It would have been nice to know his name at least, but I was too scared to ask.
He helped me into the car, and I settled into the plush leather interior. It was an incredible car, one that I’d only seen in movies before.
The two men who’d been loading my suitcases into the back took the front two seats, and the other man, the one that made me a little afraid, climbed into the back with me.
I looked through the windows as the car pulled away from the airport, a frisson of excitement making my hands shake in my lap.
“Nervous?”
I looked into the man’s eyes and offered him a shy smile.
“A little bit,” I admitted. “This is all so new to me.”
“But you’ve met Prince Olivier before. You know what to expect, don’t you?” His eyebrows shot up and it hit me just how handsome he was, making me blush.
“Not a lot,” I told him. “I met him at a party my friends organized. Rueben Thorn, perhaps you’ve heard of him?”
He stared at me blankly and I sighed. He was such a hard man to read, and he seemed intent on making this conversation even more difficult than it had to be. But I decided to fight my own nerves and get some information out of him. After all, I deserved to know what was going to happen next.
Before I could ask a single question, the man looked out of the window and began talking himself.
“Luxuria is a little old-fashioned, you’ll find. You might be surprised by our traditions, but we love them. We’ve been following them for centuries.”
“Can you tell me about the selection process?” I glanced at him, and he grinned at me before shifting his attention back to the landscape outside the window.
“You will find out everything soon enough,” he replied. “But the gist of it is this – you and twelve other women will be competing for the Prince’s attention. It is a tradition that has been present in Luxuria for over five centuries. There are usually twelve women.”
“I was wondering about that,” I said. “It seems such an odd number to have thirteen. You know, it’s always thought of as an unlucky number.”
“It is,” he replied. “But as you know, the Prince insisted on adding a thirteenth woman to the selection.”
“Who?” I wondered out loud, and he laughed at me, raising his eyebrows in disbelief.
“I’m sure you can figure it out.”
I blushed once the realization hit me.
Had Olivier really gone against his own country’s tradition to include me in the selection process?
The thought filled me with butterflies. I knew there had been something special between us. This only confirmed that Olivier had felt it too, and it made me so excited.
“If you’ll look outside now,” the man said, motioning toward the window. “You’ll be able to admire the landscape of Luxuria.”
I followed his gaze to the beautiful countryside that surrounded us. It was a mixture of France and Italy, beautiful in the autumn glory of the afternoon. The leaves were changing colors already, coloring the forests in enchanting golden and ruby colors. It was breathtaking and made me gasp as we drove down the winding road.
“Do a lot of tourists visit Luxuria?” I wondered aloud, and the man shook his head.
“We only accept a small number of them each year. We protect our country from the riff raff.”
I blushed, feeling almost attacked. I was English but having lived in the States for the past few years, I felt a little offended by his statement.
“Your English is so perfect,” I added. “But the official language of Luxuria is French, right?”
“Correct,” he nodded. “Although a lot of people are bilingual and speak Italian as well. Mostly everyone speaks English, though. It is taught in our schools from an early age.”
“So, you are a native, too?” I asked, but his sharp gaze reminded me I didn’t get to ask as many questions as I would have liked. I looked away, blushing. “I’m sorry, I’m just curious about Luxuria… I did some of my own research, but I would love to learn more from a local.”
“And you will,” he replied. “Soon enough.”
The rest of the ride was spent in silence, but I didn’t mind much, focusing my attention on the glorious landscape on the other side of the window.
Luxuria was picturesque and beautiful. I didn’t see anything out of order – not even a piece of litter on the ground. We drove through little towns that I’d seen on images when I did some research on the country. Every sight out of the window seemed perfect for a photo op, and I couldn’t get over the beauty of this tiny country I hadn’t even known existed a year ago.
I felt like Cinderella being delivered to the royal ball in that beautiful car. It was much better than a pumpkin carriage… but I was no princess.
My cheeks flushed at the thought of everything I’d been through.
But I had one advantage over most of the girls who would be competing for Prince Olivier – or so I’d tried to convince myself.
Prince Olivier had taken my virginity in a night filled with lust and passion, and I knew I’d made an impact on him just like he had done to me.
My hands smoothed down the simple silk jade dress I was wearing. I’d changed into it and paired it with strappy heels at the airport bathroom, and I was grateful for it. All three men who’d met me at the airport were impeccably dressed, and I didn’t want them seeing me in the leggings I’d worn for the plane ride. But now, as I pulled my faux fur shrug over my shoulders, I felt confident. I’d done my hair and makeup on the plane, and I knew I looked presentable. Well, as presentable as I could after the long plane ride.
“We’re almost there.”
The man’s voice woke me up from my thoughts, and I looked out the window again.
The winding road led up to the most glorious building I’d ever seen.
It stood in the distance, reminding me of a fairytale castle. It was built in a combination of white and red brick and had a beautiful blue roof, with towers raising from the main building. It was glorious, and I couldn’t help the gasp that escaped my lips.
“Beautiful, isn’t it?”
“Yes,” I said. “Pictures don’t do it justice.”
“A beautiful thing is always meant to be appreciated in person,” he muttered, and when I looked at him, he was looking into my eyes. It made me blush.
“I’m sorry to be so forward,” I said, twisting my hands in my lap. “But you never introduced yourself.”
We came to a stop in front of the castle, and for a second, I was convinced he wasn’t going to answer me. But he kept looking, and finally, his reply came, hitting me like a brick.
“I’m Prince Olivier’s brother,” he said.
“I thought he was an only child?” I asked, my eyebrows shooting up.
His expression darkened.
“I’m a bastard,” he replied, shocking me with the honesty of his statement. “You can call me Bruno.”
“O-Okay,” I stuttered, trying not to convey my surprise.
“We’re here,” he said next, and the car door opened to an incredible view of Luxuria’s winter court.
Bruno stepped out first, offering me his hand and grinning that wicked smile I’d come to know all too well.