They chatted a few more minutes, and Teagan was relieved when Ellie finally left to answer another call on the other line. It was probably Jaden; Teagan could almost guarantee it.
Teagan finished her ice cream and started up her show. She figured she would probably fall asleep before the end of the first episode.
Teagan realized that she had not yet checked her emails since leaving for work earlier that day. It had been such a hectic Wednesday that she barely had time to even wolf down a quick lunch.
It was then that she saw it. An email from Siri Park. Siri, as he preferred to be called, was a yoga teacher in Ronovia. Ronovia was a small European principality located near France. Every year he ran an extensive yoga retreat where he invited top yoga practitioners to come and study with him for a week. They usually spent most of this time out in the woods away from all civilization just communing with the world around them. It was very exclusive. Teagan had been trying to get in for almost three years now.
She’d submitted a new video every single year detailing her dedication to the art of yoga, her skills, and her knowledge. This was the first time she’d been able to include footage of her own studio and class though. That had to be the thing that had cinched the deal for her. Because she was accepted.
She had to read the email three times to make sure it was not a mistake of some sort. But it was happening. She had been selected out of thousands of entries to be among the handful of yoga practitioners to get to study with Master Siri.
Teagan leaped up off the couch, nearly spilling the empty bowl of ice cream to the floor.
It was a dream come true. She was going to be in the presence of one of her heroes in less than a week. Her mind was completely blown.
CHAPTER 2
Cort
Cort Monreau entered his father’s private chambers. He took a deep breath as he entered. He was nervous, but he was trying to put up an air of confidence and total self-assurance, especially in front of his father’s primary advisors who were seated at the table in the center of the large room.
They all stood up to greet him, bowing their heads in allegiance and respect. Cort smiled and nodded at them but kept his eyes focused on his father who was seated at the forefront of the illustrious table that had been sitting in the King’s chambers for over two hundred years. Even Cort being the Prince of Ronovia was not immune to its impressive history. He could practically hear the voices of great men who had sat at this table dwelling over major decisions that had shaped the course of his nation’s history. It was an impressive legacy and one he hoped he would be able to do justice one day.
And he had a feeling that day was soon.
“Please leave us,” his father King Tristian Monreau said motioning for his advisors to exit the room. They quickly did so shutting the massive doors behind them.
Now it was just the two of them.
“Father,” Cort said.
“Have a seat my son,” Tristian replied.
Cort sat down at the other end of the table and leaned back in the stiff-backed chair. “What do I owe the pleasure?”
“Son, as I’m sure you are aware you are nearing your thirtieth birthday in a matter of a little more than a month,” his father said.
“I am aware of this,” Cort replied.
“Well, I am also approaching my seventieth birthday,” Tristian added. “I am getting too old to continue my duties as King of our nation.”
“Father you are as fit as a fiddle,” Cort said. “I don’t see what your age has to do with anything.”
“Well, the people do. And I do as well. I’m getting older, I’m getting tired, and it’s come time for me to declare an heir to secede me in my duties. I am going to declare the process to begin of selecting a new king.”
Cort held his breath. He tried not to show his nerves or how anxious he now was. It was evident to everyone that this was about to happen, but Cort wasn’t sure his father was ever going to give up the rule. It was purely up to the king to decide if he wanted to pick an heir to secede him or if it would be done strictly by chronological order of the first-born son when the King passed on. Either way, it was going to be him one day. He was pleased beyond words that it was going to happen so soon.
“I am pleased to hear this, father,” Court said.
“Well, you shouldn’t be too pleased yet.”
“I’m afraid I don’t understand,” Cort replied. His father was starting to worry him a bit.
“According to the laws set forth by the council the son of a king cannot assume the crown even if decreed by the king to do so unless that son is in fact married. Single men can’t become King.”
Cort felt as if he’d just been slapped. What was going on here?
“I’ve heard of this rumor father— “
“It isn’t a rumor. It is a royal law set forth by the council over two hundred years ago.”
Cort swallowed hard and took a deep breath. He wanted to scream at the top of his lungs. He’d waited for this since the day he was born, and now it was about to be taken from him because he hadn’t found miss right and refused to marry just anyone. It wasn’t right. He was not going to go down on this without a fight. But these matters had to be handled delicately. He had to show that he had the poise to handle a crisis such as this without resorting to childish antics.
“I’m sorry. I always felt this was something that mother told me to scare me into marriage. You know how your mother has always wanted grandchildren.”
“I’m aware of all of that. But you can’t assume the crown if you are not married. That is all there is to it.”
“So, you expect me to just pick some woman at random and marry her? That really doesn’t sound right to me.”
“You are the prince. Any woman would be happy to marry you. The pick is yours for the taking,” his father said.
“Father that is not what I’m looking for. When I get married, I want it to be to someone I love with all of my heart. Not just to anyone who wants to be a king’s wife.”
