by Caroline Lee
An hour had passed before he realized they’d been swapping stories like old friends. He still had somehow neglected to tell her who he really was, and she hadn’t seemed at all suspicious. Of course, he hadn’t tried any more of his charming smiles on her, and maybe that was a good thing.
By the time the meat courses arrived, he was asking her about folklore in the various countries she’d studied.
“What’s the commonality?” He used his knife to gesture. “What’s something you saw in more than one of the sets of stories and legends?”
“Hmm…” She swallowed, looking thoughtful. “I guess the obvious answer is the great flood, but that’s not so much folklore as it is ancient history. And if a country is historically Christian, or one of the religions which contains the great flood allegory—like the Hopi, Maasai, or even ancient Greeks —then it’s difficult to say how the story began. So…I’ll go with the unification metaphor.”
“What’s that?” He reached for his wine glass to wash down the excellent caviar, and found himself looking forward to her response.
She waved her fork around. “It’s when there’s something in a nation or people’s collective memory, a symbol having to do with the unification of their ancestors, usually against an outside source. But often the metaphors had a different origin story, or their meaning changed over the generations.
It sparked a memory of one of his favorite family legends. “Oh, like the Star of Aegiria being a metaphor for Aegiria’s founding?”
She’d been about to take a bite, but now she stared at him. “What?”
“You know, with the Star symbolizing unification of the Norse invaders and the native tribes.”
Slowly, she lowered her fork, her blonde brows drawing together. “What are you talking about?”
Enzio began to panic. Had he done something wrong? Things had been going so well. But surely he hadn’t made this up; he remembered reading about the story of his family’s origins in one of the books Nonna had brought from Aegiria when she married Enzio’s grandfather. Some of his fondest memories of home were spent lounging around the library reading ancient histories of his family.
“Enzio?” she prompted.
“I…um…” He took a deep breath. “The Star of Aegiria was a symbol of the unification of Magnus Haraldsson, who came as an invader from the King of Norway, and the local tribes. He defeated them in combat, but they didn’t submit until the ceremony the Star came to represent.”
“Let me get this straight.” Her lips pulled downwards as she stared at him. “This is an Aegirian legend?”
“Or folklore.” He shrugged. “Yes?”
“Excuse me.” She reached for her purse and pulled out her phone. “I’ve never heard of a ceremony. I know the star is all over the palace and the national seal, but there hasn’t been any mention of it being anything besides…” Her voice trailed off as her eyes flashed over the screen. “You’re saying there’s more to it than just a symbol.”
He shrugged, entranced by the way the light from the screen spread across her features. “It has to be a symbol of something, doesn’t it?”
With a huff, she slammed the device face-down on the table, her frustration clear in the tenseness of her jaw and the way she was glaring at him.
“I am the Royal Archivist. Interim, at least. How come I’ve never heard of this legend? How come there’s nothing online?”
He shrugged again, wanting to apologize, but not sure why. “I don’t know. I read it a long time ago.”
“You’re not making it up?”
He couldn’t help it; he had to chuckle at her affronted attitude. He wasn’t even bothered by her accusation.
“I swear it. I’m not creative enough to make this kind of stuff up!”
Was it his imagination, or did her expression soften a bit at his self-deprecation?
“Fine,” she huffed, then snatched her fork up once more and waved it at him. “Well? Don’t just sit there, tell me all of it! I’m definitely researching this for my book, you know.”
The server brought their sweet coffee, which allowed Enzio the time to think.
He knew the legend, but she didn’t? Why not? Was it only written down in Nonna’s old manuscript?
Enzio remembered the way she’d made him wear archival gloves to flip through the pages of her family histories, and how he’d practiced his Latin on some of the really old ones. But the one which contained the story of the Star hadn’t been that old, just a few hundred years.
And—this was the important piece of the puzzle here—Nova didn’t have access to it.
She was obviously very interested in the legend, and maybe, by extension, she’d be interested in him.
Frantically, his mind skipped through the possibilities. This could actually work. Okay, now to implement it. “I didn’t think I’d have to cite sources here, but…give me a few days to see what I can dig up.”
She was staring at him with narrowed eyes over her coffee, and he found himself holding his breath.
Please say yes.
Because if she said yes, if she agreed to let him research for her, then he’d get to see her again. He’d have an excuse to see her again, and…
Why did it matter so much?
She was just a beautiful woman. He’d known plenty of them, and forgotten most of them. It was what he was known for.
But less than a day in Dr. Nova Willetts’s presence, and he was beginning to suspect he wouldn’t be able to forget her if he tried.
Finally, she nodded. “I’m going to see what I can find in the archives too. But wow. How have I never heard of this?” Without waiting for his answer, she met his eyes again. “You have got to track this down. It would be brilliant for my book.”
He inclined his head slightly. “I would be honored, Nova.”
That’s when she smiled, and he forgot how to breathe.
There’d been a few instances during their dinner where she’d smiled, her lips lifting slightly at the corners when she’d been remembering something funny, or listening to one of his stories. But this? This was a genuine smile, showing him a tooth on the right with a little chip in it. An imperfection which made the masterpiece, as far as he was concerned.
