by Nikki Ash
My phone buzzes. This time it’s my brother. Mom must’ve gotten a hold of him.
I walk out of the bedroom and softly close the door behind me. “Hey.”
“Jack and I are on our way to the airport. Jessica ordered us a car.” Jessica must be the woman he’s been spending his time with. I didn’t pay attention to who either of them picked—my only focus on Natalie.
“The pilot said because of the weather it will be a few hours.”
“Fuck,” he hisses. “Okay, we’ll see you there.”
As we’re hanging up, there’s a knock on the door. I already know it’s Harold to grab my luggage. I open the door and roll it out into the hallway.
“The car is ready, sir.”
I glance back at the now closed door, picturing Natalie asleep, cuddled up with the blanket. All I want to do is crawl back into bed with her and ignore the world around us.
“I’ll, uh… Give me a moment, please. I’ll meet you down there.” I can’t do this. I can’t leave her. I’ll take her with me.
“Yes, sir.”
As I’m reaching for the handle to go back inside, the phone buzzes in my pocket. Again. Fuck. It’s my mom again. This can’t be good. “Mom.”
“He’s gone,” she cries. “His heart… it just wasn’t strong enough.”
My forehead drops against the wall and I close my eyes. “I’m so sorry we’re not there.”
“There’s nothing either of you could’ve done.”
I shake my head at her response and start walking down the hall. Even if there was something we could’ve done, she wouldn’t tell us that. “We’re on our way. The weather is bad, but the pilot thinks we can take off in a few hours.” I step into the elevator and press the button for the lobby.
“Stay safe,” she tells me. “I’ll be here when you return. Love you.” Her voice is so broken and sad, I want to reach through the phone and hug her.
“Love you too.”
When I hang up, I step out of the elevator and find myself standing in front of the hotel Starbucks, making me think of Natalie. Yesterday morning when I had breakfast brought up, the first thing she went after was the coffee, telling me she can’t live without caffeine. I chuckle at the thought of her in Lexenburg. We don’t drink coffee. We drink tea. I’ll have to buy her a coffee maker and coffee…
And with that thought, I know I’ve made my decision. I can’t leave without her. Maybe she won’t even want to go with me, but I have to try.
With a coffee and pastries in my hands, I head back upstairs to our room. I should probably be nervous. I mean, I’m about to ask a woman I’ve just met to fly back to my country with me. But for some reason, I’m not. And I know it’s because it feels right. Being with Natalie feels right.
I open the door and the second I enter, I already know she’s gone. I check the bathroom, the balcony, the other rooms… but she’s not here. Her clothes and her phone and camera are gone as well. She left.
My phone buzzes for what feels like the millionth time this morning. “Hello.”
“The system has shifted and we’re clear to take off as soon as you arrive.”
“Thank you.”
I set the coffee and pastries down and then head out. I consider stopping at the bordello on our way, but decide against it. If she wanted to be with me, she wouldn’t have left, but she did. And now I need to focus on my family. My mom and brother are going to need me to be strong for them.
Everything is about to change.
Present Day
“Your luggage was gone,” Natalie says. “How was I supposed to know you were downstairs buying me coffee?”
I sigh, knowing she’s right. “I wasn’t thinking. My dad had just died and my mom was across the pond. I was scrambling to get back home to her and I didn’t think.” Of course she would’ve assumed I left. Because I was planning to. Harold took my luggage and I was heading to the car. I had every intention of leaving her there sleeping.
“I came back because I didn’t want to be without you.”
A single tear leaks from her eye and I reach over to wipe it away with my thumb.
“I didn’t know your number,” she says. “Your last name… nothing. You knew where I worked but—”
“I called there.” Her eyes go wide. “A few days later, after the funeral, I was lying in bed and missing you. I looked up the number and called, but the man told me you didn’t work there and he refused to give me any information.”
“They won’t give out any information over the phone. Some guys get… attached.” Her cheeks turn a light shade of pink.
“I was attached.”
“I was too.” The pink of her cheeks deepens.
“We have a daughter…”
“She’s amazing,” she gushes, her entire face lighting up. “She’s so smart and sweet. She’s obsessed with castles.” She laughs, glancing around at the irony. “We’ve visited so many over the years. I can’t believe here, of all places, is where we found you.”
“Were you looking for me?” I was upset at first that she didn’t tell me, but again, I wasn’t thinking straight. She would’ve had no way to find me, and it’s my fault. I didn’t give her my full name or phone number. I didn’t even tell her where I live. Because I had no intention of ever seeing her again. Until I did, and it was too late.
“I didn’t think I would ever find you,” she says with a slight frown. “But you said you live in a small country in Central Europe, so whenever we’re walking down the streets or are on the tube, I always look around, just in case.” She laughs. “Which is now kind of funny because you’re the king, so I doubt you’ve ever just walked the streets or used public transportation.”
She’s not wrong. Unless it was at an event, we never would’ve crossed paths. “Do you live here?”
