Chapter Twenty-Two
That evening Rachelle and Magnus entered his father’s palace through the front gate, met by surprisingly respectful photographers. After she thought about it, she realized she should have expected nothing less. His family made the laws here.
A member of the royal household welcomed them into the palace and briefed them on the location of the guests as well as the order of the planned events. There would be time to mingle with the guests before the arrival of the king. King Tadeas would say a few words, then circulate as well. Dressed in a dark-blue suit, Magnus looked like the businessman she’d grown accustomed to him morphing into each morning, but he held himself differently in this space. He became who he needed to be—someone of sophisticated etiquette and composure.
The reception was not, as Rachelle had originally feared, an act of manipulation. Planning for the event had started months before she and Magnus had even met. This formal cocktail party honored those who had completed building several satellite orphanages in the rural communities of Vandorra. Magnus had explained to her that their ultimate goal was to keep children, unless there was a reason to remove them from the area, as much a part of their original community as possible. Their goal was to build networks of support around the most needy rather than yanking them away from everything they’d known because it was easier. Magnus never took the easy road, and he didn’t look away from those who needed him. One day he would be a hell of a king.
Being on the arm of such a man would have intimidated Rachelle a month ago. She would have wondered why he wasn’t with a more beautiful woman or someone with better social graces. She would have felt like a fraud had he draped her with diamonds, but she’d chosen a modest, long-sleeved, dark-floral dress from a department store and paired it with classic pointed designer pumps. Yes, it was more formal than what she normally wore, but enough of her personal style that she felt comfortable in it.
As they made their way into the reception area, Magnus lowered his head and said, “Your grandmother is likely already inside. If you wish to show her respect, we should start with her.”
Although Rachelle had done her best to avoid Delinda for the last week, not wanting to give her a chance to fill her head with negativity, she nodded. At the end of the day, Delinda was family. “I’d like that.”
Rachelle introduced herself to each of the staff she encountered until she caught Magnus watching her. Only then did she realize the staff looked surprised by her friendly greeting. “Was that wrong?”
He smiled. “No, it was pleasantly right.”
Upon their entry, the volume dropped significantly. No one rushed to greet their prince, but several looked as if they wanted to. Some of the house staff dispersed around the room, and Rachelle guessed they’d instructed the crowd to wait to be approached by Magnus.
As expected, Delinda was not standing alone. She was surrounded by a healthy number of men and women, both young and old. Even in Europe, Delinda’s name opened doors, and the flock around her seemed to understand that well.
Magnus greeted her warmly. “Mrs. Westerly, it is a pleasure to have you join us.”
“Thank you, Your Royal Highness. The pleasure is mine,” Delinda said with all the polished etiquette of a woman who was not new to attending such events. She turned her attention to Rachelle. “Rachelle, you look lovely in that dress.”
Rachelle stepped forward to kiss her grandmother’s cheek. “Thank you.” When she stepped back and took a closer look at her grandmother, she was surprised to see the circles beneath her eyes that makeup had not fully concealed. Her grandmother looked her age that evening, and Rachelle was filled with guilt for having avoided her. “I’m sorry I’ve been so busy.”
In place of the cutting sarcasm Rachelle expected, Delinda smiled and gave her hand a pat of support. “And yet you made time to see me each day. No matter how short the visits were, they warmed my heart.”
Her comment confused Rachelle until she realized how many eyes and ears were focused on their conversation. We’re onstage. I can’t forget that. “I always have time for you, Grandmother. Always.”
Magnus greeted each of the people around Delinda. Although he introduced Rachelle by saying, “It is my pleasure to present Miss Rachelle Westerly,” and nothing more, it didn’t seem that more was needed. The mere fact that she was on his arm seemed to be a statement of its own.
After a few minutes, Magnus excused himself from the group and led Rachelle toward another. Once again, he presented her with simplicity, then spoke to each person in the cluster. Although several seemed nervous as he approached, he put them at ease. He had informed conversations, as if he knew a great deal about everyone in attendance, and expressed sincere gratitude to each in turn. Rachelle was impressed with how he left each of them feeling as if their presence that evening mattered more than his.
