The Secret King

by C. J. Miller

  “Hot day,” the head of the Assembly commented.

  Uneasy laughter rolled over the crowd. Serena started again.

  Her tongue felt heavy. Her hands felt sweaty and she was clammy and hot. She glanced at Iliana. She appeared concerned, but smiled encouragingly. How much time had passed? Seconds? One minute?

  Serena tried again to read the words of her speech, but they were blurry on her notecards. She hadn’t had time to memorize it. That could have helped.

  Then King Warrington was at her side, moving her away from the podium. “Good thing I’m here to save the day. Please allow me to welcome you to this Boat Day celebration.”

  Serena felt dismissed and overshadowed. She had flailed, but she would have pulled it together. She hid her frustration and pretended to gaze on King Warrington with affection.

  She had to give him credit. The man had presence. In seconds, he had the crowd laughing and hanging on his every word. Serena couldn’t track what he was saying. She could hardly define how she felt, a combination of annoyed and embarrassed.

  It was the second time in two days that the king had made her feel that way.

  “As for Princess Serena, I will be taking her to my palace in Rizari for a few days. She can relax under the constant vigilance of my guards and then I’ll return her to you.”

  Serena felt a jolt of outrage. He hadn’t consulted her about taking her away from Acacia. He was likely trying to imply they were closer than they were or to start planting the idea of a union between their countries. Either way, she was furious.

  With that, Warrington led her away from the podium. He more than led. He practically carried her. Her legs were weak and her stomach roiled.

  When they were back inside the marina suite, King Warrington poured himself a scotch from the bar in the room.

  “What happened out there?” he asked. His dark brown hair was perfectly styled and his brown eyes were cold. Why had she never noticed how much he looked like a boy bander before?

  Serena felt as if she were slipping into misery, deep and dark and all-consuming. This was her first private conversation with her future husband? What a nightmare. “I’ve had some anxiety since my father and sister were killed.” Add to it what had happened that morning and she thought flubbing the speech was understandable.

  “You’ll need to pull it together. I can’t have that kind of crap happening on a regular basis.”

  Serena had been this way since childhood. When she and Danae had played with their friends, Serena had been teased and mocked. Her sister would stand up for her, but it had still hurt. Now her sister was gone. She didn’t have anyone to protect her in that same way and Serena felt resolute in protecting herself and making Danae proud.

  Iliana entered the room and rushed to Serena, taking her hands. “Are you okay?” She glared at King Warrington. “What happened?”

  “I just felt hot. And overwhelmed.”

  Iliana gave her a sympathetic smile. “It’s been a very bad month.”

  “I am not leaving Acacia. I am fine here,” Serena said.

  “Your recent history proves otherwise,” King Warrington said. He took a swig of his drink and stared at her, looking bored.

  As if she didn’t have enough to deal with, her uncle entered the room.

  How could she explain it? She had taken on more than she could handle. She had screwed up. She had pretended she could make it through a short statement and keep her cool, but under the circumstances, the task was beyond her.

  “Serena, I have tried to be patient with you. I have tried to give you space. But a stunt like that will make everyone in the country think you’re on the verge of a nervous breakdown. Do you know how this will look for the royal family? Do you realize how weak we seem? President DeSante could attack and take over our country. Is that what you want?” her uncle asked. He seemed at his wit’s end.

  Serena didn’t feel on the edge of losing her mind. She had a lot to learn and an overwhelming number of tasks ahead of her, but she was prepared to tackle them and work until she had the country’s problems under control and they were united with Rizari. “I am not having a breakdown. I do not wish to turn our country over to a dictator. I’ve had a bad day.”

  Her uncle threw his hands in the air. “This is too much for you, Serena. I hate seeing you struggle this way.”

  Serena glanced over her shoulder at Iliana and Warrington. “Could you give us a few minutes?”

  Iliana and Warrington left the room.

  “I need time,” Serena said.

  “To do what? Leaders of countries do not have the luxury of time. You don’t get to recover in your remote beach house and ponder the meaning of life and death. When your mother died, do you think your father took a vacation from his responsibilities?”

  Her father had not taken vacations. It was a harsh truth she was well aware of. No family trips out of the country for pleasure, only the mandatory appearances at social functions. “He didn’t. I remember.”

  “The media will be asking for a statement. What should I tell them?”

  “Don’t tell them anything. Give me a few minutes and I’ll walk through the crowd, just as I planned. I will say I’ve had a tough day, but I’m fine. We don’t need to overreact.” Her words sounded stronger than she felt.

  Her uncle sniffed. “Now you’re decisive. Do what you must.” He turned on his heels and stopped once to look over his shoulder. “Just remember that your weakness reflects on the entire country. Your unwillingness to be the princess you were raised to be leaves us vulnerable to attack by our enemies. Unless you want a hostile takeover by a dictator, you had better marry King Warrington and do it soon.”

  * * *

  Serena was pinned between four bodyguards. Her security team was controlling the scene the best they could, under the circumstances. Boat Day was a huge holiday for Acacia. Docks were full, the marinas were crowded and banks and schools were closed.

