Fueling the plane didn’t take near as long as I thought it would and after a fast meal, we were back in the air. There was a renewed sense of energy in the plane. Sarah was making phone calls and Alex had opened up his laptop. At some point Duvall and Rebecca changed into suits that would blend into the background but still had a formal look. Rose went to the little area in front of the kitchen and pulled a curtain shut. She called for Sarah to help before coming out in a silver dress with a matching jacket. It was simple but elegant.
“We don’t have much longer if you want to go ahead and change.” Alex nodded toward the little curtained area.
I stood up and made my way to the alcove. I pulled the curtain shut and opened the tiny closet that held my garment bag. I quickly undressed and fought the dress out of the bag before remembering that I needed to put on panty hose. Cursing under my breath, I dug into the bottom of the bag. The plane hit a bit of turbulence and I bounced into the wall before almost falling through the curtain in nothing but my underwear.
“Holy crap!” I stood up and prayed I hadn’t knocked the curtain open.
“Samantha?” Alex’s voice was nearby and my eyes grew large. “Are you okay?”
“I’m fine! What are you paying these pilots?”
A few people chuckled while I wrestled the panty hose up. Worried about more turbulence, I slid the dress on as fast as possible. Reaching behind me, I tried to grab the zipper but ended up spinning in circles like a puppy.
“Sarah?” I called for Rose’s assistant, giving up.
“I’ve got it.” Alex’s voice made me freeze. I heard the curtain whisper as he stepped into the area. “Zipper?”
“Um, yeah.” I turned my back to him. The zipper started low and I was highly aware of the fact that he could see the lace panties and bra I was wearing. His warm fingers grazed my skin as he unhurriedly pulled the zipper over the top of my butt and up my back.
“Lift your hair.” He leaned down and whispered in my ear.
Slowly I reached up and gathered my hair in my hands. He slid the zipper into place before reaching down and sliding his hands around my waist. He pressed his chest against my back while he looked over my shoulder. Deftly, he pulled the belt through the loops and fastened it in the front. It was painfully erotic to know that he was taking his time dressing me and my breathing was matching the excitement of my thoughts. When he pulled back, I let my hair fall and turned to face him without stepping out of his hold.
He was already wearing a tux, the bowtie hanging open, and no shoes. It was a look that worked for him. He looked down at me with hungry eyes. “You look gorgeous.”
“Thank you.” His hands were still on my waist and I was having flashbacks to our kiss.
“This is going to be difficult.” He leaned back a little so he could run his eyes over my body. “Very difficult.”
“All good things are worth the work.” I didn’t have to ask him what he was talking about because I was thinking the same thing. Being friends with Alex would be one of the hardest things I’d ever done.
“It would be difficult either way.” Alex’s voice was serious. “I’m not sure I can keep my hands off you, but I swore off women in the public eye. You make me want to take that back.”
“Anyone in a relationship with you would be in the spotlight.” I chewed on my bottom lip. “I don’t want to be in the spotlight; I just don’t think I could handle it.”
He leaned forward and whispered something in Lilarian.
“What does that mean?”
“Consider it your first lesson to find out.” With a small smile, he turned away and left the curtained area. I stood there, trying to catch my breath before going back out. After a minute I grabbed my shoes and carry-on. I went to the bathroom to put on makeup before twisting my hair into a messy knot at the base of my head, then put on diamond stud earrings that had been my mother’s before going back to my seat.
“Perfect, dear. You look absolutely perfect.” Rose touched the dress gently.
“Thank you.”
“Are you ready?” Rose sat down. “When we land, the authorities will board the plane to check passports and then we will be taken to cars that will deliver us to the palace.”
“I would suspect there will be a bit of fanfare for our arrival. Bringing back one of the royal families is an important occasion.” Alex was sitting across from me and his voice took on a hard edge. “There will be a great deal of media no matter what. Don’t do or say anything you think you might regret.”
“I understand. People will try to hurt me just to make a few dollars.” He caught the undertone in my voice and regarded me with sad eyes.
