by Krista Lakes
Her face felt hot and she knew she was blushing, but she had come too far with spilling her guts to turn back now. Marco sat silently and appeared to be listening intently as she spoke.
“I know that you're not from here and that you have a home to go back to,” she continued. “But even so, I can't stop thinking about the fact that we're perfect for each other. We have so much fun and there's so much passion between us. I really like you, Marco. A lot. I'm sorry to dump this on you all at once. But if I didn't at least tell you how I felt, I'd kick myself for the rest of my life.”
Marco lips parted and he leaned in close to Sabrina. She was stunned when he kissed her. He pressed his lips to hers with a passion unlike anything she'd ever felt. She hardly had time to realize what had happened before Marco broke the kiss and looked her in the eyes.
“Sabrina, I'm overjoyed to hear you say this,” he said. “I've been thinking the exact same thing and have been merely waiting for a proper opportunity to tell you. You're all I've been able to think about since we arrived in New York. I've never felt like this about someone. You excite me in ways that no other woman has and you make me feel at ease when I should be stressed. You've brought peace to my life that I didn't expect when I hired you. I thought I was hiring someone to help me cook and clean, but it turned out that I hired the girl of my dreams.”
His words were so sincere and hearing it made tears well up in Sabrina's eyes. She was so relieved that he felt the same way and her concern of losing him washed away.
“Like you said, though, I do live far away and will inevitably end up going home at the end of this trip. I have to, for my father. He needs me there,” Marco said. “But, if you're willing, I'd love nothing more than for you to come with me.”
A tear fell down Sabrina's cheek and Marco pushed it away with his thumb. She was shocked by the invitation. It was what she had hoped, but didn't expect for him to ask so soon.
“Where is 'home'?” she asked. “I still don't know where you're from, Marco.”
“Orsino Island,” he said and for the first time Sabrina found out something about his life. “It's a small island in the Mediterranean.”
“An island?” she asked, unable to hide her girlish smile. “Like the one we're on?”
“It's similar in many ways,” he said. “But also very different. It's a paradise, just like here.”
Sabrina's mind whirled with thoughts and emotion. She imagined living on the beach, soaking up the sun every day and coming home to Marco each night. She thought about what it would feel like to be treated so well for the rest of her life. It sounded incredible and there was no way that she could turn this kind of opportunity down.
“Let's do it,” she said, affirmatively. “I want to come with you.”
Marco's face lit up brighter than she had ever seen and he kissed her again. They embraced on the blanket while the sun finished it decline behind the horizon. Even as the sky went dark, they continued to kiss. They kissed for what seemed like a blissful eternity to Sabrina and once again, she didn't want the moment to end.
But in the very back of her mind, there was a nagging voice. It was the whisper of doubt, the same voice that had caused her to hesitate her entire life. This time, though, what it said actually made some sense to her.
I'm in love with a mystery man and I just agreed to move to the other side of the planet with him, she thought. That's not going to work. I need to find out who he is.
Sabrina decided that she would start asking very pointed questions about Marco's life, like who he really was and what he did for a living. She wondered what the legal ramifications would be now if she looked up his island and figured out who he was.
I want to know everything about him, but I'm not going to ruin tonight with a bunch of questions, she thought. He will tell me everything tomorrow.
Chapter 14
Marco
The sound of Marco's cell phone ringing pulled him out of his slumber. He opened his eyes to find that his arm was still wrapped around Sabrina, in the exact position that they had fallen asleep. They were both fully clothed, though. They hadn't had sex that night, only snuggles and kisses. He didn't want the entire relationship to be built around sex anyway, so he was content to have an evening where they just held each other and talked.
The phone continued to ring on the nightstand and he rolled over to see that the call was coming from the palace. He quickly sat up and answered it. He hadn't heard from his father in several days and was growing concerned. The only contact he had was now through Magdalena.
“Hello?” he said, standing up from the bed and scurrying out to the kitchen. “Father is that you?”
“Marco.” The voice that replied was as cold as a witch's heart and sent a chill down his spine.
Marco sighed. “Good morning, Magdalena,” he said. “And to what do I owe the honor of hearing your voice today?”
“Don't get a big head, Marco,” she shot back. “I was merely called to double-check that you'll be home for the ball and for your father's surgery. I didn't want you to forget.”
“Yes, I will absolutely be there,” he said, as he paced the kitchen. His blood pressure rose easily five points just to the sound of her voice, but he did his best to stay calm. “May I speak to my father?”
“He's resting,” she stated.
“He's been resting every time I've called him,” Marco growled. “Yet, you always have his phone so he cannot call me.”
“He needs his rest and I'm making sure he gets it,” Magdalena informed him. “He's only got a few days before the ball and he needs to be in tip top shape.”
“So you've called just to check in on me?” Marco asked. “No other reason?”
“I think that's reason enough,” she said, with a chuckle. “A boy like you needs to be checked in upon, as I'm not certain you can take care of yourself.”
Marco cleared his throat, and took a seat in a wooden chair at the corner of the living room. The memory of the dream he had had the day before flashed into his mind, where Magdalena's snarling face had shown up in the clouds. He could see it now, imagining her in the same form as she spoke.
