A Royal Elopement

by Emma Lea

  I didn’t mean to do it.

  Okay, maybe I did.

  My feet moved of their own volition and I was headed in their direction. My elbow came out and I landed a nice, tight jab to her ribs. I pretended to stumble and followed through with my shoulder. She was shoved out of the way and I felt myself being pressed up against the hard chest of my husband. His arms came around me to steady me and I looked up into his eyes. I saw the flare of dark, stormy fire and I knew I had overplayed my hand. It may have looked like an accident to everyone else, but Jamie knew the truth.

  “We need to talk,” he whispered to me before helping me to right myself.

  I smiled - grimaced - before turning to Danika. “Oh, I’m so sorry,” I said, fake concern dripping from my words. “I tripped.”

  Danika pursed her lips and crossed her arms across her chest. She cocked her hip and tossed her short dark hair. “You can’t help being clumsy,” she said.

  It took all of my training and self-control not to jump her. I must have tensed or given myself away because I felt Jamie’s hand close around my elbow and steer me away.

  “Why don’t we go and discuss some of the logistics of today,” he said loudly enough that everyone could hear.

  I clamped my mouth shut and let him lead me away. He closed the door to my room, shutting us in, and then turned to me, his eyes snapping.

  “What the hell was that?’

  “I didn’t like the way she was flirting with you,” I said before I could filter myself. “She throws herself at you constantly and today, the way she was pressed up against you…it was disgusting.”

  “You didn’t like the way she was flirting with me?” Jamie said, his voice low and dangerous. “And why is that?’

  He had stepped closer, crowding against me. My heart was racing as I looked up into his eyes that had turned the colour of storm clouds. “It’s unprofessional,” I said. It came out as little more than a whisper. I wet my suddenly dry lips.

  Jamie took another step closer to me and I took one back, but there was nowhere for me to go. The wall pressed up against my back as Jamie pushed up against me, holding me captive. I had to fight against the desire to close my eyes and melt into him. He hadn’t been this close to me since we had sealed our marriage with a kiss. It had been more than twenty-four hours since he had held me in his arms and my body missed him. Keeping this wall around myself to protect against how I felt about him was hard. I didn’t want to, not when he was right here in front of me. It would be so easy to just let go and give in to all these feelings.

  “Meredith,” he said. His voice was gentle but it was also dark and husky.

  I suppressed a shiver and turned my face up to his. I couldn’t help it. I wanted him to kiss me.

  He growled low in his throat before lowering his lips to mine. His kiss was hard and punishing and exactly what I needed. I gripped his shirt and pulled him closer. We might not be able to have a future together, but for right now he was my husband. For better or worse. I kissed him back, revelling in this small sliver of time and showing him exactly how I felt.

  Chapter 13

  Meredith

  I stepped inside the Mercado de La Boqueria and let the sights, sounds and smells of the famous food market wash over me. Jamie stood beside me. Cody and Daniel, dressed as civilians, were a few steps behind us trying to not look like body guards. Jamie laid a hand on the small of my back and I fought the urge to grimace. Not because I didn’t like his hand on me but because I did and I was trying really hard to hold on to my mad. I didn’t want him soothing the anger that I kept trying to stoke. I needed it to keep burning inside me to remind me that we couldn’t happen; that I couldn’t give in to the temptation that he represented.

  I knew he was annoyed at me too, and that was fine. Good. Great. Exactly what I wanted. After a moment of insanity when I had allowed myself to give in to the kiss, I had pushed him away. It had taken all of my will power to do so, but my self-preservation response had kicked in. It would be too easy to lose myself in him and what he offered. I kept saying that my being a countess and him being a body guard was the reason that we couldn’t be together, but we both knew it wasn’t the truth. I hadn’t even accepted the title yet. I didn’t have to accept the title. My mother would be mad but I knew that if I really wanted to be with Jamie then my father would make a way. I could turn my back on my responsibilities and hide in the anonymity that Jamie offered.

  But that would be the coward’s way out.

  Taking up my grandmother’s title wasn’t exactly going to be a walk in the park. There was a lot riding on it and me. My father and Alyssa were hoping that I would be a case study for Parliament. The first unattached female to take up a title and make it work. Knowing that I was doing something to help both Alyssa and my father made the whole thing more palatable. What I was not looking forward to was the all the expectations that went along with the title. Despite what Daddy and Alyssa wanted, my mother would make sure to inundate me with events and commitments with the express purpose of finding a suitable match for me. Being already married to Jamie would negate everything that my father and the queen were planning. It would only prove Parliament’s point that a single woman couldn’t hold the title.

  And besides, if I walked away from it, what would I do with myself all day? I would no longer have a job in the royal guard. That was non-negotiable. Whether or not I accepted the title of countess, I would still have to resign my post. I could no longer be part of Alyssa’s ladies in waiting. Those positions in Alyssa’s inner circle were only for peers. If I turned my back on my title and decided to marry - stay married to - Jamie then I would no longer be a peer of the realm and that would mean I could no longer be one of Alyssa’s confidantes. We would still be friends; I knew Alyssa well enough to know that she wouldn’t care, but our relationship would be different.

