***
The plane jostled as it touched down on the tarmac. Kerry couldn’t remember the last time she had flown commercial. Maybe once when she was in college, but even then, the plane turned around when they realized that she was on board without her security.
Somehow this trip had gone smoothly, not a single hitch in her plan and Kerry couldn’t seem to begin to wonder when the other shoe would drop. There was no way she was coming away from this unscathed, whether it be from her parents or her lack of protection. But there was no turning back now. Thousands of nautical miles separated her from her family and responsibilities. And for the first time in years, Kerry felt as if she could breathe.
“Miss, do you need any assistance?” a hardened but polite voice said from above her. Kerry was startled to find that the remainder of the plane had disembarked and she was the only one still sitting in her seat.
“Sorry. I was lost in my own head. I’ll just grab my bags and be on my way.”
As Kerry stood, the attendant watched her shrewdly. Her dark gaze narrowed as she watched Kerry grab her purse from the floor and her bag from the overhead.
“You look familiar.”
“Do I?” Kerry replied in her typical fashion when she went out in public incognito. It was almost impossible to go unrecognized in her country, but in America, they knew little of her small country of Lythembria.
“Yeah, I can’t put my finger on it.”
“That’s okay. I get it a lot. Thank you again for the wonderful flight.”
It didn’t take Kerry long to maneuver through the International airport and locate the baggage claim. Quickly she rented a car using the fake ID she kept on hand to keep her identity hidden.
Though she was tired, she began the trek to Asheville, where she planned to stay for the night.
The car was set up with Bluetooth and Kerry immediately called the only number programmed on her phone once she reached the main road. She was thankful they drove on the same side of the road as her country.
“Are you there?” the person on the other line asked without even a greeting.
“I am, Mary. I’m making my way to Asheville as we speak.”
“I booked you a room at a hotel for the night. I’ll text you the information.”
“Thank you. You’ve gone above and beyond for me in the last twenty-four hours. I won’t ever forget it.”
“I’m here to serve you, your highness.”
“Yes, but this is above your job. And you’re my friend, Mary. We practically grew up together.”
“This is true. What happens if your family figures out that I helped you? I could lose my job. Heck, I could be put in jail for treason.”
“That won’t happen. I won’t let it happen. I swear on the crown.”
Kerry chuckled at Mary’s gasp. Swearing on the crown wasn’t a joke in their country.
“But, your highness. . .”
“Mary, it will be okay. I left my parents a note explaining why I left. I need time to figure out what I want to do. I just need to be somewhere where I can just be. . .me.”
“I understand, miss, but I can’t keep secrets from the king.”
“I’m not asking you to keep secrets, just don’t tell him that you know where I am. If he cared for me at all, he could easily figure it out, but he doesn’t, which is my entire reason for leaving.”
Mary remained quiet for a minute and Kerry wondered if she had ended the call until the soft-spoken woman spoke through on the other end of the call.
“Are you certain that you’re safe there, Karolyna? You don’t have any security with you, and if someone recognized you, it could make for a terrible situation.”
Kerry understood what Mary was saying. It was a risk, for sure. Even in other European countries, Kerry was always on high alert. Men and women would do anything to get their hands on a royal family member, even that of a small independent country. But Kerry was confident the reward was greater than the risk. At least in this instance. Before she tied herself down to the throne and crown for a life of servitude, she needed to have that last sense of freedom. And she needed it without the watchful eye of her father’s security team.
“I don’t have a single thing to worry about where I’m going. One day I’ll take you there and you’ll understand.”