A Love that Endures

by Forrest, Bella

  After the entrée and dessert were served, the music stopped, and David looked around expectantly. He assumed guests would now be ushered into the ballroom for the dance. David didn’t know how to waltz, but he assumed that if Katy could teach him skiing basics, she could definitely offer a dance lesson. And the giggling and missteps that would doubtless occur seemed like they would be part of the fun.

  But before the dining hall doors opened, the king stood with his glass. The room grew silent as they waited for him to speak.

  “Distinguished guests,” the king began. “We thank you for journeying here to our home to celebrate the successes of our only daughter, Princess Katerina.”

  A polite and dignified round of applause filled the room. David clapped heartily, smiling and hoping to catch Katy’s eye. Instead she smiled at the crowd and offered a small bow from her seat.

  “As you all may be aware, she’s been on an extended holiday of self-discovery,” the king went on. “And while we already know who she is—a compassionate, loving, regal person—we must trust that she will also come to that conclusion for herself very soon. After all, Lorria’s shining light is dimmer in her absence.”

  At this the king looked back with a loving glance at his daughter. David watched as Katy blushed slightly. Maybe their relationship is closer than it seems, barring all of this matchmaking nonsense. The king turned back to the crowd.

  “And so, a toast.” The king raised his glass, and everyone else in the room followed suit. “To proving that not only is she beautiful, she’s also smart enough to succeed at Harvard. To our Katerina!”

  There was a pause between the end of the king’s speech and the guests remembering to put down their glasses and applaud. And David knew exactly why: the king, knowingly or not, had revealed a secret that Katy had worked so hard to conceal.

  Katy’s face showed no attempt to hide her shock and disbelief as she looked between her clapping father and mother. The secret was out. While Katy could trust that there were no paparazzi in the castle, how could she trust that one of these guests wouldn’t quickly sell the news to a tabloid? Or tell someone else who would? There was no way the news wouldn’t reach Cambridge by the beginning of the spring semester. David’s heart sank. Would she be unable to return?

  And, perhaps worst of all, had her parents done this intentionally?

  David watched anxiously as half-hearted, almost confused-sounding, applause filled the room. All the while, Katy’s expression didn’t change from shock and horror. But then, quickly, almost as though to cover up the faux pas, ushers were emerging from the corridor to lead guests to the ballroom. David and Cassie stood.

  “I can’t believe they just outed her,” Cassie hissed at David. “She must be so upset right now.”

  “Do you think they did it on purpose?” David asked, not moving from the table. He was still staring at Katy.

  “Either way, it’ll accomplish what they wanted,” Cassie replied darkly. She began to walk away from the table with the rest of the crowd but noticed that David still wasn’t moving. “David? Are you coming to the ballroom? You can talk to Katy in there.”

  David was still looking at Katy’s table. He watched as she finally stood, slower than the rest of the revelers, and looked at her mother and father, betrayal and anger etched on her face. Then, instead of heading toward the ballroom with everyone else, she snuck off to a door at the back of the dining hall, following the waitstaff as they bussed dishes.

  “She’s not going to the ballroom,” David replied. And wherever Katy was going, he planned on being there.

  “David!” Cassie called out after him, whether in reproach or warning he couldn’t tell. But he was already halfway across the dining hall, jogging toward the door Katy had used.

  He felt the stares of the king and queen as he passed their table, pushing through the well-dressed and moneyed crowd going in the opposite direction. Soon he was walking only next to waitstaff carrying trays of empty glasses and dirty dishes.

  “Sir!” a man in an apron and bow tie said.

  David continued to push through until he had reached the door and was out the other side. He took only a second to analyze his surroundings—the kitchen—before he spotted Katy pushing through yet another door on the other side, beyond the giant mixers and rows of gleaming pans. David ran through, careful not to knock into any of the servers. He reached the other side and followed Katy’s path, finding himself in another long corridor, this one empty of any occupants.

