Crowns & Courtships Compilation Volume 1

by Carol Moncado

  Dessert was delicious, but she knew it would be too short. By the time everyone was served, there would be a break of at least half an hour, but it wasn’t long enough.

  Her feet throbbed. Her head pounded. Her heart ached.

  “How much longer?” she asked her husband.

  “Another round of dancing,” he told her reaching for his glass of wine. “Probably about the same length of time, then we can go home.” He put his arm around the back of her chair and leaned closer. “I completely forgot something until a little while ago. Esme will be staying at the palace tonight before tomorrow’s ceremony to open the village.”

  “All right.” Why was that a big deal?

  “So is Benjamin.”

  There it was.

  “Will we have to see them?”

  “Possibly at breakfast, but maybe not. It depends on whether you and I need to be somewhere else.”

  “I do.” She didn’t know where but she’d find something.

  “Annie,” he chided. “I’m not saying you have to sit next to him or even that you have to talk to him at all, but if you’re not needed somewhere, you need to be there.”

  “Fine. I will be.” Was it wrong to pray for a minor emergency with one of the venues she was responsible for? Nothing big, just enough to get her out of it.

  Somehow, she managed to avoid dancing with Benjamin through the next round. As the next to last song drew to a close, Kensington found her.

  “We only dance half of this one.” He pulled her into his arms, closer than he had for the first dance. “Then all of us from the head table will leave.”

  “Thank God. I’m ready.”

  “I know you are.” His chin rested against her temple. “Thank you for being here, for being a trooper tonight.”

  “Right here, this is my favorite place, with you.” She sighed the happiest sigh she had in a while. “Of course I’m here.”

  Kensington backed away and tucked her hand in his elbow. Was the song half over already?

  She saw Jordan and Astrid already on their way out the door. That must be the cue no matter how far into the song they were.

  A minute later, the four of them were in their car again, but this time something was different.

  “What is it?” Kensington asked.

  Astrid had both of her hands on either side of her stomach. “I’m not sure these are Braxton-Hicks anymore. We’re going to the hospital. The doctor has already been called.”

  “Not to the palace?” Kensington asked.

  Astrid shook her head. “No. If the baby is coming, it’s way too early. At least a month before they’d let me deliver without trying to stop it, but really it’s just over eight weeks before my due date. If this is something they can’t stop and things happen fast, I want to be in the hospital.”

  “Of course.”

  “We can drop you at home first,” Jordan told them, concern filling his voice. “It’s on the way. You have a big day tomorrow.”

  Anabelle could see the worry on Kensington’s face. He was clearly torn.

  “Why don’t we go home?” she suggested. “We’ll get changed into something more comfortable and see what’s happening? We can come up to the hospital in an hour or so if necessary. By then you should know more, right?”

  Astrid nodded. “I would think so.”

  Kensington gave his assent. “That will work.”

  Jordan told the driver, and in a few minutes, they were being let out at the portico.

  “We don’t have to greet Princess Esmeralda or King Benjamin do we?” she asked Kensington as they started for the staircase leading in the general direction of the family’s quarters.

  “No. My parents will.”

  They reached the top of the stairs and turned a corner. “Good.” Anabelle stopped in her tracks, but kept a hand on his arm for balance as she took her shoes off. “Ah! Much better.”

  Kensington chuckled. “I am so glad men don’t have to wear those things.”

  “At least Astrid doesn’t. I know some pregnant women can, but I won’t be one of them.”

  He grew somber. “We haven’t talked about that.”

  “About what?”

  “Children. Not since before Easter and that was pretty vague. Just that we’d both like some.”

  The weariness settled back around Anabelle like a cloak. “Not yet, Kensington. Not until after we find Gracie.”

  Unless her suspicions were correct.

  The day, a few weeks earlier, when she’d just wanted to forget about missing Gracie for a few minutes.

  Anabelle wondered if there was going to be a permanent reminder of that day.

  Or it could all be a consequence of the stress she’d been under the last few months.

  “I understand.” Kensington wrapped his arm around her shoulders and pulled her close. “We’ll find her, and then we’ll talk about it.”

  Before long, the adoption would be finalized. She hadn’t been given a time frame, but surely, given the family’s influence, it wouldn’t be long. She and Kensington would officially be parents.

  “I do want to go to the hospital,” he told her. “I know they said it’s not necessary, but it doesn’t seem right not to.”

  “Agreed.” Concern for Astrid was near the forefront of Anabelle’s mind, but with the busy day behind them and the next day sure to be much the same, she really needed sleep. “I’m going to change. Why don’t you call and see what Jordan says?”

  “They won’t even be there yet, so there won’t be anything to say.” Kensington opened the door to the apartment and stood aside to let her go through first. “Maybe we should wait?”

  “Do your parents know?”

  “I’m sure they do.”

  “Then ask them.” Could she make it through a few hours at the hospital? There wouldn’t be anything to do but sit and wait. Anabelle knew she was likely to fall asleep.

  “Good idea. Go change. I’ll let you know.”

  She pulled one pin after another out of her hair. “I’m going to take a quick shower. Keep me posted.”

