Page 7

Ava

A chime sounded through the cabin, pulling me out of my daydreaming. My body ached, and the off-and-on sleep I’d been getting throughout the flight had left me feeling dazed.

All of that left, however, when I heard what the pilot had to say.

“If you’ll turn your attention out of the northern windows, you’ll see Edoria before you. Welcome home, Princess Ava.”

My eyes flashed and I turned without thinking to see green, there was so much green . The fields below were a gorgeous emerald, rolling and lush. Shimmering streams cut through them, tiny, quaint villages dotting the land here and there. Forests were everywhere, the trees packed thick all the way up to the gray of the mountains that rose high in the distance.

Edoria. This was it. My kingdom.

I turned in my seat to get Luc’s attention. He was seated in the office area, the fancy-looking silver pen in his hands moving quickly over a pad of yellow paper.

“Hey.”

He looked up. “Yes?”

“We’re here.”

“Not quite yet. Still another twenty minutes or so before we land at the royal airfield.”

I rolled my eyes. “You know what I mean, we’re over Edoria’s borders. Now, are you going to show me this place, or what?”

“You want me to be your tour guide?”

“Come on. This view is way better than poking around on Google Maps.”

He sighed, setting down his pen and coming over to me. As much as I didn’t want to admit it, his nearness was quite nice, his musky scent wrapping around me. Luc had been busy during the flight, having barely said a word to me over the last several hours since he’d woken up from his nap.

He nodded forward. “First of all, you’ll need to know the Langford River. It bisects the nation in two, moving east to west starting in the Alps and connecting to the Danube in Germany.”

I looked down. There was no needing to guess which river he was talking about—a big, curving body of water looped through the countryside, the morning light catching it and setting off a beautiful, shimmering reflection.

“There are too many towns to name,” he said. “But this river is the lifeblood of them all.”

Sure enough, little villages clustered around the river here and there, roads leading up deeper into the hills where other towns resided among pastures and farmland.

“I want to learn the names of all of them,” I said with a smile, a bit surprised by my enthusiasm. “I’m the princess, after all. Right?”

“You certainly sound like your mother’s daughter,” he said.

“How do you mean?”

“She loved Edoria, and never missed a chance to get to know her kingdom better. She knew all of the towns by name. Sometimes I wondered if she knew all of the citizens by name, too.”

His words brought a smile to my face. “And my father?”

Luc furrowed his brow, as if he didn’t quite know how to answer the question.

“He loves his people in his own way.”

“What does that mean?”

“All the same, Ava, I’d prefer that you meet the man himself and come to your own conclusions. I don’t want to color your thoughts.”

His words came off a bit strange, but understandable in a way.

“There you have Mount Winn.” He gestured to a peak that stood out among all of the others. “That’s the tallest mountain in Edoria, and the eighth highest in the entire Alps range. The skiing is quite something.”

Right away, images of sitting in a cozy ski lodge filled my mind, a fire roaring as I sipped hot chocolate with a little brandy mixed in. It was strange—I hadn’t even touched down and Edoria was already starting to grow on me. It felt familiar , in the same way that Seattle did.

“You’ll notice that the leaves of the forest are already starting to turn.”

I glanced at the forest, and sure enough, he was right. Most were a deep, rich green, but some were beginning their fall turn, changing to various shades of red.

“Autumn is quite a big deal here in Edoria. Some believe that our nation has the most beautiful autumn changes of any other place, and thousands of people from all over the world come here to see the colors. It’s much like your New England.”

“Never been. Always been a west coast kind of girl.”

“Well, either way, you’ll get to see them in person. One of our national holidays is Harvest Day, which takes place the third Friday in November, near the American Thanksgiving.”

“Is that right? What’s that all about?”

“Feasts and festivals and, of course, the Harvest Ball at the royal palace—another event that anyone in Europe’s elite would kill to attend.” He gestured again. “And there you have Lausanne.”

I turned in the direction he was pointing, spotting a massive city appearing in the distance. The towns along the river grew larger and denser until they covered the landscape. A handful of glass and steel towers rose in one section of the enormous city, and as the plane lowered, I could see the change in the city’s style. Modern neighborhoods gave way to more medieval-looking areas, the roads made of stone.

“And there we have the royal palace.”

In the center of the city, situated on a hill, was a building unlike anything I’d ever seen before in person. It was the same castle I’d seen in the pictures Luc had shown me. It was huge—a classic style castle of gray stone and big towers that came to points, with an ancient wall surrounding the entire property. As we passed, I could make out gorgeous, neatly arranged gardens behind the walls, the colors of the flowers brilliant in the morning sun.

“This country is your home,” Luc said. “But the palace is where you’ll be living.”

