resting on his knees.

“Possibly.”

“We’re going to miss you.” Mary threw her arms around me and I laughed when she knocked me off balance. Becca moved closer, but I waved her away.

“I’m going to miss you too. Don’t drive David crazy, okay?”

“Bah. It’s so much fun.” Mary winked at me.

I walked over to David and hugged him before kissing his cheek. “Take care of yourself.”

“You too.”

I told everyone else good-bye, joking and laughing where I could. The truth was, I was crying inside. This had been my life for several years and it felt strange to leave it without having completed what I came for.

Parker took the box out of my hands when I left the office and Duvall looked at me expectantly. “I need to speak with Rose.”

“Very well. I’ll see if she has time this afternoon. In the meantime, where would you like to go?”

“My father’s.”

I called Dad on the ride over, letting him know I was on my way. Seemed like the polite thing to do since there were two news vans tailing us.

“I mean, really. What do they expect to find out? That I’m really an alien sent from Pluto?” I glanced over my shoulder quickly.

“Good shots can make a reporter’s career. Finding out the smallest bit of information can mean scooping another station. The fact is, right now you’re news.” Duvall looked back at me and if I didn’t know any better I would think there was sympathy in his expression.

“They don’t even know why they’re following me right now.”

“The little bit of information they have—”

“Misinformation!”

“Yes, the little bit they think they know means you’re a story their viewers would find interesting.”

I just shook my head. Dad was waiting for us when we pulled up. I could see him peeking out the side window. Since there were people following us, Duvall and Becca escorted me into the house. I hugged Dad and then introduced him to my shadows.

“Nice to meet you. Would you like something to drink?” Dad smiled at Duvall and Becca, who both declined.

I threw my box of books on the floor and sat down on the couch. Dad nodded his head and sat across from me. “You’re going?”

“Yeah.” I sighed, knowing he would probably put up a fight, but I was ready. “You’re coming with me.”

“Sam, I’m in the middle of chemo. I can’t just leave.”

“We’ll talk to your doctor and figure out what to do.” I sat up and looked him in the eye. “Have you been to Lilaria?”

“No.” Dad shook his head.

“There’s no time like the present.” I knew he loved to travel and damn it, if he was going to be okay with whatever happened, then he might as well live a little in the meantime.

“I may have to wait until after the last round of chemo.” He leaned forward and patted my knee. “But if you want me to come, I’ll come after that.”

I didn’t like it. I wanted him to meet with the specialist right away, but I understood he would be better off finishing what he started. “I might have to go before that. The duchess made it sound like I only had a few days.”

“Then go! I’ll be fine. Patricia will take me to my appointments.”

“Just call me cabby, why don’t you?” Patricia hollered from the kitchen. She leaned against the doorframe, a dish towel in her hand. “You’re going to Lilaria?”

I nodded my head. It still didn’t feel real. The entire last few days felt dreamlike. Especially the part where I had been plastered against Alex before sticking my foot in my mouth. Well, the foot in my mouth part felt pretty real. I’d been doing that my whole life.

“Good! Don’t you worry about your dad. I’ll keep him in line.”

“Samantha, the duchess said she would be free in an hour.” Duvall stepped forward. “Should I tell her you are coming?”

“Yes.” I pulled my phone out of my pocket and checked the time. “Where is she?”

“She’s at the Parallel.”

I glanced down at my clothes and sighed. I had worn jeans and a sweater, but it would have to do. There wasn’t enough time to go back to my house, change, and make it to the hotel.

“Okay. I’ll have to go like this.” I turned back to my dad and wrapped my arms around him. “You call the doctor today and tell him you’re going to be moving to Lilaria. Tell him you need all your charts for Dr. Bielefeld, okay?”

“Samantha, I’m sick, not stupid.” Dad kissed my forehead.

“Yeah, yeah. Don’t forget.” I laughed as I pulled my coat back on. How long had I been here? Five minutes? Six? Is this how life would be once I accepted the family title?

“Be careful.”

“Love you.” I smiled at him over my shoulder as I followed Duvall back to the car. The news crews were still setting up, obviously expecting me to be there longer than the amount of time it took to say hello.

“Love you...

 

Suddenly Royal
Suddenly Royal Page 13



“You’ve decided to accept your title?” Alex looked at me with interest.

“Yes.” I met his eyes and tried to calm my racing heart. My decision had nothing to do with Alex. At least that’s what I kept telling myself over and over.

“Good. Will your father be joining us?”

“He has to finish his current course of treatment.”

“Excellent. I’ll make a call to Dr. Bielefeld and see that he is aware of your father’s case.” Alex leaned back in his seat.

“Thank you.” I was trying to not be bothered by his behavior, but I found myself wishing the friendly, flirty man I had spent the day with yesterday was sitting next to me. He’d pulled back and I knew it was my fault.

I looked back at Rose, who was watching us with a small smile. When Sarah came back into the room, she brought a small notebook to Rose. “It took some arranging, but Chadwick is delighted to help Lady Rousseau.”

“Chadwick?” I asked.

“Chadwick is a member of the royal household staff. He has agreed to become your personal assistant, at least until you find one that suits you better. But I think you’ll get along with him quite well.” Rose smiled. “His mother is Lilarian, but his father is American, so he will be able to help you adjust to the customs better than some might.”

“Oh. How does one pay a personal assistant? Is it an hourly thing or a salary?” I ran my fingers over the folder in my hand. Not sure what to expect when I opened it.

“He’s currently employed by the crown, which means he’s being given to you as a courtesy since we invited you to the country. However, if you decide to take him on as part of your staff, you’ll be able to make whatever arrangements suit you.” Rose stood up and I set my teacup back on the table. “I need to make a phone call, but I’ll be back in a few minutes.”

“Go ahead and open it.” Alex nodded at the folder in my hands. “You need to know what you have.”

I looked from him to the folder and frowned. There was a crest pressed into the paper and I ran my fingers over it. Was this the Rousseau crest? I went ahead and opened the folder and peered at the papers. There were credit cards attached with paperclips inside and several papers were bank statements I had to look at several times. My eyes rose to meet Alex’s, only to find him with a small smile.

“This is… mine?” I literally couldn’t wrap my mind around the numbers. There were millions in each account. There were so many zeros I thought my eyes would cross. I needed a calculator.

“Yes.”

There was a map with a highlighted area and several spots marked in another color. I traced them with my finger, not sure what they meant. While the other papers had been in English, the map was in Lilarian.

“What are these?” Alex scooted closer on the couch so he could look at the paper.

“That is a map of your estate. It is roughly four miles by two.” He traced a finger along the green line before tapping one of the red dots. “And this is one of your oil wells.”

There were four red dots on the map and I stared in disbelief. “They’re all active?”

“The two with orange around them are active. The others are closed right now. The blue dot is the village or township that belongs to the Rousseau family.”

I looked up at Alex, my eyes wide with fear. Suddenly those bank accounts didn’t feel as big. “I’m responsible for an entire village?”

He laughed, some of the amusement from yesterday creeping back into his eyes. “They pay a tax to your family, and you in turn take care of them.”

“Take care of them from what?”

