Jacqueline Grace turned. “Girls, we’ve been asked to go visit the palace before we leave. Can you put your things in your bags please?”
Both girls did as they were asked without throwing a fit, fortunately. Kirsten had been wrong about how long it would take to get there. A car accident caused a traffic jam that left them at a standstill for nearly half an hour. Over an hour later they pulled through the gates and into the courtyard in front of the palace.
Fortunately, the car came to a stop under a portico that couldn’t be seen so they could enter without spectacle or long lenses capturing their visit.
Dave stayed half a step behind as an assistant led them toward the king’s offices. Kirsten took the girls to have a snack and play in an ante room set aside for just such a purpose.
The closer they got to the king’s office, the more tense Dave seemed to get.
When they reached the outer office, they were greeted by one of the king’s assistants. “His Majesty will see you in a few moments. He received a phone call that demanded his immediate attention, but it will not take long. He knows you were delayed by an accident.”
Jacqueline Grace took a seat in one of the elegant chairs. Dave stood near a window looking out over the city. She’d wanted her father to trust her to handle things, but right now, she wished he could make a phone call and fix this.
After another ten minutes, the assistant stood. “If you would come right this way, the king will see you now.”
Dave fell in behind her as they followed the assistant through the large wooden doors with the royal crest on them.
King Adrian walked toward them, a smile on his face. “Good evening, Jacqueline Grace. It’s been far too long.” He held out his hand.
Jacqueline Grace shook it and accepted a kiss on the cheek. “It has been, Your Majesty.”
“I’ve heard you put my Trade Minister in his place.”
For a second, she worried he would be too upset about it to help them, but instead a smile split his face.
“I didn’t want to, but I refused to let him walk all over me because I’m young and female.”
That sobered the king. “I’m afraid my country has a long way to go when it comes to regarding women as equals in leadership.” He tilted his head. “Not as far as some countries, of course, but further than I, or my daughter, would wish.”
Jacqueline Grace searched her mind for why the princess would feel that way, but before she could remember, the king went on.
“So, I hear a couple of passports have come up missing.” He moved toward a seating area on the far side of the office. “I have my security team looking into how they went missing. Those who went to help move your things from one house to the other have been vetted by them, most for years.” He took a seat and motioned for them to do the same. “You also have my apologies for the housing situation in the first place. You never should have been there to start with.”
“Thank you.” She shifted in her seat. “But the problem still exists. The girls have no passports. They did when we arrived. Your people moved us to a new location, and now they’re missing. We need to leave soon for an engagement in Islas del Sargasso. What exactly are you going to do to help us?” Jacqueline Grace tried to project more confidence than she really felt.
King Adrian sighed. “Kiara can leave without much hassle. However, there is nothing I can do to help Mary exit the country.”
17
As his stomach dropped, Dave had to almost physically restrain himself from trying to take over negotiations from Jacqueline Grace.
When the king said he couldn’t do anything, she simply stared at him.
Exactly what Dave would have done if he’d been in charge except he wasn’t.
The king leaned over on one elbow. “Jacqueline Grace, I wish I could help. I really do, but my hands are tied. Because Kiara is a ward of the royal family, I can have security allow her to leave the country in your custody, but Mary isn’t. Until her passport has been found or replaced, she must stay.”
Dave contained his frustration, but it wasn’t easy.
“We’ll be happy to provide accommodations for Mr. Smith and Mary if you and the rest of your entourage need to depart before she is able to.”
While not the worst option, it wasn’t Dave’s first choice.
“There’s another option, though I hesitate to mention it.”
He just watched as Jacqueline Grace waited.
“Marriage.”
Dave almost stood but managed to stop himself with a tight grip on the arms of the chair.
“You mean, if I were to marry Dave, Mary would also become my ward, and then would be able to leave with us?”
Sitting still and letting Jacqueline Grace handle it had to be the hardest thing Dave had ever done.
Almost.
Not harder than sitting in a room and watching what went down on a computer monitor, being unable to do anything.
He shook himself out of the memories.
“Technically, until San Majoria made her your ward, no. But as your husband, Mr. Smith would be a member of the royal family, and Mary would still be his ward, making her a ward of the royal family, if not you specifically.”
Jacqueline Grace sat up straight. “And then Dave and I, who are not in a romantic relationship, much less one where we’ve discussed marriage, are legally wed. I have to explain to my father, and my country, why I married someone secretly and without my father’s approval.”
The king winced. “Kind of.”
Dave couldn’t keep quiet any longer. “Kind of? Either we’d be married, or we wouldn’t.”
“Yes and no. There are two parts to an Athmetican marriage. There’s the wedding ceremony, which is exactly what you think it is, but there’s also the civil side. It’s a contract. Very legal. No vows or death do we part or anything like that.”
Dave shared a look with Jacqueline Grace that said neither one of them were convinced.
