by Nikki Steele
I waved him away. “You’re just saying that because I let you firetruck me on pile of gems and jewelry.”
He shook his head. “No, I was just watching you—did you know you hum when you’re happy? Or that your hips wiggle every time you get dressed?”
I blushed. “Stop it.”
He stepped toward me, bringing his hands from behind his back. In one was a beautiful golden necklace. Its centerpiece was a dazzling teardrop diamond the size of my thumbnail. “I want you to have this.”
I stepped backward, hand on my heart. “Xander, no.”
He walked forward, insistent. “You’ve given up so much to come here Kate. Your whole life—and all on a whim and a prayer. Please, I insist. Take it as a token of how much you mean to me. As a symbol.”
“Xander, it’s too expensive.”
He gestured. “Look around and then say I can’t afford it.”
“I can’t. It’s too much.”
“This necklace is special. It would mean a lot to me if you wore it,” he said. “More than you know.”
I took the necklace hesitantly from his hands. “It… it is beautiful.”
“Here,” he said, moving behind me. “Try it on.”
The metal was cool against my skin and heavy round my neck. It felt… decadent, wearing something like this. I couldn’t take it, could I?
Xander had insisted though…
My hand went to the diamond, clasping it. “Tell you what, I’ll wear it on loan. I can’t accept it—it’s too much—but I can wear it as a symbol of what you mean to me.”
He looked at me, considering, and then nodded. “We can discuss the ‘loan’ part at a later date. But for now your compromise pleases me.” He strode to the exit—a huge vault-like metal door that opened by spinning a wheel. “My lady?”
It cracked open on heavy hinges and Xander backed out, holding the door open with a bow. I stepped outside, fingering the diamond at my chest. Then I smiled, leaning over to kiss him. “I should roll on piles of gold with you more often.”
A cough sounded beyond the vault door. I looked up, and then dropped the diamond with a strangled choke. An older woman was waiting in the hall. An older woman with a regal air, and an honor guard on either side of her.
Her fingers began to tap. “Hello Alexander,” she said, looking past me. “We need to talk.”
CHAPTER FOUR
“What do you mean you brought her with you!?”
I’d been escorted away, but had lost the guards as soon as I could and doubled back. My ear was now pressed against a closed door, though I don’t know why I’d bothered—the Queen was screaming so loudly you could hear her throughout the castle.
I heard something slam against a wall. Her fist, I surmised. “Your little ‘affair’ in America was one thing. But bringing her back here is quite another!”
Xander’s voice was quiet. “I love her mother.”
My heart filled with love for Xander. But his mother’s next words drained it.
“Do you think that love has any place at all in the running of a kingdom?”
Xander’s voice was firm. “Mother, I-”
Unfortunately, his mother’s was firmer. “No, you listen to me. You know why she can’t be here. You know what’s at stake. Would you really risk all that for her?”
“Yes.”
“How noble,” she said mockingly. “What about the lives of your subjects? Would you see them die in the streets?”
I bit my lip. What on earth was Xander’s mother talking about? People dying? How could my arrival here cause something like that?
“When your father died,” she continued in anger, “I held this country together with sweat, tears and negotiation. I will not have my monarchy taken away because of some upstart money grabbing trollop only interested in one thing.”
Xander’s voice rose, a streak of anger running through it. “That’s out of line. Insult her again and this conversation is over.”
“Alexander, she is using you.”
My fists clenched. What a horrible woman.
“She’s not after my money. She didn’t even know I was a prince when we first met.”
What a wonderful man.
“Sure.” I could almost hear her eyes rolling. “Because no girl, in the history of mankind, has ever faked something in the presence of a man before. Sacre Bleu! I thought I raised you with more intelligence than that!”
“You know mother, if you gave her a chance you may find you like her. Did you ever think of that?”
She gave an unladylike snort of contempt.
“You know me,” Xander continued. “Do you really think I would bring a casual fling home when there’s so much at stake? I brought her because I can’t live without her. She’s the most beautiful, intelligent, caring woman I’ve ever met.”
There was a pause. And then a sigh. “You know she can’t stay, son.”
“I’ve been thinking about that. Perhaps we can renegotiate.”
“No. We can’t.”
“But-”
“You think I haven’t wondered the very same thing every day since I made that promise?”
“We’ve got a whole treasury here we do nothing with,” said Xander.
“Seems like you’ve found a use for it,” she snapped. I almost laughed out loud.
Despite what she thought of me, Xander’s mother had a sense of humor. That was one good thing about her, at least.
She cut him off as he began to protest. “No, that’s not what I’m angry about.” I heard her sigh. “Alexander. My love. I understand, truly I do. But Fredrick isn’t interested in money. He has more than enough. There’s only one thing he wants.”
“But we didn’t steal it, mother!”
“I know son. But it did get stolen on our watch. And that means we have to suffer the consequences.”
“Maybe we can find another one.”
“I’ve been pushing our mines hard for 20 years. We’ve never even come close.”
“Then we find another way. I won’t do it.”
