The Prince and the Player

“The ladies are behind me, but I wanted to come ahead to be sure we were on the same page with this.”

“What the devil is this about, Reg?” Cal steps forward, arms crossed.

“The young lady I introduced you to last night is what you might call American royalty.”

“Is that so?”

This makes me laugh. “America doesn’t have royalty. They have reality TV.”

“Either way, you’d do well to give her a chance. She could be the answer to your problem.”

“She’s not the answer to anything. My mother, the council, all the old crones and their husbands won’t be satisfied unless I marry someone of noble birth, who will strengthen us politically and hopefully economically.”

As I say the words, my insides feel like they’re shriveling. I want to find Ava, spend more time with her. I want to know how she grew up, her favorite flowers, where she went to school, if she has a favorite movie…

Reggie interrupts my longings. “What Zelda Benedict brings to the table makes up for all that antiquated formality. Besides, your grandfather married an American.”

“The country was healthy and prosperous at the time.”

What Reggie knows about my problems is actually very little. My goal is to move the country away from oil dependence, and I’ve been working toward that goal since I was prematurely shoved into leadership. Still, if playing along with him means I’ll get to see more of Ava, I’m happy to comply.

Crossing my arms, I feign interest in his scheme. “What exactly is your plan?”

“I said I’d show her the city. You can take over those duties for me today. Spend time together, and we can meet up for dinner at your estate this evening.”

“What about her friend? Will she be joining us?”

My uncle glances at my brother. “Cal can take care of her. Give you and Zee some alone time.”

“Right! Because I don’t have any plans today.” Cal’s is sarcastic, but I’m right there with him. Last thing I want is to hand Ava over to him.

“I think we should all stay together.”

Reginald shrugs. “It would be better if you had some time one-on-one, but perhaps starting out with doubles is a less threatening approach.”

A flash of color behind him catches my eye, and I look up to see the ladies walking toward us. Ava is wearing a thin yellow dress that ripples in the breeze. She’s like sunshine and fresh breezes, making my whole day feel brighter. Zelda is wearing something similar.

“Hello, my dears!” My uncle starts toward them, stopping to do the customary kiss on the cheek.

I glance over at Cal, and a peculiar expression is on his face. It’s a mixture of satisfaction and desire, and I follow his eyes back to where my uncle is standing with the two women. I can’t tell which one he’s looking at, and I have to fight back the surge of possessiveness that it might be Ava.

“Meeting someone and marrying her are two vastly different things,” I say to him quietly.

“I couldn’t agree more.” His reply is as forceful as mine.

“Despite what Reggie said, I’m not holding out hope for his plan to work.”

“Neither am I.” My brother starts toward the ladies, leaving me frowning after him.

I have no idea what he’s thinking, but hell if I let him get the jump on me. Moving quickly, I join the group.

“Good morning,” I say, smiling and giving the two ladies a nod. They each start to curtsey, but I interrupt. “I think we can dispense with the formalities at this point.”

“Thank you,” Zelda smiles, and her eyes are fixed on me, almost as if she’s trying not to look at anyone else. “Reginald said you’d like to show us the Oceanographic Museum?”

A noise like a strangled laugh comes from Cal.

“The aquarium?” I ask. “It is on most tourists’ To Do list when they first visit our country. We can actually walk there from here.”