Karia and the Prince (Avalon Adventures Book 2)

by Isabella Kole

  “I couldn’t not come, knowing you were here for a few more days,” Emma said as she hugged Karia. They had reached her room now, so Karia opened the door and the two of them went inside.

  While she changed into her pajamas, Karia told her all about the play, not leaving out the part the paparazzi had played in their evening out.

  “Ugh, they’ll never stop. I’m just glad they didn’t completely ruin your evening out with Henry.”

  “I don’t know how you put up with it,” she replied. “So, you don’t know why your dad was waiting for your brother?”

  “Not a clue. That’s really weird. I hope nothing has happened that will take him away from you for your last few days here.”

  “I hadn’t thought of that. Well, at least you are here.”

  “Gee, don’t make it sound so appealing.” Emma laughed.

  “You know what I meant. It would give us some girl time.”

  “Yes, it would. I guess we’ll find out when Henry comes upstairs.”

  She came out from behind the dressing screen in her room and laid Emma’s dress and matching wrap on the chair. She set the purse next to it and the shoes on the floor. Then she returned the jewelry set to its box to give back to the queen.

  “You looked amazing, by the way,” Emma said.

  “Thanks. I owe it all to you, your mum, and Maggie.”

  She took the pins from her hair and picked up her hairbrush. After brushing, it hung in waves around her face. She would remove her makeup later. She picked up her robe and put it on while she sat down with Emma to catch up and wait for Henry.

  “How about we order up some tea? It’s a chilly night, and I know that light wrap you wore didn’t keep you very warm.”

  “Oh, that sounds heavenly.”

  Emma went to the intercom and called down to the kitchen. One of the staff was always on night duty, so tonight’s worker agreed to send up a tray immediately.

  Maggie knocked on the door before entering with the snacks a few minutes later.

  “Maggie, I wasn’t expecting to see you. Aren’t you off duty?” Karia asked.

  “I was in the kitchen visiting with Lizzie over a cup of tea, so I offered to bring your tray up on my way to my own room.”

  “Thank you so much. Have a good night,” Karia said.

  “Yes, Maggie, thank you,” Emma agreed.

  “Good night, girls. Enjoy.” With a wave of her hand, Maggie was out the door.

  “Your staff is so friendly,” Karia remarked as she poured her tea and stirred some honey into it.

  “My mother always says if you treat them right, they will respect you and be kind in return.”

  “It’s true,” Karia replied as she took a sip of the sweet, hot liquid. She set her cup and saucer down and chose a tiny cake. After plating it, she sat back and said, “Now, tell me about your week.”

  The girls were giggling and had just finished their tea when they heard a knock on the door. Karia got up to answer and found Henry standing in the hallway.

  She grabbed his arm, pulling him into the room, and said, “Get in here, you. We want to know what’s going on.”

  “Is it safe in here? I could hear the two of you giggling all the way down the hall,” he teased.

  This started a whole new set of giggles. Henry rolled his eyes and grinned as he waited for his girlfriend and his sister to gain control again.

  Finally, Emma said, “Okay, sorry, brother. Now, what was so important that the king had to have your undivided attention the minute you got home from your date?”

  Karia noticed the worried look that came over his face as he sat down. “You remember the group of men trying to cause problems for me? The ones I met with last weekend?”

  “Yes,” both girls said in unison.

  “Well, it seems they’ve filed a petition against me. They don’t think I should be heir to the throne.”

  “What?” Emma asked in anger. “Where do they get off?”

  “It’s all right. They were under the mistaken impression that I was responsible for something I had nothing to do with. When presented with the facts, they backed down. Dad wanted me to be aware of it, in case there are any more issues that may arise. For now, though, he thinks it’s under control.”

  “Are these men, by any chance, cronies of your cousin’s?” Karia asked, remembering the man who had been responsible for the death of Prince Alexander and had tried to have Henry killed as well. He had taken his own life when the plan to kill Henry, so he would become the heir, backfired on him last year.

