I take a deep breath. “I…I don’t want Daniel to become King of Eldonia.”
“WHAT?” Xander screeches. Alice glares at the screen and reaches over to turn his volume down.
I play with a fold in my dress, unable to look at Alice or Xander’s gaping face on screen. “I got so caught up in everything, because I know the only way my parents will let me go to acting school is if I prove to them I can make a career out of it. And I know the only way Daniel will ever like me is as his fake girlfriend.” Finally, I meet their gazes. “But now I see the truth. Even if Daniel becomes King, it’s still all temporary.” My voice shakes. “I’m going to lose him, either way.”
Alice grabs my hand and gives it a reassuring squeeze. “But Madison, that’s not true. For once, I think you’re wrong.”
“What do you mean?”
I’ve never seen her face so soft. “You try so hard at everything you do. But you know…you could just ask for what you want.”
“Yeah,” Xander says. “Just tell your parents you’re going to Juilliard, and they can accept it or not.”
“But—”
“And,” Xander says, his crackly voice cutting me off, “just tell Daniel.”
My mouth is dry as a desert. “Tell Daniel what?”
“Everything,” Xander says. “About how you feel about him. About the audition. He’s going to be King, whether you tell him or not. What have you got to lose?”
“Only my best friend,” I say.
“No matter how hard you try, you can’t please everyone,” Alice says. “What’s the point of doing all this if you’re not happy? You’re already miserable, so there’s no point in not asking for what you really want.”
I can feel my pulse. “T-tell Daniel the truth? At worse, he’ll never forgive me. At best, he’ll reject me, and I’ll never be able to look him in the eye ever again.”
Xander snorts. “Don’t be dramatic—”
I can see Daniel’s face in my mind, the revolted expression when I tried to kiss him for a second time. “I-I can’t. There’s no way. I just have to stick with the plan.”
“What plan?” Alice cries. “If you don’t tell Daniel now, you’ll lose your chance forever.”
I can’t look at either of them. “You’re right. Daniel’s about to become a king. And I won’t have him worrying about me.” They both start to grumble but I interrupt them. “I made a promise to both Eva and Daniel that I would help get him ready to take the throne. That’s why I’m here.”
“No, it’s not,” Xander says. “You’re there because you love him.”
My body stiffens at the words.
It’s true. I do love Daniel Sacachelli.
And that’s why I have to choose his friendship over losing him forever.
Alice stands beside me. “Love isn’t nearly as scary as you think it is.”
“I’m not afraid of being in love with Daniel Sacachelli,” I say. No, I have lived with this yearning for so long, it’s like an old friend.
I turn to the mirror and stare at myself. I think of Eva, and the mask she wears around the palace, and I realize I wear a mask too. The trainer. The actress. The best friend.
And I realize, I am terrified to stand in front of the Prince of Eldonia and ask him if I’m enough. Because I already know the answer.
Chapter Fifteen
Daniel
Tremblay rolls his shoulders and tries to straighten his arms. “Who would have thought being among royalty would be so…constricting?”
We stand in the corner of the giant ballroom, filled with bustling staff, meandering dignitaries, and even a string quartet playing airy music.
This is my nightmare.
“Hey,” I snarl, “at least you’re not dressed up like a Prince Ken Doll.”
He raises a brow. “How do you even know what a Prince Ken Doll looks like?”
“Eva played with dolls a lot as a kid,” I murmur, purposely leaving out that most of the time I was playing with her.
As the Prince’s official companion, Captain Tremblay is dressed to the nines in a sleek tuxedo. It’s even fancier than the suits his older brother Kevin wears for NHL press conferences. I have to admit, Tremblay cleans up nicely. He looks sleek, polished.
But I don’t even want to look at myself.
I wasn’t exaggerating to Tremblay. I look ridiculous. I’m wearing a cream shirt with a swirly pattern on it that makes it look like a silk napkin. There’s a fluffy white cravat-looking thing fastened around my neck with a diamond probably worth more than the Chicago Falcons themselves. My jacket is royal blue but lined with intricate white embroidery.
