CHAPTER 2
Diana
The moment I woke up in bed naked the next morning, I knew I’d had way too much to drink. I hadn’t experienced a hangover in years, but I knew instantly what was wrong.
I moaned as I rolled over onto my back. I was nude, nauseous and felt like my head was in a giant vise.
“Oh, God. What did I do?” I groaned aloud as I put an arm over my eyes to block out the light streaming in through the windows.
I had no doubt I’d accomplished my goal of becoming ineligible to be Prince Nic’s bride, which I didn’t regret. But my memory was foggy, and I couldn’t actually remember losing my virginity.
Alex had shown me just how entertaining a ball could actually become with the right partner. He’d told me amusing stories about some of the people present, many that I was sure were fictional, but they’d been entertaining. Quite a few of the females attending had been young virgins of the homegrown variety, ladies native to the island nation. Other visitors at the ball, like me, were from prominent families all over the world. He’d seemed to know almost everyone at the event, and had no shortage of information about nearly every hopeful female who wanted to be the next princess.
At some point, he’d introduced me to His Royal Highness, Prince Ballasare, and His Royal Highness’s wife, Princess Jessica. Unfortunately, I remembered very little of our conversation except for the fact that Princess Jessica had been an American.
My stomach rolled as I sat up slowly, wracking my brain to try to remember the final act that had left me naked in my elegant hotel room, and completely alone this morning.
My heart flip flopped as I remembered Alex escorting me up to my room, and I had a vague memory of an amazing kiss as we entered.
After that…everything else was blank.
Squinting at the bedside table, I could see a handwritten note next to the bed.
Alex?
I winced as I stretched for the piece of paper and my glasses on the side table.
Thank you for one of the most enchanting evenings I’ve ever experienced. Enjoy the island.
Disappointment flooded through my body as I realized that he didn’t mention seeing him again, but he’d made it clear that I was free.
“Seeing him again wasn’t part of the deal,” I muttered out loud, reminding myself that I’d only had one purpose in going to that ball, and it was mission accomplished. Even though I didn’t remember it happening, I was no longer a virgin.
Strangely, even though I’d done what I’d set out to do, I felt a little forlorn. Waking up alone and hung over after having sex for the first time was lonely.
My physical condition was marginally improved once I’d taken a shower and dressed in a pair of dark jeans and a light green summer top. I pulled on a pair of white sneakers since I planned to make a beeline for the door once I’d put something solid in my stomach.
I picked up my ball gown from the floor, along with my undergarments that were littered around on the plush carpet. Trying not to think about what might have occurred the night before, I shoved them all in my suitcase before I hustled out the door in search of something bland and solid to put on my rolling belly.
“First stop…The Grand Library,” I mumbled to myself as I rode down the elevator solo, almost certain I could still catch a faint whiff of Alex’s scent in the enclosed car.
However, it was the smell of food that had me following its aroma as I wandered around the lobby until I found the hotel restaurant.
“Table for one?” the gentleman at the entrance to the eatery inquired politely. Strangely enough, he was also the man who’d been attending the entrance to the ball the night before.
I nodded politely. “Yes, please.”
“Miss Longmont, am I right?” he inquired politely.
It was a little strange that an employee at the hotel restaurant knew my name. Or was he an employee of the hotel? The guy certainly wore more than a few hats.
“Yes,” I answered cautiously, eying the curious man as he made hand signals to the staff inside the restaurant, silent orders that apparently were being carried out to find me a table.
The dining room wasn’t very busy, and I assumed that most travelers were eating in their rooms, or had already eaten. It had to be close to noon, but I was still hoping for breakfast.
He inclined his head. “My name is Theo. I’m the royal advisor,” he informed me. “Please let me know if we can do anything to make your stay in Rubare Virgina more pleasant.”
“I’d like to visit The Grand Library,” I answered eagerly.
He shook his head. “Only citizens are allowed there unless you’re with a member of the royal family. Some of the volumes are very rare.”
My hopes went crashing to the ground.
“I think that can be arranged,” another male voice said from behind me, one that sounded younger and much more enthusiastic than the man who was finding me a seat.
