“Tavin has security,” Alex said, his voice tight and temper reined, for the moment at least. The thought of her unprotected and with the press on the loose did not sit well with him.
“Your Highness, that is his own personal security. He felt it was necessary, and he pays for it himself.”
“I see,” Alex said, and planned to have a conversation with Tavin as soon as he was back at the palace in Valentia.
“Rebecca’s all right, though, isn’t she?” Cat asked.
“Yes, My Lady. The driver assures me she’s fine.”
“Well, I suppose that will have to do,” Cat said as the car stopped in front of a charming café. “Oh, Alex, couldn’t we skip tea and head straight back? I feel positively wretched about all this.”
Alex sighed. “I’m sorry, Cat, but we’ve already arranged it with the owner. She’d be disappointed if we didn’t go in, particularly now that we’re here.”
As Cat’s face fell, he took her hand in his. “It’ll be all right, Cat. Now, put it out of your mind, put a smile on your face, and let’s have some tea. I can make it a short visit.”
Cat squeezed his hand back. “You’re right. As always.”
A quick smile bloomed on Alex’s face. “Naturally. It’s why I was born first. I convinced you it would be the best thing to do in the womb, if you’ll recall.”
Cat laughed as the driver helped her out of the car. “You’re ridiculous. I think you got power hungry and pushed me out of the way.”
“Now who’s being ridiculous?” Alex asked as he stepped out behind her. “You’re the one who was hiding behind me in all the sonograms. No one even knew you were there.” As Cat slipped her arm through his, Alex added, “I really think, however, that I was doing my best to protect you. I came out first to make sure nothing would hurt you.”
“You did, and do, protect me, Alex,” Cat said softly, so that only he would hear. “If I’d come out first, and been in your position, I don’t know that I would have been able to handle being the future queen. You were born to be a ruler, not me.”
“Don’t I know it?” Alex said, thinking again of how his position had kept him from Rebecca for too long. He dropped a quick kiss on his sister’s cheek before leading her inside the cozy establishment.
Chapter 3
The driver pulled up to Rebecca’s building just over two hours after they’d left, and had even carried her bags up one flight of stairs to her apartment. When she was finally alone, Rebecca walked around her cozy, one-bedroom apartment restless and worried, a dangerous combination.
Ordinarily, her apartment was a refuge for her. It was the first thing that had been truly hers, as much as an apartment could be. Her parents’ home was on the palace grounds and, therefore, belonged to king and country. But this, with its wonderful, cheery rooms decorated just as Rebecca had wanted, was all her. It was filled with elegant, plush furniture, courtesy of her first few paychecks, in earthy tones with splashes of color, and the kitchen was filled with small appliances to support her baking and cooking habits.
Spending time tottering around in the kitchen often calmed her. She discarded the thought of food just as swiftly as she had thought of it; she had no appetite. Rebecca had ignored Catharine’s messages all afternoon, and was now feeling guilty for doing so. More tension knotted in her stomach.
Deciding it was better to be productive than lazy, she grabbed her purse and briefcase and left her apartment not ten minutes after she’d arrived. There were things she could have seen to - bills, grocery shopping, and housework - but none of them appealed to her. If she lost her job tomorrow over a silly thing like her clumsiness, then she wouldn’t be able to pay the bills or buy groceries anyhow. No, it was best to go into the office and finish up some work, just in case.
Rebecca walked down the stone staircase away from her apartment. It was a small building, only four apartments total with hers on the second floor, though the street itself boasted rows of quaint houses nestled side-by-side.
The main appeal of the apartment, besides the price, had been its location tucked away from the city center and the royal palace, and the vast array of gardens and woods that it overlooked. Having grown up on the expertly maintained lands and gardens of the palace, she’d needed the trees and scents of earth before she could make a home.
The neighborhood was quiet, even though it was full of families. Parents and grandparents spent lazy summer evenings sitting and chatting on well-worn benches, a bottle of wine or two shared between them, while small children rode bicycles and laughed as they played in the calm streets.
It was how Rebecca imagined a ‘normal’ childhood would have been like. On the royal grounds, there had been few places for her to play and enjoy youth but in her own room. As an only child, she never grew up with other children her age, but for the royal children. Catharine was the closest person to a sister and friend she had, but protocol prevented even that relationship from being fully realized. She had never grown up with a sense of community and so, she supposed, she was trying to make up for it now.
Rebecca waved to her neighbors as she strode towards her car, then slipped inside. Leaving the window down to let the summer breeze through, especially important since her air conditioning was broken again, she drove towards her office and pondered the long night of tasks ahead of her.
