by Holly Jaymes
Royally Protected
Holly Jaymes
Copyright © 2019 by Holly Jaymes
All rights reserved.
No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any electronic or mechanical means, including information storage and retrieval systems, without written permission from the author, except for the use of brief quotations in a book review.
Contents
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Chapter 11
Chapter 12
Chapter 13
Chapter 14
Chapter 15
Chapter 16
Chapter 17
Chapter 18
Chapter 19
Chapter 20
Chapter 21
Chapter 22
Chapter 23
Epilogue
Author’s Note
About Holly Jaymes
Also by Holly Jaymes
Chapter 1
Ava
Aspen in the summer! I wasn’t expecting it to look as beautiful as it did. My chauffeur who was driving me from the airport to the resort kept glancing at me in the rearview mirror, while I remained awestruck by the melting beauty of our surroundings.
It was less white, greener, and everything was shining. The high peaks in the distance were still dusted with snow, but the rest of the valley’s landscape looked like it was on a postcard from Austria. I couldn’t help but smile to myself as I continued to gaze on. This was the right decision.
I could sense the chauffeur looking again. He clearly recognized me, even though I had booked under a different name with the drop-off agency. He didn’t exactly make me uncomfortable, it wasn’t that kind of a stare, but these days, I was always nervous, and always on high alert. I had to have my guard up in case someone recognized me, or asked me for a picture. People seemed to be ready to sell some made-up story about me to the tabloids. Then my photographs would be splashed all over trash media the next morning.
I came to Aspen in the summer to get away from all that, and now I was wondering if it was a bad decision not to have brought someone with me. Maybe I should have hired a bodyguard or asked one of my so-called friends to join me. Whatever it was, it would have been a business transaction. That was how I led my life. Very few of the friends I had were genuine. Very few of the relationships I built were honest and truthful.
They all seemed to want something from me. Even my own father wanted something from me.
I tried not to think about all that, not right now. I had booked a room at this grand resort, Salthill Peak, to get away from people that I could not trust. I didn't feel safe in the life I was living. I was hoping this picturesque landscape, and the serene tranquility and quiet would help me forget everything I had left behind in Hollywood. I was hoping I would be able to escape, even if it were just for ten days.
And now we arrived. The car drove smoothly into the circular driveway of the beautiful resort, and I looked around me in wonderment. I was reassured over the phone when I was booking the place that there would not be many guests here at this time of the year.
Before the chauffeur could come around to open the door for me, I did it myself and stepped out. There was a porter at the tall gilded doors of the building who charged down the steps towards our car, supposedly to lead me in and help the chauffeur with the bags.
I kept my sunglasses firmly on my face. My scarf covered most of my head and neck. I was always self-conscious and afraid of being recognized. I was so tired of living this way. It was more lonely than me, or my father imagined. Maybe it suited other people. Other people chased after stardom, but I didn’t. It was not something I asked for.
I smiled at the porter and went up the steps to the door, walking briskly into the lobby. I was confident that my bags would be well taken care of between the two of them.
There was a beautiful woman behind the desk, who looked up at me with a smile.
“Good morning, Ms. Heuson,” she said, flicking quickly through the pages of the register. I had booked myself under a fake name here too, but it was time for me to slowly take my sunglasses and scarf off.
I knew she recognized me immediately and instead of the shock and curiosity that I expected to see on her face, the woman smiled warmly at me and continued to type away at the computer.
“Your room is ready for you. I’ll personally show you to it,” she said when she was done making her notes. When she looked at me again, I felt like there was something about her, in the way she looked at me, which suggested that I could completely trust her. I felt like she had this all taken care of.
“I’m hoping to have privacy,” I said, and she walked around to the front, slowly starting to lead me towards the grand staircase that was going to take me up to my room.
“You have nothing to worry about. We have only one other guest who will be staying with us for the duration of your stay, and he has asked for privacy too. So, you both get what you want.”
She stopped at the top of the steps and turned to me.
“I’m Siera. This resort belongs to my husband Ivan, and I help him run it. I want you to feel completely safe and comfortable here. You can ring my line at any time, and I will help you in any way I can.”
“I am very grateful for that,” I said, meeting her kind eyes. I wanted her to know how quickly she put me at ease here. Forgetting myself, I reached for her hands, and she squeezed mine. Maybe there was a part of her that understood why I was this careful. She smiled at me again.
“I want you to know we all love you here,” she said in a soft whisper, leaning towards me. “Our daughter, Cora, is a big fan of your early films and I admire you for standing up to those big studios about equal pay for women.”
