Marrying a Prince

by Anne-Marie Meyer

  She swallowed. Loved. Her stomach lightened. Could she love him? She'd only known him such a short time. But she'd known Samson for three years and had never felt like this. Ever.

  Still, she wasn't sure she was ready to admit that she could have deep feelings for anyone, even Leo. So she shoved the four-letter word to the back of her mind.

  If she truly cared about Leo, she would put him first. He was never going to be happy as a common man, toiling away just to make ends meet. He was destined for greatness, and she wasn't going to be the one that pulled him down.

  No, she would lift him up and help him to be the king he was on the inside. No matter how much it broke her heart. She would have to do it now, before she didn't have the strength.

  Chapter Nineteen

  As Leo finished up helping Bernardo he had to keep himself from running into the house to find Marianna. The memory of her pressed against him pounded in his skull, making any task seem unbearable. All he wanted to do was find her, wrap her up in his arms, and never let her go.

  She was everything he ever wanted. She was the person he wanted to be with. He'd give up the crown if it meant he could be with her.

  Bernardo said he had things to finish up, so he sent Leo on his way. Leo strode across the lawn and up the back steps. Once inside, he called out her name and then hesitated. When she didn't respond, he headed upstairs.

  Their bedroom door was shut, so he opened it. She was standing next to the window with her arms crossed and a contemplative expression on her face.

  Not waiting, he crossed the room and wrapped his arms around her, pressing her back against his chest. He dipped down and brushed a kiss against her cheek.

  "I missed you," he said when his lips found her ear.

  She tightened, but then relaxed. He wondered for a moment what that had been about, but then pushed it off. He must have startled her, that was all.

  When she didn't respond, he glanced down at her. "Are you okay?" he asked, taking in her red eyes and tear-stained cheeks. Had she been crying?

  He turned her around so he could see her face. Why was she sad? He reached up and cradled her cheek in his hand. "Marianna?" he whispered, fighting his urge to confront whatever was making her upset so he could see her smile again.

  "Leo," she whispered. There was a tone to her voice. One that told him he didn't want to hear what she was about to say. He knew what she was doing, and he couldn't bear the thought of it.

  He stepped back, bracing himself for the inevitable. She was still leaving. Nothing had changed between them. The kiss. His feelings. His, almost, declaration of love. None of it mattered. She was still going back to America, leaving him here, alone.

  "Don't, Mari," he said, hoping against hope that she wouldn’t go through with it.

  But when her tear-filled gaze met his, his heart plummeted. It was too late. She'd made up her mind. She knew what she wanted, and it didn't include him.

  "I'm so sorry," she whispered.

  He scrubbed his face with his hand. What had he done wrong? "Why?" He needed to know why she was walking away. Was it something he'd said?

  She shook her head. "I care about you, Leo."

  That gave him hope. Maybe there was a chance that he could change her mind. "I care about you, too." He wanted to say “love,” but he didn't want to expose his heart if she was going to leave him.

  "That's why you need to go back, and I have to go home." A soft sob escaped her lips as she turned away from him and stared out the window.

  His ears were ringing. He hadn't heard her right. But she just said she cared about him. Well, from the kiss they'd shared earlier, she did a lot more than care about him.

  "Why?" he asked again.

  She was silent for a moment before she turned back around. "Because you have a duty to your country. You are the rightful king, and you will be amazing." She softened her gaze and gave him a weak smile. "And I will not stand in your way."

  His heart felt as if it had been pulled from his chest. She was leaving. She wanted him to go back to the castle, marry Gisella, and live his life as if they had never met. Like the kiss they’d shared hadn't meant anything to either of them. As if she hadn't changed his life in an irreversible way.

  "No. I'm not going to do that." He shoved his hands into the front pockets of his jeans and turned away.

  Her hand appeared on his arm, and she pushed him around to face her. "Leo, we both know that you aren't going to turn your back on your country. That's not who you are. You love the people, and you aren't going to just sit back and let the country be dictated by Gisella and her father. We both know she wants in. And if not from you, she'll manipulate someone else to get it."

