The limousine driver carefully navigated the winding streets of the capital, driving slowly as people lined the streets, waving and cheering. There was no doubt that Eric was loved by his people, now more than ever. Astrid watched as the shops and offices emptied out, the citizens of Rogandal rushing onto the sidewalks.
“Do you remember it ever being like this before?” asked Astrid, temporarily forgetting the uncomfortable silence that had formed between them.
“No. They’ve always greeted me and my family with affection and cheering, but not like this. Your plan must have worked.”
“I suppose it did, Your Highness, or should I say Your Majesty?” she replied.
“If that’s true, I owe it entirely to you. Astrid, I want to tell you something.”
Astrid’s breath caught in her throat. “There’s no need to say anything. We are almost to the palace. You will take your rightful place as heir, and I will go home to England.”
“It’s about last night. I owe you an explanation.”
“No, you don’t owe me anything – no explanation, nothing at all.”
“I do. If you would let me tell you why I was late, explain why I was rude to you this morning.”
“Don’t, Your Highness. I am pleased that it has all turned out well for you. I can leave Rogandal knowing that I performed my duty, and you helped me succeed at that task.”
“Astrid, you act like all I am to you is a job. Was I right to think that way, that I am no more than another paragraph to add to your resume?”
“You will never be just a job to me, and you are the last paragraph on my resume. You were my last prince. You know how I feel about you; you can believe me or choose to think you were only a job. It’s your decision.”
The limousine arrived at the palace. A footman opened the door as the prince looked at Astrid, his expression unreadable. “I know what I would like to believe, Willoughby.” He exited the car, leaving her with the knowledge that when she left Rogandal, she would be alone.
Astrid was shown into a lavish guest suite, her luggage brought up and unpacked for her as she lay on the bed, curled into a ball. She wanted to cry for hours, but there were maids in her suite and she was raised not to reveal her emotions in front of the staff. A knock on the door signaled the arrival of a footman with a message. The king wanted to see her in half an hour.
Looking down at her crumpled clothes, she asked a maid to lay out her favorite pencil skirt and gray silk V-neck top. Freshening her make-up, she looked at her reflection in the mirror. She looked like her usual self. From the outside, she looked poised, cool and collected. On the inside, her heart was broken and she felt fragile, vulnerable, like she could cry with the slightest provocation. She just needed to survive this meeting, and then she could go home in the morning. Slipping into her outfit, she chose a set of low heels and brushed her hair until it fell in bright auburn waves.
She was not expecting Eric to be in the king’s office with his father. She’d assumed her meeting with the king was to settle the accounts and to sign the boat and all of Eric’s personal holdings back into his ownership. From the lack of paperwork on the king’s desk, she knew this meeting was not going to be about the accounts.
“Lady Willoughby, please come in and sit down. We could not begin without you,” said the king with a smile.
“Your Majesty, Your Highness,” she said, sitting down beside Eric.
“Father, why have you called us back to court? Surely this can only mean that you’ve made a decision,” Eric said.
“I have made a decision, but first I would like to say that it would not have been possible without your hard work and skill, Lady Willoughby. You’ve turned my wayward son into a prince, and in the future, he will be a king – all thanks to your efforts on his behalf.”
“It was an honor, Your Majesty, to serve your noble house in any way I could. I am not only loyal to England; I also care about the people of Rogandal. It was my duty and privilege to serve them.”
“And serve them you did, better than I could have expected,” said the king as he smiled warmly at her.
“Father, does this mean I will be getting Freja returned to me?” asked Eric.
“Yes, it does, that and so much more. Eric, my son. You have impressed me with your willingness to change and become the ambassador to the world that Rogandal needs. I am proud of you and what you have achieved.”
“I could not have done it without Lady Willoughby,” Eric replied.
“Of that I have no doubt, and what I have to propose to you has been perfectly orchestrated by Lady Willoughby to the mutual benefit of you, your family, and the good people of our country.”
“Propose?” asked Eric, his smile slipping into a serious expression. “What proposal is that? Are we not here to discuss the succession?”
“We are. I am happy to be able to say that at long last. Eric, you are finally acting like the prince I knew you to be. I feared this day would never come, when we would be able to sit in this office and discuss this matter like gentlemen. This is a day I want to celebrate, and I want you and Lady Willoughby to share in that celebration as it is your work as a team that has guaranteed our future success.”
Eric looked at Astrid, his eyes searching hers for any indication of what was happening. Astrid looked away, no longer able to meet his gaze. She looked down at her hands, folded in her lap, waiting for what she knew was coming.
“Eric, I propose that I return all your personal property, including the racing yacht known as Freja, to you immediately. Furthermore, your accounts will be in your sole ownership, any stock or investments returned to you. I am in the process of making the necessary arrangements to have you publicly named as heir and successor to the crown of Rogandal upon the announcement of your engagement to Princess Serena Razia.”
Astrid closed her eyes, taking a deep breath as the words and the reality sank in. Trying not to burst into tears, she tried to maintain her British reserve as Eric reacted.
