To Steal a Prince (8 page)

“That happened here?”

“Yes. I saved a man from being pickpocketed, and he offered me a place to stay until I got on my feet.”

“Gabe?” Damon asks.

I nod. Gabe had asked me how I saw the pickpockets when he hadn’t felt them strike. I never told him that I’d marked him as a target myself, and I don’t plan on telling Damon now.

“It worked out pretty well. He gave me a couch, and I brought in whatever money I could. I still owe him about a year’s worth of rent, but I also saved his wallet two more times. He’s not the most vigilant person.”

“And you are?”

I turn my nose up haughtily. “I tend to be aware of my surroundings.”

“How else would you know which cars still had keys in them?”

I wish I could disappear into the rosebushes.

“Don’t go.” Damon pulls me closer. “I’m just needling you. If you hadn’t crashed so spectacularly, I would have laughed at the time. It was all so surreal.”

“Yeah. 4.8 million dollars’ worth of hilarity.”

“Don’t feel bad. It’s only money.”

I let go of his hand, sitting heavily on a bench. “It’s only money if you have some. There’s no way for me to ever pay you back.”

“I don’t need you to pay me back.” He sits beside me, though he leaves me some space. “I have plenty of money. Other things are more important.”

“Like what?” I glare at him, daring him to name one thing.

“Like curtseying.” Leaping from the bench, he dips deeply.

He completely breaks me from my foul mood. I can’t help but laugh at how solemn and regal his movements are.

“Don’t laugh. You need to learn these.”

I try not to giggle my way off the bench. “Why should I? I already have a signature move.”

“Yes, but it makes you look ridiculous.” Damon daintily lifts an imaginary skirt.

Now I really am in danger of falling. The prince comes to my aid, pulling me to my feet.

“Watch me, Grace. It’s not hard. Now, this is how you curtsey to your monarchs.” He bends deeply at the knees, pulling an imaginary skirt slightly behind him.

“How do you know all this?”

“I watched the girls for hours in finishing school. Purely for academic purposes, of course.” He flashes a rakish grin. “Don’t bend as deeply when addressing the court. And place your feet like this when meeting a foreign dignitary.”

I stomp my foot, refusing to be ladylike at this hour. “Why do I need to know all these?”

“In case you want to retain your dignity.”

“Even if I ever met a foreign dignitary, how am I supposed to remember which curtsey to use?”

Damon bows. “I can remind you if necessary.”

I have no reservations about rolling my eyes in the darkness. I’m sure he can’t see me. Damon seems determined to teach me useless etiquette, despite the fact that I’m not even a chambermaid. Does he really think I’m going to hang around the palace long enough to use a knowledge of curtsies? It’s not like I’m going to meet the King of Russia on my way out the door tomorrow.

“You look tired,” Damon says, perhaps a polite way of telling me that he’s tired of my belligerence. “Let’s get you back to your room.”

Arm in arm, we walk from the garden. The scent of roses fades, making me a little sad. It feels like I’m leaving a place of magic behind.

The crushed shells of the pathway crunch under our feet. Damon slows as we reach my balcony, as if wanting to draw the night on a little longer.

At last, we come to the stairs. “We’re here,” I say, gently reminding him that our walk is over.

Damon lets go of my hands to reach into his jacket pocket. He pulls out a long-stemmed red rose. “Here. It reminded me of you.”

I stare at him, wide-eyed. I never saw him pluck it. Stunned by his gift, I try to think of something appropriate to say.

“This has thorns, you know.” I clap my hands over my mouth as soon as the words escape.

“I told you it reminded me of you.” He laughs.

I twirl the stem between my fingers. The blossom fills the air around us with its perfume. “What about your mother?”

“She would have wanted you to have it.” Leaning in, he kisses me on the cheek. “Good night.”

His lips make my skin tingle. I want to throw myself at him, to press my lips to his until we collapse. But he just winks at me before turning and walking into the darkness. I stare at his retreating back, his tailored suit tight in all the right places. I really regret that this is the last time I’m ever going to see him. The night swallows him, and all that’s left are the fireflies.

Climbing the stairs, I grip the railing. The whole palace is opulent, too good to be true. Just like my hopes of having Damon. Kicking off my shoes, I fall into bed. I drift to sleep to the sound of the waterfall.

