The Finale

by Leigh Walker

  I wanted to argue, but I knew it would only end with him lecturing me about how he’d vowed to protect my virtue and blah, blah, blah. Virtue smirtue. “Fine.” I forced myself to sound calm and collected, the opposite of how my raging hormones felt. “Just don’t leave.”

  “I wouldn’t dream of it.” He smirked at me and scooted away. “But I’ll just stay over here while I collect myself. Please proceed with your gossip.”

  “Oh. Right.” I huffed. “I don’t really have any gossip, though. You know everything I know.”

  “What about questions, then? I know you love your questions.” He was trying to appease me, but it only partially worked.

  I wanted to get back to kissing, but of course, I did have questions. “Do you not sleep at all? Will you sit awake all night?”

  “I don’t sleep. I don’t even rest, really—I don’t find it helpful. So I usually work.”

  “Will you work tonight?”

  “No, not tonight.” His voice was husky.

  “What will you do?”

  His gaze raked over me. “I will watch you sleep, Gwyneth. And I will hold you, if you let me.”

  My body started tingling again. “Of course I’ll let you. Maybe we should start now?” I asked.

  He chuckled. “I need another minute. That was…” He stopped laughing, and his expression grew stormy. “I have a very intense reaction to you. I’m not accustomed to feeling like that.”

  I perked up a bit. “Like what?”

  He frowned, a deep V forming in between his eyebrows. “Out of control. When we’re kissing, I almost feel like I can’t stop.”

  “Maybe we should try again. You know, for practice?”

  He laughed. “I look forward to the day when we can practice. But it’s not today.”

  “Have you ever…” I stumbled across the words, wanting to stop myself from asking but unable to. “Have you ever had a reaction like that before? With anyone else?” I had to know.

  “Never.”

  I exhaled, relieved.

  “Have you?”

  “No, of course not.”

  “Have you ever had a boyfriend before?” He stared at me intensely, as if he were trying to read my mind.

  “Once.” My cheeks heated, thinking of the blasé and well-meaning Drew Baylor. “It wasn’t serious.”

  Dallas sat up, puffing his chest. “Is this chap still here in Four?”

  “Easy. He’s no threat to you. I broke up with him months before the competition started.”

  “Why?”

  I wrinkled my nose. “He was a bit boring, is all. I just wasn’t into him.”

  Dallas arched an eyebrow. “Did you ever kiss him?”

  I sat up. “Not the way I just kissed you, that’s for sure. We barely ever touched each other. Rest easy, Your Highness.”

  His face softened. “Good.”

  I giggled. “I can’t believe you’re jealous over me. Please! You’ve been snogging contestants left and right. Tamara’s had her chest up against you more times than I care to count.”

  He reached for my hand and pulled me closer. “I had to do that. It’s for the show.”

  “I’m so sure.”

  He took my face in his hands. “No, Gwyneth, really. I don’t want to be with anyone except you.” He kissed the top of my head and settled me against his chest.

  “Have you?” I asked, after a minute. “Ever had a girlfriend?”

  “No.”

  I looked up at him. “Seriously?”

  “Seriously. The Crown Prince doesn’t get out much. All the young women I’ve known are daughters of my father’s allies. I’ve known them all for years, so really, they’re more like my cousins. The Pageant is the first chance I’ve had to actually date.”

  “Well. Huh.”

  He patted my back. “I know there’s another question in there. Go ahead and ask it.”

  “So are you… Is your…” I bit my lip. “Is your virtue intact?”

  “Yes. Very much so.”

  I peered up at him. “Oh.”

  He chuckled. “You’re surprised?”

  I traced a pattern on his chest, my finger skimming over the smooth cotton of his T-shirt. “You’re very tall and strapping. And you seem to know what you’re doing in the kissing department.”

  “I have no idea what I’m doing. I just know what feels good.”

  I bit my lip again, blushing. “That’s what I’m doing, too. I think we’re quite good at it.”

  “We are excellent at it.” He leaned down and kissed me again, ending it too quickly. “See? A-plus.”