  I stopped to look at an amazing display of colourful chilies. I wasn’t really seeing them, though. My mind was too caught up in the mess I was in. I was barely even aware of my surroundings. The arguments I was using to justify my desire to dissolve this ill-conceived marriage to Jamie were weak. They were excuses and not really valid. It didn’t matter whether I was a countess or a daughter of a duke with a courtesy title, Alyssa would still be my closest friend. It didn’t matter if I was a part of the ladies in waiting, all of them would still love me and treat me no differently. They would still be my friends. My father wouldn’t care that I married Jamie, well apart from him not being able to walk me down the aisle. Even my mother, with all her bluster and carrying on would eventually calm down and accept Jamie as part of the family.

  So why? Why was I trying to get out of this? What was really going on?

  I let Jamie steer me through the crowds. The market was teeming with people and if this had really been an outing for Alyssa and Will, there would be no way we would have let it go ahead. There were too many people to truly keep them safe. For my part though, I was thankful for the crowds. I was thankful for the disguise that had taken my maids an hour or more to complete. I needed the anonymity that came with being just another patron amongst the many who had crowded into this building.

  It hit me with all the subtlety of a tank rolling down a hill. I was scared. The way I felt about Jamie petrified me. I had always prided myself on my independence and my strength. I was not a girl who swooned or looked to a man for comfort or security. And yet being around Jamie brought out all those feelings.

  My life was in flux. I was being forced out of the guard - the only place that I had ever felt that I truly belonged - and forced into a life as a peer in my own right. A life that I had never wanted. Now Jamie wanted to put another label on me. Wife. I had never had the fairytale dreams of finding my soul mate, getting married and living happily ever after. If I was honest with myself, I never really expected to even fall in love. I wasn’t beautiful or elegant. I didn’t have grace and poise - much to my mother’s eternal disappointment. I was a tomboy who kne
w how to fight. I was brash and outspoken and about as cultured as tap water.

  How could Jamie even love someone like me?

  I looked over my shoulder and caught a brief flash of Danika. Her eyes were trained on Jamie and there was a hunger in her gaze that made my gut clench. As much as I disliked her, I couldn’t deny that she was beautiful. There was something about her that was inherently feminine - unlike me. Her hair was cropped into a short, curly bob, but it was anything but harsh. It curled softly around her delicate features and gave her an air of elegance and fragility. Unlike me. My hair may be long, but I wore it pulled back in a tight bun or ponytail. My skin was freckled, my hands had callouses and I carried about fifty-two knives on my person. I could kill a man with my bare hands and it showed. Unlike Danika, who looked like she wouldn’t hurt a fly.

  Why would Jamie choose me when he could have her? Why would he want me with all my hang ups and neuroses when he could have a simple life with a woman like Danika?

  I stepped away from the comforting pressure of Jamie’s hand on my back. I moved into the crowd, out of his reach. I needed to get out of his orbit so I could think clearly. I needed to get lost in the crowd so I could find space where I could breathe freely. Being so close to Jamie made the walls seem like they were closing in on me. I finally understood why I was so scared of giving in to my heart and getting lost in Jamie. I would never be enough for him and I knew it.

  Jamie

  I could feel Meredith pulling away from me - and not just physically.

  There had been a moment earlier, when we were in her room together and she was in my arms that I felt like she was finally giving in to what I knew she felt toward me. I thought that finally I had gotten through to her and that she understood that I meant what I said when I told her I loved her. But as the morning went on, I could feel the distance she was putting between us. It was even more obvious now as she moved away from me and into the crowds. I tried to keep her in view, but the crowds closed around her and swallowed her up.

  My gut clenched and my eyes darted around. I could see Danika over my shoulder but Daniel and Cody had been absorbed by the crowd too - not an easy feat when they were both large men with scowling faces. I only hoped that they had eyes on Meredith.

  Benjamin had suggested we wear earwigs and microphones but both Meredith and I had objected. There were things we didn’t want the rest of the team knowing. I rued that decision now as I tried to find Meredith in the crush. At least if we’d had ear pieces then I would know that she was safe.

  I had no reason to think that she couldn’t look after herself. She was a skilled fighter in both armed and unarmed combat. We had sparred enough times for me to be confident in her abilities. But still… There was a protectiveness that squeezed my chest because I didn’t have eyes on her.

  The crush of the crowd seemed to pull me away from the direction that she went. I fought against the flow. I didn’t want to get separated from her. I stopped and people cursed as they had to go around me, but I didn’t care. I took a moment to survey the crowd and then I spotted her head as she headed for one of the exits. She was running from me.

  I swore under my breath and headed in her direction. I didn’t bother trying to signal Danika or Cody and Daniel. They would just have to keep up. I needed to get to Meredith. Apart from the fact that we were supposed to be impersonating the queen and prince, her putting distance between us was a problem. I didn’t like to think about what it meant for us or for our future.