When they finally had a moment alone, Rachelle motioned for Magnus to bend so she could say something softly in his ear. “Magnus, I’m worried about my grandmother. She doesn’t look well. Will there be a break during the events tonight when I could take her aside and ask her how she’s feeling?”
His gaze flew to Delinda, who was now seated with a circle of people around her. “She does look tired. After my father speaks, he will do just as we did. It would be simple enough to slip away then. Should I accompany you?”
“No, she’ll be more honest without an audience.”
“Yes, I can see that.” He looked her over again. “If you are very concerned, take her aside now.”
As Rachelle watched Delinda holding court, she told herself she was worrying about nothing. Her grandmother was the strongest woman she knew and would probably be healthy as a bull until she was well over a hundred. “It can wait. She seems fine right now.”
“Come, then. There are more people for you to meet.” He took a step toward another group, but Rachelle halted him.
He looked down at her with concern.
She felt a bit silly but wanted to express what she was feeling. “I’m proud to be here with you. You’ve changed the way this American views royalty. Your people are lucky to have you.”
He didn’t bend to kiss her as he might have when they were in his hometown. His smile, though, also shone from his eyes and made her glad she’d told him. “And I am lucky to have you with me. I have attended hundreds of these events, but this is one I shall always remember.”
She blinked back tears. For Magnus that was practically a declaration of love. “Me too.” She floated, not walked, with him to meet the next group of people.
A short while later, King Tadeas entered the room, and a hush of excitement ran through the crowd. He thanked all in attendance for coming and made special mention of several for exceptional dedication to the cause. When he finished speaking, Magnus brought Rachelle over to him.
Here, before his people, Magnus bowed his head to his king. “Father, it is my pleasure to officially present Miss Rachelle Westerly to you.”
His father smiled with approval, then turned his attention to Rachelle. “It is good to see my son with someone who is teaching him to smile again. You are always welcome in my home, Miss Westerly.”
Rachelle bowed her head, although she wasn’t sure if she should have curtsied. “Thank you, Your Majesty. The honor is mine for being included in a celebration for such a worthy cause. I did not expect to enjoy my visit as much as I have, but Vandorra is an easy country to fall in love with.”
“Easier than my son?” King Tadeas joked in a tone low enough for others not to hear.
Rachelle blushed and said as softly, “He’s growing on me as well.”
The king laughed and nodded with approval again. “Dine with me on Sunday, both of you. Something tells me we have much to talk about.”
“We do, Father. Sunday it is.”
With that, Magnus and Rachelle seemed to be released from official duties. All attention turned to the king. Rachelle searched the room, startled when she didn’t see Delinda. She was probably in the washroom. “Magnus, I’m going to slip out to speak to my grandmother now.”
“I’m here if you need me,” he said.
“I know, thank you.” The wonder of the man she tore herself away from was that he meant it when he said that. Never had she dared to imagine having someone in her life she could lean on, believe in. Love wasn’t supposed to be this good, was it?
And love was what Rachelle could no longer deny feeling for Magnus. Waking up in his arms made each day feel like a miracle on its own. Alisha had told her love changed everything, but she hadn’t believed her until Magnus. With him on her side, she felt like she could handle whatever life threw her way—even a lecture from Delinda.
When she didn’t immediately see Delinda, Rachelle made her way down the hallway to peer into the other rooms. She was about to step into one of the rooms when she heard a male voice say, “Prince Magnus is brilliant. You’ll never see Vandorra selling off palaces to the public.”
“But an American? And one that has been mocked on every website, in every newspaper? How desperate for money is he?” a female voice asked.
Rachelle’s chest tightened painfully. She wanted to walk away, but she couldn’t. She didn’t want to hear what else they’d say, but part of her had to.
The man said, “Call her whatever you want, that woman is set to inherit billions when her grandmother kicks the bucket. Did you see the way he was fawning all over her? I wouldn’t be surprised if he rushes her to the altar. Hell, when a deal is that sweet, you close it fast.”
