by Renee Carr
“Oh,” he said. “I would have thought that everything was mandatory when...”
“You’ve clearly never been to university,” she observed.
“Well, no,” he admitted.
“So how can you give a speech here?” she asked. “I don’t mean to be disrespectful. But I don’t see how we can sit here and listen. Our professors have worked in the field and we are here because they present innovative ideas based on their expertise.”
“Because I have been trained since birth to run a kingdom?” he responded pointedly, raising an eyebrow. Everyone was staring at them, and normally, he’d shake his head and order her out. Very few people talked to him that way and those who did didn’t talk to him that way for long.
“In the old ways,” she said. “In the ways of your ancestors.”
“Show me how the new ways are better and I will surely take them back to the throne. Our history is written by the winners, and those winners are whom I want to learn from. Not the brand-new ideas that didn’t make it to the battlefield. Or worse, they did and they are from the side that didn’t win.”
“So you want to rule the kingdom exactly how your father does it?”
“What’s wrong with the way my father does it?” he narrowed his eyes at her.
“You’re not your father,” she answered and he felt his breath catch in his throat.
More people began pouring in the room then, and he took a step back. He rarely had a chance to argue with someone like this. Arguing with a prince was reserved for other princes and the king. He was an expert at arguing with his brothers, but they couldn’t exactly win, given that he was the oldest.
He took a step to the podium and then stepped away.
“Sorry, you’re the one who's going first,” he said. “Just to make a speech, unless you have some devious master plan?”
“I don’t,” she rolled her eyes. “Do people often plot against you when you barely know them?”
“Often,” he said, and she looked away. He knew that she had plotted something, although he wasn’t sure on what scale. Was it just a speech to make him look bad? Or was it a full-on attack on his life? Had she plotted with other students to overthrow the crown, or was it just a simple attack with words?
And why wasn’t he angry? Why couldn’t he just walk away from her, or order her removed? Why did he suddenly feel like his soul was whole again?
“Well,” she said, “that sounds stressful.”
“It’s just daily life,” he answered and her eyes flickered upwards to his.
“Well, that sounds horrible,” she said.
“It’s not all bad,” he said in a low voice, but she made a face and raised her eyebrows. She didn’t believe him, and it was clear from the look in her eyes.
“But some of it is?” she asked.
“Is everything in your life perfect?” he countered.
“No,” she said. “But people don’t try to kill me on a daily basis, so there is that.”
Eventually, the lecture hall was full, and she encouraged him to take a seat beside the podium so that she could introduce him. He wasn’t used to feeling so comfortable within the first four seconds of meeting someone that he could reveal dark thoughts such as what he had shared.
He had to know more about this girl and find out why his heart felt more whole than it had since his father had gotten sick. He had to know why she was so brave and why he felt so odd around her.
“Ladies and gentlemen,” Lady Sarah said, addressing her fellow students. “Today we have an honored guest. Our next Alpha, the Crown Prince John, will be addressing us today, to speak about battle tactics. As dragons, we...”
Sarah droned on, and John was so focused on her that he didn’t even notice when she ended her speech and stepped aside in order to let him stand up.
“Thank you, Lady Sarah Beckwith,” he said. “As the daughter of one of the oldest titles in my kingdom, I thank you for your loyal service to the crown, even today.”
Sarah crossed her legs and opened her notebook, looking him right in the eye. It was clear that she was waiting for him to impress her. Normally, John was the one waiting for others to impress him. Her intense gaze made him sweat, and he turned to his notes, taking a deep breath.
“I want to start with the beginnings of our kingdom,” he said. “As you know, dragons have ruled over the other shifters for years. Over the years, however, there have been both civil wars and shifter rebellions, especially with the wolves. The first conflict...”
John continued with his speech, but he found himself glancing at Lady Sarah every few moments, to see what she was thinking. She was taking notes, but he could see from her face that she wasn’t exactly riveted. When he reached the last page and took questions, he begged her with his eyes to ask something, but she didn’t say a word, sitting back.
He had to know what she was thinking. He had to know why his heart felt like it was going to explode if he didn’t hear another word from her.
Chapter 4
“Sarah, what about everything we planned?” Judd made his way to her as what felt like half the student population came up to talk to John or take a photo with him.
“Don’t you think it’s interesting that he doesn’t have guards with him?” Sarah asked Judd as she watched him.
“What?” Judd asked.
“In the old ways, the Dragon Princes would always have guards with them at every opportunity. They wouldn’t leave the house without guards watching their every move. But he doesn’t have a single other person with him. That’s very progressive, given the rest of his speech.”
“I don’t know, maybe he forgot them,” Judd said dismissively. “What about all the things we had prepared?”
“Oh, it doesn’t matter,” Sarah said absently, and Judd almost exploded.
“Doesn’t matter? We were up half the night working on that, and now...”
“But don’t you think it’s interesting?” Sarah asked him again. “That he would be so set in the old ways and then...”