I kept my eyes on the castle as we passed, having a hard time wrapping my head around the fact that it was real. The plane continued to descend, and before too long we were touching down on the small runway of the king’s private airport.

“How are you feeling?” he asked. “Enjoy your little tour?”

“My head’s spinning a little, to be honest. But… I think I’m feeling up to this.”

“Good.” The plane slowed, eventually coming to a halt. “Now, come along… our ride’s waiting for us.”

We grabbed our carry-ons and made our way to the door, which opened just as we stepped near it. A rush of cool, fresh air cleaner than I’d ever smelled in my life hit me. As I stood at the top of the stairs, I gave myself a moment to close my eyes and savor it.

“We’re up quite high,” he said. “So don’t push yourself too hard. altitude sickness can be a hell of a thing to deal with. You’ll need time to adjust.”

He placed his hand on the small of my back, electricity shooting through me, my pussy clenching at his touch. I closed my eyes and bit my lip, trying to work through the intensity of feelings that his touch sent racing through my body, making my knees weak.

“I can walk myself,” I said, stepping forward. “Thank you very much.”

He let out an amused snort. “Suit yourself.”

I knew I was being a brat, but I had to do something to put some physical distance between us.

The sky was a perfect blue, the air tinged with just the right amount of crispness—enough to feel refreshing, but not enough to need a coat.

“We’re just a short drive away,” he said as we stepped down the stairs.

I looked around, noticing the airfield was basically empty except for our plane. It was hard to say for certain, but it appeared that the small airport was for the king and the king only.

“Not much of a royal reception,” I remarked.

Luc removed his tortoiseshell Clubmasters from his pocket and slipped them on. Despite the ten-hour flight behind us, he still looked the picture of cool professionalism.

“What, you wanted a red carpet, maybe some attendants playing trumpet for you?”

“Oh, shush. That’s not what I meant. I’m just curious why there’s no one here. Like… my father, for one.”

“The royal airfield is one of the most secure places in the kingdom—I’ve seen to that personally. Your father wanted your entry into Edoria to be smooth and hassle-free.”

“It’s nice and quiet here. I’m not exactly looking my best after that flight, anyway.” After I spoke, my phone buzzed in my pocket. It was a text from Hailey.

What’s up????

I fired back a quick here safe and sound, so far. Will talk later . Reception had been spotty for most of the flight, none of the texts getting through.

Ahead of us, a sleek, silver luxury car, possibly the nicest car I’d ever seen in person, pulled onto the lot.

“Wow, nice ride.”

“Indeed, it is. That’s your father’s Rolls-Royce Silver Ghost—one of the most prized cars in his collection. I don’t want to speak for him, but knowing Alaric, that’s his way of letting you know that he’s happy you’re here. It’s a modern take on a classic design, with plenty of space in the back and a few amenities added by your father.”

“Is that right?”

“I sure as hell don’t get the Ghost when I come in solo.”

The car pulled to a stop. I’d never been much of a car girl, but damn was this ride nice. Sleek and smoke gray, I could see where its name had come from. A well-dressed woman stepped out of the driver’s seat, hurrying over to help the staff load our bags into the back. Luc held up his palm to the chauffeur, letting her know without a word that he’d open the door for me.

“After you, Princess.”

I slipped into the back of the car, my eyes going wide from the sheer futuristic luxury around me. The back of the car was large, with two bench seats that faced one another, a bar close at hand and a TV built into the side. Once we were seated, Luc looked out the windows, as if making one last check that everything was secure.

Once he was satisfied, he rapped on the partition between the front and back of the car. “Let’s move.”

Without a word, the driver pulled a U-turn, bringing us off the runway and onto the road leading away from the airport. The airport was a bit isolated, nothing but rolling, green hills on both sides and a view of Lausanne in the far distance.

“How are you feeling?” he asked again, his arm draped over the back of the seat where he was seated across from me.

“Honestly? Not sure. I’m a little jetlagged.”

“Have you ever taken a trip like this before?”

“You mean halfway across the globe? Never once. Hell, I’ve never been out of the United States. Furthest I’ve been away from Seattle was this road trip I took with Hailey to see Lana Del Ray in LA back when were teenagers.”

“Lana Del who?”

I opened my mouth to explain, but realized right away that, while I didn’t know what kind of music Luc listened to, Lana was almost definitely not his thing.

“Singer. If you’re nice, I’ll play some stuff of hers for you.”

He made a “hmm” sound, as if not quite sure what to make of my offer. I couldn’t help but chuckle.

“Anyway,” he began, “We planned your entrance to Edoria on the premise that you wouldn’t be used to this sort of change. We’re going to ease you into your role—part of your duties as a princess and future queen will involve travel and diplomacy.” He glanced down, regarding me over the top of his sunglasses. “We’ll work on your refinement at a later date.” His eyes flicked from my hair to my piercing to my shoulder, where my tattoo was hidden beneath my sweater.