  “Yes, and that’s where the trouble started. Now that they know the facts, we hope this is the end of it. It seems they were under an entirely different impression of what had really happened last year.”

  “Well, if that’s true, it’s good news, then,” Karia said.

  “I’m going to head to my room so you two can say goodnight properly. Karia, I’ll see you tomorrow.” Emma went to her brother and hugged him before picking up her clothing. “I’m glad everything is okay.” She grabbed her things and quietly left the room.

  When they were finally alone, Karia got up and walked to where Henry stood waiting for her.

  “Alone, at last,” he murmured as he took her in his arms. “I am so sorry we haven’t been able to have much of that this week.”

  “It’s all right. I understand you have duties and responsibilities. Just because I am on a break, doesn’t mean the rest of the world is.”

  “Still, it would have been nice to have taken a few days and gone to Scotland together. Maybe we can find a secluded place to go tomorrow.”

  “Are we riding in the morning?” she asked.

  “Yes, we will join the family for the early morning ride, have breakfast and then spend the rest of the day together. I think I know just the place we can escape to.”

  “Mmm, sounds good to me.”

  He leaned down so his face was close to hers and surprised her with a quick kiss. Then he gave her a deeper one, picking her up off the floor and holding her close. “I really don’t want to say goodnight, but we have to be up early, and it’s late now, so I will let you get into bed. Tomorrow, I promise, is for us.”

  “I look forward to you keeping that promise,” she said in a sultry tone as she moved out of his arms and watched him leave. She closed the door and ran to the bed to crawl under the warm covers and dream about her prince. She wondered where he was planning to take her that they could be alone. Would he be able to ditch the paparazzi?

  Karia was awake at the crack of dawn and ready for her ride with the family. It was a ritual that they rode together on Saturday mornings and one that she enjoyed whenever she visited. The rest of the family, except for Emma, were enjoying tea as they waited for the girls to join them.

  “Good morning, dear. Have a hot cuppa before we head out,” the queen offered.

  “Thank you. That sounds good on a crisp, fall morning,” Karia replied with a grateful smile. “Is Emma joining us?” she asked as she sat down with her hot drink.

  “Yes, but you know Emma, always fashionably late,” the queen said.

  The men laughed. It was a well-known fact that Emma was rarely on time for anything.

  Karia was just finishing her tea when the other girl came into the room. “Oh, were you waiting for me?” she asked innocently.

  “Not at all, sister dear,” Henry said as he stood. “Have a cup of tea. Karia and I will go on down to the stables. See you all soon.” He took Karia’s hand and pulled her up from the couch she was sitting on.

  They walked out into the cool air and he said, “I wanted to get you alone for a minute to tell you the plan. I’ve arranged for us to spend the day in the country. A friend has a cottage that he has agreed to let us use for the day and night. So, after breakfast, I want you to pack a small bag. I’ll have you back here in plenty of time tomorrow for the trip back to school.”

  “Excellent,” she said as she raised up on her toes to kiss him quickl
y. “What will you tell your mum?”

  “I am an adult, and so are you, so she won’t say anything. She just won’t allow any such shenanigans in her home.”

  “I see. All right, then. And the paparazzi, will we be able to avoid them?”

  “Absolutely. We will be out of town before they are even aware of it.”

  “That’s good. All I need is for my parents to see a headline that says we spent the night together in a country cottage. Consenting adult or not, they would not like the whole world knowing that fact.”

  “I understand. We will be very discreet.”

  After a lovely ride with Henry’s father, mother, and sister, they all went back to the castle, freshened up, and went down to breakfast. Karia had taken the time to throw a few things in a bag for their trip to the country.

  While sitting at the table with the rest of the family, Henry informed the others of their plans.

  “Oh, how lovely. I think it will be nice for both of you to get away,” his mother said, picking up her teacup to take a sip.

  “Yes, a good way to end Karia’s visit,” the king agreed.