After a sickening pause, he spoke in a hoarse voice. “Father, you cannot mean that. After all that I’ve been though, everything that Astrid and I have been through, you are going to make me marry Serena?”
“Son, I didn’t think you would consider it a burden, not to be married to a woman as attractive and wealthy as the princess! You will thank me for this one day.”
“Thank you, for making me marry a woman I do not love?”
“Eric, be reasonable! Love has nothing to do with royal marriages. Nothing whatsoever. Your marriage to Serena will be the business arrangement of a lifetime. Your partnership will allow us to expand our oil operations, build new oil rigs, and employ more of our people at a higher wage. Can you be so selfish that you would deny your people a higher wage?”
“And what about your pockets, Father? Will this marriage line your pockets with more gold? Do you not have enough already?”
“Eric, do you think this lifestyle that you have been fortunate to be born into comes cheaply? Your yacht, your lavish allowance, the hotel suites, the limousines, all of it costs a fortune. You benefit from our family’s wealth and now it your responsibility to contribute to that wealth. Those citizens who have paid their taxes year after year, do they not deserve better jobs? The shopkeepers and hotel owners, do they not deserve a stronger economy to thrive and grow their dreams? You forget yourself. With nobility comes great responsibility, and your responsibly is to the people of this nation, and to your family.”
The king looked flustered as his joy at his son’s marriage to the most eligible woman on Earth turned to frustration. Glancing up from her lap, Astrid met the king’s eyes as he said, “Lady Willoughby, please help me explain this to him. He seems to listen to you.”
Astrid was about to answer when Eric said, “Father, I am not a child. I’m a grown man, and I understood every word you said. You would use the people of this country to manipulate me, to emotionally blackmail me into doing your bidding. Is that correct?”
/> “You’re tired from the journey, my son. You cannot realize what a gift you will be bringing to your nation if you marry Serena. Perhaps if we speak tomorrow morning after breakfast, after you’ve had a night to think about all that I have said, you’ll see this proposal in a vastly different light.”
“A night? Will your proposal change between now and tomorrow? You’re laying down this ultimatum as though I am as greedy as you, wanting to take it. You think I would marry a woman I didn’t love for wealth – and do what, follow in your footsteps, keeping a series of mistresses?”
“Eric, you forget yourself. We are not having a private conversation, but as king you could have as many mistresses as you desire, or only one,” said the king as he glanced at Astrid.
“No, we are not having a private conversation, but nothing is private between any of us anymore. Father, it is ridiculous that you would blackmail your own son just to make yourself more wealthy. The people of Rogandal are doing fine without more oil rigs.”
“Is that for you to decide? Then perhaps your sister would be the better choice.”
“Perhaps! I will not be blackmailed into doing your bidding – not after what you did to me. You robbed me of my happiness once and I will not let you do it again. If you will both excuse me.” Eric stormed out of the room.
Astrid sat in stunned silence, unsure whether she should run after Eric or stay in the office with the king. She didn’t know what to say, but she knew that she wanted to leave as soon as possible. There was nothing left in Rogandal to hold her, not with Eric forced into marrying the princess.
She decided to tackle the problem head on. “Your Majesty, if you will settle my account, I will be packed and ready to leave by the morning. I’ve done what I promised to do. Your son is no longer an embarrassment to you or your country. You’ve given him the choice of being named heir. I have completed my assignment.”
“You have. Lady Willoughby, you have exceeded my hopes for this endeavor, and I thank you.”
The king reached into the pocket of his vest and pulled out a key. Unlocking a desk drawer, he reached inside, retrieving a large leather-bound ledger. He scribbled an amount on a check and signed his name, blowing on the ink before handing it to Astrid. She quickly glanced at the amount, and was dimly pleased to see that he had included a generous bonus.
“Thank you, Your Majesty. Your generosity and gratitude have no rival.”
“That was for the job you have already completed. We still have to settle Eric’s personal property but before we do that, I wonder if I might interest you in a bonus?”
“A bonus?” Astrid asked.
“Yes, a bonus, a generous one. If you can remain on staff and convince my son that he should accept my proposal I will make it worth it, I promise you.”
“What if I don’t share your enthusiasm for this proposal?”
“I think you do. You may not have intended that Eric should end up marrying Serena but you have arranged it nonetheless,” the king said as he rose from his desk and sat down in the empty chair beside her. “You care about him, I can see that. You could not make eye contact with him when I told him to marry another woman. You convinced me to let you go to Grenada to save him. I am not as naïve as you might believe me to be, sitting in this office far away from the world. Lady Willoughby, do not underestimate me.”
“Your Majesty, I do not believe you to be naïve. We both know your daughter is far from the victim she is pretending to be for the press. How can you force Eric into a loveless marriage when you don’t want Eirinia to reign? The throne was Eric’s all along, and it still is – he just needed to behave as a prince and marry well to get it, is that not so?”
