The Royal Treatment (15 page)

Not Meredith. Better. Floressa.

Floressa:
I got your message. Who are you? What do you know?

I texted back.

Me:
Sorry. I’m your sub. I couldn’t get in contact with you any other way.

Floressa:
Oh. What do you want? I’m supposed to be relaxing over here.

Uh, where did I start? Remember how you said to leave your boyfriend alone? Well, he’s here. Oh, and your mother’s ex-husband is a king—and guess what?—he’s your dad and Isla is your half sister and you are a princess.

Also, your roller skates give me blisters.

Me:
I don’t think it’s something I can tell you in a text. Lots of stuff is going on here. You should get back.

Floressa:
But I’ve paid for two more days.

Me:
I’m sure you can get a refund.

Floressa:
Just tell me.

Before I could text back, a shadow fell on the terrace. I quickly hid the manual.

“Barrett sent me to look for you,” Karl said. “He wants to leave soon.”

I faked a smile. “Of course. I just wanted a moment. It’s a beautiful night.”

“My word, that breeze is unseasonably cool. Take my coat.” Karl slipped off his suit jacket and slid it over my shoulders. It smelled like him—like expensive cars and mint. He sat in the chair next to me, a respectful distance away.

“You can hear the ocean from here. Does it sound the same in California?”

“Same ocean.” I pulled Karl’s coat tighter around me, overcome with the sudden urge to cry. I couldn’t control King Aung’s feelings. I couldn’t take the hurt away for Gina or Floressa. What
use
was I here? I had actual magical abilities, but I was being used as a puppet stand-in. I wasn’t special. I could have been anyone.

And then I did cry. Not loud. Silent tears.

“Shall we go find Barrett—” Karl noticed my tears and stopped. “Oh. Forgive me. Did I say something to upset you?”

I shook my head.

“Would you like to talk about it?”

More than anything I wanted to talk about it. No, I wanted to get out of here, back home to my calm, scandal-free Idaho life. “I’m fine. Let me…let me gain my composure. I don’t want Barrett to see me like this.”

“Maybe Barrett
should
see you like this. He can console you far better than I can. Unless he’s the reason you’re upset, in which case I’ll take care of him.”

“How?”

“A duel. We’re royal.” Karl cracked a rare smile. “It’s allowed.”

My laugh turned into a hiccup. “It’s not Barrett. Barrett’s great. There’s…there’s been a lot of change in my life lately, and I have some hard choices to make. I’m trying to get through it.”

“Can I offer a bit of advice, then?” Karl tapped his chest. “Think with this. My brain led me astray for far too long, and I’m much happier now that I’ve followed my heart.”

I couldn’t help myself. I had to bring it up. “Is that what you did with Elsa?”

Karl blushed. “Ah, that’s a topic for another time. Let’s not worry about my troubles now.” He stood. “But as far as your troubles go, if you ever want to talk, I’m here. We’re nearly family, after all.”

I stumbled up and wiped at my tears. My head was telling me to jump ship, but my heart knew I had to help Floressa as best I could. “Thanks, Karl. You really are a prince.”

“Speaking of, let’s get you to my brother.” He held out his arm and I took it, trying my best to ignore the tingles that it brought.

Barrett and Isla were waiting for us in the sitting room. Barrett hugged me when I came in. “There you are. I thought you’d been kidnapped. Why are you wearing Karl’s coat?”

I snuck one more sniff before taking the coat off and handing it to Karl. “I was cold. Have you seen my mom?”

“She’s waiting in the limo. Did you make her mad again? I passed her in the hallway and she barreled right past me.”

“She looked like she was crying,” Isla added.

A servant clicked his heels in the doorway. “His Majesty has fallen ill and has retired for the evening. He apologizes, but bids you a warm farewell.”

Isla rolled her eyes. “My dad gets antisocial sometimes. Promise me we can meet again. How long are you here?”

“Um, I don’t know.”

“I’ll talk to Dad. We will set up something.”

I’m sure he’s looking at his calendar right now, little sis.

I
faked a headache when we got back to the yacht, promising Barrett we’d go sightseeing the next day. I only hoped Floressa, the real Floressa, would be back by then.

I clicked back to my text message conversation with Floressa and stared at the screen. Just tell me. Should I? I had a suspicion I was breaking rules here, but I had to get her back home.

Desi:
Hey, it’s me again. Your sub.

Floressa:
Oh my gosh, first you desert me and now you’re interrupting my beauty rest. Different time zone, ever heard of it? What do you want?

Desi:
Well, first off, Barrett is here.

Floressa:
What? Barrett is THERE? What he is doing there?

Desi:
Your mom brought him as a surprise. Well, as moral support.

Floressa:
Moral support for what? You aren’t kissing him, are you? ARE YOU?

Oh, honey. If only
that
was your biggest problem.

Desi:
No. She probably brought him because she had big
news. About your dad.