“Think of it as a town where you’re the mayor. If there is a natural catastrophe, you help find a way to take care of it. If it’s too big for you to handle, you would plead the crown, who would take it to the parliament. If they needed a new road or a new school, you would take care of that through your taxes.”

“Oh, sweet baby Jesus.” I looked at him in horror. “I have no idea how to do any of that!”

“I promised I wouldn’t throw you to the wolves.” He leaned his head closer to me and I took a deep breath, enjoying his scent. “As the crown prince, it’s my job to help you understand your duties. Eventually, I’ll be the one you’re reporting things to, so it only makes sense.”

“I see.” I lowered my voice so no one could hear me. “Alex, I’m a wildlife biologist. I’m in way over my head.”

“You’re a smart woman who will rise to the occasion.” His eyes dipped down to my lips and I fought the urge to lick them.

“I’m sorry about yesterday.”

“You were right.” He frowned. “I should know better. I’ll be good if you are.” His eyes glinted with the dare. “Just know if you feel like changing your mind, I’m right here.”

“I’ll remember that.” I couldn’t help smiling at the challenge in his eyes. “Does this mean we can be friends for now? I have a feeling I could use some people on my side.”

“I’ll try for you.” His eyes ran over my body and I shook my head. “For now.”

“Friends don’t ogle friends.”

“I said I’d try. I didn’t promise anything.” Sitting back in his seat, he chuckled. “I have a feeling our friendship will have a shelf life.”

“A shelf life?”

“You’ll either end up hating me or in my bed.” His eyes grew dark. “And I know which one I’d prefer.”

Heat raced over my body and I had to take a deep breath. Unfortunately, that meant inhaling more of his delicious scent. His eyes narrowed and he leaned a little closer to me.

“If you keep looking at me like that, we’re not going to even be able to pretend to be friends.” His voice was husky and the room seemed to narrow around us. Like tunnel vision I forgot there were members of the detail and the maid in the room. It wasn’t until Rose cleared her throat that I came back to my senses.

“This is going to be an interesting challenge.” Alex smiled as he leaned back in his chair.

“Well, I think they’re ready for us to order.” Rose looked at me with a suspiciously bland face. “I hope you’re hungry, Samantha.”

I stood up and brushed my hands on my jeans, embarrassed to be caught in the staring contest with Alex. I took the menu Sarah handed me and took a seat at the table.

Alex sat next to me, his knee brushing mine. I should have moved my leg but I didn’t. Apparently I felt like torturing myself today. When Rose sat down across from me, I had to bite my lip to keep from laughing at the ridiculousness of my life. Sarah joined us for lunch, discussing the itinerary for the next two days.

“So we leave on the Friday?” I picked at my salad, pushing the cucumbers out of the way.

“I know that is soon, but I have several engagements coming up.” Rose tore a piece of bread in half and put a little butter on the slice.

“No, I understand. I just have a lot to take care of by then.”

“I’d be happy to help make any arrangements.” Sarah smiled at me over her food. “It would really be no problem. Just let me know what you need.”

“I’ll have to make a list. I’m not sure I’ll think of everything.”

“That’s part of my job. I’ll sit down with you before you leave. Do you have a passport?”

“I do. I need to pack and talk to my roommate. Thankfully, I’m paid up on rent for the next few months.” The waitress whisked away my half-eaten salad and replaced it with a plate of small sandwiches. It had seemed like the safest choice, but now I was regretting not ordering something heftier.

“Is there anything we need to address in particular with the press release?” Sarah opened a notebook next to her plate.

“No matter what we say, they are going to latch on to the story.” Alex sipped from his water glass and watched me over the rim. “Another reason to make a hasty exit.”

“Why are they so interested?” I looked around the table. “So what if my ancestor was a royal? It’s another country. It has nothing to do with anyone over here.”

“You don’t get it. You’re like an American Cinderella.” Alex laughed at my expression.

“Last time I checked, I didn’t own any glass slippers.” I scoffed at the idea. It wasn’t like I was being rescued by the prince. Or whisked away to be married. Not that I would say that part out loud. “No wicked stepmother forcing me to sleep at a hearth.”

“It’s the idea of it all. A young woman who’s been working hard finds out she’s the long-lost descendant of a royal family. It’s exciting. Even in Lilaria, you’re going to be an object of interest.” Rose sighed thoughtfully. “There isn’t much to be done about that.”

“There have been other families, right? You said other families left Lilaria and the queen was looking for all of them.”...

 

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“Bert and I talked about it. I think we’re just going to make it official and stop paying rent for two places.” Jess smiled, her face bright with excitement.

“About time. I guess I’ve been holding you up, huh? No wonder you don’t look upset I’m leaving. You get to officially shack up with your boy toy.” I laughed when she threw a pillow at me.

“You guys realize I’m sitting right here, right?” Bert was sitting in the ugly old recliner by the curtain, a book opened on his lap.

“Shut up. I’m upset you’re leaving and you know it.” She frowned at me. “Will you be back here at all? If your dad is going there you won’t have a reason to visit.”

“Of course I’ll have a reason to visit.” I shoved her shoulder. I wouldn’t throw Bert under the bus, I had a feeling it wouldn’t be long before they were mailing out wedding invitations.

“Speaking of boy toys, how’s Prince Yummy?”

I heard Becca sputter in the kitchen and I kicked Jess.

“What? Don’t act like you haven’t thought it.” Jess raised her voice and craned her neck to look at Becca. She smiled and got up from the table to go to the sink. “Fine. Pretend if you want to.”

“Alex is fine.” I tried to keep my tone normal.

“Mmhmm. He sure is.” Jess wiggled her eyebrows and I groaned.

“Please tell sixth-grade Jess that I’d like to talk to adult Jess.”

“Fine. Has he kissed you yet?” She narrowed her eyes at me. “Oh ho! Your silence speaks volumes!”

“Bert, stop letting her read your textbooks. I’m begging you.” He didn’t respond other than to shrug.

“C’mon. You have to tell me!” Jess looked at me with pleading eyes.

“It’s not going to happen again.” I sighed, knowing I had to spill if I wanted any peace.

“Oh my God. Alex really did kiss you! How was it? Why on Earth is it not going to happen again? Was it bad?” Jess sat up straight. “That’s the saddest thought in the world.”

“It was good.” I shook my head. “Really, really, good. The best. But it shouldn’t have happened. I have too much going on to deal with that too! I mean, I’m not interested in a fling.”

“What makes you think it would be a fling?” Jess narrowed her eyes at me. “Did he say that?”

“No.” I bit my lip and then blurted it out. “I’m an American! He’s a freaking prince! What use would I be? He probably needs to end up with someone from a royal family that can help him rule a country.”

“Um, aren’t you from a royal family?” Jess raised one eyebrow and looked at me like I was stupid.

“It’s not the same thing, Jess. He’d need someone from a respected family.” I wrapped my arms around my chest. “I’m not really royal. I’m an American related to someone who was a royal.”

“That doesn’t seem to matter to Rose and Alex.”

“Jess.”

“Don’t Jess me. I saw the way you looked at him. The way he looked at you. Don’t be stupid, Sam. You overthink things.”

“I do not! I make educated decisions.” I shook my head. “I have way too much going on to be mixed up in anything complicated.”

“Complicated is the best kind.” Jess smirked.

