Page 2 of The Promised Prince
What else could she say to tip the decision in her favor?
“I don’t mind staying at Wellenbreck Farm,” Seran cut in. “It was your home before you married my father. It might be nice to see where you both come from.”
Renna shot a grateful look to her stepsister. How could her mother refuse Seran? She would never.
Queen Mariele scoffed. “There isn’t much to see. It’s just a simple house and farm. The Vassel inn will be much more comfortable for you, I’m sure.”
“No, really. I want to see Renna’s beloved Wellenbreck.”
Renna could see her mother weigh Seran’s words in her mind, but it wasn’t enough to make her shift her decision.
“Besides,” Seran added, “if the inn at Vassel has a history of being dirty, I could never be comfortable there. Cleanliness is crucial.”
Seran for the win!
The queen was silent for a moment. Finally, she let out a defeated huff. It was amazing the power Seran had over her. “Perhaps weshouldstay at Wellenbreck Farm. Nellie runs the house, and I know she keeps everything spotless.” She looked at Seran hesitantly. “It’s not a nice place, though. Nothing like what you’re used to.”
“It sounds perfect.” Seran smiled then raised her book again.
“But we’ll only stay at Wellenbreck Farm one night,” her mother stated, giving Renna a pointed look. Her gaze shifted to Seran and she softened, placing a gentle hand on her knee. “You can rest before our final descent into Albion so you’ll look fresh when we arrive at the palace. You don’t want Prince Ezra thinking you don’t travel well.”
Renna glanced around the vehicle to Seran and her mother, doubting that Seran’s mysterious fiancé would even think to notice whether she traveled well or not.
Queen Mariele pushed a button, rolling down the panel between her and the driver. “Mangum, send a guard on a personal transporter ahead to Wellenbreck Farm to inform Nellie and Preetis they need to prep the house for guests tonight...”
As her mother continued to rattle off instructions, Renna glanced at Seran and silently mouthed, “Thank you.” She couldn’t have convinced her mother without Seran’s help.
Seran dipped her chin in a nod then turned her attention back to her book.
Sometimes the princess surprised Renna. Seran was usually so proper and in control, but there were moments when her serenity slipped, and she seemed almost like a regular girl. Today was one of those days.
Usually, Renna didn’t know what to say to Seran. They were so different. Renna was free-spirited and out of control—most of the time, anyway—while Seran was calm and composed. Compared to Seran, Renna often felt immature, even though Seran was only a year and a half older. Plus, Seran was a princess. Agorgeousprincess.
Not that I’m ugly. Renna caught a reflection of herself in the window, tucking a piece of her hair behind her ear. She liked her blonde wavy hair that refused to lay straight, her sun-kissed complexion from hours spent at the beach, and her green eyes. Her father always said they were the greenest eyes he’d ever seen, but he’d also said she was the most beautiful girl in the world, so how could she really trust him? Especially when the most beautiful girl in the world currently sat across from Renna, wearing an expensive, purple pleated dress. Though, it wasn’t the elaborate dress that made Seran look exquisite. No, she would look equally beautiful in a neutral, working-class dress.
Seran’s beauty was a once-in-a-lifetime kind of beauty. She was thin, with natural curves in all the right places. Her endless lashes complemented her dark eyes and flawlessly curved eyebrows; she wore her black tresses swept back in a classic, restrained up-do, accentuating her high cheekbones. She was exotic, sweet, and wise for her twenty years. Her fashion choices were bold in color, yet still tasteful. Seran was the ideal combination of everything proper, lovely, and royal.
The prince of Albion is going to love her.
Seran was definitely worth the wait of a ten-year betrothal, and probably the best thing the prince, and Albion, would gain out of the marriage alliance.
The surrounding small towns started to feel familiar as they neared Wellenbreck Farm. Renna soaked it all in, feeling as though the lost pieces of her heart were finally clicking back into place. Fourteen years of memories flooded her mind as she thought back to a life different than the one she lived now. The happy memories centered around her father—working the alfalfa fields, dancing in the kitchen, climbing the grassy hill behind the house, swimming at Wellenbreck Pond.
The pond had been her favorite place of all. On weekend nights, her father would load Renna on his shoulders and trek up the hill, singing songs she was sure he had made up. They spent warm summer evenings swimming together in the pond, tucked into the lush meadow surrounded by thick trees, hidden from the world. They even devoted an entire summer to building a wooden dock to fish from. Renna had been too young to help, but she’d tried to be his assistant anyway, bringing whatever tools and measuring boards he’d needed. Most days, she’d skipped rocks while her father hammered away, but he’d given her all the credit in the end. Back then, it had been just the two of them and their laughter.
Renna’s heart raced when she saw the small stone cottage Nellie and Preetis lived in next to Wellenbreck Farm. They had been there since before Renna was born, keeping the farm running, helping with the house. When Renna and her mother moved to the Government Center, Nellie and Preetis stayed behind to take care of everything.
The alfalfa fields stretched from the roadside to the tree-lined hill where Wellenbreck Pond waited. The crops were full and green, and Renna breathed a sigh of relief; Preetis had done an excellent job maintaining them.
She strained her neck, trying to get a view of the farmhouse. The two-story home wasn’t large or elegantly adorned. It was shaped more like a rectangular box with a triangular, pitched roof. Three gabled windows jutted out from the roof, matching the windows below. In a few places, the cream plaster had peeled off from the house and the stone wall surrounding the front yard had crumbled away. She wished her father was alive to fix things. The years of absence and neglect had obviously taken their toll, despite Nellie and Preetis’s best efforts.
Renna blinked back a tear, refusing to be sad. Her mother had gifted her a few short hours at Wellenbreck Farm, and she needed to use that time wisely. She wanted to explore everything, but she would need to escape the caravan first. Otherwise, her mother would rope her into some random assignment, like showing Seran’s friends around. Seran’s friends were the last people Renna wanted to spend time with while at Wellenbreck. She scanned the area for the best escape route.
The transporter’s rubber tires crunched over small pebbles as the vehicle rolled to a stop. A few moments later, the door flung open, and a guard’s outstretched arm helped her mother and Seran out of the vehicle. The arm reached for Renna as well, but she bounced past it, twirling around to get a better look at the place. Two other large transporters parked behind them, carrying Seran’s friends, a few royal advisors, and their three maids. A dozen guards on personal transporters dismounted and started unloading bags from the backs of the vehicles. Her mother’s maid, Cypress, shouted orders to the rest of the staff.
It was time to get lost.
Becoming invisible in the mayhem of guards and maids was easy. No one in the royal caravan was worried about the queen’s tag-along daughter.
