by J. S. Scott
Virgin For The Prince
Taken By A Trillionaire Series
Copyright 2017 by J.S. Scott
All rights reserved. No part of this document may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, without prior written permission.
Cover Design by Cali MacKay
ISBN: 978-1-946660-20-6 (E-Book)
DEDICATION
I couldn’t possibly write this novella and not dedicate it to my two amazing author friends, Ruth Cardello and Melody Anne. I have no idea how I got lucky enough to meet two women in this profession who are as crazy as I am, but I do realize that I’m extremely blessed to call you both my friends.
Thank you for always being there at my back during the good times, and the ones that weren’t so great. Thank you for your unconditional support when I needed it, and for just being two very special hilarious, talented, and amazing friends that I just love to hang out with under any circumstances.
Our royal trillionaire series is special because we have so much fun brainstorming it together. Long live the Demande family and their reigns.
Love you ladies!
XXX Jan
CONTENTS
PROLOGUE Nic
CHAPTER 1 Diana
CHAPTER 2 Diana
CHAPTER 3 Nic
CHAPTER 4 Diana
CHAPTER 5 Diana
CHAPTER 6 Diana
CHAPTER 7 Diana
CHAPTER 8 Diana
CHAPTER 9 Nic
CHAPTER 10 Diana
CHAPTER 11 Diana
CHAPTER 12 Diana
EPILOGUE Diana
PROLOGUE
Nic
“I am not going to the ball,” I told my father, trying not to grind my teeth in irritation.
I might be only a little less than two weeks away from my thirtieth birthday, but I wasn’t going to find a wife at some crazy masquerade ball. My situation was intolerable, and shopping for a bride amongst hundreds of eligible women who my father had pulled together from all different areas of the world wasn’t going to improve my ornery disposition right now.
Yes, I had to marry, but I wasn’t going to let my father pick a woman I had to live with for the rest of my life. I knew my duty, and I’d do it. But I didn’t have to be happy or enthusiastic while I was condemning myself to a life sentence with someone I really didn’t know.
“You will attend,” my father bellowed, his face turning red with anger. “You need a wife, and I’m hearing rumblings among our people that the Arcano are getting restless.”
“Let them,” I replied. “No doubt I will give in to this archaic tradition when the time comes, but not a moment before.”
I was, after all, a Demande, Prince Niccolino of the royal family of Rubare Virgina. Luckily, I wasn’t inheriting the crown like my eldest brother, Ballasare, but I knew our country’s traditions. How could I not? My father reminded me of them every damn day.
“You plan to wait until the eve of your birthday?” he asked.
“If necessary,” I answered in a clipped tone that lacked the respect I usually showed my only parent. But forcing me to marry was a sore subject, and I hated the topic enough not to care how my words sounded at the moment.
In all other things, I respected my father’s opinion. He was a good king, and he’d spent his life trying to do what he thought was best for his people. But it was my life we were talking about. I’d have to live with the bride I chose for the rest of my life. No doubt I’d pick one of our citizens, a woman who I could at least share a friendly relationship with in the future. There were a few local women I knew well enough to tolerate, and I knew they’d accept a marriage proposal. But I was going to enjoy my last few weeks of freedom before I made my match.
All I wanted was some peace as I neared my birthday. I’d traveled all over the world, and I hadn’t found a woman I could fall in love with. I was starting to strongly believe she didn’t exist.
“Do you have somebody chosen, Nic?” my older brother asked me sympathetically.
I turned my face away from my sire’s enraged expression to look at Ballasare, and his wife, Jessica. All four of us were standing in the great room of my father’s palace after I’d been summoned here…only to find out that my father had planned some kind of insane “wife hunt” without my knowledge. “I don’t have a woman lined up yet,” I finally admitted to Ballasare. “But what does it matter? It will never be the marriage that you two have. I’ll choose hoping for friendship and companionship rather than love.”
My elder brother had married for love, an American woman who he’d met after planning a conference event on his own terms, where he’d met and fell in love with Jessica.
“Maybe you should go to the ball tonight,” Ballasare answered. “At least you’d meet women from other countries. Maybe one of them would suit better than the women you’ve met here.”
“I’ve been around the world and back, Big Balls,” I responded tersely, using the nickname I knew my older brother hated. “Don’t you think I’d have met her in my travels if she existed? Why waste my existing days of freedom on a fiasco full of women who want nothing except my title and money?”
Problem was, I’d never met a female who cared more about me than she did about my status and wealth. It was as if none of them were able to have any kind of conversation without referencing my title or my wealth. I was starting to doubt that there was anyone out there who could ever meet me as an equal, or who would give a damn about something other than being a very rich princess.
“You will go to the ball and evaluate the females I’ve invited here for you,” my father said in a booming voice. “Then, you will court one of them after you’ve made your choice and announced the engagement. The festivities will go on for a week, so you’ll have time to get to know the woman of your choice. Either that or you pick a local bride right now. We need to at least make an announcement.”
