“Yes I do, Your Highness.” I curtsy awkwardly to prove my point.
After rolling his eyes, he looks both ways and quiets his voice as we approach a wall. “Are you ready?”
“Am I ready to look at this wall? Is it a royal wall?”
He taps lightly on it twice and suddenly the wall opens. Now this is straight out of a movie.
“Holy hell,” I say as he tugs me inside and the wall closes behind us. Around a large table sit a few familiar faces. Some of the guards and staff I’ve met over the last couple of days grin at me.
Charles, who would normally stand dutifully, doesn’t get up. I’m glad to see that. “You play poker, Miss Savannah?”
“I win at poker,” I counter quickly. This draws a laugh from the group, and I’m relieved. Up until this point the staff has been mostly stoic each time I’ve been introduced. But here, with just Brice and me, there seems to be a sense of familiarity. I pull out a chair and join them. “This better not be strip poker though. Then I wouldn’t know if winning or losing would be better with this crew.”
Any of the men who looked tentative upon my arrival suddenly relax. “Don’t worry guys, she’s one of us.” Brice winks at me and I wonder what that might mean. He’s a prince. These men are meant to serve him, yet here, they look like peers. I’m glad for that.
“But she hasn’t been initiated into the group yet.” Torrey is the tallest of the men around the table and with a build exactly how you’d want your bodyguard. His smile is gap-toothed, but handsome. His face marked with tiny scars that must have very interesting original stories. Right now, as he challenges me with something I don’t yet know about, there is a mischievous twinkle in his eyes.
“Should I be worried?”
Torrey nods. “Especially if you’re squeamish. No woman I know would be up for this challenge.”
“Good. I’m betting you don’t know any women like me.” I prop my elbows up on the table and wait. I’ll admit my stomach tightens with apprehension, but how bad could it be? “Does it involve fish eyes? Eating them? Really, it can’t be worse than anything we do in Coppertop. I’ve been scaling and gutting fish since I could reach the knives.”
Torrey roars out a laugh. “If that’s not enough to make her one of us, I don’t know what is. Tell me, little American, do you know how to play five-card stud?”
I try to look as if I might not for a moment. I full on bite my lip, scratch my head, put real time into considering it then I say, “I think so. Is that the game where I repeatedly kick all of your asses, leave you broke, and I go home smiling with all your money? I might know that game.”
Brice hugs me and jokes, “We keep our bets small. Never the family jewels.”
My eyes round and I realize he’s serious. I nearly bust a gut trying to hold back a laugh. I lower my voice so only he can hear. “Right. Never bet like a tiara and diamond necklace. Family jewels mean something very different in my hometown.”
He gives me a curious look.
I glance down at his package then meet his eyes again.
With a mock serious expression he says, “Never bet those either.”
We share a laugh. The guards look confused. Torrey asks, “Does she know how to play or not?”
Brice holds my gaze. All I see in his eyes is love and forever. He says, “Oh, she knows.” Then he clears his throat. “Who is ready to see if my little lady knows how to kick butt?”
I don’t want to brag, but there are a lot of sad faces when I walk away from the table that night. No one likes to lose, and considering I didn’t know them well, I could have gone easier on them—but I wanted to show them what I was made of.
As much as I’ve grown over these months I occasionally let the voice of doubt creep back in. A brand-new set of circumstances lies before me and the challenge rattles me. “I kicked ass.”
“I knew you would.”
“You want me to be your princess, join this royal family. I want you, but I don’t want to hold you back or embarrass you. Are you sure you want to do this?”
“I want you to join my family, my life, precisely because of all the wonderful ways you’re different. Those moments when you stand up and shine—strong, proud of your history—make me love you even more. I’m glad you didn’t leave that piece of yourself behind. You could have easily changed in all the wrong ways and sliced away the parts that make you unique. I don’t want someone who is a pretty decoration. I want someone by my side if I have to take the fight to the backroom. No, that sounds wrong. I don’t want you to ever fight.”
I place my hand over his. “I know what you mean. I want the same from my partner.” I take a breath and plow forward. “I have classes back in Boston in a couple days.” Imagining forever and sorting out the practical side of making it work are two different things. One is fun, the other intimidating—even for an ass-kicking, fish-gutting, poker player. We’ve avoided these questions for days. We can’t avoid them forever.
“I know. We have some decisions to make. We shouldn’t put it off any longer. I know how much going to Boston means to you.”
“After seeing Calvadria, Boston won’t look quite as magical.”
“There is no utopia, but this is my home.” He makes a hum-like sound as he mulls. “It took me leaving to appreciate all it has to offer. Being here with you makes me want to stay and work here with you, but . . .”
“You want to stay?” I try not to sound alarmed or desperate. I know if Brice and I had to be apart for a little while, we could make that work. I also know that’s the last thing I want.
“But we’re in this together. I told you on the plane, I’m not ever going to stand in the way of your dreams. You want to help people. We’ll make compromises . . . figure this out together.”
Compromises? What did that look like? Wasn’t a prince’s place in his country? I couldn’t expect him to follow me back to the US. “What about all the changes here? They need you. What would you do? Live in my tiny apartment and work while I went to school?”
