Crown Me, Prince

by Frankie Love

Alone.

  Chapter 15

  After Garrick storms out of the house, and after my sister and Hunter talk me down, I get dressed, determined to make the best of things.

  I wanted an adventure, didn’t I?

  Well, this adventure isn’t exactly what I imagined, but I can certainly do my best to make it my own.

  I braid my still-wet hair into a fishtail, and look for a pair of shoes that have closed toes. I find some ballet flats and decide that’s better than nothing.

  In the “kitchen” I find the drawer with cash, just as promised. So that’s something. I shove an envelope full in my purse and sling my bag over my shoulder.

  Of course, I like to cry when necessary and I have no problem with pulling the covers over my face and having a Netflix marathon the week of my period. But right now, there’s no time for that.

  Right now, I have to grin and bear it. Or make do with what I’ve got, or pull up my straps and walk in these “boots.” However that phrase goes.

  I’ve got to be the princess I was born to be.

  I have no intention of leaving Garrick. We’ve been married one day, and princes and princesses don’t just get divorced.

  Besides, I want to be his wife. There are a lot of things about Garrick that make me feel like a woman—that make me feel beautiful, that intrigue me.

  His jawline, for one, is a major turn on. Then we have his stunning eyes and his broad shoulders, and the way he makes me feel small. Not in an insignificant way, but in a he can take care of me and protect me and be my actual knight in shining armor way.

  Scratch that. Not knight in shining armor. A prince in shining armor. Is that a thing? I can’t exactly picture Garrick in armor.

  Okay, maybe prince in well-worn flannel. Because that’s pretty much the only thing I’ve seen him in.

  Not that it matters. That flannel shirt rolled up to his elbows, worn jeans and work boots…. It gets me hot just thinking about it. Somehow, the way he looks so comfortable in his own skin makes me want to be closer to him. Makes me want to be his.

  Of course, there are plenty of things we need to work through first. Such as our relationship skills.

  Sure, he made me come like a motherfucker—which, I know, that sounds crazy crass, but it’s the truth. Whatever he did to my body last night, he worked me over, worked me up and down. Worked me in all the ways.

  And I’d be lying if I said I didn’t want a repeat tonight. Or this afternoon.

  Or right now.

  But I can’t.

  I shut the door to the cabin, realizing I don’t even have a key to my own house—and by house, I mean piece of shit shed—and I walk down the path toward the village square.

  My mind is on Garrick, of course. Will he come around and see things from my point of view? Would holding out on him, not giving him sex, be enough for him to change his entire lifestyle?

  He seems to really hate the castle…but then I think about the fact that I cannot even boil a pot of water without putting a log in the fire. Which is pretty much ridiculous. If this marriage is going to work, we’ve both got to give.

  More than an inch. He’s got to give up a hell of a lot.

  In town, I realize it’s as cute and charming as I thought it was yesterday. Even though it’s a fall day, and the air is crisp and cool, there’s a sense of excitement on the streets. I feel like I’m in a fairy tale as I walk down the road. The people in town wave, smile, offer me greetings and congratulations.

  I know I’m beaming, and I’m not even ashamed. Of course I’m grinning, this feels like magic. Strangers call out to me, “Good morning, princess,” or “Congratulations,” or “Garrick is so lucky to have you.”

  When I hear that last one, I can’t help but snort. If only he thought he was lucky to have me.

  Of course, he didn’t want to be married. I’m an inconvenience.

  Still, everyone is friendly, and it brightens my heart to feel accepted by the people of Alpinweiss.

  As I walk down the street, I poke my head into several little boutiques. I smile, remembering my conversation with my younger sister Dahlia. She told me that this wasn’t going to be some massive metropolis, with a shopping complex.

  And I remember how just yesterday I had told her I didn’t need anything massive, that small shops and independent sellers were enough. I wasn’t looking for fancy; I was looking for adventure.

  Walking into a shop with winter coats in the display window, I’m greeted by a silver-haired woman with bright eyes.

  “Oh, Princess Iris, you came to shop here, at my little store?”

