Page 19 of A Valiant Prince

I decide it’s better not to ask questions. Anna curls up and falls asleep, but I stay awake, watching the scenery of Europe pass by the car window as we continue to drive. Several hours later, I see signs for Copenhagen. We pull up to the airport and Pete drives us to a side area. He turns before parking the car.

“You are going to the U.S. as Anna Alexander and Edvard Hansen,” he says to us.

“I’m sorry, what did you just say?” I ask him.

“Your fathers had these passports made up overnight. They didn’t want to draw attention to your movements internationally. So, you are a young couple traveling Europe together, and you’re heading back to the States to Pittsburgh. Anna, just say you’re studying there if asked. Logan, you can make up whatever story you like, since you know the area,” Pete says.

“Is this really necessary, Pete?” Anna asks.

Pete gives her a hard look.

“Fine,” she says, snatching the passport from his hand.

“You both understand, we are going off the grid?” Pete asks.

Anna nods. “Yes, Pete. What about you three?” she asks.

“We are college friends of yours that met up here. We’re all heading back to school,” he says.

She gives him a pointed look before shaking her head. We grip hands as we head into the airport. Anna fidgets as we snake through the long security lines. She’s not used to waiting like this. She has her hair pulled up in a bun and no makeup on. She glances around nervously as we are funneled through to the five metal detectors at the security gate.

“Anna, you need to calm down,” I whisper in her ear.

“What if someone recognizes me?” she hisses back.

“Stop fidgeting and no one will pay you any attention,” I say to her.

She straightens up, and we continue inching forward. We finally make it through security, and I sigh with relief as we find our gate and take a seat to await boarding. Three different times I have to place a hand on Anna’s leg, so she’ll stop bouncing it up and down.

She huffs under her breath. “Easy for you to say, I have to pretend to be normal and fly in the cattle car,” she mutters under her breath.

I chuckle under my breath. This is the first time she’s acted like the princess she is. I squeeze her leg, and she stops bouncing it.

“What happened to my little brave underworld spy?” I ask.

She glares at me. I lean over and kiss her lips, and she un-frowns and freezes. I pull back.

“You, OK?” I ask her.

“I just realized that I’m going to meet your grandparents,” she says, her face now sports a comical look of horror.

I pat her leg. “Yes, yes you will,” I say with another laugh.

“Oh, god…I don’t know if I can do this,” she says, her breathing picking up in little puffs as she tries to process what will occur in less than twenty-four hours.

I get in front of her face so all she sees is me. “Anna, you can do this. You will do this. It will be fine. I promise that they don’t bite,” I say to her trying to prevent the smile that threatens to appear on my lips.

“But…they’re really important to you,” she says. I nod. “What if they don’t like me? What if they think I’m annoying? What if—” I clamp a hand over her mouth to prevent her from continuing with her crazy game of “what if” and she looks up at me in total terror. I can no longer stop the smile that graces my face.

“Anna, you are going to be fine. They are going to love you. I swear, they are harmless, really,” I say, encouragingly.

She sighs beneath my hand and darts out her tongue. I don’t budge. She gives me a look and licks my hand from top to bottom. I lean in, so only she can hear me.

“Are you trying to get me revved up to join the mile-high club?” I ask her.

Her eyes go from horror to annoyance and I release my hand.

“Don’t be an ass,” she hisses.

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