by Mia Ford
”Blackmail is never that easy,” I said, shaking my head. ”Besides, this is our honeymoon. I completely screwed up our marriage the first time, and now that it is perfect, I don’t want to ruin it again by ending our trip and running back because of some asshole who thinks he can pull one over on us. You and that baby are the most important things to me.”
“I know, my love,” she replied, stepping out the door and walking over to me. “And by taking care of this before it explodes, that is protecting your family. I let Reg Evers control my life for a long time, and I cannot allow it to happen anymore. We will have plenty of time to vacation, but this calls for our immediate attention. It isn’t your fault, any more than it is mine. But it is something that needs our attention, and not three days from now, when we go back, but right now.”
“You truly will be a wise queen,” I replied, stifling my anger and kissing her on the forehead. “I will be inside in a moment. I just need to clear my head.”
“I love you,” she replied. She kissed me on the cheek and walked back in the house.
“She really will be an amazing queen,” Brat said, walking out onto the patio. “But first, we have got to take care of this little problem. And Milos, understand that we consider this to be a threat against the Kingdom, and therefore, are ready to handle it in such a way.”
“That won’t be necessary,” I replied. “Though it definitely has crossed my mind. I could toss his sleazy ass in the deepest, darkest prison cell in the kingdom, and never have to worry about him again. But I don’t want that dark cloud hanging over Adriana and me. I’d rather settle this issue once and for all.”
“Well, know you aren’t alone in this,” Brat said, tapping the door with his hand and walking back inside.
I stood on the porch, watching the rain for several minutes. This place had seemed so perfect, and now, it was tainted with royal business and our past creeping up on us. I took a deep breath before going back inside, not wanting Adriana to see me all bent out of shape. However, as I packed our bags and readied to get on the jet, I couldn’t help but be angry and bitter. I was supposed to be on my honeymoon, not dragging my pregnant bride back to the palace so she can worry about her old boss and her past. This was absolutely insane. I was so angry, I didn’t even realize I was slamming things down into the suitcase. Adriana walked over and patted my hand.
“Why don’t you go sit and speak with Brat,” she said. “I’ll take care of packing the bags. We are almost done.”
“Thank you, my love,” I replied, leaning over and kissing the top of her head. “Don’t lift them though. We will come get them for you.”
“Of course,” she smiled.
However, as I walked from the room and turned back toward her, I watched her smile quickly fade into a frown. Instantly, I was angry again, dislodged from the fantasy of our honeymoon and thrown back into a harsh and unhappy reality.
I grabbed my backpack and started packing it with my personal items, such as my laptop and tablet. I threw them in the bag and zipped it up, sitting down and waiting for Brat to return. He had gone to get the jet ready and bring an escort for Adriana, since it was pouring rain and the airstrip was on the other side of the island.
I heard a small beep, so I walked out the front door and stared at Brat, sitting in a covered golf cart from the maintenance shed. He opened his arms up, smiling at what he had found. I shook my head and rolled my eyes, turning to walk back in to get Adriana. Brat hustled to catch up with me and handed me the key.
“That’s very royal,” I scoffed. “We are taking the pregnant Princess of Silesia to her private jet in a golf cart in the pouring rain.”
“Hey, I did the best I could,” Brat said, chuckling. “I’m not the one who didn’t think about rain precautions when I bought a cute little island for my wife. How did you get over here when you got here?”
“The golf cart,” I said laughing. “But it wasn’t raining.”
“You, sir, are a tool,” Brat replied, walking into the house and grabbing suitcases.
I grabbed two of the bags and followed Brat back out to the cart. We piled them up in the back and looked up as the rain began to slow up. Brat shook his soaking wet head and laughed to himself. As he began to walk away, I reached out and grabbed his arm.
“This is my whole life,” I said. “I need this to go right. This Kingdom and Adriana do not need any more hardship. They have all been through enough.”
“And because you feel that way,” Brat replied, slapping me on the shoulder. “I will do anything you need to take care of this.”
