Princess Arabelle

Like a cat, I’m stealthy and make it to my bedroom in a flash. When I open the door, Marielle is lying dramatically across my chaise with her forearm draped over her forehead. “Should I get the fainting salts?” I ask sarcastically, shutting the door behind me.

“Maybe. What do they do?”

I roll my eyes. “What’s the emergency?”

She sits up abruptly. “I kissed Bennett, but it gets worse.” With her hands pressed into the velvet, she just stares at me.

Drama queen. “Worse? Is he a bad kisser?”

“No,” she replies, looking at me like I just sprouted a second head. “The opposite. He’s an amazing kisser.”

“Then what’s worse?”

“He kissed me back.” She takes another deep breath. “And just now before I went into my room.” Pushing up, she starts walking in a circle around my room. “What am I going to do?”

Since the emergency is not a crisis, I stand in front of the vanity mirror and start taking off my earrings. “Well, if it were me, I’d be kissing him. A lot.”

She scoffs, and when I find her in the reflection, her arms are crossed. “That’s why you’ve been in so much trouble.”

“I’m not in trouble.” I turn around and head for the bathroom.

When I pass her, she pinches her nose, and says, “You smell.”

“I know,” I reply with a smirk. I smell of Hutton and unadulterated lust. Since she’s only here to figure out how to deal with her feelings versus what she’s been told she’s allowed to do, I figure I have enough time to shower and get back to Hutton before he falls asleep.

“Gross, Belle. Anyway, back to me.”

“Yes, let’s get back to you and the kissing.” I lean against the doorframe. “What’s the big deal? Bennett’s so cute.” I spin into the bathroom to turn the shower on.

She giggles. “He is.” When I peek back out, she’s touching her lips. “But we kissed, Belle. What’s going to happen?”

“What do you mean what’s going to happen?”

A quizzical look creases her brow as she stares at me.

My mouth drops open. Oh my God. “Is Bennett the first guy you’ve ever kissed?” Tears spring to her eyes, and she starts nodding like a crazed person. How is that possible? She’s grown up attending parties and balls and socializing with men. She’s pretty and charming, a perfect princess. She’s had ample opportunity to kiss and be kissed. For crying out loud, how did she get through school and remain unkissed? Remarkable and quite astonishing. “Awww, Marielle, I had no idea.” I go to her, clasping her face in my hands. “How is that possible? You’re gorgeous. You’re twenty-three.”

“I took our bylaws seriously.”

“Those were written six hundred years ago.” I sit on the end of the mattress. “They don’t expect us to follow laws originally put in place to keep women under a man’s control.”

“What are you talking about? Yes, they do. We’re supposed to.” She gasps, her hand covering her mouth. “I know you’ve kissed boys, Belle, but have you—” She gasps again.

“Stop doing that,” I snap, standing up.

“Please tell me you haven’t broken the law.”

“Broken the law? Good lord, Marielle. What are they going to do to me for kissing someone?” A memory flashes—I take him deep into my mouth and listen to the moans he can’t keep quiet—as I move around my room, aimlessly looking for a distraction from the current conversation. “Throw me in the dungeon?”

“Yes. Or worse. They could keep you from becoming queen.”

I worked hard to earn my degrees, but that was to use the knowledge from the throne, to know how to keep world relations as well as understand Brudenbourg’s economy. Being queen is not a backup plan. It is THE plan. The only plan I’ve made. There are no contingencies in place. I never regretted my actions before, but I’m beginning to. But that means regretting being with Hutton, and I don’t have that capability.

But I do start questioning if I can trust my sister, which makes me feel awful. No, not Marielle. She doesn’t have a mean bone in her body. I’ve seen too many royalty themed movies. “They wouldn’t do that.”

“What if they do?”

I stare at her, my eyes narrowing. “Then you would become queen.” The sound of the shower brings me out of my suspicions. “We don’t have to worry about that, though.”

“You’re still a virgin?”

“Of course,” I reply nonchalantly, lying between my teeth. “I wouldn’t break the law. A kiss won’t get me knocked from my rightful place.” I walk back to the bathroom.

“Right.”