I turned sharply and had to tip my head up to see the tall man in front of me.
The first things that struck me were his deep blue eyes and coal-black hair, two traits that stood in sharp contrast with each other, and I openly gaped at him for a moment as I took in his presence. Nobody could have shoulders that broad and not make a very large statement. Dressed in a pair of jeans and a navy-blue T-shirt that seemed to strain over his muscular body, his appearance left me almost speechless.
I frowned at him once I finally found my voice. “What can be arranged?”
“It’s your lucky day,” he said with a mischievous grin. “I just happen to have access to The Grand Library.”
“Your Highness,” Theo said reverently as he bowed to acknowledge the new and younger man’s presence. “It’s very good to see you.”
“Your Highness?” I repeated, confused.
“Miss Longmont, please allow me to present His Highness, Prince Niccolino Demande.” Theo said formally. “Your Highness, this is Miss Diana Longmont from the United States of America.”
“Prince Nic?” I said in a disappointed voice.
“Don’t sound so sad, Miss Longmont,” Nic answered with a grin. “I promise that I don’t bite. And I do have access to the place you’d like to see.”
“I was trying to avoid you,” I answered without censoring my words.
He raised a royal brow. “That would be…different,” he answered with a bit of humor in his voice.
I have to stop talking. I just insulted someone from the royal family because I didn’t stop to think about what I wanted to say. I hadn’t meant to be rude, but Prince Nic had me flustered. He was nothing like I’d imagined. Honestly, he seemed really…charming.
“Your table is ready, Miss,” Theo said quietly.
I seized on the opportunity to make my escape. “I have to go. I’m really very hungry. It was nice meeting you, Your Highness.”
Okay, I was pretty sure I was supposed to curtsy or bow my head, but since I wasn’t entirely certain of the protocol, I just shot him a weak smile before I turned back to Theo so he could show me to my table.
Unfortunately, Prince Nic followed in my wake and seated himself in a vacant chair across from me once I’d been shown to my place in the elegant dining room.
An olive-skinned woman stepped quietly up to the table in a pristine dress and white apron and bowed her head before she asked, “Would you like the royal breakfast, Your Highness.”
“Yes. Thank you, Elisa,” Nic answered, shooting a genuine smile in the older woman’s direction.
I looked at him irritably as the female quickly darted back into the kitchen. “She didn’t take my order.”
“She did,” Nic argued. “The royal breakfast will give you the chance to select anything you like.”
The staff of the restaurant proceeded to bring things from the kitchen, and set plates in front of us where they could place our selections. Once our plates were full, the employees discretely disappeared, leaving me with a far bigger breakfast than I’d planned.
“Don’t you think this is a little wasteful,” I asked without rancor. I had, after all, filled my plates.
“Not at all,” Nic answered smoothly. “All left over food is donated. It never goes to waste.”
I had to admire the fact that food wasn’t just tossed in the trash. I dug into my eggs, bacon and bagel smothered in cream cheese. At least the government made sure that they made use of all of the food in the kingdom.
We ate in silence for a few minutes before Nic reached for his coffee and asked, “So why do you want to avoid me? You don’t even know me.”
He leveled me with a curious gaze, and it was probing for answers, too. The Prince made me edgy and uncomfortable. I wasn’t wearing a hint of makeup, and I’d clipped my unruly, red curls behind my head, noticing that a few weren’t staying put as they escaped and sprang out along the side of my face.
“I’m sorry,” I said earnestly as I reached for my coffee. “I shouldn’t have said that. It wasn’t you I was avoiding. It was the prince.”
“I hate to break it to you, Miss Longmont, but I am, in fact, the prince you were trying to avoid,” he answered quietly.
I finished off my bagel, removed the napkin from my lap and placed it on my plate. “What I meant is it isn’t you personally. But I have no desire to be considered as a bride for a man I don’t even know. I don’t like formalities, I hate pretentions, and I’d make a terrible princess. As you already know, things just come out of my mouth in conversation before I really calculate what I want to say. And I can’t attend a fancy party without tripping over my feet at least once if I’m wearing any sort of heel.”
