by Kat Mizera
The offer from the Sorbonne wasn’t actually something I wanted. I didn’t love academia and would probably be bored to tears, but anything was better than what I’d been dealing with here every day. The idea of being in Parliament had been exciting, but the reality was a lot of paperwork and red tape. Mostly, I came up with good ideas and the other members shot them down without even listening to my proposals. It was condescending bullshit, and I didn’t have the patience for it. Academia wouldn’t be much better, but at least I’d be respected for my knowledge and experience.
I walked into the small private office I used when I needed to meet with people, and a pretty blonde stood up to greet me. She looked about my age and had a firm handshake.
“Hi. I’m Shannon Barrow. It’s really nice to meet you.”
“Likewise.” I couldn’t help but smile back. “I hope you’ve been enjoying your stay here.”
“It’s been wonderful. Ace has been showing me around and we’ve had some fun outings with Erik and Casey.”
“I’m glad you’re enjoying Limaj. Now that the country is open to tourism again, there’s so much to see and do, though I prefer it in the summer.”
“I’m looking forward to seeing the sea when we come back this summer.”
“Are you definitely coming back?”
“Well, we’ll come for the wedding, regardless of whether or not I have a job here.”
“And if the job doesn’t work out? What plans do the two of you have?”
Shannon blushed. “We’re getting married and then working on having babies. So we’re going to settle down somewhere. I think Ace would like it to be here, but it’s harder for me. I’d be starting over, with no friends or family, and hopefully with a new baby; I don’t know how I feel about being in a new country.”
Elen nodded. “That makes sense. I was born and raised here and after being gone for so many years, it’s a little strange to me as well.”
“It really boils down to what Ace decides,” she said softly. “He’ll be bored just sitting around all day, but at the same time, if we’re going to spend the next few years starting a family, I don’t want to do that alone. I think he’d like to join the Royal Protectors, but nothing will be decided until we know all the details of both of our potential jobs.”
“Well, let’s get to it then.” I pulled a pad out of my bag and set it on the desk. “When we talked via email, I gave you an overview of our plans, but here’s what’s been finalized so far. The school will be called the International School of Hiskale, since it will be located here in the capital city. I’ve already received two dozen applications from teachers all over the world who’d like to work for us, and you would be the one to interview and hire them all.”
“So my job would be what, exactly?”
“Headmistress or principal. The choice of title would be yours.”
“Wow. That’s quite an honor. To be fair, I’ve only been a teacher for six years, and have a master’s degree in education, not administration.”
“What we’re starting here is different than if you were going to an already-established school to take the position. You have life experience, as well as an excellent background and education. You’re going to build this school from the ground up, so an administrative background isn’t necessary because we can make it whatever we want within the confines of an international baccalaureate program.”
“I just want to make sure we’re on the same page with everything.”
I smiled. “We are. Do you have questions for me?”
“Will I be able to choose my own team? I’m going to need help. An international baccalaureate program is going to be more complicated than just hiring a few teachers.”
“Absolutely. Anything you need. And if you need to do interviews remotely, while you’re finishing your job for the current school year, you can do that as well.”
“It sounds like you’ve already made up your mind about hiring me.”
“This school has been Erik’s priority since day one, so yes, if you want the job, it’s yours.”
“Are you going to be helping me?” Shannon obviously had no idea what a loaded question that was, and I momentarily paused, unsure how to answer.
“I will, but as Minister of Education, my duties have me going in a lot of different directions. I’ll do my best, though, especially as you’re getting comfortable with everything. I thought we could do a little brainstorming this morning, and then after lunch we’d head up to the school so you can take a look around and let me know if you want anything specific with regard to classrooms and such.”
“Sounds overwhelming, but wonderful.” Shannon smiled. “I’m excited. I still need to talk to Ace, but I know he wants to live here even though he hasn’t said it in so many words.”
“I’m excited to have you on board.” I couldn’t even express how relieved I was she wanted the job. I’d had a feeling she would, since I already knew Ace wanted to be one of the Royal Protectors, but it was good to have verbal verification. It was one less thing I had to worry about.
We got a lot accomplished over the next couple of hours, and by the time we finished lunch, I was ready to get out to the school. It had been days since I’d left the castle at all, much less breathed any fresh air, and I was looking forward to it despite how tired I was.
“Are you all right?” Shannon asked me as we got ready to go. “Pneumonia takes a while to recuperate from—are you sure you want to do this today? I can wait.”
“You’re going back to Germany in two days, so I don’t have a choice.” I smiled at her thoughtfulness. “But as soon as we’re finished, I’ll probably be in bed and out for the night.”
“I understand.”
Xander met us at one of the private exits that led to one of the many garages, and we got into one of the SUVs. Ace was apparently joining us, so he sat in the back with Shannon while I sat up front with Xander.
“You look tired, Princess,” he said as he pulled out of the garage.