Floressa:
Lorenzo? I haven’t seen Lorenzo in ten years.
What is my mom doing talking to that jerk? I thought he was
in Italy filming a movie.

Desi:
That’s the thing. Lorenzo isn’t your dad. Your dad is
King Aung.

Floressa:
Who?

Desi:
The King of Tharma.

Floressa:
Ha. That’s funny. They didn’t tell me you subs
were comedians.

Desi:
Floressa, I have never been more serious about
anything in my life. They met when your mom was in Once
Upon an Island, and she told him tonight.

Floressa:
They don’t even know each other.

Desi:
It gets crazier. They were secretly married for a bit, but then the king’s brother was assassinated and your mom
ran away to America and had you.

Floressa:
You’re lying. You’re joking. It’s not funny anymore.

Desi:
I’m sorry you had to hear it this way.

Floressa:
Okay. Wait. How do you know?

Desi:
Your mom told me…told you about it tonight.

Floressa:
So now he wants to meet me?

Desi:
Um…no.

Floressa:
What do you mean no?

Desi:
He already met you. At dinner tonight.

Floressa:
And…

Desi:
I think he was shocked. He didn’t take it well.

Floressa:
How could he not take it well? I’m Floressa Chase.

Desi:
Like I said, it was kind of dramatic.

Floressa:
OMG, so this makes me a princess.

Desi:
Technically, yes.

Floressa:
That is so cool. Except the part where my dad
doesn’t want me. And the part where you’re with my
boyfriend.

Desi:
I’ve never been alone with him. His brother, Karl, was
there the whole time.

Floressa:
Oh, Karl. That kid is dullsville.

Desi:
He’s super nice, actually.

Floressa:
Are we talking about KARL still? Who cares?
My dad is a king and he doesn’t want me and…Oh, this
actually sucks. I have to go lie down.

Desi:
Wait! You need to come to Tharma.

Floressa:
No way. I’m not ready yet. I still need to think
about this.

Desi:
What? Floressa, what am I supposed to do?

Floressa:
Nothing. Do nothing. Don’t tell anyone about this. Sit tight and avoid everyone until I’m ready. Give me some time and don’t text me. I’ll text you.

Desi:
But what if something happens?

Floressa:
Don’t let it. Bye.

Gina woke me up at five the next morning. For once, she didn’t look like an airbrushed image. Instead, her eyes were red, her face swollen. I rolled over, exhausted from a night spent tossing and turning. “Need to sleep,” I said.

“The secret is out.”

“I know it’s out.” I pulled my blanket under my chin. “You already told me.”

“You weren’t the only one spying in the garden.” Gina picked up my clothes from the night before and folded them on a chair. “A paparazzo was there and he recorded the conversation. My publicist just called me—
Star Reporter Daily
is printing the story today.”

Don’t let anything happen
, Floressa said. Yeah, well,
whoops
.

“Now what?” I asked.

“The best defense is a good offense. We’re doing interviews at noon,” she said.

“Interviews?” I buried my head under a pillow. “No. No, we aren’t doing that.”

“Flossie, I know this is hard, but if we spin it right, this could be positive press.”

“Spin it? This isn’t a story. This is my
life
.”

“And part of your life is being in the public eye. I’m sorry, but you have to take the good and the bad.” Gina frowned. “I’m flying in Brenda Waters to do it. I feel like I connected with her during our Oscar interview, and she’s fabulous at making the interviewee look sympathetic.”

“What does the king think about this?”

“I don’t know. He’s not talking to me. I’ve left messages, but he’s already said he’s going to deny everything. Brenda Waters reached out to him too, so maybe that will help.”

I rubbed the sleep out of my eyes. “I thought you were going to give me time with this.”

“Honey, either we tell our story or the media tells their version of it.” She pushed a hair out of my face “I’m sorry. Get in the shower. I’ll send for Ryder. Maybe even keep your skates on. It could add a little innocence to your image. We need you to be as likeable as possible, in case the king does counter press.”

Once Gina left the room, I checked my manual. I’d written three texts so far to Meredith, but all of them had gone unanswered. I scrolled through the applications and paused when I thought about Genevieve’s card. I could contact her. I would be out of here pronto, and Floressa would be back in time to lace up her own skates.

But what would that mean for Meredith? Would she get in trouble for not answering my texts? And there was that rumor about promotions; I didn’t want her to look bad. And Floressa…would it be even worse for her to be catapulted into this situation without warning? No, I could at least tell her about the interview and give her the morning to mentally prepare. Meanwhile, I’d get Flossie dolled up for her return.

I typed the texts, musing that I had never used the letters ASAP so much in my life. After hiding my manual again, I showered and was brushing the tangles out of Floressa’s hair when Ryder fluttered in, squeezing a notebook of some sort in his shaking hands.

“A fun mother-daughter getaway,” he said. “That’s what I was supposed to prepare for. Maybe,
maybe
a shot by the paparazzi here or there, but an interview with Brenda Waters? News that will make national—no INTERNATIONAL—headlines! That takes months, months to prepare for!”