  “Katy!” he called out. He didn’t see her anywhere. She had either run down the corridor into the entryway or escaped into one of the many doors lining the hall. David stood perplexed, wondering what to do next. He had to find Katy, had to make sure she was okay, but she certainly wasn’t making it easy.

  David walked toward the door at the end of the corridor and pondered what to do. The most obvious answer was that Katy was in her room, hiding away from anyone else while she determined what to do next. And what right do you have to intrude? Still, David felt like he should at least offer his support. She could decline it if she wanted, but he had to offer.

  He reached the palace’s main entryway, underneath the grand staircase, but didn’t see Katy anywhere. The other guests must be gathering in the ballroom by now. His heart pattering painfully in his chest, David made his way up the long staircase and turned in the opposite direction of his room. He didn’t even know which state room was Katy’s, but he knew where the state rooms were, and he was more than willing to knock on all of the doors until Katy answered.

  Before he had made it halfway down Katy’s wing, a butler stopped him.

  “Can I assist you, sir?” the butler asked in accented English.

  “I’m looking for Katy,” David said, attempting to walk past him.

  The man’s tuxedoed arm stretched out, blocking David’s path. “I’m sorry, sir. But guests are not allowed in the king and queen’s wing.”

  “I’m a friend of the princess,” David said, trying to tamp down the anger in his voice.

  The butler shook his head. “I’m sorry, sir. Royal orders.”

  David stared at the butler in his way. Nothing short of royal orders would’ve been able to stop him from finding Katy, so what was he supposed to do now? He sighed and turned around, feeling defeated.

  Through the vast windows at the end of the corridors, he could see that it was dark outside. He imagined that a soft snow might be falling by now. Katy’s favorite woods were probably dark and quiet and beautiful. Besides, what if he had been wrong about her whereabouts? What if she had gone to the woods for solace?

  He moved back toward the stairs with renewed vigor. He didn’t have to give up his search just yet.

  41

  Katy

  Katy didn’t see David following her through the kitchen. She was much too distraught to focus on anything but getting far away from the party—her party—where her biggest secret had been revealed to strangers. Where she’d been betrayed by her own parents. She needed time to think and determine what to do next.

  She made her way through the kitchen, then out into the corridor beneath the stairs, running in her heels up the staircase. Only when she was in her room did she allow herself a moment to breathe. She couldn’t believe what her parents had done.

  Or could she? After all, her parents had invited three strangers to her family home in an attempt to marry her off. They’d prioritized her betrothal over her personality for as long as she could remember. Maybe their behavior at the dinner party shouldn’t have come as such a surprise to her. But just weeks ago they had seemed supportive of her foray into formal education. Would they really have intentionally betrayed her trust, just so she’d have one less option for her future that wasn’t immediate marriage?

  As she sat in her room and chewed on her nails, she suddenly heard rapping on the door. Katy knew immediately that the three short knocks belonged to her mother. And, frankly, she was in no mood to talk to anyone, muc
h less the queen. But, hoping that she’d receive an apology or at least an explanation, she opened the door.

  “Dear,” her mother started in her cloying, sing-song way. Katy left the door open and threw herself right back on her bed, rolling her eyes as she went. This is not the time for your pet names, Mama.

  “You can’t just run out on your own party, Katerina,” the queen said as she walked into Katy’s room and shut the door behind her. “What will our guests think?”

  “How much they can make selling my location to the papers, for one,” Katy retorted. She couldn’t even look at her mother. The king did very little without the queen’s directive or at least prior knowledge. There was no way (unless it had been a complete slip of the tongue, which she doubted) they hadn’t both been in on this together. But what she really wanted to know was: Why? Why even pretend to support her dreams if they were only going to rip them out from under her?

  “Dear, what does it matter? Surely you weren’t planning on returning to America? You have other responsibilities now. We thought you’d have gotten all of that out of your system.”

