“We welcomed her back into the family in the throne room. We said the words. She is a part of the royal family.”
There Christian went, thinking with his title instead of his heart again. “Actions speak louder than words. If you and the king present her with a plan for this trip, it would be proof you don’t just see her as the missing princess. As a body to prop up the tiara. Proof you see her as a daughter, a sister, whom you want to be with on a very personal level.”
“Well said. Food for thought, for sure. I’m promoting you back to best friend status.” Christian looked up to the vista of snow-capped mountains that would still be tinged with white through the summer. “How much of a flight risk do you think she is?”
Talk about a loaded question.
He’d barely been able to get Kelsey out of America. The situation hadn’t exactly improved since landing in Moncriano. She wasn’t getting the warm and fuzzies from the family. She chafed at the restrictions that came with her sudden royal status. Her days were being filled with lessons and lectures and not a single thing to show her how wonderful his country was.
Elias had no doubt that Kelsey would honor her promise to stay for two weeks. But the chance of her embracing her title, her new country, and staying past that? He sure as hell wouldn’t put his own money on those odds.
No matter how much he wanted her to stay. For the sake of his country. For the sake of Christian and his family.
And, selfishly, for himself.
None of which he’d say to Christian.
“It’s too early to predict. She’s being bombarded, immersed in a life and a culture that she didn’t choose. If we go to a restaurant and I order you salad, when you’ve had your heart set on a juicy steak all day…would you be excited to eat the salad?”
“No, of course not. God, that’s the saddest metaphor I’ve ever heard. You’re saying that I’m salad? Fuck, Eli. I’ve got to be filet mignon wrapped in bacon and chocolate cake for Kelsey to want to stay. Now I get it. I just don’t know how to fix it.”
Elias seized the opening he’d been waiting for. Obviously her part-time job teaching computer design at a high school was over, no matter what. But her other job didn’t have to be. After checking to be sure the rest of the security detail was still out of hearing distance behind them, he said, “I’ve got an idea about that. What if you tell her that she can keep her job?”
“Impossible.”
“No, hear me out. She could do it under a false name. We’d announce she was quitting, but at the same time her company could bring in a ‘replacement’ for her.” He looped the reins around his wrist to lift both hands to make finger quotes. “‘Amalia Winterhooven’ could take over her roster of clients. We’d set up a series of email server hops so that nothing could be traceable back to Moncriano, let alone the palace. She’d have the freedom to still pursue her passion.”
The idea had come to him once they left the summerhouse. Who could blame Kelsey for not wanting to give up what she’d trained for, dreamed of, gave her a reason to get up in the morning? What father, what brother, would deprive her of that if there was an alternative?
Christian’s dark blond eyebrows squiggled up and then together. He looked down as they traversed a rocky slope. It took him a full five minutes of mulling before stating, “Being a princess is a full-time job.”
“Not necessarily. Everything about Kelsey breaks the rules. Why not bend this one? The country’s managed without a second princess for twenty-five years. Other countries let the sixth or seventh in line to the throne have full careers that aren’t even secret.”
“She’s not that far down the line of succession. She’s third in line.”
Now Christian was just grasping at straws, because he would be king. Not for decades, probably, but the crown would go to him. “Not for long. I’ve heard the king pressuring you to wed. And by wed, I mean pop out a string of heirs.”
Bariq startled at something in the bushes. Or he simply reared up because he’d channeled Christian’s distaste for discussing his inevitable marriage. “He’s made his feelings known on the subject. As have I. You know I’m not going to put up with being pushed into a marriage simply to propagate. I’m not a stallion, extending the bloodline.”
“You rather are. It’s in the job description, as I recall.” Which had been fun to laugh about as teens. That being prince required Christian to have sex. But as they matured and sussed out the full impact of being expected to marry and have kids no matter what—well, it stopped being even a little bit funny.
“And you’re demoted down to just bodyguard again. If I won’t marry to get Father off my back, I certainly won’t do it so that my sister can live her dream life.”
“Even if she did it part-time, it could be that olive branch that gets her to consider staying.”
The fact that the idea of Kelsey remaining in Moncriano made him smile was just a side effect. Not selfish at all.
“I do hear you.” And then Christian shot him a sideways glance that seemed to have already seen too much. “I hear Kelsey’s happiness seems to be your top priority.”
Damn it. Of all the times for Christian to suddenly be perceptive. So Elias deflected, fast. “Would you rather have a part-time princess, or one who pops back to America for good?”
“Look, even if I see the merit in what you’re saying…” Christian sighed. “Maybe in a few years, once things have settled down, but to do it now? It’s impossible. The situation is too volatile. Both that of the country and her potential danger.”
Shit.
Christian was dead-on with his assessment. Elias had blanked on the biggest reason why they needed to keep everything the princess did streamlined. Because her happiness did not get to be the number one consideration. Not for him. Not when her very life could be at stake.
He’d put what was good for Kelsey ahead of what was good for the country. And in doing so, he’d completely overlooked the most important part of his job.
Protecting her.
“You’re right. Guess that’s why you get to be our Supreme Leader one day,” Elias said, making sure to frost the words with about an inch of sarcasm. That mostly covered up the equally thick layer of guilt now weighing him down.
“Have you told Kelsey yet? That as soon as she’s revealed to the world as the missing Princess Valentina that she’ll potentially be in danger?”
“You mean tell her the kidnappers might be drawn out and try again? Since they obviously failed the first time?” Elias tilted his head side to side, cracking his neck. It did nothing to relieve the tension. “Uh, that’d be a no. She’s gotten enough sucker punches. I thought I’d wait to scare the crap out of her until she came around to trusting at least one other person in this country.”