“I’m going to bed.” I threw the blanket off and stood up. “I have to pack tomorrow and get ready for the trip.”

“I see my argument skills have forced you to retreat. I claim victory.”

“Shuddup!” I looked over at Becca, who was leaning against the kitchen doorframe. “Do you need anything?”

“I have everything I need.” She smiled at me.

“Okay. Spill. Why do you have a Southern accent but work for Lilaria?” I frowned at her.

“I went through training with the FBI. When Rose came over a few years ago, I was part of the team assigned to her.” She smiled. “I stopped an attempt to kidnap her and she asked me to work for her.”

“Someone tried to kidnap her?”

“Holy shit.” Jess stood up and walked over. “You stopped a kidnapper?”

“Yes. Did you think I was just here for looks?” Becca asked.

“Well, no. I just thought you were to keep people from bothering Sam.” Jess looked at Becca with weighing eyes. “I bet people underestimate you a lot.”

“It works to my advantage.” Becca shrugged.

“Do I need to worry about something like that?”

“I’m just a precaution,” Becca assured me.

“I’m so done for tonight. I’ll see you guys in the morning.” I started to turn away.

“You want help tomorrow?” Jess asked. She normally didn’t have any classes on Thursday and often worked from home.

“That would be great.”

As soon as my head hit the pillow, I was out. It had been one of the longest weeks of my life and it was nowhere near being over.

The next morning I was woken up by the sounds of voices in the living room. It was barely seven o’clock and I already had twelve e-mails according to my phone. I sat up and stared at the sun streaming through my window.

I grabbed some jeans, a long-sleeve T-shirt, and tennis shoes. Once I was ready, I threw open my door and went in search of coffee. Sarah was sitting at the kitchen table with Jess and Bert. I nodded my head at them but went straight for the coffeepot. I didn’t have the brainpower yet to deal with why Sarah was in my house.

I poured a healthy amount of creamer and sugar in and stirred until my coffee was creamy brown. I took a sip and sighed. Just right. I rummaged around in the refrigerator and found some yogurt. Grabbing a spoon, I took the last chair at the table.

“Good morning, Duchess.” Sarah smiled at me.

I grunted.

Jess snickered. “Wait until after the first cup.”

“Ah. I understand.” Sarah smiled brightly. “It usually takes me two before I’m fully awake.”

I grunted again. I bet Sarah woke up ready for anything. She probably slept in her clothes with that notebook clutched in her hand. She had it open next to her with a bunch of notes scribbled in the shorthand I had noticed the day before. I took my time with my coffee and yogurt, listening while Jess asked questions and Sarah answered.

Finally I got up and threw away the yogurt cup and poured some more coffee. I turned to look at them and sipped from my cup. “Okay.”

“That’s her way of saying tell her what’s going on,” Jess explained.

“Well, I brought you some more information about your arrival in Lilaria. There will be a ceremony to welcome you home. After that there will be a delegation to bring you to the palace to meet Queen Felecia. You’ll be spending the night there before being given a small reception the next day where you will be introduced to some of the other nobility and members of parliament.” She took a breath and I waved my free hand in the air.

“Whoa, whoa, whoa. I’m going to be presented to the queen after flying across the Atlantic for hours and hours? What type of plane are we taking? Will I be able to take a shower? I mean, I’m supposed to go meet the Queen of Lilaria just like that?” I turned around and fished through the cabinets. “Shit. I need a bigger cup.” I grabbed the giant mug with the saying I said good day, sir!

“It’s customary that the queen welcome visiting dignitaries or nobles. The fact that you are ‘coming home’ is an even bigger reason for her to invite you to the castle. Prince Alex also asked that you stay at the palace before being taken to your lands. I believe he wants to escort you to your home.” Sarah smiled politely, but I caught the twinkle in her eyes. Apparently my moment with Alex hadn’t gone unnoticed yesterday. Or maybe it was because he had spent the day before with me.

“That’s not necessary. I’m sure he has more important things to take care of.”

Jess glared at me, her nose wrinkled and her mouth pressed into a firm line.

“He was quite adamant.” Sarah smiled again before turning back to her notebook. “Chadwick is going to the Rousseau estate today to make sure everything is ready for your arrival. There has been a steward appointed to the lands while your family was away, so I’m expecting everything has been kept in good shape.”

“What is the Stewards name?” I grabbed the grocery notepad off of the counter and looked in a drawer for a pen.

“Stanley Wessex.” Sarah looked over her notes. “He is in his late fifties and has been in charge of the estate for the last twenty years. I’m sure he will be an extraordinary help when you take over.”

“Or he’ll hate me for taking his job,” I muttered under my breath while scribbling down his name.

“I’ve also set up a secure e-mail for you and arranged for a new cell phone.” She reached into the bag next to her and pulled out a white phone. She rattled off the new number while I quickly copied it down in my notes. “I’ve set it up so...

 

Suddenly Royal
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“It’s gorgeous! You look like you could be in a magazine.” Jess fluffed the skirt a little more. I stared at her until she finally sighed. “Fine. Let’s try something a little more boring.”

“Good idea.” I stepped off the little platform and gathered up the skirt in my arms. Jess followed close behind so she could help me undo the four thousand little buttons along the back.

“You know, this is a huge moment. Your chance to make a big statement.” Jess looked at me seriously. “You need to go in there, large and proud. Don’t let them treat you like the dirty cousin from America. Show ’em you’re someone to contend with.”

“You make this sound like high school.” I wiggled out of the dress and helped her put it back on the hanger, which promptly bowed in the middle, struggling to support the weight of the dress.

“I’m serious. You need to go in there and let them know you’re Samantha Effing Rousseau. You’re gorgeous, you’re brilliant, and you won’t take any shit.” Jess stood up and looked at me. “They need to know that right away.”

I thought about what she was saying. First impressions were important. If I would dress up to give a speech at a bird convention, there was no reason I shouldn’t dress up for a meeting with the queen. I turned and looked at the next dress on the rack and contemplated it.

“Okay.”

“Okay?”

“Okay, but we need to make the right statement. No froufrou stuff.” I pushed the hangers aside and met Jess’s eyes in the mirror.

“I know just the dress.” She ran out of the little room and I stood there contemplating what I was doing. I hated that I was making these decisions. I felt like I was doing this blind. And the worst part was there were people standing outside the store with cameras, trying to see what I was buying.

When Jess came back she and held up a dress, I knew she had nailed it on the head. It was simple but elegant. Sexy but discreet: simple cap sleeves with an A-line skirt, the black material shining softly in the dressing room lights. There was a simple black belt that added a little something extra and gave it even more personality. I ran my hands over the gown and almost squealed in delight. There were pockets.

“You’ve been saving this one.” I turned my eyes to Jess and glared at her. “You made me try on those God-awful dresses, knowing full well I would hate them. And this was in the store the whole time!”

“So you like it?” Jess smiled from ear to ear.

“You sneaky bitch! That last dress was torture!” I held my hand out for the hanger and she laughed.

“It worked, didn’t it? I could have brought a trash bag in here and you would have been excited.” Jess helped me pull the dress up and work the hidden zipper.

