by Lara Swann
Considering we flew out of Boston, and the way airports in America are in general, I can understand her confusion.
“The whole airport is only one runway and a very small terminal, Hanna - and it was all damaged by flooding a few months ago.”
“So everyone just gets these…trains?” She says it with a distaste that I know comes purely from being stuck on one for the last ten hours.
“Mostly, everyone just stays in Aldora. It’s a small, private country that hasn’t really opened itself up to the rest of the world - there’s a reason no one in our class had ever heard of it before I arrived. No one is particularly interested in leaving - or visiting - so apart from the occasional state visit, no one cares that the airport is closed for refurbishment.” I sigh and shake my head. “I am sorry about this, Hanna - really, I am. I promise I’ll show you the life of a Princesca I talked about when we get there. This isn’t exactly what I meant.”
I try shoot her a grin and believe it myself as she falls back into silence, looking out the window herself with her eyes scrunched up in that too-tired-but-can’t-sleep state that are making my own ache too. I rub them and try to tell myself the general malaise I’m feeling is just the result of being stuck on a this train all night, unable to sleep. Not anything to do with going back home.
And I’m sure at least part of it is because of this disaster.
Not that traveling into Aldora by train is anything new - I’m used to that. The airport isn’t always closed, but commercial flights don’t operate in Aldora, and the one or two private jets the royal family own are often in use for official state purposes.
No, the problem is that this is a re-purposed daytime train. It’s not really meant for a twelve hour journey - and it definitely isn’t meant to be an overnight sleeper train. But there were faults and broken down trains and delays all along the line - and the night train simply didn’t arrive.
When we were offered this as a replacement by a very apologetic train staff I was ready to book into a hotel and come back when they’d sorted everything out, arriving into Aldora several days later. A little more time away from home wouldn’t have been a bad thing anyway.
But my parents were insistent. They’re expecting me on time, and it seems that the whole train system being fucked isn’t enough of an excuse to get out of that.
Personally, I think it’s just a mean-spirited gesture to show me that they’re still angry - which, if it were just me, fine. If they want to play stupid games, I’ll deal with it. But with Hanna traveling with me…that’s just too much. She’s my Princesca-attenciano, and she deserves more respect than that - even if it’s all fake.
Sure, the train staff were as generous as they could be - my royal status got us a whole carriage to ourselves, as much of their limited food and drink selection as we want, attentive service and more blankets than we probably need - but there was nothing they could do about seats that simply don’t recline. Which has made sleeping impossible, and left me spending the whole journey trying to bite back my growing irritation.
I simply can’t afford to arrive with my blood boiling…even if I’m already determined to make a few pointed comments about courtesy and common decency. Maybe the King and Queen of Aldora have bigger concerns, but Hanna is a guest - from America - and she should be made to feel comfortable.
Especially considering what she’s doing for you.
Not that I’ll tell them that part.
“I give up - I can’t sleep.” Hanna finally sighs, thrusting her legs out onto the chair opposite and slumping back against her own.
She’s obviously tired, with her eyes surrounded by red, puffy circles and her hair curled and tangled in a mess around her shoulders, but looking at her has a smile tugging at my lips anyway.
When we realized what this journey was going to be like, I insisted she change into something more comfortable - so she’s wearing an oversized hoodie and yoga pants, which have the combined effect of both masking most of the pretty curves I’m used to seeing, and offer tempting glimpses of her nicely defined legs.
It’s definitely not the fuck me now kind of outfit I’m used to seeing American girls wear - but it’s so very different from the prim, professional skirts and blouses that she wears to class that I can’t help but be interested. It’s almost like it’s hot just because it’s so casual - and with her glasses off and her hair down, her face looks soft enough to touch. Something I’ve had to stop myself from doing several times already.
“We should probably talk, anyway.” She continues, folding her arms and looking up at me, making me wonder how much of my expression she can see without her glasses. “You haven’t told me anything about Aldora yet, and we’ll be there in a couple of hours. I mean, I tried to look it up, but the Wikipedia page is pretty scarce and there weren’t exactly any books that I could find—”
“Aldora is a pretty closed-off country.” I say with a shrug. “And there’s not all that much to say, which is why you don’t find it in the books. Nothing has ever happened there, and nothing happens there now.”
And I don’t want to talk about it. We’ll be there soon enough anyway.
Hanna just frowns, which sends a pretty little wrinkle across her forehead. I’m far more interested in that than in talking about Aldora. “It’s in Europe though - right between Italy and the south of France, yes? Those are countries that have thousands of years of history…you must do as well, Derek, surely. You can’t claim that neither Italy - with all its warring houses and cities and their desire for conquest - or France were ever interested in your land? C’mon - give me something, hey? Enough that I don’t look like a complete idiot when I start talking to people.”
The idea of her talking to people back home has an uncomfortable weight settling in my stomach, but I sigh and give in anyway, repeating the short version of why we were never annexed and subsumed by another country.