And she had dimples, one in the normal place and one to the immediate left of her oh-so-kissable lips.
Wait, he was back to wanting to kiss her again?
Truthfully, he’d never stopped, but had just become more enamored with her brain than her looks. And intrigued by how hard she’d been working to resist him.
Imperfect teeth, imperfect dimples. He was a goner.
When their date was over, he was careful to keep his hands to himself—difficult, when it felt natural to offer her his arm—all the way back to his cousins’ palace. Idling the car in the turn-around, he wondered what she would do if he got out to hold her door and offer her his hand.
She was the one who broke the silence. “Thank you.” She took a deep breath, and turned to him. “Thank you for a delicious dinner. And for letting me talk so much.”
Her words made him frown, although he doubted she could see it in the dark car. “What? Why wouldn’t I? You’re interesting, and I really enjoyed learning from you.”
He could just make out her shrug. “Well, thanks. Most men wouldn’t—I mean, I expected…”
“Most men wouldn’t what?”
In the darkness, he heard her take a deep breath. In fortification?
“You’re a flirt, Marc-Enzio-who-wants-to-be-called-Enzio. And I don’t like men who flirt. Charmers.” She said it like it was a curse word. “Most of them—of you—only want to talk about yourselves, trying to impress women. You’re self-centered.”
His breathing was shallow as he studied her profile. Is that what she thought of him? Really? She’d said “charmer” so dismissively, as if she had no use for someone like him.
Join the club, sweetheart.
No one had any use for someone like him.
So he was certain his anger showed when he was finally able to say, “Maybe I’m a flirt, but I like talking to people. Hearing their stories.”
“Yeah, me too,” she said softly.
Did they have that much in common, really? Is that why this date had been one of Enzio’s most memorable?
Or was it only memorable for him? Was she just going to remember him as a charmer who paid for a delicious meal? He felt his hands tighten on the wheel and allowed his bitterness to override his better sense as he snapped, “How about that kiss?”
The noise she made was somewhere between disappointment and dismissal. “How about that legend?”
“I’ll have more information by our next date.”
Next date? She hadn’t agreed to that. But she opened the door and climbed out into the cold. Staring down at him, the lights of the palace outlining her, he could imagine her frowning.
“I said one dinner.”
She wasn’t even willing to call this a date?
Fine.
“Then you’re not going to hear what else I find out.”
Now you’re just being petty, Enzio.
That wasn’t like him, but this woman had turned him all around. And he did have a reputation for using all the weapons in his arsenal to woo a woman: smiles, charm…and even bribery apparently.
To his surprise, it worked. She must’ve been fuming, but she stared down at him, nodded once, and snapped, “One more date!” right before she slammed the door.
He had another date with Dr. Nova Willetts? Another chance to pick her brain and hear her secrets? He’d better put the car in the garage and head up to his room to call Perla. If he really had read about the origins of the Star of Aegiria in his own home, she would be the one who could help him out. If gathering more information about that legend was the only way he was going to convince Nova to see him again, he’d do it.
It’d be worth it.
Because seeing her again was the only way he was going to be able to collect that kiss and win Naut’s wager.
And that’s what was important, right?
CHAPTER FOUR
Nova almost didn’t see the letter.
She’d managed to get herself up out of bed—her warm, scrumptiously cozy bed—in time, but had spent too much time lounging in the window seat with her fleece blanket, cup of coffee, and tablet. Well, actually, the snow was drifting down slowly, the light was soft, and she was seventy-five percent of the way through the latest Rachel Hauck romance, so as far as she was concerned, there was no such thing as “too much time” enjoying that perfection.
But either way, she ended up tying her boots and trying to find the key to her little apartment at the same time.
She lived in one of the small spaces in the upper floors of the palace. This room had probably once housed several maids or footmen or something, but it—and the others on either side—had been renovated for senior staff now. She had a small bathroom to herself, and there was a mini-fridge and microwave in the closet, so she could have breakfast each morning curled up in the window seat.
The rest of the space was occupied by her research books, and there were hundreds of them! They were the biggest pain to move, but this was only the second assignment where she’d had a permanent posting. While writing her other books, she usually stayed in hotels or hostels around the small countries. She’d been lucky to find this position in Aegiria which not only paid the bills in between advances from her publisher, but also came with room and board in a palace.
However, that meant she was obligated to actually finish this documentary, and she had an appointment in one of the coastal villages at eleven that morning. Less than two hours to get to the motor-pool in the underground garage, check out a vehicle, and get to the village.
And I had to quit reading just at the good part!
She was dressed warmly—no telling how long she’d be outside, and the houses in those remote towns usually were heated by small peat fires—and stamping around to get her extra-thick socked feet into her boots, when she almost stepped on the letter.
It was folded inside an envelope of the palace stationary, with her name printed on the outside in a bold hand. Too frazzled to wonder at it, she scooped it up and crammed it into the pocket of her parka as she juggled her keys, gloves, tablet and bag.