“I’m fine,” I murmured. It wasn’t true, because I was dragging, but I wasn’t going to admit that to the person who drove me crazy on a regular basis. I didn’t know what it was about him, but it was like he pushed all my buttons, all the time. From the moment we’d met, he’d rubbed me the wrong way and I didn’t understand it. I’d never had such a negative reaction to a man before, so my goal had been to avoid him at all costs, but my brother and cousin seemed to find it amusing that we continued to butt heads like we did. I’d asked Sandor to assign Ace to me, but then Ace had left and Casey had requested Lennox, so there wasn’t anyone else to be my bodyguard.
We drove in silence to the school, which was just ten minutes from the castle. It was a beautiful new building on twenty acres, although it was still inside the Hiskale city limits. There was room for expansion and new buildings, though we weren’t ready for that yet. My goal was to get grades six through twelve up and running, and add the lower grades within two years. It was a lot to think about, so I tended to break it down into smaller pieces, but there was no escaping the monumental task before us when we drove up to the front.
“Oh, it’s beautiful,” Shannon said, getting out of the car. Ace slid an arm around her and the four of us walked inside. The construction crews were here during the day and they were making loads of progress, which was one of the reasons I needed Shannon to see it. I’d attended many years of school, of course, but I wanted her input as an educator, in the setup of the classrooms, the library, and other important aspects of a school.
“Will there be accommodations for kids with handicaps?” Xander asked as we strolled through the dusty hallways.
I glanced at him in surprise. “We haven’t thought about that yet, though of course everything will be wheelchair accessible. Why?”
He shrugged. “Just curious.”
I wanted to press him a little more but opted not to since it would make me sound insensitive. Xander was always a surprise. He was so damn good-l
ooking, I often wondered how he’d become a Marine and a bodyguard. He was seriously cover model handsome, with light brown hair and gorgeous, long-lashed hazel eyes. His cheekbones probably made women around the world jealous, and his lips looked like they were painted on, they were so perfect.
I was in mixed company, so there was no way I’d let my thoughts wander to that smokin’ hot body of his. I’d seen him around the palace playing soccer with some of the other guys and he was absolutely breathtaking without a shirt. Guys with good bodies were common at different gyms I’d been to over the years, but Xander, well, he made the rest of the male race look bad.
I shook off my lusty thoughts and focused on Shannon as we came to what would be the administrative offices.
“This is the front office,” I told her. “A reception desk, of sorts. Once we go through the glass doors that haven’t been installed yet, we’ll get to your office and those of the rest of the administrative staff.”
“What about security?” Ace asked. “Will there be a security office? With both the royal children and hopefully the children of many more of Europe’s elite in attendance, that has to be a concern.”
“Absolutely.” I nodded.
We walked around for the next hour, but I was beginning to drag. When I started coughing, Xander handed me a bottle of water and said, “Why don’t you sit down for a few? Erik told me not to let you get overtired.”
I scowled up at him. “I’m fine. But thank you for the water.”
Why was my knee-jerk reaction to him always to be a bitch? I couldn’t figure it out, and it was one of many reasons I’d begun to suspect I needed a break.
Shannon sank down beside me. We’d stopped at a bench out back, where there was a courtyard that would allow students to get some fresh air between classes.
“It looks amazing,” she told me. “I’m really excited to come on board.”
“I’m glad.” I glanced over at Ace. “When are you guys getting married?”
“I don’t know.” She shook her head. “We knew each other years ago but didn’t see each other for more than a decade. We unexpectedly ran into each other back in December and everything happened really fast, so we’re trying to get settled first. We’re torn between wanting a quickie elopement in Vegas or having a full-on wedding. I’ve been married before and I don’t want all the pomp and circumstance, but I think he does, even though he won’t admit it. I do know he doesn’t want to upstage Sandor and Lennox.”
“You should do what you want to do and not worry about them, or anyone else. Maybe compromise with a destination wedding on a beach or in a mountain cabin, whatever strikes your fancy, with a handful of close friends and immediate family. That way, it’s not a big ordeal but it’s not just eloping either.”
“That’s a good idea. We’ll talk about all that when we get back to Germany. I love my kids and didn’t want to abandon them midyear, especially my seniors, but I’m getting antsy, ready to move on to this new adventure in my life.”
“That’s how I’m feeling too,” I murmured. “I just don’t know what that new adventure will be.”
“Make sure you’re doing whatever you’re doing for the right reasons,” Shannon said softly.
“I don’t know what those are yet,” I admitted, “but I’m working on it.”
5
Xander
With Elen still taking it easy, my schedule lightened up considerably, so I spent extra time working out and taking a little time for myself. Not that there was much to do when I only had a couple of hours here and there, but it was nice to catch up on some reading, and Sandor, Lennox and I went snowmobiling one afternoon since there was still snow on the ground. Today there was another drill, though, the first in nearly three weeks, and I ached to give Elen a heads-up. It wasn’t that I couldn’t handle her; it was simply that, while the constant bickering could be fun, it made my job so much harder when it mattered.