I mimic Tremblay and roll my shoulders. I guess we should come out of the corner and socialize a little. The ballroom has been transformed with table runners, candles, flowers, and lanterns, all in the Eldonian colors of royal blue and white. In fact, if I squint, I can pretend they’re the Falcons’ colors, and maybe this party is just to celebrate us winning the league championship.
Some lord taps me on the shoulder and I muddle my way through a twenty-minute conversation on funding for Eldonian farmers. He leaves, and I know hockey will never be the centre of my world ever again. It’ll be this—night after night, event after event—jumbling my way through conversations until they turn me into exactly what they need me to be.
But who I need to be just happens to be the last person I want to be.
I can’t start thinking this way. Not tonight. Tonight is the night I accept my fate. I was born to be a king.
My stomach turns and I swallow deeply, worried that I’m going to be sick. I scan the ballroom searching for wherever Tremblay slipped off to. It’s way busier in here than when we had the cocktail party, or is it just that the ladies’ giant ball gowns are taking up half the room? Lyle and his cronies are here, but mercifully he hasn’t come over to talk to me. Maybe he didn’t think I’d make it this far, but more likely, he’s hoping he’ll get to see me fail tonight. Occasionally, I’m comforted by seeing one of my teammates among the crowd, laughing and smiling with each other. Eva issued them all invitations to the ball. At least this will give them an interesting story to tell next season.
And Ma seems to be enjoying herself, way more than I thought she would. The Queen Dowager lent her a dress out of her private collection, which apparently is a huge deal. I’ve hardly even had a moment to talk to Ma—she and Coach Zabinski haven’t left the dance floor all night. Normally I would be pretty stressed out, seeing Coach Z twirling my mom around, but with all this prince stuff, I’ll have to worry about that later.
Finally, I spot Tremblay over by the refreshment table. No surprise. I wade through the sea of ballgowns and tuxes to get to him.
He gives me a sympathetic smile. “How you doing?”
“I’m alright.” Geez, by the way he’s looking at me, you’d think this was my funeral instead of a party. But I guess to someone like Tremblay, it is more like a funeral. Not being able to play hockey ever again…at least not in the same way. But I know there’s one thing my captain loves more than hockey, and that’s his family. If he was in my place, he wouldn’t hesitate to sacrifice hockey for his brother or even Bell, if it came down to it.
He’s just a lucky bastard who has an NHL-playing brother instead of a princess sister.
I peer through the sea of dresses again. I know Madison and Bell are getting ready, but the party’s been going on for a while, and soon I’ll have to give my speech. And I don’t think I’ll be able to do it without Madison in the audience to ground me.
Tremblay’s hand drops from my arm, and nimble, quick, agile Captain Tremblay literally stumbles forward. I follow his gaze. Bell stands at the top of the staircase—at least I think it’s Bell. Her short dark hair is pulled back with a sparkling headband and she wears a long silver dress that resembles melted starlight.
She descends the staircase, the train of her gown trailing behind her like a shadow of moonlight. Each step is graceful, and I’m remin
ded of that figure skating side of her. She gives me a little smirk as she walks toward Tremblay.
“You look…I mean…” Tremblay runs a hand through his hair, completely ruining the style. “Wow.”
“Not so bad yourself, Captain,” Bell says, then looks to me. “You too, Sacs. That’s a nice color on you.”
“Yeah, yeah,” I mutter. “Where’s Madison?”
Bell nods back toward the staircase. All the air leaves me.
Madison stands at the top of the stairs, her bright eyes overlooking the crowd…which is pointedly looking at her. Because she’s impossible to ignore. She’s a vibrant light and we’re all hopeless fireflies. A flashing siren down a quiet street. A moon among stars.
She’s sparkling from head-to-toe in a champagne dress. The bust is encrusted in jewels, which trail down to her waist and then scatter like stars on a huge ruffled skirt, which nearly takes up the width of the stairs.
Before I even realize it, I’m moving toward her. I wait at the bottom of the stairs, counting my quickening heartbeats.