  Maybe by the time she was out, he would have decided it was better to stay put for the time being. Anabelle wanted to be there for her sister-in-law, but first she wanted sleep.

  25

  “When do we head to the hospital?” Kensington held the phone between his shoulder and his ear as he undid a cuff link.

  “We don’t,” his father answered. “Jordan will let us know what’s going on. The doctor isn’t even there yet. Astrid isn’t completely certain these aren’t just exceptionally bad Braxton-Hicks, though I understand her rationale for heading to the hospital. If something were to go wrong, delivering the baby there is the best move.”

  “Will they be able to keep it out of the news?”

  He could almost see his father pinch the bridge of his nose. “Hopefully for a while. It’s late enough and their car came back here to drop you and Anabelle off. With any luck, the press will have already called it a night. They were going to be able to sneak in a back entrance.”

  “Good.”

  “You and Anabelle should get some rest. I’ll have someone come get you if you’re needed. You both have a big day tomorrow, starting with breakfast with Esme and Benjamin.”

  “Did you get any kind of vibe from him?”

  “Not really. I didn’t have a chance to talk with him much. He’s been avoiding my calls for weeks, if he’s even aware of them. I will discuss that with him tomorrow before he leaves.”

  Kensington sat on the edge of a chair in the closet. “So you haven’t talked to him about the adoption?”

  “Not yet. I haven’t talked to him at all in over a month of trying. My assistant has talked to his assistant almost every day. If I don’t talk to him in the morning, for whatever reason, maybe it’s time to skip the assistant, and I’ll call his office myself. Throw some weight around. I’ve been trying to give him the benefit of the doubt, but no more.”

  Throu
gh the speaker, Kensington could hear his mother say something, though he couldn’t hear what it was.

  “Your mother thinks we need to visit the little girl tomorrow. It would give us an excuse to be at the hospital and check up on Astrid if she’s still there.”

  “There’s no way I’ll be able to. It’s one thing for my sister, but not for a random girl who isn’t my daughter, no matter how much they wanted her to be.”

  “Agreed, but we will, perhaps with Jacqueline Grace and Harrison before the ceremony.”

  He toed off his shoes. “Is there any word on who she is?”

  “Not yet. The fingerprints from the toys brought in with her came back without a match, which really isn’t surprising, except her prints don’t match the ones we took from Gracie’s toys. She doesn’t match any missing persons report, and the people who had her have been tight-lipped. We’re guessing they don’t actually know who she is.” His father sighed. “It’s possible we’re dealing with a little girl found by human traffickers, but there’s no evidence to back that up.”

  The thought made Kensington want to lose his dinner. If those were the kind of people mixed up in this, could they be certain the same caliber of human didn’t have Gracie, despite the reassurances in the note?

  “We’re doing everything we can to figure out where she came from,” his father assured him. “Tomorrow or Monday, the doctor is going to take off the bandages and maybe we can get a decent picture of her to show the media. If the wounds aren’t too bad.”

  “Let me know how it goes, would you? I hate that this little girl is in pain, possibly from someone scarring her so we would think she was Gracie.” He leaned against the back of the chair. “Is there any incentive we’re willing to offer to get one of the adults to talk?”

  “It’s being discussed.” There was a noise on the other end of the phone. “We’ve arrived. I need to greet Esme and Benjamin. If there’s anything you need to know, I’ll make sure you do.”

  “Thanks.” Kensington hung up and changed into a pair of pajama pants.

  Anabelle walked in dressed in a robe and toweling her hair dry. “What did your father say?”

  “To get some rest. He’ll make sure someone wakes us if necessary.”

  Her shoulders relaxed in what had to be relief. “As much as I want to be there for Astrid, I need sleep. I’m going to have to be up at an insane hour to get some work done before breakfast.”

  Kensington filled her in on the rest of the conversation with his father.

  By the time he finished, Anabelle emerged from her dressing room in pajamas. “He doesn’t think Gracie was taken by human traffickers, does he? No one has ever said anything about that to me.”

  “No. If she was, they wouldn’t have let Jenny go.”

  Anabelle nodded slowly. “True. They’d have kept both girls.”

  Kensington put his hands on her hips and pulled her toward him until she rested her forehead on his chest. “She’s fine, love. Missing you, but she’s being well taken care of, I promise.”

  “You can’t promise that, Kensington, and you know it.”

  With a sigh, he wrapped his arms around her. “Yes, I can. I can’t explain how I know, but it’s beyond even believing the note. Somewhere, deep down, I just know that, in general, she’s not being mistreated. I can’t tell you where that assurance comes from, but it’s there. I pray for her constantly, and every time I do, I feel that same thing in my gut.”

  Her arms slid around his waist. “I do, too.” The admission surprised him. “But at the same time, I can’t shake the feeling that she’s scared and alone and just wants to come home.”

  “Of course she does. And scared is natural, though if I had to bet, I think our girl is more mad than scared most of the time. She wants her Annie and anyone she perceives is keeping her from you will feel her wrath.”

