Missing Royal (5 page)

Will they care? A million questions, and no chance of ever getting an answer. I want to stop thinking about it. I want to let it go and move forward. But I don’t know where forward leads. To me, it looks like more heartache.

I lie on my other side, turned away from the fire and Valentino. I’m sure he’s sick of my crying at this point. I would be too. But accepting this kind of change without even getting to say good-bye to my old life is hard to handle.

And what if I hate everything about my new life? I’m not fit to be a princess. Dresses and tiaras and balls and knitting and sewing and searching for other royals—it sounds like I’m going from boredom to life-threatening adventure and back again, none of which I want.

I want my old life, the life I’ve always known. I was content being alone, with going to college and hopefully finding the guy of my dreams and one day getting married and raising a family of my own.

That’s the life I had planned. I even thought maybe I was lucky and had found the guy of my dreams ahead of time. But he’s a prince betrothed to a princess who might not even be alive right now. And he’s secretive.

Then again, maybe this new life won’t be as bad as I fear. Perhaps I can make more of it than I had originally thought. How hard can it be? Probably a lot harder than I want it to be.

I sigh and face the fire again, searching for warmth. “Are you hungry?” I look up to see Valentino sitting on the ground stirring the water. His arms are wrapped around his knees, his chin is resting on them, and he’s just watching me.

“Not really.” I want to turn over again but I’m a little worried. He looks as if he wants to talk but doesn’t know what to say, and I feel bad because I just want to sleep.

“You sure? I made food for two, and whatever isn’t eaten will go to waste. Not to mention, you’re going to need your strength for tomorrow.” Whatever he made must be pretty darn special.

“You’re right. I hadn’t thought of that.” I sit up in preparation for food.

“Shanice, you’re going to have a lot of adjusting to do. And if I thought I could help with any of it, I would. You’re a stranger in your own home and I am warning you now, it will be awkward. It will be hard. But your parents are trying their hardest to keep things together. They want to be welcomed into your life, not shunned because of the choices they made seventeen years ago. Just something for you to think about before we arrive.” He says it with such conviction—he knows what he’s talking about.

And I know he’s right. “I just don’t know how to accept strangers as my parents when my parents—or at least, my other parents—had to let me go for this. It isn’t fair,” I mumble.

“If you want, we could have their memories erased. It would be as if you never existed for them.” We both cringe. He does for saying it, and I do because the thought is awful.

“No, I won’t take away their memories. It’s all they have. And I would never want my memories of them to disappear—it’s all
I
have. And sometimes memories are the only thing that can keep you going.” I say with the knowledge that all I have left of them is my memories.

“I’m sorry for even mentioning it. You’re right.” He nods. “You know, I used to dream of what life would be like if we had grown up friends. Our kingdoms are neighbors, and I always asked where the lost princess was. No one would tell me, of course but I thought of you every day. Everyone always talked about the lost princess, the missing princess, the princess that would end Mendina.” His eyes look far off in the distance.

The lost princess, the missing princess, the princess that would end Mendina.
They want me to be their hero. They talked about me, knowing where I was but never telling the world I was protected in a far-off place.

“Why didn’t they send you away?”

He comes back to the moment. “They didn’t send me away because they I wasn’t in danger here. But I wasn’t raised like a royal child. They took me on adventures, allowed me to play with common children. They made me fit in so I wouldn’t be a target. Not that it mattered—Mendina struck her dark powers in the heart of my kingdom when she took the life of my mother.”

“I’m sorry about your mother.” The thoughts of how we grew up so differently scare me. How is it that our lives are so different and yet, we are so much alike?

“Thank you. Honestly, I wonder if it was a mistake entirely. Mendina wanted something from her—I don’t know what or why—but her wrath took over, her anger became uncontrollable, and in that moment, she lashed out. The power—magic—coursing through her shot out and killed my mother in a single blow. Mendina was even angrier – almost upset over the death. And it appeared to the world as another one of her attacks. But still, I would like to know what it is she wanted. I want to know what my mother protected with her life.”

I stand and walk around the fire to sit beside him. I lean my head on his shoulder, if just to comfort him. “Does your father know?”

He rests his head on mine and picks up my hand, playing with my fingers. “I don’t know. He never speaks of it now. It took his willpower. After that, he quit going out and interacting with the people. Instead, he sends an advisor.”

“That’s horrible. I’m sorry.”

“Thank you. You know, I’ve never told anyone what happened before. They all assume it was Mendina’s strike against us. No one has questioned why I wasn’t put under the same protective measurements you were. Until you did.” He lets go of my hand and stirs the food.

“Maybe they don’t want to know. People see what they want to see and hear what they want to hear. Everyone assumes that your mother was killed in a violent act of murder. But what we do know of Mendina? She is destroying kingdoms and scattering the royal lines but why? What does she gain? And if nothing, what revenge—whose revenge is she seeking?”

Valentino stops stirring and turns to look at me. “What did you just say?”

“What?” I lean back a little, scared I said something wrong.

“We don’t know why she’s doing this. We never have. All we know is she is going after anyone with royal blood, and yet you just named the only two possibilities. You’re right, she isn’t gaining anything, which means the only logical explanation is that she’s doing this for revenge.”

“Does anyone realize this? Has anyone spoken to her, or just run from her?”