“I’m not sure where you get these silly, romantic notions. That certainly wasn’t in my day. Do you think I was madly in love with your mother when I married her? No. I did it because it was expected of me. And you will find a woman and do the same if you want to wear this crown.”
Cort was getting angry. He wanted to tell his father and the council to go right to hell.
“Father this is a silly rule. I’m going to find a way to appeal to the council and get his archaic rule changed. I’ll not lie down and let myself be forced into some kind of a silly arrangement.”
“You have the right to challenge the ruling, but I doubt you will get very far. These rules are in place for a reason, and you aren’t going to change the council’s mind. Dismissed.”
Cort stood up and began walking out. “We will just have to see about that!”
He let the large doors to the chambers slam shut behind him.
The council had no idea who they were dealing with.
CHAPTER 3
Teagan
The hotel was fantastic.
Teagan sat her suitcase down on the floor beside the large canopy bed and flopped herself down into it. She was shocked to see how quickly the bed conformed to her body as she began to sink down into it. The mattress was so comfortable that she debated whether she should even try to get up, even though it was still only about six in the evening Ronovia time.
Ronovia was located just off the south of France. It was a country a lot of people had never actually heard of, but one that Teagan had always wanted to visit. The place had a fascinating history and culture that she was dying to get to know more about. The first night they were being put up in the hotel by the Siri Yoga Intensive. That was what Siri had named his company. In addition to teaching yoga Siri was also involved in yoga products, vitamin water, new age books and teachings, rune reading, his own tarot cards, etc. The man had created quite the business empire.
Teagan wanted nothing more
at that moment than to just fall asleep and wake up in the morning refreshed and ready to go with the group. The plan was that they would spend the night in the hotel and the next morning bright and early they would be taken to the isolated location close to the ocean where they would begin their lessons.
She was so jet lagged that she didn’t know if she could stay awake for several more hours or not. But she knew that if she fell asleep right then, she was going to regret it because she would be wide awake at two in the morning. They were not scheduled to leave until six, and she had no idea how far they would have to travel. The odds were that there was going to be a lot of hiking involved.
She was ok with that, though. But she had to make sure she was properly rested.
Teagan forced herself to get up out of the comfortable bed and to grab some fresh clothes out of her suitcase. She knew that there were some excellent local clubs and bars nearby. Maybe she would go out and have a few drinks, mingle a bit, or at least just get out of the room where she would surely be dead asleep in twenty minutes.
She wondered if she might run into someone else from the tour when she was out and about. So far, she had yet to meet anyone having come straight from the airport to the hotel by taxi. She was pleased to see that that her name was left at the front desk and her room was properly reserved, all expenses paid. The culture shock just watching the world outside of her window as she was being driven to the hotel was something she would never forget. It was like landing in a whole other world.
The cab driver spoke perfect English, and he’d kept her fairly well entertained during the trip. She appreciated it even if she didn’t really want to talk that much. At least he was helpful and nice to chat with. She hoped that the rest of the people in the country were that friendly. It was kind of scary when you were new in another country and knew absolutely no one.
Suddenly she was beginning to think that going out by herself to a club seemed like something of a bad idea. But she quickly dismissed the thought from her mind and reminded herself that she was, in fact, a big girl. The hotel seemed to be located in a nice area, and most of the clubs and bars around the area tended to be more upscale based on the types of cars pulling up to the front to drop people off or pick people up. At least that was what she’d just observed from the taxi.
It was possible she was completely wrong. But she was feeling a bit frisky and adventurous. This was actually the first time she’d ever been outside of the country and to be selected to attend this amazing retreat with someone she respected and admired so much was more than a dream come true.
When she told Ellie about it, the girl basically told her she was full of it. She had to actually forward the email to her before Ellie believed it. Then Ellie let out one of her legendary screams right into Teagan’s ear. After the deafness went away, Teagan managed to ask Ellie if she would cover for her at the yoga studio for the week she was gone. She agreed to give Ellie all of the profits that week of course, but she couldn’t just close up for a week and risk her students finding another teacher that they liked more. Her business was still a bit of a fledgling operation, and she had worked too hard to take that sort of a hit.
But even if Ellie had said she couldn’t Teagan would have come here. Nothing in the world was going to derail her from doing this.
She left the hotel and walked down the street towards the Canal, an upscale bar that looked like it might have been fun. She was feeling a bit less tired by now, and she hoped that some energizing fun might just be the thing she needed to carry her over the hump.
When she walked into the bar, she was happy to see the place looked even better than it did outside. The thoughts of how much the drinks and food here might actually cost were forcibly pushed to the back of her mind. This was something she’d saved up for, and she was not going to worry about the money. She’d been saving for this trip ever since she’d decided to apply, confident that she would one day be selected. But even so, the fact that it was actually happening and she was really there was mind blowing.
