A Royal Pain (The Royals Trilogy Book 1)

by Brown, Tara

  “I can’t either. I had hoped to help you move in and get settled and show you my favorite pub and my favorite castle and my favorite view.” He bent and kissed my nose. “I will miss your face every day.”

  I rolled my eyes. “Don’t be so dramatic. We can FaceTime, and it’s a short trip to visit.”

  “I know that, but I like having you close. I like being able to kiss you and see your reaction to things. The campus here is one of four ancient campuses in the world. Do you know the level of awesomesauce that is?”

  I laughed. “Stop. When you say it, it sounds stupid.”

  His eyebrows lifted. “Oh, trust me, love, awesomesauce doesn’t sound any better coming from your beautiful lips.”

  I blushed. “You don’t think they’re skinny?”

  He leaned in, pressing his lips to mine. “Delicious is the word I would use.”

  I rolled on my side, pressing myself into him. “What time do you have to go?”

  His gaze through those lashes made my heart race. “I have some time before I have to fly out.” His arms wrapped around me.

  His kisses were soft and lazy but still made my head spin. I dragged off his shirt, loving the feeling of his warm skin against mine.

  He crawled into the covers and we forgot everything except how amazing it was to be together.

  When it was time for him to leave, he put a hand on my shoulder and smiled. “Stay just as you are. This is exactly what I want as my last memory before you start school and I have a crown on my head. Let me remember you this way.”

  I looked down at the crisp white sheet outlining my naked body. “I wanted to come to the airport.”

  He shook his head. “No. Then I’ll be plagued with the image of your sad face. No. This I perfect. I can still see where my stubble has brushed your skin on your nape and your cheeks are still blushing from your orgas—”

  “STOP!” I covered my face. “Remember when I said we would do things and never talk about them?”

  He chuckled. “Look at how red those cheeks are. Now that is an image. You have my heart.” He turned and left the room. Panic hit the moment the front door to the manor closed. I got up, dragging the sheets with me to the window. He made his way out to the car waiting for him. Johan and Mary ran out after him. He nodded and they all got in the car. When he got in, tears softly dragged down my cheeks—my flushed cheeks, still enflamed with the blush he had put there.

  I knew with my entire heart he was the one.

  I hated that I was eighteen, in college, and in love so deep that I would never get out. It was too early, but it was just as I’d been told. You never knew when it would happen. You just had to be open to the chance they would enter your life and change everything.

  And he had.

  He had changed everything.

  Jess came in my room, looking flushed and messy. I smiled, seeing the instant difference in her. “You did it?”

  She acted confused for a second. “Yeah. I did.”

  I grinned. “Want some Advil?”

  She nodded. “I do.”

  “Are you okay?”

  “Yeah. I’m just in shock I guess. He’s gone home, but he said he’d be back on the weekend. He tried to tell me he loved me. I stopped him like an idiot. I just couldn’t bear to hear it, not after we’d—you know.”

  I laughed. “I do. I definitely know. We may not be blood related, but we are alike in a lot of ways.”

  She gave me a smile, but the stunned look remained. “I guess we should pack and get over to the residence.”

  I walked into Linna’s room. She was sprawled across the bed. I poked her. “Get up. We gotta go.”

  She opened an eye. “No. Feck off. I’m sleeping.”

  I shoved her. “We leave here in an hour. If you want a shower and a croissant, then you better get your ass up.”

  She lifted her middle finger high in the air and rolled over. I laughed and went for the shower.

  It was lonely in the large shower by myself. It was lonesome getting dressed without him there to distract me. It was even worse leaving the estate and getting into the SUV. I looked back at the house, stunned by the beauty of it in the light of day.

  The drive over conjured butterflies in my stomach. Linna looked tired until we got into St. Andrews. Then she lowered her sunglasses and gave me a look. “Oh my God. It’s so amazing.” It was a town on water with roots and heritage dating back to 4500 BC. It was stunning. I forgot about everything as I gawked at the stone buildings and ancient graveyards. The view of the ocean was magnificent. “It’s so beautiful.”