6

I wake to a grumbling stomach. Opening my eyes, I take in the silk hangings overhead. Oh right. I’m in the palace. If I weren’t so hungry, I could believe I was still dreaming.

Forcing myself out of bed, I fumble for the panel Damon opened last night. A tray chills in the fridge, and I whip off the silver cover. It’s a small chicken on a bed of greens. I tear off the drumsticks, ignoring the greens for now. It’s an odd breakfast, but it will have to do. I can’t ask Damon where to get food. He’d try to charm me into staying again.

I’m hungry enough that I eat the legs cold. They’re smaller than I’m used to, and taste a little off. Maybe I’m actually eating a pheasant. That sounds like something rich people would eat. I’ve never even seen one.

Satisfied with my meal, I set the tray back in the fridge. Reluctantly, I also return the heels I’ve been wearing to the closet. They gleam silver, making me wonder how many months of rent I could get for them. I shut the door firmly. I need to get out of the palace, and hopefully shake this newfound conscience.

As I scoop up my bag, I notice the rose on the nightstand. It seems wrong to leave it to wilt. After a quick hunt through some drawers, I unearth a sea green glass jar. I fill it with water in the bathroom, then stick the rose in. The stem is too long for the jar, and the rose threatens to slip out. It doesn’t quite fit, a feeling I can relate to. Maybe it can hold on longer than I did.

I walk from the room, feeling a pang of sadness as I close the blue door behind me. I’m going to miss the thrill of living in this place, the wonder of possibilities. And, if I’m being entirely honest, I’m going to miss Damon.

The morning is already hot. A car idles by the steps. I recognize Rashad inside.

“Lady Sparrow!” He steps out of the car. “Are you looking to go somewhere this morning?”

I’m relieved to see a familiar face. “I want to go to the city center, but I don’t want to bother you.”

He waves me off before I can ask about cabs. “I can take you.” Walking around to the passenger door, he opens it for me.

“Are you sure?”

Rashad gestures for me to enter. I do, not wanting to waste even more of his time arguing. We drive through the gate, leaving the palace and peacocks behind.

The sun beats down on the city, warming roofs to a bright orange. Noise and traffic build as we wind our way into its heart. My shoulders relax. I definitely feel more comfortable here. I can blend in wherever I want, get lost in a crowd. No one could find me if I didn’t want them to follow. If I do everything right, no one will even notice me.

“Where do you want me to drop you off?”

“There,” I point. “By that fountain would be great.”

Rashad slows.

“I’ll open my own door, if you don’t mind.”

He nods. “As you wish.”

The car stops by the curb.

“Thank you, Rashad. And…” I hesitate. “Could you wait a few hours before telling the prince where I’ve gone?”

“Of course, my lady.”

I step out, and the car purrs away. I sit on the edge of the fountain, a little stunned. My last link to the palace is gone. I’m not entirely sure if that’s good or not.

For a moment I just rest, basking in the sun and staring at the giant fish in the center of the fountain. It’s leaping, spurting water high into the air. Pigeons roost on its scaled head. People hurry past, searching for coffee and breakfast. It’s still too early for the tourists. No one spares a glance at the fountain, or at me.

Mist falls on my face. I hope Damon won’t be too upset by my disappearance. Really though, I needed to leave. It’s what’s best for Damon and his family. They could obviously see that I didn’t fit in there. I try to convince myself that it’s also what’s best for me. I feel another pang at the thought of never seeing Damon again.

“Beautiful morning, isn’t it?”

I almost fall into the fountain. Nic sits beside me, dark sunglasses obscuring his eyes.

“How’d you find me?” I glance around, but I don’t see a palace car anywhere.

“It’s my job.”

“I thought your job was to protect Damon.”

“It is.” He stares straight ahead. As far as I can tell, anyway.

“I didn’t steal anything, you know.”

“I know.”

“Then why come after me?”

Nic scratches the back of his neck. Is he actually capable of being uncomfortable?

“You can’t leave. Not yet.”

“And why not?”

He sighs. “He’s never had a girl run from him before. I don’t know what it’d do to his ego.”

I scoff. “He can’t care if I stay or go. I’m just some random girl who crashed his car.”