“Sarah, what’s wrong with you?” Judd demanded. “Have you forgotten everything we’ve stood for?”
“That’s a bit dramatic, don’t you think?” Sarah asked him. The group around John was starting to diminish, and he turned to her at what felt like the first available opportunity.
“What did you think?” he asked her. Immediately, it was like no one else in the room was there.
“I think there are some things I would have added,” she said bluntly. “And some things I would have taken out.”
“Oh, really?” he said. “About how much?”
“About 80 percent,” she said with a shrug. “A small percentage.”
The people around her gasped and then turned to John, watching his expression.
“Oh, really?” he repeated with a grin. “I’ll turn the same question on you, then, m’lady. What qualifies you to speak on such a topic?”
“Two degrees in battle strategy and policy-making, working on my third in modern-day warfare,” she said without even blinking an eye.
“Is that so?” he answered. “You look very young.”
“I work very hard,” she countered.
“Prince John,” one of the professors swept in then. “Thank you so much for coming in.”
Sarah reached to gather her bag, and Judd tried to talk to her again.
“Are you mad?” he asked. “Or trying to get yourself beheaded?”
“I’m just trying to help him,” she said defensively and Judd smirked.
“He’s a prince, Sarah,” Judd said. “He doesn’t want your advice.”
“Doesn’t mean he doesn’t need it,” Sarah pointed out. She didn’t want to walk away from the prince. She felt words tumbling out of her mouth, and she wanted to say all of them to him. But instead, she picked up her bag and forced herself to take a step, and then two, and then three.
She couldn’t believe the relief that came when Prince John caught up with her and Judd.
/> “Lady Sarah,” he said, halfway up the stairs. “I would appreciate hearing your opinion on what went terribly wrong, according to you. If you’re not busy.”
“I’m always busy,” she answered. “When would you like to do this?”
“Now,” he said. “I have not allocated much time to be here, and the throne needs me. But I would like to speak to you.”
She met his eyes again and felt that familiar lightning bolt go through her. It had happened four times already, and they had only been in the same room for a little over two hours.
“We can share a meal,” she said. “Everyone needs to eat, don’t they? Even princes.”
“Indeed they do,” he said. Judd was staring at her like she had grown a third head, but she really didn’t care. She felt like she could breathe again now that he was standing beside her. “I’m not from the area, but I could find...”
“I know a place,” she said, and he shrugged.
“Whatever you like, my lady,” he said.
“I’ll see you later,” she said to Judd, who was still staring at her open-mouthed. She knew he was shocked, but she couldn’t exactly explain how she was feeling at the moment. If she told Judd that every time John looked at her it caused her to feel like she was struck by lightning, he would think that she was crazy. In addition, if she told him that she couldn’t breathe without the prince, it would end her relationship with Judd, or whatever it was that she was doing with him.
She didn’t even really know how to explain it to herself, aside from the terrifying thought that she was trying to ignore. Sarah was a realist, and she tended to have a plan for everything.
At the moment, she had made four different plans based on the feelings she had. The last one was the most terrifying, and she also thought the most likely.
She thought that perhaps John was her fated mate, but of course, they would never be together because that was a horrible idea. On top of being incredibly mismatched in terms of titles, they clearly disagreed on everything. So, on the off chance that they were mates, they would never be married and be apart forever.
She also considered the fact that she was the only one who was feeling this way, and she would wither and suffer when he left her after this meal, which was possible.
If someone had told her today that she was going to have lunch with the prince rather than trying to sabotage his speech, she would have said that they were crazy. Now, it seemed like the easiest thing in the world.
“I’ll see you later, Judd,” she repeated when he tried to protest again. John took her back down the steps to where a man in a palace uniform was waiting. She had only ever seen a palace representative once before, and it was when a man had come to their door to call their father to the palace.
“Can you tell him where you want to go?” John asked. “As I have no idea about the area.”
“Can you take us to the Skybar?” she asked the man. “I can give you directions.”
“Skybar,” he said. “I’m sure I can put it in the satnav. My lord, you have an appointment back at...”
“I can delay it for a few hours,” John cut in. “I’m sure it will be fine. Would you like me to send a message, or will you?”
“Of course, I can do it, my lord,” he said. “It’s just...”
“Yes?” John cocked his eyebrow and the man realized that he shouldn’t argue. John escorted Lady Sarah out the door, offering to carry her bag. She didn’t let him, walking steadily while casting her eyes on the waiting ship.
“Is this yours?” she asked. “Or does the palace just have a fleet of them?”
“We have a fleet of them, of course,” he said. “And they are at my disposal whenever I need one.”
“It’s better to have one of your own, that no one else uses. It’s safer, even.”
“What do you mean?” he asked.
“Well,” she said, “if you have a ship that is just yours, you not only know the ins and outs of it, but you also can make sure that no one tampers with it, in the event of an emergency. You can make any modifications you want, and have passwords only you know, to protect yourself if someone is trying to break in or leave you a nasty present.”