  Jess squeezed my hand. “This is awesome.”

  I nodded, not saying a word. The SUV pulled up in front of University Hall, our new home. A woman with bright-red hair and pale skin walked up to us. She was about Sheila’s age, but she seemed pleasant instead of evil.

  She had on a tight pencil skirt and a black short-sleeve blouse. Her red hair was pinned tightly to her head.

  “Holy schoolmarm, Batman.”

  I laughed and looked at Jess. “She’s a freak in the sheets. Those chicks always are.”

  Linna pointed. “True story.”

  The driver opened the door and we were greeted, “Hello and welcome. You must be Miss Finley Roze.”

  I gulped. “Yes, thank you.” I didn’t know what I was thanking her for. She was freaking me out with the “miss” and knowing my name.

  She beamed. “Welcome, to you and your friends. St. Andrews is delighted that you’ve chosen our school. Just so you are aware, we have a zero paparazzi tolerance and you will be treated like a normal girl.”

  I blushed. “Oh uhm, thanks.” What the hell was she talking about?

  She pointed to the huge brick building behind us. “Let us get the tour going. You will have a private area for the three of you, a wing we like to refer to as the royalty wing. The prince stayed there these past two years. It is his old room. He requested you be given the same ordinary college experience other kids have.”

  I laughed and Jess sighed. “The fact you just said that sentence makes it already not normal.”

  The woman blushed. “Oh well, we will try. You have to know though, many royals and famous people have passed through the halls and experienced normalcy.”

  “Thank you.”

  She beamed and held out a pale hand. “If you want to follow me, we will get you settled then.”

  Her accent was so cute. I took a deep breath and knew I would love it there. We walked toward the dorms, getting checked out by the cute guys walking past. Linna grabbed my arm. “Did you see how hot he was?”

  “No. I’m impervious to hot dudes now.”

  She shoved me lightly. “You’re an idiot. You totes saw him.”

  I grinned. “I totes saw him.”

  We walked up the stairs, through the crowds of people getting their rooms ready.

  “You have a meal plan—nineteen meals a week—and a shared bathroom facility. To prevent any incidents, we have a separate bathroom facility for the three rooms you shall be occupying.” She led us down a hallway and around a corner. There was a door at the end. She opened it, revealing another hallway. She opened three of the doors down the hallway and behind each was a bedroom. They weren’t huge or glamorous like the estates we always stayed in with Aiden and his family. But they were nice and clean, very clean. A bed, a desk, a bureau, and a window with a view of the town and grounds. My stomach wouldn’t settle.

  “The extra door makes it so the royal security detail may guard without being obvious. Very practical yet makes it so you may live fairly normal lives. They will be here any moment to introduce themselves. Prince Aiden asked them to arrive around now.” She smiled. “If there is anything I can do for you, this is my private cellular number and this is the number of the head of campus security. I suggest putting it into your phones. We want this to be as safe a haven as any.” She beamed. “I will leave you to get settled in. Finley, your room is the last one on the left.�
�� She turned and walked away.

  Jess gave me a look. “I feel like Harry Potter on his first day at Hogwarts.”

  “I don’t remember that movie very well, but I know what you mean. Half of me wants to go home and the other half is stoked.”

  Linna looked out the window. “All of me wants to screw the hell out of that guy walking across the grass right there. Let’s get this shit put away and go find a pub.”

  We separated for the purpose of putting away our things. I didn’t do that though. I walked to the last room on the left and tried desperately to get a single scent of his deodorant or cologne, but there was nothing. The air was clean. He had been cleaned out of the room completely. I sat on the bed and wondered how I would get through the year without him there, when Isaac came to the door and knocked lightly. I looked up and smiled at him and Tracy who was right behind him. They smiled back. “Miss Finley, how are you?”