“The prince may have given you the wrong impression. He really loved that car. Not just anyone could have gotten away with totaling it.”

I stare at the cobblestones, trying to decide whether to believe him.

“You don’t have to stay forever. I’m just asking you not to leave yet.”

Adjusting my bag, I stare into the traffic that whizzes around us. “How long do you think I’ll last?”

“What do you mean?”

“Until he replaces me with another girl.”

“Is that what you’re worried about?” The bodyguard cracks his knuckles. “What do you think he’s going to do if you go now? Mourn eternally? You’re guaranteed to lose him if you don’t give him a chance.”

Well shit. He has a point.

“Don’t make the mistake of thinking he’s callous just because he’s rich. He’s going to miss you. Trust me on that one. And who do you think he’ll blame if he gets hurt?”

“He couldn’t blame you. You’re just the bodyguard.”

Nic takes off his sunglasses, looking deep into my eyes. “The heart is part of the body.”

I have to laugh. “That’s incredibly cheesy.”

“Do you like it?” He puts his sunglasses on again, but a small smile plays across his lips. “I’ve always wanted to use it as a pickup line. I would have, if I weren’t always so busy looking after the prince.”

“The world will never know what it’s missing.”

“I made you laugh. You have to at least consider coming back.”

The thought stirs up equal parts joy and terror. “I don’t know. It’s not Damon, it’s just that I don’t belong there. The jewels, the wealth, the pretention, none of that’s me.”

“Maybe that’s why he needs you.”

The wind shifts, sending flecks of mist drifting over us. I have to admit, I do feel a flutter of excitement at the thought of seeing Damon again. It’s only been what, eight hours since I saw him last?

I stand, stretching in the morning light. “All right. I’ll go back. But I’m doing you a favor, you know. Someone has to protect you from the prince’s wrath.”

“I’ll owe you one.” Nic waves his hand, and a palace car emerges from behind the fountain.

I need to learn how to do that. I’d never need to hotwire again if I could simply summon cars.

Nic lets me open my own door. He sits beside me, uncomfortably close with his bulky body. As the driver pulls away, Nic puts up the partition.

“There’s something else I wanted to discuss with you before we get back. I reviewed the security tapes from the museum. There’s only one suspicious point. There’s a gap in the footage, but this girl’s bag is different from one frame to the next. Look familiar?”

The pheasant turns in my stomach as I look over the pictures. It’s obviously me, bag and all. I’m still wearing the same clothes.

“You think I stole the crown?” I thrust the pictures back at him. “I didn’t know I wasn’t allowed to be a tourist.”

“I never said you stole anything … besides the Koenigsegg, of course. The prince is in possession of the crown, so it seems there’s no criminal to pursue.”

In the partition, my reflection glares back at me. I hope it’s convincing. “You still think I took it, though. So why take me back?”

Nic’s reflection betrays no emotion. “I can handle a challenge.”

Great. I thought he and I were starting to get along, but it looks like we’re back to square one.

The ride back to the palace goes quickly, though Nic and I sit in silence. The gates open for me once again, then shut me inside. My only consolation is that the prince is in here too.

The car comes to a halt in front of the main staircase.

“Go in and wait for me,” Nic says. “I still haven’t decided what to do with you.” Reaching over, he opens the door. I step out before he decides to push me.

My palms sweat as I walk inside. What’s he going to do, tell on me? But then why did he insist that I come back in the first place? Does he just want to show his boss how great he is at security by humiliating me? I’d really rather not find out.

Regret washes over me as I lean against a pillar. I’ve been back for two minutes and I’m already sick of the games and uncertainty. This is why I left in the first place.

“Are you feeling all right?”

Damon approaches in a coal blazer. His eyes have taken on a blue slate color. How does he manage to make it feel like my problems don’t exist?

“I’m feeling better now.”

“You have your bag. Are you leaving?”

I remember what Nic told me about the prince’s ego. He was probably exaggerating, but it’s better to be safe than sorry.

“Of course not,” I say. “I just wanted to get some air.”

“Mind if I join you?”

“Well … I told Nic that I was going, and he asked me to wait for him here.”

“Nic? You don’t need him. I can escort you on a walk around the grounds.”