“But if they know it’s yours?” he said. “Then it’s easier to target you.”
“Perhaps,” she said with a glint in her eye. “But there’s technology to know if something has changed. And it’s a lot harder to break in. Statistically, where this method has been tested in other parts of the universe, the riders of the ships are safer than if they have access to any mass fleet.”
“Hmm,” he said as he escorted her onto the ship. “That’s not something I have considered before. It would be difficult to convince my father that he only needs one ship as opposed to sixty.”
“Sixty is an easy invitation for harm,” she said. “And without additional security or security that many people have access to, it’s a lot easier than several layers of personal security.”
The ship began to cruise through the air, and both of them buckled themselves into the seats in the back.
“Do you know how to fly?” she asked him and he smirked.
“Yes,” he responded. “I do know how to fly.”
“I’m just asking,” she said. “Because knowing how to fly yourself would be additional security than having an extra person around. You came without guards today, why is that?”
“Why, is someone planning to harm me?” he asked with a wry smile.
“Not that I know of,” she said. “But princes traveling without guards is a modern thing, to be more in touch with the people, especially in low-risk areas.”
“Don’t give me too much credit,” he said dryly. “My brother, Joshua, is aware of my every movement today. He has made a plan for several different outcomes, in case I find myself in danger.”
“Well, he didn’t plan our outing, did he?” Sarah asked.
“No,” John said, and caught her gaze again. “He didn’t.”
They eventually landed in the city district, which Sarah knew was remarkably higher risk than the university. However, because the stop was unplanned, she did know that statistically, he was probably in less danger than if the visit was part of the royal agenda.
“You should probably tell your brother,” she said as they took off their seatbelts. “Just in case. It’s safer that way.”
“Oh, should I?” he teased her. “Are we not just going for a quick drink?”
“Well, that’s up to you,” she said as she grabbed her bag and sauntered off the ship.
Sarah had been to Skybar many times before, and she chose it because it was the type of place that only cared if you caused trouble. If they kept a low profile and didn’t start table dancing, she knew the people inside wouldn’t care that the Alpha heir was with her. There were several private rooms in the back that remained fairly quiet. In addition, they served her favorite salad, so she was eager to get lunch away from the rigid confines of her family home.
“Oh my,” he said as they walked in. She knew that Skybar could be overwhelming at first, with three different floors of music, and what felt like a thousand people milling about. However, the moment they walked in, there was someone to greet them.
“Lady Sarah,” greeted the maître d’. “How can I help you?”
“A private room in the back, please,” she said. “And please start a house salad.”
“Of course,” he said, and escorted them back through the crowds. Sarah appreciated that he didn’t flicker an eye at John, who stayed at her side. He did bow to the prince, but Sarah knew that he had to in order to not be rude. Aside from that, he acted like they were normal customers.
Judd had first found the place when they were wandering through town, looking for a late-night drink. She had fallen in love with the atmosphere and the fact that she wasn’t a titled noble inside. It was one of the first times in her life that she had just been a normal patron of a bar, a university student out for a drink and nothing more. Sh
e had a feeling that John would find the anonymity relaxing as well.
“You’re a regular here?” John asked, as soon as they were inside.
“As often as I want to be a student and not wear a tiara,” she said.
“How often is that?”
“I don’t know,” she mused. “Some months it’s every day, and some months not at all.”
“It must be nice to choose,” he said as their eyes met again. She swallowed hard.
“It can be,” she said. “But it must be nice to also know your place in the world.”
“It can be,” he echoed.
Chapter 5
Neither of them wanted to stay in the crowded bar very long. Sarah usually didn’t enjoy playing tourist in the crowded streets, but she wanted to show John everything about the territory that he had never explored. After a single drink, she rose, going to cover the tab.
“What are you doing?” he asked, confused.
“Let’s go to the square,” she suggested. “There’s a carnival and I’ve always wanted to go there.”
“A carnival?” he asked. Although he had seen such things, and done a ribbon cutting for one or two of them, he had never actually been inside of one. “Now?”
“Come on,” she urged. “Surely you can get away just a bit longer.”
He knew that he really should go back, but he could not refuse her invitation. Allowing her to pull him by the hand, they exited the bar and walked right past the waiting ship.
“Wait, did you pay?” he realized. “You shouldn’t have done that.”
“Why not?” she asked. “Did you want me to steal it?”
“No,” he cleared his throat. “It’s just... you’re a lady. You shouldn’t have to pay for anything.”
She rolled her eyes.
“Please,” she said. “You’re so old-fashioned.”
“Am I?” he asked. “I thought I was just a gentleman.”
Sarah couldn’t resist smiling at that.
“I mean, it’s very kind of you to offer,” she said placatingly. “But I am capable of taking care of myself. I take it you don’t meet many women like that?”