She was two stories lower before she’d managed to get everything stowed properly in her bag, her boots tied, and her keys safe inside the zippered compartment. She forced her breathing to slow—don’t worry, you’ll get there in time!—and pulled the letter out of her pocket to read as she walked.
Nova—
Thank you again for a lovely dinner the other night. I found out a bit more about the Star of Aegiria, and am happy to share. I’ll join you on this morning’s trip.
—Enzio
Well, shoot.
She’d done a really, really good job of forgetting Enzio and that amazing dinner with him the night before last. The food had been incredible, the conversation had been her cup of tea, and the company had been…
She frowned down at the paper. The company had been nice. Enzio was a flirt, and all he was after was kisses, but he’d done a pretty convincing impression of someone who’d been interested in her and her stories.
Had there ever been a time when a handsome man—that handsome of a man—had been so willing to hear her talk about the things which interested her?
Yeah. Wayne.
Wayne had been interested in what she had to say…at the beginning at least. But she’d later figured out it had all been pretending on his part.
But Enzio? Enzio hadn’t seemed as if he’d been pretending. His interest, his excitement, had seemed genuine. His questions had been insightful and articulate, and her answers had led to further discussion.
In fact, he’d sounded very much like a Cambridge man. That’s when she realized she still didn’t know much about him; she’d agreed to the dinner so she could learn about him, but he’d let her prattle on about herself. What was he interested in?
She groaned again as she reached the large second-floor corridor and slapped herself in the forehead with the folded stationary.
I guess I haven’t done that great of a job forgetting him, huh?
“Hey, Nova!”
Whipping her head around at the sound of her name, Nova saw Cassie Hayes coming out of the big double doors which led to the royal family’s private wing. The crown prince’s fiancée, Toni Dryden, was on duty with another security guard, and frowned at her soon-to-be sister-in-law as Cassie jogged towards Nova.
The other woman seemed to feel it, and waved over her shoulder. “Bye, Toni! Have fun!”
Toni rolled her eyes, but called out, “Don’t do anything stupid today.”
Cassie was giggling as she reached Nova’s side. “I swear, trip and fall down the stairs once and she won’t lay off me!”
Nova was happy to see her friend, but didn’t slow as they both made their way towards the rear stairs.
“You did it twice, as I recall, and it’s her job to worry about you.”
Toni had been Crown Prince Alek’s personal bodyguard, until the two of them had fallen in love. Their wedding was planned for next year—Alek didn’t want to interfere with his mother’s ceremony this past summer—and until then, Toni took her job seriously. Only now she’d taken to fretting over all of Alek’s brothers’ girlfriends and fiancées.
Although it had happened before Nova’s appointment, the summer had been very eventful for the royal family. While someone had done their best to stop the royal wedding, the queen’s six sons had all found love. One of them—Kristoff, the third—had fallen hard for his own stepsister, Cassie. She’d come to Aegiria with her father, Dr. Hayes, before her brothers had arrived, and was a sweetheart. A clumsy sweetheart.
Nova was glad they were friends.
Beside her, Cassie blew a raspberry. “She’s good at worrying, I’ll give her that. It’s not like I’m even leaving the palace, j
ust meeting Kristoff and Arne down in the gym. I’m very unlikely to do anything stupid between here and there.”
Apparently Nova looked doubtful, because Cassie threw her hands up in the air. “Fine! It was three times! I fell three times, are you happy?”
Nova burst into giggles as they rounded the landing in the stairs. “Quite.”
Cassie had a master’s degree in history, and that’s how she and Nova had bonded when they’d first met. Apparently the step-royal—as the tabloids had taken to calling her and her brothers—had studied Viking masculinity, taken one look at Kristoff, and tripped over her own two feet. She was just a bundle of adorable energy, and Nova loved hanging out with her.
Unfortunately, she didn’t have time today.
“Sorry to run,” she said, waving the hand still holding the paper, “but I’ve got to pick up a car.”
But Cassie was curious, and faster than expected. She snatched the paper out of Nova’s hand, and her eyes scanned the letter.
“Enzio, hmm?” She winked lewdly. “I can see why you’re in a hurry if he’s joining you.”
The way her friend had said the man’s name had Nova pulling up short. “Wait, you know him?”
Cassie frowned slightly. “I mean, not well. He’s Kristoff’s second cousin or something. I dunno exactly. I met him when he arrived—he’s here for Christmas—and remember thinking he’s almost as hot as my man!” She handed the paper back to a dazed Nova and waved as she backed towards the hallway leading to the gym. “Bye! Have fun with him!”
Enzio was the prince’s cousin? That would make him almost royalty, wouldn’t it?
Nova was no stranger to interacting with royalty—her job required it—and she’d found the Aegirians to be warm and welcoming, even the queen. But she would never date one of them!
Of course, being a second-cousin to royalty might explain Enzio’s charm, his education, and his utter confidence in his ability to woo a kiss from a lady. And his ease of finding information out about her, such as where her apartment was and her schedule for the day.