  Serena couldn’t enclose herself in her beach house and sulk about her embarrassment or worry about Dr. Shaw. Especially after what had happened during her speech, she needed to save face and inject some confidence into her countrymen. She focused on the task at hand: shaking hands, posing for pictures and smiling. The crowd was stifling and after an hour, Serena needed a break. She was dizzy and tired and her brain felt foggy. She was wearing a bulletproof vest under her dress and it felt hot and heavy.

  “Could we grab some lunch?” she asked the guard closest to her.

  She was scheduled to have lunch at one of her favorite restaurants in the area and now was a good time for it.

  Her guard nodded, said something into his wristwatch communication device and she was led in a different direction.

  Then, she saw him. As if a shot of adrenaline had hit her system, the fog lifted and her senses were completely focused. Casimir was speaking to a boat vendor, perhaps the vendor who was selling him the boat he’d mentioned.

  “I see a friend. I’d like to say hello.” Before her guards could stop her or warn her about the security risks of deviating from the planned path, she moved through the crowd toward Casimir.

  She knew the moment Casimir had spotted her.

  He had stopped talking and was staring in her direction, his lips slightly parted. Her guards held the crowd at some distance. The boat vendor bowed to her and moved away, giving her and Casimir a few feet of privacy.

  “Casimir, hello.” She wished she had said something more clever to him. She wanted to hug him in greeting, but knew the crowd was watching her and cameras were snapping pictures.

  “Your Grace,” he said, bowing to her. His body language was formal and he did not touch her, but his eyes conveyed heat and desire. Would the crowd pick up on that? Did she care?

  “I didn’t realize you would be here today,” she said.

  “I mentioned I was planning to buy a boat. And so I am. Best day of the year to get one. Fire sales, I tell you.”

  It was a big week for t
he boat trade. Serena had bought her first boat around Boat Day when she was sixteen. “I am happy to see you.”

  “I am happy to see you as well. I heard you had trouble this morning.” Lines formed around his eyes as his expression shifted to concern.

  “I’m surprised you heard,” she said. “I thought the police wanted to keep it under wraps.”

  “Most of the island heard about what happened through unofficial channels. I tried to call you.” The second sentence was spoken so softly, it was almost impossible for her to hear.

  She was pleased he had been concerned about her. That might be the only good thing that came from the attack that morning. Nothing like finding the bright side. “I haven’t been near my phone.”

  “That wasn’t an accusation. Just expressing concern.”

  “Could you meet me somewhere for lunch?” she asked quietly. They couldn’t leave together or rumors would run rampant, but she could meet him.

  Casimir straightened. “I could. Where?”

  “The Steel Anchor Lounge? Now?” she asked. Her guards had reserved the top deck for her to have a lunch in a safe place away from the crowds. The restaurant also happened to serve the best lobster bisque.

  “Sure. I am almost finished here. Are you sure I’ll be allowed past security?”

  She could have stayed with Casimir all afternoon. She wanted to know more about his boat, to see it, to find out if he had enjoyed their time together on the beach as much as she had. “I will make it so,” she said.

  Every moment with Casimir felt like borrowed time, but Serena would take what she could until she belonged to King Warrington.

  * * *

  Casimir had known that Serena would walk near this location. DeSante had a source on Serena’s staff. Casimir didn’t know the details. Either DeSante was paying for information or he had positioned one of his spies close to her. DeSante played his cards close to the vest, even with Casimir.

  The situation with Serena had played out how Casimir had hoped, except for one small problem. He had expected to look at her and see a potential ally, one he could easily negotiate with once he inevitably won his throne in Rizari. But those thoughts were far from his mind.

  He looked at her and he saw a woman whom he wanted to sleep with. He struggled to control his emotions when she was near. The relief that had consumed him at seeing that she was safe after this morning’s attack was a clear sign that she wasn’t another political tool to use. Then he had been concerned watching her on the podium giving—or rather not giving—her speech. It had taken speaking to her personally for him to feel that she really was okay. Physically at least, and that she wasn’t so far down that she wouldn’t rebound. She was stronger than she gave herself credit for. Some people who had experienced what she had wouldn’t yet be out of bed.

  Among his emotions was jealousy, jealousy that Serena belonged to another man. A competitive spirit urged him to pursue her regardless of her ties to the false king of Rizari. A bone-deep desire commanded him to throw her over his shoulder and carry her to bed. King Warrington had announced Serena would be coming to Rizari with him and it had angered him. Though it had been brief, her reaction told Casimir she hadn’t known of the plan before Warrington had publicly announced it. That had shifted Casimir’s anger into fury.

  He didn’t want Serena pushed around because she was inexperienced and in the weaker political position.

  But overthinking her relationship with Warrington and being consumed with thoughts of her meant his goals were becoming muddled. Serena wasn’t supposed to be his concern. Her well-being was her and her administration’s problem. She had her uses and those should not extend into any real concern for her. Revenge against Warrington was his primary objective. When Samuel was no longer king, Casimir’s mother could stop harboring anger and hurt. And he could take his rightful place on the throne.

