Karia and the Prince (Avalon Adventures Book 2)

by Isabella Kole

  Maggie had come in to help her dress, so she set her teacup back on the tray and got up. The maid was just getting ready to do Karia’s hair when her cell rang and she saw that it was Henry calling.

  “Oh, Maggie, I have to get this. It’s the prince. I hope he isn’t going to be late.” She answered the phone, “Hi, Henry!”

  “Hello, Karia love. Have you arrived at the castle?”

  “I got here this afternoon. I’ve already been riding with Emma, had a long soak in the tub, tea and am now getting dressed for dinner. I hope you aren’t going to be late.”

  She heard a deep sigh on the other end of the line. “Karia, I’m so sorry. I’ve been delayed. I’m afraid I won’t get back to the castle until late this evening. You’ll most likely be asleep when I arrive. But I promise to make it up to you tomorrow. I am free all day.”

  To say she was disappointed, was an understatement, but she would have to get used to this, she supposed. After all, if she was going to date an important man, she couldn’t expect him to devote all his time to her.

  “It’s all right, Henry. I’ll see you tomorrow. I’ll probably turn in early after dinner.”

  “I apologize. If there was any way around it, you know I would be there.”

  “Yes, I know. You be careful. I love you.”

  “Oh, I love you too, sweet girl. Have a nice dinner. Sleep well.”

  She hung up. Apparently, her face said it all, because when Maggie came back in the room, she took one look at her and said, “He isn’t going to be home for dinner, is he?”

  “No, I’m afraid not. He’s been delayed. It will be later tonight before he gets back home.”

  “These things happen, my dear. I do hate that it had to take place on your first night here, though. Let me help you finish getting ready.”

  “I’ll be fine. I’m a little tired anyway, so I’ll just have an early night tonight. We’ll be together tomorrow.”

  She went down a little later to the dining room. The king and queen were already there, but of course, she’d beaten Emma again.

  “Good evening, Your Majesties,” she said as she walked into the room and curtseyed.

  “Welcome, my dear,” the queen said. “I’m sure Henry called you and told you he was delayed. I’m so sorry.”

  “I realize these things can happen. I’ll have an early night and see him tomorrow,” she replied, even though she was more disappointed than she wished to admit to his parents.

  “Yes, that’s the attitude you need to have,” the king said in his booming voice. “If you are going to date my son, you should know that there will be occasions when he will need to cancel plans. It’s part of the job, you know, whether we are happy about it or not.”

  Emma joined them. “What’s this I hear? Henry didn’t make it back in time for dinner?”

  “He’ll be here later tonight,” her mother informed her. “He was held up.”

  “I hope nothing is wrong,” Emma said.

  “I’m sure it will be fine. Nothing for you to worry your pretty head over, my dear,” the king said to his only daughter. “Now, let’s enjoy this marvelous dinner Cook has prepared for us.”

  He was right. The food was fantastic. And she enjoyed the company immensely. The king and queen were both very polite to her and asked her about school and this year’s project. When the meal was over, the queen invited her and Emma to join her to watch a movie, something very “common” that Karia wasn’t expecting. The king was going to wait in his library for Henry to return.

  The women laughed and talked through the movie, and when it was over, Karia excused herself. “Thank you for a lovely evening, Your Majesty. I think I am going to turn in. Emma, you going up now?” she asked as she turned to the princess.

  “Yes, I’ll walk up with you. Goodnight, Mum.” Emma kissed her mother on the cheek and joined Karia.

  When they were upstairs, Karia dragged Emma into her room. “Now, spill it. Why did you say you hoped everything was okay? Is Henry doing something dangerous?”

  Emma hedged for several minutes before she spoke. “You know that I can’t tell you much, don’t you?”

  Karia nodded. “I just want to know if he is in danger again.”

  “Probably not. There are still some, a group, really, who think Henry isn’t the right heir. He was meeting with them today, and now, he’s been delayed. I don’t think it’s anything to worry about, but I had so hoped he would make it home in time for dinner. I’m sure my father is waiting up for him so that he can find out what happened.”

  “But I thought the danger was over now, with his cousin dead. And he is proving himself to be quite capable, isn’t he?”

  “Yes, on both counts. But you know there are always troublemakers. I wouldn’t worry. It’s a small group. They have no pull. There isn’t anything they can do anyway. He isn’t going to abdicate.”

  “But they can make his life miserable,” Karia noted.

  “Well, yes, if they choose to.”

  “So, basically, here we go again.”

  “I hope not, for all our sakes. But I’m sure the paparazzi will love this if it gets out. Get some rest. You’ll have all day tomorrow with your love. And I’ll be here until late afternoon.”

  “Okay, thanks, Emma. I’ll see you at breakfast.”

  When Emma had gone, she changed out of her dress into a pair of lounging pants and a t-shirt. She intended to be awake when Henry got home, and once she was sure no one was about, she was going to his room, where she would be waiting for him when he came up. She was going to get to the bottom of this, once and for all. If someone was out to get Henry again, she wanted to know about it.

