Arianna & Finn (Royals of Valleria #3) (8 page)

He thought she mumbled, “You do that already,” but wasn’t sure.

A safe topic, that’s what he needed. “I’ll show you around the capital first, then around some of the districts. Do you know much about Brazenbourg?”

“Some. There’s always some research done before visiting another country, though you’ll never know as much about the place as the locals do.”

Finn nodded in agreement. “Well, we’re a small country, as you know, with a total size just under one thousand square miles. A lake is centered north of the capital, and I’ll take you there last today, no matter where else we go. I’d like for you to see it.”

“Then I will.”

Finn smiled while he let out an internal sigh of relief; he wasn’t sure what he would have done if she had said she wasn’t interested. It would have been as good as saying she didn’t want his heart, though she likely didn’t want that anyway. His heart didn’t have much to offer anybody.

“I’ll take you around the capital first, which I know is confusingly named the same as the country.”

“Is there a reason for that?”

“Lack of imagination, I suppose, on the part of my ancestors. Terrible, but true.” She chuckled and the sound seemed to jump across his skin. He cleared his throat.

“Anyway, there are rivers that stream down from Brazenbourg Lake and cut the country into ten districts. Because we’re a constitutional monarchy, unlike Valleria which is a more traditional monarchy, each district has a mayor, who reports to Henry, or whoever is the current reigning monarch. When the constitutional monarchy was put in place, it was decided by the people that no one would hold the title of ‘King’, so that’s why Henry will forever be a ‘Prince.’”

“Does that bother him?”

“I’m going to tell you the same thing I told Alex; I’ll be as honest as I can be when it comes to my brother. In my opinion, he’ll never be happy just being a ‘Prince’, despite the fact that he is the leader of this country.”

“I see,” she said and Finn noticed her brows were furrowed, as if she were trying to figure something out. “What about you? Are you happy being just a ‘Prince?’”

Finn struggled with how to respond, but decided the truth was best. “To me, that’s just a title. Henry wishes I didn’t have it, and I certainly don’t need it.”

“Don’t you help Henry with state business?”

“Our family’s not like yours, Princess. We’re not like most other royal families.”

“Does that mean you don’t want to?”

Finn sighed. He forgot how hard it was to stay diplomatic at times. “Look, Henry’s not interested in help. It’s his way or no way. I’m not like that.”

“Do you think Henry’s philosophy is the same in all aspects of his life, or just politics?”

Finn gave her a curious look. “I couldn’t say.”

Arianna nodded, then noticed the passing scenery. “Where’s our first stop?”

Pleased to be back on neutral ground, he said, “We’ve got a lot of the standard tourist fare in the capital: old churches, ruins, monuments, and the like. But, I thought you might like to visit some of the places the locals love, perhaps meet some of them.”

She clasped her hands together in front of her. “Oh, that’s perfect actually. I’d love that.”

“I’m glad,” he said as a ridiculous surge of pride swept through him. He felt happy for getting something right for once, and wasn’t that just ridiculous? The problem was that he had spent too many years listening to Henry tell him he was useless.

A few minutes later, Finn pulled into an empty spot near an incredibly busy pedestrian area, his security finding a spot nearby as well.

“I can’t believe you found a spot so close.” Arianna stepped out from the car, Finn holding the door for her.

Finn reached up to scratch the back of his neck. “Well, the locals sort of unofficially keep it open for me.”

“Really? That’s very nice of them. You and Henry must come out here a lot then.”

“They do see the royal family out here from time-to-time, it’s true,” Finn said in a half truth. He wasn’t sure why he was defending Henry just then, but he was still his brother, after all.

They slowly walked down the street, Finn greeting various shop owners and street vendors by name. He loved this part of the capital; it had seen a great resurgence over the last several years, led by Finn’s quiet efforts. Henry would never have approved.

“You certainly seem well known,” Arianna said after hearing ‘Prince Finn’ shouted in greeting yet again.

“I am their Prince,” he said as they turned a corner onto a solely pedestrian street.

“It’s not just that. It’s like you’re a friend. That’s how they’re greeting you.”

“They are my friends,” he said easily, because it was true. “I don’t think of them as citizens I rule over. That’s Henry’s job. I grew up with these people, and they grew up with me. Brazenbourg is a small country, and we’re all a part of the same community. At least, that’s how I see things.”

“What is this street?” Arianna asked with wonder in her voice. The pedestrian-only street was filled to the brim at barely eleven in the morning. The thick, rich scents of cooking meats, vegetables, and more filled the air along with smoke from grills and outdoor stoves. While food trucks and stands lined one side of the street, the other was lined with outdoor stalls where merchants sold everything from homemade jewelry to clothing to housewares.

“It’s locally called Food Street,” he said, unable to hide the pride in his voice. “It’s one of my favorite places in the city.”

“I can see why. Has it always been here?”

“The cobbled street was built hundreds of years ago. Many years back, there was a movement to rip up the street and turn it into a more modern street, with standard pavement. My father couldn’t bear to see it go, though, so he campaigned for it to be saved.”