  “I’m sorry you won’t be here, but I’m happy for you. The cottage is really nice. I’ve been there a few times myself. Henry’s friend invited me to tag along and to bring a couple of my friends with me.”

  “I’ll be back in time to spend some time with you tomorrow before we both have to go back to school. I promise,” Karia said with a smile.

  “You heard the lady, brother dear. You simply must have her back in time.”

  “Yes, I heard. I promise. I know how you two love your girl time together. In fact, sometimes I wonder who she really comes here to visit, you or me.” Henry chuckled, and his parents joined in.

  A short time later, when they walked out into the fall sunshine from one of the back exits, a beautiful little silver sports model was waiting for them in the drive.

  “Is this your car?” Karia asked in awe.

  Henry laughed. “No, it actually belongs to the friend who owns the cottage. Knox knows how much my family struggles with the paparazzi, so when I asked to use the cottage, he offered the use of one of his cars. This way, no one will know it’s us. They will assume Knox is at the cottage.”

  “Brilliant!” she exclaimed. “This Knox sounds like a real friend.”

  “He is. We’ve known each other for years. He’s always had my back, as I have his.”

  He stowed their bags in the small trunk and walked with her to the passenger side to open her door. Once she was settled and buckled in, he moved to the driver’s side.

  “I’ll leave the convertible top up, of course, so we won’t be spotted. I’m sorry. It would be a gorgeous day for a ride with the top down.”

  “It’s okay and completely understandable.”

  He drove through the back gates of the estate, and they were soon on the open road.

  “May as well get comfortable. We have a long drive ahead of us,” he announced. “It’s about three hours until we reach Knox’s place.”

  “It’s a beautiful day for a drive,” she said. “We’ll be there before we know it.”

  “I’m glad we were able to get away right after breakfast, anyway. We can get settled and then have a late lunch. Knox had the cottage stocked with food so we wouldn’t have to go out.”

  The scenery was breathtaking as they left the city and drove though the country. Henry had chosen secondary roads, and Karia was glad when she saw how beautiful the autumn countryside really was. The colors blended with the sunshine to make a glowing vision all around them.

  Finally, they arrived at the cottage. It was set back from the road at the end of a long driveway. It wasn’t as small as she had imagined. In fact, it was quite roomy once they got inside. The landscaping was something right out of a magazine. When she commented on it, Henry shrugged and said, “His family’s gardener keeps it looking nice.”

  The cottage itself was charming, with two bedrooms, a sitting room with a cozy fireplace, a nice sized eat in kitchen, and a bathroom adjoining each bedroom. There was a deck off the kitchen that overlooked the hillside.

  “Knox inherited this place from his grandparents on his mother’s side,” Henry told her. “He uses it for getaways and often lets his friends and family have access to it as well.”

  “That’s really nice of him. It’s just so cozy and welcoming, and it’s bigger than it looks from the outside. All of the rooms are good sized.”

  “Yes, his grandparents lived here for many years after they retired, I believe.”

  They were standing in the larger of the two bedrooms, and Henry dropped their bags on the floor. “How about we wash up and then see what’s in the kitchen to make for lunch? I’ll use the guest bathroom, and you can have this one. Meet you in the kitchen.”

  “Sounds good. I’m starting to get hungry. Must be the country air.” She laughed and the room seemed to brighten with the sound. There was a window seat in the large bay window, and she walked over to it to look out over the land before going into the nicely appointed master bath. What a lovely place to read or write, she thought as she pulled herself away to use the restroom and wash her hands. She ran her fingers through her hair and fluffed it before heading to the kitchen to meet Henry.

  She found him pulling sandwich fixings out of the fridge. He looked up when he heard her and said, “I found a sliced, baked ham, cheeses, toppings, and a loaf of fresh bread. Sandwiches okay with you?”

  “Sure, sounds good. Knox certainly knows how to take care of his guests, doesn’t he?”

