The next morning, after Faith had given them a wonderful country breakfast, Lex and Roza set off on their hike. Lex led the way with a huge backpack filled with everything they’d need, and Roza dragged her heels behind her. They had been walking for an hour and were now deep into Foxglove Wood.
Lex felt calm and happy to be back in her natural element. The sounds of birds chirping and the rustle of wind through the trees were all you could hear, and they were alone—apart from the five security agents twenty feet behind them. That was as far away as Roza could get Ravn to agree to.
Lex took a deep breath and said, “It makes you feel glad to be alive doesn’t it?” When she didn’t receive an answer, she turned and found Roza more than ten feet behind her, trudging along, with a glum look on her face.
Lex jogged back to her. “Hey, Princess. You don’t look as if you’re enjoying yourself.”
Roza gazed at her with annoyance. “That’s because I’m not. This bag is too heavy, it’s too hot, my feet hurt, it’s dirty everywhere, and these disgusting flies keep hovering around and biting me.”
“So other than that, you’re having the time of your life?”
Roza dropped her bag and hit Lex in the arm. “How can you even enjoy this? It’s torture.”
Lex sighed. She thought it might turn out like this, Roza moaning the whole way, but she had been insistent that she wanted to try the things that Lex enjoyed.
She clasped Roza by the shoulders and said, “You have to think about the spirit of the place as you’re walking through, not just trudge aimlessly. This is ancient woodland. Imagine all the sights it’s seen, the people and animals who have come through it. You need to try and connect with it.”
“I’d rather connect with my phone. I don’t know why I let you persuade me to leave mine at your house. I can’t check my email, my social media. Anything could be happening in the world and I won’t know about it.”
“I thought this would let us connect and be alone and cut off from the press. Besides, you’ve got a team of security agents, armed to the teeth and with more gadgets and phones in their backpacks than you would know what to do with. I’m sure if the world is coming to an end, Ravn will let you know.” Lex picked up Roza’s bag. “Now, no more glum faces. You are going to enjoy this if it kills me. I’ll carry your bag, as well as my own, and if you keep walking for another hour or so, we’ll make camp, and I might have something chocolatey in my backpack for you for dessert tonight.”
The smile was back on Roza’s face. “Ooh, is it more chocolate body paint?”
“No, it’s a surprise—plus there’s one more thing I think you’ll enjoy.” Lex leaned over and whispered in Roza’s ear, “Have you ever made love outdoors in nature, under the stars?”
She saw Roza gulp. “No.”
Lex gave her a sly smile. “You have lots of experiences ahead, Princess, if you’re a good girl.”
Roza giggled. “I can be good.”
Lex was delighted to see the spring back in Roza’s step. There was a little part of Roza that would always be the spoiled princess, but Lex would never want to change that about her. She was high maintenance, but that kept life interesting.
They started to walk again, hand in hand this time. Roza squeezed her hand and said, “There is one part of hiking I love. You in jeans, boots, and a tight T-shirt. So sexy.”
“Just keep walking and I might let you take off my boots for me.”
Lex wasn’t surprised when she felt another play-hit, this time to her backside.
*
Roza had to admit that when they reached the camping area, and Lex set everything up, it actually looked really romantic and sweet. The camping area was no more than a large field on the edge of the woods, but it had an outdoor toilet block and power cell points beside each tent pitch. Luckily since it wasn’t a very well-known spot, they were the only ones there.
Ravn and her team were on the other side of the camping area so as to give them privacy. When early evening came, Roza and Lex sat on logs beside the open fire, outside their hard-shell tent, having just finished a dinner of sausages and beans.
Roza put down her plate and said, “That was tasty. I didn’t think you’d eat something as unhealthy as sausages.”
Lex took her plate and put it into the bucket of soapy water she had to the side of the tent. “It’s all right when you’ve been hiking. You need the calories.” Lex sat down beside her and took her hand. “So? What do you truthfully think about camping? It’s not that bad, is it?”
Roza smiled, rested her head on Lex’s shoulder, and pulled her arm around her. “No, I like this part. Just you and me alone and in front of a crackling fire. It’s so romantic.”
She felt Lex kiss her head and sigh contentedly. “Yes. This is nice.”
“What about my chocolate surprise?” Roza suddenly remembered.
“Ah, of course. I did promise. I’ll just be a second.”
Roza watched as Lex rummaged around in her backpack and brought out a box of one pound blocks of her favourite chocolate, and five bags of big American marshmallows.
“Have you got enough there, baby?”
“Well you eat a lot so—”
“Hey, not funny,” Roza said in a huffy voice.
“I’m only joking. I didn’t how much it would take to make a big melty bowl of chocolate.”
“Hmm.” Roza licked her lips. “A big melty bowl of chocolate. Hurry up then, I’m salivating.”
Lex got a clean pot to hang over the fire, and broke up the bars to melt. She handed Roza some wooden sticks and told her to prepare the marshmallows. The chocolate started to melt into gooey, glossy deliciousness, and as Roza gazed across the fire to Lex, her heart and her butterflies fluttered.
“I’ve never been happier than in this moment, Lex. Thank you for making it so special.”
Lex smiled. “You’re welcome, Princess.”
