She blinked and looked around her. Right. Harrison’s apartment.
What time was it?
She looked at her phone to find that far more than forty-five minutes had passed.
“Harrison?” she called.
“Yeah?” a sleepy voice from the other room called back.
“What time were we supposed to meet your parents?”
She got a groan in return. “About five minutes from now.”
Lani bolted toward Harrison’s voice. Surely that was the bedroom, and she could freshen up in the bathroom.
“We can’t be late.”
He was sitting on the side of his bed, hair sticking out in seven different directions. “I’ll text my mom,” he told her with a yawn. “It’ll be fine, but we shouldn’t dawdle.”
Who used the word dawdle? She’d never heard Harrison use it before.
Then Lani got a look at herself in the mirror. “I’m all wrinkled,” she moaned.
“There should be some clothes in the closet for you.” He yawned again as he headed through a door she presumed was for the bathroom. “I’ll be right out.”
She tried a different door and found the closet he mentioned. What did one wear to dinner with the king and queen - in the palace? It was one thing at the estate on Serenity Lake, but at their home was different. Looking quickly through the clothes, she selected a breezy looking pair of slacks and flow-y green and blue shirt. If Harrison said she needed to dress differently, she’d change.
As Lani finished tying the shirt at the waist, Harrison knocked.
“Come in.” High heels finished the outfit. Now to get into the bathroom and fix her hair and makeup.
They traded rooms and by the time she was ready, Harrison waited for her.
“Is this okay?” she asked, looking down at her clothes. “I’m not underdressed, am I?”
“You look fabulous.” He winked at her. “I’d kiss you, but that would make us even later than we already are.”
Three minutes later, they walked through the door of his parents’ apartment and found a number of his family waiting for them at the dinner table.
“You didn’t need to wait for us,” Harrison told them, kissing his mother and sisters on the cheek. “But thank you.”
He held a seat for Lani next to Princess Jacqueline Grace, then took the other empty one.
“We just got here,” Princess Astrid told them. “We were running late, too, and we don’t have jet lag as an excuse. Just traffic in the capital.”
Lani had a hard time relaxing, even though it turned out they were only the last people by a few minutes. Servants of some sort brought out plates of food then disappeared. The king gave a blessing then they started to eat.
She watched the people around her, so she’d know what fork to use.
Harrison leaned over and spoke softly. “No one here will care if you use the wrong fork at a meal like this. If you need to know, we’ll make sure you do.” He kissed the side of her head.
That helped a little bit.
“Lani, tell us more about yourself,” Princess Astrid asked. “You grew up in Trumanville?”
She nodded. “My parents both grew up there, too. I think I’m fourth or fifth generation Trumanvillian.”
“And you have four siblings?” Princess Jacqueline Grace clarified.
“I do. I’m the fourth. My brother, Sean, is the oldest. Then Madi. She wrote the book the movie we just finished is based on. Mia is about eighteen months older than me. She just married Eli Whitaker a couple of months ago. They just got full custody of his daughter from a previous relationship, and Mia is hoping she’ll be able to adopt Celia, but the mom hasn’t given up parental rights yet.” All of that was in the public record. It had been in the same tabloids at the supermarket as the articles about Lani and Harrison. The pending lawsuit against Eli’s manager for stealing from Eli was not. “My younger brother is Gray. He’s about two years younger than me.”
“Three girls and two boys sounds familiar.” The queen’s eyes twinkled. “Just in a slightly different order.”
A man in a suit walked in and whispered something to the king. He wiped his mouth on his napkin and set it to the side of his plate. “I’ll be right back. Feel free to keep eating.”
It was an odd thing to say.
“Normally, when the king finishes eating, everyone finishes,” Astrid explained. “It’s not as much a thing at family meals, but especially when he’s called away like that, he makes sure to clarify.”
“I see.” She would need lessons on the etiquette for all kinds of situations. Did they have some sort of coach on staff? A book she could read? A MyBingeFlix series to watch?
Conversation flowed around her as Lani focused on her food. She’d never had any of the dishes before, but they were all delicious.
The king returned a few minutes later, whispering to his wife for a moment before taking his seat and continuing his meal.
Lani glanced at Harrison who gave a slight shrug before exchanging a look with his sisters and Jordan. Something was clearly going on, but no one was going to address it at the moment. She’d have to ask Harrison about it later.
After they were all actually done with their meal, they went into a living room and had coffee while just chatting together.
“What was that about?” Lani asked her husband as quietly as she could when no one was paying attention to them.
“I have no idea. If it’s important, we’ll find out eventually, but you have to learn to be okay not knowing some of those things.”
It would drive Lani nuts, but she’d have to learn to live with it.
After they’d been in the living room for nearly an hour, Jordan spoke up. “Not to be rude, but are we having dessert? I need to get going if we’re not. I have a very early morning tomorrow.”
“You’re flying to Auverignon?” the king asked.
Jordan nodded. “I’m meeting with one of their transplant awareness organizations, but between the time difference and the flight time, I’ll be leaving here a little after four.”
