To Steal a Groom

by Cora Caraway

  I shake my head.

  “Their Majesties always give money as a gift. I know Father wants to be generous, but fifty? Really?”

  “Fifty … thousand?”

  “Fifty million.”

  “Wow.” I blink. “At least they’ll be comfortable.”

  “It needs to be in a trust.” Damon closes his eyes, clearly trying to compose himself. “They’ll blow through that in minutes.”

  I have to laugh. “You’re joking, right? Even if you could buy enough stuff, it’d take years. Decades, even.”

  He fixes me with a level stare. “How long will it take your parents to blow through ten million?”

  I think for a moment. Desiree is probably already going crazy on purses and jewelry, plus a truckload of leather boots. My dad will probably buy a convertible, a house if he’s smart, and then head to the nearest casino. It may take him some time, but I doubt it’ll last them long.

  “I guess I see your point.”

  He nods. “And Marc and Natalia are used to nicer things than your parents. Like jets and fast cars.” Damon glares at nothing in particular. “I don’t care how much money he gets, I just wish he would respect it. We have a lot, but even our coffers aren’t infinite.” His shoulders slump. “And tell me the truth, do you think Natalia’s just in it for the money?”

  I wish I knew what her new angle is. “Maybe she loves him.”

  Damon gives me a look.

  “I’ll ask her. Would that make you feel better?”

  Straightening, he puts an arm around my waist. “I don’t want you to go alone.”

  “Just one last time. There are some things I want to square away with her.”

  He studies me. “All right, but tell me if you need help. No more secrets.”

  “No more secrets. Well, no bad ones anyway.”

  “That sounds fair.” He squeezes my hand. “Be careful.”

  I borrow another car and soon enough I’m cruising down Fief Street. I hope this is the last time I have to drive down this cursed road.

  Driving up to the guardhouse, I lean out the window and give my name.

  The guard waves me through the gates. “Go right on through.”

  I sit for a moment, puzzled. “Really?”

  He checks his clipboard. “You’re expected.”

  “Oh. Thank you.”

  I’ll give Natalia one thing, she’s excellent at unnerving me. I make my way up the long drive, parking in front of the villa. I check all around me as I walk to the front door, wondering if Natalia plans to have crocodiles or something pop out at me. Somehow, I make it to the door unscathed, and knock.

  “Come in.” Natalia’s voice is distant yet unmistakable.

  Cautiously, I step inside. It’s quiet. The entrance is packed with suitcases, but they’re far too swanky to belong to my parents. Maybe Natalia’s sister is in town? My dad would never go for that pink suede. I’m sure Rex and Desiree are long gone by now, along with some of Natalia’s valuables, no doubt. Booboo is nowhere in sight. I’m a little sad. I could use some companionship.

  “Hello?” I call. I don’t really like giving away my position, but I’m not here to play hide-and-seek. I want to get in and get out as soon as possible.

  “I’m back here, Grace.”

  Following the sound of her voice, I walk through an ornate sitting area and into a darkened room. Natalia sits behind a desk, scribbling on a piece of paper. It looks like she’s balancing her checkbook.

  “There you are.” She closes the checkbook sharply, as if she’s afraid I’ll try to steal it.

  “How did you know I’d come back?”

  Natalia crosses her legs daintily. “You’re not as mysterious as you think. I know you well enough. Of course you’d come back, just to muck things up for me.”

  None of this would have happened if she hadn’t tried to mess with me. Not that I’d get anywhere trying to explain that to her.

  Swiveling her chair, Natalia examines me. “There’s something different about you today. What is it?”

  I look away, thinking of my night with Damon. Even Natalia can’t dampen that joy.

  “Ugh. You did the deed with Damon, didn’t you.” She rolls her eyes. “Been there, done that. While he was at it, I hope he removed the stick that’s been in your ass.”

  Jealousy surges through me at the thought of her with Damon. I take a deep breath. I’m not going to let her get to me. Even if she was with him once, it’s not like I can be upset. I didn’t even know Damon when they were together.

  “Why are you here, anyway? Did you want to thank me for my engagement present?”

