A Love that Endures

by Forrest, Bella

  “So, are you vouching for him, then?” Katy asked playfully. She was glad that they could laugh about the suitors, rather than awkwardly tiptoe around their presence.

  “Well, he’s better than Count Dracula,” David said, and Katy burst into a hearty guffaw. “But he’s definitely not the pony to bet on.”

  “So you’re voting for Lukas, then? Is that because you hardly know him?”

  “No, not him either.”

  Katy’s smile faded, her laughter stilling, and her heart began to pound. If David wasn’t voting for Lukas, Oliver, or Victor, then who? But she had a guess—a hope—

  David just looked at her. He didn’t say anything more, but his eyes bored into hers, and he took a step toward her. Katy’s breath caught. She stood enraptured, her body hoping, begging to feel David’s arms wrapping around her. She could instinctively sense what was coming. David was going to pull her close, lower his face to hers, and . . .

  “Princess?”

  Katy and David both whipped around to see Prince Lukas stepping out of a pine thicket beside them.

  “Prince Lukas,” Katy said, a frown forming involuntarily on her lips. She could barely contain her disappointment. She had gotten so close . . . so close to fulfilling a deep, radiating desire.

  “I hope I didn’t frighten you,” Lukas replied, looking first at her, then turning to briefly acknowledge David. Katy could see David’s body tense out of the corner of her eye. Maybe he felt just as cheated.

  “No, not at all,” Katy replied. “David and I were just taking a stroll.” Perhaps more, if you hadn’t popped up.

  “I beg your pardon, Princess,” Lukas went on. “The queen and king request your presence. They said I might find you here. May I escort you?”

  Katy sighed and turned to David. He looked back at her with a hint of sadness in his eyes and then nodded.

  “Right,” David said. “I’ll meet you back there. I think I’m going to stroll a bit farther.”

  Katy’s heart sank. “Okay, David. I’ll see you back at the palace.”

  “Till then,” David replied. Then he turned and continued walking in the direction they had originally been headed. Katy watched him go, desperately wishing they’d had just a few more minutes to be alone.

  Finally, she turned back to Lukas, who extended his arm with a smile. She took it politely, though it definitely wasn’t the arm she was hoping to be touched by.

  “Your home is lovely, Princess,” Lukas said as they began to walk toward the palace.

  “Please,” Katy said, for what felt like the hundredth time. “Just Katerina.” Katy was reserved for only her close friends.

  “Katerina,” Lukas echoed. “That’s a lovely name. My sister’s middle name is Katy. Her first name is Olivia.”

  “Lovely names as well, Prince Lukas.” Katy was having a hard time pretending to be interested, though she certainly didn’t want to be rude. But frankly, Lukas was a bit of a bore. At least Victor had a bit of swagger.

  “Thank you,” Lukas replied in a soft tone. “They’re still just as lovely now, on her tombstone.”

  Katy turned to Lukas, her eyes heavy with sadness. “I’m very sorry, Prince Lukas.”

  “Lukas,” he corrected. “And thank you. But I was very lucky to have twelve years with her, so I don’t believe in mourning forever. I’d prefer to remember her joyously.”

  Katy tightened her grip on the prince’s arm. “That’s a lovely sentiment.”

  They walked on in silence, Katy sneaking glances over at the prince, with his handsome face and kind eyes. She hadn’t expected him to come with such a tragic backstory.

  “Actually, my friends call me Katy. If you’d prefer,” she said after a few more steps. She was touched he’d shared so much with her, and it felt like the least she could do.

  “Katy,” Lukas repeated with a smile. She felt her heart go out to him. Maybe he was deeper than he appeared.

  When they reached the palace, the prince graciously pulled away. “It was a pleasure walking with you, Katy. I hope we’ll get the chance again.”

  “Thank you, Lukas.”