“Dessert will be served shortly,” Queen Miriam told them. “However, if you need to get some rest, please do.”
Jordan kissed Princess Astrid.
Why was it so much easier to think of him as just Jordan, but Lani put titles in front of everyone else’s names? Maybe because he’d married into this whole thing, too.
The same man in a suit came in and whispered to the king again. This time the king stood and cleared his throat.
“We have some extra guests staying with us for the next few days.” He cleared his throat again. Could he be uncomfortable? Why? “Lani’s parents, Mr. and Mrs. Beach will be joining us momentarily for dessert.”
Lani’s stomach dropped. What were they doing here?
Three days in the country and the whole time his in-laws seemed to be annoyed that Harrison and Lani weren’t able to spend every minute with them, playing tour guide. The newlyweds’ tour of the country had been meticulously planned, and there simply wasn’t time in their schedule to be at the beck and call of her parents.
Instead, they seemed to be wreaking havoc on the staff.
They’d been assigned an assistant, as all guests of the palace were, but rather than asking for occasional assistance or help with directions to the dining hall, Mr. and Mrs. Beach were running their assistant ragged with requests for what amounted to room service and full concierge service.
Harrison and Lani had been summoned to his father’s office. He didn’t know what was going on, but it couldn’t be good.
They were shown in and told to take a seat in the area near the windows while his father conversed quietly with his assistant on the other side of the room.
Finally, he came over and took a seat in the same cluster of chairs, a tablet in his hand.
“We have a situation,” he said, without preamble. “Mrs. Beach was observed entering the Hall of Records, though she had been explicitly told not to cro
ss any of the rope barriers.” He turned the tablet around to show them a photo of Lani’s mother stepping over the velvet barricade.
“I’m so sorry, sir.” Lani sounded defeated. “I wish I could say I’d talk to her, and it would stop, but I doubt that’s the case.”
She didn’t understand the seriousness of the situation.
“It’s more than that,” Harrison told her, reaching over to take her hand. “Unauthorized incursion into the Hall of Records is a felony. The only people allowed in there unaccompanied are the monarch and two certified tour guides-slash-security team members. Even my mother can’t go in there without my father or one of them.”
Lani looked properly horrified. “A felony? Will she be prosecuted? Jail time?”
His father shook his head. “She was only in there for a moment before the guard removed her. I’m going to recommend a stern reprimand and tell her there are no second chances.”
Lani took a deep breath. “You can kick them out. You don’t have to let them stay here just because they’re my parents.”
Harrison’s father inclined his head to acknowledge her offer. “I’m willing to give them another chance, but there will not be a third. They will never be allowed to stay here again and will never be unaccompanied if they do come for brief visits.”
“Understood and more than fair.”
“They should be waiting in the outer office by now. I would appreciate it if you would remain, in a show of solidarity, but if you would rather not, I understand.” The comments were directed at Lani, not Harrison.
“I can stay if you’d like,” Harrison told his wife. “You don’t need to.”
Lani squared her shoulders. “No. They’re my family, but so are all of you now. You don’t visit someone’s house and act like that, whether it’s a palace or a double-wide.”
She’d told him some of her history with her parents but not much. She hadn’t been as favored as her older brother, and to a lesser degree, her oldest sister, but she hadn’t been treated poorly.
“Very well.” He tapped on his tablet then stood and walked toward his desk. He pointed to a spot behind and to his right. “If you would both stand over here, Mr. and Mrs. Beach will be in momentarily.”
Harrison let his hand rest on Lani’s back as they took their spots. His father did a few minutes worth of work before the door opened, and her parents walked in.
“Please take a seat.” He continued looking over something on his tablet. Harrison doubted it was anything important but rather a power play.
“Lani,” her mother started.
The king glared at her. There was a difference between his monarchical glare and his parental glare.
This was definitely the glare of a king.
Harrison’s mother-in-law closed her mouth but glared back.
A few minutes later, she couldn’t wait any longer. “Why are we being kept waiting?”
“Do you have something better to do?” he asked, making a notation in the file he’d started looking through.
“Well, we had made plans to visit the turtle sanctuary.”
“You made plans?” He didn’t look up. “Or one of my staff members made plans for you?”
“We hardly know how to get there or the best time to go,” she huffed. “We were told to let our assistant know if we needed help with anything, so we asked her to help us. So why are we just sitting here while you ignore us?”
After one more notation, Harrison’s father set his pen down and interlaced his fingers, his full forearms resting on the desk. “At the moment, I’m reading through paperwork regarding the Hall of Records, one of the restricted areas of the palace. Only three people are allowed in there unaccompanied. You, Mrs. Beach, are not one of them.”
“So?” She actually shrugged as she slumped in her seat.
“You were observed entering the room both in person and via electronic surveillance. This is a felony punishable by up to twenty-five years in prison.”
“That’s ridiculous.” Lani’s mom stood and glared at the king.