“If you’re close enough to speak to her, you usually don’t walk away.” He turns back to our food and begins ladling it into bowls. I take mine, grateful I accepted the offer for food. No spoons, so I drink it up.

I’m glad to see Valentino doing the same as I put my bowl down. I’m genuinely surprised at how tasty it was. “You are welcome to cook for me anytime.” I snicker.

“You’re welcome.” He bumps my shoulder. I laugh, glad to see that it looks like we’re getting back into our regular routine.

“I have another question. Working at the stables that just happened to be where the gate was? Coincidence or planned?” I raise an eyebrow.

“Planned. Your adoptive parents own the stables.” I begin to look hopeful. “However, the gate is now forever sealed.” He must’ve seen that hope and now the disappointment. “I’m sorry, Shanice. I wish it could be different but we can’t leave a portal between worlds open. The things that might happen could end both worlds. Its best left sealed.”

I look up, hoping to see even a glimmer of stars beyond the treetops. “Are there any other worlds?”

“I’m sure there are.” He looks up. “We should sleep. We have a long journey ahead of us.”

I nod and return to my blanket, shivering and all. I hate the way he changes in an instant. Be my friend or be distant but don’t be both. I lie down and turn my back to the fire, longing for a little more privacy.

If I know anything about myself, I know that when I sleep tonight, dark dreams will haunt me. Even if they are only dreams of what my life was. I close my eyes, though, in hopes of actually resting before we ride for endless hours tomorrow.

The cold wind blowing through the trees makes it almost impossible to fall asleep. At first, I only shiver but as the wind picks up and the night passes, the wind turns into chilly blasts that have me shaking.

Warmth covers me. I bolt upright and turn. Valentino has moved from the other side of the fire and is now kneeling beside me. “Shhh.” He doesn’t explain but simply lies beside me on my blanket and puts his on top of us, his back to mine, and sleep consumes me.

Warmth envelopes me, the singing of birds playing above me. I open my eyes, wide awake. The nightmares I feared never came and the shivering stopped. I don’t move as I realize that one of Valentino’s arms is wrapped around me and my head is laying on the other.

I gaze over his face, appreciating every inch of it. He’s beautiful. And oh, so not mine. I heave a sigh, wishing that were different.

“Good morning,” he mumbles, eyes still closed.

I bite my lower lip, trying to keep from laughing but it doesn’t work. “Good morning.” I want to kiss him so bad. I can honestly say I never thought I would go camping with him, so this alone is a dream come true.

But still, we can’t lie here forever. “We need to go,” he says, as if replying to my thoughts. He doesn’t move, though, so neither do I.

“Mmhmm. You get right on that.” I close my eyes again and snuggle a little closer.

“Shanice,” he says.

“Hmm?”

“You have three seconds to get up before I use more forceful methods to get you up.” His threat is given with a smile, which really makes it hard to take seriously.

“Oh? I don’t see you getting up.”

“You’re on my arm. I can’t move until you do.”

“I see. And what are these other methods you speak of?” I ask, saying anything just to savor this moment.

“Well,” he says in a matter-of-fact tone, “I have five fingers all within reach of your side, which I happen to know is very ticklish.” As he says it, his fingers move up my side, right to where I am, indeed, extremely ticklish.

I lean closer and whisper into his ear, “Those, sir, are fighting words.” With that, his fingers hit the spot.

“All right! I’m up!” I jump to my feet, feeling more ninja than princess at the moment. Valentino falls back, laughing hysterically.

“Yeah, yeah, yeah. Laugh it up, buddy. I promise to return the favor.” I kick his side gently and take his blanket. I fold it over and roll it up before attaching it to Star’s saddle.

“Now you’re stealing my blanket?” he scoffs, picking mine off the ground.

“Mine is dirty now.” I shrug.

He shakes it off, flinging dust at me in the process.

“Hey!” I shout, which gets him laughing again.

I saddle Star, ready to leave, when I remember my least favorite part of camping.
No bathrooms.
“I’ll be back in a minute,” I say, leaving Star tied to the tree branch.

“Don’t get lost!” he shouts after me. If I thought I could make a straight throw, I would launch a rock at him. Instead, I run find a little privacy. Yep, definitely my least favorite part of camping.

I return to camp—which is no longer a camp—as quickly as I can. Valentino is already mounted and ready to leave. I mount and let him lead us back to the path. Sun is filtering through the leaves above us, along with warmth to fight the breeze.

Despite being in a semi-hurry I want to stop and marvel at the exotic flowers as we ride down the dirt road. The flowers vary from bright yellows and reds and vivid purples and blues. They look like something man-made on Earth. But here, they’re real. They’re natural. And all the more beautiful.

When we come upon the river we stop and allow the horses to drink, re-filling our canteens as well. Our stop is brief but before I mount Valentino grabs my wrist. I turn to. Without a word he slides one of the flowers I was marveling at behind my ear.

The contact, the look of pure adoration in his eyes causes my stomach to fill with butterflies. We continue on for only a half an hour before he stops again.

“Shanice.” Valentino stops riding. We’re at a ridge. The path below looks just a little steep to me.

“Yeah?”

“Welcome to Avonathia.” I look above the path and beyond. There are two castles in sight, people moving about in the town between them and us.

“Thank you.” It’s a bittersweet welcome. “Valentino?”

“Yes?”