  He bowed deeply and walked away, leaving Katy alone outside the palace. She wondered about him briefly, surprised that a part of her had been so touched by what he’d shared. But, as he disappeared from her view, she walked up the stone steps alone, heading to the parlor, where she suspected she’d find the king and queen. Even if they hadn’t requested her presence, she needed to have a talk with them.

  “There’s our little snow bunny,” the queen purred when Katy arrived, looking up from her seat beside the roaring fire. “Were you able to spend any time with our visitors?”

  “Please don’t call me that,” Katy said, no longer trying to hide all the indignation she hadn’t been allowed to show around the suitors. “And do you mean your visitors, or mine?”

  “Well, dear, if you had mentioned that you were bringing a friend, this wouldn’t have happened,” her father replied.

  “Conversely, if you had mentioned that you’d set me up on a tacky dating show—” Katy started. Her mother cut her off.

  “Katerina, it’s nothing like that!” the queen said, bringing a hand to the base of her throat in exaggerated shock. “They are friends of the crown, and their parents sent them here to enjoy the skiing.”

  Katy delivered a pointed look in her mother’s direction. “I noticed that no princesses, duchesses, or countesses were invited.”

  “That’s because they’re all planning their bridal or baby showers,” the queen replied, so smoothly that Katy almost believed it.

  Touché, Mama. “Perhaps you’ll be as proud of me when I graduate from Harvard as you would be if I got knocked up?”

  Her mother took a small sip from her drink. “Why not both, dear?”

  “Ugh!” Katy groaned, throwing her hands into the air in defeat. There was no reasoning with her mother.

  “Look, Katerina,” the king started, “I know you’re not a fan of the arrangement. But these are friends of the crown, representing alliances that Lorria has maintained for centuries. So we don’t want to cause them any offense, do we?”

  Katy rolled her eyes. She hated being talked to like a child. Besides, she could be cordial around the visitors without spending too much time with them—she’d been trained for that since birth. Unless her father was insinuating that she’d be causing offense by not marrying one of them.

  “I just wish Alexei was still in the picture,” he went on.

  Here we go again. “Papa, I’ve told you a thousand times. Alexei cheated on me. He really hurt me. I don’t want to be with him ever again.”

  “We’re quite aware of how you feel about the matter,” the queen added. “But he was a wonderful match. And someday the quality of the match will need to matter to you more than your hurt feelings.”

  Katy bristled. How could her mother say that? “So you care more about Alexei’s status than your own daughter’s emotional well-being? I can never trust him again. It would’ve been a miserable marriage, Mama. Why can’t you see that?”

  “Your mother and I had our differences, too. But we put them aside for Lorria,” the king replied. “And one of these days you will have to fulfill your duties as the princess of Lorria and marry a worthy match.”

  “I want to marry in my own time. And whoever I choose. Why do you act like that’s illegal?” Katy retorted.

  The king stood suddenly, his voice rising. “Because Lorria gains nothing if you marry some commoner, Katerina. If anything, it sets us back. How can you not see this?”

  Katy looked down, cowed by her father’s outburst. She thought about what he was saying. Was he really insinuating she was unable to choose her own husband? And some commoner? Was her father talking about David specifically?

  The king sighed and sat back down, swirling the liquid in his glass. “Katerina, we know this is hard to hear. That’s why we’ve been trying to give you your space to come to this conclusion on yo
ur own. But, for the good of the crown, please keep an open mind.”

  In comparison to the queen, her father had always been a more collected, reasonable voice. And what he was saying made sense, if only because Katy understood how traditional and old-fashioned her country was. But Katy had never agreed with those values. Lorria might have been holding tight to its oldest traditions, but that didn’t mean Katy couldn’t move into the twenty-first century. She’d always thought that her parents would accept that about her.

  Or maybe they’d only been so supportive because the one romantic choice she’d made had aligned with their own. The thought stung.

  The king and queen looked at her expectantly. It didn’t seem fair to Katy; after all, she hadn’t asked to be a princess. And, truthfully, she didn’t even have political aspirations. But all her life, Katy had been taught that a crown wasn’t just a pretty bauble to wear in your hair; it was also a responsibility. Would Katy always have the responsibility of putting her kingdom first?

