Mostly.
Everything ached, despite feeling somewhat better earlier. By the time she made back upstairs, Darius had changed into his pajama pants and had his ankle propped up on several pillows.
“Thank you.” His head rolled to the side so he could see her. “I was about to ask you to text Vesta or Louis or even Ian.”
“I thought about it,” Esther admitted as she rounded the end of the bed. “But they’re at the other house.” After situating the ice on his ankle, she shook two capsules out of the medicine bottle as she walked to his side. Suddenly dizzy, she sat on the edge of the bed next to him.
“Are you all right?” He started to sit up but she pressed a hand to his chest.
“I’m fine. Just overdid it today.” Not the whole truth, but close enough. She really needed to stay in bed for a couple more days and not even try to venture farther than the bathroom.
His hand rested on her thigh, warm and comforting. “You shouldn’t have gone downstairs, but thank you. I wish I could help you to the other side.”
“I’ll be fine.” Her head had already mostly cleared. She gave it a minute or two longer than necessary before returning to her side of the bed.
With a groan, she pushed against the dog but he didn’t move. They’d discovered over the last few months that while they both preferred to share a bed, they didn’t sleep well if they were too close. Esther found fifteen pounds of dog warmed her back just right - when he didn’t try to take over half the king-sized bed.
Darius reached over and encouraged the dog to move. Relief washed over Esther as she pulled the blanket over her. She barely remembered the dog burrowing in close to her side before she fell asleep.
The next day was spent napping between bouts of dozing and managing to roll over. She did sit up and sip some more broth. The spaghetti hadn’t sat terribly well. The dog, as he’d done the last few days, spent most of his time at her side.
Esther dozed lightly when she became aware of voices downstairs. A minute later, Vesta appeared in her room.
“There’s someone here to see you, ma’am. Your husband is already in the living room waiting for you.”
Struggling to sit up, Esther gladly accepted her help to stand and put her robe on.
Weariness settled around her like a blanket when she saw Samantha and Vince sitting on the sofa. She liked them, but she’d seen it happen before. Someone would find out who she really was and suddenly nothing else mattered.
She became a princess in their eyes and nothing more.
Esther ceased to exist. Only Princess Esther Miriam Victoria Jasmine of San Majoria mattered.
But as she looked closer, something seemed off. Samantha sat perched on the edge of the sofa, her hands folded together as she stared at them.
“Good evening. I do hope you did not go to the trouble of making us another meal. Last night’s was delicious and will last us a while. Except the brownies. They will not last long.” She hoped it came across as light-hearted as she meant it to.
She could see Samantha crack a small smile. Good.
Esther sat on a chair, knowing she wouldn’t be able to stay downstairs as long as she had the night before.
“I want to apologize,” Samantha blurted out.
Esther shared a glance with Darius, though she couldn’t read his thoughts on the matter. They waited for Samantha to go on.
“You shared something with us last night. I’m sure it doesn’t come easily for you, telling people who you are when they don’t know, because you’re afraid they’ll react like I did. Addie, that is Queen Adeline, lived here for several years without anyone knowing who she was. The only reason any of us found out is because of Charlie and Lindsey seeing her on television after her father’s skiing accident. Otherwise, we might have been oblivious forever.”
Vince sat next to Samantha, clearly offering moral support. He hadn’t acted much different after hearing the news. Only Samantha had.
“I understand if you’d rather not spend much time with us anymore, but I hope you know we won’t tell anyone who you are.” She stood and looked at both of them, a wobbly smile on her face. “Thanks for hearing me out. We’re praying that you both feel better soon.”
Darius gave a slight nod that Esther caught out of the corner of her eye.
“Please wait,” Esther called.
They turned, though Vince’s hand remained firmly on Samantha’s lower back.
“Thank you for stopping by. I appreciate the courage it took for you to come here and say that. Admitting you might have handled a situation wrong is never easy. We’re delighted to get to know you better, though we would ask that you let us share about our ‘other lives’ on our own terms - when we’re ready and when appropriate.”
Samantha’s face noticeably lightened. “Do you mean that?”
“We do.” Darius answered for both of them. “We’ve enjoyed getting to know you the last couple months. You do know the real us, except for the tiaras and trappings.”
Samantha and Vince shared a look much as Esther had with Darius.
“Thank you,” Samantha said again.
“Fair warning, though. It may be after the first of the year before we have much time. Between playing catch-up when we feel up to it and finals and the holidays, we won’t have much time for socializing. Perhaps we’ll see you at church in a couple of weeks and can do brunch again.”
That seemed like a good compromise for now. See how things went before committing to a closer friendship. Esther felt much better having cleared the air with them.
She could have finally found a friend she might be able to count on. But first she needed a nap.
After Samantha and Vince left, Darius returned to the recliner and propped his foot up.
Esther had pulled a blanket over herself as she stretched out on the couch, Raja snuggling in next to her.
“What did you think of that?” he asked.
She considered her answer before saying anything. “I’m glad they came. I like Samantha, but I need to be able to be Esther, not Princess Esther.”