“No, we’re traveling.” She beams. “After you left, I took your advice and took off. I quit my job and packed a single suitcase and started traveling.” Her grin widens. “I started in Greece and was working my way through Europe when I found out I was pregnant.” Her hand absently goes to her belly. “My friends, Aria and Giovanni, live in Florence, so I stopped there to confirm it. I was so scared…”
She swallows thickly, and I find myself taking her hands in mine. Her skin is still so soft. “I didn’t have anyone, so I placed roots in Florence near them. I bought a small flat and continued to travel until Jasmine was born. Once she turned a year old and could walk, I started traveling again with her.”
“Do you have a blog?” I remember her telling me about wanting to start one.
“I do.” She pulls out her phone and types something, then hands it to me. I scroll through picture after picture, post after post about her travels. In every photo is our daughter. The Windsor Castle in England, the Carreg Cennen Castle in Wales. They’ve been to the Predjama Castle in Slovenia. The photos continue on and my heart swells with pride at the life she’s created for her and our daughter.
“This was our last stop,” she says. “Jasmine starts school in the fall.”
Her last stop… because she’s not staying.
“You can’t go,” I blurt out. “Please.”
Her brows go up, so I explain. “I need to get to know our daughter and I can’t do that if you’re in Italy.” I edge closer, my hands landing on her hips. “And I’d really, really like to get to know you again.”
She nibbles on the corner of her lip and a horrible thought occurs. “Is there a man…?”
“No,” she says. “It’s only Jasmine and me.”
I breathe out a sigh of relief. I’m not sure what I would’ve done if she had told me there was a guy in her and our daughter’s life, but I’m glad I don’t have to find out.
“Then stay, please,” I practically beg. “We have so much catching up to do. You can stay here.” I wave my hand in the air. “There are more than enough rooms.” You can even share mine if you want, I think but don’t voice, not wanting to appear too pushy and mayb
e a tad creepy.
Her eyes rake over the room and I wait with bated breath for her to say something. I imagine she’s overwhelmed by the luxury of the place, but in my defense, this place is centuries old. Every royal family has lived here. It’s not my choice.
“She starts school in four weeks,” she finally says. “Are you sure it’s okay for us to stay here? We’re staying at The Lexenburg Inn. I’m sure we can extend our stay…”
“Nonsense,” I tell her, refusing to let them out of my sight. “I insist. It’s hard for me to travel out, so you guys staying here would work out better.” And hopefully before it’s time for them to leave, I can convince them to stay.
“Okay,” she agrees. “So, how do you want to do this?”
“Do what?”
She laughs, but it’s strained. “Do we tell Jasmine you’re her father… or…?”
“Yes,” I answer immediately. “I’ve already missed, what? Five years of her life?”
“She turned five in June. June fourteenth.”
“I would like for her to know I’m her dad. As long as you’re okay with that.”
“Of course. You should know she’s probably going to freak out.” Her face heats up. “I wasn’t kidding about her being obsessed with castles. Did you hear what she asked you about finding a queen?” Her entire neck and face blush crimson, and I laugh at how adorable she is.
“If I recall, she was trying to play matchmaker.” I wink and she shakes her head.
“I read her this old fairy-tale story. It was mine when I was little, and she fell in love with it. Eventually I bought her her own and she makes me read it to her every night, even though she could easily read it herself.” She laughs. “It’s about a princess who has to fight all of these magical battles and eventually gets to her prince so they can live happily ever after.”
I snort at the irony. “When you met me, I was a prince.”
She doesn’t laugh, her expression turning serious. “I didn’t know you were a real one, but my time with you… it changed everything for me. You’re the reason I had the courage to leave the bordello, to travel… it felt like you were my white knight.”
“No,” I disagree. “You were your own savior. I was just along for the ride.”
“Well, nonetheless, over the years Jasmine has asked about her father and I’ve been honest with her, telling her that you were someone I cared deeply about but lost contact with. She even has the picture of the two of us that you took our last night together in a picture frame by her bed. From reading her the book, she’s gotten it into her head that one day I’m going to find my king and she’ll, by default, be a princess, and we’ll all live happily ever after.”
“That sounds like the perfect ending to this story,” I tell her, not even caring what I’m implying.
Her eyes briefly widen, but she doesn’t comment. Instead she changes the subject. “Is there anyone you need to speak to about this new revelation?” Revelation meaning I have a daughter I didn’t know about.
“Eventually I’ll have to make an announcement. It’s a big deal that there’s a blood-related princess. She’s my only heir, and if something were to happen to me, when she’s old enough, she would step up as the queen. But for now, I’ll just need to meet with my family. We’ll keep it quiet, so we can spend time together in peace.” Once everyone knows, questions will be asked, and answers will be demanded.
“Okay.” She stands. “Why don’t we go tell our daughter you’re her daddy and then go from there.”
Chapter Ten
Liam
I’m the King of Lexenburg. I was born and raised to fill this role. Every day I have to make tough decisions that can potentially negatively or positively affect an entire country of nine hundred thousand people. Sure, I have several different advisors who help guide me, but ultimately, it’s me they count on to steer their country right. To make sure it’s economically prospering. We’re one of the smallest countries in the world, but we’re one of the wealthiest. The weight of every decision rests on my shoulders and mine alone, and I’m okay with that. I can handle the stress.
