Page 9 of Reign or Shine
“I’m sure the distinction is very important to her.”
“And secondly,” Simon continues like I didn’t say anything, “no, I haven’t. We had a brief encounter on the way here but…” He lets out a long, tired sigh. “She’s not…I mean I can’t. Shit. Look, things are a little complicated right now.”
There’s something in his voice that has me giving him my full attention. Placing a hand on his shoulder, I meet my cousin’s eyes. I don’t know how I missed it. The tiredness and strain on his features.
“What’s happening? Is it your brother?” I ask, remembering the family issues we’d talked about months ago.
“No. No. It’s nothing really. Jasper is good, I promise. My father has…thrown down the gauntlet, in a manner of speaking, and my carefree days are coming to an end.”
Well, that was shocking. King Hector, Simon’s father, was a stern but fair man who loved his three sons fiercely. To hear of him speaking to them in such a harsh way was surprising.
My curiosity was piqued.
What could he have possibly been telling them to do? To correct?
Even though King Hector was my uncle, lines were often drawn between what was family knowledge and what were royal secrets.
Words are on the tip of my tongue, my curiosity getting the better of me, when Simon gives me a tight smile and excuses himself. I watch him make his way up the stone patio before disappearing inside the hotel. Something was definitely up with my cousin.
Left to my own devices, I take one last sip of my watered-down iced tea before placing the glass down and beginning a slow walk around the lawn. I say hello to a few people and smile at the delighted squeals of the children. My niece has a huge smile on her face as she dances around with a performer who is dressed like a chameleon.
It’s then I notice that Ellie wasn’t a part of the party anymore. She wasn’t even outside on the lawn. Stopping my slow walk around the perimeter of the party, I anchor my hands on my hips and scan the area again. Where the heck was she?
Swirls of different emotions wash through me. Disappointment at not being in her immediate presence. Confusion as to why she would have left the party. Fear.
The fear that I wouldn’t see her again.
I’d never felt so out of control and yet centered at the same time. She was grounding me, making me more aware of the world outside my royal duty while also causing my entire world to upend. It was madness.
These feelings, this strong reaction, was utter madness. But I didn’t care.
“Sir, we have to get moving.” Jonas appears out of nowhere.
Still scanning the lawn for any sign of Ellie, I give a small nod. As much as I would love to stay and celebrate more with my niece and find Ellie, I have a commitment I have to keep.
In sync, we leave the sunny lawn and make our way through the hotel. Sliding into the back of the dark SUV, I see a folder waiting for me on the seat.
Elation spreads through me. I can’t help but smile as I grab the folder and start reading through the pages. Armed with even more information about Ellie, an idea forms in my head. One that is a bit over-the-top but worth the risk.
The papers fall to my lap as I tell my men, “You know what, boys? I think a little break is in order.”
Chapter Five
Ellie
There’s nothing a little sunshine and a day outside can’t fix. Turning my face up to the bright sun, I let out a sigh, releasing all my anxiety from the past day.
Since leaving the real-life princess party, I’ve been a ball of tension, thinking that the royal guard or secret police would be kicking in my door, putting a sack over my head and throwing me in a dark prison cell. Dramatic? Totally. But it had been a real fear.
I’d only just let my overactive imagination calm a bit when I left my apartment for the first time this morning and made it to work without incident. My huge mistake in bossing around an earl and treating him like a commoner had gone unpunished.
If the rational side of my brain had bothered to speak up this weekend, it would have mentioned that at no point did Henry act like a pretentious royal. In fact, he’d been quite charming. Kind and funny in a way that had made my foolish little heart beat a bit faster.
Not that it mattered now. Obviously that mistake and our embarrassing but I-can-look-back-at-it-now-and-laugh meet-cute was all we’d ever share. It was a good story. I’d just keep it to myself for a couple years until the sting wore off.
Focusing back on the earth around me, I spin around and smile wide, taking in the group of people walking behind me. Their happy faces, tinged with hints of red in the cheeks from exertion, shine back at me.
“All right.” I clap my hands, gaining everyone’s attention. “Congratulations, everyone! You’ve just completed the Larkingdom Trail. I’m so proud of all of you, and thank you on behalf of Elevated Adventures for choosing us as your partner in adventure today. We’re at the end of the hike now, and the main cabin is just past the upcoming bend. Thank you again for joining me this morning and have a great evening.”