But when Theo stares at me with those crushed velvet eyes, I hesitate.
Our solstice sailing trip is tradition. It wouldn’t hurt to do it one last time, would it?
For old time’s sake.
I didn’t think anyone understood how heartbreaking it’s been to watch Luca turn his back on me and be completely powerless to do anything about it.
Theo understands. I can tell by the way he’s looking at me right now. His eyes are asking me to come with him. To sail around the islands and pretend that none of it ever happened.
And one last time, that’s exactly what I’ll do. This sailing trip will be my final goodbye. My last look at the islands of my home before I leave on my first big adventure.
I try to gulp past a lump in my throat and finally nod. “Okay.”
Theo’s face breaks into a blinding smile. He crosses the room in three strides and wraps his arms around me, spinning me in a circle. I yelp, clinging onto his broad shoulders. He smells like salty sea air and a fresh summer breeze. His skin is warm under my touch, and it sends a tingle of energy coursing through my hands. When he sets me down, my cheeks are burning.
Prince Theo is the heir to the throne, and although we grew up together, I’m not used to touching him. I was always promised to Luca, and the other brothers kept a respectful distance.
Theo doesn’t seem to notice. He slides his sunglasses on and arches his eyebrows. “Ready?”
“Let me get my swimsuit,” I say. “Meet you in the car.” Excitement curls in the pit of my stomach as a grin tugs at my lips. I slip away from him, rushing up the stairs in my parents’ expansive home. Tearing down the hallway, I run to my bedroom. I take a bag out of my closet and start throwing things in it. A spare swimsuit, a change of clothes, a toothbrush, sunscreen—all the things I’ll need for a two-night stay on a royal sailboat.
On top of my dresser, my mismatched collection of shells and beach treasures is proudly displayed. I touch each item for good luck. Wrapping my fingers around an old, faded deck of cards with frayed edges, I smile. Then, I slip it into my bag. My heart flutters, and I fly down the stairs again.
The Prince is already waiting in the car outside, but instead of rushing through the front door, I make a hard left and move deeper into the house toward the library.
Rapping my knuckles gently on the doorframe, I wait for my father’s deep voice to call out.
“Come in,” he says, and I step through the door.
2
Cara
My father is a tall, broad man with a shock of shoulder-length white hair. His barrel chest barely fits into shirts, and often he opts not to wear any at all. I’ve gotten used to seeing the wiry, white chest hair sticking out of his dark skin.
Tristan Shoal doesn’t need to wear a shirt. In Argyle, he’s the King of the Sea.
He’s the only Argylian to ever win an Olympic gold medal. Not only that, but he’s the only person—from Argyle or otherwise—to hold the world record for longest unassisted ocean swim.
We used to joke that our family was descended from fish. All of us—my six sisters and I—learned to swim at the same time we learned to walk. My father runs a swimming school here on Argyle’s main island and if he’s not in the library, he’s in the water.
When he sees me, my father stands up. A smile splits his face and he spreads his arms wide.
“Darling daughter,” he says, stepping around his desk to wrap his thick swimmer’s arms around me. “To what do I owe the honor?”
“Just wanted to let you know that I’m heading out with Prince Theo for the solstice sailing trip.”
My father’s eyebrows move up a fraction of an inch. The movement isn’t lost on me.
“Prince Theo?” he repeats.
I nod. “He’s waiting for me outside.”
“After everything Luca put you through, you still want to spend time with the royal family?”
I smile sadly, offering the only explanation I have: “It’s tradition.”
My father sighs, cupping the side of my head with his broad hand. “You’re better than them, Cara. No matter what your mother says. Luca never deserved you.”
Tears prickle at my eyes.
Why would he say that now? After three whole years of torture, he finally tells me what I’ve been dying to hear?
A lump forms in my throat. I haven’t told my father I’m leaving. I haven’t even told him I applied to music schools. I got an interview at The Juilliard School, in New York, and I had to pretend to go visit one of our distant cousins just to attend the interview and audition.