  I give her my sweetest smile. “Yes, it was great seeing my parents again. Just like old times.”

  “I bet it was.” She smirks. “Anything for you, Grace.”

  Time to get down to business. “They’re certainly busy at the palace. Have any of your seven dresses arrived yet? Or your parents, for that matter?”

  “Oh yes, the wedding.” Natalia sighs dramatically. “Now that’s an inconvenience.”

  That’s an odd choice of words, but that’s not what I’m here for. “Are you going to leave Damon alone, once you marry Marc?”

  Her lip curls. “Why on Earth would I marry Marc?”

  I’m stunned. She might as well have thrown a brick at my head. “Because he proposed, and you accepted? Because you love him, I hope? You were excited enough to plan a wedding.”

  “Yes, but I wanted to marry the first in line.”

  I can’t believe this. “Do you even care about Damon at all?”

  “I think you know the answer to that. All men are just means to an end. You should have learned that by now. Enjoy your time with Damon. One day I’ll get what I’m really after.”

  My blood runs cold. “And what would that be?”

  “Don’t you worry your pretty little head.”

  “I won’t. Life’s too short. I know your tricks now, and I’ll be keeping an eye on you.”

  She smiles. “You do that. But I’ll be all the way in Andova, and I’m sure at some point you’ll stop thinking about me. That’s when you should worry most.”

  I frown. That’s what she wants, isn’t it? To keep me from ever resting easy, to have me forever glancing over my shoulder. Well, she can forget it. I’m not going to waste another thought on her. Well, maybe just one more, so I can spare the Lions one last bit of her special kind of pain.

  “You have to tell Marc.”

  She tilts her head. “Tell him what?”

  “If you’re not going to marry him, you need to tell him. Before the wedding.”

  “I’ll let him know.”

  “You will. Or would you like me to tell your father what you’ve been up to recently? I’m sure Duke Fa would love to hear about his daughter’s adventures in blackmail.”

  Natalia’s eyes narrow. “That reminds me.” She opens her checkbook. “Here, let me give you an early wedding gift on behalf of Andova. How does … five million sound?”

  Is this really happening? “Let me get this straight. Blackmail didn’t work, so now you’re going for bribery? What would Marc say?”

  “Since he helped me plan the blackmail, I doubt he’d have much of a problem with it.”

  “Yes, but what about your father? Or what about the papers, especially back in Andova. What would they make of this story?”

  Natalia actually snarls. “What, do you want ten million?” She thrusts the pen and checkbook at me.

  The dollar amount is still blank as I lay my fingers on the check. Ten million dollars. I could buy anything. Hell, I could even buy Damon another Galeocerdo. It would make life so easy.

  I push the check away. “I can’t accept this.”

  Natalia scoffs. “You know as well as I do that you need this. You’re nothing without Damon. You have nothing, and you are nothing. At least this way there’ll be something for you when he comes to his senses. And believe me, he will.”

  I can’t he
lp but smile a little. Natalia is right that I don’t have much money. Even so, I would never do anything like this, not even to her. If nothing else, I have my dignity. And I have the one thing she can never have—Damon. I shake my head. “No thanks. You keep it.”

  “Idiot.” Natalia looks confused. “That’s barely a rounding error on Andova’s ledgers.”

  “Keep it. I just want you to go away.” Ten million would be a small price to pay for that gift. I turn to leave.

  “Don’t you walk away from me! Take this check! Take it!” Natalia is practically spitting. I walk out of her villa, leaving her to her rage. I doubt she learned much from this, but that’s not my concern.

  I have everything I want.

  14

  I follow a flatbed carrying an arbor back to the palace. It’s difficult to find a place to park the car among the fleets of catering trucks. A peacock screams as it runs from a man trying to secure a gold collar around its neck. It seems not even the birds are safe from wedding mania.

  A woman with a clipboard and horn-rimmed glasses, probably a wedding planner, is overseeing the transport of a mountain of white chairs. In clipped tones, she directs servants to take them two at a time.

  “You!”

  I turn, idly wondering what’s gone wrong.