“Sit down.” The commanding tone in Harrison’s father’s voice was one that came only from having full authority.
She meekly did as she was told.
“The assistant you mentioned gave you instructions that there were areas you were not allowed to visit without an escort. Do you recall that conversation?”
Both of Lani’s parents nodded.
“You were told you cannot cross any of the physical barricades into off-limits areas, but you chose to ignore those instructions.”
“There was no barricade.” Mrs. Beach crossed her arms in front of her.
“There was a barricade. A rope blocked access to the doors, which were closed. Do you deny that?”
“No, but...”
One glare from the king stopped her. “Here’s how this is going to work. You will stop taking advantage of my staff. If you would like to do things in Cabo Juan Eduardo, you may ask for advice, but do your own planning. This includes either renting your own vehicle or finding a cab or ride sharing vehicle.”
Both of Lani’s parents nodded, though they looked sullen.
“Second, if there are any other incidents of either one of you being where you are not allowed, you will both be banned permanently from the palace. Failure to comply may also bring prosecution for this event and any others that occur. The statute of limitations is several years. There is no expiration on this warning. Have I made myself crystal clear?”
They both nodded.
“The correct response when a monarch asks a question such as that is ‘yes, sir’ or ‘yes, Your Majesty.’ Now, have I made myself clear?”
“Yes, sir,” they both mumbled. They stood and turned toward the door.
“You are dismissed. You will be escorted back to your quarters where you can make plans for the last three days of your stay.”
“But we’re planning...”
Harrison’s father cut the protest off with a look.
“Yes, sir.” Her mother turned with a flounce and stalked through it.
When the door closed behind them, Lani’s shoulders drooped. “I’m sorry, sir. They should have behaved better than that.”
Harrison’s father turned and stood, his hands coming to rest on Lani’s shoulders. “You are not responsible for them, my dear. Whether they like it or know about it, they will be under close scrutiny every moment they are in my country until I know I can trust them. I meant what I said though. This is their only warning for all eternity. I have a feeling they will be banned from the palace sooner rather than later.”
Lani’s head fell. “I’m inclined to agree.”
So was Harrison. Before he could say so, his father’s assistant walked back into the office, and it was time for them to go.
16
One shouldn’t argue with a king or contradict him and his instructions in his own home, but Lani didn’t hold out much hope that her parents, especially her mother, would follow those normal conventions.
It had been two days and so far, she was cautiously optimistic, but not so much that she’d trust her parents unattended.
She and Harrison waved at the small crowd as they walked from their vehicle to the waiting boat. They were headed to one of the other islands - she wasn’t sure which one - to have lunch with Princess Astrid and Jordan before taking a tour of the island and stopping at a couple of different places.
As they boarded the nicest yacht Lani had ever seen, they were greeted by the captain and some of the crew. They took the time to talk briefly with each of them before leaving.
They decided to ride inside rather than on the railing. Lani wouldn’t have to redo her hair that way.
The windows allowed her to see the beautiful ocean water as they went along.
“I need to remember to thank your father again.” Lani sat in a plush chair in one of several sitting areas on board.
“For what?” Harrison held her hand as they watched the blue wa
ters of the sea glide by.
“For not prosecuting my mother. I know he still could, but at least he’s giving her a second chance.”
“My father is a good man. He’s fair. He chooses grace and mercy whenever he can. It’s not always possible, but that’s his natural inclination.”
“That’s the mark of a good leader, I think.”
A buzzing sound filled the air before the captain told them they’d be docking in about ten minutes.
“Where are we going first?” Lani asked him.
“Didn’t they show you how to access your schedule?” He pulled his phone out of his pocket. “It’s not a big deal since you won’t have any solo engagements while we’re here this time.”
“That’s good. I’m not ready for that.”
“That’s why we’ll stick together.” He kissed the back of her hand. “You and me.”
Lani went to one of the suites and touched up her hair and makeup.
When she returned, Harrison was staring intently at his phone. “You never did tell me where we’re going first.”
He put his phone back in his pocket. “First we’re going to a nursery school where we’ll spend some time with the children. After that, we’ll have lunch with my sister and Jordan. Then we’ll go to a community center to hang out with the youth in the area. We’ll have dinner at a local eatery of some sort, then head back here afterward.”
“That sounds great.”
A few minutes later, they walked down the gangplank. They were met by the local mayor who took them on a brief tour of the city before dropping them off at the nursery school.
The director showed them around the building and talked about the different programs and early interventions they used to help identify children who might need extra assistance.
When story time rolled around, they were in a room with three-year-olds. Harrison sat on the floor, and Lani wished she had a camera to capture the moment.
One little girl sat on his lap while two others sat on either side. The sight made her wonder when they’d have children of their own. He would clearly be wonderful with their own kids.
Of course, to have children of their own, they’d have to do a lot more than kiss like they’d been doing since the wedding.
Small Town Girls Don't Marry Secret Princes: A Small Town Contemporary Christian Romance (Beaches of Trumanville Book 2) Page 11