“But you wouldn’t tell, right, Marielle?”

“No. I wouldn’t. You won’t tell on me, right?”

“Of course not. You’re my sister. If we can’t trust each other, we can’t trust anyone.” I hug her. “I have your back.” I do too, but my gut twists all the same.

“I have yours, too.” She hugs me tightly. “I love you, but you need to shower. You really stink.”

My smirk returns. “I’m going. I’m going.” Right back to Hutton. Before I close the door, I say, “Just enjoy that kiss and the innocence of it. And nothing is going to happen. If you like him, kiss him again. If you want more . . . do what you want. When I’m queen, I’m getting rid of those stupid bylaws anyway. Be happy, sister.”

When she touches her lips again, a sweet smile graces her pink lips. “Thank you for taking me out tonight.”

“I’m glad you came. Night.”

“Good night.”

I don’t rush in the shower. My skin feels raw and alive, his fingerprints still searing my body. It’s easy to wash away the memory of what we did earlier when I know we’ll be making more tonight.

I’m not sure how fate worked her magic, but she managed to bring us back together. Should I be looking at this differently? Believe a future together might be possible?

The laws are stupid and sexist, and I can’t believe my mom has kept them in place. She’s had thirty years to change them and hasn’t. Why? What bothers me more is if I bring the subject up to her, they’ll question why I care. Basically, I’d be busting myself.

My father would see it as giving us permission to do the deed. Who cares if I have if the man I marry doesn’t? And I have no intentions of marrying a man who I haven’t been with like that. One thing Hutton has taught me is that chemistry in the bedroom is vital. I have it in spades with him, so why would I settle for less?

Duke Dick floods my thoughts. Ugh. He makes me feel dirty, but not in the fun way Hutton does.

I’m quick to dry off and get dressed. I don’t bother with underwear or a bra. They’ll be off again as soon as I step into Hutton’s room. I work my way back down to his quarters and knock lightly. Maybe I should have texted him first. When there’s no answer, I slowly turn the knob. “Hutton?”

No response.

My hope falls until I see him asleep in the bed. I close the door, lock it, and tiptoe around to the side of the bed I remember him always choosing, even when he has a king-sized bed to spread out on. Kneeling beside the bed, I watch him sleep for a few seconds before kissing his forehead, keeping it light so I don’t wake him up.

His eyes slowly open anyway, and a smile appears. “Hi,” he says, his voice caught between sleep and awake. Deep and sexy.

“Hi.”

“You came back.”

“I didn’t want to stay away.”

“You smell good.”

I smile. “I took a shower.”

His heavy-lidded eyes take me in. “Come to bed. Stay with me.”

Checking the clock on the nightstand, I calculate the latest I can stay before the staff wakes and moves about the palace. “Maybe three hours?”

He lifts the covers, opening his arms for me. I take off my sweatshirt and then pull down my pants, stepping out of them. “You are a very dirty princess.”

“Maybe.” But everything about being with you feels right, not dirty. His arms pull me in as soon as I lie down. He’s wrapped in the blanket. I’m wrapped up in him, loving it. My heart beats to let me know he’s close but is steadily soaking in the peace he provides. The back of my neck is kissed, but his hands don’t roam. Not yet. His warm breath covers me, and he asks, “Do you want to rest or . . .”

As much as he always turns me on, I feel like we’ve turned a corner. We have time. We’ll make sure we do as long as he’s here, if I can make my parents see how amazing he is, then we can possibly have the rest of our lives together. If they approve of him, we won’t have to live every second like it’s our last. I close my eyes and snuggle in his hold. “Maybe I can sneak in a little catnap.” I mean, I still want him. I’m not going to say no to sex with him or anything. He’s damn incredible.

“Get some rest, princess.”

He can’t see since he’s behind me, but I’m smiling because I hear the tease in the title. I’ll take it.

I’d normally blame exhaustion for my foul mood, but I know the truth. I don’t want to leave Hutton. His arm is heavy like a weight, but one I don’t want to lift. I like how strong he is, how big he is, hiding me from the rest of the world while in his embrace. But the sun is coming up over the fields in the distance, so I need to go.

