“I’ve got you, kiddo,” Kale said. “You know you and your sister mean the world to me.” He glanced at me when he said it, but I wasn’t sure he was talking about me.
Mina found her coat draped over my desk chair and put it on.
“Thank you,” I said to Kale. I hugged him, but turned my face to keep him from attempting to kiss me.
His expression seemed conflicted. He glanced over at Kimera still seated on the couch and then back at me. He looked like he wanted to say something to me, but didn’t.
“Come on, Mina. Time to go.”
Kale slowly opened the door and peered into the hallway. He then grabbed Mina by the hand and they were gone.
CHAPTER 31
I saw Kale once more before leaving on my date with Prince Byron. He didn’t say a word to me, which I took to mean everything with Mina went smoothly. But it didn’t stop me from wondering.
“Are you feeling all right?” Prince Byron asked while we sat in the back of the limousine, on our way to whatever he had planned. “You seem preoccupied.”
“No. I’m fine,” I said. “I didn’t sleep much last night. I was too excited. Except now I’m crashing. I drank quite a bit of tea earlier to wake up until I found out lemon chamomile doesn’t have caffeine.”
“It’s an herbal tea. None of them has caffeine.”
“Good to know.”
The Prince had told me before leaving that I should dress comfortably, so I consulted with Kimera and we’d jointly decided on dark blue jeans and a maize-colored blouse with a wide, off-the-shoulder neckline.
Prince Byron was also dressed casually, in khaki pants tucked into brown boots nearly reaching his knees and a white, button-down dress shirt. The top two buttons were open, revealing a thin patch of chest hair. I swear I wasn’t staring.
“I’ve wanted to ride with you since the first time I met you,” he said. “I wish you hadn’t turned me down that day.”
“I wish I could have gone riding with you that day instead of leaving you with Constance.”
“Yeah… She’s a lot to handle,” he said. “It still gets me how similar you look, but otherwise, you couldn’t be more different.”
“Hard to believe we came from the same genes, isn’t it?” I said and laughed.
“You asked me what I think of it, but you never told me about you. What was it like for you when you found out what you are?”
I thought my world couldn’t be any more destroyed after growing up with the Ramseys, but the Queen managed to do just that. She managed to take away the little identity I had left. The little bit of myself still sacred. I couldn’t tell him that.
“What I am is just another person, like you—like anyone. The Queen’s great revelation didn’t change that. Sure, it was surprising at first—and totally hard to believe—but it didn’t change who I was. I mean, it could have, if I’d let it. If anything, it made me feel special.”
I couldn’t believe how naturally the words were escaping my lips. And maybe there’d even come a day when I could convince myself to believe them.
“You are special,” Prince Byron said and took one of my hands in both of his, which were warm and comforting.
It took about an hour to reach our destination. The back door of the limousine was opened and Edward, the driver from my trip from the train station, lent a hand to help me out. Prince Byron followed.
I was immediately hit by a strong wind, almost masking the sound of crashing waves. We were parked on the side of the road, next to a stretch of dirt that gradually transitioned into a black sand beach. The sun was already lowering over the water.
On the beach were two of the palace trainers, each holding the reins of a horse—one of which I instantly recognized as Misty.
“How did you know?” I squealed with excitement and ran to her.
“I wanted to make today perfect,” he said from behind.
The trainer gave me her reins and stepped away.
I stroked Misty’s cheek and she nuzzled into the side of my head and snorted. “I’m happy to see you too, girl.”
Prince Byron took the reins of his horse and was in the saddle in one fluid movement. “I didn’t think I was going to have to teach you too.”
I grabbed hold of the horn, secured my foot in the stirrup, and pulled myself up. “Let’s see if you can keep up,” I yelled to him and signaled for Misty to take off in a full gallop, leaving the trainers, the limousine, and the Prince behind.
I was enveloped in a cloud of black sand and the wind bit at my bare skin as Misty and I raced down the beach. I glanced back under my armpit and saw Prince Byron not far behind. For all I knew, the thoroughbred the Prince was riding was a genuine racehorse. If that was the case, Misty didn’t have a prayer of outrunning them.
A minute later, Prince Byron was parallel to me with a huge grin on his face, then he pulled ahead.
“You proved your point!” I shouted.
“So did you!” he shouted back.
The beach followed the coast, stretching for miles that I could see. The Prince’s horse veered to the left, galloping into the shallow water. I had Misty follow him in, making sure to keep enough of a distance to remain clear of the splashing from the horse ahead of us. The kicked-up water from directly below was enough to soak me; it was icy but my exhilaration was keeping me warm, at least for now.
Prince Byron’s horse slowed to a trot, then to a walk. I pulled Misty alongside him and had her match his gait. We were both still in the ocean water, but now the splashes only nearly reached my shoes.
He looked right at home on the saddle and I thought of the first time I’d seen him riding through the meadow. His hair was wonderfully disheveled again like it had been when he’d removed his helmet on that day. His five o’clock shadow was also back to match his casual attire. Even with all the beautiful scenery surrounding us, I couldn’t take my eyes off him. He somehow drew me in without doing a thing.