“Alright, I get it, I get it—you hate my look.”

“Hate wouldn’t be the right word. But my opinion doesn’t matter. Whatever you want to call this style of yours, it’s most definitely not regal.”

I gave the matter a moment or two of thought.

“Well, I’m the princess, right?”

“You technically need to be officially named first, but yes.”

“And this is my style, right?”

“Regrettably, yes.”

“Then… doesn’t that logically make this look regal?”

He opened his mouth to speak, instead closing it and shaking his head.

“I’m not much for drinking during the day, but every word out of your mouth is making that bar over there look more and more appealing.”

I laughed, happy to have gotten a rise out of him.

“The fact of the matter is that your father isn’t going to care for this look one bit.”

“Well, I can explain it to him in person. When are we meeting, anyway?”

“That remains to be seen. First priority is to take you to the palace and settle you in. Once that’s done, I’ll be meeting with your father and seeing what he’d like to do for his next steps.”

I was trying to be lighthearted about it all, but I’d have been lying if I were to say that I was feeling easy and breezy about meeting my father. The formality of it all didn’t help my nerves.

“Are you alright?” he asked, leaning forward a bit.

“You care?”

He cocked his head to the side, slightly confused. “Of course, I do, you’re the princess.”

I wanted to ask him if that was the only reason but pushed that question out of my head.

“I guess I’m just a little nervous,” I admitted.

Luc sat back, glancing aside and nodding slowly, as if he understood.

“Yes. This is going to be quite a day for you.”

“What’s he like?” I asked. “My father—is he fun, smart, serious, friendly… what?”

Once more, he opened his mouth to speak, but closed it, thinking better of it.

“He… is the king. You’ll be meeting him soon enough; you’ll have your chance to come to your own conclusions then.”

“Come on ,” I pleaded. “You have to give me something; I’m not asking you to gossip about him or anything like that. But, like, is he funny? Sarcastic? Kind? Overly serious?”

“He loves Edoria,” he said. “He’d do anything for her.”

I scoffed, rolling my eyes at his stock phrase, realizing it was all I was likely to get from him. Luc was too composed, too professional, for anything other than that. In one sense, it was admirable. In another, it was annoying. I wanted to find out as much as I could about my father before meeting him.

But Luc was right; I’d be meeting him soon enough.

“The eastern side of the city is the more rural region,” he said. “While new farms have been built to accommodate Edoria’s growth over the last few decades, many of these estates have been in existence since the early years of the last millennium.”

I watched out of the window, taking in the sights of the rolling fields of wheat, and gorgeous cottages of gray brick dotting the landscape. As we continued into the city, we drove through the main streets of the villages that made up the outer reaches of Lausanne. Each one of them was adorable and picturesque, with little packed marketplaces and ancient buildings, every town bustling with activity.

The urban areas grew denser as we drove, the royal palace becoming more visible until we were finally passing through the stone walls that I’d seen from the air. We reached a checkpoint, soldiers clad in crisp white uniforms trimmed in red, red and white Edorian flags rolling in the breeze above.

Two soldiers approached to inspect the car. However, when Luc rolled down the window and they saw his face, they wasted no time hurrying back over to the heavy gates to let us in.

The driver continued inside. The city behind the walls was old and beautiful, massive houses here and there on stretches of well-maintained pieces of land, tall trees reaching up into the sky, their branches casting the area in soft shade.

“This is Old Town,” he said. “Would you believe it if I told you that this part of the city was around two thousand years old?”

My eyes went wide. “I can’t even imagine that.”

He offered a wry smile. “Now, most of these buildings aren’t quite that old, but there has been settlement here at Lausanne since the height of the Roman Empire. Many of the wealthiest of Rome kept summer homes here, feeling that the fresh air and sweeping vistas invigorated them after too much time in the capital.”

I smiled. “You’d make a good tour guide.”

He let out a dry chuckle. “Edoria is my home. And more than that, knowing everything there is to know about this city is part of my job.”

“You know, I don’t think you’ve told me what your job actually is. You work for my father, but what’s your title?”

“I don’t have a title. My job is unofficial, something that your father created for me. But I’m known around Edoria as the king’s right hand. If he wishes something done, he only needs to tell me to do it.”

“And you have that power?”

“Most certainly.”

It wasn’t long before we reached the rear of the palace, a gorgeous, well-tended garden all around us, comprised of immaculately sculpted greenery and flowers of all colors.

“This is… pretty cool.”

“That’s certainly one way to describe it,” he said with a slight smirk and wry tone. “The royal palace maintains a staff of fifty-five live-in maids, cooks, servants, and, of course, gardeners. Such a staff close at hand is necessary to keep the palace in the condition your father prefers.”