“I understand that need. Just like we both needed to be Dare and Star in Sargasso. Someone who only sees the tiara and the titles isn’t someone you can be yourself with. We both have siblings we’re close to or close enough anyway. That helps some.”
“It does. I had some friends in San Majoria, but no one I was very close to. I was hoping here, where no one knows who I am, I might be able to find someone who I can be myself with, even if that meant not telling her my true identity.”
He wished he was close enough to have physical contact with Esther, but he wasn’t. “I do understand...” He let his voice trail off.
“But?” she prompted when he didn’t continue.
“But if you never tell someone the truth about your identity, do they really know the real you?”
She pulled the blanket further around her shoulders, a sure sign she was about ready to fall asleep on the couch. “I know, but sometimes, it’s nice to just be the non-royal part of myself with someone who doesn’t know there’s another side.”
Darius just nodded, knowing she wouldn’t see it, but she also wouldn’t realize he hadn’t responded. What she was saying had merit, but just as it wasn’t a good thing for people to see only the royal prince, it was equally disingenuous to only let people see the other side.
It had grown late enough that they likely wouldn’t make it all the way to bed. He couldn’t move Esther on his own, and he’d told Ian, Louis, and Vesta they could have the rest of the night off.
Another blanket lay within his reach. Darius pulled it over himself and soon drifted to sleep.
Despite sleeping on the couch for the first half of the night, Esther finally began to feel somewhat better Wednesday morning, though her body still ached. The clammy, sweaty feeling when she woke meant her fever had likely broken. Finally. Medicine kept it from getting too out of control, but she definitely felt the effects.
�
��How are you feeling?” she asked Darius as he walked in yawning and sat in the recliner that had been moved into their room a few days earlier. It gave them somewhere to be comfortable besides the bed.
“More human than I have since Friday.” He raised the back to a more seated position. “Jonathan stopped by a few minutes ago.” Darius nodded toward her side table. “Dropped off some flowers and said they’re both feeling fine.”
“Thank goodness.” She pushed up until she could swing her legs over the side of the bed. “I think I’m going to take a shower.”
“Do you need any help?”
“I think I’ve got it, but I’ll let you know if I do.”
She managed a full shower, including washing her hair, all by herself. By the time she was finished, Esther needed another nap, but she felt like she’d actually accomplished something on her own.
Mostly she was relieved there had been no spotting or other signs of a miscarriage.
As she snuggled under the covers for a nap, she told Darius that.
“An answer to prayer,” he replied.
“Definitely.”
“I talked to my mother about Christmas. Invited the immediate family here. She said she’d discuss it with my brother, but since I know your father already talked to Benjamin, I’d say it’s going to happen. I already told Jonathan to reserve that house. And I had an idea.”
“What’s that?”
“Why don’t we tell our families no presents for the reasons we’ve already talked about.”
“Okay.” There had to be something more.
“But we get all of them something local, something they can’t get back home. Maybe art or jewelry.”
Esther nodded as she turned the thought over in her mind. “I like that idea.”
“Me, too. It’ll be the traditional American Christmas none of us have ever had.”
Esther drifted to sleep. It wasn’t worth worrying over right now.
As long as she didn’t have to make Christmas dinner for all of them, it would be fine.
20
Darius used his crutches to make his way to the front door. Ian hadn’t stopped him, so whoever it was must be all right.
He opened it to find Esther’s friend from school looking nervous. “Abi, isn’t it?” He hopped backward. “Come on in.”
“Hi, Darius.” Abi inside. “How’s Esther?”
“She’s been better,” Darius admitted. “But she’s doing a lot better than she was a couple days ago. Did she know you were coming?”
Abi shook her head. “She emailed me and asked for my notes.”
“Then how do you know where we live?” Security needed to know if it was too easy to determine where they lived.
A smirk crossed Abi’s face. “I have a good remember-y, and she’s told me enough about it that I could make some deductions and find the right place.”
Darius tilted his head and started for the living room. “Like what?”
“She can’t see the lake, but isn’t too far. Serenity Creek is in the neighborhood. Those two things narrow it down to three neighborhoods. Her email said the accident was on the bridge leading in. That took two of them out. The house next door is newly finished, and the one on the other side of that isn’t done yet. There are three houses under construction in the neighborhood and two of them are near another house that looks like it was just finished recently. Plus, the neighbors across the street have a gnome guarding their mailbox. And there you go.”
So not easy, just someone who could put clues together. Still, he probably needed to mention it to Ian and Esther both. She needed to be more careful.
Darius motioned to the couch. “Have a seat. Let me see if Esther’s feeling up to coming downstairs for a little bit.”
She was already sitting up when he made it to their room. “Who’s here?”
“Your friend Abi.” He let his weight rest mostly on the crutches.
“I never told her where we live.” Worry filled her eyes. “How does she know?”
“She remembered some things you said and figured out which neighborhood. From there, basically, she found the house across the street from the gnome.” He quirked an eyebrow. “You need to be more careful, love.”
Esther sighed. “I will. I never even thought that someone could put all of that together.”