  “I’d like to study for finals,” I whined.

  He chuckled but stubbornly settled me back against his chest. “We will. When the time is right.”

  “Fine.” I yawned, then tried to hide it.

  “Shh, Gwyneth. You need to sleep. I’ll be here all night and when you wake up.”

  “But I don’t want to go to sleep,” I mumbled. Still, the long day of traveling and excitement was catching up to me, and even though I didn’t want to miss a moment with him, my eyelids drooped. “Being a human’s so inconvenient sometimes.”

  “It’s not inconvenient. It’s natural, so don’t fight it.” He wrapped his arms around me. “Good night, Gwyneth.”

  “Good night, Your Dallas.” I snuggled deeper into his chest, smiling even as exhaustion overtook me.

  I’d almost fallen asleep when he kissed my hair. “I love you, Gwyneth,” he whispered.

  Maybe he hadn’t meant for me to hear, but I refused to pretend anymore. I clutched his chest. “I love you, too.”

  And then I blissfully fell asleep in his arms.

  Chapter 13

  Under A Falling Sky

  I woke up and heard Dallas speaking angrily to someone. “What do you mean, he ordered me to return?”

  I sat up, blinking, and found myself alone in the big bed. Sunlight streamed through the windows.

  “Your Highness, please.” Mira Kinney’s voice wafted from the adjacent suite. “The king said it was imperative that we return at once. I’ve already dispatched a separate crew to stay and film the West family at the ribbon-cutting ceremony this morning. Everything will go as we originally planned.”

  “No it will not. Miss West and I won’t be here for the ceremony, and my meeting with the citizens of Four won’t happen!”

  Mira sighed. “The king said he had urgent business he needed you to attend to. He didn’t elaborate.”

  “You bloody well know what he’s doing. He’s sabotaging this visit. He doesn’t want me to speak the truth, and now he’s yanking my leash and bringing me to heel.” Dallas went quiet, and I imagined him angrily pacing. “Did you send the footage back to the palace last night?”

  “Yes, of course I did,” Mira said. “Tariq and the production crew wanted to begin editing it as soon as possible. It’s supposed to air tomorrow night.”

  “My father saw that tape, and he heard me talking about telling the truth. That’s why we’re heading back to the palace. He wants to censor me, and he wants no mention of rebel connections aired on national television.”

  My heart did a somersault, but not the fun kind. The painful, scared kind.

  “Your Highness…” Mira sounded pleading.

  “Don’t you bloody ‘Your Highness’ me. I’ll wake Gwyneth, and we’ll be downstairs shortly. Please have the kitchen prepare a meal for her. And no cameras in the car on the ride home, Mira. I’m done performing tricks for the moment.”

  “Yes, Your Highness. I’m just not sure how to spin this for the audience at home.”

  “That’s your problem, not mine. Do your job and figure it out. I’ll see you shortly.” I heard the door to the suite close, and a moment later, Dallas came into the bedroom, looking angry and distracted. He stopped when he saw me sitting up. “I guess you heard that.”

  “Are you all right?”

  He raked a hand through his hair. “No, I’m not.”


  I patted the bed beside me. “Come here.” He sank down, and I took his hand in mine. “The king has summoned you home?”

  “Us.” His voice was husky. “He’s summoned us home.”

  “And you believe it was because he saw the tape of our conversation in the car? When you spoke of being honest about the rebels?”

  “Yes.” He stared at our entwined hands.

  “What do you think he wants?”

  He looked up at me, his face haunted. “He wants to shut me up.”

  I took a deep breath. “Maybe you should listen to him, Dallas.”

  “I’ve listened to him long enough.” He sprang up and started pacing again. “I’m tired of his lies and how he manipulates everyone around him. Every inch of freedom he gives me, he takes away. He says he wants to raise me to rule, and yet he treats me like a child, unable to make decisions even for myself. I am done with him, Gwyneth.”

  “You can’t be done with him. He’s your father.”