“Anything?” I said, looking him dead in the eye.
Brat nodded his head before turning to the door where Adriana had emerged, carrying her laptop in a bag over her shoulder and waddling along with her pillow and blanket for the plane. I smiled at her as she looked up at me, radiant as ever. She had changed into a pretty, long blue beach dress with flip flops, and her little round belly popped out in the middle. She looked worried, and that didn’t make me any less angry. Immediately, I began thinking of all the ways I could kill Reg Evers in a slow and painful way. How dare he put my family through this, especially considering I was the King of Silesia. There was nothing funny or cute about what he was doing, and at that moment, I swore to take him down in every way that I could.
Thunder clapped loudly in the background, mimicking my angry mood. There was nothing I wouldn’t do for this woman and that child, and it was my responsibility to make sure the Kingdom stayed happy and prosperous. If this information leaked, it could cause major issues with the way the Kingdom looked at the future Queen of Silesia, and that just could not happen. Reg Evers had it coming, and I couldn’t wait to get back and let him know exactly how I felt.
25
Adriana
I stared out the window of the plane as more and more distance was put between me and paradise. As the skies cleared, and we sailed steadily through the night, dread began to pound down on my heart. Reg showing up is just completely out of the blue, and it did more than knock my legs out from under me.
I didn’t know whether to be angry, scared, or just livid, like Milos, and the confusion was tearing me up on the inside. At that point, I should have thought about him, or at least been on the lookout for him to come sniffing around. Me leaving like that probably didn’t leave a very good taste in his mouth, and the news that I had become Queen probably, instantly, flashed dollars signs in his head. Then again, until just recently, I figured the marriage was fake anyway, so why worry about someone like Reg?
Honestly, part of me considered going back and working for him when the contract was over. I never imagined I would actually fall in love with Milos. But now, as I sat there, headed back to the castle, surrounded by anger, my past churned around me. It didn’t just have the ability to hurt me, but my husband, my child, and the Kingdom I was supposed to take over as Queen. I shook my head and looked over at Milos, who was staring silently out the window. I knew he wasn’t angry with me. He was just as much a part of this as anyone, but I couldn’t help but feel terrible about it. I had given him hell about his past and mending it for the future, and now, my past was the thing threatening the sanctity of the Kingdom.
For the rest of the flight, silence was the name of the game. Every once in a while, Brat would look over at me and smile, but Milos stayed quiet, his teeth clenched tightly, and his eyes fixed out the window. I could tell his anger had not subsided, even in the least. When we landed, I was actually relieved to be home, and I smiled kindly at the servants who greeted us.
It was the middle of the night, so we knew the Queen wouldn’t be awake, and Milos had already decided he was just going to tell her that I wasn’t feeling well and wanted to return home to get some rest. With every cover-up, we created another lie and another path to hide. It was a never-ending cycle, and I hated it with everything in my being. I did not want to continue lying to the Queen, but we couldn’t tell her what was going on. She would be furious.
When we got to our wing of the house, I sat down on the couch and stared into the fire that the servants had started, knowing I hated the chill in the castle at night. I smiled sweetly at my head servant as she asked me if I needed anything else. I shook my head and listened as she stepped from the room and the doors shut behind her. Milos approached the fireplace and leaned up against it, his arm at the top and his head facing the flames. He breathed in deeply and let it out, obviously mulling everything over in his mind.
“We should get some sleep,” he said, not looking at me. “It’s been a long night, a long plane ride, and we need to rest, especially you.”
Milos turned to me and smiled as he reached his hand out for me. I didn’t want to go to sleep. I wasn’t tired in the least, but I wasn’t about to argue with Milos. He had enough on his plate at the moment. I stood and kissed him on the cheek before retreating to the bathroom to change into my nightgown and brush my teeth.
