Leopold responded softly, gently, as though I were fragile. I was surprised, almost, with how much caution he seemed to be taking.
"We should go in," he said pulling away after a moment. "The sun has gone down and you are starting to shiver."
"Not yet," I told him, pulling myself closer to him and redirected his mouth to mine. Leopold was hesitant at first, but then surprised me when his hands grabbed hold of my thighs, lifting me. I wound my fingers through his damp hair, deepening the kiss. Then suddenly my back was pressed against dry, warm sand with Leopold holding himself above me, dripping, only in a much different way than earlier today. I ran my tongue across his bottom lip. Leopold pulled away.
"Catherine," his voice was thick, "Please, do not do that again. Put some clothes on." He pushed away from me and walked down the beach, picking up his own clothing. I lay there frowning, trying to catch my breath. Was he angry, had I gone too far?
I stood after a moment, brushing the sand from my body, and wobbled over towards my own pile. Mechanically, I went through the motions of putting my clothes back on.
"Je veut te parler, is that okay?" said Leopold once he returned. He reached into the saddlebags and pulled out a big blanket.
"Sure," I said and followed him to where he had spread the blanket out in the sand. He sat down resting his head on his knees. I followed suit, watching as he ran his fingers through his hair.
"Are you okay?" he asked after a moment. "With everything that is going on, that is. I just don't want you to do anything you are uncomfortable with."
"Everything is fine, or at least I thought it was. You and everyone else say that they are doing everything possible and I trust that," I said honestly. "It's my decision to stay here."
"That's what scares me."
"I don't understand," I told him.
"You will soon. Just please, Cat, let's take things slowly. I have screwed up enough things in my life and I won't let this be another one. Just don't stay in this for anyone but yourself. If things don't work out, I am sure they will figure out a way for me to keep the throne."
"I'm not going anywhere yet," I assured him. "Things will be more difficult when you leave though."
Leopold looked at me sadly, "I will be around a lot, for meetings and other events. Je te promis." He lay back against the ground. "How could I leave you alone after what happened earlier today and especially after tonight."
"What do you mean?" I asked, lying down on my side next to him.
He turned, eyes flickering open. "You have no idea the affect you have on people, do you? How beautiful you are?"
I laughed dismissively.
"Je suis serieux," Leopold said. "The people are enamored with you and Antoine clearly has affections."
"What about you?" I whispered.
"I am conflicted," he stated, making me frown.
"And why is that?"
"Because you make me want to do everything that I cannot. Tu me rend fou."
"I won't stop you," I smiled.
"That's exactly why I must stop myself."
I rolled my eyes. Of course, this was when he decided to follow the law.
Chapter Eight
"Cat!" Tess screamed, "It's about time! You leave, just vanish without a trace, with these two huge dudes, claiming to be the princess of some strange ass, lost, ancient civilization, and that you are going to marry some hunky prince and then I don't hear from you for weeks. I thought you were dead!"
"I know, I'm sorry," I winced, holding the phone away from my ear. "I meant to call but things have just been really busy. I don't even have that long now. If it makes you feel better, I haven't spoken to Alex either."
"Then I am honored to be first," my friend said, placated for now. "You know, I even tried to Google you and nothing! I thought the media would be all over this, American princess and all."
"Illegal," I sighed, pulling my legs up onto the couch in the living room. I needed to be comfy for this; it was going to take a while to reiterate everything that had happened. That's part of what forced my hand to call, other than the guilt of being a bad friend, I needed to say it all out loud to process it and wanted a second opinion from someone who wasn't tangled up in this whole thing.
"What do you mean? Everyone can be Googled," Tess stated all matter of fact.
"Nope, the Governors made it illegal to publish almost all the information and press on the royal family when Hector started dating Rose."
"What?"
"Hector, aka Prince Henri, decided he wanted to renounce his claim on the throne so he could date a commoner, Rose. I am dating Leopold; he is the next heir and the one they need me to fulfill the accord with. So now I am in princess lessons, and dating a prince, and am going to be interviewed and photographed by the press for the first time today, and everyone is concerned about my virtue, and Leopold is leaving me!" I cried, everything coming out in a big rush. "And he smokes, and uses swords, and flies planes, and…"
"Is he hot?" interrupted Tess.
"You are missing the point," I huffed, curling the phone line around my fingers.
"Answer the question, Cat," Tess pressed, voice serious now.
"Well, he is a prince, in the military and rides horses, so I think you can imagine."
"So that's a yes," she said firmly. "And do you like him; has he done anything cruel or terrible?"
"No," I frowned, "Of course no, none of them have; they are perfect."
"And….," Tess urged.
"I like Leopold, I really do."
"So, then there is no problem. Take a deep breath, Cat. If you are happy, you just need to sit back and let things fall where they may. They are royalty for God’s sake, do whatever they are telling you, I am sure they have it all figured out."
"Thanks, Tess."
"Anytime, babe. Now, do you really have to go? I want an in-depth description of everything you just said, and everything you missed, with breaths between sentences this time," Tess said, just as Leopold knocked and stuck his head through the door.