I felt my heartbeat kick up for a moment when she said those words. Most people make comments about my appearance when they first meet me. Just the other day, some man was shouting across the street about how hot he thought I was. But this was different.
“Come with me, I’ll show you to your room now so you can rest,” Siera said with another one of her miracle smiles, and I followed her. My soul was at ease now. I had a good feeling about this place. I felt right at home here already.
Chapter 2
Sebastian
I couldn’t pay attention to the picture-perfect landscape of Aspen as we drove towards Salthill Peak. My mind was too encumbered by all the thoughts of my family. I kept thinking of how my actions had put my family’s reputation under fire from the British public.
After all, a member of the royal family was supposed to conduct himself in a particular way, and I had never been very particular.
As a teenager, my brash actions and irresponsible behavior might have been forgiven by the ever-forgiving public as ‘growing pains.’ I was just a young prince, not yet aware of his duties and responsibilities as a representative of the family. But now, when I had hit the big number thirty, those kinds of actions were becoming increasingly unforgivable in even the most forgiving eyes.
I liked to party. I wanted to entertain my friends, and I had a tendency of making bad decisions when intoxicated. But none of that behavior was ‘cute’ anymore, and my father had made it clear to me, in no uncertain terms, that it was time for me to pull up my socks and settle down.
The past year, I was aware that my personal life was under even stricter scrutiny than usual. Then, just when I thought that maybe I could get away with it, po
ssibly my father and the rest of the family might forget about me, this shit had to go and happen!
I didn’t even want to think about it anymore. It was too insulting and embarrassing to the rest of the family. Of course, the tabloids were always writing stupid things about us every day, but this was extreme. She had pictures. I was aware of exactly how angry and embarrassed my father was. Now his cousin, the Queen, would have looked at him down her striking sharp nose and given him her choicest words. I had brought shame and humiliation to the whole family.
So much so that my father couldn’t even face me. In the past six days since the publication of that article that spread the news like wildfire, my father hadn’t even so much as called to speak to me. He was giving me the silent treatment, which was the worst because I knew he was formulating some kind of plan with his advisors in the meantime.
When he did eventually summon me for a talk, he was going to force me to follow some plan that he and his people had come up with. I would have no choice but to obey, for the sake of the family, and to restore the public’s faith in us as the royal family.
I didn’t know what the solution was going to be, but I knew it was going to be big. It would be something life-changing. Because in his eyes, this time, I had taken it too far.
So, in the meantime, while my father and his advisors discussed their plan for me, I decided to come to America. Aspen in summer, it would be the last place anyone would think of looking for me. Everyone knew how much I loved to ski. Why should I be at a ski resort in the summer when all the ice and snow had melted?
In the back seat of the Cadillac, as we drove to the resort, I was surrounded by four members of my staff. These were the people who I couldn’t be rid of. I would have liked to make this journey alone. I would have loved to have some time entirely to myself, but it was against protocol. I could not travel anywhere without these four men, so they had to come.
At this precise moment, I wasn’t looking at them. I was staring out through the dark tinted window, staring out at the landscape but not really looking.
I was longing to be nobody. I wished that I was just that random guy on the side of the road right now, waiting to cross. No more than a few dozen people knew that guy. He had no duties, no burden of national responsibility and reputation. I wished I was born to a different family.
We were here.
The resort was splendid. It was newly renovated and restored to its old grandeur. Just like I had expected, this was off-season, and not many people were going to be occupying rooms here at this time of the year.
My staff followed me out of the car as I got out. A happy looking couple was waiting at the bottom of the steps with a uniformed porter, and they greeted me as I walked towards them.
“Your Royal Highness,” they greeted me in unison.
“Please, no need for the formalities,” I said, waving it off and I shook their hands in turn. They introduced themselves as Ivan and Siera.
“Please, call me Bas,” I said, and they glanced at each other nervously. I could sense they were uncomfortable calling me that. “The last thing I want is to be reminded of is who I am while I’m trying to get away from the very thing.”
That made them smile. It wasn’t a joke.
“We just wanted to inform you that only one other guest is staying with us. We closed off our bookings to all other requests for the duration of your stay,” Ivan said.
“But you have nothing to worry about with her. She is looking to get away too. She’s requested privacy as well,” Siera added, and I nodded in approval.
This was good. This suited me.
“My staff is going to look out for paparazzi and informants, but I trust you have briefed your own staff regarding this as well,” I spoke as I took the steps up towards the building.
“We have, and we trust all our staff to follow protocol,” Ivan explained.
When I entered the lobby and saw how beautiful and peaceful it was, I was glad I decided to come here, this far away from home.
