Page 79 of Roaming Holiday

She’s nearly my height in heels, so I don’t dip my head to catch her gaze. I remove her hands from her stomach, folding them in mine.

“Nina Antonia Laffley, you are one of the smartest people I know,” I begin. “Definitely the most stubborn. And charming. And out-of-this-fucking-world beautiful.” She blushes. “This country is my home and the only place that felt right—until I met you. Which is how I know there’s no one better to wear its crown.”

Nina blinks away sudden tears, nodding. I almost panic that I said the wrong thing until she kisses me deeply. My head spins from her lips on mine. Since the day we met, I craved her taste. We’ve kissed three times in twenty-four hours and it’s only the start of catching up.

But we’re on a time limit.

I want her to succeed—and I may not be in the final picture. I’m not the person the Higher Court or her family would want by her side. Their input doesn’t matter to me; Nina’s does, and a good man wouldn’t force her to pick between them and me.

39

NINA

I can’t believe it worked.

Vanessa was right; Helen adored the idea from the start. The meeting lasted three hours, most of it locked into a somewhat respectful debate. Maia helped keep me level-headed for the simple reason that she became combative a few times. Her retorts were accurate, albeit abrasive, which helped my diplomacy shine. I couldn’t have done it without her.

We discussed reallocating funds and increasing the institution’s function by decreasing unnecessary profit. It helps that Vanessa and Jace are in favor since some of the secondary estates have been passed onto them. After reviewing the statistics and presenting the probable scenarios, the Court began to agree.

Maia and I take a long walk in the estate’s humongous garden to decompress and debrief. The sun begins to set, the golden hour hues brightening the flowers. Mason and Wesley trail not far behind us.

“I could do a lot of experiments here,” Maia says, bravely poking a bee perched on a marigold like it’s her friend.

“What do you mean?” I look down at my linen slippers, already stained with a little dirt. My pink toenails peek out from under the fabric.

“The garden. I’ll have to find out who’s in charge. Oh! There’s a worker; maybe she’ll know.” She dashes off toward the gardener with Mason in tow.

“You did it,” Wesley says, his beard curving with his smile. “I’m proud of you.”

A grin spreads across my face as I hold my stomach to calm my nerves. “I feel like… I’m finally making the right choices.”

It’s more than the luxury of being called a princess or staying in palaces and mansions; it’s that I can say I’m Ophelia’s daughter and believe it. I can make a true difference in the world.

I step forward with the urge to throw my arms around Wesley, but my arms freeze as a voice calls, “Princess Nina!”

My face falls with disappointment, as does his.

“I’m not sure I’ll get used to that,” I whisper, turning to the maid walking toward me. “Yes?”

She knots her hands in front of her. “Dinner is ready for you and Princess Maia.”

“Thank you. We’ll be right in.”

We stay at the mansion for another few days before taking the road trip back to Kosita. Each of those days, I had long meetings with George from the communications department about ways to introduce us to the public. We brainstormed speech ideas and locations for hours.

As soon as I climbed into the passenger seat of the black SUV, I fell asleep. I have a meeting with Aunt Beverly this afternoon about where Maia and I are going to live moving forward. As luxurious as the palace is, we don’t want to live there forever.

Suddenly, I feel Wesley’s hand on my hip, squeezing gently as he whispers, “Nina, wake up.”

I expect to hear the familiar car horns and engines of Kosita, not the sound of leaves rustling in the wind. I blink the sleep from my eyes as I sit up. “Where are we?”

“Fortuna. Maldana’s hidden gem.”

“Wha—why?”

“It’s my favorite place in the country. Wanted to show you.”

“But—they’re expecting us at two.”

---