“You will,” she snapped, her voice again hard. “For the sake of the kingdom, I expect her gone within the week.”
Footsteps approached the door. Tears blurred my eyes as I ran toward my room.
CHAPTER FIVE
He’d stormed in when it was over, fury in his eyes, though his face had calmed when he saw me.
I’d asked him what was wrong.
“Nothing.”
“That was your mother, wasn’t it?”
“Yes.”
“What did you talk about?”
“Nothing.”
“It wasn’t nothing Xander. I heard you arguing.”
“It was nothing. It’s not going to happen, that’s all you need to know.”
The fury had returned to his eyes when I’d questioned him further. I’d dropped it, and held him in my arms until the tension left.
Despite his promise that nothing had changed, I saw Xander less and less over the next seven days. ‘Matters of State’ was all he said when I asked, though the shouting matches that reverberated through the castle told a different story.
Not that I ever met her. I’d see her in the distance, but when I approached she’d turn, or her guards would step with halberds crossed before her, blocking my path.
Did she hate me? Why?
It was so frustrating! Xander wouldn’t tell me anything, and his mother didn’t want to know me. If I could talk to either of them, maybe I could help. I felt useless, and began to leave my room less and less; unwelcome in my surroundings and wondering more and more why I was here.
Baxter was the only one enjoying himself. He’d roam the halls every morning, returning each afternoon smelling distinctly of stolen bacon. In the afternoons we’d walk to the dog kennels, Baxter a fluffy comet that would barrel to the end of each corridor and then bark impatiently until I caught up.
When we did arrive he’d zip eagerly inside, eating from each dog bowl in turn before runnin
g to play with his new German Shepherd best friend. They’d run in circles for hours on end—one chasing the other, then the roles reversing—or dig holes in patterns across the lawn.
Xander came and sat with me sometimes, when he wasn’t arguing with his mother. It was the only time I ever saw him smile—when Baxter ran to him, dropping something at his feet, or when Baxter and his new best friend pounced upon unsuspecting St. Bernard tails. He’d hold my hand in those times, and we’d pretend to be normal for a while.
But we weren’t. Now there were topics we couldn’t talk about. We didn’t laugh anymore.
We hadn’t slept together since the treasury either. There was love in his eyes, but it was hidden behind a wall of weariness. This battle, whatever it was, was exhausting him—draining his vitality. Sex didn’t feel appropriate during a time like this.
And I couldn’t do anything to help. It was driving me mad! I was a nurse, I healed people for a living. And I loved Xander. But I couldn’t heal him. He was hiding something from me. Something that he said didn’t matter, but obviously did. Something that was killing him slowly.
CHAPTER SIX
After a week locked up in the castle, I needed to get out. Richards drove me to Helvsgard, the village at its base.
It was truly lovely to see Richards again. It had only been a week, but it felt like an eternity. He still wore the same little peaked cap, still had the same kind smile, and still insisted on calling me ma’am, to my great frustration. I was beginning to think he did it just to get a rise.
“And how is the little master?” he asked as we drove to the village, the lake stretching away on our right to forest beyond.
“Baxter? He’s having the time of his life. I’ve left him at the Kennels—he thinks he’s king of the dogs; trots around like he owns the place, digging holes and stealing food.”
“He’s a very… unique little animal, that one.”
I shook my head, looking out the window as the scenery wound past. “I’m not doing so well up there, Rich.”
“The fighting between Sir and his mother?”
I looked toward the front seat sharply. “You know about that?”
His eyes met mine in the mirror. “The entire castle does. It’s hard not to hear it.”
“Do you know what’s going on?” I asked quietly.
Here, Richards paused. “Not entirely,” he said eventually. “But I’ve been present at many of their arguments, so I’ve been able to piece together a little.”
I sat forward, desperate. “Please, you have to tell me.”
“It would cost me my job. It’s the closest thing to a state secret this kingdom has.”
My mouth opened, anxious for an answer, but then it shut. Richards had been so kind to me. No matter what my personal issues were, I didn’t have the right to ruin his life. “Thank you for being honest,” I said. It was hard to keep the disappointment from my eyes. “I won’t ask you to betray your employer.”
His eyebrows quirked in the mirror. “Well you should. Because in this case I think the two of them are both bloody fools.”
My mouth fell open. “Did I just hear you swear?”
“You certainly did—excuse the French.” We pulled into a park in the main street of town, but Richards didn’t exit to open my door. Instead he turned, elbow on the back of his seat, to face me. “Look, all I know is this, and it was many years ago. Two days after the King—Sir’s father—died, Zurenstein declared war. They share our Eastern border, and their military is many, many times larger than ours. Their king, Fredrick the Second, is a small minded, suspicious man hated by most of the neighboring kingdoms.”
“Why did they declare war?” I asked. Xander had said something about this before. I struggled to remember. “Was it because Alonia was weak?”
Richards shook his head. “I worked for His Royal Highness before he died. Alonia was never weak. We couldn’t have withstood a full assault from Zurenstein’s army, but we would have taken too many of them with us for an easy victory. They had superior numbers, but we loved our King and Queen.”