“Thank you, I’m looking forward to my stay here,” I said, turning to them.
Chapter 3
Ava
After unpacking a few essentials from my bags, the first thing I did when I settled into my beautiful room, was take a long hot shower. I usually despised taking showers in hotel rooms, because I never felt welcome. No place ever felt like home, but this place did. I know it was only a feeling, but I felt free here, to be myself. I was looking forward to an even longer bath later in the evening maybe.
Out of the shower, I changed into a light blue summer dress and some sandals. I left my damp hair down to dry in the sun. I was planning on taking a walk around the premises of the resort. In the brochures in my room, I saw that the resort covered vast acres of untouched land. I was so excited to discover the woody trails, and I was looking forward to some hiking.
The truth was that I didn't go on many hiking trips or spend much time outdoors as a child. I did not come from that kind of a family, but I wanted to learn now. I wanted to spend more time in nature now that I had the chance. Who knew if I would have an opportunity like this again.
I popped the maps of the trails in my leather satchel, and headed out, looking forward to some much needed quiet time.
On the way out Siera smiled at me from behind the reception desk. I waved at her and for a moment I thought I might tell her where I was planning on heading, but I decided not to. If I got lost and someone had to come to rescue me in the dead of night, then that would be how it went. Suddenly, for the first time in my life, I was a bit of a daredevil.
The sun was shining. It was the middle of the day, and everywhere I turned there was beautiful greenery. I breathed in, filling my lungs with the fresh air. I had spent no more than ten minutes walking, and humming a tune under my breath when I heard my cellphone ringing in my purse.
I rolled my eyes when I saw it was my father calling. I had not answered his calls or replied to his texts in over two weeks. I was tempted to ignore him again today, but something made me answer the call. I wanted to hear what he had to say, even though I had a pretty good idea of what it was going to be.
“Finally! Ava! Baby! Where have you been?”
“Hello, dad. I’ve been busy,” I replied, slowing my walking pace now.
“Busy with what? From what I can tell, you’ve gone all quiet. Nobody’s heard from you, you’re going to be forgotten, Ava,” he began, and I already knew where this conversation was headed.
“I don’t know what you want me to tell you, dad. I’m trying to take some time off.”
“You said that like five years ago! Five years. Ava, it’s been five years since you last starred in a major motion picture. You’re twenty-eight right now…”
“I know how old I am! You don’t have to remind me…”
“You’ve gotta know what that means in Hollywood. It means you’re missing out on the lucrative years. When you finally want to go back to having a real career, you’re going to be cast as the mother of the bride. How is that going to make you feel?”
Dad continued on, and he was making me feel like I wanted to scream. I clenched my fist while I held the phone tightly to my ear with the other hand.
“Who says I want to have a career in Hollywood?” I snapped, which made dad laugh.
“What else do you think you’re good for? What other bankable skills do you think you have, Ava?” His voice was turning bitter now. It was a bitterness I hadn’t recognized before. When I was young and naive, I used to think that he was just trying to look out for me.
When I was younger, I turned my back on my mother because I thought he, my dad, was the one who wanted the best for me. But now I could see him, hear him, for who he really was.
“I want to work for a non-profit organization. I want to focus on working towards female emancipation in the workplace. You know that is something I’ve been interested in all my life,” I said, as firmly as I could. It made him laugh again like I just cr
acked a joke.
“And who do you think is going to listen to you when you’re a nobody?”
I pressed my eyes closed. I shouldn’t have answered this call. I shouldn’t have given him a chance to hurt me like this. I was supposed to be cut off from everything here.
“I’ll figure it out, dad, thanks,” I snapped.
“Now listen to me. I got a call from Lenny Borowitz about this script he read which he thinks you would be perfect for…”
I ended the call before he could continue. I didn’t want to keep listening to his forceful voice in my ear anymore. I felt the urge to dial my mother’s number, but I hadn’t spoken to her in over eight years. I never answered her calls and then one day she stopped calling as much. But now I wished I had the strength to do it. She would understand. She would know what to do, and right now I felt utterly alone.
Maybe dad was right. Perhaps the only thing I was good for was being the female lead in some romantic comedy or the other. Perhaps I didn’t have what it takes to work in the field I really wanted to be involved in.
Once again, I was filled with self-doubt, and I knew my walk was ruined. I shouldn’t have answered the call, but he was my dad. But now I switched the phone off.
Chapter 4
Sebastian
The only way I could get out and be alone, without having a member of my staff following me, was if I promised to stay within the resort. Before I went out, I was given a thorough rundown of the extent and the boundaries of the property.