  “Yes, you!” She points a finger at me. “Do you think you’re exempt? We need every pair of hands we can muster. This wedding is happening in a few hours, and we can’t afford lollygaggers.”

  I’ve been called a lot of things, but that’s a first. I look around, still not quite convinced that she’s talking to me.

  “Are you deaf?” she shouts. “Take some chairs, chop chop!”

  I might consider helping if she weren’t so nasty. And if this wedding were actually real. “Sorry.” I back away. “No thanks.”

  Servants hide their mouths behind their hands, sharing glances and snickering.

  “No thanks?” She bustles forward, but only a few feet, as if she’s tethered to the mound of chairs. “I’ll be speaking to your supervisor.”

  As I walk away, I wonder who she thinks that would be. The king and queen, maybe? Come to think of it, I don’t know how the rules of royalty work. Can they force me to do things? Or Damon, for that matter? Obviously Darius can’t tell his son who to marry, since he tried that already.

  “Take a pair of chairs each,” the woman calls to those who are still listening. “And stop laughing!” Bringing the clipboard up to her face, she mutters darkly to herself.

  I finally make it up the palace steps, dodging silver trays of food. My stomach grumbles, and I look at one longingly.

  “Care for a bite, Lady Sparrow?” A server lifts the cover, letting steam waft out. Rows of scallop and shrimp kebobs are revealed, making my mouth water.

  I take one, hesitant. “Are you sure you won’t get in trouble?”

  “So long as the queen doesn’t see. Take a handful, they won’t be missed. We’ve got enough food coming in to feed an army.”

  “Thank you!”

  He nods as he retreats to the gardens, leaving me with my makeshift breakfast. I munch on delicious seafood, keeping to the less-trafficked perimeter of the hall. More silver trays pass, and I start to wonder if any of them are carrying fruit.

  “Grace!”

  The whisper sounds very close, but there’s no one near me.

  “Back here.” Eris peers out of an alcove. “I’ve been looking for you. I want to show you something.”

  “All right.” I offer her a kebob, which she declines. “But why are you hiding?”

  At the clack of stilettos on stone, Eris ducks out of sight. It’s the queen. I clasp my hands behind my back, concealing the kebobs.

  Sarina stops when she sees me. “Have you seen that maid? What’s her name, Erin? Alice?”

  “… Eris?”

  “That’s the one. I can never seem to find her lately. Someone has to hem these tablecloths!” She gestures toward a cart overflowing with fabric.

  I imagine Eris would be honored. “Maybe she’s helping Natalia with her dress?” That’s not technically a lie. She could be, for all I know.

  Sarina huffs. “That girl has her own servants. She shouldn’t need to steal ours. But if I find out that Alice is shirking her duties on my son’s wedding day, I’ll make her regret it.” The queen storms off before I can correct her again.

  “Wow,” I remark. “Someone ought to warn Alice.”

  Eris giggles in the alcove.

  I polish off the last of my kebobs. “What was it you wanted to show me?”

  “Later. It’s not safe now. I’m not going to work my fingers ragged for Natalia.”

  “Good thinking.” I scan the hall. “The queen’s gone if you want to make a run for it.”

  “Thanks! If you need me, I’ll be off doing things that actually matter.” Eris leaps from the alcove, sprinting toward a narrow hallway.

  Once she’s gone, I head out back. I’m sure Damon’s around here somewhere, but I can’t find him in the flurry of activity. I wonder if he got roped into carting chairs. Men are setting up tables and raising tents on the greens. A groundskeeper hovers nearby, making sure that no one crushes his precious plants.

  The arbor has been installed front and center, the white chairs arranged in rows before it. Two maids roll a lush carpet to its base, and a third trails behind to smooth out any wrinkles. Servants hang paper lanterns, rake gravel, and fold mountains of cloth napkins. I’m feeling weary just watching them.

  A man sits in a front row seat, his legs loosely crossed. Marc. He wears a crisp gray suit, though his tie is sloppily tied and his hair rumpled. I wonder when he plans to get ready, if ever. He coolly surveys the activity around him, seeming almost detached. Maybe he gets a kick out of seeing people sweat for him.