  But Casimir was troubled by how much he felt for Princess Serena. He was preoccupied with her and was spending more time than he needed to in order to accomplish his goal. Time he didn’t have to waste. His plans with DeSante were complex and involved many moving pieces.

  At the close of his negotiations for the boat, the boat vendor sized him up. “You and the princess seem close.”

  It was best to deny it. “Not really. I’m friends with King Warrington,” Casimir said. The words tasted dirty in his mouth. He would never consider that liar, thief and murderer a friend.

  “I see. I thought I caught something else between you two. Must have been my imagination.”

  The man walked off and Casimir didn’t pursue the comment. To go out of his way to explain things would only make him seem as if he was covering up the truth. He wasn’t sure where the truth lay and he didn’t want to look too deeply into how he felt about that.

  On his way to the Steel Anchor, he resolved to stay the course. This meant winning Serena over, making her an ally and keeping her out of King Warrington’s despicable, lying hands.

  At the restaurant, Casimir was hustled through security and then he took the wooden stairs to the upper deck.

  Serena was alone, save for three of her guards. She smiled at him and gestured to the seat across from her. To his left was a gorgeous view of the sea.

  Casimir sat at a red linen–topped table. “I didn’t realize this would be a private lunch.” He assumed she only took audiences with groups during this highly anticipated and well-publicized event.

  “The only way I can recover from a huge crowd is to have some time to myself.”

  “But I am here.”

  She smiled. “That’s true. But you don’t exhaust me.”

  He was glad to hear it. “If I may speak freely, I need to tell you that I was troubled to hear rumors about what happened to you this morning. I didn’t want to ask you about it earlier when others could overhear.”

  She took a sip of her water. “I don’t know what you’ve heard, but let me clarify. I was at a regularly scheduled meeting with my therapist, and two masked assailants broke into his office and attacked us. Dr. Shaw was gravely injured.”

  “I am sorry to hear that,” he said. A second failed assassination attempt. Either these assassins were completely inept or they had another motive. Was it to scare her? Force her into some agreement?

  Her hands trembled. “I care a great deal about Dr. Shaw. I heard from his doctors a few minutes ago. He is stable, but time will tell if he’ll fully recover.”

  “Any news about the men who attacked you?”

  DeSante had hired a few investigators, some of a violent persuasion, to obtain answers about who was targeting the Acacian royal family. Whatever information Casimir could feed him from Serena would help narrow the search.

  “Nothing yet. Or if the police have discovered anything, I haven’t been kept abreast of that part of the investigation,” Serena said.

  She had removed her sweater and it was draped over the back of her chair. The dress she was wearing fit tightly at the top and when she leaned forward in her chair to set her hands on the table, he had the most enticing view of her cleavage.

  He tried not to focus his attention there, but rather on her.

  He had to get his attraction to her under control, or better yet, stamp it out completely. He had allowed emotion to rule his thinking in the past and that never turned out well.

  “I plan to sail my boat to Rizari later today,” he said.

  Serena lifted her brow. “Did you hear the announcement King Warrington made? Apparently, I am headed there myself.”

  “I would be happy to escort you,” Casimir said. Not a smart offer. Being with her in the small confines of a boat wasn’t a way to put distance between them.

  Serena drummed her fingers on the table. “I was planning to tell Warrington that I wouldn’t go, but being in Rizari will give Samuel and me a chance to talk and see if we can come to an understanding. Our relationship is off to a strange start and I don’t want it to become hostile. To make matters more awkward,
I know he’s dealing with his own grief over Danae’s death.”

  The idea of Serena alone with Warrington, a perpetual philanderer, was enough to drive Casimir insane. He needed to find a reason to be around the palace. Warrington regularly invited his social circle to the palace for a large number of events. Casimir would need to contact the Countess of Provence again and use her to get inside the palace. It was a tricky proposition. Fiona had seemed annoyed at him for leaving in a hurry the night before. No good-night kiss and no plans made for the future. Casimir hadn’t even promised to call.

  His hurry had been spurred by his anxiety to see Serena again. As much as Fiona claimed she understood that they were friends, Casimir sensed she had hopes of being something else in the future.

  He would work his contacts, make excuses or lie. He couldn’t leave Serena alone with Warrington. The man had proven he was capable of anything.

  * * *

  “If you had something to do with the attack on Serena this morning, I will gut you,” Iliana said. She was gripping her phone so hard, she was afraid she would crack it. But the more she thought about Serena and how close she had come to being hurt again, the more intense her anger had become. She was almost blackout angry. All she could see and taste was her fury.

  “Are you aware that threats against the president of Icarus are grounds for an investigation and jail time?” DeSante asked.

  He sounded entertained, as if he was toying with her, which set her temper on edge. “Don’t make light of this. Serena was almost killed.”

  “Almost being the operative word. If I had set out to kill her, she would be dead.”

  “Are you threatening her?”

  “Not at all. Just pointing out a simple fact. When I choose to do something, I do it. I don’t bungle it repeatedly.” He had the nerve to sound calm and unconcerned.

  “You are deplorable!” Iliana said.

  “You are the one who called me and made an unfair accusation based on emotion. Tell me, do you always make decisions based on how you feel in the heat of the moment?”