by Nana Malone
"It's always about power. That usurper doesn’t belong on the throne."
"I don't understand. Sebastian's not a usurper. He’s a legitimate son of the king."
"The usurper's son was never a king. He took the throne when it was supposed to go to the regent. We believe in the true heir to the throne."
I couldn’t believe this insanity, How had I missed all of this? How had I not seen it?
"We? You’re with them?"
"It's not about being with them. It's about what’s right. God, your father was so furious when he found out who you really were. I’d never planned to tell him. But wow, did he love you, because he tried to do everything to protect you. We thought we'd lost when he ran away with you. But it turns out all he needed was a little push to make him think he was crazy."
I struggled in his arms. "What?"
"Yeah, the first time you went to a psychologist when he thought he was losing his mind, thinking that he was being followed, he was being followed. And when he called me for help, I made a point to suggest someone in Canada who was sympathetic to our cause."
"Oh my God." My stomach roiled, and the bile threatened to erupt. "You did this. You helped make him sick?"
"It wasn't hard. He was already in hyper-protection mode about you. He didn't run because the royal family was terrible, those ideas and thoughts were planted. All he knew was that men were coming for his daughter, and he needed to save you. I gave him the push he needed when he took you to Canada."
"So you were the one responsible for my childhood? You made him sick."
"You’re being melodramatic.”
I couldn't believe it. All these years, all this time, my father hadn't been sick, he’d been made sick, but I’d committed him.
I fought against his hold, but his grip only tightened.
"Ow you're hurting me."
"Sorry, princess, but the time to be gentle is over. You didn't stay in England. Oh, you brought your brothers to you, but you didn't stay. If you'd only listened, we could have talked you through it. We would have let you have a position in the new monarchy. Made you a duchess or something. But you had to side with them, so your culpability is the same as theirs."
"You're insane."
"No, I'm not insane. I'm a true believer."
He hauled me up. My feet practically dangled to the ground.
"Let me go."
"You're not going anywhere. Do you understand? We had a whole plan. Take out your brothers in the UK, have you on our side, but then you all had to come here, making things all the more difficult."
"I said, let me go."
"No, princess. You're going to act as bait. Then your brothers will come, and then all of you are going to die and the true heirs will take their rightful seats."
"And who do you think is the true heir?"
"Me. I’m a direct descendant to Angelus. Duchess Maria is my cousin. I am the one who belongs on the throne."
"You? You’re a professor. Not a prince. You're nuts. What is wrong with you?"
"Unlike daddy dearest, I am quite sane. You just picked the wrong side. Don't be mad. You and your brothers are going to die."
The harder he gripped me, the more it hurt. Finally, I remembered what my father had taught me, and I kicked him swiftly in the balls. When he didn't let go, I headbutted him.
He let go of me then.
Heat pounding, head spinning, I took off running, but his hand reached out and he snatched my wrist again. "Where do you think you're going, princess?"
Then I heard a familiar and welcome voice, a low rumble that was more warning growl than anything. "Where she's going is back to safety. I can't say the same about you."
Roone. He’d come for me.
Roone
Pure unadulterated rage was all I could feel. That fucker had his hands on her. And they were pulling her and grabbing her, and she was fighting to free herself. He was touching my woman, and he expected to live through the night? He was going to die.
Jessa saw me. She stepped forward, delivering elbow number three right up under Phillip’s chin. His head snapped back, and he let her go. She staggered back, posturing herself against the wall in the alley.
What happened next was nothing short of amazing. With her back to me, she literally watched my six.
I grabbed Winchester and slammed him against the wall. I delivered a fist. I heard her grappling with someone else. Shit, how many men had he had with him?
She delivered a couple of knees and elbows of her own.
All I heard was grunting and oofing as I dealt with Winchester. He wasn’t some soft professor. He was a trained fighter. He blocked one of my blows and landed one of his own. A straight jab to the nose. He rung my bell, but I kept fighting.
Fighting for her.
Fighting for us.
When I was done playing around, I opened my arms wide even as he delivered a couple of punches to my gut, and then I rung his bell properly with a sharp slam of my palms over his ears.
Immediately, his hands flew to his ears as he tried to calm the ringing. But when he did that, I pulled him down by his ears, elbowed the back of his neck, and delivered a Muay Thai kick to his face, and he went down.
No moving, no groaning. I suspected I’d killed him, but I really didn't care. Jessa was fighting someone I didn’t know. Lanky. Average height. Knew how to fight though.
I narrowed my gaze at him. He was familiar. And was he wearing a wig. Whiskey, Tango, Foxtrot. My mind tried to place him as maybe one of the Royal Guard. He fought well, but not that disciplined.
He was still fighting and grabbing for Jessa.
There was something about his voice too. It was thin and reedy. "I'm trying to save you. Why don't you understand that?” he whispered to her.
Jessa's response was classic Jessa. "When I need saving, I'll fucking tell you."
She punched him hard, and he sank down to his knees. But he still tried to wrap his arm around her leg. I helped her out of his grip and extricated her. Well, more like performed a surgical extraction on him. I looped an arm around his neck and simply pulled. When he didn't let go immediately, I applied pressure. And more pressure. Finally, he clawed at my arm and then went limp.