“Well, who would want to destroy it?” Arianna asked as she took a sample of grilled sausage one vendor offered her. “God, this is delicious.”

“George is one of the best,” Finn said as he slapped a hand on the man’s shoulder.

“You’re not so bad yourself, Prince Finn,” the bear of a man said. “And who’s this lovely miss with you?”

“George, this is Princess Arianna of Valleria. She and her brother are visiting us.”

“Oh! I beg your pardon, Princess,” he said as he dropped into a clumsy bow, which caught the attention of the people nearby.

“Oh, please, there’s no need for formality,” she said, but it was too late. As a crowd formed around them, Finn wished he could pull her against him and keep her safe in his arms. Since he couldn’t in public, security was the next best thing and he gestured for them to come closer. He didn’t think any of them would hurt Arianna, but he’d rather be safe than sorry.

Finn could tell Arianna was overwhelmed as his fellow countrymen and women came to greet her. He watched a wide smile grace her face as a little girl gave her a flower, and she kneeled down to speak to her eye-to-eye.

“How long are you here for, Your Highness?” one voice called. “Are you dating our Finn?” asked another.

Finn clapped his hands a few times and calmed the crowd. “Everyone, thank you so much for giving the Princess such a warm welcome. I told her she’d be charmed by Brazenbourg and its people, and I was right.”

“Have you charmed her, too, Prince Finn?” a young boy, no more than five years old, asked and everyone laughed.
Out of the mouth of children
, he thought. Arianna was blushing, and he didn’t want her to feel embarrassed.

“I am simply showing the Princess our lovely country, and I am being a perfect gentleman,” he said as he playfully tweaked the young boy’s nose. When everyone chuckled, Finn said, “Okay, so maybe not a perfect gentleman, but pretty close.”

George spoke up in defense of Finn. “You don’t need to worry, miss, I mean, Princess. Our Finn here’s a scamp, but a better man you’ll never know. He’s always one to lend a hand if you need it.” A murmur of agreement swept through the crowd.

“Thank you, all,” Arianna said as she affixed the small flower the little girl had given her into her upswept hair. “Prince Finn has been a gentleman, and you are all very kind. I won’t forget how lovely and welcoming you have been.”

Finn could feel the pride sweep through the crowd. Brazenbourg may be a small country, but pride in their homeland was never determined by the size of the country, only by those that lived within it. After a few more remarks, Finn disbursed the crowd.

“They love you,” Arianna said.

“What’s not to love?” he said with a broad smile as he slid on some sunglasses.

Arianna laughed. “You know what I mean. Do they feel the same way about Henry?”

Finn’s smile faded. “Henry’s a different man than I am.”

“So, he expects more formality.”

Finn gestured for her to keep walking. It wasn’t safe to speak of such things in public; Finn knew Henry always had someone tailing him or hiding in the crowd. “Henry expects quite a lot, from everyone,” Finn simply said. “Are you hungry?”

“Starving. Who wouldn’t be in the midst of all this?”

“Savory or sweet?”

“What?”

“Would you prefer something savory or sweet?”

After a moment, she said, “Why not both?”

Finn threw his head back and laughed. “A woman after my own heart. Let’s go. I know just the place.”

They walked down the street, which encompassed several blocks. Finn pointed out things she might like, and regaled her with stories about some of the characters behind the food and wares being sold.

“You talk about them as if they’re your family,” she said when they finally sat down. The entire food side of the street was covered with picnic-style tables and benches for everyone to enjoy.

“They are my family,” Finn said as he gestured to one of the owners of a pop-up café on the street. Finn didn’t mention that sometimes his fellow citizens felt more like his family than his brother did. “I told you that I love Brazenbourg, and I meant it. This is my home, and I won’t give it up without a fight.”

Arianna gave him a long look; he knew his last statement sounded odd. What Arianna didn’t know, and neither did anyone else, is that Henry would only be too happy to have Finn exiled from the country.

Before Arianna could comment, a woman came out bearing a large tray of food. Arianna’s face broke into an easy smile of greeting; she was a natural with people.

“What is all this?” she asked and took a deep breath. “Mmmm. It smells heavenly.”

The sound she made reminded him too much of last night, which they had very studiously avoided discussing thus far. “It’s a number of local dishes.” Finn gestured to the pixie-like woman who had carried the tray. “Linda is from America originally, but she cooks almost as good as my grandmother did.”

Linda blushed. “Thank you for the compliment, Prince Finn.”

“How long have you lived here?” Arianna asked as she loaded up her plate. To Finn, it was good to see a woman unafraid to eat and, from his first-hand experience, he loved her curves.

“I did a backpacking trip through Europe after college,” Linda said. “I ran out of money here in Brazenbourg and planned to stay just long enough to earn my way to the next stop on my trip.”

“What happened?” Arianna asked as she lifted a spoonful of a hearty meat and vegetable stew to her lips.

“Oh, I raised the money easily enough, but I had fallen in love with the place. This country, its people, they just felt like home to me. So, I stayed.”