  I walk down the aisle, my feet sinking into the carpet. I need to tell him before I lose my nerve.

  He glances over at me. “You again?”

  I can’t bear to meet his eyes. “How long until the ceremony?”

  “Should be a couple hours.” He looks at me, suddenly suspicious. “Why do you ask?”

  “Has Natalia talked to you at all?”

  “Why should she?” He shifts in his seat, putting both feet on the ground. “I’m not supposed to see my bride before the wedding. It’s bad luck, you know.”

  I can’t take this. “She’s not coming.”

  “What?” He stares at me dumbly.

  “She’s not going to marry you, Marc. She doesn’t love you.”

  He laughs. Not quite the reaction I expected. “Always trying to cause trouble, aren’t you? I know you’re still mad about the engagement party, but don’t be petty.”

  “I’m serious. I talked to her earlier, she told me.”

  Marc smirks. It seems he’s convinced that I’m messing with him. “You’re just jealous that we’re happier than you.”

  “I wish that were it.”

  “Of course it is.” Lacing his fingers, he puts his hands behind his head. “Give me one reason why you think she won’t marry me. Just one.”

  “Well, look around. If Natalia’s going to marry you in two hours, then where are her parents? Where’s her sister? Where are all her guests? Most importantly, where is she?”

  Marc furrows his brow, working my questions over in his mind. Then, shaking his head, he glares at me. “She’ll be here, okay? They’re probably at the villa.”

  “All, what, two hundred of her guests are at the villa? Shouldn’t at least some of them have started to arrive by now?” I can tell I’m scaring him. “Look, you don’t have to believe me, but I just wanted to give you fair warning. You may not be my favorite person, but no one deserves to be blindsided like she’s about to do to you.”

  Marc jumps out of his chair. “Shut up. Shut up!” His shout makes nearby servants stare. “Stop saying these awful things about Natalia. I know you don’t like her, or me, or anyone. You’re sick, Grace. I know you just got here,
but eventually you’ll learn that everything isn’t about you. If you can’t be happy for us, take your bile elsewhere. It’s not like we need you.” Marc stalks away, disappearing into the palace.

  He might not need me, but he will need a bride if he plans on getting married today. I’m not sure there’ll be any volunteers. I let out a breath of air, suddenly realizing how tense I am. That was stupid. I shouldn’t have told him myself. I have the sinking feeling that this is going to come back to bite me in the ass.

  How does Natalia do this? Everyone should be mad at her, but I know they’ll find some way to pin this on me. I gaze up at the high palace windows. Maybe I should go upstairs and not come down until tomorrow.

  Damon ambles out the same door Marc disappeared through, looking over his shoulder. Spotting me, he walks over to join me. “What was wrong with him?”

  “I told him that Natalia isn’t going to show.”

  Damon freezes. “You what?”

  “She did tell me that.” I shift uncomfortably. Damon has to believe me.

  “Why didn’t you tell me first?”

  “I tried. It’s not easy with all these people everywhere.” I run my hand down his waist, straightening his suit jacket with a flick of my wrist. “You believe me, don’t you?”

  “You’re not the problem.” The prince raises a hand to his temple. “That would be just like Natalia, to lie and get everyone mad at you. I need to find Marc.”

  “He didn’t believe me, so why would he believe you?” I link my arm through his, wanting to keep him by my side. “I know liars well enough, Damon. She wasn’t lying about this.”

  “We’d better hope not. I still think I should talk to him though, just in case—”

  I don’t find out in case of what, because at that moment Sarina comes flying out of the palace, shrieking.

  “What are you saying about my son’s fiancée, you ungrateful slut?”

  Everything goes silent, except for the ringing in my ears. I would run except for the fact that my knees seem to have locked.

  The queen continues her ranting, her face contorting as she approaches. “I’ve worked too long and too hard for you to ruin this for me. After meeting your parents I shouldn’t be surprised by your classlessness, but it’s appalling that you would try to sabotage our family’s happiness on a day like this.” She’s now close enough that a fleck of her spittle lands on my cheek. “Not only that, but you’re a traitor to this city if this alliance falls apart thanks to you.”