Page 50 of The Prince and the Puck
“Okay, Lizzy. Have fun. Don’t worry about anything here.”
“You’re literally the best, Joey. Thank you.” I ended the call, guilt adding to what already felt like heartbreak inside me. My body was heavy, and I wondered if I’d even be able to get out of the plane seat when we landed. Everything felt like it was pushing me down, turning my muscles and tissues to concrete.
I had one more call to make. I lifted my phone again and dialed the palace.
“We’ve just heard from the pilot. We understand you’re on your way.” News traveled fast in small countries.
“Yes, Your Highness. We are en route now.”
“Well done, Eliza. Once again, you have served your country well.” I did not feel like I had served anyone well. Everything inside me was a disaster, but I had completed my mission. And until this point, that was what my life had been about. Why did I suddenly feel like it wasn’t enough?
“Mom?” The prince’s voice came from behind me.
“Declan, you should really be sitting with your seat belt fastened,” I told him.
“Oh, sorry, are you pretending to be a flight attendant now?” Declan’s voice was laced with contempt, and I didn’t blame him.
“Declan, honey,” the queen sounded relieved to hear Declan’s voice.
“Mom, you could’ve just told me. I would’ve come.”
“Son?” Oh, yes. The royal conference call. Neither of Their Majesties seemed able to take a phone call alone. I wonderedwhat the queen would do if King Erik really did die. She would have to answer the phone by herself. I immediately felt guilty for the thought.
“Dad, hi.” Declan sounded relieved and worried to hear his father’s voice. He sank into the seat across the aisle from me, leaning toward the phone I held in my hand. “How are you doing, Dad?”
“I’m fine, son. Happy to hear you’re on your way home.”
“Declan, you know we couldn’t just ask you to come,” Her Majesty said. “We had to do it this way. Don’t blame Eliza.”
I appreciated her suggestion, but I doubted it would do much good. Even I blamed Eliza.
“What’s going on with Lambert?” Declan asked.
“There will be time to explain everything when your feet are on Murdan soil, son.” The king sounded weary but optimistic.
“We should land in about four hours,” I said, checking my watch.
“We will see you soon, then,” Her Majesty said.
I ended the call and looked up at Declan. He met my eyes but did not offer a word. And through the beard on his face and the inscrutable blue of his eyes, I had no idea what he might be thinking. But I was pretty sure he wasn’t thrilled with me.
Declan slept the rest of the way home. Or at least he kept his eyes shut and didn’t speak to me.
I watched the endless sapphire and emerald sea beneath the wings of the plane, undulating endlessly, unaffected by the turmoil of our tiny human lives. That sea had always calmed me as a child, and I remembered watching it from the Murdan beaches, the prince at my side. It had always made me feel small, but in a good way. I took comfort from it now as it grew nearer and nearer to the landing plane.
When we touched down, Declan stirred at my side. The plane jolted, and he grabbed for my hand across the aisle, surprisingme—and clearly surprising himself. “I had a dream we were crashing,” he said, letting my hand go as if it had burned him.
I tucked my fingers into my lap and gave him a smile, doing my best to disguise the pain I felt at the distance between us now.
It had been a fun adventure, but clearly, my time as Lizzy the PR rep was over.
CHAPTER 29
DECK
IN WHICH WE REFERENCE SWAFFLING.
The heatof Murdan hit me like a ton of bricks. It was like being swaffled in the face with Derek Reed’s just-removed practice pants. Unpleasant, to say the least. (And unfortunately, I speak from experience.)