When I turned around to look in the mirror, I froze. The dress fit perfectly, which was lucky considering there wasn’t time for alterations. Jess did something to my hair, twisting it up off my neck in a messy bun that countered the streamlined look of the dress.

“Understated elegance.” Jess nodded her head like she had designed the dress herself.

“It’s perfect.” I turned so I could see the back of the dress.

“Let’s go show the others.” Jess swung the door open and motioned for me to go out first. I had to pick the skirt up to walk, but with heels it would be perfect. Outside, the curtains had been pulled over the large front windows and Sarah was waiting in a chair, her notebook in her lap. She looked up and a smile pulled at the corners of her mouth.

“Oh, you look lovely.”

I stepped onto the little block in front of the mirror and looked at myself. It was silly, but I suddenly felt royal. I guess that was the magic of a beautiful dress. The shop owner brought over a pair of black high heels in my size. I slipped them on and looked again at the mirror. They were the perfect height. The skirt no longer hung too low, but they weren’t so high I couldn’t walk.

A phone beeped and I looked around to see who it belonged to, but no one moved to answer it. The phone beeped again and I looked at the shop owner, but she shook her head. I stepped down from the pedestal and walked over to my bag. I picked up the new phone and looked at the screen.

“Who has this number?” There were two text messages.

“The duchess and the prince, Jess, and your father.” Sarah looked back through her notebook. “And your security detail.”

651-555-1212: How is the dress shopping going?

I grabbed my other phone and checked to make sure it really was Alex’s number before replying.

ME: I hate it, but I found one.

Alex: Send me a picture.

ME: Nope.

Alex: Then send me a picture without the dress.

ME: Pervert.

Alex: You have no idea.

I laughed and turned the phone off. When I looked up, I realized everyone was staring at me. “What?”

“Who was that?” Jess asked, her eyes amused.

“Alex.” I cleared my throat and turned back to the shop owner. “I’d like to get this one. Do you have anything else made by this designer?”

“As a matter of fact, I do.” The shop owner’s eyes lit up and I realized I hadn’t thought to ask the price. I tried to see the tag under my arm, but there were no numbers—never a good sign. I looked back at the mirror and decided that at this point, it didn’t matter. I was getting the dress.

I tried on several more: a ball gown, a pearly silver sheath with a boat neck, covered in sequins and jewels; a red tea-length dress; and another black dress Jess had insisted on. It was form-fitting with short sleeves and a slit in the collar that went well into my cl**vage. It was daring and beautiful. I couldn’t imagine ever wearing it.

After the dress store, we stopped at a few more boutiques, grabbing a few business suits, jackets, and the normal necessities. It was dark by the time we headed home, but I had one last stop to make.

The car pulled up to the curb at the largest bookstore in town. I ran inside, knowing exactly what I was looking for. An idiot’s guide to Lilaria and a language program to listen to on the plane. I sent Jess to the cash register with my card and waited in the music section with Becca. A few people seemed to recognize me, but thankfully no one said anything. We were back in the car and on the way to my dad’s in no time.

Sarah had left to go over things with Rose, so it was just me and Jess with Dad. And the contingent of bodyguards waiting outside or in the living room. Dad made dinner and we talked about things to do when he came to Lilaria. Patricia was there, refusing to let me help clean up.

I sorted Dad’s medicine for the next week and went over things with Patricia. Dad had been happy and cracking jokes, but I caught him closing his eyes a few times. My heart clenched and tears sprang to my eyes. There was a picture of him and Mom in Hawaii above his chair and I wanted to cry at seeing them so happy. No matter how much he pretended, I could see the toll that cancer was taking on him. When it was time to leave, I could barely bring myself to get out of my chair.

“Hey, is there anything you want to take from here with you? A picture, maybe?” Jess asked. We’d known each long enough that she understood how hard this was for me.

“There’s a picture in my room, on the nightstand. Would you grab it for me?”

“Sure.” Jess left the room, leaving me and Dad alone.

“Stop it.” Dad’s voice drew my attention back to him.

“Stop what?”

“Worrying. You’ve got those little lines between your eyebrows.” He used his thumb to try to smooth them away. “I’m going to be fine. And I’m going to come see you soon.”

“I know. I just feel like I shouldn’t be leaving you right now.” I frowned and looked down at the table.

“You’re giving me something to look forward to.” Dad grabbed my hands. “Do you understand that, Sam? I’m looking forward to going to Lilaria and seeing the land you and your mother came from. I got a travel book today and highlighted some of the stuff I want to do.”

He stood up slowly and shuffled over to the kitchen counter before coming back with a dog-eared book. He handed it to me and I flipped through some of the pages.

“Wow. There’s a waterfall?”

“Yes! And it’s huge. I want to have my picture taken in front of it.” Dad laughed. “And there is a huge lake in the Rousseau holdings. The book says there’s good fishing.”

“I saw that one on the map.” I frowned. I really needed to spend some time on the Internet tonight.

“Yes! And there’s a very popular local dish I want to try. Some kind of fish and potatoes. It looks delicious.”

“Hm.” I closed the book and looked at him. “Promise you’ll be okay.”

He squeezed my hand and smiled. “Promise.”

“Have you talked to Patricia about coming with you?” I needed a subject change.

“Patricia? You think she should come with me?” Dad looked surprised. “I hadn’t thought about it.”

“Why not? She’s not working anymore...

 

Suddenly Royal
Suddenly Royal Page 16



“BETRAYED BY LOVER” was in huge letters over one of the pictures that thankfully had the more indecent parts fuzzed out. I needed to know, needed to see if this was something important. Maybe I just hoped it was important.

Prince Alex D’Lynsal of Lilaria is currently in a legal battle over pictures that were sold by an on-again, off-again ex-lover. In an official press release, the prince claimed the photographs had been taken without his permission and then used as blackmail. The royal family of Lilaria has taken a firm stance on the matter and refuses to answer any questions by the press.

It’s been speculated that the woman in the photos, Melissa Piaf, was trying to force the prince into marriage, but we’ve found no information to confirm those rumors. One thing is clear—the former model has made a name for herself. She announced on a national television show that several publishing and production companies had offered her money for her story. It remains to be seen if any of those deals come to fruition.

I sat back away from the computer and chewed on my thumbnail. If the press release from Alex was true, this Melissa woman was a real bitch. I couldn’t imagine waking up to find pictures of me with Chad or Thomas in the paper one morning. It must’ve been a terrible day—to have your personal bits flashed all over for the world to see. I checked the date on the article and sighed. Six months ago. I went back through the listings to see if there was any recent information. There wasn’t much else I could find. In fact, there were no recent images or stories about Alex until he came to the States. A few stories with pictures of us on campus or at the restaurant. It made my stomach turn. They talked about him like he wasn’t a real person, as if he shouldn’t care what they said about him. Now instead of feeling jealous, I just felt sick for Alex.

The thought of searching for my own name crossed my mind, but I quickly dismissed it. Just the idea made me shudder. I closed the laptop and stuck it in my carry-on bag. Staring at the ceiling, I tried to turn my brain off, to stop thinking about the pictures and how terrible it was to imagine someone selling images of your intimate moments. Rolling onto my side, I punched my pillow, trying to get more comfortable.

