It’s not like the police can do much to me, so I speed all the way there, and make the drive in only forty-five minutes.
“I’m here to see a friend on the other side,” I say to the guard, who instantly recognizes me, and gives me a salute. “Calm down,” I say.
“Sebastian!” I say, finding him in the waiting room to cross over the border through the immigration line. “What’s shaking, man?”
Sebastian looks a little nervous, but I suppose that understandable given the circumstances—I hope he wasn’t harassed too much by the Liserian boarder patrol while waiting for me.
“Good to see you, man,” he says, and we do the American bro hug that Sebastian taught me.
“Ready to get the fuck out of here?”
“Can’t wait to see what the fuck is going on in Liseria, dude. I’m ready for the royal fucking treatment.”
“Coming right up,” I say, grabbing his big duffel bag and hoisting it over my shoulder. “What the fuck you got in here with you, man? This thing is as heavy as a bag of bricks.”
“Just odds and ends, mostly,” says Sebastian, evasively, looking around the room, as if he’s watching for something.
Whatever, he can be kind of a weird guy. He’s probably just jet lagged or something.
“He’s with me, guys,” I say to the guards in French.
“Man I wish I could speak French like you do,” says Sebastian, as we leave the building without so much as a single security hiccup. That’s one of the perks of being the prince—you can cross the border without so much as a single pat down.
I hoist the duffle bag into the trunk of the convertible.
“Traveling in style. I like it, man,” says Sebastian. “So where we headed to first? Let’s get the party started?”
“Well,” I say, thinking about Rebecca back in the castle. I want to get back to see her. “I figure you’re pretty tired and might want to get your stuff set up in your room or whatever.”
“Come on, dude. I didn’t travel this far to go sit in my room. We’ve got to fucking rage! I read about this killer Russian bar that’s somewhere nearby your palace. It was in one of the tour books.”
“There are tour books for Liseria?” It’s not like we get a ton of foreign travelers, and this is the first I’ve ever heard about a tour book.
“Of course, dude. Why do you want to go back so much anyway? You got a chick back there in the castle or something that you just can’t wait to sink your dick into again?”
“Well,” I say. “There’s an American girl visiting me.”
“Someone from the RV? What the fuck? Those girls were trashy, man.”
“No, someone else. I met her in Texas after you and I had our… Well, she’s visiting me here. But I think something’s really going to happen with her. I mean, I’m feeling different… It’s hard to explain, but I feel different towards her than any other girl I’ve ever met.”
“Aw, come on man, that’s bullshit.”
“What?” I’m trying to keep my cool. I don’t want to get into another fight with Sebastian. I don’t want to have to hand him his ass again, and another fight is the last thing I need for my public image. It would probably look especially bad if I got into a fight with one of my own guest, in my own country. There are journalists here in Liseria, too, and they hound me when the can, although it’s a little harder for them here because we only let them into the palace for certain events, or when there’s some kind of royal decree to me made or something.
“Just don’t get tied down to one woman, man, that’s all I’m trying to say.”
“I’ll make my own decisions about that,” I say.
“Fair enough,” he says. “So we going to hit up this bar or what?”
“Yeah,” I say. “I think I know the one you’re talking about. I used to sneak in there sometimes when I was a teenager. But it’s pretty grimy and there’s a bunch of like seriously hardcore guys who hang out in there. I’m not sure it’s the best place to really get our rage on if you know what I mean. I’m surprised it’s in the guidebook honestly. Maybe we should try to find a club or something. I can get us into some good ones.”
“Naw, man. I want to see the real Liseria. The hardcore Liseria. The seedy Liseria.”
“All right, all right,” I say. “I get it. Fine, we’ll go there. Get your seatbelt on.”
“Why?”
To answer, I downshift, and accelerate. The car picks up so rapidly in speed that Sebastian’s thrown back in his chair, and as I take the next corner on the narrow mountain road, he’s thrown against his door.
I can’t help but laugh.
“Asshole,” he says, laughing, finally strapping his seatbelt in.
20.
Rebecca
“Oh, it’s so pretty,” I say, looking at what the Queen’s showing me, a piece of antique Liserian jewelry. She really seems to like me, and she’s taken me to the library, where apparently a lot of the historic jewelry is housed.
“I thought you might like it,” says the Queen. “I hope it doesn’t appear too old fashioned.”
“Oh, no,” I say. “In reality, it actually seems incredibly modern. It’s amazing but some of these old pieces really look like they could have been made this year—they’ve still retained all their freshness, if you will, and don’t look dated at all.”
“Did you study art history at University?” says the Queen.
I shake my head. “I did take a few classes, though. And I took some French art classes.”
“How interesting,” says the queen. I can tell she’s genuinely interested in whether or not I like the pieces, but I also know this isn’t the only reason she invited me to the library.
“I really like this one in particular,” I say, holding up a copper necklace. I know it’s not too expensive or fancy, but it’s beautifully crafted and I’ve never seen anything like it before.
“Why don’t you try it on?” says the Queen.