"Ya, sorry. I wasn't supposed to call. I kind of snuck away from my maid and am now sitting here in a silk dress and pumps talking to you. Leopold actually just came to get me," I explained, holding up my finger to Leopold.
"Hi Leopold!" Called Tess, making me pull the phone from my ear again. Leopold looked at the phone, taken aback and slightly worried. I laughed.
"Okay, Cat, but call sooner next time or I will have to come over there and hunt you down. Just because you are queen now, it doesn't mean you can forget the little people you came from."
"Sure thing," I rolled my eyes. "I will do my best. Bye."
"See you," Tess sang, and then hung up.
I hung up too and stood, walking towards Leopold. He held the door open, and then took my hand as we made our way through the halls.
"Sorry," I told him. "That was one of my best friends, Tess."
"She seems very enthusiastic," Leopold replied, choosing his words carefully. His hand slid from mine as we came to the giant front doors.
"That she is," I said, as I followed him down the steps and, with a smile to M. Arsnault, into the back seat of the hearse and smoothed out the creases in the skirt of my pearly dress. "Where are we going exactly?"
"To the studio where we did our first interview et puis il y aura des photos."
"With the press, right?" I checked.
"Oui, plus ou moins."
"What do you mean 'plus ou moins'? I don't have to sign autographs or anything, do I? I've never had to do that before, I don't think I even have a signature."
Leopold laughed, "Non, ma belle, just smile, say bonjour, shake hands if you like."
We pulled up to the back door of the studio and I felt my jaw drop open. There was a crowd of people, screaming and yelling and shaking signs at the hearse. A group of security guards filed out of the studio doors and began herding the people to either side, creating an aisle.
"Oh my God, " I managed, staring.
M. Arsnault opened the door and the shouts became deafening. Leopold played with his cufflinks and then pulled his glasses out of his breast pocket, putting them in place.
"Smile and wave, we need to get inside. The rest will come after." With that, he stepped out of the car. I slid down the seat and, with a final shaky breath, took Leopold's offered hand and followed. The camera flashes were blinding as we began to make our way forward. Leopold's hand slid from mine, making me feel even smaller, as he took the lead. I followed, always a step behind, with the Royal guards flanking us. I tried to plaster what I hoped was a smile on my face, waving hesitantly at the group.
It was a relief when we made it into the studio and the doors shut the world out. My heart was still racing and I let out a breath I hadn't realized I had been holding. The peace didn't last long though because suddenly the director was there.
"Bonjour, bonjour!" he cried, kissing my knuckles. "It is such an honor to have you back on the show, Princess. And of course you as well, your Highness," he added as a second thought looking hesitantly up at Leopold.
"Bonjour," I said, trying to suppress a giggle as I repossessed my hand.
"I have heard that you will be making an announcement. Such an honor, such an honor! You will wait in the same room as your last visit. We will start very shortly," the director announced as he marched off.
Leopold clucked his tongue again, making me slap his arm. "Oh be nice, he is just excited."
"Il est impoli," Leopold said.
"You are just jealous because he likes me better," I joked, pushing through the door to our waiting room.
"Everyone likes you better," stated Leopold with a smile, "And I don't blame them. I like you better too."
I rolled my eyes, "Well, I am pretty great."
We were standing face to face, smiling at each other. I looked over his shoulder, making sure we were alone in the room, before reaching up and pulling off Leopold's aviators.
"Ca va?" he murmured holding my eyes.
"Everything is fine," I assured him, "Just different."
"They are going to ask lots of questions. They do not have all the information correct, and do not need to know everything. They know that we brought you here because of your ancestry and they know of the old accord, but that is all. I just need you to prepare for after this. Assumptions will be made, and things may get out of hand."
There was a knock on the door, interrupting him.
"Understood?" Leopold pressed, ignoring it.
"Yes."
He barked something out in French in the direction of the door and then, "Alright, let's go." He took the aviators and shoved them in his breast pocket.
Leopold swung the door open to find a very nervous looking stage manager on the other side. The stage manager's eyes got big as he took us in and then quickly bowed low before scurrying away.
Leopold raised an eyebrow and looked to M. Arsnault who said, "You are supposed to follow. He is the five minute warning."
We could hear the audience as we stood just off stage, still yelling as loud as they had been outside. I could feel my hands shaking as we waited in silence for our cue. Leopold must have sensed my nerves because I suddenly felt the back of his hand brush against mine. I looked up at him and he smiled crookedly, a mischievous sparkle in his eye, and then shrugged out of his jacket.
"You looked cold," he said, handing it to me.
I giggled and took the jacket, pulling it on. Leopold quickly rolled the sleeves.
We were pushed out onto the stage after that, waving and smiling and the crowd rose to their feet. We made our way over to the couch that had been set out for us beside the host's chair. We shook hands with Claudette and then sat.
"It is wonderful to have you back on the show Your Highness and Mademoiselle Catherine," she smiled sweetly. "Have you adjusted to the Country, Mademoiselle?"