King Adrian went on. “The civil side is fairly simple to dissolve without any sort of repercussions like an actual marriage has. Not until it’s been formalized in a church or other ceremony and the certificate has been signed.”
Dave watched as Jacqueline Grace’s expression went from thinking it a ludicrous idea to possibly considering it.
“Can I speak with you, princess?” Dave stood, not caring that it was considered rude in front of the monarch.
Jacqueline Grace and the king both stood.
The king buttoned his coat. “I’ll leave you two alone for a moment. Unfortunately, I don’t see any other way without waiting for the passport. I’ll have my assistant send you the civil contract to look over.”
“Thank you, sir.” Jacqueline Grace smiled, but Dave noticed it didn’t quite reach her eyes.
A moment later, they were alone.
Dave crossed his arms over his chest. “Are you a few roos short in the top paddock, princess?”
Her shoulders fell. “I don’t know. My father is unreachable, but I think King Adrian is telling the truth when he says his hands are tied. Unless we smuggle Mary out of the country, I don’t know that we have another option except to wait.”
“So, we wait.”
She shook her head. “I can’t. I have to be in Sargasso by Monday morning. I don’t like leaving you and Mary here, but I don’t see another option.”
That didn’t line up with what he remembered. “I thought you had to be there by Wednesday.”
“Schedule change. The press conference is mid-morning on Monday. Kirsten told me about it earlier.”
“That complicates things.”
“Yes. It does.” She closed her eyes. “I don’t like the idea of leaving you and Mary here.”
“I don’t either.” Not when he was supposed to be a bodyguard of sorts. There wouldn’t be much danger to her in Sargasso. Not at a private resort guarded by the best San Majoria and Sargasso had to offer.
She pulled her phone out of the pocket of her p
ants. “Here’s the contract.” After pinching the screen in and out a couple of times, she sighed. “I need something bigger. I don’t have my tablet with me.”
Dave turned toward the door. “I’ll get one.”
He exited the office to find the king discussing something with his assistant. They both turned toward him, expectant looks on their faces.
“Could we get something larger to read the contract on, please?”
The assistant walked to his desk as the king took a few steps toward Dave.
Despite protocol which would have him not look the king directly in the eye for an extended period of time, Dave refused to back down.
“We’ve met before.” The king wasn’t asking a question.
Dave didn’t respond. He wasn’t sure how to without lying or being more evasive than he cared to be. They had met before, though not recently.
“I know your father.”
This time, Dave gave a single nod.
“I spoke with him last week. I also know he doesn’t know where you are.”
“No, he doesn’t.”
“I won’t tell him, but I do think it might be best if you managed to leave the country without this becoming public. I would imagine it will if you have to go to the consulate with Jacqueline Grace. You’ll need her to corroborate your story, and your father is coming for a meeting in the next few days. He’s sure to see the coverage.”
The king’s assistant had been hovering on the outskirts of the conversation, but now the king turned to him and took the offered tablet. “You can read the contract on this.” He started to turn away, then turned back. “But I would recommend seriously considering the civil partnership.”
Dave stared after the king as he walked away, discussing some other matter entirely.
Maybe he did need to consider this after all.
Dave walked back into the office holding a tablet of some kind and with an unreadable expression on his face.
Jacqueline Grace wondered what the king had said to change his affect. If she had to guess, Dave was actually considering this crazy idea.
He handed over the tablet. “I haven’t looked at it yet.”
She turned it on and swiped to open the screen as she walked back to the chair where she’d been sitting. “I guess we should see what this entails.”
“The king recommends we go ahead with it.” The lack of emotion in Dave’s voice caused her to look up at him. “Depending on what’s in the contract, I’m inclined to agree rather than keeping all of us here longer or separating.”
Jacqueline Grace closed her eyes and sucked in a breath. “Depending on what’s in the contract, I am, too.” She started to read.
It seemed straight-forward. This form was a civil partnership agreement. It affected things like next of kin, inheritance in the absence of a will, taxes, and other things of a legal nature.
It also an end date of seven years unless it was formalized with a ceremony and the signing of a marriage license. If they wanted to dissolve the agreement in less than seven years, all they had to do was sign another form saying so in front of witnesses and a judge. All assets acquired since the civil agreement was signed would be split evenly unless otherwise specified. There was a check box for all assets to remain separate unless specifically combined in both of their names. Custody of children belonging to both parties, either by birth or adoption, would be handled by family court.
That wouldn’t be an issue.
Reluctantly, she nodded as she handed it to Dave. “It seems like it’s just as the king said. Easy to dissolve later. The simplest solution. I don’t know that we even need to tell anyone about it. We can fly back here after the trip is over in Sargasso and sign the dissolution in front of a judge.”
He read through it as she watched him. “It does seem like it might be the best plan. Something about the way the passports went missing isn’t sitting right with me. I believe the king when he says he knows nothing about it and is working hard to get to the bottom of it. I believe he would provide us with a place to stay. I don’t think he’d give us security, and I don’t think any of your security would stay.”