“She doesn’t seem that loveable to me,” I muttered.
“You didn’t know her then. She’s changed, Kate. She’s not the woman she used to be.”
“What happened?”
“The same thing they’re fighting about now. I think she had to make some kind of decision to protect her country. A decision that’s broken her just a little bit more every day since.”
“What was it?” I asked, holding my breath.
He shook his head. “That part, I don’t know. All I can tell you is this. I was a courier for his Majesty three months before he died. There was no one else he entrusted with the task.”
“It was all very clandestine. In the dead of night, I crossed the Alonia-Zurenstein border. I was given a package from their royal treasury, which I delivered to my king, and was sworn to never speak about thereafter.”
He paused here, and frowned. “I guess, technically, I shouldn’t have told you that. But it’s important that you know.”
“What was in the package?” I asked.
He nodded. “That’s the question, isn’t it? I’ve done a lot of thinking since then. You’re aware that our main export is jewelry?”
It was my turn to nod.
“We have such beautiful jewelry because we have such talented craftsmen. And the finest in all the land at that time was Xander’s father.”
“Xander’s father was a jeweler? He never told me.”
“It was his passion.” Richards glanced down to my chest. “That piece around your neck was made by him.”
“This?” I grasped the diamond, holding it up.
He nodded. “I’d recognize his workmanship anywhere. He specialized in gem setting and lapidary—that’s diamond cutting and polishing. Many European world leaders approached him for repairs to their crown jewels. Who better to look after your national treasure than another king?”
I frowned. “Xander mentioned something being stolen.”
“I think that package held the Star of Succession.”
“What’s that? A crown or something?”
“More important than that. It was a gem; a flawless blue diamond the size of a golf ball, priceless beyond compare, Zurenstein’s most treasured artifact. It was the centerpiece of a royal amulet, and I think the late king volunteered to repair it.”
Richards grimaced. “It was important because of a very peculiar aspect of the Zuri constitution. Title isn’t hereditary there. Instead, it’s passed through a family heirloom.”
“The Star of Succession?” I asked.
“Yes. Their constitution is very specific. Whomsoever holds the Star of Succession bears the right to ascend the throne.”
I frowned. “Isn’t that a bit silly?”
Richards shrugged. “More silly than someone controlling a country because they were born into the right family? At least this way, the strongest warrior led his people.”
“So if they thought that Alonia had stolen it…”
“Exactly. It would be a declaration of war.”
“But we didn’t steal it, did we?”
He shook his head. “We didn’t. Or at least, we didn’t intend to.”
“What do you mean?”
“Crowns are used to symbolize Zurenstein royalty. But the Star is what makes them. I was due to take back the same package two days after His Majesty collapsed in the royal gardens. There was just one small problem—after his death, it could never be found.”
* * *
I spent most of my morning pondering Richards’ words. If Zurenstein believed Alonia had this Star-of-whatever it was understandable that they would be upset. Understandable even that they might declare war, if their king was as crazy as he sounded. Whoever held the Star held the right to the throne, and so I guess in his mind stealing it was like an invasion, in a weird sort of way. All Alonia would have to do would be to annex the kingdom and kick the old king out—especi
ally if his subjects hated him.
But what I didn’t understand was where Xander came into the picture. He’d only been a child when this had happened—did the evil king think he’d stolen the diamond after his father died? And if he did, why had Alonia and Zurenstein suddenly come to an agreement?
I returned to the castle in the mid-afternoon. I’d purchased a new dog collar for Baxter, sensible underwear for myself—no point wearing the lacy stuff if it wasn’t being ripped off anymore—and a small gift for Richards, just for being so kind.
“All the staff are on your side, you know,” he said as he held my door open.
I smiled gratefully. “You’re just saying that because I bought you kiss me cufflinks.”
He shook his head. “It’s not just me—we’re all supporting you. You made quite the impression on the cooks when you first visited.”
“Me? I didn’t do anything!”
“You did. You asked their names, and you’ve remembered them every time you’ve visited the kitchen since. Servants talk, and a guest that treats us like real people is a rarity indeed.” He winked at me. “Besides, Baxter is delightful. Did you know they’ve been feeding him bacon?”
* * *
As I walked slowly up the castle’s front steps, I thought back to seven days ago. I’d been so excited then. So excited I’d flown up these steps bouncing up and down like a goofball. Yet now I approached the entrance with dread. Had so much changed in a week?
The castle was unusually quiet. No guards at the front door. No servants and no shouting matches. I frowned. Xander and his mother must be out.
The frown deepened when I rounded the hallway to my room. The door was open.
My steps picked up. I did leave it open sometimes, for Baxter to come and go. But never when I was out of the room myself. I strode through the doorway, bags held high and ready to swing.
Then I stopped. There was a woman in the room. A woman flicking idly through an old romance book one of the staff had loaned me. An older woman in a high necked dress, with a regal air.