  Waiting until everything was quiet, she slowly opened the door and looked out into the hallway to see if it was empty. It was, so she made her way down the hall to Henry’s room. It wasn’t locked, so she opened it quietly and stepped inside. She made herself at home on a lounger in the room and covered herself with an afghan to wait.

  Karia was finding it hard to keep her eyelids open, and she finally gave in to sleep, curling up on the lounger. Several hours later, she woke when she heard the door open. She heard a gasp and then a low chuckle.

  “My sweet Karia, were you waiting for me?” he asked as he locked his door and made his way over to where she lay.

  She sat up sleepily and smiled. “I was.”

  Henry sat down and pulled her onto his lap, then he kissed her soundly. “You should have your butt smacked for sneaking in here, you know.”

  “Go ahead,” she teased, knowing he wouldn’t.

  “You know I can’t do that,” he said. “But I certainly would love to. What if someone had seen you come in here? I don’t think my mother would like it, no matter how modern she is and how much she likes you.”

  “I promise to go back to my own room. But I was worried about you. I’ve heard rumblings about trouble brewing again—”

  “Where did you hear that?” he interrupted.

  “Well, I sort of forced Emma to tell me where you were after you got delayed. She said she couldn’t say much, but she did tell me you were meeting with a small group who might be going to cause trouble for you. I’m worried, and I want to know how serious this is.”

  Henry rubbed his hand through his hair. Finally, he said, “It’s really nothing for you to be concerned about. If the paparazzi starts causing trouble for you, or if I think you may be in any kind of danger, I will arrange protection for you. But right now, I don’t think it will go that far.”

  “Are you sure about that? After what we all went through last year? Could these people be some of your cousin’s followers?”

  “Oh, I’m sure they are friends of his, but I’m not concerned at this point. I’ve spoken to my father and brought him up to speed. Please, don’t let this ruin our week, Karia. I met with them today, we talked, I reassured them about some of their concerns and we had dinner together, which is why I couldn’t come home earlier. Now, give me a kiss and
then go back to your room before you get caught in here.”

  “We are consenting adults, you know.”

  “That may be true, but we are in the castle, and my family has promised your family you would be safe here. So, my mother wouldn’t take too kindly to finding me taking advantage of you in my bedchamber in the middle of the night, believe me. Some things are just not done in my family. I promise you that I’ll arrange some alone time for us this week. Now, scoot.” He kissed her again then got up and walked to the door with her in his arms. He peeked out to make sure the hallway was empty then set her down and kissed her again before sending her back to her own room reluctantly.

  “I love you, sweet Karia. I would love nothing more than to let you stay, but I know what will happen if the queen gets wind of it.” He laughed as he said it.

  “I know. I wouldn’t wish to offend your mother for anything. I just needed some reassurance from you. I’ll see you in the morning.”

  “Sleep well, my love.” Another brief kiss, and she was out the door and back in her room a few minutes later.

  So, he thought my butt needed to be smacked, huh, she said to herself with a grin as she crawled into her own bed.

  Chapter 7

  The rest of the week was uneventful for the most part. On Friday night, Karia and Henry had gone to the theatre and had been bombarded by the paparazzi. Luckily, the guards were able to get them in through a private entrance and away from the crowds of people who had been alerted to their presence by the flashing bulbs of the cameras.

  “It never ends, does it?” Karia asked once they were sitting comfortably in the royal booth. “How do you put up with the constant scrutiny?”

  “I’ve grown up with it, so I guess I’m just accustomed to it. It comes with the territory,” Henry replied. “I am sorry you have to deal with it, though. I think this was one of the things my mum was trying to tell you about being involved with a royal. It’s not as easy for someone new to get used to. Just like the tabloids speculating about your visit to the design house, for example.”

  “Oh, yes, the one saying that I was buying a gown…” she trailed off. “And I’m guessing they were fishing to see a ring on my finger after that.”

  He grinned at her. “Exactly.”

  “Well, I’m afraid they’ll have to wait a long time for that one,” she said.

  Henry looked at her with a sideways glance. “Oh, really?” he teased. “What if I were to produce one this very week?”

  Karia laughed him off. “I know better, so don’t even go there.”

  “You have nothing to worry about, my love. I know you are not ready for that kind of commitment, especially when it would mean such a drastic change to your lifestyle.”

  “Well, let’s be honest here, Henry. You are in no way ready for that, either. Let’s just enjoy the times we have together, for now. We have years to decide our futures.”

  “Oh, the play is beginning. I think you’ll enjoy this one. It’s had rave reviews.” He took her hand in his, putting an end to the uncomfortable conversation.

  Karia’s mind was spinning as she tried to watch the performers on the stage. She certainly hoped he had been joking about a ring. If he were to try to give her one now, she would have to refuse him. Her heart was undecided about whom she wanted to spend her future with. It shouldn’t have been. After all, she was considered the luckiest girl in the country, dating Prince Henry, but the truth was she wasn’t sure at all how deep her feelings ran for him. He was fun to be with, and he could be a real sweetheart at times, but thoughts of another man lurked in the corners of her mind and her heart, and she couldn’t deny that fact.