“Really?”
She nods.
I hesitate, but put it around my neck.
“Oh, dear, it looks gorgeous on you,” she says. “Why don’t you keep it for yourself?”
“Oh, I couldn’t!” I say, starting to protest wildly, taking off the necklace and putting it back in the case.
“I insist,” says the Queen, taking the necklace herself and placing it around my neck. “It would mean so much to me if you had it.”
“I don’t know what to say,” I say. It’s not everyday a regular girl is given a Liserian heirloom.
“Lucas should have given you a gift like that,” says the Queen.
“Oh…” I say. I have no idea what to say.
“I can tell he really likes you, you know? He just doesn’t quite know how to act properly. He’s spent so much time with all those floozies. I’ve seen him with a lot of women—and those are the only ones he shows me, of course—but he’s never acted the way he acts towards you with anyone else. And that’s a fact. I hope there’s going to be e bright future for you two.”
Wow, I really did charm the pants off the King and Queen during the lunch.
“That’s so kind of you,” I say. “The only thing is… Well, no, I’m sorry, I shouldn’t say anything.”
“It’s OK,” says the Queen, taking my hand. “You can tell me anything, dear. I mean be old, and I mean seem like a stuffy old Queen, but I was once a young woman like yourself, and I’ve been through some things myself.”
I can see it in her eyes. It’s true. This isn’t a trap or anything like that. She’s being genuine.
“Well for one thing we’ve only known each other a very short while. I mean, I really have strong feelings for Luke, though. He’s like no one else I’ve ever met. And it really doesn’t have anything to do with him being a prince.”
“I think that’s a good thing,” says the Queen. “You saw that horrible Belinda girl for instance. She cant’ even see Lucas because sh
e’s so focused on his princely title and future position as king.”
I nod, but don’t think it’s wise at the moment to heap further criticism onto Belinda. I really didn’t like her, either, though that’s probably just because she’s another woman who’s interested in Luke.
“But,” says the Queen. “You may have only known each other a very short while, but you seem like you’re already quite attached to each other. Things are moving quite fast, I gather. And no, don’t tell me that’s something from these modern times, because let me tell you we moved just as fast back in my day.”
I try to stifle a giggle, but it comes out, and to my surprise the Queen joins me with a little giggle of her own.
“I imagine his reputation has you a little nervous?” says the Queen.
I nod. “Yeah,” I say. “But also—well, I don’t really know how to say it. But sometimes he seems like he can be different people. He was the party animal in America. Here he’s more of the dapper charming prince. I’ve seen different sides of him.”
“We all have different sides of us,” says the Queen, sounding very wise. I envy her Liserian accent, and I hate to think how harsh my own French sounds in comparison to her own. “That’s just part of what makes us humans. But, trust me, Lucas doesn’t normally play the dapper prince, as you say, here at the palace. Usually he’s just as rowdy and troublesome as it sounds like he was in America.”
“Yeah?” I say. “That’s strange…”
“It’s not strange, dear. It’s because of you. You’re really having a big effect on him and how he’s behaving.”
I smile at her.
“And don’t worry about all those antics of his. Let me tell you something, his father was exactly the same way when I first met him.”
“What?” I say, in complete shock.
“Why, sure. You should have seen he dressed back in those days. It was really a shock for everyone in Liseria. He was always running around causing some kind of trouble. But right when he met me, he started to settle down.”
“Does that mean Luke is going to…” I’m about to say “turn out just like his father, a somewhat grumpy old man,” but I realize I’m speaking to that man’s wife, and that might not be the most polite thing I could say in this moment.
But she catches my drift and to my relief laughs. “Oh, no, dear. He’s always been grumpy. He sure did like you, though.”
I smile. “So you really think Luke likes me a lot?”
She nods and smiles in an incredibly warm way at me. “I do,” she says.
“I like him a lot, too,” I say. “I hope he’s having fun with his American friend. And I hope he’s not getting into too much trouble.”
I realize now that my thoughts about Luke are clarifying. I really want to have something with him. I guess I did before, but I didn’t really admit it to myself.
21.
Luke
We drive right to the old Russian bar. This isn’t exactly the sort of place I like hanging out any more. It used to have some strange charm when I was younger, just because of the huge amount of really seedy characters that hang out here. It’s run by some old Russian guy who is pretty hardened and just let’s anything go. The place is always getting busted by the Liserian police for one thing or another, drug deals, weapons smuggling…bar fights are a daily occurrence.
“This place looks awesome,” says Sebastian, stepping out of the car. “Sweet ride, by the way.”
“Thanks,” I say. “It’s an older model but I like it a lot.”
“Sure as hell beats that RV.”
“I don’t know,” I say. “That RV was kind of cool in a way. We had some good times.”
“And got some good pussy, didn’t we?”
I nod my head. Meanwhile, all I’m thinking about is Rebecca. I wonder what she’s up to back in the palace? I hope my parents haven’t cornered her and are giving her a hard time about our relationship, drilling her for details. Although she didn’t make quite a good impression at lunch—maybe they’ll go a little easy on her. They sure like her a lot more than any of the other girls I’ve ever brought home…but then again so do I.
