Sage

“Sage, get out here.”

It’s never a good sign when my father bangs on my door to wake me up early in the morning.

I slide out of bed and pull on my gray sweatpants before slipping a shirt over my head. After splashing water on my face in the bathroom, I open the door and make my way toward what I’m sure is going to be hell.

“Where were you last night?” he asks once I turn the corner to the kitchen.

“Morning, Mom.” I kiss her forehead before pouring myself a cup of coffee. After taking a sip, I reply, “I was here, you know that.”

“Don’t lie to me, boy. I know you left late last night. Sneaking around in the middle of the night is not something royals do.”

“I know. It’s what I do, and I never claimed I wanted to be a royal. I’m twenty-four years old. How about I be a normal twenty-four-year-old?”

“Don’t give me any lip. You’ve gotten to live your life the way you wanted while you were in London. It’s time you straighten up and start acting like the heir to the throne. Now tell me. Where did you go last night?”

“I went out. Don’t worry, I laid low.”

“Who were you with?”

I scowl in his direction. “Why does that matter?”

“It matters because we will announce soon that you will marry Marie. Her family is working with your mother on what her ensemble will be for the big announcement.”

“Excuse me?” I set my coffee down and step up to where my dad is standing.

“You heard me. I’ve made my decision. You will marry Marie. She’s perfect for this family and will make a wonderful queen someday.”

“No. I told you. I want to marry Everly.”

“And I told you, she was out of the running. Especially after this.” He slams a newspaper down on the kitchen counter.

Everly’s face is splashed all over it. The worst part is they are comparing us to the cheating rumors of Prince Charles, Diana, and Camilla. I briefly scan the article beginning with their speculation that I’ll marry Marie but have true feelings for Everly. I hate seeing the comparison to the British royal family, but when I see the side story of another guy who says he’s telling all about Everly, my blood begins to boil.

“We must stop this nonsense and move forward, making sure all focus is turned toward your future wife and not this mess of a commoner.”

“Commoner? She is on the list you say are the only girls you approve of.”

“Not anymore. She acts nothing like a queen should, and after your little stunt and this media circus, I am absolutely putting my foot down. You will marry Marie, and that’s final.”

“You can’t make me marry someone.” I clench my fists and grit my teeth.

“Yes. I will. I have spoken, and you will stop making a mockery of this family. It is time for you to grow up and take your role in life with a respectable wife at your side.”

I storm out of the room. There’s no point fighting him when he’s like this. He’s never been open to any opinion but his own.

* * *

Everly

Last night was perfect; he was perfect. I learned there really is more to Sage than what I saw on the outside. I always figured the royal family was stiff and formal. Now I know Sage is anything but.

The fact that he does it all because he actually wants to means so much more. He wasn’t doing anything for notoriety. He genuinely enjoyed doing these things and didn’t care what newspaper covered it. He liked the fact that they didn’t know. He figured if he couldn’t use all his money and free time to help other people, then what was the point?

Thank God he agreed to take me on his trip and was just as excited as I was at the thought of my accompanying him. I would have been embarrassed had that turned out any other way. I’m not one to invite myself places, but after hearing his plans, I couldn’t help myself. The idea of being in a foreign land with him and watching him build something with his hands overwhelmed me. I can’t imagine anything sexier than that and there was no way I was going to miss it.

As I lie in bed, contemplating the last few days, my phone rings showing Jeannine calling.

“Boy, do I have a story for you,” I say.

“I bet it’s not as good as the story splashed all over the news this morning,” she replies, her tone alone setting me on edge.

“What?”

“Well, let’s just say you’ve made the front page of the paper and are the top story on every newscast around Canterbury.”

“Fuck me, why?” I sigh, shaking my head and rubbing my eyes.

“Because they know who you are after the fire and that you’re one of the few Sage has to choose from to marry.”

“Ugh, why do they care?”

“They care because if he goes with you, then you’ll be the next Queen of Canterbury. Do you forget that they have pictures of you two in handcuffs while a fire blazed out of control?”

“Oh jeez, they got the fire out without it causing that much damage.”

Thankfully. It threatened the stadium more than I was comfortable with, but they were able to gain control, and all it did was burn the field around it.

“Not the point,” she says, laughing. “They’re questioning whether you’re fit to be queen.”

“And Sage is fit to be king? Give me a break. It was all his idea.”

“They can’t change the fact that he’ll be king one day, but they can influence your being queen. And believe me, they are trying hard to make their case.”