I never heard back, so I assumed I didn’t get in.
Words don’t come. I need to tell him that I’m planning on going, but I don’t know how to say it.
I don’t know where I’m going, or when I’ll be back. I’m leaving the safety of my childhood home to see what else the world has to offer. I have no plan and only a little bit of money.
I know he won’t approve.
“It’s just a sailing trip, Dad,” I finally manage to say. My voice is small, and the lump in my throat grows bigger. “I’ll be back in two days.”
What I really want to say is, I’ll be back soon. Maybe two weeks. Two months. Two years. Who knows? I need to see what else is out there in the world, without living under the shadow of the King of the Sea. I need to pursue my own dreams, instead of re-living my father’s. I need to be someone other than Tristan Shoal’s youngest daughter.
I need to go.
“Be careful,” he says. “Respect the ocean.”
“I know, Dad,” I smile. “You taught me to swim. I’ll be okay. I learned from the best.”
“Listen to the ship’s captain and crew. Don’t let the Prince convince you to do anything silly. Not too much drinking, and no swimming if you’ve had a few drinks. And—”
“Dad!” I interrupt, laughing. “I’ll be fine.”
His brow creases as he lets out a sigh. “I know. I know. I just worry when you leave my sight.”
My heart squeezes. He’s worried about me going on a sailing trip on the royal yacht, with world-class sailors and all the comforts of the royal family. How will he react when I tell him I’m leaving to explore the world, with no plan and no safety net?
“When you get back, we can talk about the business. Have you given any more thought to taking over the Shoal Swim School? You know I’m getting older and your sisters haven’t shown much interest. I want you to step up, Cara.”
My heart squeezes. We’ve talked about this so many times, and he’s never accepted my refusal. I let out a sigh and shrug my shoulders. “I don’t want to run the school, Dad. I told you this.”
“You’re the best swimmer in Argyle, apart from me. You grew up in the ocean. There’s no one better than you to take over from me, Cara.”
“What about one of my sisters? Christine is at least as good a swimmer as me, and she has a better brain for business.”
“It’s not about business, Cara.” My father smiles. “It’s about heart.”
“What if my heart isn’t in it?” I stop myself from speaking more, wanting to tell him the truth. I want to tell him my heart wants to sing. That I want to leave Argyle and find my own way in the world.
My father smiles softly and wraps me in a tight hug. “Let’s talk about it when you get back.”
When we pull apart, his eyes are misty. My father is a large man, and I’m not used to seeing him teary-eyed. He clears his throat and nods to the library door.
“Go. Don’t leave the Prince waiting.”
I slip out through the door as emotion tightens my throat. It’s not that I want to leave home—I have to. I’m compelled, like some hook has dug itself into my gut and is pulling me away. I need to see more of the world and discover things for myself.
I need to get away from the memory of Luca, and all the broken promises that he brought to me.
Will my father understand that, though?
Before I get to the front door, wit
h my swimsuit on under my clothes and my bag slung over my shoulder, my mother appears in front of me.
She’s the exact opposite to my father. She’s thin and wiry, with sharp, green eyes. Her skin, contrary to my father’s, is pale and almost translucent. As always, her lips are painted bright red.
My mother isn’t a champion swimmer. She married my father when they were very young, and I think part of her resents the fact that Tristan Shoal is celebrated throughout the Kingdom while she’s only seen as his wife. Her family is part of the old aristocracy in Argyle, but their fortunes have been declining.
She had my six sisters and me when she was young, and her whole life has been dedicated to making sure our family is well-taken care of.
I should be grateful for everything she’s done. I know I should. It’s just that where my father’s arms are like a warm, tropical breeze, my mother’s embrace is a cold wind whipping through a barren countryside. I’m not supposed to be afraid of my own mother, but deep down, I have to admit she intimidates me.