  His eyes widened. It was true. Gisella was going to get what she wanted, whether from him or someone else. Ermes was a shy guy. She'd have her hooks in him so fast, and he couldn't let that happen.

  A vise felt as if it were squeezing his chest. "But, I don't want to lose you," he said, his voice dropping low.

  Marianna smiled up at him. He could see the pain in her gaze. It was so strong that he wanted to wrap her up in his arms and take it all away.

  "You won't. We will always have this trip." She let out a sigh. "I'm going back home a changed woman." She reached out and ran her hand on his arm. "You changed me. Caro changed me. I'm stronger than I used to be. I'm no longer going to let men like Samson run my life." She puffed out her chest. "I'm confident now."

  Remembering how she’d forced him behind the barn and demanded he kiss her, he smiled. It was true. She wasn't this shy nurse, allowing a jerk to walk all over her. She was the woman he knew she could be. And he was proud of her.

  He sat down on the bed and blew out his breath. "So, what are you going to do?"

  She joined him. He could feel her warmth as she sat down next to him. She was so close that he could reach out and touch her.

  She shrugged. "I'm going to go back and quit. Then I might move home while I look for another job. I hear awesome things about Savannah General." She sighed. "I'm kind of up for an adventure. Being with you has made me realize that I wasn't happy. And I want to be happy."

  When her voice trailed off, he glanced over at her. She was studying him. Her eyes drifted down to his lips for a moment before they came back up.

  How was he ever going to let her walk out of his life? And for what—to live with Gisella? He parted his lips to ask her if she was sure, but she shook her head before he could speak.

  "It's the right thing, Leo," she said as if reading his mind.

  "But—"

  "I'll be okay. I'll always have our time together." She stood and walked over to her suitcase, grabbing the handle. "But we should leave soon, before I lose all my new-found confidence." She shot him a pleading look. He wanted to fight her on this, but he also wanted to respect her and her decisions. He wasn't going to stand in her way if this was what she wanted.

  Even if it broke his heart.

  So he bit back his feelings, shoved his things into his suitcase, and followed her out of the room. After Marianna explained to Bernardo what they needed, Bernardo agreed to take them back to the castle. They piled into his truck and drove the hour and a half back to Leo's home.

  Or what was supposed to be his home. To him, it would be the place where he was forced to marry someone he didn't love just to save a country that he did. It would also be the place where he pushed out the one woman he'd grown to care for.

  The castle's large front doors opened, and Leo stepped inside. Marianna trailed after him, her suitcase’s wheels echoing against the thirty-foot ceilings.

  Gisella was the first to appear at the top of the stairs. She had a disgruntled expression on her face. When he saw her, he wanted to turn back around and leave, but he couldn't do that. So he forced a surprised expression.

  "Gisella?" he asked, hoping he sounded relieved.

  She eyed him as if she were trying to size him up.

  "Oh, Gisella," he said. He opened
his arms and met her halfway up the stairs. She seemed to realize what he was implying and wrapped her arms around him.

  "Leo?" she asked, burying her face into his shoulder. "Have you come back?"

  He nodded, pulling back to study her. He forced a look of recognition on his face. "Marianna helped me. We left to visit the places that you and I went. We when stopped at that little bakery on the beach, I…remembered." He reached down and ran his thumb over her cheek. "Gisella."

  She wrapped her hands around his neck and pulled him close. After she laid a wet, slobbery kiss on him, she pulled back. "I'm happy you're back."

  He fought the urge to push her from him. This was all part of the plan. First, he needed to convince his parents that he was of sound mind again. That meant cozying up to Gisella. Then, he would reveal Mr. Marasco's plans by going to the people. Leo would tell them that he would not be corrupted by anyone and that if they wanted him to be king, they would appeal the stipulation that he was to be married.