He had told me he shouldn’t chase me. Was this what he had been talking about, not my questionable heritage? Did it matter?

I was asking myself that question a lot when it came to Alex. I still wasn’t sure of the answers.

Chapter Fourteen

No Pumpkins Here.

Cinderella Leaves for the Palace in a Shiny Gulfstream.

—Minnesota Daily

The three hours of sleep I had managed to get did not go well with my hatred for mornings. All my stuff was piled into the cars waiting outside and I was looking around my room for any last-minute items. My outfit was dressy yet casual—jeans, riding boots, and a comfortable shirt with a big chunky scarf—since I knew the press would be taking pictures. Jess was standing by the door holding my new black pea coat and looking a little misty-eyed. Tears this early in the morning were scary.

“I’ve got your coat.” Jess sniffed and I looked up at her with wide eyes.

“Oh no.”

“You’re going to need it. I checked the weather and it’s snowing there.” She sniffed again. “Don’t want to get sick right when you get there.”

“Jess, don’t do this.” I shook my head, frozen in place.

“I know that good-byes aren’t your thing, so I’m just going to give you this and then go to my room.” Sniff. Hiccup.

“C’mon, you’re killing me.” I felt the skin around my eyes tighten and I blinked quickly.

“I’m going to miss you.” She thrust the coat out in front of her.

“You’re going to come see me this summer, right?” I didn’t take the jacket. “This isn’t good-bye forever.”

“But I’m going to miss your grumpy morning face and the way you double-check all the dishes I’ve cleaned.” She pouted.

“Bert’s grumpy in the morning, you’ll be fine.”

“Am not.” He grunted.

“Right. Not grumpy at all.” I shook my head. Jess gave up waiting on me to take the jacket and threw her arms around me anyway. I hugged her back, knowing it would be a while before I got to see her again. No one else would understand me the way Jess did. I squeezed her a little tighter and then let go.

“I’ll send you a souvenir. Maybe one of those little figures that’s pooping in a lawn.” I hugged Bert too and turned quickly to walk out the door. The news vans that hadn’t left in the last few days were still there, the reporters standing on the curb with cameras and microphones.

“Sam! Sam! Are you excited about going to Lilaria for the first time?”

“Are you going to stay in Lilaria?”

“Are you and Prince Alex an item?”

“Samantha! How do you feel about being America’s Duchess?”

I couldn’t help but laugh at the last comment and looked over at the reporter. “America’s Duchess?”

“Our very own royalty! What do you think?” He seemed elated I had found his comment funny.

“I’m a grad student.” I shook my head and ducked through the open door of the car. It was weird that I had gotten used to having a driver already. Even though my truck was a pain in the butt, I did miss the old thing. Bert and Jess were going to use the truck to move the rest of my stuff to my dad’s house and then leave it there.

The trip to the airport was surreal. We passed some of the landmarks that had been part of my life for the last ten years, buildings I had known forever, it seemed. Vans full of reporters and cameras followed us at a respectable distance—thank goodness. I’d hate for them to photograph the tears that were running down my cheeks.

Duvall had come to escort me and I was starting to wonder why I was being protected by the head of the detail. Thankfully, he hadn’t said anything about my crying, just handed me a tissue and turned back to the front of the car. As we neared the airport, I checked my bags again to make sure I had everything I would need. It was pointless because I had already checked twenty times while at the house. The anal retentive in me was satisfied, so I sat back and wiped at my face to make sure there was no moisture left to betray my emotions.

When we pulled up to the drop-off point, there was a huge area blocked off by a police escort. Alex was standing at the curb, smiling and chatting with a few people wearing press badges. I wondered how he could look so chipper talking to the people who would just as happily post embarrassing pictures of him. When Duvall exited the front seat, Alex excused himself with a wave and came over to my car. I put on a small smile and let him help me out.

“Ready?” His eyes studied my face and I wondered what he saw there. I was a giant ball of emotions and wasn’t even sure myself what the most prominent was at this moment. Sadness, definitely, but there was also a thread of excitement, and to be honest, I was happy to see Alex.

“Think so.” I took a deep breath and shouldered my bag.

He smiled at me, but I could see a little guilt in his eyes. “Nothing is ever as good or as bad as you think it will be. Lilaria is just a place. It’s what you make of it that counts.”

His voice was quiet, so I knew no one else could hear us except for Duvall, who hadn’t left my side. Becca was standing close as well, but she had given Alex a little space when he obviously wanted to say something privately. I nodded to let him know I had heard him. He was right—I could make this as good or as bad as I wanted.

“My lady, may I take your bag? I’ll see to it that it’s on the plane before you leave,” Becca said quietly.

I handed it over, feeling nak*d without anything to do with my hands. Alex was wearing a suit and I suddenly felt underdressed in my skinny jeans and boots. At least I would be comfortable on the flight. I frowned and hoped I wasn’t breaking some kind of protocol by not wearing a dress. Okay, so I wasn’t going to wear a dress just to please them, but I could have at least worn nice slacks.

“Smile at least a little, okay?” Alex smiled widely to illustrate just how little I was supposed to smile and I laughed. I could see all his teeth.

“Got it.”

“That’s my girl.” My breath hitched at his words and he seemed to catch my response because his smile widened even more.

“Samantha! Samantha!”

“Sam! Over here!”

“Are you excited?”

The last question made me stop and I turned to smile at the cameras. It was early and I’d only had one cup of coffee before leaving, but it was time I at least said something to the press. Especially if I was leaving. I might not like being a news story, but I loved my home and saying good-bye seemed appropriate.

“I hate leaving Minnesota, but I’m looking forward to seeing my homeland.” I smiled widely and let them take a few pictures. Not exactly a good-bye, but I hoped it would work. “Hopefully it won’t be as cold there.”

My last statement produced a few chuckles and I gave a quick wave before going through...

 

Suddenly Royal
Suddenly Royal Page 17



“Will they come to visit you sometime?”

“I think they’re going to try to come this summer. I’m *** I’ll be back for a wedding soon too.” I smiled thinking about it. “I’m kinda relieved I won’t have to go dress shopping with Jess.” I shuddered.

“Isn’t that supposed to be one of the enjoyable parts?”

“Not for me.” I shook my head. “Jess would drag me to every store in the country to go dress shopping if she could. Of course, I’ll probably end up wearing a puke-green bridesmaid dress now.”

“How long have they been together?”

“Almost four years.” I sighed, remembering how Jess had hated Bert at first. “She thought he was a pompous putz; he thought she was a spoiled shopaholic. Love at first sight. Couldn’t keep their hands off each other.”

He laughed, amused by the obvious contradiction. “Sounds like a movie.”

“A book. Classic love story.” I laughed. “Very Jane Austen.”

“Do you read often?”

“Not as much as I’d like. Lately it’s been all journals and textbooks.” I looked around for Becca. “Actually, I brought my e-reader for the flight. Thought I might actually read something fun for a change.”

“And what kind of book will it be? Romance? Science fiction? Mystery?”

“Paranormal romance.” I sighed. “The Elemental Mystery series by Elizabeth Hunter. The last book came out a while ago and I haven’t had the time to read it yet.”

“So, vampires? Ghosts?” Alex smiled like this amused him.