“Ian didn’t stop me from opening the door, so he must have been okay with it.”
It looked to take some effort, but Esther managed to stand up. “I’ll be down in just a minute.” She didn’t hold onto the wall as she made her way to the bathroom so that was an improvement.
By the time Darius made it back to the living room, he could hear Esther on her way.
“I’ve never been able to place your accent,” Abi told him. “I know Esther is from San Majoria, but not where you’re from.” She blinked. “Or maybe Islas del Sargasso. She said something about the Sargasso Wars one time. I’d never heard of it so I looked it up.”
“San Majoria.” Esther confirmed Abi’s suspicion as she walked in. “Darius is from Eyjania.”
Abi shrugged. “Can’t say I’ve ever heard of it, but Travis and I went to a resort in Islas del Sargasso for our honeymoon in August.”
Esther settled into one of the recliners and extended the footrest. “It’s a beautiful country.” She laid her head back against the chair. “You could have emailed me the notes, you know.”
“I know.” Abi glanced around. “I know you have a cook sometimes, but I wanted to make sure you didn’t need anything. I didn’t think you’d tell me over email if you did. I was going to ask Darius, but he hasn’t been at school either.”
He shifted until he could sit with his ankle on the couch. “We’ve hit one of those sickness and health parts of the vows. Between being sore after the car accident and my sprained ankle, I’m pretty laid up. Esther is beat up from the accident, too, but also has the flu. So far I’ve avoided catching that at least.”
“I can see that.” She reached into her purse and pulled out some papers, handing some to Esther and tossing the others on the coffee table. “Those are for you, Darius. I know it’s only one class for each of you, but it’s something.”
Darius blinked. “Thanks.” He couldn’t keep the incredulity out of his voice. “I appreciate that.”
“You know what I’d appreciate.” Esther sounded like she’d just remembered something important.
“What’s that?” Abi asked.
“Remember that cookie with the funny name? The one you brought to school a few weeks ago.”
“Snickerdoodles?”
“That’s it!”
“You want snickerdoodles?” Abi asked in disbelief.
Darius chuckled. “It’s the first thing she’s asked for in days. Would you mind giving me the recipe? I’m doing better at baking than I was a few months ago.”
Abi studied him for a moment. “Are you well enough to sit on a chair in the kitchen?”
“Pretty sure I am.”
“If you’ve got the ingredients, I’ll make a batch with you watching. Esther doesn’t look like she’s up for even that much.”
A glance at his wife told Darius she was almost asleep again already.
Abi went on. “Then you can show her how to make them later.” She pulled her phone out. “Most of this is pretty standard stuff, except Cream of Tartar.” She stood and headed for the kitchen.
Darius grabbed his crutches to help himself stand. “Isn’t that the stuff some people dip fish sticks in?”
“That’s tartar sauce,” Abi called over her shoulder as she stood in the kitchen with her hands on her hips. “Where are your spices?”
At least he knew what she meant. A couple months earlier, he would have had no idea.
Abi opened the cabinet and scanned the jars she could see, moving them around to see the ones she couldn’t. “Got it!” She held the small container in the air. “Have a seat at the bar, and I’ll show you how to do this.”
&nb
sp; Darius moved the bar stools a bit until he could sit in one chair and prop his foot up on another.
She pulled a piece of paper out of her purse and turned on her phone before scribbling some stuff down. She handed the scrap to him. “I’ll write it down better later, but for now, you can help me.” Without asking for the directions, she turned on the oven. “Now, where are your cookie sheets?”
Blinking her eyes open, Esther realized she wasn’t in bed even before she smelled something delicious and heard the laughter.
“Hey! You’re awake.” Darius sounded happy. About whatever smelled so wonderful?
Esther twisted to see Abi pulling something out of the oven as Darius moved to get off his chair. She waved him off.
“What did you make?”
“Snickerdoodles.” Abi set the tray on the oven. “Last pan is out which means I need to get home, but Darius took notes on how to make them in the future.”
“Good. He can make them for Christmas.”
Abi laughed. “If you want cookies for Christmas, I have my mother-in-law’s sugar cookie recipe that is to die for. You have to roll those out and use cookie cutters, though.”
“That sounds fun.” She looked at Darius. “I bet Vesta knows how to do that stuff. We could do it with the kids at Christmas. My nieces would love it, and I bet even your youngest brothers would, too.”
“How many brothers do you have?” Abi asked him.
“There’s ten of us total. I’m child number four. My youngest brother is almost twelve.”
“I’ll send you the recipe. You can practice for Thanksgiving.”
“That’s next week, isn’t it?” Esther asked. “I’ve never celebrated American Thanksgiving, but did celebrate Canadian Thanksgiving last year with my brother-in-law.” She looked at Darius. “We could go visit my family for the long weekend.” Hadn’t they talked about that at one point?
“You’ll never find a flight.” Abi picked up her purse. “At least not one at a reasonable hour and that you won’t pay an arm and a leg for.”
Crowns & Courtships Compilation Volume 1 Page 66