Jessa wasted no time stepping back away from him and definitely further away from Winchester. She plastered her back against the wall, looking around, presumably for a weapon.
I dragged the bodies out of sight in the alley and placed them against the wall so that they were in the shadows behind the dumpster.
I took her hand and tapped my coms, but when I plugged into the channel, all I heard was chaos. Shouting, running. People out of breath.
“Call sign Viper. What the fuck is going on?"
Ariel muttered. "Call sign Red. We're coming for you. We had a little trouble. Get to a car. Get back to the palace. We have two guards down.”
I cursed under my breath. I glanced at Jessa, whose eyes were wide with panic. But she was holding it together, being so brave. My princess was beautiful and brave and brilliant, and I was going to fucking marry her if it was the last thing I did.
"Come on, Jessa. We gotta go."
She didn't even question a thing. She just placed her hand in mine and looked up at me. "Let's go."
I dragged her toward the opening of the alley. But when a shadow stepped forward, I frowned. I noted one of the bodies I’d dragged into the shadows was starting to stir. That meant not dead. Bummer.
I didn't recognize the newcomer, but there was something eerily familiar about him.
"Oh, princess, you’re on the wrong side of things. It would have been a lot easier if you'd chosen our side."
Jessa, true to form and unable to keep her mouth shut, rolled her eyes and said, "If you assholes thought I was ever going to choose you, you’re insane."
I grinned at her. "Ah, princess? It might not be a good idea to antagonize the crazy."
"I'm not scared of shit, dude."
A smile tipped to
my lips, and I wanted to laugh. "Right, of course. Do you want to handle him, or should I?"
Nonchalantly, she said, "I can do it. Why don't you get us a car?"
I shrugged, letting go of her hand. Maybe that was crazy, but I wanted her to feel strong. And I was pretty sure she could take him.
But then I heard movement behind us. I turned, and someone blindsided me. I hadn't even heard his footsteps until he was entirely too close. I'd been so focused on getting Jessa out of there that I hadn't been watching our backs. It wasn’t Winchester and his scrawny buddy this time. There was someone else with a big meaty fist, enormous. And he was taller than me, six foot six at least.
My head nearly snapped off my spine, and I tried to recover it. Jessa didn't wait for me. She knew how to handle herself. She had a pipe in her hand and went for the man in the alley.
"You're just like my daughter. You think you can be strong, but you can't. Well, just like her, your mistakes will cost you."
As my vision started to dim, I realized who the man was. It was Ariel's father.
He'd come back to the island. And just like Ariel had said, he wasn't just dirty, he’d committed an act of treason, sided with these nut jobs against us. Obviously, he thought he was on the side of right.
I didn't have time to worry about Jessa. I kept part of my brain on her fight, but I knew she could handle herself. I actually had to fight for my life with this guy.
At one point he grabbed both of my wrists and was yanking me toward him. It was hard to remember my training, but I went with the flow and followed him. I swung my arms out and snapped them together quickly, which forced the release of one hand. I placed my free hand on top of both of ours that were still connected and gave him a twist. He howled, and his knees buckled, but not enough. His leg swung out, and I went toppling with him.
On the ground, we rolled. All I could think was, shit, do not let him roll on top of you.
I could hear Jessa grappling. Ariel's father was cursing, and she was muttering things to herself like ‘elbow to the nose. Knee to the groin. Stop.’
It was hilarious, but I couldn't be bothered to laugh. I had to think through other things.
Like the motherfucker dragging me down. I did a release move as best I could and worked on wedging a knee between our bodies, then I pushed with all my might. That fucker was heavy though. And he was coming back for me, trying to get those meaty paws around my neck again. I was coughing and wheezing. And the next thing I knew, he was falling. Falling on top of me. Oh shit. I tried to roll, but it was no use. He tried to reach for something to stop his fall, but it was out of his grasp and he didn't get ahold of it. Then he sagged fully. Out like a light.
When I shoved him, I saw Jessa standing over both of us, the pipe raised over her head again.
It was covered in blood. Then I touched my face and realized so was I.
Fantastic.
But Jessa wasn't watching her back, and Ariel's father grabbed her by the ankle, and she fell, kicking and screaming. I tried to roll, but the big motherfucker was on my feet. I reached for her, trying to grab her hand.
Then Ariel's father was kneeling over her. He rolled her face down and put his hands around her neck, squeezing.
Oh fuck, I needed to get to her. She was clawing at his hands, but it wasn't working.
I could barely talk myself. "Baby, release hold. Release hold.” I coughed.
I don't know what did it, but she finally understood and did a pluck on his hand the right way. She brought her knees to her elbows, and Ariel's father went flying. Not as far forward as he needed to go though, because he turned right back around and tried to grab for her again. But then there was a gunshot, one single crack of fire, and he fell on top of her, blood pouring from his temple.
I finally got the big brute off of me and then dragged the body of Ariel's limp father off of the princess.