“Hot, sexy vampires with a good helping of historical mystery. Perfection.” I leaned back in the chair when the engine started. Sarah came up the steps, followed by Becca and Duvall. Sarah took the seat across from Rose and Becca handed me my bag before moving to a couch in the back. A pair of guards came up the steps carrying one of my garment bags and carry-on. I sighed in relief. When the engine had started I’d worried I would have to meet the queen in my blue jeans. As it was I wasn’t sure how I was going to change into my dress in the plane.

“I wish I had been able to meet your father before we left,” Rose mentioned while going over her papers and I realized she was talking to me.

“You were very busy. Maybe you’ll get to in Lilaria.”

“That would be wonderful. Perhaps if he is feeling up to it, you could come out to my estate for dinner.”

“He would love that.” And he would. Getting to go to another country had seemed to excite him.

“Then we’ll set it up!” Rose smiled before turning back to her paperwork.

I fished through my bag for my e-reader and earbuds. I’d loaded the language CD so I could listen to it while I was reading or staring out the window. I really hoped some of it would stick.

Alex settled into his paperwork and I watched out the window as the workers cleared the plane for takeoff. It wasn’t long before we were in the air and I was watching my home disappear.

After a while I pulled my headset off and set down my book. Alex was sketching in a notepad and I’d been curious to see what he was working on. “So, you draw?”

“Some. Not much.” He looked at me over the pad of paper, his eyes thoughtful. “When something strikes me.”

“Can I see?” I leaned over the table and tried to peek at the paper.

“Hm. I don’t know.” He tilted the book away from me. “I’ll play you for it.”

“Play me for it?” I sat back in my seat. “Play what?”

“Don’t do it, Samantha. He never loses.” Rose didn’t look up from her paperwork.

“We’ll see.” I narrowed my eyes at him. He was smiling like he had already won. “What is it?”

“Well, wait a minute. If you win, you get to see my sketch. What do I get if I win?” He leaned forward, his eyes sparkling.

“I warned you.” Rose shook her head and stood up from her seat, stretching. “I think I’m going to try to nap for a while.” She moved back to one of the open benches and pressed a button. It slid out from the wall to make a small bed. I shook my head at the idea of a bed on a plane.

“Well? My prize?” Alex brought my attention back to him.

“What could you possibly want?” I had been thinking he had everything, but as soon as the words left my mouth I realized my mistake. His eyes flashed with triumph and his smile made my blood race.

“Oh, there are a lot of things I want.” His eyes ran over my face. “What are you willing to give?”

“Friends, Alex,” I hissed at him under my breath, worried the others had heard him.

He chuckled and leaned closer. “If you win, you see the sketch. If I win, you have to volunteer at the FBT.”

“Seems a bit uneven.”

“Take it or leave it.” He leaned back in his chair, his eyes watching me carefully.

“What would I have to do at the FBT?” I narrowed my eyes at him.

“Whatever I think appropriate.”

I studied him for a minute, considering what he could possibly force me to do. Clean out bird cages? Been there, done that. Cut up mice? Didn’t bother me anymore.

“Fine. But I get to keep the sketch if I win.”

“Deal.” He held out his hand and I shook it even though he still hadn’t told me what we were going to play. Hopefully not cards. I hated ***.

He stood up and moved toward the back of the plane. When he came back with a box in his hand, I laughed.

“Monopoly?”

“What? You’re too good for Monopoly?” He set the box down on the table and proceeded to set up the game. “What do you want to be?”

“The shoe.”

“The shoe?” He looked at me doubtfully. “Are you sure?”

“My mom was always the shoe.” The words popped out of my mouth without thought. I hadn’t thought about that in a long time.

“Very well. The shoe it is.” He set out the shoe and the top hat before distributing the money.

It didn’t take long to see why Rose had told me to not take the deal. Alex was incredibly lucky when it came to the game. Always passing GO, always collecting money, never landing on any of the spots normal people feared.

“You’re cheating! Give me the dice!” My sad stack of paper money was shameful.

“How dare you!” He mock-glared at me.

“No one is that lucky. How are you doing it?” I reached over the table, trying to swipe the dice from his hand. He laughed while I tried to pry his fingers loose.

“I don’t cheat! I’m just incredibly smart. And it’s my turn again.”

“Being smart doesn’t get you to land on the Pass Go spot every time!” I sat down and Alex opened his hand to show me the dice.

“Normal dice. Nothing to see here.” He rolled double sixes and I groaned loudly. Another good move.

“You’re so cheating. Magnets or something.” I grumbled as I collected the dice for my roll. Eight spaces put me on one of his hotels. Cursing under my breath, I took half my remaining money and threw it at him.

He laughed. “Thank you. I appreciate your patronage.”

“Shut up and roll, cheater.”

Chapter Fifteen

The Royal Price Tag

—Financial Tally

In only a few more rolls I was completely out of money and Alex was gloating. “Ah, what shall I do with you?”

“Again?” I raised my eyebrow. He was competitive, but so was I.

“But I’ve already won.” He smiled. “And I like to win.”

“Bet you can’t do it again.” I narrowed my eyes. We still had two hours before we landed to refuel.

“Oh, I can do it again.” He leaned forward and lowered his voice. “But I’ll only play again if we up the stakes.”

“What are you ***?” The last couple of hours had gone by in a flash as I laughed and joked with Alex. I hadn’t realized we’d started flirting until I was almost out of money.

“If I win I stop pretending we’re just friends.” His voice dropped an octave and he glanced at my lips. “And I get to kiss you. Whenever I want.”

My body temperature rose as I considered what he was asking. “One kiss?”

“Maybe.” He leaned even closer. “But we both know we’ll want more than that.”

“And what do I get if I win?” I licked my lips, his smell invading my senses. A kiss didn’t sound too bad. In fact it sounded like a pretty good idea right now.

“What do you want?” He smiled cockily, knowing exactly what I was wanting right this minute.

“You teach me Lilarian.” I frowned. “I don’t want to sound like an idiot at the ceremony.”

“You realize this means I win either way.” He ran a hand over the scruff on his jaw and I was mildly fascinated by the sound it made under his fingers.

“No. If I win, you have to teach me Lilarian while keeping your hands to yourself.” I picked up the dice...

 

Suddenly Royal
Suddenly Royal Page 18



Fueling the plane didn’t take near as long as I thought it would and after a fast meal, we were back in the air. There was a renewed sense of energy in the plane. Sarah was making phone calls and Alex had opened up his laptop. At some point Duvall and Rebecca changed into suits that would blend into the background but still had a formal look. Rose went to the little area in front of the kitchen and pulled a curtain shut. She called for Sarah to help before coming out in a silver dress with a matching jacket. It was simple but elegant.

“We don’t have much longer if you want to go ahead and change.” Alex nodded toward the little curtained area.

I stood up and made my way to the alcove. I pulled the curtain shut and opened the tiny closet that held my garment bag. I quickly undressed and fought the dress out of the bag before remembering that I needed to put on panty hose. Cursing under my breath, I dug into the bottom of the bag. The plane hit a bit of turbulence and I bounced into the wall before almost falling through the curtain in nothing but my underwear.

“Holy crap!” I stood up and prayed I hadn’t knocked the curtain open.