I’ve always thought she married my father because she thought he would raise her name back up to its former glory. But my father mostly cares about swimming, and the Shoal Swim School offers far too many scholarships and free programs to turn much of a profit.
When my father wasn’t the path to riches for her, my mother arranged to marry my sisters off to dukes and earls, with the final jewel in her crown being me. I was supposed to be a princess.
And I failed.
Ever since Prince Luca left to get surgery on his back, my mother’s been in a foul mood. My marriage into the royal family was supposed to secure my whole family’s future. Joining with the royal family would ensure that we would never have to worry about a thing—even with six of us daughters and a retired Olympian to provide for.
Then, it all fell apart.
Luca doesn’t want me anymore.
“Going somewhere?” my mother asks, arching an eyebrow.
“Sailing around the Kingdom.” I try to step around her, but my mother shifts to block my path. I try not to squirm under her hawk-eye stare.
She glances out through the open door and slides her gaze back to me. “With Prince Theo?”
I nod. “Yeah.”
Something flashes in my mother’s eyes, and an uncomfortable feeling snakes down my spine. I can almost hear the gears grinding in her head.
Discomfort twists inside me as my stomach clenches. I haven’t seen that look on her face since I was a young teenager, and it was decided that Luca and I were perfect for each other. I don’t want her to get any ideas right before I leave this place for good.
“Got to go. Bye!” I yell, dodging around her. I rush through the door and slam it behind me.
As soon as I skid to a stop beside the Prince’s convertible, he flashes another smile at me and leans over to open the door. I toss my bag into the back seat and slide in. The unease in my heart evaporates.
“Ready?” he asks, grinning.
I nod. “As ready as I’ll ever be.”
The Prince revs the engine and takes off down our long, winding driveway and out through the estate gates. The convertible roars beneath us as Theo shifts gears. I lift my arms up to feel the rush of the air as we drive, finally letting myself smile in earnest.
It feels like old times. Before the accident. Before Luca went to Singapore. Before he pushed me away.
Like all those years when the Princes and I would spend long, summer days together. When we’d laze on sailboats and go swimming for hours. When we’d come back home with wrinkly fingers and toes, and hair bleached by the sun.
A laugh explodes out of me as the wind whips through my hair. I glance at Prince Theo, leaning over to rest my head on his shoulder. He slings his arm around me and gives me a nudge, grinning.
“Happy?”
I nod. “Yeah. Happy.”
And it’s the truth.
I’ve been excited to leave Argyle. I’ve been looking forward to making a future for myself, away from my family and my home. I’ve been looking forward to exploring a new world and trying to make it as a singer.
But have I been happy? Really, truly, throw-your-arms-out-of-a-convertible-and-let-out-a-scream happy?
I can’t say I have.
“I knew you would be.” The Prince grins, accelerating down the road. “I couldn’t go another year without doing this. It’s tradition. It’s important. The past three years have been a mess, and I think it’s time we start enjoying life again.”
“Couldn’t agree more,” I say, my smile splitting my face in half. My cheeks already hurt.
We slow down as we arrive at the royal marina, and Theo’s personal sailboat is a hive of activity. Half a dozen members of staff are walking on and off, preparing it for its time at sea. We won’t be out there long—just two nights—but the royal preparations leave nothing to chance.
Theo glances at me, smiling. “Did you bring the deck of cards?”
A flash crosses my eyes as I grin. “Yup. Wouldn’t be the solstice sailing trip without them.”
“Good.” The Prince opens the convertible door and strides toward the waiting sailboat. I grab my bag and scamper after him, excitement igniting in the pit of my stomach.
After three years of pain and countless sleepless nights thinking about Luca, this is the first time I feel like myself again.
It’s the perfect way to leave Argyle. I’m not leaving after a year of misery. It’s my final tour to the island of my youth, and the last little bit of familiarity before I take off for a new beginning.
As soon as I step onto the royal yacht, my heart feels at ease. Most of the staff members walk off, leaving Prince Theo and me with a chef, the captain, and a two-man crew. Usually, we’d have the other princes here, too.