“Do you think she’s even his taste?”
“Prince Magnus is a pragmatist. A chinchilla would be his taste if it came with the dowry she has. Royal marriages are always business first, pleasure with lovers after she pops out a few children. Who cares if she’s angry then?”
“Must you be so crude, Joel?”
“Must you be so naïve, Tatiana? I almost feel bad for her. Unless she’s trading her freedom for a title. Some women are into that.”
Sick to her stomach, Rachelle forced herself to walk away then. She didn’t recognize their names, but that made it worse in a way. They were just voices in the night, slapping her in the face with a potentially ugly reality. All her earlier doubts came crashing back. From the first moment she’d seen Magnus walking down the red carpet toward her, she’d known he was out of her league. Except when it came to an inheritance bigger than his country’s GDP. Eric had warned her that once people knew she had money, she would never again be able to trust anyone.
Every relationship would be doubted, he’d said. Rachelle rushed blindly away from prying eyes. She needed air and a moment alone to think. She ran through the kitchen and out a side door.
In a most unladylike way, Rachelle spent several moments bent over a trash can, fighting to gain control and hoping she didn’t vomit right down the front of her dress.
Luckily, she had her phone with her. “Alisha?”
“What’s wrong, Rachelle? I thought you had a reception tonight. Oh no, Delinda didn’t do something, did she?”
Crap, she never had found her. “No, it’s not her. It’s me. I just heard something, and I don’t want to go where it’s sending me.”
“Are you back in an alley?”
Rachelle looked around at the long three-sided area lined with trash bins. “Yeah. I’m back to that.”
“No. Really?”
Speaking to Alisha calmed Rachelle as only a best friend could. “So, I told you how well things were going.”
“Yes, you did. Magnus sounds amazing.”
“What if he’s not? What if he’s only with me because I have a substantial inheritance in my future?”
“Did he say that?”
Rachelle headed out of the alley. She needed fresher air than the trash area was providing. “No, I overheard some people saying he was brilliant to marry someone like me. You should have heard them talk about Delinda’s money. It was ugly.”
“Fuck them,” Alisha said.
Rachelle let out a surprised laugh, since her friend never normally swore. “So you think I should just forget what they said?”
“That would be impossible, wouldn’t it? Once you’ve heard something, you’ve heard it. What you need to ask yourself is if you believe it.”
“He’s perfect, Alisha. He’s sexy, attentive, funny—even when he’s not trying to be. I’ve met his friends, and they all love him. We’ve worked together this week on real projects and he has valued my opinion at each step. It is good with him, Alisha. So good. Too good?”
“So you’d rather be with an asshole, because that’s the only kind of man who you believe could love you?”
“No. I don’t believe that.”
“Then you think Magnus is a manipulative liar who is driven only by money.”
“No, that’s not how I see him at all.” She thought about the way he cared for his people. He was arrogant, but not greedy. Although he and his father had palaces, he didn’t take money from his people to support them. He was a successful businessman as well as a prince.
“So, what are you going to trust? Two nasty strangers who are probably insanely jealous of you and Magnus? Or your heart? Because I know you love him.”
“I do.” She continued walking down a grassy path. “I just don’t want to wake up a year from now and feel like a fool. Eric warned me that people would want what we have. That has never been true for us, but what if it is now? How awful am I that I’m even considering this?”
Alisha sighed. “Love makes potential fools of all of us. It’s a leap of faith. Brett could come home from work any day and tell me he’s found someone else, but I can’t live afraid that he will—because that’s not living. I’m going to believe in him and in us with every ounce of myself until he gives me a reason not to. I’ve never met Magnus. I can’t tell you if he’s worth the same kind of faith. That’s for you to decide. Is he?”
Rachelle walked on and thought back over the last few weeks. Even at his most infuriating, Magnus had always done what he thought was best for her. From suggesting she leave prostitution to moving her out of a hotel he didn’t think she was safe in, from practically kidnapping Eric to visiting him daily at the hospital—he showed he cared.