I looked at my face in the mirror, remembering the nights in spandex gold jumpsuits and six-inch heels. It felt like it was a lifetime ago, yet it was still something that had to be drudged up again. My life was completely different now, and I couldn’t understand how someone could be as vile and despicable as Reg, especially since if he knew we were married, he must have known we were expecting a child. What kind of man bribes a pregnant woman? Reg Evers was an asshole and has always been one, so I don’t know why I can’t wrap my head around all of this.
I took in a deep breath and made my way back to the room where Milos was already in bed and waiting for me. He pulled the covers up over me, and I struggled to get comfortable. It was already difficult to find comfort with a basketball attached to my stomach, but on top of it, I had the stress of everything running through my mind. I turned from side to side, trying to find a comfortable position, but it seemed that no matter how I laid my body on the bed, I would still feel that aching in my chest, and an uncomfortable feeling of dread in the pit of my stomach. Finally, as I turned away from Milos for the hundredth time, he grabbed onto me and pulled me in close to his body. He wrapped his arms tightly around me and laid his chin next to my ear.
“Shh, my love,” he whispered. “I promise that I will forever protect you, even from this idiot.”
“I know,” I said, losing control of my emotions and bursting into tears. “I’m so sorry for this entire thing. It is such a mess. You are a prince. You were groomed, taught, and brought up with an impeccable pedigree, and here I am, trashing your name. I’m the daughter of a single drunk mother, and I made a living taking my clothes off for other men. It's disgusting, and I feel sick to my stomach over it.”
I sniffled and wiped the tears pooling on the pillow beneath me. Milos shifted and turned me onto my back, looking down at my face. He moved the hair from my eyes and wiped his fingers across my wet cheeks. He leaned forward and kissed my lips softly, a tired look in his eyes.
“Did you forget that none of that matters?” he asked. “Did you forget that you are the love of my life? I see you only as this perfect creature that I am more than lucky to have as my wife. Besides, if it weren’t for you working for that scum bag, we never would have met. So, in some ways, your past is what brought you here to this moment. Try not to beat yourself up. I have screwed up so much in the past, this is barely a speed bump.”
“I guess I should be glad there are no pictures of me on the front of the paper yet,” I said, sniffling.
“Yeah, although maybe if there are, gold spandex jumpsuits will come back in style,” Milos joked.
I laughed through the tears and smacked him on the arm. He laid back down on the pillow and brought me in close again. I could feel his love wrapped around me, and suddenly, the exhaustion of everything hit me like a ton of bricks. Curled up in our warm, safe bed, I began to fall asleep, traveling through into the dream world.
I found myself floating downward through the air, as if I were as light as a feather. When my feet touched down, I looked at the sand and surf surrounding me. I was no longer in the castle, but back at the beach. I could only see a few feet in every direction. The rest was pitch black. I looked down at my body and realized I was no longer pregnant. Instead, I was holding my child in my arms.
I pulled the blanket back and stared at the baby’s perfect little face. A feeling of warmth washed through me. However, before I could say a word, cold water rushed over my ankles, and the darkness began to close in around us. From the edges of the encroaching blackness, I could hear a deep, menacing laugh. I pulled the baby close to my chest, frantically looking around.
“Who’s there?” I screamed. “Leave us alone!”
Everywhere I turned, it was nothing but darkness, and I couldn’t figure out where I was going. The voice started growing louder and louder. I climbed up the beach and ran through the woods. The sounds of screeching monkeys and laughter filled my ears. I stopped, sensing something getting close, and I squinted into the distance. Moving quickly toward us was a large mouth, laughing loudly and opening wide. I screamed and shot forward into the woods.
I could feel the wet leaves under my bare feet and the breathing of the baby against my chest. As I stepped into the clearing, I froze, looking out over a giant cliff, plunging into the darkness below. I turned around and watched in horror as the mouth spread over us and slammed shut.