When she finally entered the quiet cool of her office, she flipped on the light to fight the darkening day. All of the royal offices were located in the palace, though on the opposite end from where the royal family lived in their private royal apartments. The décor, therefore, was plush and antique, though never felt antiquated. Her office - it still gave her a thrill to think of it as her own - was warm in tones of rich maroon and dark wood, with splashes of color in the bright flowers she always scattered around the room. The flowers, courtesy of her father, made her feel more comfortable in the auspicious space, and reminded her of just how far she’d come.
Yet, tonight, it only reminded her of how far she may fall.
She placed her briefcase on her wide desk just as she picked up a stack of papers and messages left by hers and Catharine’s various secretaries. She sat down as she sorted through them, prioritizing as needed with her other tasks. She worked for the next few hours, returning messages, reviewing documents, arranging Catharine’s appearances for the coming weeks, and also began writing her exit notes, just in case. She was clearing out her list of lingering administrative tasks when a knock at the door startled her.
“Tavin,” she said. “Whatever are you doing here this late?”
Tavin, Alexander’s chief of staff, had the distinction of being a descendant of both Vallerian and English royalty, though not a direct descendant of either. He was a distant cousin of Alexander, several times removed, and only a few years older than him. His tall, rangy frame was hidden underneath a fitted suit, and his dark hair was sleekly styled. A boldly-colored handkerchief sat at attention inside his jacket pocket and his cufflinks glinted against the lights of the room. Rebecca had never seen him dressed in anything but the best. She was almost convinced he slept that way, as well.
“I heard what happened,” Tavin said with his refined English accent as he walked into the room and sat fluidly down in a chair facing her desk.
Rebecca’s heart sank; so it was out then. “How bad is it?”
“Not as bad as you think. There is a video circling the evening news shows. Most of the trashy press is just making fun of you, but the political press are questioning your position. Both are making jokes that you’re after the Prince and your job’s just a stepping stone to him.”
Rebecca covered her face with her hands for a moment before she let out a sigh and sat back in her chair.
“It was rotten timing, that’s all,” Tavin said sympathetically. “If it hadn’t been the end of the national holiday, when there’s always a slow news day, and if it had happened a few hours later, it might have missed the evening news cycles.”
&n
bsp; “Lucky me.”
“I think you are lucky. It is better that it came out now, in my opinion.”
“How do you figure?”
“If it had missed the evening news, it would have been picked up full force for the morning news shows. Right now, it will still be a story in the morning, but it won’t have the same legs it does now.”
“I suppose. I could still get fired either way.”
“The Princess adores you. She won’t see you fired.”
“The Princess may not have a choice.” After another sigh, Rebecca asked, “Do you want something to drink? I could use a drink.”
Tavin’s eyes twinkled. “A drink, this early in the evening?”
“I meant tea.”
“That’s a pity. If ever there was a night to get drunk and forget your troubles, this would be it.”
“If I’m going to get fired tomorrow, then I want to clear out some loose ends tonight. I can’t do that if I’m drunk.”
Tavin shook his head. “Ever the responsible one, aren’t you, Rebecca? Look, have you eaten yet? A drink with dinner would be acceptable, at least.”
Rebecca placed a hand against her churning stomach. “I can’t even think about eating right now. Thanks for the offer, all the same.”
“Cheer up,” Tavin said as he stood up to leave. “You only tripped. Yes, you tripped into the Prince, placing you both in a compromising position, but it was innocent. It’s embarrassing, but it’s not like you revealed classified documents or state secrets.”
“I know, and thanks for your support. It means a lot to me,” she said with a small smile.
“We all like you, Rebecca. You’re damn good at your job and you’re a lovely person, too. You’ll get through this. Have you talked to the PR team yet?”
Rebecca shook her head. “I sent them an email, letting them know what was coming. They said they’ll swing by in the morning after they craft a response.”
“I’ve already drafted a statement we’ll issue from the Prince’s office, so I’ll work with them on yours so they complement each other. Let me know if you need my help with anything else.”
“Thanks, Tavin,” she said with a broader smile. “So why are you here so late?”
“Prince Alexander is coming back to the office tonight.”
Rebecca sat up straighter. “Is the Princess coming back, too?”
Tavin shook his head. “She’s headed straight back home from what the Prince said. It looks like we’ll both have a long night ahead of us.”
“Is the press on site asking questions?”
“Not that I know of. I’ll be all right if I run into anyone,” he said, gesturing to the agents waiting outside the door.
“You’ve got security now?”
“It’s my own. Leffie over there is the head of the unit,” Tavin said as he gestured to a sturdy man in sunglasses standing completely still with his arms crossed over his chest.
“Leffie seems very capable.”
Tavin smiled. “That’s what I’m counting on.”
“Wherever did you find him?”
“He came recommended from a distant member of the family. Credentials checked out, so I hired him.” He gave her a critical stare. “Would you like to borrow him tonight? I’m not sure if the press will try to follow you home or not, but it couldn’t hurt to be prepared.”