“Let’s get this party started, shall we?” says Sebastian, clapping his hands together, a wild look appearing in his eyes.
“All right,” I say, somewhat wearily. “Let’s go.”
There’s a steel door greeting us at the entrance, with a massive bouncer at the door. He’s got his hand on his hip, as if there’s a gun right underneath his trench coat. He looks like such a cliché I almost laugh out loud.
“Welcome, sir,” he says, giving me an unreadable stare. He opens the big steel door.
I walk through the threshold, but the bouncer puts his hand out to stop Sebastian. “Who are you?” he says.
“He’s a friend. He’s American, but he’s cool.”
“We’re not supposed to let foreigners in,” says the bouncer. “Too much trouble in the past.”
I sigh. I didn’t want to have to do this, but here I go. “Listen, man, I’m the fucking prince. You know what I could do to this place? We’re not going to cause any trouble. My friend is here on my personal invitation, and he just wants to have a beer and check out some of the fine bars Liseria has to offer.”
I almost laugh at this last part. This certainly isn’t one of the finer Liserian bars. Hell, this place doesn’t even have an actual name, at least not one that I know of.
“Fine,” says the bouncer, after almost a full thirty seconds of apparently thinking really hard about the issue.
“Wow that guy’s a tough nut,” says Sebastian.
“Yeah,” I say, forgetting what the hell “tough nut,” means, but inferring the meaning anyway. It’s kind of weird, not that I’m in Liseria, to be speaking so much English, and my brain is feeling a little worn out from switching back and forth. With Rebecca, it’s easy to speak English, and if I do slip up and say something in French by mistake, which is understandable given our surroundings, she’s going to understand anyway. Maybe it’s because Sebastian speaks with so much more slang, or maybe it’s because it’s just that I like Rebecca a whole lot more than Sebastian.
We order some beers at the bar. The only thing available, of course, is some cheap beer imported from Russia. I don’t even know if Liseria makes its own beer, but if it does, it’s probably gross, to be honest.
“This place is the tits,” says Sebastian, looking all around just like an excited tourist.
“Yeah?” I say, looking around.
We’re at the bar, and honestly the whole place looks pretty dismal to me. There’s just the dim lighting, and some shady figures hunched over their beers. A couple guys are arguing in a corner booth in subdued voices. There aren’t any girls, which is what I thought Sebastian would be going for, and there’s really nothing happing at all. There’s a thick layer of dust and grime covering the entire bar, so thick that I could draw pictures in it if I wanted to with my finger.
“I guess it’s OK,” I say. “I haven’t been here in a long time. I sort of forgot what it was like.”
“How can you forget a place like this?” says Sebastian.
As he says this, I start to feel even more sorry for him. I mean even sorrier than I did for beating him up and leaving him in Texas to fend for himself…he was a good friend, in a way, to me, after all. He never asked for money, and was perfectly content just to shotgun beers with me in the middle of fucking nowhere, wherever the hell we ended up in the RV.
And now, he just seems so excited to be out of the US.
“So this is your first trip abroad,” I say.
He nods his head vigorously. “Fucking right, dude. And let me tell you, it’s the fucking tits. The whole fucking trip. I was at this awesome hostel earlier. You wouldn’t have believed it. All these characters from all over, man, and everyone getting shitfaced the whole time.”
“Sounds great,” I say, while thinking that it sounds any
thing but great. Wow, I guess my attitudes’ been changing kind of rapidly, spending so much time with Rebecca. It’s only been a few days but it feels like a lifetime already. It’s interesting that it takes me meeting up with a guy like Sebastian to really have the feelings surface in my awareness.
22.
Rebecca
I’m walking out on the grounds, wearing my new necklace, and admiring how the light from the sun plays across in little pools of reflection.
Overcome with a desire to talk to Luke right now, I pull out the cell phone Eugene left me. Luke’s phone number is programmed in. I wonder how cell phone service is in Liseria?
“What’s going on, babe?” says Luke.
“Since when do you call me babe?”
“Must be Sebastian’s influence,” he says, his voice crackling slightly on the phone.
“I just want to see how everything’s going,” I say. There’s some noise in the background. “Sounds like you guys are already having fun. I thought you were going to come back to the palace before heading out.”
“Hold on, I’m headed outside. Yeah, that’s what I wanted to do, but Sebastian really wanted to check out some crappy bar out in the middle of nowhere before we come back. We’re just going to have one drink and then come back. We can eat, and then the three of us can go a nice play after dinner. Trust me, you wouldn’t like this bar anyway.” He starts describing that bar to me a little.
‘Yuck,” I say. “Sounds awful. Why in the world did Sebastian want to go there so much?”
“No idea, really. There’s not a single girl in the place, and that’s usually what he’s all about.”
I laugh into the phone. “Well I’m glad I don’t have any competition,” I say.
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