  “Only the best. I’m sure he had his family’s cook bake the ham and the bread.”

  She fluttered around the kitchen then, helping him set out the food. She brewed some tea, and they sat down to enjoy the food.

  “I see a cake on the counter,” she said. “The cook probably baked that, too.”

  “Oh, I’m sure she did. It’s chocolate, too. My favorite.”

  “Mmm, mine too,” she replied as she placed a slice of tomato on her sandwich.

  After lunch, they loaded the dishwasher and decided to save the cake for later. Henry suggested a walk around the grounds, and she readily agreed.

  “Yes, let’s. It’s such a beautiful day.”

  He took her hand and led her outside, where they strolled around the area, taking in the beauty of the countryside. There was quite a bit of land, which Henry told her Knox owned. His gardener took good care of it, she could plainly see. “I just love it here,” she said. “It’s so peaceful, so unlike the city.”

  “I know. I’ve said many times I’m surprised Knox doesn’t move out here full time, but he likes the activity of the city too much to do that.”

  By the time they got back to the cottage, they were ready for more tea, so Karia brewed a pot while Henry cut the cake into slices. He started a fire in the cozy fireplace, and they sat in front of it to enjoy their snack.

  “So tell me how your article on the fashion world is coming along,” he said, initiating the conversation.

  “Oh, it’s coming. I’m really enjoying meeting with all the designers so far. And I get to wear “normal” clothes when I’m in the city for the interviews.” She laughed as she thought of the way she was required to dress at school.

  With a chuckle, Henry said, “Aha, the truth comes out. I knew there was a reason you liked this assignment so much. Seriously, though, yes, I agree about the dress code at the academy. It could stand with some modernizing.”

  Then she asked him a question. “Tell me, Henry, now that you’ve had some time to get used to your new duties, how are you liking all the engagements so far?”

  He took a deep breath and set his plate on the coffee table before answering. Finally, he said, “Honestly? It’s taken some getting used to. Having to be someplace nearly every day, supporting one thing or another, traveling to meet with dignitaries from other countries, after spending most of my life just having fun, can be daunting. What I’m t
rying to say, I guess, is that the responsibility is immense. I like it, on one hand. On the other, I’d be lying if I said I don’t miss my carefree days at times.”

  “I think that’s understandable, given the circumstances. This new life was thrust on you very suddenly and at a time when your whole family was reeling from the death of your brother. On top of that, the added stress of your cousin’s diabolical plan only made it more difficult.”

  “True enough, I suppose. Next year, I’ll be doing my time with the military. I’m not looking forward to that, but it is a requirement. I would have had to do it regardless of being the heir to the throne.”

  “Yes, that will be tough, I’m sure.”

  “On both of us,” he said, voicing her thoughts as well as his own.

  “Well, at least we don’t have to think about that today. Let’s just enjoy our time together. I’m not sure when we’ll have this chance again. You’ll be traveling, and I have school.”

  “You are absolutely right, my love. I saw a chicken in the refrigerator earlier. What do you say we put it in the oven to roast for our dinner?”

  She gathered the plates and cups from tea and followed him into the kitchen. He prepared the chicken for the oven while she did the dishes.

  “I’m impressed that you can cook,” she said with a grin as she watched him.

  “Well, I have to admit, I don’t have the opportunity to do it often, but I learned during my days at university.”

  “It’s a good skill to have, no matter who you are,” she replied. “You never know when you will need to whip up a meal.”

  They both laughed and went back into the living room to continue their conversation until it was time to prepare the vegetables.

  They talked about many things that afternoon, including goals, life and the future. They seemed to be on the same page about the latter. Neither of them wished to rush the relationship they now had.

  Karia excused herself a while later to get the potatoes ready for the oven. She mixed up a green salad and put it in the refrigerator to marinate in a special dressing she had found.

  When the kitchen was spotless again after their delicious dinner, Henry suggested they share a bubble bath in the large master bathtub before they turned in for the night.