Everly

Being wrapped in his arms all night under the stars gave me a sense of security that I’ve never imagined possible. Thoughts of going home never crossed my mind. I wanted this bubble we were in to last for as long as possible.

Our flight to Malawi leaves early this morning. After staying up all night, making love again and holding each other while we talked, we finally made our way down the mountain.

He drove to Logan’s place where a car was parked that already had his luggage for our trip. When we turn the corner toward my house, we’re surprised to see news crews camped out in front.

He parks the car across the street, and I grab his hand, not sure what his plan is.

“It’s okay. I’ve made my decision, and I plan on telling the world. Go get your things, and I’ll take care of them.”

When I open my door, people come running toward us once they realize who we are.

With his arm wrapped tightly around my shoulder, we head to the door while he says, “Please let her through. Give her space, and I’ll be right back to talk to you.”

To my surprise, everyone gives Sage the respect he commands and lets us pass, patiently waiting for their promised interview.

I unlock my front door, and we enter hand in hand. Taking a deep breath, I call, “Mom, are you awake?”

“How could I sleep with all the commotion outside?” she grouses as she walks toward the living room from the kitchen. When she sees Sage standing in our doorway, she almost drops her coffee cup. “Oh dear, Lord.” She pats her hair down as she glances at her robe. “Prince Sage?”

“Mom.” I laugh. “You better stop calling him that.”

“Yes, I’d rather my mother-in-law call me Sage—or I’m okay with son, too.” He grins with a shrug when I turn toward him with a warning look. “I have big hopes, what can I say?”

“Wait, son? Did he say—”

“Here, Mom, come with me,” I say, walking toward her. ”We’re heading out on a trip this morning, and I just need to grab my things.”

“Go ahead, and I’ll deal with the people outside,” Sage tells me before opening the door.

We enter my room, and I grab my bag with my mom following right behind me.

“What’s going on? Did he propose?” Mom asks as soon as we are away from Sage.

I pause. “He did.” I let out a sigh and sit on my bed in defeat.

“Then what’s the problem?” She sits next to me, tucking my hair behind my ear. “Did you not give him an answer?”

“I haven’t. I…it’s just.” I take a deep breath before letting it out slowly. “He’s taking me to Malawi for a project he’s working on. With everything I’ve read, I wasn’t sure what to say. He wants me to wait, get to know him a little more and then give him my answer.”

Her eyes instantly well with tears, and she hugs me once more. “I’m so happy for you, honey. I know you’re going to make the right decision, and the fact that he’s here, courting you the right way, makes me feel like he is someone special to you and you are someone special to him.”

I look at her. “I think you’re right.”

After packing my things, we walk back to the living room, and I pause at the front door, listening to Sage speak on the other side. “I first want to publically take full responsibility for the fire I set at the stadium. I will take any punishment our fine establishment deems worthy, and I can’t apologize enough for the damage I caused. But yes, I was with Everly Stanley the night the fire started. And I’m here to announce that I have officially asked her to marry me.”

The cameras start flashing, and everyone speaks at once. I take that as my cue, and after hugging my mom goodbye, I open the door to join Sage. He pulls me to his side, wrapping his large arm around me. “She hasn’t given me an answer yet, but I’m hopeful we’ll come back from our trip with good news for you all.”

Flashes temporarily blind me as the questions pour in, but Sage puts a stop to it. “There will be a time and a place, but right now, we’re late for our flight. If you don’t mind, please let us by so we can get going.”

The news crews aren’t as polite as before, but they still let us leave. Once we’re able to drive away from the madness, I turn and smile at him.

“What’s that grin for?” he asks, wrapping his hand around mine.

“I’m still a little in shock over the last few days, everything just makes me smile.”

He leans over, kissing me softly before pulling onto the freeway, heading toward the airport. After he’s granted access to the tarmac, we pull up to a luxury private jet that I’ve only seen in movies.

“Shut up,” I practically yell while laughing at what I’m about to get on.

“You know, only the best for the royal family,” he says sarcastically.

He’s talked about his relationship with his father and how everything is about what’s perceived instead of reality. Yes, they have more money than God, but I know Sage couldn’t care less about how he travels. This though, I will definitely take advantage of. We are facing a ten-hour flight and being able to fly on a private plane made the thought of it so much easier to bear.

He shows me around the plane and introduces me to the staff. The best part, though, he introduces me as his girlfriend, lifting my ring finger and kissing the empty spot.

The flight was everything I imagined flying in style would be. We had mimosas with our breakfast and curled up on the bed at the back of the plane to watch a movie and fool around.

When we step off the plane, we enter a different world where there is more dirt than concrete, and open space as far as I can see. Best part is I love the person Sage becomes. He doesn’t let anyone help us with our bags, and he hugs the man on the dirt landing strip who’s waiting for us.