Wow.
Then I bow right at the waist, my hand drawn at my stomach. I’m sure Eva would tell me I’m doing it all wrong, but when I hold out my hand for Madison, the blush across her cheeks tells me it’s good enough for her.
My voice is only a whisper. “You are a vision.”
“Thank you,” she says, almost shyly.
I give her my elbow and we turn around to the ballroom. Everyone is staring at us. The lights have dimmed, but there’s one illuminated area—the dance floor.
Standing just in the light, I see Eva. She gestures vigorously with her chin to the dance floor.
The dance floor has cleared. They’re all waiting for us. Me and Madison.
No one else makes a move. It’s just going to be the two of us. Me and Madison.
“Chin up, Sacachelli,” Madison whispers to me. “Just pretend we’re on the ice.”
I follow her lead, and we walk onto the dance floor. Somehow, my hands find their way to the proper position, one on her waist, the other holding her hand. I cast a glance around us. Every set of eyes is waiting, judging.
“Hey,” Madison says, “don’t look at them. Look at me.”
She’s glimmering in all this light. Like a beacon.
I remember the first time I played in a big arena when I was a kid. I was so nervous—my whole body shook for the entire national anthem. But Ma had told me no matter what, I wasn’t to look into the crowd. I had to focus on the puck. On my team.
Focus on what matters.
I gaze at Madison. “Shall we dance?”
The music starts as soon as we fall into step. For the first few moments, I count every beat, but then muscle memory takes over. Instead of focusing on how awkward I must look, I take in the lights dazzling off the chandelier, how Madison’s dress flutters as we move, her thousand-watt smile. If only she could see herself now, more radiant than anyone in all those movies she loves so much.
The song ends and slowly, other couples meander onto the dance floor. A slower song starts and I pull her as close to me as her dress will allow. Time slips away as one song blends into another. If I get to hold her this close every time, maybe I’ll be able to endure these balls after all.
The music fades away and everyone starts leaving the dance floor. Madison drifts away, but I pull her back toward me. It’s instinctual.
Because I know she won’t be here with me. After this summer, I’ll be alone. And I want to savor every minute with her.
Her palm presses against my chest. “See, that wasn’t so bad. You’ve got some moves.”
I give her a cocky grin. “They don’t call me the ‘Eldonian Elvis’ for nothing.”
Suddenly, the lights blast to full attention and an amplified voice echoes across the ballroom.
“Welcome! Welcome!” Eva says. She stands beside the string quartet, holding a microphone. “I hope you are all having a lovely time. On behalf of myself and my family, we’d like to thank you all for coming to celebrate this special night.”
And just like that, Eva has captivated the attention of the entire ballroom. She’s dressed simply in an elegant navy dress and a long crystal necklace. I wish I could pinpoint what it is about her that makes her so darn charismatic and elegant and…royal. I guess, if I could figure that out, I wouldn’t have so much trouble myself.
The Queen Dowager stands off to the side of the quartet, clutching a crystal champagne glass so hard it might crack. She might have liked the community bash, but it’ll take a flawless speech from me tonight to seal the deal with her.
“As you know,” Eva continues, “tomorrow is the anniversary of King Harwell’s death. He was my father, and I loved him very much. But he was also the father to another—my brother, Daniel.”
A murmur hisses through the crowd and I can feel all their eyes searching for me. Eva ignores them. “The Prince has a special message for you tonight.” And then Eva gestures for me to join her on stage.
She might as well have asked me to jump off a bridge.
I take a shaky step toward my sister but feel a squeeze on my hand. I turn to Madison’s warm smile. “Good luck,” she whispers.
I squeeze her hand back and then walk to the microphone. As soon as I’m there, Eva drifts off to the side to stand with the stone-faced Queen. I’m left alone.
And now it’s impossible not to look at everyone. And I can’t see the faces of those kind people in Eldonia, or the kids playing hockey at the community bash, my own teammates, or even Ma. All I see is everyone looking up at me with Lyle Worthington’s face.