“You've accomplished what you needed to then,” Marco said. “You've checked in on me and I've told you that I will most certainly be at the ball. If that's all you wanted, then I must let you go. I've things to do and places to see and don't have a moment to spare.”
“I certainly wouldn't want to interrupt your vacation more than I already have,” she said, sarcastically. “I'll go and tell your sick father that you're having fun while he's in bed. I'm sure that's exactly what he wants to hear.”
“Tell him whatever you want, stepmother,” Marco said. “I'm sure by now he knows that most of what you say is a lie anyhow.”
“You sound more like a commoner every day you're away,” she replied.
“Good day, Magdalena,” he said.
Without giving her a chance to respond, he hung up the phone and tossed it onto the couch nearby. He let out an agitated sigh as he kicked his feet up onto the coffee table in the center of the living room. His hands were clenched in anger.
Sometimes I wonder what happened in that woman's life that turned her into such a horrible human being, he thought.
His attention moved toward the bedroom, when he saw Sabrina standing in the doorway. Her hair was a mess and she let out a yawn, at the same time rubbing the sleep from her eyes with the back of her hands.
Oh no, I must have woken her, he thought. I was speaking so loudly.
“Good morning,” he said. “Did I wake you?”
Sabrina nodded as she took a seat on the couch across from Marco.
“I've been awake for a little bit. Your phone woke me a few minutes ago,” she said. “Sorry to be nosey, but I heard your phone conversation.”
Marco swallowed, realizing that most of his conversation with Magdalena would be sure to raise questions for Sabrina.
“My stepmother is a witch,” Marco
said with a smile, in an attempt to lift his mood.
“It sounded like you don't get along very well with her,” Sabrina said. “Did I hear you say something about a ball?”
“You did,” Marco said.
“A ball is being held at your home?” she asked, covering her mouth as she yawned. “That sounds rather fancy.”
Marco sighed and nodded his head. “Sabrina, I need to tell you some things that you don't know about me. I've hidden a lot from you and I think it's time to lay everything out on the table.”
Sabrina sat up on the edge of the couch and leaned forward, bringing her elbows to her knees. Her eyebrows rose and she seemed extremely eager to hear what Marco had to say.
“I couldn't agree more,” she said. “I know that I already agreed to move with you to your home, but I need to know more about you before I can say for sure that it's what I want to do.”
“I understand,” he said. “But before I tell you, please realize that the only reason I haven't given you this information until now is because I had no clue that I'd fall for you so hard. If you had stayed as just my employee, this all would have remained a secret.”
“I know,” she said, with a comforting smile. “The only reason I haven't looked it up is because I was your employee, but I think I should know what I'm getting myself into.”
Marco's heart beat rapidly in his chest. This girl who sat across from him deserved to know who he was, but he feared that it would be shocking to her. He hoped that news of his royal blood would not be something that would sway her from wanting to be with him.
“Do you remember yesterday, when I told you where I came from?” he asked.
Sabrina nodded. “Of course. You said Orsino Island.”
“Yes,” he said. “But that's not the whole story. Orsino Island is not only where I reside, but is also the country that my family rules.”
She stayed silent, her eyes sharpening as Marco spoke.
“You know me simply as Marco,” he said, sitting up in the wooden chair. “But the rest of the world knows me as 'Prince Marco of Orsino Island'.”
He held his breath after speaking the last sentence. He waited for the repercussion of the news, figuring that Sabrina would either jump for joy or pass out from shock. She did neither. Instead, a hesitant smile crossed her face. “You're joking, right?”
“I would never joke with you about something like this,” he said, standing up from his chair so that he could sit next to Sabrina. “I realize this is probably not what you expected, but it is the truth. I'm from a royal family.”
“Prince Marco?” she said, her expression still a bit suspicious.
“My father is the King of Orsino,” Marco stated. “My stepmother, the one whom I was just speaking with on the phone, is his wife, Queen Magdalena. She's the one who scheduled his surgery and she's the one who decided to have a ball in his honor the night before.”
“Is this for real or am I on some kind of hidden camera show?” she asked, as she scooted away from Marco. She glanced around the room, looking for hidden cameras.
Marco gently took her hand in his and gazed into her eyes. “Sabrina, I would never lie to you. I didn't tell you before because I wanted my identity to remain a secret for this trip. There's no better way to keep a secret than by not telling it. But, I'm telling you now, though. I promise not to hide anything from you ever again.”
“I'm just in shock right now,” she said, her eyes welling with tears. She took three deep breaths that got shorter and more panicked with every inhale. “Marco, you're a prince for crying out loud. Do you know who I am? I'm a poor girl from the wrong side of the tracks in Memphis, Tennessee. What business would I have being you? I just... I don't know. I don't know about any of this anymore.”
He squeezed her hand reassuringly. His heart ached as he heard her speak, because her doubts resembled the same rationalizations that had come from Magdalena's mouth. She'd said similar things about commoners and royalty not being suited for each other, but to hear it from Sabrina's lips pained him much more.