“We were ‘lucky’ enough to be discovered by the British before France or Italy became interested. They offered us the chance to become a colony and my ever-so-brave ancestors jumped at the chance. Protection from their neighbors in exchange for their sovereignty and pride? It’s…how do you say…a no-brainer, right?” I give her a sardonic look, then shrug. “I mean, who am I to judge - I guess it worked, and without that decision I probably wouldn’t exist. Neither the French duchies or the houses of Italy would have been generous enough to let our family survive if they’d invaded. But it’s not exactly…the sort of noble history you’d like, hmm?”
When I glance at Hanna though, she’s looking at me with such fascination that I pause.
“I don’t know, Derek. It’s a history - an old one, and something you know about, and can trace. That’s something special. I don’t think my family even knows who we were originally descended from - which settler or convict was sent over to America and created us.”
I give her a considering glance, but I’m not convinced. She might not know her roots, but that also means she didn’t have to spend hours learning all of their names, deeds, quirks, and everything else too. I’m not sure which is better.
“So what happened? I assume you’re not still a British colony.” She nudges me, curiosity obvious. “Did you fight for independence too?”
I laugh at that, as her enthusiasm reluctantly brings me out of my general apathy, and shake my head. “No - as I told you, we never did anything in Aldora. We simply became too expensive, like all the other colonies of the Great British Empire. They threw everything into fighting those World Wars and then after that everything collapsed for them. Once that wave of decolonization started…we were swept up in it too.”
“That recent, huh? That’s so interesting. How has it been - establishing a nation over the last hundred years? Did it change Aldora much - it must have, right?”
I blink, feeling my head start to throb from the lack of sleep and the stress of going home. I’d somehow forgotten that, of course, Hanna would be interested in all this. She’s
studying European History because she genuinely likes it, not simply because it’s an easy major to justify to her parents.
And in truth, I don’t even know the answer to her question.
What has Aldora become in the last hundred years?
In a hundred years, America established democracy, started creating the greatest industry of the time, and became a world power.
Aldora…has developed a fascination with their royal family, a reluctance to let go of the past, and an insular nature.
Maybe it’s a little unfair to compare us to America, but…
I shrug off the thought.
“This is a pretty heavy conversation for so little sleep, Hanna. You’re not going to have to write a paper, you know.” I try to summon my familiar smirk, but I can feel it’s strained right now.
“No, I’m just going to have a whole royal family judging whether I’m good enough for you - and them - and the whole country.” She says, but it’s a wry comment and there’s no rancor in her tone.
And she does have a point - but I don’t want to think about that right now.
“I’m not sure that now is the time to be worrying about—”
“Yeah, you’re right - we should have talked about this a week ago.” She points out, insistent. “But we didn’t, so—”
“Would you have wanted to?” I interrupt. I might be reluctant now, but it’s not like she’s been eagerly asking questions this whole time. She seemed terrified of even thinking about what was going to happen this summer only a few days ago.
She pauses, blinks again and yawns.
“Well, okay, maybe not. But we should—”
“You didn’t want to before. I don’t want to now. We’ve had no sleep, Hanna, and we’ll have plenty of time to talk when we get there.” I try and smooth my tone, knowing she doesn’t deserve my annoyance, and reach over to squeeze her hand. “Relax, baby. You’ll be fine.”
You hope.
The truth is, if I think about it too much, even I’m starting to get a little nervous at the thought of introducing Hanna to my parents. Not because she wouldn’t be a good Princesca, despite what she seems to think - but because she simply isn’t Aldoran. And our cultures are…quite different.
I’d known that from the start, of course - hell, it’s one of the reasons this plan is going to work. It will do just enough to show I’m thinking about my country’s needs…without the risk of tying me down to an actual bride. But with the current friction between my parents and I…well, it’s going to make it a little harder to get past that initial culture clash.
We’ve got time to work that out though - after some well-deserved sleep that will mean I’m able to think about it.
“Okay.” She reluctantly agrees. “We can talk about Aldora later - but…there are other things we haven’t talked about, too, Derek. Things I want to know before we arrive.”
I glance over at her, raising an eyebrow. “Like what?”
“Well…us. This whole fake fiancee thing. Just…what does it involve?” She swallows as she says it, her eyes darting back to the window, and that’s all it takes for my fatigued attention to sharpen into real interest.
“Mm, been thinking about that other thing I offered to include, have you?” I ask, my voice husky from lack of sleep…and something else.
“No!” She says, too quickly, then snatches her hand back before giving me a furtive glance. “I mean, not really, but I thought…I thought we should make it clear, anyway. You were just messing around when you said that, right?”
I laugh a little, giving her a slow smile as I look down at her adorable hoodie-wrapped features - the freckles that run across her cheeks, the green eyes that are refusing to look at me, and her cute little button nose. Combined with such a sensual mouth and plump red lips that would look just perfect—
“Derek?” She says again, uncertainty clouding her expression.
It pulls me out of the sleepy-hazy lust that I was falling into, and I feel my cock give a half-hard salute as I lean back and pull my gaze up from that mouth.