“Yes, he is worth that kind of faith. I panicked when I heard those people talking about why they thought he’s with me, but they don’t know me.”
“No, they don’t.”
“And they obviously don’t know him.”
“That much is sure.”
“Eric is so sad right now because he doesn’t let anyone close to him. I know exactly how lucky I am to have you in my life, Alisha. I’m going to let myself believe in Magnus, too. And if anyone wants to question our relationship—fuck them.”
“That’s the spirit.”
Rachelle looked around and realized she’d wandered out of the view of the house. “I’ve got to let you go, Alisha. I think I went back one path too many, and I may be lost now. I’m going to retrace my steps and head back into the reception. Thanks again. I miss you.”
“I miss you, too. Text me later when you get back to the house, okay? Just so I won’t worry.”
“Sure thing.”
With that, Rachelle chose a path she hoped led back to the house. Her high heels made the going slower, especially now that she wasn’t distracted from how sore her feet were getting. She looked around, realizing she was alone for the first time in a while. Normally there was a royal guard somewhere nearby. She called out in the hope that one was. “Anyone there? I’ve gotten a little turned around, so if you’re out there, speak up. I need a little direction on how to get back.” A man in a suit with the insignia of the royal guard appeared. “Oh, good. I’m sorry. I know I shouldn’t be way out here, but I was walking and talking—then, poof, I was lost. You know how that happens.”
The man nodded as if to someone behind her, and she quickly followed his gaze. Another royal guard stepped out of the bushes. Then another. None of these three looked familiar, now that she saw them all together. The hair on the back of her neck rose, and she fumbled to dial Magnus on her phone.
The first man grabbed her phone and threw it in the woods. The other two grabbed her from behind. Duct tape was slapped over her mouth before she had a chance to scream. More was used to expertly secure her hands and legs together. The first man threw her over his shoulder. With tears born from fear, she tried to meet the eyes of the other men, plead with them not to do whatever they were about to, but they did just as Magnus had said they were trained to—they looked away.
She fought the best she could but only succeeded in dislodging her shoes. As if she were nothing more than a rug, the man deposited her in the back of a black SUV flanked by two other guards. They secured her with lap belts so tightly she could barely breathe. A lone driver got in and slammed the door behind him. He touched an earpiece and said, “The bird is in the cage and ready for delivery.”
As the car pulled away, Rachelle prayed for her life. The bird is in the cage? This was planned. By the royal guard? Why? I thought they liked me.
If they even are the royal guard. They could be the people Reggie saw following me. Oh, God, was he right? They’re going to ransom me?
I should have stayed where everyone else was. Magnus told me to be more careful, but I didn’t listen. I didn’t think something like this could actually happen.
She thought about all the things she had put off doing, everything that would be left undone. She didn’t want to die without telling Magnus she loved him. She wanted to tell Delinda she forgave her. She didn’t want to be the reason Eric gave up hope.
This isn’t how it ends for me. It can’t be.
It can’t be.
Magnus checked his watch. Rachelle had been gone long enough that he was concerned. He certainly didn’t want to intrude on whatever conversation she was having with Delinda, but his instincts told him it was time to check on her.
He had just stepped out of the reception area when he spotted Delinda sitting in a side room with a cup of tea in hand. He strode and looked around. “Where’s Rachelle?” He hoped she hadn’t upset her.
“I haven’t seen her,” Delinda said quietly.
“She told me she was coming to find you.”
Delinda put her tea aside. “Well, she did not. I was not feeling well, so your father suggested I rest in here. Had she asked, she could easily have found me. Evidently something more important came up.”
Magnus called to Phillip, who was out in the hallway. “Phillip, where is Rachelle?”
Instantly on alert, Phillip radioed that question to his men.
Magnus took out his phone and called her. No answer. He saw one missed call from her about twenty minutes earlier. Was she angry? Upset? Scared? She hadn’t seemed any of those things.