But as I walk toward the kitchen where I’m about to be formally introduced to my daughter, I find my heart is beating erratically out of my chest. My hands are sweating. I have never been as scared and nervous as I am right now.
We step through the door and find Stephanie and Jasmine sitting on a couple bar stools talking and… my mom is with them.
Ah hell.
They hear us come in and three sets of eyes swing over to Natalie and me. Stephanie’s squint in confusion and, if I’m not mistaken, a tiny bit of anger—I’ll deal with her later. My mom’s are filled with confusion, but I can detect a hint of excitement as well. She’s a smart woman and has no doubt figured it out. All it would take is Jasmine looking at you with her blue eyes for you to know she’s mine. And if she smiles, with that dimple popping out, well, that might as well be the paternity test.
I’ll have to speak to my mom. But right now my focus is on the little girl who’s smiling at her mother and me. She has a bit of chocolate on the corners of her mouth and the most adorable milk mustache.
“You were taking so long,” she tells her mom, “that I almost ate your cake.” She slides it over to Natalie and hands her a glass of milk. “It’s the best cake I’ve ever eaten!”
“Thank you,” Natalie tells her. “I’m not hungry right now, so how about I save it for later.”
Jasmine shrugs. “Okay. Are you ready to go now?” She hops off the stool. “We still have to go visit the bridge and the gardens… and the church.” I find myself smiling that she knows several of the most popular tourist attractions here in Lexenburg. They’ve done their research.
Jasmine walks over to me. “Thank you for letting us visit your castle. It’s very pretty.”
My eyes flit between her and her mom. She’s ready to leave… because she doesn’t know who I am. She doesn’t know this isn’t just my castle. It’s our castle. Because this is where she belongs. Where they both belong. Here with me.
“Actually, my love, there’s something we need to talk to you about.” Natalie glances up at me. “Maybe… we should go sit somewhere.” She glances over at Stephanie and my mom, uncomfortable with having an audience. My mom raises her brows, silently demanding an introduction.
“Before we do, I’d like you both to meet my mom, Helena Christianson. This is Jasmine and Natalie…” And then it hits me, I don’t know their last name.
“Zapata,” Natalie finishes for me.
“We already met,” Jasmine says.
“We did,” Mom agrees, standing, “but it’s nice to meet you.” She extends her hand and they shake. This is all very informal and nothing like what would be happening if they met in public. I have no idea at this point where I’m going and how to handle any of this.
“It’s nice to meet you too,” Natalie says with tightness in her voice. She’s nervous. She’s meeting royalty and the grandmother of her daughter at the same time. This can’t be easy for her.
Stephanie clears her throat. “I’m Stephanie,” she says, introducing herself. “William’s assistant, advisor, and much more.” When she emphasizes the much more, Natalie flinches but quickly schools her features.
“Much more meaning friends since we were in diapers,” I explain, refusing to allow Stephanie to insinuate anything else. She might want there to be more between us, but I’ve never gone there and I have no intention of ever doing so.
I ignore the hard glare Stephanie is shooting my way. “Mom, Natalie and I need to speak to Jasmine, but once we’re done, I would like to speak to you as well.”
My mom nods in understanding, then excuses herself, dragging Stephanie along when she doesn’t get the hint that we want to speak to Jasmine alone.
“Mommy, is everything okay?” Jasmine asks, her gaze bouncing between us.
“Everything is perfect,” Natalie says, her voice upbeat.
“Let’s g
o to the sitting room,” I suggest. Once the three of us are inside, I close the door for privacy and then join them on the sofa.
“Remember what I’ve told you about your daddy?” Natalie says to Jasmine, who nods.
“Yes, that you loved him very much, but you didn’t get his phone number, so you couldn’t find him. But if he knew about me, he would love me.”
My breath catches at her words. She loved me and spoke fondly of me even though she assumed I left her all those years ago without a goodbye.
“That’s right,” Natalie tells her. “Well, I have some good news. Liam...” She stops and looks at me and raises a single brow. “Liam or William?”
“To you, Liam… To everyone else, it’s William.” I can’t imagine her calling me anything other than Liam. Liam is the carefree man in Las Vegas, the man who didn’t have the weight of an entire country perched on his shoulders.
“Liam is your daddy,” she says with a small smile.
Jasmine’s eyes comically widen, and her attention turns to me. “You’re my daddy?” She looks at her mom. “He’s the one in the picture?”
“I am,” I tell her, then hold my breath, waiting for her response.
She’s quiet, her top teeth gnawing on her bottom lip, just like her mom does. I would give anything to know what she’s thinking, but I wait, not so patiently, for her to wrap her head around what she’s just learned. She’s only five and needs time to process.
Finally, after several long moments, the most beautiful smile spreads across her face. “If you’re my daddy and the king, that makes me…” Her eyes light up. “That makes me a princess!” She looks at her mom. “Right? I’m a princess.”
Natalie snorts, and I release the breath I was holding. “Yes, that makes you a princess,” Natalie tells her.
“Wow,” Jasmine breathes. “My fairy-tale story came true.” Then she frowns. “Does that make you a queen?”