"Yes, I have seen a bit more since I was last here. It is very beautiful," I told her.
Claudette smiled, "Your French has improved."
"Yes, they have been teaching me many things," I replied.
"What is your favorite thing so far?" she asked carefully, trying not to speak too quickly for me.
"I really like the Canette games. I have gone to watch Leopold play, and found it very interesting," I responded, because it was interesting and because I was trying to divert the attention to him.
"Yes, congratulations, Sir," Claudette acknowledged. "I hear your team has made it into the championship."
"Thank you very much," Leopold said briskly. Well, so much for that plan.
Luckily, Claudette was not deterred by his gruffness and kept going. "Rumors have been flying around like mad about the two of you, and then we received a special report this morning regarding the media ban and that you have a special announcement. Would you like to elaborate?"
"Yes, like you said, the decision was made to lift the media ban within Solis," Leopold said. "I cannot say much further about it for now, for specific reasons, but there will be a press conference early next month to discuss things further."
"But we are allowed to take pictures now, right? And will see you in the newspaper again?" Claudette asked, before taking a sip of water from a bottle she had beside her.
"Yes."
The crowd cheered.
"And, now, what about this announcement? Are some of the rumors true?" the host continued.
"That would depend on what they are," Leopold said coyly. "Catherine and I have decided to make our way into fulfilling the accord, following the footsteps of our ancestors."
The crowd let out a collective gasp and then began to cheer. Claudette allowed it for a few minutes and then stuck her hand up to quiet them.
"That is quite the announcement. So you are going to get married?"
"No, not yet. We are not even engaged," Leopold said.
"Dating then?"
"Yes, I suppose you could call it that."
"Well, congratulations. We wish you all the best and a happier ending than your predecessors."
After the interview, I returned his jacket before we were taken to a room filled with photographers. We were ushered over to stand in front of a large white canvas tarp hung in the middle of the room. Leopold and I stood awkwardly in front of it, smiling as they clicked away. I was seeing stars by the end of the five minutes and was very glad I just had to stand still. If there had been poses thrown into the mix, it may have been disastrous.
After that, security snuck us out the back through another human tunnel, and we returned to the safety of the fortified castle.
I didn't see Leopold very much for the few days afterwards. He was holed up in meetings with the Governors that had been urgently rushed because of the media thing and because he was leaving. I stayed in my room, mostly, studying the verb packages with Mr. Arsnault. Sometimes, Angelique would bring me a newspaper or put me in front of a TV and make me read or watch myself in French for practice.
I was getting worried the night before he left that I wasn’t going to see him again before his departure. As I was getting ready for bed though, there was a light knock on the door. I told the person to enter, thinking it was going to be Angelique having discovered some internet blog with me on it, but was pleasantly surprised when Leopold slipped into my room.
He looked around my bedroom for a moment, holding his finger to his lips. I shook my head, signaling that I was alone. Leopold’s body relaxed instantly and he crossed the room, collapsing onto the bed beside me. I looked him over, slightly concerned, as he lay there perfectly still, eyes closed.
Leopold was in his usual white shirt, sleeves pushed up to his elbows, and dark pants. His auburn hair was messier than usual and there were dark bruises under his eyes. I began to run my hand through the tangled locks, trying to make some sense of it.
“Don’t tell anyone I have been here,”
Leopold said after a moment. “I am hiding.”
I repressed a laugh. “Are the meetings that bad?”
“I am excited to be going back to the base, just for a break.”
I did laugh that time.
“That feels so nice,” he hummed sleepily, and then his lips fell into a pout as my hands slid from his hair and down to his throat. I unbuttoned the his shirt and undid his tie, dropping it off the side of the bed, then scooted down to the foot and pulled off his shoes. I crawled back up to the top, sitting against the headboard and Leopold re-arranged himself so that his head was in my lap.
“I miss wearing normal clothes. They are so much more comfortable,” he said.
“I agree with you there. Are you all packed?” I asked, as my fingers subconsciously returned to his hair.
“Yes. I do not have to take much but it is all in my rucksack.”
“What time are you leaving?”
“Six in the morning,” he said, grimacing.
“I will get up to see you off,” I told him.
“No, sleep. You do not have to do that,” Leopold’s eyes flicked open, almost glowing in the dark room. He took hold of the hand that was in his hair and kissed my wrist.
“I want to, really,” I insisted.
“Then, by all means, I will not stop you,” Leopold smiled, as he propped himself up on his arm. He put his hand on my jaw, his thumb caressing my cheek. He was very close now, his spicy smell making me dizzy.
“I am glad that you aren’t going to stop me, because I don’t know how you really can, and, I mean, I really want to say goodbye because I will not see you for…“
“Cat,” Leopold said, and then he kissed me.
He pulled away after a moment and stood, collecting his things from around the room. “I will see you at six,” he said, and then left, leaving me sitting on the bed, breathless.
The Inherited Series Book 1: The Inherited Page 10