“But you think it’s necessary?”
Dave shrugged, though she didn’t think he was as uncertain as he tried to appear. “I think I want both girls secured as much as possible. Maybe whoever stole it was after Kiara since she’s a ward of the royal family. Maybe it’s something unrelated entirely, but I don’t want to risk either girl.”
Those things hadn’t occurred to Jacqueline Grace, but maybe they should have. As a parent, she needed to think about these things.
This must be part of the reason why her father wanted Dave on her security detail.
But, to protect the girls, was she seriously recommending a civil marriage of sorts to a man she knew her father wouldn’t approve of her being with? And despite the technicalities, her father wouldn’t be happy that she’d quasi-married Dave.
Because even if they decided not to tell anyone, he would know.
He always knew.
Maybe because he was the king or maybe he had some sort of parental intuition Jacqueline Grace hadn’t yet acquired, but he always knew when something was going on. He usually knew what it was, and if he didn’t, he had a way of staring at you until you caved.
But she was going to do it anyway. “Then I guess we need to ask the king to find a judge who knows how to be discreet.”
“I’m sure he knows someone.”
Dave started for the door, but before he reached it, King Adrian walked in.
“Have you made a decision?” He asked as though he already knew the answer.
“Can you find us a judge who knows how to keep things to himself?” Jacqueline Grace stood and took the lead in the conversation.
The king grinned. “Fortunately, I can sign off on these kinds of contracts. No judge needed.” He turned more serious. “Though when you sign the dissolution paperwork, you will need a judge.”
“Then let’s get this over with.” Jacqueline Grace just wanted to get on a plane and head much closer to home.
Waving the manila folder, the king walked to his desk. “You both read the document?”
“Yes,” she and Dave answered in unison.
“Then let’s fill these out. Use your full name, the one on your passport...” The king glanced at Dave. “...and then we can all sign it.”
Jacqueline Grace filled out her portion then slid the document to Dave. Once his personal information was filled out, she flipped to the third page. A series of check boxes lined the page, pertaining to financial assets and how they were to be combined, or not, after the partnership became legal.
She checked the box indicated all financial assets and property were to be kept separate unless both of them were specifically listed.
All that was left were the signatures.
“Raise your right hand,” the king instructed.
She and Dave both did so.
“Do you solemnly swear the information you have given on this contract is true, legal, and accurate to the best of your knowledge? Do you agree to abide by the clauses herein until such time as the agreement is dissolved or the agreement expires, seven years from the date of signature unless solemnified by ceremony?”
“I do.” They spoke in unison.
“Then sign where indicated.” He pulled a fountain pen out of a holder on his desk and handed it first to Jacqueline Grace.
She signed her name, complete with title and a flourish then turned it over to Dave.
His signature came more slowly and deliberately, almost with hints of hesitation. Why? He insisted this was the best way to handle this thing.
When the king signed as the judicial witness, his flourish put Jacqueline Grace’s to shame.
King Adrian stood tall and inclined his head toward them. “And just like that, you have a civil partnership in the country of Athmetis. Legally, at least here, Dave is considered a prince of San Majoria by marriage
and, therefore, Mary is a ward of the royal family.”
A grin split the king’s face. “You’re free to leave and take both girls with you.” He sobered. “When I have news of the passports, I’ll be in contact with Edward.”
They left the office, in the wee hours of the morning, in a legally binding civil partnership. Jacqueline Grace didn’t know what her father would think, but it was too late for that now.
The time had come to find the girls, get on a plane, and get out of the country.
Before something else happened.
18
This couldn’t be what marriage really felt like.
Dave was convinced of that.
Not that a civil partnership was a marriage, even if it was with the most beautiful woman he’d ever met.
As they sat in the SUV headed back toward the airport, they were as separated as they’d ever been.
And he was a liar on top of it.
Sort of.
Dave noticed the king had been very specific in his wording. Legal name as it appears on the passport. Because the king knew his legal name wasn’t “David Smith.”
So he used the information on his passport, but those documents had been created and procured by the best his country had to offer.
Without the knowledge of his father or the explicit consent of his government. He didn’t even have implicit consent - the kind given with a wink and a nod.
“Where we goin’?” Mary stared out the window into the dark.
“To the airport. We’re going back toward home, though we won’t go to San Majoria just yet. First, we’re going to spend a week on an island with the rest of Jacqueline Grace’s family, remember?”
Mary nodded. “I ‘member. There be other girls to play with?”
“There will be other little girls there,” he confirmed, praying that they would all get along fine, but that Mary and Kiara would remain each other’s favorite. Sofia and Gracie had each other. If they absorbed one girl or the other, most likely Mary since they already knew Kiara, into their group, the other would be left out.
Her Undercover Prince Page 13