We did them for a reason. Multiple attacks on Erik, Parliament House and the royal family meant we had to be prepared for anything. Kidnapping, bombs, fire…and Elen seemed to minimize the seriousness of it all. I understood her frustration, I really did, but I had a job to do and her surliness made it harder. In a true emergency, if we had another attack, I needed her to know the plan like the back of her hand and not waste precious seconds arguing. My gut told me if we were under attack, she wouldn’t hesitate to do the right thing, but it still grated on my nerves.
As it got later in the afternoon, I glanced at my watch and got out my laptop. It was time for my weekly Skype chat with my kid brother. He was seventeen now, and full of piss and vinegar, so my mom had asked me to spend some time with him, even if it was virtually. He was a great kid, and simply going through normal teenage hormones, despite his disability, but since the death of our father, Mom struggled to raise him on her own.
“Hey, bud.” I spoke to him verbally while also signing in American Sign Language, since Parker had been born deaf.
“Hey.”
Parker would only speak in sign language unless we were alone. On video or in groups, he was too self-conscious about his voice. I hated that for him but understood and didn’t push him much.
“What’s going on? Mom said you’ve been grumpy lately.”
He shrugged.
“Come on, don’t do that with me. You know anything you tell me is between us. What’s going on? I saw you have a D in AP Calculus. How come?”
“It’s hard. Duh.”
“Well, yeah, but are you doing homework? Studying? Going in early for tutoring sessions?”
“No. I shouldn’t have taken AP. It’s killing me.”
“But you did, so you need to suck it up, buddy.”
“Whatever.”
“Okay, enough with the one-word answers. What’s going on?”
He squirmed, not making eye contact through the monitor.
“Is it a girl?”
His eyes shot to mine and I knew I was right. “Uh, huh, so what is it? Does she not like you back, or are you too scared to ask her out?”
“How will we talk if she doesn’t sign?”
“You’re absolutely able to talk. You read lips, and you can type on your phone. Is she not interested, or are you making up excuses without even trying?”
“I think she’s interested, but I can’t really talk to her, so it’s hard to tell. We had to work on a project together so we exchanged numbers and we text all the time. I just don’t know how to take it to the next level.”
“Ask her out. Don’t even address the communication stuff. Once you’re out, explain to her about everything and see how she reacts to lip-reading and whatever.”
“She already knows because we worked on that project together.”
“Nothing ventured, nothing gained, Parker. And come on, you haven’t let your being deaf impact anything else in your life. Why are you letting it stop you here?”
“Because I really like her.”
“What’s her name?”
“Kelly.”
“Well, you need to ask Kelly out. You have money to take her out to dinner or whatever?”
“I’m good. But thank you.”
“And, dude, I’m not even kidding—condoms. I don’t care if you’re sexually active or not. That can change at any time. Are you able to buy them or do I need to get someone to mail you some?”
“No! Jesus, no, don’t do that. I can buy them. I’m good. Geez.”
Xander laughed. “I’m looking out for you, kid.”
“Am I still coming to Limaj this summer?”
“If you want to.”
“I do, but I think Mom is nervous about me flying alone.”
“Don’t worry, I’ll talk to her.”
“I’ve got calculus homework, so I have to go. Call me soon?”
“Call me after your date!”
Parker gave me a thumbs-up and then disconnected.
I shook my head fondly. My mother would probably have a heart atta
ck at the idea of her baby buying condoms, but I figured that was something that needed to come up sooner rather than later. Parker was an exceptionally good-looking kid who’d been an extra in a couple of movies so far and was contemplating an acting and modeling career. He had to work on his speaking voice—it was definitely awkward—but he would do well as a model. I wished he wasn’t so self-conscious, though, and I had a feeling a girlfriend would help.
“Hey.” I looked up in surprise as Sandor came in, sinking into the chair next to mine.
“What’s up?” I asked him.
“How does Elen seem to you?” he asked quietly. “I’m worried about her.”
“I don’t think she’s back to her normal self yet. She’s been going to bed a lot earlier and staying in the castle instead of running around all the time. She doesn’t talk to me that much, though, so it’s hard to say if she’s upset or not feeling well or what.”
“How come?” Sandor asked.
“How come what? She doesn’t talk to me?” I shrugged. “We got off on the wrong foot when we first met in Monte Carlo, when I tried to keep her out of Casey’s room before I knew who she was, and she’s been pissed ever since.”
“I’m guessing throwing her over your shoulder every chance you get doesn’t help.” His eyes twinkled with amusement.
“Well, if you want me to let her off the hook during drills, just say so, but she never cooperates, so I do my job.”
Sandor sighed. “I feel like we’re beating our heads against the wall with her and drills. I know she understands how important they are, but for whatever reason, she keeps pushing back. My gut tells me she’s unhappy, but she won’t talk to anyone about the real reasons. I think it’s more than how hard we’re working. Do you have any idea?”