Theo doesn’t seem to mind. He shakes the captain’s hand and looks over his shoulder to smile at me. I inhale the sea air, closing my eyes to enjoy the sun’s rays on my skin.
After three years of heartbreak, things are turning around. This is the start of the chapter for me. One where I have new experiences and a fresh start.
The Prince is right—our traditions are important. Even if Luca’s gone and it’s just Theo and me, it matters that we do our solstice sailing trip. It matters that I stay friends with Theo. It matters that we care about each other, even if Luca and I will never be together.
It’s one last sailing trip to send me off into the world—the perfect goodbye.
3
Theo
“Sing me a song, Cara.”
I stare up at the night sky as a thousand stars twinkle down at me. Gentle waves lap at the sides of the sailboat. The sound of the shore has long since faded, and Cara and I are alone on board with the captain, crew, and chef.
Cara groans beside me. I turn my head to see her lying on the yacht’s deck beside me, her dark, reddish-brown hair splayed around her head. Big brown eyes stare back at me, and she shakes her head.
“It’s bad luck to sing at sea.”
“It’s bad luck to have women on board, yet here you are.”
“Why are there always women carved on the bow of a ship, then?” She arches an eyebrow.
I grin. “They’re topless. That makes it okay.”
“Bullshit.”
“Hey, I don’t make the rules. Long John Silver says topless women are okay, and clothed women aren’t. Who am I to argue with him?”
Cara laughs, shaking her head. God, I’ve missed that sound. For most of my childhood, Cara was with us at the castle. Whenever court life became too serious, I could always count on her to cut through it with a laugh.
Where my life has been defined by duty and responsibility, Cara has always been carefree. It’s one of the reasons I wanted to take this trip this year. One last time feeling free until I was chained to my title.
She snorts, shaking her head. “I’m not taking my top off, you pervert.”
“I only asked you to sing me a song.”
&
nbsp; She smiles, staring up at the starry sky without answering.
“Come on,” I say. “When we were kids, you wouldn’t stop singing. Your voice was beautiful.”
“I don’t want to.”
“Why not?” I nudge her, and Cara turns her head to stare back up at the stars. She doesn’t start singing, and the only sound is the ocean around us.
Finally, after a long silence, Cara sucks in a deep breath.
“I’m leaving,” she says into the night.
“You’re what?”
“I’m leaving. Next week, I leave for the United States, then maybe Farcliff, Canada, and who knows? I want to see the world.” She glances at me, her bright, wide eyes peering deep into my soul. “I applied to a bunch of music schools, but I haven’t gotten into any of them. Most of them didn’t bother replying. Could be a blessing in disguise. This way, I can just leave and see where the wind takes me.” She lets out a long sigh. “I’m thinking I’ll start with Los Angeles. It’ll be relatively warm there, so not too much of a shock to my system after growing up in the Caribbean. I’ll see if I can get a record deal, or at least make some contacts in the music industry. If not, who knows? I can do something else. I always wanted to be a singer, but maybe I’m just not good enough.”
“Bullshit,” I answer. My chest is tight. Cara’s leaving? For good? First my mother, then Luca, and now Cara, too? I clear my throat. “Your voice is amazing.”
“Not according to the dean of admissions for most of the top schools in North America.”
“Whatever. Screw them. Sing me something. I’m your future King.”
“Playing the King card now, huh?” She grins, shaking her head. “What if I refuse?”
“I’ll make you walk the plank. I’ll tie you up to the mast and never let you leave.”
Cara’s laugh rings out in the silent night. “So, life as normal, then. Trapped here to do someone else’s bidding.”
My eyes prickle and a lump forms in my throat. I wasn’t expecting that. It takes me a few seconds to compose myself. “Is this because of Luca?”
Royally Unexpected 2: An Accidental Pregnancy Collection (Surprise Baby Stories) Page 43