“Samantha?” Alex’s voice was nearby and my eyes grew large. “Are you okay?”

“I’m fine! What are you paying these pilots?”

A few people chuckled while I wrestled the panty hose up. Worried about more turbulence, I slid the dress on as fast as possible. Reaching behind me, I tried to grab the zipper but ended up spinning in circles like a puppy.

“Sarah?” I called for Rose’s assistant, giving up.

“I’ve got it.” Alex’s voice made me freeze. I heard the curtain whisper as he stepped into the area. “Zipper?”

“Um, yeah.” I turned my back to him. The zipper started low and I was highly aware of the fact that he could see the lace panties and bra I was wearing. His warm fingers grazed my skin as he unhurriedly pulled the zipper over the top of my butt and up my back.

“Lift your hair.” He leaned down and whispered in my ear.

Slowly I reached up and gathered my hair in my hands. He slid the zipper into place before reaching down and sliding his hands around my waist. He pressed his chest against my back while he looked over my shoulder. Deftly, he pulled the belt through the loops and fastened it in the front. It was painfully erotic to know that he was taking his time dressing me and my breathing was matching the excitement of my thoughts. When he pulled back, I let my hair fall and turned to face him without stepping out of his hold.

He was already wearing a tux, the bowtie hanging open, and no shoes. It was a look that worked for him. He looked down at me with hungry eyes. “You look gorgeous.”

“Thank you.” His hands were still on my waist and I was having flashbacks to our kiss.

“This is going to be difficult.” He leaned back a little so he could run his eyes over my body. “Very difficult.”

“All good things are worth the work.” I didn’t have to ask him what he was talking about because I was thinking the same thing. Being friends with Alex would be one of the hardest things I’d ever done.

“It would be difficult either way.” Alex’s voice was serious. “I’m not sure I can keep my hands off you, but I swore off women in the public eye. You make me want to take that back.”

“Anyone in a relationship with you would be in the spotlight.” I chewed on my bottom lip. “I don’t want to be in the spotlight; I just don’t think I could handle it.”

He leaned forward and whispered something in Lilarian.

“What does that mean?”

“Consider it your first lesson to find out.” With a small smile, he turned away and left the curtained area. I stood there, trying to catch my breath before going back out. After a minute I grabbed my shoes and carry-on. I went to the bathroom to put on makeup before twisting my hair into a messy knot at the base of my head, then put on diamond stud earrings that had been my mother’s before going back to my seat.

“Perfect, dear. You look absolutely perfect.” Rose touched the dress gently.

“Thank you.”

“Are you ready?” Rose sat down. “When we land, the authorities will board the plane to check passports and then we will be taken to cars that will deliver us to the palace.”

“I would suspect there will be a bit of fanfare for our arrival. Bringing back one of the royal families is an important occasion.” Alex was sitting across from me and his voice took on a hard edge. “There will be a great deal of media no matter what. Don’t do or say anything you think you might regret.”

“I understand. People will try to hurt me just to make a few dollars.” He caught the undertone in my voice and regarded me with sad eyes.

“Yes.” He looked out the window at the lights of the city below. “There are those people.”

“Do not forget there are also people worth trusting. Those who will love you for you and nothing else.” Rose looked at Alex sadly. “Who will love you in spite of your title and money. They are out there.”

Her eyes darted to me before looking at the paperwork on the desk. Was she warning me? Or was she worried I would hurt Alex? I turned back to my window and watched as we circled the airport.

When we touched down, my anxiety rocketed. I was here, I was doing it. And I was so nervous I wanted to puke.

“How do I greet Queen Felecia?” I scrubbed my hands together.

“When you’re introduced, you’ll curtsy once just inside the door and then again a few steps into the room. Go straight to her and introduce yourself. She will shake your hand and welcome you to the country. After that, you’ll be introduced to several other people.” Rose waved her hand in the air as if she was explaining how to get to a class in a new building. “A few of the nobles that are in town will be there, as will a few key members of parliament. They always love a good reason to come to the palace. After the initial introduction, it will be less formal. This isn’t the official ceremony for your reinstatement.”

“Okay. Curtsy, walk, and curtsy again. Shake her hand.” I took a deep breath. “Monopoly. Why did we play a board game when there is so much I need to know?”

“You needed to relax.” Alex grinned devilishly. “It was one of the only ways I could come up with to help.”

One of the ways. I could imagine the other ways he could have done to help me relax. Shaking my head, I pushed aside the thought and frowned. “And what do I call her? Your Majesty?”

“That’s appropriate the first time you meet her. Then you can switch to something simpler. Ma’am is the most common.” Rose smiled at me. “You’re going to be fine. No one is going to expect you to know everything tonight.”

“The staff is used to walking people through first meetings. Don’t worry,” Alex said.

The plane was taxied to an open area and I was shocked at the amount of people. A blue rug was rolled out to the plane and a line of cars pulled up. There was a military honor guard in place and a sea of flashing cameras. The door to the plane was opened and an official in a suit stepped up to the entrance.

“May I enter?” His voice held the interesting accent that Alex spoke with.

“Please,” Alex said. Even though Alex had been laid-back in the States, I realized that as the highest-ranking royal, everyone would defer to him.

“Welcome home, Your Highness.”

“Thank you, Jeremy.” Alex stood up and shook his hand. They must interact with this official often.

“Welcome home, Duchess.” Jeremy shook Rose’s hand and then turned toward me. “A heartfelt welcome to you, Duchess Rousseau.” Jeremy smiled warmly at me.

“Thank you.”

“I’m afraid I need to see your paperwork.” He looked embarrassed.

“Of course.” I handed him my passport.

“Excellent.” He looked over the passport, and I found it oddly comforting that he hadn’t just waved me on. He pulled a stamp out of his pocket and quickly used it. “I hope you find Lilaria to your liking.”

“I’m sure I will.” I smiled at him and tucked my passport back into my bag.

Alex stood up and held my coat out for me. I slid into the sleeves and buttoned up the front. I was about to set foot on Lilarian soil, the homeland of my ancestors and my new life. Rose walked to the exit and waited for Duvall and Becca and Sarah. Duvall jogged down the stairs to the cars, a finger to his ear as he listened to something on his earpiece. Rose turned to me and smiled.

“Welcome home, Samantha. I’ll be waiting in the car for you.” Rose winked at me and then quickly made her way down the stairs. There was a cry from the photographers, calling her name, but she simply waved and went straight to the vehicle. The air blowing in through the open door was cold but that wasn’t why I shivered.

“I’ll be right behind you.” Alex put a hand on my back.

“You promised you wouldn’t throw me to the wolves.” I tried to smile, but it came out weak.

“Trust me.”...

 

Suddenly Royal
Suddenly Royal Page 19



“A pleasure to meet you, Duchess.” Chadwick was a tall, thin man. He bowed his head in a formal greeting.

“You too, Chadwick.” I held out my hand to shake his. His hands were gentle, but firm. “I think you’ve got your work cut out for you.”

“I do love a challenge.” He smiled.

“Well, then. Let’s go meet Mother, shall we?” Alex turned away from the aides he was speaking with and looked at me.

“Let’s.” I took a deep breath.