The sun was closer to the horizon now, its magnificent rays dipping into the water. The wind blew harder, making conversation difficult, but it didn’t seem awkward to ride in silence, simply enjoying each other’s company.
Up ahead, I noticed the coastline turn out like a natural pier and the black sand of the beach disappeared into rocky hills. At the top of one of the hills, on a cliff overlooking the ocean, sat a dark lighthouse.
Prince Byron pointed to it. “We’re headed up there.”
I nodded to acknowledge I’d heard him over the wind and waves.
Once we reached the edge of the hills, I saw a thin dirt path winding up. We took the horses up the path in tandem, with the Prince leading the slow climb.
At the entrance of the lighthouse, there was a hitching post, which we tied the horses to before entering. Prince Byron held the door and placed a hand on my back, guiding me in first. The ground floor was a small circular room with a central, spiral staircase; the Prince steered me toward it and instructed me to go ahead.
“Don’t get any ideas,” I warned him. At least I wasn’t wearing a dress.
“I wouldn’t dream of it,” he said, close behind me. “When you reach the top, grab the latch and push it open.”
I came to the trap door and did as he instructed. The door opened on creaky hinges and a chain kept it from crashing to the floor above. As soon as the door was open, I heard the soft melody of stringed instruments.
I climbed up into the larger room at the apex of the lighthouse. A giant spotlight took up half the space, asleep in the center. The whole outer wall of the room was floor-to-ceiling windows, and much of the ceiling was constructed from glass, where a couple of stars could already be seen against the dulled light of the setting sun.
As I rounded the room to overlook the ocean, I found a small table with chairs and place settings for two, a stretched-out blanket with pillows on the floor, and a band of four musicians to serenade us—a standup bass, a cello, and two violins. The only light from the room—besides the last of th
e daylight—came from candles on an end table by the blanket, and around the musicians.
My heart melted at the romantic setup; I couldn’t believe someone would go to all this trouble for me.
“What do you think?” Prince Byron asked, coming up behind me.
“It’s perfect,” I said.
He stepped ahead of me and pulled out one of the chairs. “Please,” he said.
I sat down and he took the folded napkin from the table and placed it in my lap before taking his seat. I looked out at the ocean and then back at him.
“Looks like we made it just in time,” he said, turning his gaze to the sunset.
A quarter of the sun was now underwater, setting the ocean ablaze with a multitude of bright colors.
A young female server came around from the far side of the spotlight and approached the table holding a bottle of wine.
“Good evening,” she said, gracefully dropping into a curtsy. “May I start you off with a glass?” She presented the bottle for the Prince to approve.
“Please,” he said. “But allow me.”
Prince Byron stood up and took the bottle from the server, pouring me a half glass. Then he poured some for himself before handing the bottle back to the server, who said she’d be back with appetizers momentarily.
We clinked glasses before taking first sips. The white wine was light and fruity and I knew it would be all too easy to down the whole glass in a few gulps. I needed to make sure that didn’t happen, to keep my wits about me.
“You look even more beautiful as you are now, than when you’re all dressed up in the formal gowns,” Prince Byron said, setting down his glass.
“I was just thinking the same about you,” I said. “Casual riding clothes suit you perfectly.”
“Then we should move away into the country, away from all this formality where we can build a ranch and breed horses. A quiet and casual life.”
“That seems quite the fantasy coming from you—from a Prince of Easteria. I wouldn’t think you could just disappear into the Outlands; what about your royal and family obligations? Can they be so easily set aside to ride off into the sunset with me?”
“Probably not. But it’s nice to pretend,” he said. “If I could have what I wanted, that’s how it would be.”
“With me?”
“With a girl who would have me and share the same vision. I don’t know, is that you?”
“It does sound like a pretty nice life,” I said.
The server came back with a basket of sliced bread and a plate of bruschetta crackers.
The sun had finally set and the fiery colors painting the water were quickly receding. More stars were appearing in the night sky every few seconds, and the music filling the room enhanced the lighthouse’s tranquil atmosphere.
“Are you any closer to finding your soulmate?” I asked.
“Further away, if you can believe it,” he answered. “You’re all so great. I don’t know how I’m going to choose in a few short weeks. Each date makes my decision that much harder.”
“I can’t imagine being in charge of such a decision—having so many people’s lives hanging in the balance. I suppose the unchosen will return to their former lives in the outer wards. It will be hard after this taste of luxury.”
“But you don’t care about all that, right? You’d rather be out in the country instead of being doted on by teams of servants.”
“But that doesn’t mean I want to go back to the 24th—back home.”
“Tell me about your family—I mean, the family who raised you.” The Prince took a bite of bruschetta.
“I was never really a part of their family, more like another of their servants. I didn’t belong there. I may not belong here.”
“I’ve heard the same from a few of the other girls. Some were embraced as family, but others were distanced and raised by the staff. One girl told me about the abuse she endured for years. It broke my heart. I wouldn’t wish her to go back to that—but I can’t finalize my decision out of pity either.”