“Your Majesty, give Nic some time. One night is not enough for him to decide,” Jessica suggested. “Please. A decision like this is not one to make lightly. He has to spend the rest of his life with his choice.”
My father grumbled, but then he was silent.
I had a hard time not grinning at Jessica. Very few people could make my father stop speaking. But over the last year or so, she’d become more and more influential with my father. I found it amusing that the woman who my father hadn’t wanted for my older brother had turned into the perfect princess for Ballasare, and had come to have my father’s ear more often than not.
My brother was so damn lucky to have a woman he could love, and who loved him back just as fiercely. I wasn’t jealous of their relationship. Hell, I’d hoped for the same thing after I’d watched the two of them together and happy. But it just wasn’t to be for me. I’d resigned myself to the fact that I’d have to choose wisely and hope that the relationship would eventually be one of friendly companionship.
“I’ll make my decision before my birthday. That’s all I can promise,” I answered morosely, still angry at my father for bringing a gaggle of women to Rubare Virgina that he wanted me to inspect like I was buying a vehicle instead of looking for a bride.
I knew I would follow tradition to keep my family from harm. The last thing I wanted was the Arcano, our secret police, to take my actions out on the rest of the royal family.
“That sounds fair to me,” Ballasare answered before my father c
ould say anything.
“It’s still not acceptable to wait until the last minute. How can we plan the nuptials? And what of the restless Arcano,” my father asked.
“The wedding will be immediate family only in the chapel here in the castle. I refuse to make a spectacle out of an event that will be forced on both myself and my bride,” I answered sternly. “Until then, please allow me my freedom.”
I bowed my head formally to my father and decided to take my leave. I had pressing matters at home to deal with and resolve.
“You will attend the ball this evening,” my father called after me.
I lifted a hand, but I didn’t turn around to face him again. I rarely got this angry, but when I did, there was no authority in the world that could calm my temper.
Having a whole week’s worth of useless events laid out before me during my last days of freedom was the last straw. My father had planned this gala and the parties taking place over the next week, flew in wealthy females from prominent families all over the world who were eager to be a princess with unlimited wealth. If my only parent wanted to attend his ball tonight, then fine. But to expect me to waste seven days right now for a plan I’d never agreed to was unacceptable.
But what if she’s there, the woman I was meant to marry?
I pushed away the fanciful thought. I had been almost everywhere in my nearly-thirty years on Earth, and that female just didn’t exist.
I’d marry, but I’d do so on my terms and in my time. I had over a week until I was forced to take a bride, and I didn’t plan on squandering that time.
CHAPTER 1
Diana
Maybe this wasn’t such a great plan after all.
I surveyed the surging crowd in the ballroom of The Colossal Hotel with more than a little trepidation. I teetered on my high-heeled shoes and tried to breathe while in a dress that was much too tight to suck in sufficient air. I stood back, frowning as I evaluated the enormous formal staircase leading down into the crowded venue.
I’m never going to make it without falling flat on my ass. What am I doing here? I hate balls and fancy parties. Always had.
Sure, it had all sounded perfect when I was home in New York, but I was now stuck on an island in the middle of the Mediterranean in a ballroom with men in tuxedos and women who were definitely dressed to impress. The wealth of the island nation and the invitees from other countries was on full display, and I was feeling woefully inadequate as I peered down at the enormous number of guests milling around the pomp and circumstance of the marble ballroom that was glittering with gemstones. And not all of the precious stones were around the women’s necks or fingers. As I squinted down at the lavishly decorated area below me, I could swear the walls were actually decorated with gems.
I need to just go, try not to fall down the stairs in these heels, and get rid of my virginity so I can move on to exploring the island.
My plan really was just that simple. I didn’t want to be royalty. I’d already lived in the world of the ultra-rich for my entire life. I hated it, so I’d gotten a college education and tried to remove myself from the upper circles.
I knew the only reason I’d been invited to Rubare Virgina was as a prospective wife to some pompous, spoiled, and extremely rich prince. Normally, I would have fought with my mother and refuse to attend the weeklong festivities, but the lure of exploring a small nation that wasn’t usually open to outsiders had been too strong. I’d heard about The Grand Library of Rubare Virgina. It housed some of the richest history volumes in the world. Then, there was the unique history of Rubare Collina and Rubare Virgina. I’d already been to Rubare Collina, found as much information as possible on the history of the exiled who had eventually formed two separate but very powerful nations. Being allowed entrance into Rubare Virgina had been too big of an opportunity to ignore. Since my main focus of interest was European history, I desperately wanted to write a book on the two countries that most people in the world knew little about.
My mother hadn’t cared why I’d agreed. She just wanted me to become the next Princess Di…literally.