“Yes.” He looked out the window at the lights of the city below. “There are those people.”
“Do not forget there are also people worth trusting. Those who will love you for you and nothing else.” Rose looked at Alex sadly. “Who will love you in spite of your title and money. They are out there.”
Her eyes darted to me before looking at the paperwork on the desk. Was she warning me? Or was she worried I would hurt Alex? I turned back to my window and watched as we circled the airport.
When we touched down, my anxiety rocketed. I was here, I was doing it. And I was so nervous I wanted to puke.
“How do I greet Queen Felecia?” I scrubbed my hands together.
“When you’re introduced, you’ll curtsy once just inside the door and then again a few steps into the room. Go straight to her and introduce yourself. She will shake your hand and welcome you to the country. After that, you’ll be introduced to several other people.” Rose waved her hand in the air as if she was explaining how to get to a class in a new building. “A few of the nobles that are in town will be there, as will a few key members of parliament. They always love a good reason to come to the palace. After the initial introduction, it will be less formal. This isn’t the official ceremony for your reinstatement.”
“Okay. Curtsy, walk, and curtsy again. Shake her hand.” I took a deep breath. “Monopoly. Why did we play a board game when there is so much I need to know?”
“You needed to relax.” Alex grinned devilishly. “It was one of the only ways I could come up with to help.”
One of the ways. I could imagine the other ways he could have done to help me relax. Shaking my head, I pushed aside the thought and frowned. “And what do I call her? Your Majesty?”
“That’s appropriate the first time you meet her. Then you can switch to something simpler. Ma’am is the most common.” Rose smiled at me. “You’re going to be fine. No one is going to expect you to know everything tonight.”
“The staff is used to walking people through first meetings. Don’t worry,” Alex said.
The plane was taxied to an open area and I was shocked at the amount of people. A blue rug was rolled out to the plane and a line of cars pulled up. There was a military honor guard in place and a sea of flashing cameras. The door to the plane was opened and an official in a suit stepped up to the entrance.
“May I enter?” His voice held the interesting accent that Alex spoke with.
“Please,” Alex said. Even though Alex had been laid-back in the States, I realized that as the highest-ranking royal, everyone would defer to him.
“Welcome home, Your Highness.”
“Thank you, Jeremy.” Alex stood up and shook his hand. They must interact with this official often.
“Welcome home, Duchess.” Jeremy shook Rose’s hand and then turned toward me. “A heartfelt welcome to you, Duchess Rousseau.” Jeremy smiled warmly at me.
“Thank you.”
“I’m afraid I need to see your paperwork.” He looked embarrassed.
“Of course.” I handed him my passport.
“Excellent.” He looked over the passport, and I found it oddly comforting that he hadn’t just waved me on. He pulled a stamp out of his pocket and quickly used it. “I hope you find Lilaria to your liking.”
“I’m sure I will.” I smiled at him and tucked my passport back into my bag.
Alex stood up and held my coat out for me. I slid into the sleeves and buttoned up the front. I was about to set foot on Lilarian soil, the homeland of my ancestors and my new life. Rose walked to the exit and waited for Duvall and Becca and Sarah. Duvall jogged down the stairs to the cars, a finger to his ear as he listened to something on his earpiece. Rose turned to me and smiled.
“Welcome home, Samantha. I’ll be waiting in the car for you.” Rose winked at me and then quickly made her way down the stairs. There was a cry from the photographers, calling her name, but she simply waved and went straight to the vehicle. The air blowing in through the open door was cold but that wasn’t why I shivered.
“I’ll be right behind you.” Alex put a hand on my back.
“You promised you wouldn’t throw me to the wolves.” I tried to smile, but it came out weak.
“Trust me.”
“I do.” I took a deep breath and stepped out into the cold night air.
Chapter Sixteen
The Reluctant Royal
—American Today
The sound was almost deafening. The flashes of the camera were blinding. I froze at the top of the steps and looked out at the people chanting my last name. Alex’s warm presence at my back jarred me back to reality and I started down the steps, careful to not trip on my dress. There was a roar from the crowd at the sight of Alex, and it grew when he stepped down from the bottom step next to me and placed his hand on my back.