  And what would that mean for her growing feelings for David?

  “We know you’ll make the right choice, Katerina,” the king continued, and

  guilt settled over her shoulders like an icy blanket. Was she being a bad daughter? After all, her parents’ legacy relied on her choices.

  But then again, what about her own happiness? Her own legacy? It was all so confusing and unpleasant to even consider. And so she simply nodded and turned to walk back out of the parlor. She didn’t want to think through all of this right now.

  “Oh, and dear,” her mother called out after her, “I had a gown delivered to your state room.”

  Katy turned back, feeling more anxiety creep up in her. “Wait. For what?”

  “Well,” the queen said, turning to look at the king with a wry smile, “it was supposed to be a surprise.”

  “Tell me,” Katy said forcefully. She wasn’t in the mood for any more surprises.

  “Tomorrow night,” the king replied, “we’ll be celebrating your successes with a magnificent dinner and dance. We have guests coming from around the world. All for our little Princess Katerina.”

  38

  David

  David had only glanced back once as Lukas led Katy away, but the sight bothered him enough to linger in his mind’s eye for some time after. He had been so close to finally saying what he wanted to say to Katy. So close! Of course it had been interrupted. And by one of them, no less.

  David sighed to himself and continued his walk through the wintry woods alone. He really had only himself to blame. Why couldn’t he just spit it out already? He had never been so shy around women before. But then again, Katy wasn’t like any other woman he’d ever known. Her wit and beauty had been intimidating enough, and that had been before he had learned about her true identity.

  But if you don’t start trying harder, one of these guys might win her affections.

  It wasn’t fair to think of it that way: seeing himself pitted against the suitors in some sort of battle, in which Katy was the prize. After all, she was her own person, and she was able to make her own decisions. David already knew that nothing would stop her from that, in the end. And in that way, he felt good about his prospects. Katy seemed to really like him, and David knew that he really liked her. And they were friends, whereas all of these more suitable matches were just strangers. But that didn’t make them any less handsome, charming, or rich.

  David walked on a bit farther before he came to the unpleasant realization that if he got lost, it would be the second time he’d need rescuing in one day, at which point he promptly turned around and headed back for the castle. He passed the bunny run and the snowmobile (which Katy must’ve left for him) along the way but figured he could use the extra time walking to clear his head. When he arrived back at the palace, he paused. It felt strange being there without Katy by his side. What was proper? Should he knock at the door? Let himself in? Go find Katy, or just go wait in his room until he was summoned? Luckily, he didn’t have to make a choice.

  “There you are!” Cassie said, coming up beside him at the base of the steps. She was still in her ski gear, and David assumed she was coming from the runs.

  “Hey,” David said in greeting. He felt a bit awkward around Cassie, since she had always been so flirtatious and forward, and he hadn’t reciprocated. But her personality was more platonic now, a fact that David was made aware of simply by the obvious lack of saunter in her walk and the casual tone of her voice.

  “Did you see where Katy went?” she asked. “I saw her on the slopes looking for you.”

  “She found me,” David said with a self-deprecating smile. “Rescued me, more like. But her parents called her back here a while ago.”

  “Probably spoiling the secret,” Cassie replied, looking at the palace’s stone façade.

  “What secret?”

  “They’re throwing a big star-studded soirée for her tomorrow night,” Cassie said.

  Great. Another perfect scenario where I won’t fit in. David hadn’t even brought slacks, much less a tux!

  Cassie went on. “The queen had a gown commissioned for the event and everything.” She looked over at David with a little smirk. “Rich people. There are a million dresses in Katy’s closet, but of course none of those would do.”

  David felt a grin tug at the corners of his mouth. At least he wasn’t the only one who found the behavior baffling. But . . .

  “Well, you grew up like this too, right? In palaces, having fancy dresses made?” he conjectured.