I lost myself in the scenery, the garden was like nothing I’d ever seen before. Well-dressed men and women walked through the space, all of them flicking their eyes at the car for at least a second.

“Courtiers,” Luc said. “Don’t worry, you’ll be meeting them all in time. Whether you want to or not.”

I noted the interesting tone to his words suggested dealing with courtiers was his least favorite part of the job. I wanted to press more, but when the car pulled around a massive fountain and to a stop in front of a V-shaped set of stone stairs, I knew we’d reached our destination.

“We’re here,” he said. “Come along.”

He stepped out of the car and opened the door for me. Still in a bit of a daze, I exited and looked around. The sights of the palace grounds had been something else in the car, but now that I was out in the fresh air, the garden stretching out behind me and the palace rising up into the sky, the reality of where I was at suddenly hit me— hard .

“Come along, Princess,” Luc said. “There’s no time for a tour, and something tells me I ought to hurry you to your room to give you some time to get acclimated to your new surroundings.”

“Not a bad idea,” I said. “My head’s kind of spinning.”

The car pulled away as we went up the stairs, a pair of servants opening the large, arched doors and revealing a gorgeous entrance hall. The space was huge—the room adorned with heavy velvet curtains over the windows, ornate rugs along the stone floor, and towering portraits of serious-faced men and women dressed in clothing of styles that stretched hundreds, if not thousands of years into the past.

“Are these my relatives?” I asked, stopping in front of one of the paintings.

“Some are, some aren’t,” he said. “The Jenson line hasn’t ruled Edoria forever. Let’s keep going.” His voice was tinged with impatience.

“Why are we in such a hurry?” I asked, our footsteps echoing in the huge hall. “Can’t I have a second to take a look around?”

“Because, Princess, I need to meet with your father. We have much to discuss before your own meeting with him. This is your new home—you’ll have plenty of time to acquaint yourself with it.”

I didn’t waste my time correcting him that I’d never agreed to actually live there. Instead, I glanced down the adjoining hallways, spotting other rooms, a kitchen, a dining room, a sitting area, each more gorgeous than the last.

“Can’t you at least show me one room now?”

He stopped, and for a moment I wasn’t sure if he was going to agree or tell me to zip up. A thoughtful expression formed on his face.

“I can show you one room. Come with me.”

The front reception hall lay ahead, but Luc didn’t take us there. Instead, we ascended a side staircase, the shape spiral and the material gray stone. We went up to the second floor, then the third.

“Geez,” I said, my legs burning from the exertion. “Has anyone in Edoria ever heard of elevators?”

“We have those, don’t worry. But I prefer to take the stairs. Good exercise.”

I shook my head, trudging the rest of the way up to the third floor.

“Here.”

We reached the top of the stairs, entering another long hallway lined with doors.

“The room we’re about to see is possibly my favorite in the castle, and one where I spend quite a bit of time.”

“Let me guess… the gym? Hope you all haven’t wasted any money on Stairmaster machines.”

“Cute. Not a gym, though we do have a fantastic one down in the basement.” He approached one of the wooden doors and pushed it open.

The room he revealed on the other side was an enormous, grand library, two stories high, with dozens and dozens of towering, wooden shelves packed with colorful spines. Chairs were neatly arranged along the walls, situated before tall windows that looked out over the castle grounds. A huge fireplace was in the back of the space.

“Wow,” I said. “Someone likes books.”

“What you’re seeing before you is one of the finest private libraries not only in Europe, but in the world.”

I stepped into the space, looking up to see domed ceilings above with magnificent vaulting. The room was a reader’s dream.

“Let’s keep moving,” he said, before I’d even had a chance to look around.

I didn’t want to leave. All I could imagine was spending hours perusing the shelves to find the perfect book, then curling up in one of the chairs and reading all day, a fire in the fireplace crackling.

“Fine, fine,” I said, unable to hide my disappointment at being shown such a place only to be pulled away before I could fully explore it.

We left the incredible space, going up one more flight of stairs and stepping out into a hallway not too dissimilar from the one we’d just left. Luc led me to a door and opened it, revealing a large bedroom.

“These will be your quarters for the time being.”

I entered the room, taking it all in. The space was impressive, more like a small suite. There was a bedroom, a living room-like area, and a dressing room with more than enough space for not only the clothes I’d brought, but any clothes I’d ever own. There was a fireplace, and just to the right of that, a door that led to an en-suite bathroom. There was even a reading nook in front of a window that overlooked the gardens.

“Take your time and settle in,” he said. “Your bags will be brought up shortly. Change, shower, whatever you need to do. I’ll come get you when it’s time to meet your father.”