Karia and the Prince (Avalon Adventures Book 2)

by Isabella Kole

  H: I won’t keep you. I arrived at my hotel this evening. My itinerary is quite packed but I will try to text again tomorrow night. Best of luck to you and your friend tomorrow.

  K: Thanks, good luck to you as well. Love you.

  H: Sleep well, sweet Karia. Love to you.

  Oh, that man was so hard to read at times. His texts were usually so straight to the point. He did send his love, though. She just had to learn to accept that this was his way, his upbringing. Protocol, it was all he’d ever known. He certainly hadn’t adhered to that while he was busy partying his way around the world, but that had all changed now. He was playing by the rules these days. At least, he was as far as anyone knew.

  But was he really? Karia would really like to know the answer to that question. And damn Master Oliver Armstrong for planting those seeds of doubt in her mind. She could have very well done without that. She really needed to get some sleep, though, so she tried to quiet her busy mind by concentrating on her meetings the next morning. She finally fell asleep, but it wasn’t a sound slumber by any means.

  At five, Karia got up and made a cup of coffee in the room. Julia was just stirring, and she opted for some Earl Grey instead when she finally slipped out of bed. Since they had allowed themselves plenty of time, each girl savored her first morning brew before they took turns getting ready.

  “Mmm, I needed this. The prince texted just as I was going to sleep last night. He wanted to wish us both good luck today.”

  “That was nice of him. Will you see him this weekend?” Julia asked as she sipped her tea.

  “No, he arrived in Ireland last evening. He is doing a good bit of traveling right now, and he said that his itinerary is quite packed.”

  “It must be so hard to be a royal. Your time really is not your own.”

  “And everyone is interested in what you’re doing, so you’re always in front of the cameras, whether you wish to be or not,” Karia added. “I found that out the hard way.”

  “Yes, every little girl dreams of finding her prince, but when you come right down to it, is that the life you would want?”

  “I’ve thought a lot about that. I’m not sure.”

  “Well, it sounds like that’s a decision you may have to one day make if you and the prince become more than just ‘good friends’,” Julia said.

  “I’ll worry about that if the time comes. It may never progress to that stage,” Karia said as she got up. “Care if I shower first?”

  “No, go ahead. I’ll sit here and enjoy my tea.”

  Karia allowed the warm spray of water to awaken her as she stood in the shower stall. When she had finished, she stepped out and grabbed one of the luxurious white towels to dry herself with, then she went to the mirror and wiped away the steam. Using the blow dryer, she styled her long dark hair in a perfect blow out style, pulled one side back with a gold clip and continued her morning ritual by brushing her teeth and applying her makeup. She stepped into the bedroom with the towel wrapped around her body and waited until Julia had gone into the bath before she chose her clothes for the day.

  Since she now had appropriate attire for her meetings, she pulled a navy-blue dress out of the closet. It was knee length, a shirtdress with a full skirt and a matching belt. She had gold jewelry, which she’d snuck into her bags when she’d come back to school from summer vacation. A delicate necklace with matching bracelet and earrings had been easy to hide. After all her trips to the palace last year, she wanted to be prepared this term, in case she was lucky enough to be granted trips to the city. Now, she was glad she’d had the foresight to do so.

  Plain, navy pumps completed the ensemble, and even though it was nothing fancy, at least it wasn’t a sailor dress and Mary Janes. She filled a small navy clutch with the essentials and sat down to wait for Julia.

  When both girls were ready, they waited for Andrew’s knock on the door. He accompanied them to the dining room and again sat at a table near them while they ate breakfast. The school guard was with him, and when they’d finished, Julia left with him while a driver took Karia and Andrew to the offices of Melinda Matthews, one of the city’s up and coming designers.

  Karia announced herself to the receptionist when she entered the lobby of the building. The layout was very modern, and the girl smiled at her from behind a glass and chrome desk.

  “Good morning, Ms. Daly, welcome. Ms. Matthews’ assistant will be with you shortly.”

  “Thank you. Do you always work on Saturdays?” Karia asked.