“Smile and wave.” Alex ducked his head down so he could speak in my ear.
I did as I was told, completely overwhelmed. I smiled and waved because I had no idea how to handle all this attention. For the most part, I ignored the people shouting my name and made eye contact with no one. When we got to the car, Duvall opened the door and Alex helped me in. My skirt made it difficult, but I finally managed to take a seat. Rose was sitting on a bench across from me, a smile stretching from ear to ear.
“Brilliant. I knew people were excited, but I hadn’t expected it to be quite this large of a reception.” Rose patted my knee. “You did great. It’s very overpowering at first, but you’ll get used to it.”
I didn’t say anything. I had no words to explain what I was feeling. Terror with an edge of excitement and adrenaline pumped through my system. I just looked out the windows at all the people and tried to not jump when Alex slid into the seat next to me. He kept his gaze focused out his window, smiling at the people, but where no one could see; his fingers slid over mine and clasped my hand tightly.
Some of the panic fled at his touch and I didn’t feel so alone. The pressure of his fingers helped ground me. If Rose noticed, she didn’t say a word, but I saw her smile at us before turning her attention back to the crowd. The trip through the city was winding and I had a chance to see some of the buildings and statues. It looked a lot like the pictures I had seen of France. People lined the route with signs and cameras, hollering our names.
“Are they always this excited when you come home?” I looked at Alex.
“That’s not my name they’re shouting.” Alex met my gaze with an easy smile. His fingers tightened on mine. “This is an important day for our country. For your family.”
I bit my lip and looked back at the crowds. I raised my hand and gave a small wave when we passed a group of children holding a sign with my name on it. They jumped up and down, the little girls giggling. Soon the gates for the palace came into view. I leaned forward in my seat and craned my neck so I could see out Alex’s window. He scooted over a bit so I could see better, his hand never letting go of mine.
It looked like something out of a fairy tale. The walls were made from stone and old brick. When I finally got a good look at the castle, I smiled my first real smile since landing. The palace was made from the same stone as the walls. A huge door was in the center of the old building, flanked with guards in ceremonial dress. It was breathtaking. Duvall opened our car door and Alex helped Rose and me out. A man in a tux took pictures as we climbed out and I tried to not look frustrated. I had hoped we would be through with the photographers at this point.
“That is the palace photographer. You can trust Cecil.” Alex seemed to sense my hesitation.
“Duchess Rousseau, may I have you stand here in front of the car? Look up at the castle for me. That’s perfect!” Cecil snapped pictures quickly before standing up. “Duchess Sverelle, Your Highness, will you stand with Duchess Rousseau for a moment?”
They moved next to me and gave practiced smiles for the camera. Alex didn’t put a hand on my back like I was growing accustomed to, but kept a friendly but respectful distance. I blinked at the flashing and hoped my smile didn’t show all my teeth.
Once Cecil was satisfied, the guards saluted Alex and opened the front door for us. I digested everything around us, staggered by the amount of history contained in the walls. Rose and Alex looked like they were just coming home. Their relaxed expressions made me wonder if they were going to kick their shoes off and go dig through the fridge. Instead, we were greeted by a group of people just inside who bowed and curtsied to Alex before taking our coats.
“It’s good to have you home, Your Majesty.” An older man smiled at Alex. “And lovely to see you, as always, ma’am. Welcome home, Duchess Rousseau.” He dipped his head at Rose and me.
“How are things tonight, Ryan?” Alex asked.
“Good. Dinner should be ready shortly and your mother is waiting in the front sitting room.” The man checked a clipboard he was carrying. “The prime minister and his wife are here along with your sister, Duke Constal, and Duke and Duchess Marion.”
“Excellent.” Alex smiled at the others. “Chadwick, let me introduce you to Duchess Rousseau. Samantha, this is Chadwick. He’s offered to be your assistant until you decide on something permanent.”