  Dallas’s eyes blazed. “He might be my father, but I no longer believe that he wants the best things for the settlements. No, he might be my father, but he is no longer my king.”

  “Bloody hell, don’t say things like that!” I sat up, my nerves thrumming. “He’ll accuse you of treason and throw you in the dungeons next to Balkyn!”

  “That might not be the worst thing.”

  “Dallas, please. We’ve talked about this. The settlements need you. I need you. I understand you’re angry, but you’ve got to calm down enough to have a rational conversation with him.”

  He clenched his fists and kept pacing. “He’s going to tell me I can’t talk about the rebels, and he’s going to tell me that I can’t choose you because of your rebel connections.”

  I swallowed hard. I feared that was exactly what the king would say. “You still need to hear him out. He is the king, and he’s also your father. You might not see it, but perhaps he really does have your best interests at heart.”

  He stopped and stared at me. “You think it’s in our best interests to keep lying to our people about what we are and what they’ve lost?”

  “No.”

  “Do you think it’s in our best interests for my father to have me marry Tamara?”

  “Maybe he’ll ask you to consider one of the other girls.” My voice came out small.

  Dallas shook his head. “And you would let me go? You would stand by and watch me with someone else?”

  I stood and went to him then wrapped my arms around his large, tense shoulders. “It would shatter my heart, Dallas. But if you believed it was the right thing, that it was best for your family and for the settlements, I would respect that.”

  “You want me to put my duty before my heart?” He sounded anguished.

  “No, of course I don’t. Because I’m a selfish cow, and I couldn’t bear it.” I laughed, trying to lighten the mood. “I’m trying to be supportive. But I’m not a royal—I’ve no idea of the sort of pressure you’re under from your father. I’m saying that I support you and also that I don’t want you to lose everything because of me. So hear your father out. Things will work out in the end, I know it.”

  He held me tightly. “How do you know?”

  “Because you said they would, and you’re the prince.”

  But as he held me, part of me worried he’d been wrong all along and that Mira had been right. The stars did not favor us.

  And I did not know how to fight the stars.

  We sat in silence on the way back to the palace. I was sad that I didn’t get to say goodbye to my family, but I didn’t mention it. Dallas clearly had enough on his mind.

  It didn’t seem possible, but the competition would be over by week’s end. Either I would be reunited with my family in celebration, or I’d be dropped on their doorstep, a sobbing mess. I took cold comfort from the fact that, either way, it wouldn’t be long before I saw them again.

  Dallas stared out the window, lost in his own thoughts. It was too bad we weren’t taking advantage of the lack of cameras and snogging our brains out, but he seemed upset, with good reason.

  “Will you go away again tonight, with Blake or Shaye?” I finally asked after a long silence.

  He leaned against the seat. “I’m supposed to.”

  I waited for him to go on. When he didn’t, I asked, “But?”

  He shrugged. “But I’m just about done with this contest.”

  “You can’t quit now. The whole country’s watching. They’re rooting for you, and it’s only a few more days.”

  The muscle in his jaw jumped. “I’m not going to live a lie, Gwyneth.”

  I took a deep breath. “I’m not asking you to. I am asking you to be reasonable and to avoid burning a bridge with your father. Not because he is the king. Because he is your family.”

  “He isn’t being reasonable, and he isn’t listening. I think it’s time to fight fire with fire.”

  “Dallas, please. Is my brother being reasonable? No, he is not. And yet, I love him still. I will continue to try to persuade him to listen to me, if not to see my side of the story. That’s my duty, and I daresay it’s yours, too. You can’t just abandon your family. Not without trying first.”

  He blew out a deep breath. “Sometimes it feels as though I’m slamming my head into a wall, expecting the wall to just pick up and move out of my way.”

  “I understand.” I thought of Balkyn, glaring at me with hate in his eyes. “No one said it would be easy. But think about the competition and everything that you’ve accomplished since it’s begun. Finish what you started. Continue your good work of building a relationship with the settlers. Everything’s changing. I could feel it when we were home and especially when we were at the center. People are excited. People have hope, which they haven’t had for years. Don’t undo the progress that you’ve made.”

