Page 26 of Coral Prince Conundrum
“Papa—” Seero’s words are silenced when his dad raises his fist.
“Young man, I can hold you in custody for going to bed with my son. Foreigners are not allowed to touch the royal family,” he says in a deep tenor.
Oh crap. My dick and ass are about to get me locked up overseas.
“Oh no, you don’t!”
He turns to the voice in the hallway. A small audience, workers and gusts from the hotel, have gathered behind Seero. Layla walks in front with purpose, wearing a blue sweatshirt-and-pants combo. The look on her face can only be described as livid.
“You won’t touch him, Your Majesty,” she says with gritted teeth.
The king looks at her, then at me, with a neutral expression. He turns back to her and says, “Who are you?”
“I am the owner of this establishment. And you have no jurisdiction here over American citizens.”
Oh, please let this be true. I’m shaking in my boxers, and the two guards walk forward, now paying attention to Layla. Seerolooks bewildered at everyone. Then, behind Layla, two more identical Corali guards walk through, their hands armed with sacks of ocean water.
Everyone stares at this tense showdown. A million thoughts buzz through my head. Crap, is Layla going to get shot because of me? Am I going to spark an international incident? Is Seero going to get hurt, too?Am I going to end up on the news in just my boxers?!
“Do you know who I am, Madame…?” The king continues to switch his stare from Layla to me.
“I am Layla Fischer, owner of the Renversé Hotel. And I know all about you, Your Majesty, King Ero Dagat of the Coral Kingdom.”
She takes a defiant step forward. “And I know you cannot arrest or detain any citizen outside of the Coral Kingdom shores, lest you invoke the United Regions Treaty of 1901, Section 1.0, Article B.”
The king’s back tenses, but only for a moment before he relaxes again. Layla lifts her chin with a victorious grin. “So, unless you and your little friends book multiple hotel rooms, you need to vacate the premises immediately.”
After a moment of tense silence, the king nods, and the soldiers near me march forward as he slowly walks away. “Very well, Layla Fischer. But I have jurisdiction over my son. We will leave your establishment now.”
He taps Seero’s shoulder, and my friend slumps forward. He seems so resigned, and my heart aches. This is exactly what we were both afraid of, his royal status ending our arrangement. But I thought we had more time. I thought we’d get a real goodbye, and I had hoped it would be a lot less public and dramatic.
“Seero,” I murmur. They proceed down the hall towards the lobby, and Layla steps out of their way. The prince looks at meone last time, sorrow pooling in his dark eyes. My heart feels like it’s leaping out of my chest.This isn’t right.
“Seero!” I can hear my voice echoing before I realize what I’m saying. “You can’t take him away from me!”
The guards turn and glare at me. In another moment, they crouch in a fighting posture and, with some hand gestures, they wield giant spheres of ocean water. The azure orbs rotate supernaturally, weaponized waves ready to strike me down. Fear rises through me, and I freeze in place. The king announces words in Corali language, but even I can tell it’s an order to attack me. Layla looks on with fear, and time stands still.
That was a mistake. My life doesn’t even flash before my eyes. All I can think of is Seero holding me last night and making love to me. When I see his panicked expression yards away, I hope he knows I care for him. He gazes at me with despair, but before I get power-washed away by the Corali royal guard, his expression changes.
“Kaluluwa ko sya!”he shouts.
The energy in the room shifts, and the guards immediately soften their stance. The king looks at Seero with surprise, then back at me. No one seems as shocked as Seero, but he was definitely the one who said the words.What did it mean? Was it some sort of command?
King Ero puts his hand up, and the guards all relax. He exchanges words with his son, and Seero seems genuinely shaken. After some muttering, he walks toward me, and once again, the hotel is silent. The king strides right up to me, and I’m so afraid he’ll summon a water sword and stab me.I’m gonna die in this hotel with hardly any clothes on.
Before I can apologize for my outburst, he opens his arms. “Welcome to the family!” he says, in jovial, clear English. The king laughs and hugs me, wrapping me in a strong embrace.
What?
The king laughs again, and the guards all applaud.What the hell is happening?
King Ero steps back, and I’m freed from his royal vice grip. Seero approaches wearing a strained smile. The king says something to him again, happiness written on his face, and he taps his son’s shoulder. My throat feels like sandpaper.I’m so confused.
Seero gets closer and holds me tight. “I’m so sorry. I did what I had to, just go with it,” he whispers urgently.
He pulls back and smiles while holding my shoulders. I shake my head. “Go with what?—?”
And now he’s kissing me. Seero’s mouth is on mine, and I could be wrong, but the Corali are all applauding. He’s making out with me, but I’m too freaked out to enjoy it—we’re in public, after all. When he’s done forcing his tongue into my mouth, he pulls off and holds me at his side.