  “I suppose so. I was charged with getting some winter apparel, and thought you might have some boots in my size? I’m a seven and a half.”

  “Okay,” she says laughing. “Straight to the point. That’s good. No nonsense, just like Prince Garrick.” The woman takes my hand. “I’m Lindy.”

  “I’m surprised, to be honest, that you know my name,” I admit. “I didn’t know the wedding was announced. But as I walked here this morning, so many people seemed to know about it.”

  “Oh, I think little birdies were talking. Apparently the reception yesterday was quite lovely—not that anyone in town was invited, of course. But we’re not royalty.”

  “Royalty, right.” Growing up in Elexia, royalty was a pretty much a joke. Yes, I’ve always had this title of Princess, but it’s not the way people imagine.

  Whereas Cinderella married Prince Charming and danced the night away, that was never my life—and doesn’t seem like that’s what Garrick wants for his life, either.

  That part, I can handle. I don’t need people fawning over me, or a personal assistant scheduling my hair appointments. Heck, I grew up with my older sister giving me a trim every six weeks. Hairdressers in Elexia? Out of the question.

  “It’s surprising to see a princess walk around; the queen herself would never do such a thing. Not that I’m talking poorly about our Royal Highness. Of course not,” Lindy says.

  “No? Where do they shop? Where does the Queen get her clothes?”

  “Ordered from Paris, of course. She travels frequently. Going to royal courts is her favorite pastime. Though the castle is historic, she’s retrofitted every square inch, at least that’s what everyone says. I’ve never been inside the castle myself.”

  “Right. I’ve only just been here a day, so I can’t speak to the Queen, but the castle was quite beautiful. And yes, the outside does appear rustic, but inside it was beautiful. Not overwhelmingly gaudy by any means, but definitely not... say, the place Prince Garrick lives.”

  “You mean the cabin? Did he really take you there last night?” Lindy laughs. She looks through a rack of coats, and pulls out a few.

  “He did.” I try on a tan coat and button it. The first one is too big and I try on a second, which fits better and is warmer too.

  “You think Garrick would like this one?” I asked Lindy.

  “I do. Garrick is comfortable, not one to put on airs. And I can’t imagine a wife of his flying to Paris for clothes.”

  “I’ve never been to Paris,” I tell her.

  She pulls out a pair of boots, and kneels down to help me put them on. They lace up, and are sturdy and practical.

  I pull out my phone and take a picture in my new boots. I immediately think of Instagramming them with the hashtag #notexactlyglassslippers before remembering I deleted that app from my phone.

  Oddly, I don’t miss it. I put my phone away and look back at Lindy.

  “You know,” she says. “Garrick built that cabin when he was just a teenager. The thing about that boy is, he never seemed to care about what anyone thought. Especially his parents.”

  “And the people of Alpinweiss?” I ask. “They think highly of him, even though he isn’t exactly a traditional Prince?” In my new boots, I walk to another shelf and pick out a few scarves, adding them to my growing pile

  “Who needs a traditional Prince?” Lindy shrugs. “Garrick can always be fo
und helping someone who lives here in town. Whether it’s joining in a game of kickball in the schoolyard, or helping at harvest in a local farmer’s fields. Garrick does things his own way. It may rub some people wrong, but no one who lives and works here has ever been offended by the way Garrick chooses to live his life.”

  “I see,” I say, biting my lip. It’s attractive, hearing so many compliments about him.

  “You know, in his cabin, he doesn’t have electricity,” I confide, not quite knowing why. “Or hot water.”

  Lindy laughs, shaking her head. “Oh that boy. He may be the prince of the people, but no way is that behavior going to fly when you’re someone’s husband.”

  “So me asking for those things, you don’t think it’s asking too much?”

  “Too much?” Linda shakes her head. “Men need a woman to help even them out, smooth their rough edges, so to speak.”

  “Thanks Lindy. I know I’m not exactly a traditional princess, but I appreciate your frankness with me.”