As I slip from his hold, he continues to slumber peacefully, which makes me smile. Maybe he can be happy here with me in Brudenbourg, in the palace, living his days without the worries of his work while he sits on the throne next to me.

He can’t be king, but he can be my prince just like he’s been my Prince Charming all along. This could work. He loves me. And I love him, so much that it hurts to have to leave. I’m about to lean down to kiss him, but I stop myself this time. He woke up last night when I did, so I kiss his shoulder instead, hoping he stays asleep.

I return to my room without running into any staff and shut the door. I lean against it smiling, never feeling happier. Today is a glorious day. Best day ever.

“Where have you been?”

I jump, but with my hand over my heart, I say, “You scared me, Margie. What are you doing here?”

“I work here.”

“Not at five fifteen in the morning.”

She gets up from the chair by the window and holds her phone out. “My phone was blowing up.”

“Wiiith?” I start to get annoyed. It’s way too early for this. I’m grumpy and tired.

“See for yourself.”

I look at the screen, and read, “Reckless Royals Cause Bar Brawl.” Defensively, I screech, “We did not! We got out of there as soon as it broke out.”

“Who’s we?”

Rolling my hand in the air, I reply, “It’s the royal we.”

“Very funny, Belle, but for real. I don’t know how to get ahead of this if I don’t know what I’m covering up.”

A yawn escapes. “I’m really tired. There’s nothing to get ahead of. We didn’t do anything wrong.”

“You being there was wrong. Why did you go out?”

I enter the bathroom and shut the door for privacy. “I’ve been good the whole time I’ve been back. I wanted one night of fun. Is that so bad?”

After washing my hands, I open the door to find her sitting on the bench at the end of my bed. She says, “Yes. Your party days are over. We can’t have stories like this coming out. Your parents were very direct when they told you how they expected you to act.”

Walking a wide berth around her, I climb into bed and lie back. “It was one time, Margie. That’s it.”

She turns around and leans on the mattress. “Swear to me, Belle.”

Damn her. “Whose side are you on anyway?”

“Yours. That’s why I’m here.”

“And here I thought you were my best friend.”

Grabbing my foot over the covers, she says, “I am.” Her voice is less professional, and I start to hear my friend in there again. “I’m always your best friend, and I’ll always look out for you—personally or professionally—Belle. But when it comes to my job, I work hard. Work with me and make it a little easier.”

I start thinking about the bar and going with my sister. Propping up on an elbow, I ask, “Are you upset I didn’t invite you?”

“No,” she replies, shrugging. “But since when did Marielle start partying?”

Thinking about my sister and how she had her first kiss, I know she doesn’t. “I promised to spend more time with her, and she promised to wear a pair of my jeans.”

It’s the first time I’m really getting a good look at Margie. Her hair is pulled back in a pretty chignon, and she’s wearing a pearl necklace. She says, “Wow, really? That girl is never casual. How did she look?”

“Sexy. Caught every guy’s eye who was there.” Thinking of Hutton, I add, “Almost every guy.”

“Almost? Who wasn’t looking at her?”

“My brother.”

“Jakob went?” She looks confused and sits up. “He was at a business dinner last night in the Village with Everest Media. Oh. Tell me you didn’t see him, Belle.”

“Why would I lie? I did see Hutton there, but it was pure coincidence. I had no idea he would be there. That was all Jakob.”

“So you didn’t hook up with him?”

“No, there was no hooking up. We were all hanging out one minute, and then the next, there was a full-on fight. We escaped and came home.”

“Where have you been since you clearly haven’t been in your room?”

“In the kitchen getting food.” At least my bed looks ruffled from where Marielle threw herself across it at one point, but the high of my cuddle session with Hutton has completely worn off. “I’m going to sleep. You’re welcome to get a few more Zs if you want.”

She stands, and I’ve never been happier to see my friend go. “I have a long list of things to get done. I’ll see you in a few hours.”

“Yes, I’ll be right on it.” My eyelids grow heavy, and I finally close them. I wish I still had the weight of Hutton wrapped around me. “Talk later.”

“Yes, Princess. Have sweet dreams.”

I plan on it.