  For now, she was officially the girlfriend of the heir to the throne. There was no decree stating that she would eventually become his princess or his queen, though. And that was the way she wanted it. She was much too young for a position of that magnitude. And frankly, even though the handsome heir was trying to clean up his image, she doubted he was ready to take on a wife at this point, either.

  So, the tabloids would just have to wonder. She cringed as she wondered what the headlines would read in the morning, though. Honestly, from things that had happened in the past, you’d think the paparazzi would learn to stand back and have some respect. And that was precisely the reason she planned to follow in her father’s footsteps and become a respectable reporter.

  Before she realized it, it was intermission. Henry let go of her hand and stood. “I’m going to order a drink. Can I bring you a glass of white wine?” he asked.

  “Sure, that would be great,” she replied with a smile.

  “You should be fine here. The guards are seated behind us a few rows. They won’t let anyone in the booth.”

  She hadn’t noticed them there, but suddenly, she felt glad to know they were. She nodded, and Henry made his way out with one of the guards accompanying him. She knew he could have had drinks delivered to them, so he must have wanted to stretch his legs. Of course, a bar was set up right outside their private booth, so it wasn’t like he was going to be mingling with the crowd in the main areas.

  She turned and smiled at the other guards, who nodded to her in return.

  As she looked down at the gown Emma had loaned her for the evening, she grinned. It was elegant, dark blue with silver trim. Her shoes were strappy silver heels, and she carried a small silver purse. It wasn’t her usual style, but she could get used to going out looking like this. Maggie had styled her hair in a classic up do to complete the look, and she wore silver jewelry on loan to her from the queen for the evening. Of course, it wasn’t anything from the royal collection, just some fake pieces she kept around for such occasions for special guests. Yes, it would be an exciting life, but she knew the glamour was not the only thing that went along with the life of a princess. Emma had told her many things during their alone times about what would be expected of her when she finished with her education. The young princess’ days would be filled with appearances, charities and events when that day came. She would have many responsibilities as a working member of the family. She actually felt sorry for the girl, who had become a good friend to her, at times.

  Henry and the guard returned, and the prince took his seat next to her. “The drinks will be here soon,” he said.

  As if on cue, a server entered the booth and handed their drinks to them.

  “Thank you,” Karia said with a smile as she accepted the glass of wine.

  When she’d gone, Henry leaned over and asked, “Are you enjoying the play?”

  After taking a small sip of the wine, Karia replied, “Yes, very much so.” And she had, what she’d seen of it anyway, when her thoughts hadn’t been running away with her.

  “I thought you might. I wanted to take you away from the castle. I know it can’t be fun for you to spend your whole break in that mausoleum of a home.

  “I think the castle and the grounds are lovely. And your family has done a wonderful job of renovating it.”

  “Then you enjoy it more than I do,” he said with a chuckle. “Although, I must admit, having my own wing does help, even though my mum still keeps tabs on who comes and goes there.”

  “She cares about you and Emma. And I’m sure, after what happened with your brother, she is concerned.”

  “I know. I hate that for her, you know. It was awful when it happened.”

  “I can imagine. Just give her some slack, you know, is all I’m trying to say.”

  “Even if it cramps our style?” he asked with a grin.

  “Even if,” she replied. “Oh, the curtain is coming up.”

  He responded by putting his arm around her and pulling her close. Karia settled in, enjoying the wine and his closeness as she watched the second half of the play. This time, she paid attention and found that she really did enjoy it.

  Of course, when they exited through what was supposed to be a private entrance, the paparazzi were waiting for them. Luckily, the driver had pulled the car up to the door, and
the guards shielded the couple as they walked the short distance and got inside.

  As the driver sped away, Karia asked, “Did they camp out there during the entire play just to wait for a glimpse of us as we came out?”

  “I’m afraid so,” Henry answered through gritted teeth.

  He took her hand, holding it for the entire ride back to the castle. He was looking out the window, not speaking, and Karia once again felt a pang of pity for him at having to deal with this sort of thing on a daily basis.

  When they returned home, the king was waiting up for them. One of the staff informed him that his father required his presence in the library.

  “I’m so sorry, Karia,” Henry said. “I’ll stop by your room on my way to mine to say goodnight. Hopefully, this won’t take long.”

  “It’s all right. You go see what’s going on. Hopefully, it’s not bad news. I’ll see if Emma is awake and tell her all about the play. I need to change and give her back her things anyway.”

  He kissed her on the forehead then turned to follow the staff member.

  Karia headed up the long, winding staircase and down the hall to Emma’s suite. She knocked lightly, hoping the girl was still awake.

  “Hi, you back already? Come on in,” the princess said.

  “Why don’t you come to my room and I’ll change, then you can take your dress, shoes, and purse back with you?” Karia suggested. “I’ll return your mum’s jewelry in the morning.”

  “Okay, just let me get my robe.” The young girl picked up a pink satin robe from the chair nearest her bed and threw it on, tying the sash as she walked. “I was reading, and I’m so glad you came to my room. Where is Henry?”

  “He was summoned to your father’s library as soon as we returned. I’m not sure what’s up. He promised to stop by my room before turning in for the night. I’m so glad you decided to come home for the weekend. We don’t get to see nearly enough of each other.”