  “Everyone was excited about the center. I’m very proud of it. The energy in Four was palpable.” He was quiet, then he nodded. “You might be… Why, Gwyneth, you’re right.”

  “I know I am!” Encouraged, I smiled. “So while I’m on a roll, I shall continue. You have to think long term, not short term. And here’s another bit of wisdom. Do not cut off your nose merely to spite your face.”

  Dallas arched an eyebrow, the ghost of a smile appearing on his lips. “Have you been hanging out with Eve recently?” We often joked that Eve was the most philosophical person we knew.

  “Of course I have.” I reached for his hand. “It’s nice to see you smile.”

  The smile vanished, replaced by a grimace. “I rather think it’ll be in short supply when we get to the palace.”

  My stomach sank. I was nervous about what was waiting for us. The prince had more dates, there was the king’s anger to deal with, my brother… Together, it all seemed like more than I was equipped to handle.

  Still, I put my head on Dallas’s shoulder. We would be separated upon our return, and I refused to waste another moment. “We have our happy bubble for now. And I’m so glad for it.”

  He gently stroked my hair. “As am I, Gwyneth. As am I.”

  Chapter 14

  Death Of A Thousand Cuts

  As was the custom, the palace’s staff waited to greet us on the front stairs. They’d lined up neatly with expectant smiles on their faces. Tariq and the king waited near the door. My breath hitched as I saw them. Neither one of them was smiling.

  Our driver parked the SUV, and the sentinel in the passenger seat opened his door.

  “Wait,” Dallas commanded. “Give us a moment. Let the camera crew set up, and then bring us out.”

  The sentinel nodded. “As you wish, Your Majesty.”

  Dallas hit the button for the privacy screen and turned to me, his eyes blazing. “I’m a bloody fool for not having you in my arms this entire time.”

  I reached out and stroked his face. “You’re no fool. What we have is strong. You will take me in your arms again, I’m sure of it. We don’t have to rush or act like every
second we have together is our last.”

  He winced. “My father is ready to pounce. I need you to promise me that you’ll keep your head down and stay out of harm’s way. If you’re not at a lesson or a meal, please, stay in your chambers. It’s best if my father doesn’t even see you. I don’t want you on his radar.”

  I nodded shakily. “I promise.”

  “And I promise to deal with him and to sort this out. You have my word that I will do everything to protect you, as well as Balkyn.” He took my hands. “If I decide to continue with the Pageant—”

  “Which you must—”

  “—I won’t see you for the next two days. Keep to yourself and do not speak of your brother. Trust no one, Gwyneth. I’ll be thinking of you every moment.”

  He came closer and gently put his lips to mine. The kiss quickly turned into a deep, stormy embrace, our tongues tangling. I threw my arms around his neck, and he pulled me tightly against him, his hands running down my back, as if trying to memorize the planes of my body.

  When he pulled away, I felt bereft, as if I might cry. He tapped me on the chin. “We’re going to be okay.”

  “O-of course we are.”

  He took a deep breath and briefly closed his eyes. When he opened them, the storm had passed, and his gaze was clear. “I love you, Gwyneth. And I will fight for us.”

  “I love you, too.” But I wanted to say more. Do not fight so hard you lose yourself. Because of all the outcomes I can’t bear to think about…

  “Are you ready?” he asked.

  “Yes.” No.

  Dallas rapped on the privacy screen, and a moment later, the sentinel opened the door. Then we headed out, first into the sunshine and then into whatever darkness awaited us inside the palace.

  “Ah! Will you look what the cat dragged in? You didn’t last long, did you?” Tamara merrily sipped her sparkling water as I shuffled into the common room. “I daresay this competition’s wrapped up!”

  “Shut it, Tamara.” I had no patience for her ribbing. I’d just seen the prince practically dragged off by his father, who’d been gesturing angrily when I saw them disappear down the hall. My stomach roiled, thinking about what the king had to say regarding our visit to Settlement 4.