“Welcome to my country, Sage,” the man says after they embrace.

“I’m glad I finally made it out here. How are the plans coming along?”

“Everything is in place. The village is an hour from here, so I hope this Jeep will be okay for your travels.”

“No worries, this will be just fine. I’d like to introduce you to my girlfriend. Lingson, this is Everly.”

We shake hands before hopping in an open Jeep that seems like it’s from the seventies. The green exterior shows more rust than paint with torn and tattered seats. Sage doesn’t give it a second glance as he hops into the back. When I start to follow him, he pulls back the front seat, stopping my movement.

“You can sit up front. The wind and dust will be insane on the trail we’re about to drive on. You’ll be more protected up there,” he says.

I grin at his sweet gesture and climb in.

He was right; you can barely call what we were driving on a road as we bounce around the dirt pathway. My hand grips the top of the window while the other reaches for the center console to try to brace myself for each crevice we fall into.

I turn to see if Sage is okay and make sure he didn’t fly out on the last big bump we hit. I have to fight back my laughter when I see him sprawled out with both hands resting wide, staring up at the sky with the cutest smile on his face.

He loves it here, and I can tell by the freedom and comfort in his expression. He’s just a “regular” guy named Sage who’s here to help out, and this is the best side of him, yet. He catches me staring, and winks when his lips curl up, melting my heart even more.

We pull up to a village and are greeted by a swarm of children running around, excited to see what Lingson has brought them. As I look around, I see adobe looking huts, all beige and brown in color with cut outs for windows but no actual glass.

“Welcome to Nsanje,” Lingson states as he puts the Jeep in park.

I open the door, only to be surrounded by a sea of children jumping up and down, speaking in their native tongue.

I turn to Lingson, and he laughs, “They want to know if you brought any candy.”

My eyes cloud with sadness, I had no clue to bring any, but Sage quickly comes to my rescue. Reaching for his backpack, he pulls out a bag full of all different kinds of sugary treats, handing a piece to each and every one.

They all nod their head in a silent thank you as they run off. Each child comparing what they got with the other. Their little faces glaze over staring at the treat like it’s the most amazing thing they’ve ever seen before showing their moms who wait on the sidelines.

A woman approaches us wearing a blue and white outfit with a circular design. Her sleeves are big and the dress is long. I can tell she’s important just by the contrast in her clothes. Other women around us appear to be wearing more of a wrap ensemble compared to her pressed, colorful one.

Sage walks toward her with his hand out in greeting. “Madame Callista, it’s a pleasure to meet you.”

“Likewise, my son. Thank you for making the trip,” she replies while nodding her head slowly to Sage.

He introduces me, and we walk to the middle of the village where they have a table set up and a local feast prepared. Sage wraps his fingers around mine, and we smile at each other, both amazed at the spread before us, and the welcome they have shown us.

A little boy walks up, tugging on my shirt and handing me a picture he drew. The paper is dirty and torn, but in between the mess is a colorful building and people standing before it. The image brings tears to my eyes. This is why we’re here, and seeing how badly our help is needed is the best feeling in the world.

I give him a hug and offer for him to sit on my lap to enjoy the food. He glances behind him to his mom who nods, and he crawls on timidly taking his place.

I reach for a stick full of seasoned meat and hold it out for him. The way his face lights up makes my heart explode with love. I hand it to him, watching him take a bite faster than I’ve ever seen.

Sage turns to everyone, announcing, “The food is for everyone. Please join us.”

The villagers slowly make their way toward us, and when Madame Callista nods, giving her blessing, they all reach in, grabbing what they like, and the smiles grow slowly on their faces.

The little boy offers me a bite from his stick and points to what else he wants. I share my food with him, and he turns to feed me every few bites. I love the new tastes gracing my palate with the different flavors melding together.

A few of the villagers speak English, and we spend the night visiting with them and playing with the kids. We’re shown to where we’ll be staying once it gets dark, and we are given an oil lamp to guide our way through the night.

“Thank you, Sage,” I say, hugging him tightly. “Thank you for bringing me here. For letting me see this side of you and the life you live.”

“Don’t you see? I need someone in my life who would be by my side. Wanting to be here. I knew you were the one when you invited yourself along. So, no, Everly, thank you.”

* * *

The sun creeping into our hut wakes me. I didn’t sleep very well, but one look around reminds me of just how lucky I am in life. We were given better sleeping accommodations than most of the people who live in this village.

As I enter a family’s hut where our breakfast is being made, I see a younger woman sitting in the corner. At first, she’s helping to prepare the food on a cutting board on the floor, but then she’s working on her own project of hand sewing something. What’s peculiar is the fact that she never gets up. Everything is brought to her.