The king patted her knee before removing his hand, and smiling, leaned in close. “My dear Lady Willoughby, I will still give this throne to Eirinia whether she deserves it or not if it means forcing Eric to marry Serena. That marriage is all I care about right now and I intend to see that it happens. Now, are you willing to help my son understand his situation?”
Slowly, Astrid shook her head.
“Now, now,” prodded the king. “You don’t want to be the reason I disown my own son, do you? I was prepared to leave him in a jail cell in Grenada over less. If he refuses to cooperate, I will strip him of everything – and this time there will be no changing that decision. You don’t want to be the cause of his hardship, do you? If you care for him, I am certain you will do everything in your considerable power to help him make the right decision. I will pay you very well for your success.”
“And Serena? What if she doesn’t agree? What if this proposal and all of these threats are over absolutely nothing?”
“You’d better hope for Eric’s sake that is not the case.”
Astrid saw Eirinia’s conniving nature in the king as he sat beside her, scheming against his own children. He was convinced he had managed to badger her into doing his bidding.
Astrid smiled. “Your Majesty, you may rely on me. I do want what is best for Eric, and I will do all that I can to see that he is able to reach a decision that will be beneficial to you both.”
* * *
Astrid left the king’s office and walked back to her suite. She understood now why Eric had left his family and run away to live on his sailboat for several years. Stopping to look at the check on her hand, she thought about leaving the palace as quickly as she could. But even as she contemplated escaping the intrigue and heartbreak of Rogandal, her mind turned to Eric. There was no way out for him – he was caught in a trap he could not easily escape, a trap she had unknowingly helped close around him.
Back in her room, she folded the check and placed it inside her purse. She was no longer angry with Eric about where he’d spent the evening in Paris, or how he’d doubted her love for him. As of right now, she was committed to helping him any way she could – she just had to find him.
He could be anywhere in the palace, or out in the city. He may have escaped once again, heading for an unknown destination anywhere in the world. She immediately left her room and headed for the garden, texting him and hoping he would text her back. She didn’t know where she was going, but if she could find him, they would need somewhere to talk in private.
Eric may have been angry with her, but he responded to her text. She suggested they meet in the garden, so he told her to be at the gazebo in ten minutes. Finding it, she sat on a marble bench and waited for him to arrive, thankful he was still willing to meet with her.
“You must be proud of yourself, arranging my marriage to Serena. Is that why we were in Dubai? Did you plan this all along?” Eric cut straight to the point as soon as he walked inside the domed building.
“I’m still here, aren’t I? I want to help you. Believe me, I had no idea about the ultimatum, none at all. I just wanted to help you become king because I see in you a leader, a good, honest man who will lead his people, not steal from them.”
He all but collapsed onto the bench beside her, stretching out his long legs. “Do you think I should marry Serena?”
She bit her lip, and looked away before she answered. “Yes, I think you should. Once you’re king, you can do so much good for these people.”
“You sound like my father.”
“I don’t mean to sound like him, Eric. If you don’t marry her, he’s going to disown you – you’ll have nothing in this world. Do you want that? Can you live your life knowing that you could have been king?”
“I don’t care about money. I only care to be king for the good of these people; I don’t want it for myself. After today, I want it even less. I don’t want to be a prince – I want to be a normal person. I want to marry you, to be happy, to leave my father’s threats and interference in my life behind.”
Astrid reached out for him. “Eric, if you married Serena. I would stay in Rogandal, even if that meant being your mistress. I would do that for you.”
“I could never ask that of you; you’re too honorable and noble for such a fate. There mu
st be a way to make my father see reason, that doesn’t involve Serena.”
“There may be one, but it would mean ruining your sister in the process. Are you ready to do that?”
“I don’t know; is there any other way?”
“You can leave it all behind, marry Serena, or fight your sister and your father with fire. It’s entirely up to you, but we don’t have much time.”
“Astrid, which of these three choices means we can be together? I’m ready to leave everything to be with you.”
“What if you don’t have to leave everything behind, at least not yet?”
“What do you mean?” Eric asked, wrapping his arms around her.
“I still own your boat and control all of your accounts. Care to take a trip?”
“To where? Freja?”
“Where else? We can be gone within the hour. It’s time someone took a stand against your father. I’m willing to be at your side no matter what you decide to do with your life.”
Eric nuzzled his nose into her neck, just behind her ear. “Do you mean that, even if I will never be king?”
“I mean every word of it. Let’s get away from the press and the expectations. Let’s go to your yacht and spend a few days on the sea – experience the wind in the sails. Let’s escape from the intrigue and the arranged marriage. We need some time to think.”
They were planning to escape, and this time she was ready to run away with Eric – no matter what consequences they faced. Eric leaned close to her and whispered, “We need time for us.” His lips touched hers. As he pressed his lips to hers, she forgot her heartbreak and only felt love.
Chapter 15
The racing yacht Freja was under full sail when Astrid was awakened by the single cabin boy on the boat.
“My Lady, the captain would like to meet with you on deck at your earliest convenience,” he said.
Taming the Rebel Prince: The Royals of Rogandal Page 18