  The girl smiled. “There are two of us. We actually take turns, but the office is open on Saturdays. It’s usually one of our busiest days. We take customer appointments and many of our clientele can only come in on their day off.”

  “I see,” Karia said as she made a notation.

  Soon, a stunning blonde entered the lobby and greeted her, “Ms. Daly, hello. I’m Elizabeth, Ms. Matthews’ personal assistant. I’ll give you a tour and answer some of your questions. Then, you’ll meet with Ms. Matthews for tea and an interview. Come with me.”

  The woman was dressed in a stylish two-piece cream suit. She wore a rose-colored shell underneath with matching pumps. Her hair was pulled up, her makeup perfect. Rose gold jewelry accented the outfit.

  “Thank you,” Karia said as she followed the woman through a set of double doors.

  “This is my office.” They walked into a very nice room that was decorated in shades of mauve and gray. Elizabeth told her of her duties and answered several questions before she took her around the office. Next, they went next door to a large room, where several people were assisting customers. Elizabeth showed her some of the new fall designs, and then they went back to the offices, where the woman took her to a large office on the second floor of the building.

  “This is Ms. Matthews’ office, where all the magic happens. She likes to be up here where it’s quiet so she can concentrate on her designs.” Elizabeth knocked on the door.

  Karia heard a voice say, “Come in,” and they went into the room.

  The room completely took her breath away as she looked around the vast space. There was an area that was obviously where the woman did her work, another area with chairs and a table for meetings, possibly, and finally, a large desk in the center of the room. A beautiful woman sat behind the desk. She was probably in her thirties, with brunette hair that she wore in a bun. When she stood, Karia could see that she was wearing one of her own designs, a simple dress in a fall shade of maroon. Her jewelry was color coordinated as were the strappy-heeled sandals she wore on her feet.

  “Welcome, Ms. Daly. I hope you’ve enjoyed your tour. We’ll have tea now and you can ask me anything you’d like,” the woman said with a friendly smile.

  Elizabeth guided her to one of the chairs. “I’ll be back with tea,” she said as she left the room.

  Melinda joined her then and sat in one of the other chairs. “I understand you are doing an article about fashion for this year’s assignment at the academy. You are a journalism major.”

  “Yes, that’s right,” Karia replied.

  “I also know that you are the daughter of Gordon Daly. I must commend you on the piece you did about Prince Henry. Poor boy, he’s really had to step up his game in the last year.”

  “Thank you. Yes, it was most unfortunate about his older brother.”

  “Yes, I knew Alexander. I am also acquainted with the academy. I know some of your professors quite well.”

  “Oh?” Karia asked, surprised.

  “Oliver Armstrong was a good friend of Alexander’s, so I met him through Alex. I also know Professor Evelyn. She and my mother are old friends.”

  “Really? That’s amazing.”

  “Yes, when Evelyn asked me to meet with you, I was happy to accommodate her request. Oh, here is our tea tray. Thank you so much, Elizabeth.”

  When the woman had gone, Melinda confided, “I don’t know what I would do without her. She is an excellent assistant.”

  “She se
ems very nice and quite knowledgeable.”

  “Oh, yes, she is both.”

  Melinda poured two cups of tea and told Karia to help herself to the treats on the tray. There were cakes and scones to choose from. Karia chose a small cake and sat back to begin the interview.

  Since Karia was well prepared with her questions, the interview went smoothly. When they were finished, she thanked Ms. Matthews for her time.

  “Oh, you’re quite welcome. I’ll look forward to reading your article.” Melinda called for Elizabeth, who escorted Karia back to the lobby. Andrew was waiting for her, and he called for the driver.

  “Thank you again, Elizabeth,” Karia said as she left.

  When they got outside the building, she saw flashes and knew immediately what was going on. It was the paparazzi. Somehow, they’d gotten wind of the fact that she was here and had made sure they were able to get some photos of her leaving the office. Great! What would the headlines say now?

  Andrew shielded her as best he could and rushed her into the waiting car.