  Lindy rings me up and arranges to have the bags delivered to the cabin. Now that I know I’m not being too demanding by requiring my husband to get a refrigerator, I feel reinvigorated by the plan I concocted with Hunter and Violet this morning.

  The hardest part about following through with the plan is that I really like Garrick. I want to be close to him again, soon.

  And I want to see if our like could grow into something more. Not that I’m expecting that. Wanting to fall in love with the person you’ve been arranged to marry isn’t necessarily the most realistic mindset. But still, it would be amazing.

  Smiling, I walk out of the shop and look for the next store on my list. Lucy’s Lederhosen and Lingerie is printed across the awning of the shop across the street.

  Perfect.

  Chapter 16

  I’m sitting there, having I don’t even know what number beer, when I see Iris poke her head into the bar.

  “Is that your princess?” Kurt asks, nodding his head toward the entrance.

  Apparently everyone knows who my new bride is. The article in Alpinweiss Times documented the wedding cake incident thoroughly enough to give Iris not only a face for our nation, but also to let everyone know how charming and adorable she is.

  I set down my beer, grunt a yes, and walk through the crowded bar toward Iris.

  “Hello, Garrick,” she says, smiling and offering me her cheek to kiss. I lean over and brush my lips on her skin—then, unable to restrain myself, I pull her mouth to mine.

  She doesn’t pull away; instead, she wraps her arms around my neck and kisses me more deeply. Her breasts are pressed against my chest, and I wrap my arms around her waist.

  The customers seem to like our royal PDA, because they start whooping and hollering.

  When we pull apart, Iris’s face is flushed with the heat pulsing between us. It’s a relief to know our chemistry wasn’t a one-off, and the meltdown from this morning seems long gone.

  I didn’t think it was possible for her to be more attractive, but seeing her walk into the bar in a winter coat and sturdy boots only turns me on more.

  “You want a drink?” I ask. I need to let her know I’m not going to make her suffer. She wants electricity? Fine, I’ll give her electricity.

  I want this marriage to work.

  Besides wanting to work her over, I also want to take care of her, want to be a man she can rely on. So I’ll fix up the cabin to her liking if that’s what she needs.

  Iris beams at me, and takes my hand. “I would love a drink, Garrick. I thought you’d never ask.”

  I lead her to the bar, where Kurt introduces himself.

  “So you’re the woman stuck with this bloke?” Kurt cocks his head in my direction.

  “I suppose so,” Iris says, grinning. “But you know, I’ve been doing quite a bit of shopping today and, along the way, plenty of people let me know exactly what they thought about my new husband. Seems that you have quite a reputation, Garrick.”

  Iris spins on her barstool to face me. I just shake my head, not sure I want to know what she heard.

  I order us both beers. “You hungry?”

  “Starved.”

  I place an order for bratwurst, schnitzel, and hot pretzels. Kurt places two pilsners in front of us.

  “Don’t you want to hear the word on the street?” she tempts me.

  “All right, all right. So what did you hear?” I steel myself for the hard truth. If she’s been talking to my mother or any of her friends, I don’t think I want to know the details.

  “It was actually all good. It sounds like I married a man most people around here find helpful and generous.” She raises her stein of beer and clinks it against mine. After taking a not so dainty sip, she wipes her mouth with the back of her hand. “Kurt,” she says. “That’s delicious. Do you brew this yourself?”

  I take a hard look at Iris, realizing this girl knows how to turn the charm on anyone. My parents loved her because she got me to come to the reception last night, the city loves her because she shoved cake in my face, and I can’t help but think I could love her, considering the way she rode me all night long.

  And also the way she marched into the bar so confidently and kissed me without a second thought.

  “We do brew it, right here. It’s nice to know Prince Garrick’s wife appreciates local brew.”

  “Well, back home in Elexia we didn’t have beer. Rum punch, that was our brew. Fresh coconuts filled with tar-barreled rum. Trouble with a capital T.” Iris smiles and flashes her bright eyes at him, and I swear to God, Kurt blushes.