Phillip said, “She was seen going into the kitchen a while ago.”
“A while? How long is a while ago? A minute? Thirty minutes?”
Delinda joined them. “Is something wrong?”
Magnus walked away from her because he wanted to keep his focus on the only thing that mattered. “Phillip, I want her found, and I want her found now. Search the palace room by room. Sweep the garden. We have security tapes—have someone review them. Now.”
“She might simply be talking with someone and ignoring her phone, but we will find her.”
Magnus began his own search, uncaring that Delinda called out for him to stop so she could join him. If she was offended by his indifference, she could voice her complaint later. Phillip was right—Rachelle might simply be distracted by a conversation with someone. They’d all laugh about this later and agree Delinda was best left out of a search that wasn’t even necessary.
The problem was, his gut was churning. He trusted his instincts, and they were screaming something wasn’t right.
Phillip found him as he was about to enter the kitchen. “Magnus.”
One look at Phillip’s face and he knew it was serious. He braced himself for the worst. “You found her?”
“No, but we have video of her being taken from the party. She didn’t go willingly.”
“What do you mean, taken?” Magnus’s hands fisted at his sides.
“We have a motion-activated clip of video from the south path. She encountered a man in a suit with the royal guard emblem, but I didn’t recognize him. I sent men, Magnus, but I doubt she’s still there. It looked planned. He had her bound by two others with what looked like duct tape.”
“Oh my God.” Magnus could have given in to the rage nipping at his heels. He could have asked Phillip how this was possible when so many were supposed to be watching her, but he didn’t. It was a conversation that could wait for later. Right now what mattered was finding her. “Notify the police. I want a close perimeter and a wide one secured now. Get helicopters up in the air. How long ago was the video taken?”
“Thirty minutes.”
“A car can travel outside the city in that time.”
“Yes.”
“Do we know what they might be driving? If they were driving? Do we fucking know anything besides what you just told me?”
“Not yet, but we will.” Phillip radioed the police while Magnus barked orders to the guards in the palace. One was for the royal household to keep all guests in the reception area—no matter what.
His father came to his side. “Magnus, is it true? Has someone taken Rachelle?”
Magnus nodded once.
“Do we know who was involved?”
“Not yet. Go back to the guests, Father. I’ll handle this.”
King Tadeas put a hand on his son’s shoulder. “I am a father first and a king second. My place is with you. This is one fight you won’t face alone.”
“How can it be faced at all when the enemy is still unknown?”
Delinda joined them. “Has something happened to Rachelle? I have to know.”
Magnus and his father exchanged a long look. Would telling her help, or would she impede the search?
To Delinda he said, “Your granddaughter is in great danger. Do you know anyone who would want to harm her?”
“No.”
“Someone took her from the property. We don’t know what they want yet. If you know anything, you need to tell us now.”
The older woman went pale. “I should have said something earlier. I hired a woman, Alethea Narcharios, to follow her. I thought she could keep her safe from anything. I haven’t heard from her in two days,” Delinda said, clutching at the king’s arm as she sagged in shock. “Alethea can be headstrong. I thought she was investigating something she wouldn’t want me to know about. But Rachelle might not have been the first they took. Oh my God, what have I done?”
The king murmured something to Delinda that Magnus was beyond caring about. Someone had to have seen something. He would grill every royal guard and their families if that’s what it took to find Rachelle.
Just then, two royal guards entered the great hall half carrying, half dragging a man. “Your Majesty. Your Royal Highness. We found this man on the property.” They deposited him at Magnus’s feet.
The man stood, brushed himself off, and said, “Before you congratulate them on nabbing me, you might want to explain to them the difference between walking toward the house to tell you something and running away.”
He reminded Magnus of a man Rachelle had once described. “Reggie?”
The man held out his hand. “Yes. Nice to meet you, Mr. Prince, or whatever people call you.”
As insane as it was to hope, Magnus shook his hand and asked, “Did you see something?”
“I saw everything. That’s why I’m here.”
