by Nora Cobb
Because right now, I didn’t feel like I mattered at all.
**
“Why would he say that?”
I rubbed my hand over my face roughly before looking at Johanna directly. “I don’t know, but I didn’t feel like he was trying to pull one over on me.”
Johanna laughed harshly, waving her hands in the air. “They all are, Anna! I mean, first you sleep with Arthur and he breaks your heart and then you decide to sow your wild oats with Royce and wonder why he’s being all protective. The only one you haven’t slept with is Max, and I have a feeling that it won’t be long before he’s in your bed.”
“You make me sound like a slut,” I muttered, knowing that I was. Had I really slept with two men in a matter of months?
Well, at least both of them were hot and damn good in bed. I likely wasn’t about to forget either of them anytime soon. “It doesn’t matter who I have slept with,” I said angrily, though there was no heat to my words. “The only thing that matters is that I am nowhere near closer to knowing anything more than when I arrived at the academy.”
Johanna sank on the bed beside me, rubbing my back lightly. “I know, honey, I really know. I just can’t help you. I don’t know how.”
“Me neither,” I answered, giving her a small smile. “But maybe something will come up soon. Maybe I should sleep with Max. It seems that sleeping with the kings brought about some fun in my life.”
“Oh my God,” Johanna laughed, falling back on the bed. “I can’t believe you said that! I mean, Max is hot and all, like some fallen angel, but really, Anna?”
He was pretty sexy in a dark sort of way. I wasn’t really going to sleep with Max either, but hey, I hadn’t planned on sleeping with Royce or even Arthur for that matter. Now I had more men on my list than I’d had for my entire life.
I grinned, joining her on the bed. “Thanks, Johanna, for being my friend.”
“You’re welcome, princess, anytime.”
Chapter 15
Anna
What are you doing, pauper?
I smiled as I saw Royce’s text. It had been over a week since I had seen any of the kings and my anger about my confrontation with Isauros had faded to nothingness.
Partly due to Johanna’s involvement in my life. She had forced me to focus on more than my birthright, pulling me back to the reality that I was in college, a prestigious one at that, and the best way I could get one over on the headmistress was to put myself at the top of the freshman class.
So, I had thrown myself into my studies, getting back into the swing of homework and time with the other freshmen.
And not even remotely thinking about the kings who had infiltrated my life.
But now, I felt like I could handle them.
Homework, king. That is what us freshmen do.
That sounds fucking boring. Are you ready to spar again or have I run you off for good?
My thumb hovered over a response, biting my lip. I should say no and not get myself involved with Royce again. He had brought out things about myself that I had enjoyed immensely.
I had enjoyed my time with him immensely.
Okay, so I had enjoyed everything about my time with Royce, including the intimate moments.
Sighing, I debated not responding. Royce was going to move on, especially if I chose to draw out my decision about my future. He had already offered to marry me, yet I had no intentions of doing so.
Which meant I could ignore him or continue to be friends with him. It was my choice.
One thing was for sure; I would have to take Max’s words to heart. I needed to keep my eyes and ears open, read every word for more than just face value. Royce had something he was going after, no matter what he said.
So did Arthur, though he was a bit easier to figure out.
And Max, well, he had all but told me why he needed me.
Drawing in a breath, I typed a few words out before I could change my mind. The truth was, I wanted to see Royce again. I wanted to put the sword in my hands and enjoy myself.
When I wielded the sword, I felt a type of power like nothing else, like I really was some ancient royal able to defend my castle, my monarchy.
I just didn’t know if it was worth defending right now.
Chapter 16
Anna
The next afternoon, I made my way down to the sparring ring, the illegal one, where Royce said he would be. Opening the door, I stepped inside, noting how weird the place felt without the crowds of students that were normally there. It was kind of like a club that you saw with the lights on.
Nothing special, and very dingy.
Still, there was a performance happening in the midst of the ring and I stopped in my tracks, leaning against the wall to watch.
Royce was in the middle of the ring, a shining sword in his hand as he walked through the motions leisurely. There was no hurry to his thrusts, more like a dance with an invisible partner.
He was also shirtless, which was an added benefit for me. Lord, the man was hot, and my stomach tightened in anticipation as my eyes roamed over his muscular frame. I knew Royce was dangerous.
All the kings were.
The problem was, I felt a strange connection with him and didn’t really know what to do about it. For a king who had once upon a time been my mortal enemy, I was afraid that was no longer the case.
Not even close.
“You gonna keep staring at me, pauper, or are you gonna join me?”