  A small chuckle actually came from Anabelle. “Can’t you just see her refusing to do something or not cleaning up her toys or eating her breakfast because they’ve made her mad? She’s probably drawing pictures of them with big slashes through their faces to show how mad she is.”

  The thought made Kensington smile. “They don’t know who they’re dealing with. She’s going to be okay, love. I promise.”

  He meant it. He believed it with every bone in his body.

  If only he could make it come to pass in his own timing.

  Bone weary despite the small laugh at the thought of Gracie giving her captors what for, Anabelle let Kensington lead her to their bed, and essentially tuck her in.

  Sleep came more quickly than it did many nights, including after the trip to the hospital the night before. Her dreams were plagued with Gracie and the little girl in the hospital. How could Anabelle protect either one of them like they were begging her to do?

  Finally, she knew she couldn’t try to sleep any longer. With her Bible in hand, Anabelle made a cup of coffee and settled into a chair near a window where she could just make out the ocean in the moonlight.

  Opening to Psalms, Anabelle tried to focus on the passages, first trying one chapter, then another. Nothing seemed to soothe her soul, though. Not like she needed.

  Finally, she gave up on the scripture reading and just began to pray. It wasn’t like any prayer she’d ever prayed before, though.

  She didn’t speak out loud, but internally...

  Anabelle yelled at God.

  Questioned Him.

  Accused Him of abandoning Anabelle - and Gracie.

  The one-sided conversation in her head seemed to help.

  And then she heard a voice, in her head. A still, quiet voice, that sounded eerily like her father’s, though deeper.

  Are you quite done?

  She gave a single nod.

  Go to the next chapter.

  Obediently, Anabelle turned the page. Psalm 142.

  When my spirit grows faint within me, it is you who watch over my way. In the path where I walk people have hidden a snare for me. Look and see, there is no one at my right hand; no one is concerned for me. I have no refuge; no one cares for my life. I cry to you, LORD; I say, “You are my refuge, my portion in the land of the living.”

  Okay. So even when she felt alone, God was her refuge. Her portion. He was Gracie’s too, even if she was too young to really understand.

  She started to flip the Bible closed, but it fell open, marked by a scrap of paper she must have stashed there.

  Deuteronomy 31:8 was at the top of the page.

  The LORD himself goes before you and will be with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged.”

  Anabelle felt the peace begin to seep into her bones.

  Daniel 3.

  This time the little voice sounded like her Sunday school teacher when she was a child. Anabelle skimmed the first part of the chapter.

  Then King Nebuchadnezzar leaped to his feet in amazement and asked his advisers, “Weren't there three men that we tied up and threw into the fire?” They replied, “Certainly, Your Majesty.” He said, “Look! I see four men walking around in the fire, unbound and unharmed, and the fourth looks like a son of the gods.”

  This time when she went to close the Bible, another story came to mind. Peter’s escape from prison. She had to use her phone, previously tucked under her leg, to remember the story was in Acts 12.

  She read the story, how all seemed lost. Herod would likely have sentenced Peter to death. Instead, an angel, protecting Peter, helped him escape despite the secure prison.

  Another verse came to mind, though she didn’t look it up. Anabelle knew several places in the Bible where it said God would have His angels watch over His children.

  That had to include Gracie.

  Finally at peace, she stood and went to get ready for the day. When dressed, she spent some time on the computer finishing some work that needed doing before the Games actually started in a few days.

  Frustrated when the numbers didn’t add up correct
ly, she slammed the laptop shut.

  “What did it do to you?”

  One part of her continued to be frustrated at the work problem. Another part of her grew frustrated that the peace hadn’t lasted longer, though she knew, deep in her soul, that Gracie was being cared for by beings far more powerful than even the king’s men.

  “How’s your sister?” She skipped the question all together.

  “They were real contractions, but with medication, they’re under control for the moment. They’ll be there until at least tomorrow morning.”

  Anabelle gave a single nod and blew out a breath. “Okay. Let me know if something changes.”

  “Of course.” Kensington started to turn, but she stopped him.

  “I know you were right last night. Gracie’s okay.”

  He smiled at her. “I’m glad you believe so, too.” His phone buzzed, and he gave her an apologetic glance as he answered it.

  Anabelle finished getting ready then headed out of the dressing room.

  Kensington was on the phone, and, from the sounds of it, dealing with another minor emergency related to the opening of Athlete’s Village. He whispered that he’d meet her at breakfast.

  As much as Anabelle usually loved being around other people, she really didn’t want to have breakfast with King Benjamin, especially without Kensington present. At least the rest of the family would be there.

  And she was learning her way around the palace. Confident steps carried her toward the breakfast room, but as she neared the last turn, she found the hall roped off.

  “I’m sorry, ma’am,” a staff member told her. “This hall is unavailable for use at the moment. You’ll need to go around.”

  “Around?” She didn’t know any other way.

  “Yes, ma’am.” The staff member pointed one way then the other, giving her directions.

  Anabelle made the first two turns but couldn’t remember which direction she needed to go at the next junction. Another staff member sent her upstairs where a third sent her back down another staircase. Frustration rising, she finally made it to the breakfast room, just to discover King Benjamin was the only one present.