I saw someone running down the alley with a gun poised to fire, and I covered the princess.
I tried to move her, roll her, do something to protect her, but the only protection left was left was my body.
And then I heard a voice, one that was all too familiar, one that worried me.
"Target dropped."
I turned my head, and there was Ariel, standing over the body of her dead father. She'd shot him. She shot him to protect the princess.
29
Jessa
My palms were sweating. "What if I make a mistake?"
Roone smiled softly. "You're not going to make a mistake. This is your birth right. This is your family."
"I know. You say that, and I know it’s true. But I just—this whole thing—I just didn't expect it. What if I let everyone down?"
"There's no chance of that. You didn't know King Cassius, but when he decided on something, he decided on it for good. For years he listened to the old guard who said any sort of scandal would ruin the family. They were determined to keep things the way they were. But eventually, he was determined to do things differently, to stand for the right things. And Sebastian started his quest as a way to get back at the old man for not believing in him or something. And when he found out that he wasn't alone, he was even more determined. And sure, he was charmed because he thought one of you could be king or queen instead, but once he found Lucas, he sort of found his purpose. So, no matter what, you are wanted. This whole journey of yours has led you right here, so own it. You are no longer the lost princess; you are the found princess. You are home."
Tears pricked my eyes, and I blinked them rapidly away. The makeup artist, Helga, she would only berate me if I ruined her perfect makeup job. Thanks to Penny, she’d actually had the right shades for me. There was nothing worse than getting your makeup done when the color wasn't right. You ended up looking ashy.
"I don't know how to be a princess."
Roone grinned again. "Well the good news is, you still just get to be you. You still get to work and just do what you would normally do. The only difference is that you have a direct connection to the throne. That's all. And you get to wear a tiara."
"But I don't want to be a princess. What if I'm expected to act princess-like? You already know that's a recipe for disaster."
Roone grinned at me. "Yes. It is. But the good news is you get to be exactly who you are. Sebastian and Lucas don't expect anything more. Be a modern princess. Stand for something, just like Penny does."
"I like that idea. That I can stand for something instead of seeing this girl in a tiara. People could see a woman who fought her family. Fought for what she believed in. I think I can do that. I worked hard."
"Of course you can. Now, if you don't mind, everyone's waiting. A lost princess has come home, and her adoring public wants to see her."
"I hardly doubt the public is adoring."
"You underestimate them. There are people who have been waiting a lifetime to see you. There are people who may have heard rumors of you, people from the old days, but to actually see you in person, to know that anything is possible no matter their station, that gives people hope."
"I never thought of myself as giving anyone hope."
"Well, you gave me hope."
"Yeah, because you knew I was the princess."
"No." He shook his head and took my hands. "No matter what, you have been feisty, determined, and you never let me win. You never give up. You are incredible, and stubborn, and irritating, Jesus Lord. But you are also one of the strongest women I've ever met in my life. After everything you endured, to be able to still look forward, that's incredible. I, for one, am excited about it."
He opened the French doors of the waiting room into the expansive hall of the dining tower. Just across the way was the ballroom. When given the signal, the sergeant at arms would open the doors, and I would step through those doors by myself. Roone would still be there, but he wouldn't be holding my hand.
I was going to have to do this on my own. And I was terrified.
But something he said reminded me
that I could do this.
I wasn't lost anymore. After all this time, I finally had a home. I finally had family. I had roots that would be sticking with me. I had a place to call my own where I had purpose. For once in my life, I would have more than two pictures to my name and more than one friend. I would have everything I'd ever asked for. All I had to do was standup and grasp it. I glanced over at the man I'd come to love. The man I was once sure I'd kill eventually. Granted, there was still time. I lifted the skirt of my ballgown then stood on my tiptoes and gave him the biggest of kisses. I let myself linger for just a moment until he groaned low. "Princess, if you keep kissing me like that, when they open those ballroom doors all of your subjects are going to see you doing very inappropriate princess things."
"Promise?" I asked with a saucy smile.
"Do you want to dare me?"
I giggled and eased back onto my feet. "I do dare you. But I just wanted to say thank you. Thank you for fighting for me even when I didn't want you too. Thank you for never giving up on me."
"I didn't really have a choice. I loved you from the moment I saw you. You were the most infuriating, annoying woman I had ever laid eyes on, and I wanted you to be mine."
"You are a crazy man, you know that?"
He laughed. "You know it's strange, but I've been told that."
"Well, looks like I had better get going."
He grinned at me. "Yeah. You better."
I rushed back to the entrance and nodded at the sergeant at arms. It was time for me to take my place. I was a princess, and I was going to own it. Tiara and all.
Jessa
I wasn’t going to lie, I intended to wear this tiara everywhere. Even to check the mail. Wherever the hell one checked one mail around here. Actually, that was a really good question. Where was I going to get my mail?
Not like I couldn't ask my brothers, but still. Inquiring minds.
I was still in my coronation outfit, ballgown, tiara and all. I really did look like a princess. Me, the girl with no family and no home. Someone had stuck a crown on my head. And these crazy people were calling me Your Highness. No way any of this was real.