  The crowds parted for me slowly. I felt like I was swimming against the tide and she got further away from me. Her smaller figure meant she could slip through the crowds easier. I became increasingly annoyed as the distance between us grew. She was freaking out and if she wasn’t careful she would blow this mission. We were supposed to be a loving couple and we looked the least like a loving couple right now. If the press got a hold of this, it could be bad for the royal couple.

  Whatever was going on in her head, she was letting it cloud her judgement. She was letting it make her a coward who ran instead of facing whatever the issue was. I refused to draw parallels to my own life. I had been forced to run. I had been a boy. I’d had no choice.

  But I was a man now.

  I forced the little voice in my head back. Yes, I was a man now but that didn’t make me any more powerful than I was when I was forced from my home. My hands were still tied when it came to my birthright. I was still in exile and there were still people who wanted me dead.

  I was still running. I was still hiding. I was still that little boy who did what he was told instead of doing what he knew was right. Was marrying Meredith just another way for me to hide? I had tied myself to her and to Merveille. Had I done that because I was too afraid to face up to my responsibilities? Was I using Meredith as an excuse to avoid the truth of what I needed to do?

  It was long past time for me to make my move. All reports from Kalopsia were that the current regime was floundering. The people weren’t happy. It was the perfect time to reveal myself and take back the country of my birth. It was way past time for me to stand up and become the man my father had wanted me to be. Whether he was alive or dead, I was shaming him by continuing to hide in the safe little world I had created. I couldn’t do that while yoked to Meredith. It was tantamount to hiding behind my mother’s skirts.

  Here I was accusing Meredith of being a coward when I was the cowardly one. I had been running from my responsibilities for ten years. Now, instead of stepping up, I was using Meredith as an excuse to avoid those same responsibilities. I couldn’t deny that I loved her, but why hadn’t I told her the truth about who I was? I could lie to myself and say that I had tried to tell her, but that was just another excuse. I should have made sure she knew who I was before we had gotten married. I should have sat her down in Father Felipe’s cottage and explained everything to her. I should have given her the choice of hitching her wagon to mine instead of marrying her under false pretences.

  I finally broke through the crowd and followed Meredith down a tunnel that ostensibly led to the outside.

  “Meredith!” I called out to her, but she didn’t turn around.

  I hurried after her, reaching out to grab her elbow. She turned to me and I dropped my hand. The woman wasn’t Meredith and she was holding a gun on me.

  Meredith

  “Meredith!”

  I heard Jamie call my name and turned, but he wasn’t looking at me. He was headed down an alley in pursuit of someone dressed just like me. My gut clenched and my spidey-senses started tingling. Someone was luring Jamie away and that didn’t feel right. I scanned the crowd looking for Cody or Daniel, I’d even settle for Danika, but I couldn’t see anyone. I changed direction, heading after Jamie, not caring as I pushed people out of the way in my haste and determination. I broke through the crowd and headed down the tunnel. I could see Jamie ahead of me and he stood with his arms raised in a non-threatening posture. Was that woman holding a gun on him?

  “Whoa, hey, sorry,” Jamie said. “I thought you were someone else.”

  “You need to come with me, Your Highness,” the woman said.

  Oh god. She thought he was Will. She was trying to kidnap Will.

  I slowed my steps and tried to keep myself hidden behind Jamie’s large frame. The woman hadn’t seen me yet and if I could get close enough, I would have the advantage of surprise.

  “I think you may have me confused with someone else,” Jamie said, trying for the affable tourist, his voice holding no threat.

  I imagined he was smiling at the woman too in an attempt to disarm her with his charm. Stupid man.

  “I know exactly who you are,” she said.

  Jamie stiffened. The easy-going act was gone and he seemed to stand straighter.

  “Who are you?” he asked, his voice a command.

  “All will be revealed soon enough,” she said, “but you need to come with me. Now.”

  “Does that line ever actually work?” I aske
d, coming up to stand beside Jamie. “I mean, really. It’s like a line from a bad movie. ‘All will be revealed.’” I rolled my eyes. “Seriously.”

  The woman sneered at me, but I had achieved my objective, she was now distracted. Jamie and I had run this drill thousands of times. It was two against one. We now had the upper hand. I stepped toward her and she waved the gun in my direction.

  “I wouldn’t do that if I were you,” she said, and then two goons stepped out of the shadows behind her. “We just want the prince and we don’t want any trouble.”

  The odds had changed. It was now three against two plus a gun and not in our favour. Not that they were insurmountable odds. We had also run this drill. I didn’t even need to look at Jamie to know what the plan was. I moved when he did and we each engaged the goon closest to us leaving the woman with the gun with no immediately identifiable target.

  The guy in front of me was big and thick with muscle. I had fought men his size before and it wasn’t about strength, but physics. I just had to get in the right position and hit him in the right place. I was quick and agile and what I lacked in strength I made up for in bloody-mindedness. I had expected my opponent to be all brawn and no brain, but the guy had skills. He was a trained fighter but more pugilist than MMA. Thankfully I had been training in all sorts of hand to hand combat since I was old enough to take a punch without running home to my daddy.