  And even though all of this made him excited, his heart still ached. He wanted to take Marianna on this ride with him. He wanted her by his side. But she'd made it very clear that she didn't want that. She was ready to move on with her life, and her future didn't include him.

  So he forced a happy smile in her direction even though it was killing him inside. She nodded and made her way up the stairs, disappearing at the top.

  Gisella wrapped her fingers around his chin and pulled his lips to hers again. "I'm happy you came to your senses," she said. She had a way of making it sound like she was happy, but he could hear the threatening tone behind it.

  He nodded, anything to keep her believing that he was back under her control. Though all he wanted to do was tell her that her family was never going to influence the crown like they seemed to think they would. He wasn't going to stand for it. Not now. Not ever. If he couldn't have Marianna, then he would settle for his country. And that meant kicking the Marasco's out of the castle.

  "Leo!" his mother exclaimed as she appeared at the top of the stairs. She rushed down and Leo pushed Gisella away so he could wrap his mom up in a hug.

  "Mom," he said, planting a kiss on her forehead.

  She peered up at him. "We were so worried. What did that awful nurse do to you?" she asked.

  He bit back the urge to tell his mother how he truly felt. How he was disappointed with the way she behaved. But he needed to be smart about how he approached this all. If he was going to make a difference, how he felt needed to be kept secret for now.

  But he still wasn't going to let his mother treat Marianna that way. "Mother, do not talk about her like that. She helped me remember. I will always be in her debt." And he would be. She'd done more for him than his own family had. More than anyone had ever done for him in his whole life. And she had done it selflessly.

  Most people who befriended him wanted to get something from him. Marianna didn't.

  His heart squeezed at the thought of her leaving. He wanted her to stay. Oh, how he needed her to stay. But he couldn't ask her to sacrifice more for him than she already had. So he forced a smile, walking down the stairs and into the dining room, where his mother was instructing the chef to make him some food.

  He could do this. He could pretend. After all, he'd gotten pretty good at it.

  Chapter Twenty

  A month later

  Marianna sighed as she pulled her yellow VW Bettle into her parent's driveway. She glanced in the back seat, taking in all the boxes. It was official. She was no longer a New York City resident. It felt good, leaving that part of her life in the rearview mirror. She was ready to move forward. Forget her past. Forget Leo.

  She rubbed the bridge of her nose as she closed her eyes. Almost out of instinct, Leo's smile made its way into her thoughts. Her heart picked up speed, and her stomach lightened. It frustrated her that even though it had been weeks since she'd last seen him, he could still influence her this way.

  After they got back to the castle, she had slipped upstairs, left the engagement ring Leo gave her on the dresser, and packed her things. Clara had come in, and Marianna said her goodbyes, promising the small princess that she would send her some amazing coloring pages from the States. That seemed to appease Clara. She had smiled and flung her arms around Marianna, promising her that she could color one and send it back.

  It was amazing how quick Mrs. DeLuca worked when she found out that Marianna was going to be leaving. The helicopter was ready to go an hour later, and before Marianna could even say goodbye to Leo, she was packed up and flying out.

  And that was how they’d said goodbye.

  Marianna cleared her throat as she pushed out the emotions that had built up inside of her. Why was she still upset by this? They had both agreed that it wasn't right. That being together would hurt them and his country. Leo was a prince, after all. They would never work.

  Blowing out the breath that she'd been holding, Marianna grabbed her purse and opened the door. It squeaked as she pushed it open and stepped out.

  She wasn't going to think about Leo anymore. This was a fresh start, and there was no reason why she should focus on her past. After she quit her job, she finished up her lease. True to her word, she had found a job at Savannah General in Georgia and took the offer. She had packed up her apartment and driven to her parent's house, so that she could say goodbye and start her own journey.

  This was for herself. She was ready to take control of her life. It scared and excited her at the same time.