Rebecca shook her head. “I’ll be okay. Thank you for the offer.”
“Anytime. I’ll order some tea for you when I get back to my office.”
“I can order it.”
“You’ll probably forget about it five seconds after I leave.”
Rebecca chuckled. Tavin was probably right. “Thanks, Tavin.”
“It’s the least I can do. By the way,” he said as he stopped in the doorway. “That offer for dinner stands, anytime you want it,” Tavin said with a wink and a smile before striding away.
Tavin was a harmless flirt, but it helped knowing he was in her corner. The other chiefs of staff and high ranking employees would follow his lead.
Rebecca took a deep breath before she turned to her computer to view the video firsthand. The best defense was a good offense, and she would need to know how bad it really looked. It took her only a few seconds to find it, and she held her breath while she watched.
The scene flooded back into her mind: her startled face at Alexander’s voice, her addictive, insensible heels combining with a natural clumsiness to send her falling, and Alexander rushing to her aid. She blushed in remembrance when she saw Alexander’s strong, capable hands steady her around her waist. She watched as Catharine berated her, knowing that while her tone had been light, her face had been fierce. Rebecca knew that Catharine’s face was all that people would see about the exchange.
She finished watching it once, then forced herself to watch it a few more times, from the view of an outsider. If someone watched the video from the start, they would see a clumsy Rebecca. If they watched only a still from the video, it may look like something more.
The thought actually buoyed her. It was innocent when viewed on the whole, which she thought the public may do. She couldn’t do anything about Catharine’s face in the video, but she realized that she would be all right, no matter what happened in the morning.
Her phone rang and, after seeing who the caller was, winced before picking up. “Mama,” she said answered; she should have called her parents earlier to warn them.
“Rebecca, your father and I just saw the news. Are you all right?”
“I’m fine, Mama. It’s nothing, really.”
“Well, we certainly think so, but the news agencies don’t. They’re saying you could be fired.”
“Unfortunately, they could be right.”
“But that’s completely absurd! You only tripped and fell. True, you did trip into the Prince, but he didn’t seem to mind all that much.”
Rebecca’s heart gave a jolt. If only that were true. At least her mother’s staunch defense of her made her feel better about everything. “It’s all right, Mama. I’ll know more in the morning.” When another thought gripped her, she bit her lip then asked, “Papa isn’t getting any trouble over this, is he?”
Her Mom huffed. “You don’t need to worry about your father. He thinks just like I do, and don’t you spend another moment worrying about us.”
“But what if someone gets upset at him over this?”
“My dear, the world is made of ‘what ifs’ and ‘if onlys’, but that doesn’t mean we need to pay any attention to them.”
Rebecca smiled; her mother had a clever way to put things into perspective.
“You have never, ever given us cause for concern, Rebecca, and this doesn’t qualify either. If anybody says anything to you, you just give me or your father a call. All right?”
Rebecca held back a laugh that wanted to escape. “Thank you, Mama, and tell Papa thank you as well.”
“There’s no need to thank us for being your parents, though we’ll take it just the same. Now then, tell me how the last few days of the trip went.”
As Rebecca leaned back and began to tell her mother anecdotes about the small island of Ilva, she felt more relaxed that she had in hours, if not days.
***
Alexander walked towards his offices with his typically quick, purposeful strides, despite being lost in his own thoughts. His security men, which only numbered two now that he was inside the palace, followed behind. Alex and Catharine had returned to the palace only minutes earlier. He had foregone the gentlemanly duty of walking his sister to the royal apartments to instead head straight to the office under the guise of a time-sensitive work issue. It wasn’t entirely untrue; to Alex, Rebecca’s safety was of the upmost importance.
As he entered the main door to his offices, he heard Tavin speaking on the phone. He gave a quick knock to alert Tavin to his presence, who then promptly stood and bowed his head. Alex had to agree with Catharine that all the bowing became too much for everyday life. Al
ex walked into Tavin’s office, then through an adjoining walkway to his own office.
All of the royal offices were decorated in the same tones to ensure consistency. Alex’s office, the largest room in his suite of offices, also boasted a hidden doorway near his desk. It opened onto a narrow hallway, which eventually led to his father’s office. Though it was a relic of some centuries past, the hallway had been very useful when things were better discussed in person, and in secret. The hallway could also lead him to the queen’s offices, currently his mother’s, though he hoped one day they would belong to Rebecca.
As Alex sat down, he noted his security taking their post outside his door, and having a quiet discussion with Tavin’s security. Arranging for Rebecca’s security would be his first order of business, despite the organized piles of work Tavin had left on his desk. He would have to be careful not to arouse suspicion where Rebecca was concerned.
Alexander & Rebecca (Royals of Valleria #1) Page 3