“Hello,” I mutter. I know I’m not loud enough and one old man puts a hand to his ear. “Uh, HELLO. I’m…I’m Daniel Saca—Harwell. Daniel Harwell. Well, I soon will be. That is, my father was a Harwell…the King.” My voice trails off in a pitch I haven’t heard since before puberty. I panic and turn to Eva. I’ve fucked this up already.
Eva just gestures with her hand and mouths, “KEEP GOING.”
Eva and I practiced this speech a thousand times. I can say it once to these people.
“I come before you today to make a promise,” I say. Wait, was the first line promise or pledge? It doesn’t matter—I’ve got to keep going. “A p-promise and a pledge. Both, really. To sincerely serve you — this country. That is Eldonia.”
The breath catches in my throat. This is impossible. Just breathe. That’s what Coach tells us. Just breathe. But when I open my eyes, I see all their faces gaping at me. I know what they’re thinking: Bastard prince. Imposter. What’s he doing up there?
But I have to keep going.
“So. Birthright. Which is me. Mine. I-I have a task. Which is…” I turn to my sister.
“To accept the throne. Just say: I ACCEPT THE THRONE,” she growls.
I swallow. Four little words. I can say that. I can get through this. Who cares if it’s embarrassing? I just have to say those four words.
“To…it’s to accept t-t-the—”
I can’t say it. I can’t make my mouth form those words and seal my fate. I can’t pretend that I can be a king, that these people want me as their ruler. My heart hammers and I spy the door. I should bolt—
Then I see her in the crowd. Madison.
Our eyes meet, and she holds me still. She smiles, nodding encouragingly. But I see so much more than that. She’s always been there to cheer me on, even now, after everything I’ve done. I should do this for her, to make her proud—
But then something flashes in my mind—what life would be like if I didn’t have to be a king. If I could just deserve her the way I am. I could take her to the best places to eat in Chicago, go on real dates, introduce her to Ma as my girlfriend.
Then some duke steps in front of her, and in a flash, it’s gone. My whole life. My whole future. Swallowed up by this.
My body betrays me, and I’m overwhelmed with nausea. “I—I—can’t!”
I shut my eyes and feel like I’m underwat
er. The other side of the world is far away. I can hear the confused voices of the crowd, Eva hissing something. It doesn’t matter.
But…something has to matter here, doesn’t it? Something has to root me to this place, to compel me to say these words. I picture Eldonia, the tomato fields, the cobblestone streets, the kind people, the kids playing hockey. Make it matter.
Suddenly, Eva’s hand is on my arm.
I open my eyes. Eva steps forward, reaching out to take the microphone from me.
“The truth is—” I bring the microphone to my face. The audience falls silent. Eva freezes. I clear my throat. “The truth is…I don’t feel like a prince. I’m just a kid from Chicago who loves to play hockey…and cook spaghetti.” There’s a couple happy murmurs through the crowd about the mention of spaghetti and it gives me the courage to carry on.
“But there’s this other part of me that I’m just beginning to understand. The part my father gave me. The royal Harwell blood that lets me stand up here in front of you all today. I’m still figuring it out, and one thing I’ve learned from playing with the Falcons—” A whoop goes up from one of my guys in the crowd. “—is that you can tackle anything if you have a great coach, a good team, and a loving family. I have all those things in Eldonia. The Queen Dowager’s knowledge and wisdom will be crucial to the future of our country. The castle staff, as well as all you lords and ladies here today, are the heart of Eldonia, and vital members of my team. And finally, your intelligent, brave, and kind princess is my baby sister. As I see Eldonia through her eyes, I feel my love for this country grow.”
The world holds its breath. I suck in a gulp of air. “And with that, I would like to declare my intent to claim my birthright—the Eldonian throne.”
It’s like that moment where the puck swishes into the net, that one single instant before the buzzer goes off and the roar of the crowd follows. That moment of blissful, victorious silence.
But instead of the roar of the crowd, my ears are filled with a steady clap. I turn to Eva. There are tears falling from her face—but she’s smiling.
Just One of the Royals Page 15