My cheeks heated as I pushed away from the wall and stepped into the ring, shedding my jacket in the process. Underneath I had on just a thin tank top and yoga pants and Royce’s eyes roamed over my body appreciatively before he cleared his throat.
Seems the king wasn’t immortal after all. “Where’s my sword?”
He stepped over to the case and pulled another sparring sword out, flicking it over a few times before flipping it to its hilt and handing it over. “Here. Be careful with it.”
“Aren’t I always?” I asked as I took the sword, the cold steel feeling far too nice in my palm.
He arched a brow. “Cocky today, aren’t we?”
I slid my finger over the blade, realizing it was not a blunted tip. “Are we fighting with real swords today?”
He nodded. “And I really enjoy having all my parts and pieces when we finish, pauper, so watch your thrusts. I want you to take it slow, your movements that is, and concentrate on what you are doing. This isn’t about who finishes faster today. It’s about precision.”
My mouth dry, I licked my lips. “We already know who finishes first.”
Royce’s eyes burned with heat. “Tsk, tsk, pauper. Sexual tension is not going to distract me.”
I pursed my lips in a smile. “We will see about that, king. Are we going to talk all day or actually do something?”
Royce moved so fast that I didn’t even get the last word out before he was on me, forcing me to block his thrusts. He hadn’t lied; his thrusts were slower, as if they were moving through sand, but still just as dangerous.
The swords clanged together loudly, and I started to break out in a sweat the more he came at me, though never close enough to nick any part of my body. “Watch my hands,” he said as I successfully blocked each thrust. “You can never go wrong from watching your opponent’s hands, especially if it’s just sword play.”
“And if it’s not?” I asked, breathing heavily as I blocked another parry.
“Then all bets are off,” he answered, a hint of a grin on his face.
We danced around each other for over an hour, my hand starting to vibrate from the clangs of our swords together. “Good, pauper,” Royce said as I blocked a particularly hard angle. “You’re getting better.”
I lowered my sword. “Can we take a break?” I felt like I had gone through the shower and forgotten to dry off with the amount of sweat that was pushing through my pores.
“Sure,” Royce said. “Want water?”
I nodded and he walked over
behind the small stand that served as the money podium, producing two water bottles in his hands. “Good thing I brought two.”
I grinned as he handed me one, our fingers brushing as I took it. The shiver down my spine wasn’t just my imagination, that was for sure. “How often do you come here instead of your home?”
Royce arched a brow, a naughty grin on his face. “You want to know how many times I come, pauper? Surely you can figure out my stamina by now.”
“Oh my God, Royce,” I groaned, unscrewing the cap. “Is that all you think about these days?”
He did the same, holding the bottle up to his lips. “Hell yeah, pauper. Don’t you?”
Well, I hadn’t until I had met him. Now every statement to him was full of sexual innuendo.
Royce took a long draw off his water bottle, wiping his mouth with his hand. “I come here when I have a shitload of homework. Believe it or not, I do better studying in the library.”
“I can’t believe it,” I said, replacing the cap. “A king? Studying? That’s got to be a picture-worthy moment.”
He grinned. “We have to get through somehow. Our sexual nature won’t help us graduate or I would be gone by now.”
I rolled my eyes, setting my water bottle aside. I enjoyed this time with Royce, joking around like this. It was easy for me to do so if I conveniently forgot that he was a king and likely after my birthright.
He seemed almost normal.
Could a king be normal? Probably not, but it was a nice thought anyway.
“Hey, pauper?”
I looked up at Royce. “Yeah?”
“I’ve got news for you.”
My ears perked up, pushing aside my thoughts about normal kings and Royce’s true intentions. “What kind of news?”
He rubbed the back of his neck. “I think I’ve found your mother’s grave.”
All the air left my lungs and I stumbled back against the ring, my legs suddenly wobbly. My mom’s grave? “Wh-what do you mean?”
He had the grace to look apologetic, as if what he was telling me was hard for him too. “My contacts. They have tracked down a grave and based on what they can figure out, they think your mother might be buried there.”
I stared at him, not believing the words he was telling me. I had already attempted to accept the part that my mother was dead and likely killed by my father, unfortunately, but to know that I could visit her—I didn’t know what to think.
Royce took a few steps forward to me, gently wrapping his hands around my arms. “I’m sorry, pauper.”
“Where?” I forced out.
His eyes were sorrowful. “England. They think they have found her in England.”
I crumpled against him and he gathered me close. “Ah, pauper,” he whispered, his breaths stirring my hair. “Bloody hell, I’m sorry.”