  After slamming the door behind her, she shouldered her purse and headed up the walkway. The front door opened, and her mom stepped out onto the stoop. "Good to have you home," she said, pulling Marianna into a hug.

  "Hey, Mom," she said. It felt good to be home.

  Her mom pulled back. "How are you feeling? Are you okay?" she asked.

  Marianna forced the tears back as she nodded. "Yeah. I'm okay."

  Her mom gave her a sympathetic look as she wrapped her arm around her shoulders and lead her inside. "Ted! Marianna's back," she said as she shut the front door behind them.

  "Hey, hon," he said when he walked into the living room.

  Marianna gave him a hug. This house felt so familiar. It soothed her soul. "Mom, it smells amazing," she said.

  Her mom nodded. "Of course. I made dinner."

  Marianna snorted. "Of course."

  They all walked into the kitchen. Marianna's dad sat at the table, and her mom walked over to the oven and peeked into it. Marianna slipped onto a bar stool and fiddled with the basket of apples in front of her.

  When she looked up, she saw her parents staring at each other as if they were trying to secretly communicate. Marianna glanced back and forth. "What's going on?" she asked, quirking an eyebrow.

  "Tell her, Ted," her mom said, waving at her dad.

  He hesitated and then grabbed the newspaper in front of him. "Have you seen this?" He stood and brought the paper over to her.

  Marianna took it from him and studied the article. Her heart sank. She's spent all this time avoiding the news, avoiding any place that would report on Leo, just to come face to face with an article about him. All of her effort had been for naught.

  Caro Prince Wins Majority Vote to Overrule Marriage Stipulation

  She skimmed the article. Apparently, as soon as she left, Leo had started to campaign among the people in the hopes that he could overturn the stipulation that he needed to be married by the time he was thirty. He said it was outdated and archaic. He also exposed the Marasco's family’s intentions for the crown, stating how stipulations like this were exactly what the country didn't need. Caro would be under the influence of dictators if they didn't speak up now.

  And he had won. He was to be crowned yesterday.

  A tear slipped down Marianna's cheek as she set down the newspaper and pushed it away from her. Good for him. He got what he wanted. "That's nice," she said. She hoped her voice would come out confident, but it didn't. Instead it came
out small and broken.

  Suddenly, she was wrapped up in a hug. Her mom pulled her close. "I know it hurts, honey," she said.

  Marianna sobbed, the dam she'd built up finally breaking. Why was she acting this way? They'd both decided that parting ways was the right thing to do. It was what they had both wanted. Except it wasn't.

  The last month without him had been miserable. Everywhere she turned, memories of Leo pushed their way into her mind. She hadn't been able to free herself of him.

  After reading the article, it seemed as if he was doing so much better than she was. And it hurt. A lot.

  "Can we talk about something else?" she asked.

  Her parents were both studying her as if they wanted to continue, but weren't sure how. She shot them a please leave it alone look. They glanced at each other but then thankfully changed the subject.

  Marianna engaged in small chat for a few more minutes before excusing herself and heading upstairs. She flopped onto her childhood bed and stared up at the popcorn ceiling. She let out her breath slowly. Was she being stupid? How could she possibly think that she could pull this off? She wasn't strong. She wasn't courageous.

  Look at Leo. Even after a mind-blowing kiss, he'd still been able to move on and enact change for his country. What was she doing? Quitting her job and moving to Georgia. Yeah, she was so brave.

  Grabbing a nearby pillow, she pulled it over her face. She was going to hide out here until she felt better. Though, she wasn't sure when that would be.

  She must have fallen asleep because she was awoken by a soft knock on the door. She glanced toward the window to see the pale light of the setting sun illuminating her room. Yawning, she sat up, hugging the pillow to her chest.

  "Yeah," she said. At least she felt better. Maybe now, she could have a somewhat coherent conversation with her parents.

  The door opened and a figure stepped in. Marianna fiddled with the fringe on the edge of the pillow. "I think I fell asleep," she said as she turned her attention over to the door.