For once, I’d allowed her to get her dressmaker to design the perfect dress for the ball, and I’d actually had a makeover so I could learn how to straighten out my frizzy, flame-red hair, and make my freakish eyes look more acceptable with contrast and shadows. Not that I cared, but tonight I wanted to be able to attract somebody—anybody—to take my virginity at this gathering.
After that, I’d be home free to explore the island until the festivities were over. Rubare Virgina was steeped in tradition, and if I didn’t fit into the “virgin on her wedding night” category, I wasn’t eligible to be a bride to any of the royal family. Any wife for a prince had to be a virgin bride, untouched on the day of her nuptials.
His Highness won’t have any problem finding a less tainted bride in this crowd.
I could see plenty of young, beautiful hopefuls below. Any one of them was welcome to the prince. All I wanted was to quietly sneak away to explore as much as I could during the week of festivities.
The chances of Prince Nic actually selecting me as his bride were almost nil, but I wanted an excuse as to why I wasn’t attending all the planned parties if anyone asked while I was out studying the island. I’d tell them that I’d been mistaken for an “eligible” female when I really was not.
I edged my way toward the top of the staircase, determined. I was just as wealthy as many of the guests attending this formal party. My father had been one of the wealthiest men in the world, and he’d left half of his fortune to me. Since I was an only child, I was the sole heir to the Longmont legacy.
Unfortunately, money had never made me many real friends or brought me much happiness.
Because I’m a geek. I’ve never fit into the world of the rich and beautiful.
My hair was a wreck, and I didn’t really have the patience or the desire to go through hours every day to straighten it.
My eyes were some bizarre shade of green, so light that they were more eerie than they were unique.
My body was just a little too round.
My grace was non-existent.
And I cared way too much about the world and all its curiosities to be considered part of the elite. I couldn’t adopt the nonchalant, disinterested attitude that seemed to be necessary for me to fit in with other women who flitted from party to party. They might be my peers, but they were females I could never relate to.
I sighed as I considered the guys in my circle. I’d yet to meet one who wasn’t more concerned with my money than with getting to know me.
Really, I wasn’t all that complicated, but when I started to talk, it wasn’t difficult to see my date’s eyes glaze over from boredom. I had majored in history, and I had already written published texts on European history, so maybe I wasn’t exactly a great companion unless a man was interested in something other than their bank account.
I tried to shrug off the discomfort of my last encounter with just how painful picking the wrong guy could be, but I wasn’t entirely successful. Luckily, the relationship had ended before it had really started. But it had still left me wary and cynical.
Straightening my shoulders, I stepped into line to go down those terrifying steps, now fervently wishing I’d just put on my sneakers with the long dress. I watched as the women before me swept down the stairs with all the grace and elegance one would expect at a very formal masquerade ball. Nobody was really in disguise, but everyone attending was wearing a mask, including me. To my chagrin, I’d realized that my glasses weren’t going to work with the fancy mask I was wearing, and I hadn’t remembered to bring my seldom-used contact lenses. So everything and everybody was just a little bit fuzzy if I wasn’t close enough for objects or people to come into focus.
Good thing I don’t know anybody here. I won’t be expected to recognize anybody.
“Hell
o,” an older gentleman in a tuxedo greeted me as I stepped up to officially enter the ball. “May I have your invitation?”
I silently handed him my card so he could announce me, an unsettling event that made me even more nervous.
I cringed as he bellowed: “Miss Diana Longmont of the United States of America.”
I tried to smile at him, but the butterflies in my stomach were getting the best of me, so I was afraid it was a rather feeble attempt.
Resisting the urge to rip off the itchy mask I was wearing, I gathered the full skirt of my silky, cream-colored gown and took my first step.
My fingers were white-knuckled on the golden banister as I took a second step. The polished marble beneath my feet was slick, and I wasn’t feeling particularly confident. But as I approached the halfway point, I started to relax.
I can do this. I can be elegant and alluring. It’s only one silly flight of stairs.
Of course, I didn’t want to remind myself that my vision wasn’t completely clear, and I was, by nature, a complete and total klutz.
I made it to the second-to-the-last step before I tripped over my high heels, unsteady because I’d let go of my death grip on the banister as I’d neared the bottom of the stairs.
My shoe caught in the hem of my dress, and I let out a very indelicate squeal as I pitched forward, my arms waving in the air like a baby bird who couldn’t quite take flight from the nest as I braced myself for my inevitable hard landing.
“Oooff!” The air was forcefully removed from my lungs as I collided with something nearly as hard as that damn shiny floor.
“Easy,” the smooth baritone advised. “It would be a shame to end that spectacular entrance on the marble.”
My hands connected with a rock-hard chest that was wrapped in a pristine tuxedo. My savior had wrapped strong, steely arms around my waist, keeping me upright.
“It was far from graceful,” I muttered.
“But is was unique,” the deep voice replied with a chuckle.