I willed the tears to come, but they wouldn’t. My mother was truly dead. I could go see where he had buried her, where she had been put to rest.
I could talk to her.
After years of wondering where my mom might be, I was so close to being with her.
Royce’s hand rubbed my back lightly. “We can go there this weekend if you want. They have a sample of her DNA and all they need is yours to compare it to. I’ve pulled some strings. You could know in a day or so.”
Go to England? My mom’s DNA? This was like some weird TV show, not my life. I pulled back, looking up at Royce. “I can’t go to England.”
He frowned. “Yes, you can. I can get the transportation and everything. You can even stay at my family’s estate. My parents are in Austria right now. There won’t be anyone there save you and me.”
While any other girl would have girly-squealed about being alone with Royce for an entire weekend at some pompous estate, I couldn’t force myself to tell him yes. Was this one of those things that Max had warned me about?
Was Royce trying to win me over by dangling this massive carrot in front of me, one that he knew I couldn’t turn down?
His eyes grew hard. “I don’t like the look on your face, pauper.”
I pulled away, immediately missing the heat of his touch on my arms. “It’s all so sudden, Royce.”
“I’m only trying to give you closure, Anna,” he said softly, crossing his arms over his chest. “Isn’t that what you want?”
Was that what I wanted? I thought so. I mean, I wanted to know who my mother was and where she was. I wanted to know if my father had killed her, or had had her killed, or if he was innocent in all of this and had loved her greatly.
I wanted to know all Isauros’ secrets and what she hadn’t told me.
But at what cost? Was I ready to go to another country with a king who had his own ambitions? “Can I think about it?”
It was clear by the look on his face that Royce wasn’t expecting me to think about anything. I saw the disappointment before he shuttered his look, something I knew that the kings did very well, and slid that easy grin on his face. “Sure, pauper. Take your time.”
“Thanks,” I managed, giving him a small smile. “I really do appreciate you helping me out, Royce. I know you don’t have to.”
“All in a day’s work, pauper,” he said, drawing in a breath. “Will you do one thing for me?”
“What?” I asked curiously, a bit worried what he might ask for. I mean, he had already seen me naked so that wasn’t going to be it.
Would it?
“Go to dinner with me tonight.”
It wasn’t a question but a quiet demand in that voice that had my insides clenching. “Is this a ploy to get me to go to England with you?”
“No,” he answered, his eyes on me. “I want to take you to dinner, no strings attached.” He then grinned. “But if you fall into my bed at the end of the night, I won’t complain.”
The old Royce was back and for once I was relieved. “Fine, but I want some good food.”
“Your wish is my command, pauper.”
**
“I can’t believe you are going on a date with him tonight. Isn’t that dangerous?”
I gave myself one last look in the mirror, checking out the little black dress that I had borrowed from Johanna. “It’s just dinner.”
“Yeah, it’s not just anything with the kings,” she reminded me, tugging on the zipper. “Not that it matters, I guess. You’ve already been in the sack with him.”
My cheeks flushed and I turned away. “So that means his charm won’t work on me tonight, right?”
She shook her head, a smile playing on her lips. “Who would have ever thought that the American orphan would have two kings wrapped around her finger? I mean, you should so write a book about this once it’s all said and done. It would be a hot read.”
A knock sounded on the door and I crossed the room in heels, opening it. Royce lounged against the doorway, his eyes twinkling. “Hey, pauper.”
I took in his casual suit, the way his dress shirt was unbuttoned at the throat, and knew I was in serious trouble. The man was literally sex appeal walking. “Hey, I’m ready.”
“You two kids have fun!” Johanna called out as I grabbed my purse and coat, shrugging it on. After blowing Johanna a kiss, I shut the door, falling into step next to Royce. “So where are we going?”
“With you looking like that, I want to say my place,” he chuckled. “But I’ve got reservations for us. You like Italian?”
“In Switzerland?” I asked. “Really?”
“Yeah.”
**
Dinner was nice, even I had to admit. Royce was charming as ever and our conversation was easy, without mentioning my mom or anything having to do with my current state of affairs. Instead we talked about our childhood, leaving me infatuated with how he had grown up in England. Surprisingly, he seemed just as interested in my childhood as well and I told him the good parts, leaving out the memories that would never die.
When we arrived back at the academy, I lingered in his car, running my fingers over the supple leather. �
�Thank you for a nice night tonight. I haven’t had many of those.”
He rested his arm on my seat. “You’re welcome, pauper. I enjoyed myself too.”
I felt like he was being sincere. “I should go in.”