When Madame Callista enters the hut, I whisper to her, “Can I ask why she’s sitting in the corner?”

Madame Callista shows a sad smile her way. “She must be on her menstrual cycle.”

I tilt my head in confusion. “So why would she have to sit in the corner?”

“My dear. The women in this village lack even the simplest of necessities. They don’t even have undergarments, let alone feminine products.”

Surprise takes over my entire body. I’ve never heard of anyone not having feminine products. “What? How do they, you know…”

She places her hand on my shoulder. “This is why it’s so important you two are here to help. The people of this village need all the assistance they can get.”

“What do they do when they are on their cycle?”

“They sit in the corner and bleed until they can become an active member of the community again.”

“I don't understand.” It’s more like I'm in complete shock. I can’t even fathom not having a simple thing like a pad or tampon. Then it hits me. “Wait, you said these women don’t wear underwear?”

“Unfortunately, most of them don't. There was an organization that came through a year or so ago that donated reusable feminine napkins and panties, but they only had a few hundred or so. Not everyone got a supply. She probably hadn’t started having her cycle yet when they were here.”

“I’m speechless. This is just, unreal.”

“It is my dear. It is.” She rubs my arm in the sweetest manner, making me wish there was more I could do.

“Tell me more about these reusable ones.”

“They’ve been a huge asset in more ways than you can imagine. Within the women there has been more productivity. They also wash them in the water they use to grow their food, and the fertilization it offered to the ground has grown more productive crops, helping to feed more people in the community.”

“How can we get more of them delivered?”

“Sadly, I’m not sure. I’ve heard mention of the organization coming back but no date set yet.”

“Maybe there’s something I can do when we get back to Canterbury?”

She pats my hand in hers. “Having you and Prince Sage here is already making such a difference. The two of you being here means a lot to these people.”

I glance to where Sage is sitting talking with Lingson. I’ve only been here for a day, and already I know this trip will change my life forever.

I can’t believe how these last few weeks have transpired. I started wanting nothing to do with him because I wanted to do things like this with my life. Yet here I am, with the ability to help in more ways than I ever could have imagined and all because of him.

I glance down to my hand, envisioning the ring there and I now know, without a shadow of a doubt, that he’s the one. He’s the one who will let me fulfill the dreams I want to fulfill and really make a difference in this world. All with him directly by my side. I couldn’t ask for anything more out of my life or from a husband.

Better yet, I’m really falling for the man he is. Only someone with a good heart would come all this way to help people he doesn’t even know. Everything I’ve learned about him is exactly what I envisioned as the person I would marry.

He looks my direction making my heart flutter with emotion. I’m really going to marry the man of my dreams. Now I just have to figure out how to tell him.

I head his direction, curling up on his lap and give him a small kiss on the lips.

“What was that for?” he asks with the cutest grin as he wraps his arms around my waist.

“My thank you. For bringing me here. For being everything I thought you weren’t and more.”

“Well, I can say the same thing about you. Now come on, we’ve got to get going.”

We stand and walk hand in hand to where the maternity center is planned. There’s a group of guys lifting up the first wall they built on the floor, and Sage runs to help them with the final push to stabilize it.

While Sage is busy, I approach someone starting the next wall and ask if I can help. He hands me a hammer and some nails. After showing me what to do, he walks away to get more wood from a pile sitting along the road.

Sage looks over, and we lock eyes. His smile lights up my insides, and he turns away only when someone calls his name.

I’ve never built a house or anything for that matter, but I’m super excited to dive in headfirst. I heard stories last night from women who had to walk or ride on the back of a motorcycle to the next village when they went into labor. Knowing I’m helping them makes every swing of the hammer that much more gratifying.

Their lives are so different than ours, yet they all seem genuinely happy. The kids play with sticks and rocks, having no clue what an iPad or other electronic devices are. And the women gather together to cook meals for the village as one. The unity is something I’ve never experienced, and it really puts my own life in perspective.

We all stop for lunch when Lingson pulls up in the Jeep. “Sage, I have an urgent message from your father,” he yells over to us.

Sage walks up, grabbing a note from Lingson and opens it to read. Within seconds, he rips it in half, crumbling the rest into a ball and hands it back to Lingson. He doesn’t say anything to anyone as he strides back to the center, grabbing the materials to build another wall and skipping lunch altogether.

I glance over to Lingson. He gives me an expression of sorrow, so I get up from my seat and cautiously approach Sage.

“Everything okay?” I ask, rubbing his back softly.

“Don’t worry about it,” he grunts as he whacks a nail with a hammer much harder than I’d seen him do all day.

“Sorry, but no can do. If I’m going to be your wife, I need you to be able to talk to me. What was the note about?”

He stops, moving from his crouched position and dropping to his knees in defeat. “He’s demanding I come home.”

“Why? What happened?” I lean down to his level.