“Yes.”
“Instead of living in this castle?”
“Well, so you know, if we stayed here there is no way in hell we’d live in this castle. My family has a property on the sea, a safe distance from here. It would be ours.”
“A house or a castle?”
“Which would you prefer?”
I consider the question. “So it’s not like you can’t raise a family in one.”
“Kids?”
“Am I scaring you off?”
“You’re making me very happy. I’m second in line. I can go where I please. Live where I please. Work for the betterment of Calvadria from anywhere in the world.” He pushes a lock of my hair back behind my ears. “The property is a house, not a castle. A big house. Room for your friends to visit. Room to raise a family. There’s a small farm area out back. A beautiful garden.”
“That sounds lovely. I’ve always wanted a garden.”
His brow creases as he leans down to see me full-on. “But what about Boston?”
“Are there people here who need help?” My lips curve into a smile as I wait for the obvious answer.
“There are people here, and all over the world, who would be lucky to have you around. We could travel. Do good in all different places. There have been many in our family who have dedicated their lives to worthy causes. It would be part of my family’s legacy. Part of ours.”
“Really? That would be possible?”
“Anything is possible. Especially when we’re together. We can see the world and work on behalf of this country and my family to help people. If you’d feel fulfilled in that.”
“I would.” The words come out like a childish squeal. Like I’ve been promised a pony if I’m a good girl.
We begin walking again, this time with a hurried pace. Desperate to be alone, in private together again. The room we have is breathtaking and elegant. Views of the ocean only add to the serenity of it all. Last night he threw open the
doors to the balcony and we made love to the rhythm of the crashing waves. I wonder with a fluttering feeling in my stomach, what tonight will hold for us.
“Notice anything different?” he asks, gesturing toward the fireplace. My clock sits atop the mantel looking smaller than ever in the massive room with its high ceilings. It still brings me immense joy to know that Brice knew enough to bring it back into my life.
“The interior decorator of this castle will not like that addition.”
“I don’t care. I love it.”
“Thank you again for finding it.” This man knows how to ruin my makeup. I wipe happy tears away. “I thought it was lost forever.”
“I did make one small adjustment to it. I hope you don’t mind.”
“Adjustment?”
“Addition really.” He waves me over to the clock and I lean in, trying to see what might be different. On the front under the face is an inscription. Time is free, but every minute with you is priceless.
“That’s beautiful,” I coo as I clutch his arm. He points again to the clock and finally I see it. A ring, tied with ribbon dangling over the side.
“Savannah, I don’t want a single second to pass between us that isn’t filled with the love I feel right now. Marry me. Become my princess. Spend the rest of your life reminding me what really matters.”
My eyes well with tears as he slips the ring off the ribbon, drops to a knee, and takes my hand.
“You’re like the prince and I’m the kitchen maid,” I gasp out. It could go down in history as the stupidest reaction to a proposal ever. He probably doesn’t even remember the book I was reading the first night we met. “Sorry. I don’t know what I’m saying.”
“You never told me how that book ended.” He offers a sweet and understanding smile. He gets me. Which is really saying something.
“Err.” My face contorts with apology. “Basically everyone died or lived a tortured life of regret.”
“Oh.”
“Maybe just ask me again. Do over.”
He nods. “Savannah Barre, will you marry me?”
“Yes.” I purse my lips to make sure I don’t say anything else that’s completely dumb. Brice stands and I loop my arms around his neck. Lifting me off my feet, he spins me in his arms.
A light knock on the door has us freezing like a couple of high school kids who’ve been caught necking.
“How in the world did my mother find out about the engagement already? She’s got magic level skills.”
“I hope she’s got magic level love for a kitchen maid.”
Brice opens the door and Mathias is standing there looking uneasy. “Can we talk?” His voice is low as he nods a hello to me. I busy myself with closing the windows.
“Come in.” Brice gestures to the table in the corner of the room and I wonder if I should go. Maybe I could sit on the balcony and give them privacy.
“Should I step out?”
“No,” Mathias says pulling a chair out for me. “This concerns both of you.” He looks at the ring on my finger. I’m suddenly self-conscious. It’s a beautifully cut diamond in an antique looking setting.
“You gave her grandmother’s ring. That means she said yes?”
“She said some other things first but then we got to the yes.” Brice flashes a smile at me as I sit.
“I’m thrilled for you both. And for what it means for our family. That’s why I’m here. Savannah, I’ve been paying close attention to you these last couple of days.”
“Is this about the fork I dropped at dinner last night? I had butter on my hands and it was really slippery.”
Mathias laughs. Not something I’ve seen him do much of. “No. That’s not what this is about. I’ve been watching how you carry yourself. How you listen when people speak. Your empathy. The staff adores you already. My parents are over the moon about you.”
“Really?”
“Yes. We spoke about you tonight after dinner. It’s really quite impressive to win over so many different kinds of people so quickly. It’s easy to see why my brother loves you so much.”
“Thank you.” My throat goes dry as I try to take the compliments instead of dismissing them as I normally would.