  Katy’s heart sank. So it had been part of a ploy to keep Katy from going back to Cambridge. They’d known that she’d kept this secret for an entire semester, and their plan was to blow it for her and keep her in Lorria instead. Thereby forcing the “other” responsibility of getting hitched!

  “You knew how much this meant to me. How could you? How could you and Papa make that choice for me?” Katy looked directly at the queen, feeling hot tears brimming at her eyes.

  “Katerina, we respect your choices. But sometimes, as a parent, you have to make decisions that you know will benefit your children in the long term. You’ll understand when you become a mother.”

  “But you didn’t respect my choice. You never have!” Katy felt her face reddening with anger and hurt.

  “Do you think it was easy sending you off to America for as long as we did? Do you know how much pressure parliament is putting on us right now?” The queen looked exasperated, as if she was having a hard time keeping a calm head. “This is for your benefit!”

  “No, it’s not,” Katy replied. “It never has been about my benefit. It’s about yours!”

  “It’s about Lorria’s!” the queen bellowed.

  Katy blinked. She had never heard her mother raise her voice in such a manner. The queen was wide-eyed now, her face strained, her breath heaving. She had lost her composure just like Katy had. The sight was intimidating.

  The queen brought her hand to her chest. “Now that’s enough of all of this. You are a princess. It’s high time that you started acting like one.”

  Katy stood motionless and tried to steady her own heartbeat as her mother’s words swirled in her mind.

  It will always be this way. Lorria will always be their first child, and you will always be the runner-up. And maybe that’s the way it’s supposed to be. But will you accept that and do your duty? Will you impose that hurtful reality on your own children eventually? Or . . .

  “Maybe I’m not meant to be a princess, then.”

  The queen stared for a few seconds before shaking her head in disbelief. “Don’t be childish, Katerina. Powder your nose and come to the ballroom at once.”

  “No,” Katy replied, feeling a strength surging inside of her that she had never known. Or maybe she had known it as a child but then learned to bury it down deep. Either way, all at once it felt exhilarating, terrifying, and right.

  “I’m not making a request,” the queen retorted.

  “I’m leaving, Mama. I’m going back to Harvard. I’ve made my choice.”

  And with that, Katy removed her crown and walked over to her closet. She could barely wait to get inside of it to strip off her gown and fumble through the neatly organized drawers for jeans, boots, and a sweater. When she was dressed, she walked back out into the main room and began to pack, stuffing in only the necessities. For all she cared, her fineries and crown could stay behind with the specter of the person her parents wanted her to be.

  Katy was tired of pretending.

  The queen watched in abject horror. Finally, after a few long seconds, she spoke.

  “We won’t pay for you to turn your back on your country and your family. You won’t get a dime from us,” the queen said—but now her voice was weak, conflicted.

  “I respect that. But I’ll figure it out. I’ll make my own way,” Katy replied. She walked into the bathroom for her toiletries. There was no stopping her now. She was tired of setting all of her hopes, dreams, and desires aside to please her parents. If they wanted to keep Lorria in the dark ages, then so be it. But she wasn’t about to assist in that endeavor.

  The queen wore a look of helpless disbelief as Katy slung the strap of her bag over her shoulder. But before she could walk out of the room, her mother grabbed her arm. Katy turned to see tears forming in the queen’s eyes.

  She was taken aback by the sight.

  “Katerina. Please.”

  This might have been the first time that she had ever seen her mother look at her like this. With weakness. With vulnerability. Ever since she was a little girl, her mother had always seemed so calm and collected. More than once, she’d felt that her mother was a robot, distant and cold. But now Katy could see that the queen was just like everyone else. She was capable of feeling hurt and doubt and confusion, just like Katy was.

  Then why can’t you understand where I’m coming from?

  She turned to face her mother once more, grabbing her trembling hands. “Mama, I love you. I love Papa. And I love Lorria and its people. But this is my life, and I want to make my own choices. In my own time. I hope someday you can understand.” Katy squeezed her mother’s hands in farewell. Then she turned and headed out the door with her bag.