“Let’s just say he’s not happy.”

“About what?”

“He knows.” His face tells me exactly what he means.

I’ve read that the king said I was out of the running, but since they also said Sage was going to propose to Marie, I wasn’t sure if it was true.

He sighs. “When the picture of us on the boat came out, he tried to tell me you were out of the running.”

“But, Sage?” I ask, concerned because I’m not sure exactly how much say King William has over this subject—knowing how strict they are about the bloodline stipulation I’m not holding out hope.

“It doesn't matter. I chose you. You were on their crazy list of approved girls. They should be happy.”

“Can they stop this?” My heart sags even more.

He stands up, placing his hands on either side of my head. “Hey, look at me.”

I meet his eyes, realizing just how deep my feelings for him are. My stomach clenches, and my throat closes tightly. “I won’t let them, you hear me? You’re it. You’re the one.”

Someone calls his name, and he kisses me briefly before turning to them, leaving me standing alone.

The day drags on, and no matter how much I try to get back to the amazing mood I was in before lunch, it never comes. Nothing but dread fills my mind. Never in a million years did I believe all these tabloid stories would affect what happens between Sage and me.

I’ve only met his parents one time and the fact that they disapprove of me hurts. I’m not a bad person, yet all they see is a whore with a past. Someone who is below their royal standards. The thought makes my heart hurt, and my eyes well with tears I can’t hold back.

We keep to our own projects while working, and when the day is done, we walk back to the village, not speaking. The silence is killing me, but I’m not sure what to say.

Questions of what will happen if we do marry play over and over again in my head. I don’t want to start off with his family hating me. These people will forever be ingrained in our world, and that’s not one I should enter lightly.

“Stop worrying,” Sage finally says as he grabs hold of my hand.

“How can I not? Do they really hate me?” I ask, dropping my head in shame.

“They don’t know you, sweetheart,” he soothes, trying his best to ease my doubt.

“That’s what I don’t understand. They don’t even want to get to know me.”

“My father can be stern, but he’s raised me to be the same, so you have nothing to worry about.”

“Except possibly having in-laws who hate me,” I deadpan.

He stops me, turning me to face him. “I told you, I won’t let that happen. Please, trust me.”

I nod slightly, and he kisses my lips. Feelings of bliss swarm around me, and I completely lose myself in his arms. For this brief moment, all my worries, fears and trepidations melt away. I wish we could stay like this, but when he pulls away reality hits me again.

When we arrive back at the village, Sage’s pilot is standing at our hut, talking to Madame Callista. I take in a sharp breath and turn to Sage who shakes his head in frustration.

We’re only here for three days, so the flight crew stayed in Lilongwe, a major city, while we drove off to the village. Seeing them here now only means one thing.

He sees us approach and starts to walk to Sage. “Sir, I’m sorry, but I have strict orders from the king to fly you back to Canterbury right away.”

Sage mutters, “Fuck,” under his breath. “And if we don’t?” he says, grabbing hold of my hand and standing tall in defiance.

The poor guy looks worse than being stuck between a rock and a hard place. He seems like he’s in downright hell. “He said it would cost me my job if I didn’t have you back in fourteen hours.” He glances at his watch. “That was two hours ago, sir.”

It’s a ten-hour flight and at least an hour back to the airport. That means we have to leave right away. I glance at Sage, wishing I knew what was going through his thoughts.

His jaw clenching in frustration, he turns to me. “Everly, the last thing I want to do is head back, but I know my father, and it’s not fair to put Paul’s job on the line. This has nothing to do with him.”

“I agree. It’s okay, we’ll face this together.” I wrap my hand around his arm, pulling him into me.

“Paul, give us a few minutes to gather our things,” Sage says to the pilot.

“I appreciate your consideration, sir. It means a lot to me. I’ll be waiting in the Jeep.”

He turns to leave, and Madame Callista reaches for Sage to stop him briefly. “You will be an amazing king one day, Sage. What you did for this village will never be forgotten.” She smiles fondly at the two of us. “I wish you both the best, and I hope this isn’t goodbye for too long.”

“Thank you, Madame Callista. It won’t be. I’ll be back as soon as I can.”

She turns to me, grabbing my hands in her own. “You’ll make an amazing princess and future queen, Miss Everly.”

Sage wraps his arm around me, “Yes, she will.”

I peek up at him and can’t help the laugh that escapes my lips. She smiles sweetly at me, and I get the feeling she knows I haven’t given Sage my answer.

Suddenly my chest tightens. For the first time, the thought of possibly not marrying Sage makes my stomach clench in pain. I can’t believe how much my heart has changed in such a short period of time.

I turn to Sage, and he hauls me against him for a hot, heart-melting kiss before we head to get our things and prepare for the music we’re about to face.