“Baby, that’s one of the few things I always take seriously.” I shift closer to her as her lips part, just a little, and cup her cheek in my palm, my thumb stroking softly. “If you want a few…little benefits…out of all this, you just say the word.”
I see confusion and lust flicker across her face before it settles into indignation - and I withdraw my hand before she can pull back.
“But if you don’t, that’s all good too, sweet Princesca. I never thought it would be part of the deal, and you can be as modest and puritan as you like—”
I see irritation flare at that comment, and grin. Knowing exactly how to provoke someone has always been a strength of mine. But I continue before she can say anything.
“Aldoran society is very demure, so you’ll fit right in with all that - no one is expecting anything of you. Not like that, anyway.” I smile slyly again and shrug. “Though if you were offering…I wouldn’t say no to a kiss or two.”
She seems unable to speak for a moment, swallowing and half-opening her mouth a couple of times, while glancing down at my body a little more than she really needs to. Which I don’t mind at all. And when she finally does say something, it has very little to do with what we were talking about.
“I’m not sure I am going to fit in with ‘demure’, you know…”
The way she says it is almost stubborn, but it just makes me laugh, and I tuck her under the chin before lowering my voice conspiratorially.
“Well, if you want to prove that, Princesca…”
She rolls her eyes at me and leans back, putting a little distance between us before giving me a sweet little smile that’s got pure fire beneath it.
“Maybe I will.”
I can’t help myself - I chuckle. She really does surprise me, this one. Maybe she really isn’t as innocent as she seems…or she at least pulls off a convincing act.
“What about the other stuff, though?” She asks, and I give her a confused glance, my mind still on her not-quite-innocent look.
“What other stuff?”
“Well, whatever else a Princesca is expected to do. I have no-oooo.” She breaks off with a large yawn, belatedly covering her mouth, then blinks watering eyes before she shakes her head again. “Sorry. I was trying to say I have no idea what that title you gave me even means, or how I’m expected to act, or…”
I groan dramatically, pressing myself back into my own seat and shaking my head. I thought we were done with trying to talk about all that - and I’d been enjoying the other conversation too much to be pleased at her persistence. It had even almost cheered me up again, despite having no sleep and being on the way back to live as a Prince of Aldora again.
She gives me an exasperated look, but before she can object, I wrap an arm around her shoulder and pull her against me.
“Later, Princesca. We’ll deal with all that later.” I bunch up a blanket against my shoulder and settle her against me. “For now, why don’t you try using me as a pillow, hmm? Maybe you’ll be able to sleep that way.”
For a moment she stirs as if she might say something, but then I feel her relax into me, her body soft against mine as I slowly stroke her arm. My cock stirs again, but I ignore it in favor of the sweet warm feeling I’m getting from having her close.
She mumbles something and then slowly nods, sighing gently.
And when I feel her breathing start to even out only a few minutes later, I smile softly to myself.
Chapter Five
Hanna
I wake up slowly, groggy and confused - and with a painful pounding behind my eyes.
I’m jolting against something, and it takes me a full minute of not wanting to open my eyes before I work out what I’m propped up awkwardly against.
Derek’s shoulder.
Daaaamn.
I frown as I remember that, wondering blearily how long I’ve been asleep.
With effort, I start squinting, my h
eadache flaring up as light shines through the train’s curtains.
At least an hour, then.
I slowly try and extract myself from Derek’s arm - hoping somehow that he might not have noticed that I fell asleep practically on top of him, with my arm splayed across his chest.
Another thought strikes me, and I freeze as I look down at the shoulder I was lying on.
Fuck, I hope I didn’t end up drooling on him.
How fucking embarrassing.
The moment I try and right myself though, I let out a small hiss as pain shoots through my neck.
Great, so I’ve fucked that, too.
Is there anything else you feel like screwing up, Hanna?
“Ahh, good.”
Derek’s voice above me tells me he’s definitely noticed I’m awake, and I try awkwardly to stretch while keeping my eyes mostly closed. It feels like they’re glued shut, and I can tell they’re dry and scratchy.
“Good?” I mutter. “What’s good?”
Right now, it’s not the word I’d use.
Ugh, I am so not a morning person.
“You woke up just before we arrived. We’re getting close, but I didn’t want to disturb you.”
I scrub my eyes with my hands, aware that I probably look like death right about now - half awake, with my face and hair a total mess. Not the best impression.
How we started talking about sex while I was tired, in disarray and probably smelling of a ten hour train journey, I have no idea—
I lose my trail of thought as it reminds me of that conversation. And I suddenly realize I’m still horny, with Derek’s offer at the front of my mind.
Since when the fuck do I wake up horny?
It’s a sleepy-achy kind of feeling - not the usual heart-pounding electricity - but it’s distracting anyway, and I groan as I try and right myself and reach for my bag. I’m sure I had a bottle of water in there somewhere. My head is still pounding.
“Sorry about…” I start, my voice rasping for a moment before I trail off. I gesture at vaguely in his direction, hoping he didn’t mind me totally slumping on top of him for the last…however long it was.