“What? How?” I say, panicked at the thought, which surprises the hell out of me. I should be happy. This was my plan, to be taken out of the running. But after last night…

“It’s all over the news. They were comparing you guys to Prince Charles and his woman drama years ago. And they’re also searching hard for any dirt they can find on you,” she says, pulling me from my thoughts.

“Let ‘em, I have nothing to hide.”

“You sure about that?”

“Um, yeah,” I scoff. “Come on, Jeannine. You’ve known me for how long?”

“So who’s Aiden then?”

“Aiden, who?”

“There’s a picture of him, and he’s telling some pretty juicy stories about you.”

I sit up in bed, shocked. “What? What’s he saying?”

“So remember that trip you took to Cancun during college?”

“Yeah.”

“Apparently you hooked up with this guy. He says you went together.”

I wrack my brain for who Aiden could be. We went as a group of ten students from my biology class. We were supposed to be there to study the local sea life, but most of the kids ended up partying more than anything else.

My phone dings with a text when I hear Jeannine say she’s sending me a picture. I open it, and instantly, my blood boils something fierce.

“You’ve got to be kidding me. How could I forget him? One night he snuck into my room, drunk off his ass, trying to feel me up. Let’s just say his swollen eye was the least of his troubles.”

She snickered. “Well, he’s telling a different story.”

“Why would he do that?”

“Has it not sunk in yet? Hello. Does the word queen mean anything to you? You could be the Queen of Canterbury. This is only the beginning, girl.”

I fall back on my bed, exasperated from the morning, and it’s only been two minutes. I never considered this part of having to live this life. The royal family has never had any scandals, so it didn’t even cross my mind.

My phone chirps with an incoming call, and I see Sage’s name blink across my screen. Instantly, my stomach flutters with anticipation.

“Jeannine, Sage is calling…” I say timidly.

“Answer it!” she yells.

“To say what?”

“Um, the truth.” I take a deep breath, not responding. “I’m hanging up, now. Answer,” Jeannine demands. “But call me afterward.” She laughs when she hangs up.

I switch over the call, nervous about what to say. “Hi.”

“Hey there,” he says softly. “How long have you been awake?”

“Only a few minutes.”

“So…you haven’t turned on the TV yet?”

I sigh, sad this is the first thing he brings up. “No, but my friend called to tell me. It’s not true, though. I promise. None of it. I went to Cancun—”

“Everly.”

“Yeah,” I whisper.

“I don’t care.”

I pause, still letting what he said sink in. “You don’t?”

“Well, I mean if you’re telling me it’s a lie then yeah, I care because then we can go after him for slander, but even if it is true, I don’t care.”

“But…”

“Everly, none of that matters to me. I know you have a past. I don’t want that. I want your future. But mainly, I’m worried about you. How are you handling this?”

I take a deep breath. “Not sure really. This is all a little much. I can’t believe someone would care enough to spread these lies.”

“I get it, believe me, I do. When you’re in the spotlight, someone else tries for their chance at fifteen minutes of fame, too.”

“Why am I in the spotlight, though?”

I hear an audible sigh into the phone. “That’s my fault. I’m sorry I got you into this mess. If I would have asked you out like a normal person that fire wouldn’t have ever started.”

“But I may not have gone out with you.”

“Oh, really?” His voice raises an octave.

“My goal was to try to blow our meeting as much as I could.” I smile at the thought of how much has changed in such a short amount of time.

“So my little game worked on you just as much as it worked on me, huh?”

“What was all of that about by the way?”

“I had to know if you were down for anything.”

“And?” I question.

“Are you really questioning that after last night?”

I laugh. “Glad to know I’m up to your standards, Prince Sage.”

I love the breathy way he laughs into the phone, reminding me of his mouth kissing my shoulder when he hugged me goodnight.

“What do you have planned today?” he asks, his tone changing directions completely.

“Besides dodging all things media?” I tease. “Not much.”

“Good. Come to the beach with me.”

“The beach? Isn’t that a little too public of an area?”

“Not where I’m taking you. I promise I’ll take you somewhere you’ve never been.”

“Fine but only because you have me intrigued.”

“Intrigued about me or intrigued about where I’m taking you?” he drawled.

“Not sure yet.”

“Well, then I guess I need to make you sure. See you soon.”

I’m glad he can’t see the goofy grin I’d never be able to hide. He’s getting to me, and I’m starting to like it.