I wondered who he was talking about, but I didn’t want to ask and linger on the subject because I wasn’t about to tell him about my visits from Master Ramsey. Prince Byron had gone to all that trouble to set up this perfect date, and I wasn’t about to destroy it with the horrors of my past.
“So, I want to help,” he continued. “I want to help the remaining girls return to their old lives or start new ones. None of you deserves to go back to a place where you are not valued and respected.”
“That’s so kind of you, and certainly takes some of the pressure off,” I said.
“Hopefully, not too much.”
“I don’t think that kind gesture will stop any one of us from continuing to pursue you.”
“Yourself included?”
“Perhaps,” I said with a sly smile.
The young female server returned with plates of fish steaks under orange sauce, potato wedges, and spiced vegetables.
“Does she have a hidden kitchen over there or something?” I asked.
Prince Byron laughed. “No. The food was prepared earlier and kept warm, but it should still be fresh enough.”
“It sure looks delicious.” I peered up at him over the candlelight and found his smoldering gray eyes fixated on me, hungry for me as much as for the food before him.
We ate in relative silence, letting the classical strings take us away to a simpler world. The server checked in on us a few times, but there was nothing more either one of us wanted; everything we could ever want or need was right there.
“Should we move to the blanket?” the Prince asked after we’d finished eating.
“If that’s what you had in mind,” I said.
He stood up and dropped his napkin on the empty plate and came around to my side of the table, where he pulled out my chair and took me by the hand, leading me to the blanket spread on the ground. We both sat and leaned against the arranged back cushion of pillows.
The server came and cleared the table, then brought us a tiramisu to share. The Prince cut a slice with the edge of the fork, offering it to me. I let him feed me the bite, and it tasted as decadent as it looked.
With dessert finished and the table cleared, the server appeared a final time. “Is there anything else you desire?”
“Nothing more than I already have,” the Prince said, stealing a glance at me. “That will be all for this evening.”
The server curtsied once again and left around the spotlight.
“Your playing has been beautiful. Thank you. However, you may leave us now,” Prince Byron said and waited for the musicians to be gone—leaving us alone in the lighthouse—before saying anything more. “Thank you for coming out with me this evening. I couldn’t have asked for anything more.”
“No, it is I who should be thanking you for making it happen; no one’s ever done anything like this for me before. I’ve never felt more like a princess.”
“You’ve never looked more like one either.”
My cheeks went hot at his comment and I dropped my gaze to the shrouded world outside.
Prince Byron took one of my hands in his. “Don’t be nervous,” he said. “You don’t need to be anything other than yourself with me.” He brushed my fingers with his thumb—slow, deliberate, gentle caresses. The hair all the way up my arm stood on end as his touch enlivened areas of my body I had not consciously felt before.
“I see your assistant kept you in your assigned color this evening. What shade of yellow is this?” Prince Byron asked, adjusting the pillows, and scooting closer to me.
“She called it maize.” The neckline of my blouse was draped off the shoulder closest to him.
He slowly moved his hand up my arm, barely even touching my skin, until he reached my bare shoulder. “An excellent choice,” he said. Then he leaned in to kiss me.
I stiffened from the soft touch of his lips and suppressed the urge to pull away again. I wouldn’t be given another chance and… I
wanted this. His attention and acceptance warmed me—stoked a growing fire deep inside that had been dormant for as long as I could consciously remember.
My lips tingled before finally going numb and my head swam from the sensations of where our bodies were joined. He smelled of ocean water and sand, and it was all as intoxicating as the wine.
The Prince pulled back and said, “I want to forget about the events of earlier in the week and move forward like I imagined from the first moment I saw you.”
“You had a number of dates this week,” I said. “Are you going to forget about them too?”
Prince Byron smiled from my obviously sarcastic comment but didn’t respond. Instead, he pushed me back onto the pillows and kissed me under the stars like I was the only girl—not one of seven.
CHAPTER 32
N either of us was watching the time and it was late when we left the lighthouse. It was implied that we could have spent the night, but I didn’t feel right about it, no matter how perfect the date had been.
That night, I finally got some sleep, but it was troubled as was usually the case with me.
I now felt I could better relate to what the Prince was going through with this whole clone competition. I reveled in our new physical connection and longed to see him again. His lips on me—on my bare shoulder, my neck, my lips—already felt like a dream. Too good to be true. And maybe it was. I had to remember where I really stood with him—far from the only one.
Both Bethany and Piper said I was glowing when I saw them in the late morning, and they wanted to know everything.
“Seems like it was worth the wait,” Bethany said.
“I can agree to that now,” I said.
“Did you hear about the event tonight?” Piper asked.
“No,” I said.
“We’re having a formal dinner like on the first night with the Queen.”
“I think even the Prince will be at this one,” Bethany added. “Why hasn’t your assistant told you?”
“I haven’t seen her yet this morning,” I said.
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