I sat up in the bed, grabbing my chest where the baby had been, and I looked around in panic. My head was covered in sweat, and Milos ran his hand over my back. My vision cleared, and the fear clouding my brain receded. I looked down at my belly and sighed in relief. It had been a horrible nightmare, and I knew exactly who was to blame. Tears filled my eyes, and I put my face in my hands, no longer able to control any emotions. I sobbed uncontrollably. Milos scooted up behind me, put his arms around my chest, and kissed the back of my neck.
“It’s all right,” he whispered soothingly. “It was just a nightmare. Take a deep breath. I’m right her with you.”
I breathed in through my nose and out my mouth, trying to settle the uncomfortable feeling in my chest. It had all seemed so real, and I’d felt so helpless. I couldn’t protect myself, I couldn’t protect my child, and I was left, standing on a cliff with a choice of either jumping or facing the demon chasing me. In the end, I let the mouth engulf us both, lost in the darkness that followed.
There was no doubt in my mind it represented my uncertain future. Do I let Reg engulf me with his bribery and continue with these terrible snow ball of lies, or do I jump into the darkness, hoping for a soft landing below? One thing was for sure. I never wanted to feel that helplessness again, not for me or my child.
I gathered my emotions and leaned back into Milos’s arms, feeling his comfort wrapped around us both. The baby kicked hard in my stomach, and I rubbed my belly, knowing it too could feel my despair. I felt terrible about all of this, every part of it, but even worse, I no longer felt like I was in control of the situation.
I felt like everything was spiraling out of control, just like in my dream, where I was running blindly through the woods, everything frightening, and no knowledge of where to go from there. However, unlike my dream, I knew that I did not have to face the darkness alone. Milos was there to stay, there to do whatever he could to help us get through this, and no matter what happened, we would have each other in the end.
I turned my head and let Milos wipe the tears from my face. He leaned forward and pressed his lips against my forehead. I closed my eyes, taking in his scent, his strength, and his comfort. Reg Evers had picked on the wrong family, and I wasn’t going to sit by and let him take advantage of me all over again.
26
Milos
I sat in my chair by the window, staring down over the gardens. It was now raining here, too, and the weather matched my mood. I hadn’t slept very much, since Adriana was having a hard time getting settled. Then, without warning, she woke from a nightmare that had completely shaken her world upside down. She didn’t explain the dr
eam to me, but I could tell that this Reg controversy had really gotten into her head.
I felt helpless, and I needed to step up and stand up to this tyrant. No one was going to come into my Kingdom and bully me and my family around without some severe repercussions. The first thing I needed to do, though, was find out what exactly he was looking for. I swiveled my chair around and faced Brat, who was standing, waiting for me to tell him what came next.
“Can you get word to Mr. Evers?”
“I can,” Brat said carefully. “What would you like me to tell him?”
“Tell him to meet me at that small pub in the capital in an hour,” I replied. “I’ll listen to what he has to say.”
“Are you sure this is the right thing?” Brat asked. “We already know he is looking for money.”
“We assume it’s money,” I replied. “But we don’t know for sure. Reg Evers might be an asshole, but one thing he is not, is stupid. I want to hear him out before I make my decision on how to handle this.”
“Understood,” Brat replied with a bow of his head. “I will go call him. Do you want me to come along?”
“No,” I replied, looking over at the closed door to the bedroom. “I think it best we keep as many people out of this drama as possible. I’ll meet with him alone.”
“I’ll have the car sent around for you,” Brat replied, before turning and walking from the room.
I sat in the chair, finishing my coffee and staring out into the scenery below, before standing and heading back to change. I wore plain clothes and pulled on my waterproof trench coat. I stepped in front of the mirror and stared at my reflection, wondering how inconspicuous I actually looked. I pulled the collar up on my coat and pulled a hat on, bringing the bill down low to hide my face. I clutched my sunglasses in my hand, wondering what kind of money this asshole was really looking for. I knew, even if I paid him off, this would never end. I needed this to be as discreet as possible. In the past, I hadn’t cared if I was splashed all over the tabloids, but now, I had a family and a kingdom to think about. I had to be extra careful meeting with this man.