Page 22 of Coral Prince Conundrum (Runaway Prince Hotel #1)

CHAPTER EIGHTEEN

Daryl

It’s an awkward afternoon, ambling about the royal house without Seero or his siblings.

The Corali Court isn’t streamed or televised, not that I would know where to look.

I pray to all the stars that Seero does well in pleading his case; the fate of my world depends on it.

Otherwise, the servants provide me lunch and dinner, and I find ways to entertain myself.

I spend my time gazing at the tidal pool, watching the fish come and go as the afternoon turns to evening.

I even end up talking to Pelly, the squawking pelican that Seero introduced me to.

I give her a leftover piece of bread, and I tell her all about my life back home.

As the sun sets and talking to a bird becomes stilted conversation, I decide to call someone.

“Hello?”

“Hey, Justice. You up?” I recognize it’s early morning in Oregon.

“Yeah. Early to rise for me.” Over the phone, I hear a rustle of what sounds like camping gear.

“Doesn’t sound like you’re at the café, either.”

“No, I am not. What I wouldn’t give for a hotel bed right about now.” We both chuckle. “What’s up?”

“I don’t know. I guess I just wanted to see how things were going back at Princedelphia.”

“Home sick already?” He sounds like he’s walking around, and I frown.

“Not sure. Is this a bad time?”

“Sorry, Daryl. Stuff is, uh…happening in my neck of the woods. Literally.”

“Well, I guess I wanted to talk to someone back at home. I miss my people at the café.”

“Is the prince not treating you right?”

I gaze at the darkened sky reflecting on the tidal pool. “He is…a little too good.”

“Then I’m sure he’ll help you get home in one piece. Princes are…very strong. Very protective.”

I snicker and recall that he has his own royal problems. “Look, I’ll see you back at work, okay, man?” Justice says. “And you can tell me all about your journey while you study for your next marine biology classes.”

Oh, right, I’m in school. “No doubt.” I let Justice talk for a minute more, describing the intricacies of some forest kingdom and their fiery problems. Everything sounds wild, and I bid him farewell. Just as I hang up, the servant, Imelda, approaches me.

“Um, what’s up?”

“His Highness, the Coral Prince sent a message.” She bows, the white robe billowing with the breeze. “He will be very late returning due to policy meetings, and for you to not wait up for him. But he asked me to offer you food or libations before bed.”

I smile. “No thanks, I’m good. I think I’ll shower and sleep soon.”

“Very well, Your Highness. Ring the conch if you need anything.”

I snicker, and she refuses to make eye contact. “It’s Daryl, not highness anything, please, Imelda.”

“Very well, your…Daryl.”

I bite back a laugh. “Hey, Imelda, can I ask you a question?”

“Anything for the future spouse of the prince.”

I try not to grimace—I’m not worthy enough to rule a group of gophers, let alone a kingdom. “Does Seero, like, always work late?”

Imelda pauses and finally looks at me. I see years of experience in her eyes.

“I rarely see His Highness the Coral Prince in this house. The family spends maybe one day a month here. They are in the underwater palace most of the time, but I have heard from other servants that he has many duties regarding our country’s politics. ”

“I see,” I reply.

“He works so hard, the whole family does. They protect the oceans. And now, so will you.”

My smile falls, and I look down at my feet. That kind of pressure is a normal thing for him, but can I really offer to be the life partner of royalty?

I’m not even his real kaluluwa .

“That’ll be all, Imelda. I am going to sleep soon.”

She bows again and disappears, and then it’s just me and Pelly.

I turn to the bird next to me and sigh. “What am I doing here, Pelly?” She squawks in response.

“I caught real feelings for a future king. How did I end up in this…Coral Prince conundrum?” She licks one of her wings, then fixes her gaze on me.

The hotel. The café. Grad school. My dad.

And everyone else who knows me. I have a whole life at home.

And judging by the past few days, Seero has plenty of work to do, too.

So I helped him with a big presentation for peace, so what?

My time here was always limited. My presence has been predicated on a lie.

Just because we have fun and had hot sex a few times does not mean he wants to spend his life with boring me.

I’m simply a dude who makes a half-decent cappuccino.

I’m done with my duties as fake fiancé, and I’m sure Seero knows it as well. So, I bid goodnight to Pelly, then head inside. I shower and then sleep in a bed more expensive than two months of my rent.

And that night, when a very tired Seero ambles into the room, I sit up in the sheets.

After he bathes, he’s dead on his feet, mumbling about all the legislation that’s in the works.

It sounds like he had so many policy meetings, concepts I’ve never had to think twice about.

This is all out of my wheelhouse, but I let him talk my ear off as he crawls into bed with me.

“Do you want to have sex?” he says through a yawn.

I chuckle. “No thanks, I’m good. You’re tired, get some sleep, Seero. You did so much today.”

He yawns again and scoots closer to me under the covers.

“Yes. And it is all thanks to you.” He’s practically snoring during that last sentence.

When he wraps his arms around me, I happily let him spoon me.

This will be our last night together, so I want him to have a restful sleep.

Deep down, I want Seero to have all of the things, even if they don’t include me.