“I’ve always known my brother was a good man. What he’s done for my future and the future of this country was enough for me to consider him a fit for the crown. But now that he has you by his side, it’s even more clear to me.”
“Mathias.” Brice puts a firm hand on the table. “You are the first in line for the crown. You’ve spent your entire life working toward that.”
“Exactly. I’ve been dutiful. Measured. Readying to be king in a textbook way.”
“What’s wrong with that?” I ask, looking between the two men. They are locked in a conversation I can’t begin to understand.
“You cannot abdicate your crown to me.” Brice shakes his head vehemently. “Why are you even considering this?”
“Envy.”
“What?”
“You left. You forged a path all your own. You fell in love. You moved through a place where no one knew your lineage. I’ve never had that.”
Brice’s eyes drop to his hand on the table. “I’m the spare heir. I have the luxury of taking those risks.”
“As would I if you stepped into my role. You’re engaged. Settled. You’ve brought the possibility of a strong future to us. Father would be lucky to have you here. That is if you’ve considered staying. I suppose maybe you plan to return to Boston.”
“We don’t,” I chime in quickly. “We’ve decided to stay here.”
Mathias grins. His eyes light with possibility. “That’s promising news. It means I can leave.”
Brice stands and paces the room. “No. I don’t accept this. Where would you go? What would you do?”
“Bianca has plans to visit colleges in the United States. I could escort her. Father would certainly feel better knowing I’m there.”
“You think you can keep Bianca out of trouble? Not likely.”
“I’d certainly try. And maybe in the process I could breathe.”
“Breathe?” I ask, watching the lines in his forehead crease. He and Brice look similar but he lacks the light jovial demeanor his brother flashes from time to time. I imagine it’s under all the formality and duty he’s been saddled with.
Mathias squares his shoulders. “Bricelion, I need this. There will never be a better time than now. The stars have aligned.”
Brice turns toward me and raises a questioning brow. I panic. “Don’t look at me. I have exactly forty-eight hours of experience around a royal family. I don’t have anything to offer in the way of advice.”
“I know you have an opinion. Lord knows you’ve never had a problem sharing it before.”
He’s got me there. And I love him more for wanting to hear it. “Your brother is asking for a chance to live for a time free from the burden of his role. He’s clearly dedicated his entire life to it.”
“He has.”
“And judging by your parents’ good health and spunky spirits they’re not going anywhere any time soon. It’s not like either of you will be king tomorrow.”
Brice nods. “You’re right. We don’t have to decide today. Mathias you deserve a chance to find your way home—the way I did. Don’t make a decision now. Things are good here now, Brother.” He clutches his brother’s shoulder and squeezes. “Be free, Brother. Go and experience what life is like without the weight of the crown. Then, and only then, come home and make your decision.”
The long evening stretches before us as Mathias leaves our room with a skip in his step. I don’t know exactly what we’ve agreed to, but I know why we’ve agreed to it. For now that’s enough. I pull the soft silk robe tight on my body as I join Brice on the balcony. He’s staring out into the darkness of the night.
“What is it?” I plant a hand on the tense muscles of his back.
“You can’t see the ocean.” I follow his gaze out to the darkness. The moo
n is covered by thick clouds, snuffing out any light it might have offered.
“Not tonight.”
“But you know it’s there?”
“Of course,” I offer a little laugh. “Where would it go?”
“I’m asking the world of you. Asking you to walk out into something you can’t see clearly yet. Something completely foreign to you. My brother is considering abdicating. If that happens, I’ll one day be king and you’ll be Calvadria’s queen. It’s an enormous undertaking.”
Holy shit. “I certainly never pictured myself as a queen. I don’t think I’m remotely qualified. But with you by my side, I know I could do anything. We could do anything.”
“My brave Savannah. I didn’t doubt your response for a second. I want my brother to have a chance at even a fraction of the happiness I feel with you. Here or wherever his heart takes him. A crown should never be a shackle.” Brice takes my hands in his and kisses my knuckles gently. “I’ve asked you to be my wife. The rules of the game have changed since then. So, tell me, will you still marry me? We might end up more tied to my country than I promised you.”
“On one condition.” He looks worried enough that I say it quickly, “I want my friends back home to attend the wedding.”
“We’ll fly them out for the royal wedding. Do you think they would wear tuxedos with tails?”
“For me they would.” I smile because I’d do just about anything for them as well.
“If you get homesick, we have fish here. You can put some in the pockets of your gowns. Try to replicate that old smell.” Oh, now he’s giving me shit? He runs his fingers up my side and I squirm with laughter, instantly forgiving him.
“I’ll be Savannah Morgan Hastina, Princess of Calvadria, keeper of the smelly fish.”
“It has a nice ring to it. But I predict you’ll be referred to as compassionate. Free spirited. A breath of fresh air. They’ll write about you for generations to come.”
“You’ve given me more than I could have ever imagined. I’ve traded in a smelly coat for a crown. What could I possibly give you in return?”
“Your heart. Your love.” He pulls me into his arms and slides his hands down my back. “This perfect ass.”
Undeniable Bachelor (Bachelor Tower Series Book 3) Page 23