  I laughed. “Good, sucky, stressed. You know?”

  Isaac nodded. “Of course. We are here as your personal detail. We will wait at the first door for you. We just wanted to deliver these.” He held out a few envelopes.

  I jumped up and grabbed them. “Thank you. You guys can chill in here if you want. I don’t care.”

  Both their faces went completely red. “Thank you, but no. We will wait at our post.” They left, more like fled.

  I shrugged and sat back on the bed. The envelopes all had an F on them, written in his amazing penmanship. I almost imagined he had a scribe who did them for him. They each had a small note telling me when I could open them.

  I sniffed the envelopes, savoring the smell and the way he was suddenly in the air I was breathing.

  When I turned over the envelope, my heart fluttered at seeing the words: Open when you arrive in the room.

  My beloved Finley,

  I am watching you sleep right now and racking my exhausted brain for the places you must see. I won’t be coming to see you nearly as often as I would have liked so I have made up three adventures for you to go on.

  It’s almost like A Christmas Carol. You will be visited by three guides who will take you on three trips to see the top things I believe you cannot miss in St. Andrews.

  As always, my heart is with you and my love for you grows fonder in our absence.

  Yours,

  A

  It made me smile. Like A Christmas Carol, he was theatrical. But I loved it. I loved that he sat up, knowing he was leaving, and made up these letters so my first day at college would still have him in it.

  The next few envelopes had notes stating the days I was to open them for the adventure. The last envelope read: Open when you miss me the most.

  I tore it open.

  Finley

  You were supposed to wait to open this, not the moment you got it. Naughty girl.

  I have enclosed an invitation for you. Please don’t be scared of it. I now know that today is the day that our relationship has to change, but remember it is only changing for you. For me this has always been the outcome for us. From the moment I saw you, this was always the future I saw, perhaps minus the death of my brother or sickness of my father. But with you at my side, I know I can conquer those obstacles and be the man my country needs me to be.

  There is very little romance in the world I live in, so you must know my intentions as they are planned for me and now you.

  I love you and look forward to your first visit.

  Love, with all my heart,

  A

  I almost heaved but managed to keep it back. I slipped the invitation from the back of the note. It was for his coronation. He would be a king in a month. My heart raced and my mouth went dry, but my father’s words rang throughout my head.

  Don’t be like me.

  I walked out to the hallway, clutching the invitation and the note. I gave Isaac a look. “I need you to take me to Andorra now.”

  He frowned but nodded. “Yes, miss.”

  I walked into Linna’s room. “I have to go see him. Will you be okay here?”

  She smeared gloss across her lips and smiled wide. “I will keep a seat warm for you at the pub. That’s a long way for a booty call, dude.”

  My stomach was a mess and my throat was dry, but I smiled anyway. “A girl’s gotta do, ya know?”

  “Oh, I do.”

  I went into Jess’ room. She was on the phone. I waved. “I’m going to Andorra right now. Tell him not to tell Aiden.”

  She shook her head. “They’re in England at the hospital. Their dad was brought to the hospital there.”

  “Okay, I’m going there now.”

  She smiled and spoke into the phone, “I’ll be there in a couple of hours so you can tell me all that to my face. Don’t tell Aiden we’re coming. She wants to surprise him.”

  She hung up and we raced down the stairs and across the grounds to the car. Isaac and Tracy drove us to the airport, a small airport. Johan had chartered a jet for us.

  In the air, Jess gave me a weird look. “You okay?”

  I shook my head. “I don’t think so, but I will be.”

  Her face drew in. “Are you going to break up with him?”

  I swallowed hard. “Not exactly.” I gazed back out the window and fiddled with the ring he had given me. I twisted it to the right and flicked it, but it didn’t open like the whore’s ring.