He chewed with a smirk on his face. When he swallowed, he commented, “I know. I find it very refreshing, actually.”
“It wouldn’t be all that refreshing if I were in the middle of a serious royal gathering,” I informed him.
“It might be good for the royal family to add someone new who spoke their mind,” he mused. “And this weeklong party wasn’t my idea. I didn’t exactly want it, either.”
“You didn’t?” I asked with surprise. I’d just assumed he’d been happy to get a chance to see possible future brides.
He shook his head. “Archaic thing, arranged marriages,” he observed. “But I’m nearing my thirtieth birthday, and I have no interest in any of the females I’ve met, so my father decided to surprise me with a weeklong parade of eligible women so I could make my choice. Honestly, if I had my way, I wouldn’t marry at all. Maybe the large gathering worked out for my older brother, but that doesn’t mean it will work for me. Ballasare found the love of his life at a similar arrangement.
I felt a pang of sympathy in my chest. My mother had been prodding me to marry, and to make sure it was an advantageous match. But she couldn’t force me, and I had no plans of falling into line with her ideas. Nic apparently had no choice.
“Do you have to marry?” I asked hesitantly, wondering if the rule of law was the same here as it was in Rubare Collina.
He nodded. “It’s tradition and law for the royal family, and if we don’t wed a suitable woman by our thirtieth birthday, there’s every chance that our Arcano will enforce the law by death.”
“What’s an Arcano?”
Nic explained that there were secret forces on the island whose families had been in charge of making sure the traditions had been enforced for centuries. I was surprised to learn that their sister island, Rubare Collina, was fighting back against that system. All I’d learned when I’d visited there was that the royals had to marry by their thirtieth birthday, too. The Arcano obviously wasn’t public or visitor knowledge, and I was fascinated.
“We haven’t had any uprisings or problems with our Arcano on Rubare Virgina, and we’d like to keep it that way,” Nic finished.
I sighed. “I understand. But it just all seems so backward to me. No tourism? No visitors? I understand wanting privacy, but your people are missing out on an entire world outside this island.”
He inclined his head grimly. “I’ve been advocating for changing the laws for some time. But my father won’t even hear of it. We’ve always been isolated.”
“Have you ever been off the island?” I asked curiously.
He grinned. “Of course. We might not mingle with the rest of the world, but we do a brisk trade. I act as an ambassador and CEO of our companies. I travel as much as possible to keep our trade running smoothly.”
His smile made me shiver with awareness. The feeling slowly slithered down my spine with a sensation so electric it was almost uncomfortable. “I’m sorry. I pre-judged you without meeting you in person. I haven’t had the best of luck with men in my circles. I just assumed you’d be an arrogant jerk.”
“I am arrogant,” he declared. “But I do try not to be…a jerk, which I’m assuming isn’t a complimentary term.”
I laughed because I couldn’t help myself. The prince apparently didn’t do American slang terms, and hearing him question it in his sexy, appealing foreign accent was amusing and somewhat endearing. It was impossible to place his accent. Like Alex, he sounded like a Brit, but other regional influences made his speech unique and intoxicating. “Being a jerk is definitely not good. So I’m glad you’re not one of them,” I finally answered.
I didn’t address the possibility that he might be arrogant. I was pretty sure it came along with being royalty.
“Are you finished, Diana?” he asked politely.
“I’m done. I couldn’t possibly eat another thing right now,” I told him, my stomach protesting a little from the large amount of food I’d just fed it.
He stood up, then extended his hand.
I looked into his eyes. “Do you really have access to The Grand Library?” I inquired hesitantly.
“Of course. And it just so happens that I’m headed in that direction today. Would you like to accompany me?” His grin was mischievous as he waited.
I reached out my hand and he covered it with his larger fingers, gripping it tightly, confidently.
I nodded. “Yes, I think I’d very much like that,” I replied with a hesitant smile.
We left the dining room together, all eyes trained on us as we walked out into the tropical heat of Rubare Virgina.