“You saw Rachelle get kidnapped?” Delinda asked in a high pitch.
“Easy, lady,” Reggie said. “I was on a hike with my family, mostly minding our own business. The kids wanted to see how far we could get onto the palace property before someone caught us, but when I saw that the guards had guns, I sent my wife and kids back to the hotel.”
“While you did what?” Phillip asked.
Reggie shrugged. “Just checked things out. Eric asked me to watch over Rachelle, and I try be around if she needs me.”
“Did you see who took her?” Phillip asked.
“Yes.”
“And you did nothing to stop them?” Magnus growled.
Reggie threw both hands up. “Four guys. All armed. I could have tried to fight them myself, but then I wouldn’t be alive to tell you what happened.”
“No, but she might be. You let someone take her while you did nothing?” Magnus wanted to strangle the man.
His father moved between them. “Magnus, let the man speak.”
“He doesn’t deserve to live to voice another word. He should have done something. Every moment she’s gone is one he could have prevented.”
“I tried to call your emergency numbers, but they thought I was pranking. Sorry if you don’t have a 1-800-Someone-Stole-Rachelle hotline. I rushed here as fast as I could. And not all of it was pleasant.” He glared at the guards who had brought him into the palace. “Now we can stand around all day and discuss what I could have done better, or I can tell you who took her and where they went.”
Magnus grabbed Reggie by the shirt collar. “Who took her? Where did they go? What did you hear?”
Reggie pulled himself free and squared his shoulders. “I’ll tell you as long as you all keep your damn hands to yourself. I might have some of this wrong, because I couldn’t exactly ask any questions, but I stayed and listened to what the men were talking about after one of them left with Rachelle. I guess you have some crazy cousin who thinks you cheated him out of his crown or something. He’s waiting with his son at some cabin or lodge or someplace he thinks your father, pardon what I’m about to say about you, Mr. King, sir, stole from him when he took the crown. I would have come to tell you sooner, but those guys were real chatty, and I had to wait for them to leave before I came out from the rock I was hiding behind. I gave myself a real cramp, too.”
A cold fury rose within Magnus. He’d faced and won against his cousin in the past, but he should have exiled him or worse. Like a cancer, time had only allowed him to get worse. “I know where he would take Rachelle. I’ll need a sniper team, Phillip.”
His father straightened to his full height. “Reggie, would you recognize those men if you saw them again?”
“Absolutely.”
“Then you’re coming with us. Phillip, have the royal guard lined up in the driveway. Reggie, if you see one of those men, point them out to us. We’ll deal with this on a larger scale once Rachelle is safely back with us.”
“I’m coming with you,” Delinda said, straightening.
“No,” Magnus started to say, but his father raised a hand to silence him.
“When you go to war, son, bring your allies with you,” the king said.
Reggie waved a thumb toward the king. “I’d listen to your father. He seems pretty smart.”
Magnus glared at Reggie, but he could not deny that without Reggie, he and his men would still be chasing their tails. By hiding and then delivering information to him, Reggie might just have saved Rachelle. “Okay, we go together. But this happens on my command.”
His father nodded. “Not even I would dare stand between a man and the woman he loves.”
Magnus took a moment to absorb his father’s declaration, then decided it was accurate. No one could have come between him and Rachelle. She was a part of him now.
Reggie spoke to the royal guards who had hauled him in. “Hear that? You guys might have worked here longer, but I bet I end up a knight or something.”
Delinda, still clutching the king’s arm, said, “I have people I trust, but they’d take too long to arrive. I don’t know how to help you. Tell me what I can do that won’t put her in more danger.”
“Trust my son,” the king said. “He will bring her home.”
Delinda wiped tears away from beneath her eyes. “I don’t have a choice, do I?” She turned her attention to Magnus. “If there is anything you need, any way I can help you, just say the word.”
Magnus nodded toward Reggie. “Keep him away from me.” Then he turned to Phillip. “We don’t have time to drive. Get us and those snipers in a chopper. We have the element of surprise, but not for long.”