I guided him into a chair. “It’ll be all right.”

“All right?
All right!”
Ryder flung the book across the room. It banged against the wall and flopped onto the bed. “This is a career-defining moment and I don’t have an ounce of taffeta at my disposal.”

I leafed through the book. Photos of Floressa in different outfits were pared with sketches and swatches of fabric. A bright, exotic, floral print caught my eye. I knew in a moment it was perfect. In this, with her hair long and flowing, there would be no denying Floressa was island royalty. She wouldn’t have to say a thing. The dress would say it for her. “Do you have this fabric?”

“Sure. Bought that last season in Hong Kong.”

“Do you think you could whip something together with it?”

Ryder narrowed his eyes. “You sure it’s not too…too? You’re going to fit right in with this, not stand out.”

“Oh, I’ll still stand out.” I thumbed through some of the designs, an idea taking shape as I noted the items in Floressa’s wardrobe. I’d come a long way from designing T-shirts. “Did you bring those earrings?” I pointed to a pair of delicate gold-and-coral hoops.

Ryder shrugged.

I nudged him with my elbow. “You know, I am a designer too.”

“So?”

“So it’s not like you’re dressing a mannequin. We combine my fashion sense and your design skills and…Ryder, you’re right. This
will
be career defining. We’re going to make me look like an island princess. No one will be able to deny who I really am.”

Ryder’s eyes widened. “Can we use that gold belt I love?”

“Belt away.”

“Come then, my princess.” Ryder jumped up. “Your subjects await!”

It took three hours to get me properly polished. Ryder whipped up a dress using the fabric I’d found, and together we accessorized Floressa.

Gina sent in her PR team to brief me on what to say. I was supposed to play the clueless daughter who’d always wanted a father. And I had to cry—Brenda Waters made everyone cry. I wrote down everything. I wouldn’t be answering these questions. Floressa would be back by then. She had to be.

I was alone in my bedroom organizing the notes when my manual zinged with news from both Meredith and Floressa. Ha! No Brenda Waters tears after all.

Desi,

My reception has been bad, so I barely saw this. I think you’re going overboard with the ASAP. We already knew she was a royal—that’s why she qualified for a sub. I’ve personally contacted Floressa concerning the matter, and she’s asked us not to intervene. As a Level Two, her desires take precedence over Façade’s usual protocol. Besides, you’ve been trained—take care of it and let me finish up this vacation. And DON’T contact Genevieve. That would make us both look bad.

Hang in there. AND NO KISSING.

Ta-ta,

Meredith

Kissing? There was much heavier stuff going down here than
kissing
. Instead of monitoring this job or trusting a valued employee, Meredith was listening to Floressa, WHO WASN’T EVEN HERE. Floressa had no idea how big this was. Brenda Waters was on her way to make me bawl on international television!

I didn’t bother to write her back. A cyborg had obviously taken over my agent’s body. How I missed workaholic Meredith. What was she doing that was
so
important anyway? If I messed this interview up, it wouldn’t just impact royal circles. Everyone in America—heck, everyone who owned a TV—would know about it.

But it got worse. Much, much worse. Enter: Floressa’s text.

Floressa:
I’m not coming back.

I squeezed my eyes shut. Did Floressa and Meredith have a Let’s Make Desi Go Crazy party? Were they sitting together laughing right now? Because
this
was bananas.

Desi:
What?

Floressa:
I’m sick. I have a stomachache. Can’t leave.

Desi:
You have to come back.

Floressa:
No, I’m sick. My stomach feels weird.

Desi:
Did you throw up?

Floressa:
Eww, no. Okay, so I’m probably fine. But I’m not
coming back.

Desi:
It’s nerves. I can relate, but you should get back for this interview. The questions are going to be personal. It would help if the person answering was YOU.

Floressa:
I don’t care about the interview anymore. I don’t care about anything.

Desi:
I know this is hard.

Floressa:
I’m not coming back ever. There is no way I can see my dad after what he did. And my mom! My mom lied to me my whole life. This resort is super posh. I’m going to stay.

Desi:
I don’t know if that’s an option.

Floressa:
I’m rich. I can make anything an option. Barrett can even visit, since he’s royal. Now go live my life for me and leave me alone.

Desi:
Floressa, seriously, I think if you come back, you can make it through this. You have your mom and Barrett and your design stuff and…a life! A fabulous LIFE!

Three minutes later…

Desi:
Floressa? R U there?

Five minutes later, Barrett knocked on the door. “Babe, I think they want to freshen up your makeup again before the interview.”

“Yeah, coming.”

Desi:
Floressa, I’m going to this interview, and then we are going to work this out. You know you can’t leave forever. Façade won’t let you. I won’t let you.

I added three frowny faces at the end. There I was, trying to help her, and she’d completely checked out on me. She couldn’t stay at the resort. Every princess returns sometime.

Um. I think.