“Look at me,” Marco said, putting his fingertips on her chin.
Sabrina turned to face him and he noticed that the tears had begun to fall down her cheeks. He loved this girl more than anything and seeing her cry made him hurt.
“You have to understand that I care about you,” Marco said. “I realize we haven't known each other for very long, but that doesn't change the facts. I want to be with you and I don't care that we come from different walks of life. That doesn't matter to me.”
She sighed and wiped her cheek with the back of her hand. “That's sweet of you to say, but I'm not stupid, Marco. This is real life. Look at me. I'm barely fit to clean your throne, let alone be with you on it. How would I possibly fit into the world that you come from?”
“You'd fit in, because you're beautiful in every way,” he said. “I know where you're from, Sabrina. And it hasn't stopped me from getting close to you. Do you think I care where your clothes come from or how much they cost? It means nothing to me. I care about you and your heart and your dreams.”
His words were able to get Sabrina to finally smile through her tears. “I just can't believe you're a prince. I've been hanging out with a freaking prince for the past few weeks. I guess it explains quite a bit, though. I suppose that's why the paparazzi chased us that day, because there was royalty sitting there eating beignets.”
Marco smirked and lifted his shoulders into a shrug. “Your guess would be as good as mine as to why they'd want to film something like that.”
Sabrina laughed and playfully pushed Marco's shoulders. “This is a lot to absorb. I'm sorry to act so overwhelmed, but this was the last thing in the world I thought you would have told me this morning.”
She paused and the two of them sat silently for a moment. Then she looked over to Marco once again. “I hope I'm not stepping out of line by asking this, but if something happened to your father then you'd become...”
“King.” Marco finished the sentence for her. “And in fact, nothing has to happen to my father for that situation to take place. He's stepping down from the throne after his surgery, though the public doesn't know this yet. But when he does, I will take the crown.”
“You're not just a prince, you're going to be the king in the near future?” Sabrina brought her hand over her mouth and her eyes widened with shock. “I'm sorry, but this a lot to take in this early in the morning.”
“Don't be sorry,” Marco said, touching her hand reassuringly. “It is a lot and I'm sorry to deliver it all at once. But you need to know who I am if you are to come back home with me. I'd be a terrible person to not tell you.”
“I'm glad you're telling me, honestly,” Sabrina said. “In fact, I planned on asking you more questions to find out about you. But really, I'm sitting next to a king right now?”
“Just a prince, at the moment,” he said, with a boyish smirk. “But yes, I will be king soon. It's been my destiny for as long as I can remember.”
“Are you nervous?” Sabrina asked. “I mean, I'd be nervous.”
“I've been groomed to be king my whole life,” he replied with a shrug. “I've already taken over many of the responsibilities, but the formal passing of the title will happen soon.”
“King Marco, huh?” Sabrina bit her lip, and shook her head, still processing his words.
“Yes, King Marco.” He smiled at her. “That's part of the reason that my father's sickness has weighed so heavily on me. And also why I decided to take this vacation in the first place. With the news of Father's cancer, it became clear that time may not be on his side, and that I will likely become King sooner than later. I wanted to see some more of the world before my royal duties took over.”
“And that woman, the one you were on the phone with... you said that was your stepmother,” Sabrina said. “So that means you were arguing with the Queen of Orsino?”
Marco chuckled. “Yes, even though we are a royal family doesn't mean
that we don't quarrel. She's a very difficult person to deal with.”
The sun had completely risen now and tropical birds began making their calls outside of the cabin. Its sound reminded Marco of home.
“Sabrina, if you don't want to come with me when I go back home, I'll understand,” he said. “I'll be heartbroken, but I won't blame you in that decision.”
“I just have a lot to think about,” she said. She held up her hand. “I'm not saying no, but let me have some time to allow this all to sink in.”
“Of course,” Marco said, happy to hear that Sabrina was still willing to consider it.
He'd told her a lot about his life, but one thing he had avoided mentioning was his stepmother's hatred for common folk. It was on his mind, but he'd thrown enough at Sabrina for one morning and didn't want to scare her. Magdalena had most of the politicians in court on her side. She was a powerful woman in Orsino politics, and not someone to be taken lightly.
I refuse to let Magdalena have an influence on my decisions, he thought. I love Sabrina and I want to marry her. That's the bottom line.
“I just want you to know that I'm serious when I tell you that being with you makes me the happiest man in the world,” Marco said. “I've been spoiled with the finest clothes and food and home for all of my days, but I never realized what true happiness felt like until I met you.”
Sabrina sighed and snuggled up next to him. Her touch put Marco at ease.
“You make me feel beautiful,” she said. “And that's something that no amount of money or hard work could have ever afforded me.”
He kissed the side of her neck, breathing her in as he held her close. They embraced for a while, letting the morning sun warm them as it poured in through the back patio doors.
I can make this relationship work and I need to show Sabrina that, he thought. Never in my life have I felt this way about someone and I won't let anything ruin this. Not Magdalena, not my father and not my position of royalty. From now on, I'll be completely open with her. I'll tell her everything. No more secrets, no more hiding.