  She was going back to Cambridge, but first she was going to find David.

  And then she was going to tell him how she felt.

  Katy raced down the hall and then down the stairs. Where would David be? Was he in the ballroom waiting for her return? It seemed like the likeliest option. Katy turned and walked under the stairs to the ballroom, keeping her head down to avoid making eye contact with any of the stragglers who had taken to the hallway for privacy or quiet conversation. But before she could make it to the ballroom doors, she heard a familiar voice.

  “Princess, are you leaving?”

  Katy turned to face Duke Oliver once more. He was as dashing as ever in his fitted tuxedo, his blond hair swept back away from his light eyes. He looked down at her with a tinge of confusion, even concern, marking his handsome face.

  “I’m going . . . back to Cambridge,” Katy replied. There was no use in hiding anymore. Her parents had seen to that.

  The duke frowned. “I understand, but that’s a shame. I was hoping to spend more time with you.”

  “Oliver,” Katy started. There was no use in hiding anything anymore. “You’re lovely. But I don’t want to lead you on or encourage the prospect of a future relationship. I already have someone.”

  Oliver looked intently at Katy, his lips slightly pursed. “David, I presume.”

  She nodded.

  He inhaled and offered Katy a weak smile. “I got that impression from him as well.” Oliver reached down and grabbed Katy’s hand, bringing it up to his lips. “I wish you and David all the best, Princess.” He kissed her hand gently before releasing it.

  Katy smiled. “Farewell, Duke Oliver.” Then she made her way back down the corridor and into the ballroom.

  A grand dance was underway inside, with revelers twirling around on the marble floor in their black-tie best. Dresses of all colors spun into a rainbow of fineries. Some of the richest, most well-known people in the world were in this room. And yet Katy, in her jeans and boots, already couldn’t wait to leave. She peered around furtively, looking for David, wondering how to search without being recognized.

  “Katy!” Cassie said, rushing up out of the crowd. “I’ve been looking for y
ou.” Cassie looked down at her cousin’s outfit and bag. “Are you . . . leaving?”

  “Cassie, you’re welcome to stay. Or you can come with me. But I have to get out of here. Where’s David?”

  Cassie shook her head in confusion. “But where will you go? I’m so sorry about what happened at the dinner. But what can we do now? We can’t go back to Harvard.”

  “Yes, we can. I’m going back, and I’m going to graduate.”

  Cassie stared in disbelief. “But . . . the paparazzi. The tabloids. You won’t have any privacy.”

  Katy had already made up her mind about all of this. And she didn’t have time to waste now explaining it.

  “I’ll figure it out when I get back. But I am definitely going back. Now, have you seen David?”

  All around them, people were looking at Katy—dressed casually and holding a packed bag—with puzzled expressions. The news was going to spread like wildfire. Katy had to get out of there fast.

  “I haven’t seen him,” her cousin replied. “Katy, let’s go sit for a bit and talk this through. I know you’re upset, but let’s not make any rash decisions.”

  But Katy was already turning and walking away. “I’ll call you from Cambridge!” she shouted back to her cousin over her shoulder. She needed to find David and get out of Lorria as soon as she could, before her parents trapped her and tried to talk her out of it again.

  And if David wasn’t in the ballroom, she had a sneaking suspicion that she knew exactly where she could find him.

  42

  David

  David was feeling stupid.

  He was still dressed in the king’s ridiculous burgundy suit, he had spent the evening as the odd man out in a castle full of the powerful and elite, and now he was traipsing around in the snow looking for a princess who had so many better options than him.

  Even so, he couldn’t help but feel, in his gut, in his heart, that Katy’s feelings for him were the same as his for her. And once he found her, he had made up his mind. He was finally going to tell her how he felt. Even if he was just a fool with no hope of winning her hand, he had to try.