Alex held his arm out to me, and I slipped my hand in and let him lead me down a long, formal hallway. Portraits of monarchs lined the walls, interspersed with images of gardens and forests. There was a man in a tailcoat waiting next to golden double doors. He stood to attention when we neared and opened the door.

“You’ll enter last, but we’ll be waiting inside.” Rose patted my shoulder as she nodded at the man. He knocked on the door and waited for an answer. When he heard what he needed, he opened the doors and stepped inside.

“The Duchess of Sverelle, Your Majesty.” Rose followed closely behind him, curtsying once just inside of the door. She walked out of sight and I fought the desire to peek around the corner.

“His Royal Highness, the Duke of D’Lynsal.” Alex stood up straight and winked at me before turning the corner. I could hear voices inside, but not what they were saying. Or maybe they were speaking in Lilarian.

“The Duchess of Rousseau.” The man announced my name and I took a jerky step forward. There were ten or eleven people standing in the center of the room. The queen was right in the center, complete with tiara and flowing dress. She was an attractive woman and I could see a great deal of Alex in her features.

I remembered to curtsy once inside the door and took a few more steps before pausing and doing it again. I didn’t curtsy too deep, scared I would fall in my heels. When I looked up, the queen was smiling. When I reached her, she held out her hand and I shook it.

“Your Majesty, it’s a pleasure to meet you.” I looked down at her, surprised that such a small woman had given birth to such a tall man like Alex.

“Welcome home, Duchess Rousseau. We’re very glad that you’ve come.” The woman smiled. “We were very excited when we found you.”

“Thank you, ma’am.”

“Let me introduce you to everyone.” The queen placed her hand on my elbow, gently guiding me away from Rose and Alex. I tried to keep a hold on the beating of my heart. It was beating faster than that of a kitten facing down a dog. “This is my daughter, Catherine.”

A tall girl with blond hair and Alex’s bright eyes smiled at me. She held out her hand and I shook it. There was a lot of handshaking in my future, it seemed.

“Nice to meet you, Samantha. I’ve heard a lot about you.” Catherine smiled widely. She was breathtaking—model perfect. Her eyes were bright and she seemed genuinely happy to see me.

“Nice to meet you.”

“I’d be happy to show you around the city if you’d like. It can be a bit confusing the first time you visit.”

“I’ve already set up some time to take Samantha around.” Alex’s voice rumbled behind me. I looked over my shoulder and into his eyes. “I promised I wouldn’t throw her to the wolves.”

“I’m not a wolf!” Catherine shook her head and laughed.

“You would want to take her shopping, and I have it on good authority that Samantha is not a fan.”

“That’s because she hasn’t been with me.” Catherine smiled and I wondered if men threw themselves at her feet. “Well, we can just go sightseeing if you’d like.”

“You could come with us,” Alex replied. I hadn’t known he was planning on taking me around town.

“Not letting her out of your sight, hm?” Catherine gave me a thoughtful look. “Okay. It’s a date.”

“Sounds like fun.” The queen was already leading me away from Catherine, but Alex stayed with his sister.

“This is Prime Minister Tomas Derry.” Catherine smiled at the man. He had lively eyes and curly gray hair. “Prime Minster, this is Samantha, Duchess of Rousseau.”

“My pleasure.” He took my hand and pressed a kiss to my knuckles.

The queen didn’t waste any time moving me to the next few people. The members of parliament seemed very interested in the fact that I was American and then I met a couple with two small children.

“This is the Duke and Duchess of Marion.”

“Call me Heather.” The woman held out one hand while keeping a tight grip on the smallest boy. “This is Leo.” She pushed him forward and I leaned down to shake the young boy’s chubby hand. He smiled at me before rubbing the back of his hand across his nose.

“Nice to meet you, Leo.”

“Barry.” The duke shook my hand with a friendly smile before motioning toward the little girl in his arms. “And this is Violet.”

“Nice to meet you both.” The little girl was leaning against her father’s shoulder with her eyes half closed. “I’m sorry we got in so late.”

“Don’t be sorry! We’re glad to meet you. I know you must be tired after all that travel.”

“I’m happy to be here.” The queen pulled me away from the young family and toward a grouping of young men. Two of them were smiling in a bored sort of manner, but one of them leered in a way that made me wish I hadn’t taken my coat off.

“The Dukes of Minsington, Bowdell, and Sheferd. Otherwise known as Daniel, Barney, and Kyle.” The queen leveled her eyes at the men and they shifted where they stood. “This is Samantha, Duchess of Rousseau.”

They all shook my hand, Kyle lingering a little longer than was necessary. “A pleasure to meet you, Samantha.”

I smiled at him, not really thinking the meeting was so pleasant. He reminded me of the school reporter. The one you wouldn’t leave your drink with while you ran to the bathroom.

“Kyle and Daniel both went to the university here in town. Perhaps you can find a program to finish your studies with.” The queen smiled at me as if this was a brilliant idea.

“I’ll have to look into it when I have some time.” I really hoped I would be able to escape this conversation soon.

“Maybe I could take you to the campus and show you around. There are a lot of great places to study.” He emphasized the last word so I knew he meant something else entirely.

“Right. I’ll let you know if I need the help.” I had no *** face and I was certain Kyle could see my irritation.

“I look forward to it.”

“Your Majesty, dinner is ready,” a man in palace livery said. I hadn’t even noticed him approaching.

“Excellent. Samantha, I will leave you with these gentlemen while I check on things.” The queen squeezed my elbow gently before walking away. I watched her leave and my eyes landed on Alex. He was laughing with the Marion family and was holding the little girl against his chest, patting her back while she drooled on his shoulder, sound asleep. I wanted to go to them and put as much distance as possible between myself and Kyle.

“What did you study, Samantha?” Daniel looked at me, interested.

“Good God, Danny. Don’t you read the papers?” Barney took a long sip from the tumbler in his hand. “She’s a biologist of some sort.”

“Wildlife biologist,” I explained.

“You know I don’t read that trash. It’s a waste of time.” Daniel frowned at his friend. “Good for you, Samantha. You’ll have a lot in common with Alex.”

“Is that so?” A woman came over with a tray of drinks. I picked a glass of white wine and sipped.

“Yes, our illustrious future monarch has a degree in wildlife biology. He specialized in birds, I believe.” Daniel smiled. “What’s your specialty?”

“Raptors.”

Daniel laughed and pointed at Kyle. “You might as well give up right now.”

I looked at them confused. “Excuse me?”

“Let’s just say that there aren’t many eligible female nobles right now.” Daniel laughed at Kyle’s expression. “It’s a lost cause.”

“We don’t know that.” Kyle winked at me. “I’ve got a lot to offer.”

“Are you guys serious? I’m not looking to get married.”

“You’re fresh meat, sweetie.” Barney leaned forward and I could smell the bourbon on his breath. “Daniel here could care less since he’s not into skirts. But for every other eligible man in the country, you’re a potential wife. With a lot to bring to the bank… and bed.” He stared down at my br**sts. I squeezed my hands into fists so tight I could feel my nails digging into my palm. All of the responses that popped into my head were wildly inappropriate for a queen’s sitting room.

“Barney.” Daniel glared at him. “That’s enough. We’re not all terrible, Samantha.”

“What are you talking...