She found an empty seat at the bar and ordered a beer. She figured it was best to start off light. It was also tempting to maybe order some food later, but right now she wasn’t too hungry. A waiter walked out of the kitchen just then with a plate of the most delicious smelling food she’d ever been around. Her mouth began to water, and her stomach started to pang. Maybe she would grab some food soon. After all, she was going to be doing intense yoga all week to burn off those calories.
Looking around she saw the place was filled with people from all walks of life. There were groups of a younger crowd, there were older people, couples, singles, groups of guys, groups of girls—all of them seemed to be having a blast. She wished that she had some friends or someone there to actually talk with, but she didn’t think she would be alone long. She was a girl sitting in a bar drinking by herself. It was only a matter of time before some guy came over to talk to her.
Hopefully, it would be someone interesting…
CHAPTER 4
Cort
“Ugh, why did I let you drag me out tonight?” Cort asked. He took a big gulp of his beer and tried to hide in the shadows of the corner.
Cort and his two best friends Markus and Brody were hanging out at the Riverside, a famous club that they frequented whenever they wanted to blow off a little steam. Cort thought that was the thing he needed after that tense meeting with his father, but now that he was out he was more desperate than ever to just be left alone to brood for a bit. He had a major decision to make and one that did not really need the help of booze, fun with the guys, and random ladies always throwing themselves at him.
“Because this is what we do,” Markus said. “I mean if we weren’t here you would just be somewhere feeling sorry for yourself. We figured a change of scenery would do you good.”
“Well, maybe being alone is what I really want at the moment,” Cort said. “I appreciate the thought guys, but I think I’m going to bail.”
“Oh, you aren’t leaving so soon are you? I was just hoping to catch a few minutes of your time.”
Cort turned to see a beautiful girl with long black hair, a sweet face, wearing a sleek black dress that perfectly accentuated every curve of her nubile body. He was interested in a purely physical level of course, but he really did not want to be bothered by this. It was obvious the moment that she stepped to him that she knew who Cort was. Over time he’d developed a sixth sense about the intentions of women. And many times, he’d used those intentions to get laid and had even had a few great relationships, but in the end, it just never worked out. He always felt that being the prince was the biggest thing with these women. All of them had delusions of grandeur of being a King’s wife one day. It was both a blessing and a curse.
“I was actually,” Cort replied. “I’m sorry, but I don’t think I’d be much fun at the moment.”
“Oh, I’m sorry to hear that,” the woman said. “I’m Vanessa by the way.”
“Vanessa,” Markus said stepping in. “Our buddy is feeling a bit shy this evening. He needs some alone time right now, but we will be glad to come to your table later for a few drinks if you are still around.”
Vanessa seemed disappointed, but she tried to hide it with her flirty demeanor.
“Ok, I’ll hold you to that,” she said walking away slowly.
“What the hell? Dude, turning that down? You are in some sort of funk,” Markus said busting Cort’s chops.
“I told you. This thing with seceding my father as king… it’s got me all turned around. I think I’m just going to go home.”
“Nah man. Don’t do that. You will regret it. We just need to get a few drinks up in you,” Brody said. He immediately went to the bar.
“I have a drink already!” Cort called after him holding up his beer, but Brody was already talking to the sexy bartender.
“He is right,” Markus said. “Just know we do this all out of love, man. We hate seeing you moping around. It’s not you.”
“Well, what would you do in my shoes? You think I should just cheer up and marry some random woman to appease a silly rule created by some idiot bureaucrats two hundred years ago?” Cort asked.
“It could be worse,” Markus said. “You keep forgetting that you have all the power here. You could go out and find the best, coolest, most beautiful girl around here and she would marry you. I realize time is of the essence, but I think if you put together a team of recruits it can be done.”
Cort laughed. “Listen to what you are saying. It sounds like we are putting together a sports team or something. This is marriage. Call me old fashioned, but I really want to fall in love someday. I really want to make something great work here with the right woman. I don’t want to be railroaded into something I’m going to regret or be stuck with for the rest of my life. You know the rule. Once a woman is pronounced queen, there is no divorce from that. The King is basically stuck with her until one of them dies. And don’t say it!” Cort laughed.
“I was not about to suggest the queen have some unfortunate accident at some point down the road,” Markus joked.
“You are terrible, man!” Cort laughed. His friends were too much sometimes.
Brody returned with a couple of long island iced teas, Cort’s favorite drink. He begrudgingly accepted it.
“So, what did I miss?” Brody asked.
“Go ahead Markus,” Cort responded. “Tell him your plan.”
Markus rolled his eyes.
He was about half finished with his drink when he felt something rubbing his shoulder. Turning his head slightly he was not at all surprised to see a sexy blonde girl who looked as if she might have been slightly underage but had charmed the bouncers, or at least had a fake ID to gain admittance to the club. But the way she carried herself suggested she was much older than she appeared. She was looking at him with that mixture of recognition and hope, which Cort had termed the “Stalker Eyes.”
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