  “I’m sorry, Ms. Daly. I had hoped that wouldn’t happen,” he said as the driver took off.

  “It’s not your fault. I guess it’s a good thing you are with me,” she replied. She could see that the driver was taking the back streets to her next meeting. She turned around to see if they were being followed and breathed a sigh of relief when it seemed that they weren’t.

  She met with the next designer on her list, and when that interview was completed, Andrew whisked her out a back door to the waiting car.

  When they arrived back at the hotel, they entered through a side door and used the service elevator to get to their floor. Luckily, they made it to their rooms without any further disturbances. Karia was happy to be back in her room, and she changed into more comfortable clothes before making herself a cup of tea while she waited for Julia to return. She was going over her notes when the other girl came in.

  “How was your morning?” Julia asked.

  “Eventful,” she replied. “Get comfy, and I’ll tell you about it.”

  When Julia was settled with a cup of tea, Karia told her about the interviews and then about the paparazzi.

  “You do lead a most exciting life, don’t you?”

  “Unfortunately. Now, tell me about your morning.”

  “It wasn’t as exciting as yours, but I got some good notes. Why don’t we order room service for lunch before we get to work?”

  “I’m all over that. Anything to keep from going out right now.”

  After they’d both ordered fish and chips, Julia started scrolling through her phone. “Oh, look, there’s a photo of your handsome prince in Ireland.”

  “Let me see,” Karia said as she leaned over to look. Julia was on her Instagram account, and sure enough, there were shots of Henry at an event.

  Julia kept scrolling. “Oh, my word.”

  “What?” Karia asked absent-mindedly.

  “You.” Julia handed the phone to her so she could see.

  “I’m on Instagram?” Karia asked.

  “Oh yeah, didn’t take long. It’s a photo of you coming out of Melinda Matthews’ office.”

  “Bloody paparazzi,” she said as she took the phone again and looked. The caption under the photo read, Henry’s lady friend seen visiting Melinda Matthews’ fashion offices this morning. Perhaps she’s having a gown made.

  “They are relentless,” Julia said. “Think of all the rumors that will be running rampant with that caption.”

  Karia rolled her eyes. “Rubbish. It’s all just rubbish, innuendos and lies. They have no idea why I was really there.”

  “It’s a gorgeous photo of you, though. At least, you can be thankful for that.”

  Their lunch arrived, so Julia got up to answer the door while Karia ran to the bathroom, just in case the server had seen the photo and recognized her.

  The food was good, and for a few minutes, Karia allowed herself to enjoy her lunch without worrying about the photo some tabloid reporter had posted for the world to see.

  “I’ll have to tell Henry. He said he’d try to text tonight,” she finally said.

  “I’m so sorry you have to deal with this stuff,” Julia said. “It must be horrible.”

  “I’m sure some girls would love the attention and speculation, but I’m not like that.”

  “I know you’re not. You’re much too classy.”

  “Thank you. I was raised to be respectful of others’ privacy.”

  “So was I. This is very intrusive if you ask me.”

  “Well, that’s what the tabloids specialize in, sensationalism. I’m determined to be an honest reporter, like my father.”

  “And you will succeed. I know you will. The article you did about Henry and the royal family last spring was phenomenal. And your story about fashion will be just as good.”

  “Speaking of which, I guess we should get to work on our notes.”

  “I’ll just put this tray in the hall,” Julia offered.

  For the rest of the afternoon, both girls kept busy. When it was dinnertime, Julia looked up and asked, “Do you feel like going down to the restaurant for dinner?”

  “It’s not fair of me to expect you to stay in, so we’ll go. Andrew will be nearby if there are any problems.”

  “I guess we should change,” Julia said as she looked down at the leggings and hoodie she was wearing.

  “I think just a different top will work. I’m going to leave my leggings on and change into a nice sweater, I think.”

  “Okay, sounds good. I didn’t really want to get dressed up again. I’ll be ready soon.”

  While they were changing, Karia texted Andrew to let him know they would be going down to dinner soon.