  Kurt, a man who has sworn off women for over a decade. Kurt, who stands behind this bar with an apron stretched across his beer belly. Smitten with Iris in a matter of minutes.

  “Sounds like my kind of party.” Kurt claps his hand against the bar. “You two shouldn’t be here. Go have yourselves a tropical honeymoon in paradise, drinking rum out of coconuts. What I wouldn’t give for that.” He gives Iris a wink before heading back to the kitchen.

  “He’s a keeper,” Iris says, watching the kitchen door swing shut behind Kurt.

  I nod, appreciating that she immediately warmed to Kurt. I wasn’t sure if my princess would be able to handle a greasy pub. The fact that she isn’t put off by it gives me another reason to see her as something other than the typical royalty I anticipated when my parents told me they’d chosen my bride.

  Iris is pretty down to earth. She didn’t show up here wearing designer clothes or carrying fancy luggage. And the fact that she had to come because her father was bankrupt reminds me that she probably isn’t accustomed to the finer things in life.

  Which is good, considering what I’ve been offering her is one step up from an outhouse.

  She’s still here. She didn’t flee the country or insist on an annulment. She isn’t the high-maintenance girl I pegged her for.

  “What?” she asks. “Why are you looking at me like that?’

  I shrug, slightly embarrassed with how much I’m thinking about her. “So,” I begin, wanting to change the subject. “You were talking about me around town, is that right?” I lean closer so our shoulders touch.

  “Are you fishing for compliments?” Iris smirks.

  “Maybe I am. Is that so bad? Because, to be honest, I don’t get too many compliments when I’m around my family. So the idea of my wife liking what she sees, I swear to God it gets me hard just thinking about it.”

  “Oh, Prince Garrick has a bruised ego? Not enough attention from his mommy and daddy?” Iris’s eyes raise, her smile widens. Teasing. Trouble.

  “I don’t need my parents to make me feel better.”

  “Oh?” Iris bites her bottom lip. “And what would make you feel better, husband?”

  I shake my head, knowing she’s up to no good. And I’m fucking loving every second of this flirtation. Iris seems to bring out a playful side of me that no one else does. “I know exactly what would make me feel better.”

  My mo
uth is on hers in an instant. She’s hot and charged, and I’m horny as hell. I had a taste of her last night and I want another. And seeing her in those boots and this heavy coat—I can see, in some small way, her concession. No way would she have bought those clothes if she planned on leaving any time soon.

  Her mouth parts, and my tongue finds hers. I sink into the kiss, pulling her into my lap, my hand on her waist,

  My cock hard as fuck.

  “I want you so bad,” I growl in her ear.

  “Oh yeah?” she moans, nibbling at my ear in return. “I want you too, Garrick. I keep thinking about last night.” She sighs, her eyes full of desire.

  “Princess, I can’t wait.” I take her hand, leading her to the back of the bar. I need to touch her skin, take all of her. “I need you. Now.”

  “Garrick, will someone see?” She turns her head, knowing the rest of the bar is watching our every move. Welcome to being a royal fucking couple.

  “Do you care if someone sees?”

  She smiles, shaking her head and pressing her hand against my chest. “Take me somewhere, Garrick. Let me finish what I didn’t get to do last night.”

  I moan, adjusting myself in my pants, and grab her hand. Electricity shoots between us with that simple touch.

  I lead her down a stairwell, out of the public eye, and pull her into a bathroom.

  Chapter 17

  Locking the door behind us, Garrick flicks on the lights. We’re both breathing heavily, and I can’t seem to keep my hands off him. Seeing him in the bar reminded me just how much I want to be in this man’s presence.

  It doesn’t take long before my hands are on his belt buckle, taking it off and whipping the leather to the floor. He has my back against the wall, and it reminds me of the night before, in his childhood bedroom, when he took my virginity. When he made me a woman.

  I want that feeling again, that feeling of being wanted and desired, that feeling of being his. And I have it now.

  I know it may be incredibly naïve to think that Garrick actually wants me for more than just my body, but in this moment I think being wanted for that might just be enough.