  Cassie bit her lip, staring up at the palace. “Not really. I mean, Katy and I were best friends, so I was here a lot. And the king and queen were always generous with me. I lived a very privileged life. But—” She paused and then looked down, her eyes cautious.

  David’s brow furrowed in confusion. “But what?” he asked.

  “But I wasn’t a princess. I definitely didn’t get the same treatment as Katy. So coming here, even when I was a little girl, always made me feel a bit . . . less than.”

  A tide of sympathy swelled in David. He hadn’t considered that possibility before: that Cassie had grown up in the shadow of her beautiful, royal cousin. He felt guilty all over again, this time for casting Cassie aside for the person to whom she probably always felt second-best.

  The girl looked over at David and forced a small smile. “But I know I’m still luckier than most. And Katy never made me feel like she thought she was better than me. She’s been my best friend for as long as I can remember. This lifestyle hasn’t exactly been kind to her either.”

  David thought of the aggressive paparazzi, the unwelcome suitors, and the formality and distance he had sensed in Katy’s relationship with her parents. He looked over and met Cassie’s gaze. “I guess I thought it’d be all champagne toasts and roses.”

  “Well, now you know,” Cassie replied. She began to walk up the stone steps. “Come on. We should get changed for dinner.”

  David glanced down at his watch. “Dinner? It’s two o’clock.”

  “It’s a Lorrellian thing. Think of it as a huge meal between lunch and dinner. Then they do another meal right before bed that’s smaller, topped off with a nightcap.”

  David shrugged to himself and began to follow Cassie up the steps. Maybe royal life was tougher than he thought. Nonetheless, he couldn’t deny that it had its perks.

  David and Cassie entered the palace and headed toward the grand staircase together. David peered around the massive entryway, down the corridor that led to the parlor, and up to the open portion of the second floor behind the bannisters. Still, he didn’t see Katy.

  “She’s probably taking a little time to herself in her room before dinner,” Cassie said, following David’s roaming eyes.

  David grinned. “Am I that obvious?”

  Cassie giggled. “It’s not your fault. Boys have always been drawn to her. Notice how none of the suitors up and left after meeting her. I’m sure they’re all hoping they have a chance.”r />
  David felt anxiety roil his stomach. “Do you think they have a chance?”

  Cassie touched the ornate stair bannister and began her ascent, David walking up beside her. “Katy is . . . complicated. Inside she’s wild and free and wants nothing to do with a bunch of aristocratic strangers who are fighting over her hand. But she’s also loyal and responsible. And she loves her parents. So who knows what will happen?”

  David looked down at his shoes as he walked. That wasn’t what he’d wanted to hear, even if he had already suspected as much.

  Cassie looked over at him knowingly. “You love her, don’t you?”

  David swallowed hard and kept his eyes focused ahead. “I mean, I think you have to start dating someone before you can say you love them. But, yeah. I really like her.”

  Cassie sighed. “She likes you, too.”

  David looked over at Cassie, his heart suddenly beating thunderously. “Did she tell you that?” He had suspected as much—almost more from the recent change in Cassie’s behavior than from Katy’s—but hearing it outright (from her best friend, no less) felt like a huge accomplishment.

  “I can always tell,” Cassie said with a wink. She turned back to the stairs as they neared the top. “I know it’s bothering her.”

  David stepped onto the second floor and stopped, turning to Cassie almost involuntarily. “What do you mean?” He felt like he knew exactly what she meant, but he wanted to hear it anyway.

  “Well,” Cassie started, looking embarrassed, “I mean . . . she’s a princess, David. She has certain expectations and requirements—”

  “—that don’t involve an orphaned commoner,” David finished. Of course. “But she’s her own person. She should be able to make her own decisions.”

  Cassie placed a hand on David’s forearm, gently and reassuringly. “I agree, David. I’m sorry. I’m not trying to upset you. And trust me, Katy is trying to make her own choices. And I think that choice would be you.”

  David waited for the “but,” assuming where the conversation was going.