  Fortunately, they were undisturbed as they enjoyed a leisurely meal in the hotel restaurant. They went back to their room after they’d eaten, to enjoy a movie.

  “If you wish to go out, don’t let me stop you,” Karia said.

  “Are you kidding? I have no desire to leave this fabulous room. All I want is to get in my jammies and do nothing but veg. We’ll be back on the mountain in our little dorm rooms before you know it.”

  “All right, if you’re sure. We’ll be back to our rigid schedules soon enough, so I agree with you about enjoying this room while we can.”

  “Besides, we’d have Andrew with us if we went out,” Julia said with a giggle. “What fun would that be?”

  “I see your point,” Karia said, laughing with her.

  They soon settled in to watch a comedy. When Henry texted her, she excused herself and Julia paused the movie.

  H: How did your meetings go?

  K: They both went very well. I got some good notes, and everyone was very nice. Have you by chance looked at Instagram today?

  H: No, I haven’t had time. Did you have problems with the paparazzi?

  K: They spotted me coming out of Melinda Matthews’ offices. I should warn you, the caption is crazy.

  H: I just found it. Ha, let them wonder. I am sorry you had to run into them, though. I was hoping that wouldn’t happen.

  K: I half expected it. Andrew was very good, though. How was your day?

  H: One event after another. I’m in for the night, enjoying a drink and winding down.

  K: Julia and I are in our room watching a movie. We didn’t feel like going out and possibly being photographed.

  H: I’m so sorry. At least, I hope you are enjoying the girl time and the movie.

  K: We are. I should probably go. She has paused the movie so I could text with you.

  H: Have a safe trip back tomorrow. And, Karia, don’t let what happened today get to you. We’ll see each other very soon. Sending love.

  K: I’ll be fine. Can’t wait for fall break. Sending love back to you.

  She set her phone down, and Julia asked, “What did he say about the photo?”

  “He said not to let it get to me and to let them wonder why I was there.”

 
; “Good advice. Now, shall I start the movie again?”

  “Yes, of course. Would you like some cocoa? I think I saw some packets.”

  “Sounds good.”

  They enjoyed cocoa and the rest of that movie, then they watched a drama before calling it a night.

  The next evening found them safely back at the academy, where Colleen was waiting to hear all about her weekend. Karia told Julia goodnight and joined her roommate in the dining room to fill her in.

  “Instagram? Ordering a gown? You’ve got to be kidding me!” Colleen said.

  “Nope, I wish I was. Henry says not to worry about it, that we’ll just keep them wondering.”

  “That’s probably the best approach. I’m glad your interviews went well, though. So, Melinda Matthews knows Master Armstrong and Professor Evelyn. Small world, isn’t it?”

  “I’ll say. Who would have thought it? So, what did you do all weekend?”

  “I studied, then some of us went to the rec room and played games and watched movies. I went for a walk with Rhiannon this afternoon.”

  “Typical Avalon weekend, then,” Karia said. “I so miss doing fun things, don’t you?”

  “Why didn’t you and Julia go out while you were in the city?”

  “Are you kidding? For one, the paparazzi, two, Andrew, the royal guard, would have been with us, and three, we rather enjoyed relaxing in that very nice room.”

  “Is Julia nice? She seems to be.”

  “We got along fine. I would love for the two of us to be able to go away like that, though. Wouldn’t that be a riot?”

  “We’ll have to do it one of these days.”

  “Next weekend is Parents’ Weekend. Are your folks going to make it?”

  Colleen replied, “Yes, they’ll both be here. I’m sure yours will be as well.”

  “Oh, yes, they wouldn’t miss it. Another chance for my father and Armstrong to team up.”

  “Do you really believe that?” Colleen asked.

  “Sure seems that way. At least, my parents did agree that I could spend my fall break at the palace with Henry and Emma.”

  “That’s something. Be grateful for it.”

  “True enough. My father is no longer forbidding me to see Henry, even though he is not fond of the idea. And my parents don’t have Instagram accounts, so maybe this latest paparazzi trickery will go unnoticed by them.”