  When we landed, I could taste my croissant in my throat. I was shaking, visibly, and ready to pass out, but I pushed myself past my inner demons. Isaac drove to the hospital. Johan was waiting for us at the door with another guard. Jess leapt at him. I’d never seen her like that with anyone. Johan spun her around, kissing her neck and whispering things.

  He nodded at me. “He’s upstairs. Dad’s doing great. He’s out of surgery and totally fine. He’s just got to learn to adjust to the whole thing.”

  The guard left them and escorted me into the hospital. In the elevator, I was certain I would barf. My hands and feet were coated in sweat. I gripped the wrinkled letter and invitation. When the door opened, Aiden was standing with his arms folded and his eyebrow cocked. I smiled instantly. Everything felt smaller.

  His eyes went to the letter. I could see him panic, assuming the worst. I grabbed his hand and pulled him into the elevator. The guard tried to get back in, but I hit the top number and the door closed too quickly.

  “What are you doing?”

  I pressed stop on the elevator. “I needed to hear you say it, out loud.”

  “You flew all this way to hear me say it out loud?”

  I nodded.

  His face relaxed. He smiled. “Oh, thank God. I thought you were coming to end it. I knew the letter would scare you. I was too chicken to tell you face to face. I couldn’t bear you ending it so I assumed you would text me an American breakup and that would be that. I would die inside and you would party in Scotland.”

  I shoved him. “You thought that?”

  He nodded. I could see him swallowing the lump in his throat. He took my hands in his and dropped to his knee, pulling the ring off my right hand. He did something to it and flipped it open. He lifted it so I could see the message.

  In the gold a message was engraved:

  Marry me!

  My lower lip started to tremble. The ring hadn’t left my hand since he’d given it back to me. He had to have put that there ages ago.

  His eyes shone and his words crackled, “I knew when I met you. It was just like Jack said: I saw you and I couldn’t stop staring no matter how ungentlemanly it was. I know we’re young and I know you’re scared of that. But I also know I will love you until I die and even then. I am scared of every other thing in my life aside from marrying you. You are the one thing I am certain of.” He held the ring near my left hand. “Marry me?”

  I nodded, barely able to breathe through the tears rolling down my cheeks. He slid the ring on and kissed my hand. His hands shook with passion. He stood and cupped my face like it was the most delicate thing he had ever
held. “I love you.”

  “I love you too.”

  He pressed his lips against mine, but it wasn’t the public kiss. It was more. Everything had become more. I didn’t know how we would get it past his mother, stop my stepmother from ruining it, or even finish college. To be honest, I didn’t care. Everything else in the world was nothing compared to the kiss and the ring and the love.

  Was it crazy to get my happily ever after at the age of eighteen? Yes. But crazy had become my new norm, and my life had never been better. I knew then that no matter what happened, we were meant to be. It truly was a fairy tale ending, and I would have the crown to prove it, whether I wanted it or not.

  I kissed my prince and thanked God for the scar on my wrist. Had everything not fallen apart, it never would have been put back together so perfectly.

  The End

  Coming the winter of 2016, A Royal Affair, and the final book, A Royal Wedding, is due out in the spring of 2017.

  If you liked this book check out If At First. It’s been said to be Gossip Girl meets Pretty Little Liars. Just turn the page for the first chapter.

  Crimson Cove Mysteries

  Book One

  If At First

  By Tara Brown

  Chapter One

  Mission Impossible

  August 3rd

  The maple trees lining the streets always made me feel like I was home, no matter which part of town I was in. They were our calling card and namesake, Crimson Cove. A cove of red maples.

  The East Coast had maples everywhere, but only Crimson Cove had the red ones exclusively. We were famous for the drive into town along the shores from Stamford, Connecticut. We were the small cove just between Stamford and Darien, a red splotch on any aerial map. It was small with only 18,733 people and even that number was dependent upon who you asked. I know my father didn't count the laborers or the service workers as residents of our town. Even if their families had lived here longer than ours.