Roza took her spiked marshmallow and dipped it deeply in the chocolate pot. “If there wasn’t melted chocolate here, I would be dragging you to bed.”
Lex nudged her and joked, “Eat quickly.”
Just then they heard raised voices and saw lights snapping on over at Major Ravn’s camp.
“I wonder what’s wrong?” Roza said.
Lex stood up to get a better look and saw them checking their weapons and talking seriously. “Why don’t you finish your mallows and I’ll take a walk over to Ravn,” Lex said.
“Okay, then bed when you get back. I have some aching shoulders I need you to take care of.”
Lex smiled and bowed. “Yes, Your Royal Highness.”
She started to walk over towards Ravn’s camp, but Ravn must have seen her because she came and met her halfway.
“Is everything all right, Major? It sounded as if you had a lot going on over there.”
Ravn looked impassive. “Nothing to worry about. Just checking in with headquarters.”
Lex couldn’t put her finger on it, but it felt as if Ravn was hiding something. “Are you sure because if you want us—”
“Just some internet threats after the bombings the other night.” Ravn put a hand on Lex’s shoulder. “Go back to the princess and have a wonderful night. You’ve got to treasure all these little moments together.”
Now that was strange. The normally stoic Major Ravn didn’t often use those kinds of words. “If you’re sure, Major.”
“Yes, we will be doing hourly patrols around the perimeter of the campsite during the night, so don’t be alarmed if you see lights in the dark.”
“I won’t. Thank you, Major.”
Lex walked back over to their tent with a slightly uneasy feeling. She looked up at the sky as night fell and the stars started to shine. “Treasure all these moments together.”
She noticed Roza wasn’t at the fire and the chocolate pot was off the heat. Thinking she had gone to use the bathroom facilities, Lex damped down the fire and cleared the plates and disposed of the litter in the bin.
Lex went into the tent and jumped when she saw Roza in their double sleeping bag, beckoning her in.
“Oh, baby, I’m waiting for you.”
Lex wanted to jump in beside her that second. “I’m coming for you, Princess.”
As she took off her clothes, something of Ravn’s words echoed inside her. She wanted this to be special.
*
Roza leaned on her side, never taking her eyes off Lex. She could look at Lex’s body for hours. She wasn’t just sculpted and well-honed in the gym—there was an indefinable something that drew her to Lex, a certain swagger that she had, the way she held herself with confidence, which made Roza want to do bad things with her.
“Lex, hurry up and take those jeans off or I’ll start without you.”
Lex kicked off her shoes and jeans and was in the sleeping bag in seconds. She grasped Roza’s hand and held it to the ground beneath her.
“You don’t ever need to do that yourself when I’m here.” Lex gazed at her with emotion in her eyes. “There has never been any woman who has made my heart feel like this.”
Roza felt Lex stroke her fingers through Roza’s soft hair and across her cheeks and lips.
“You are so beautiful, and I want to remember this night forever. Keep your eyes on mine.”
“What—”
Roza’s words died when Lex gently grasped her breast. “I want to see every moment of love and pleasure in your eyes.”
Roza groaned in pleasure as Lex’s hand went straight to her sex and grasped it.
“Touch me, Lex. I need you.”
Lex slipped her fingers straight into the wetness she knew she would find. “If you stop looking in my eyes, I’ll stop, okay?”
Roza nodded and put her hand on top of Lex’s encouraging her to continue.
“Uh-uh. I don’t need your help, Princess. Just keep looking.” Lex rubbed around Roza’s clit, teasing her but not giving her the direct contact she wanted. “I remember I used to sit in the office and just stare at you. You were so beautiful, and when you were angry, you were so passionate, that all I wanted to do was kiss you.”
Roza’s hips moved rhythmically along with Lex’s fingers. “And when I flirted with you, and teased you?” Roza gasped.
Lex let her fingers slip down and only slightly dip inside. Roza closed her eyes and breathed, “Lex…”
As soon as she saw Roza’s eyes close, Lex immediately stilled her fingers.
“Don’t stop, baby. Please don’t tease.”
“What did I tell you, Princess. Keep your eyes open. I want to see every second of your pleasure and love in your eyes.”
Roza opened her eyes and pleaded, “Make me come, Lex. Make me feel you love me.”
She pushed her fingers back inside Roza and hastened her pace. “You’re so wet.”
Roza desperately grasped her own breast and squeezed it in her palm.
“Yes, squeeze it, Princess. Show me how much you want it.”
Lex loved the way Roza’s eyes softened the more her excitement grew, and her skin flushed red.
“Tell me about when I teased you.”
“I wanted to bend you over my desk and fuck you until you begged to come.”
Roza started to buck her hips, and Lex could feel Roza start to pulse around her fingers. “Yes, baby.”
“Keep your eyes on mine and come for me, Princess.”
Roza’s hips met every hard thrust from Lex and demanded more until she clutched onto her neck.
Lex watched every moment of her orgasm on Roza’s face, in her eyes, and in the loud scream she gave. As her breathing calmed, Lex peppered kisses all over her face and lips. “Thank you for giving me that, my darling princess. I love you.”
“I love you, baby, but I think I might have broken something, I came so hard.”
Lex laughed softly before Roza caressed her cheek and said with a sly smile, “I want my King to do bad things to me out here in the wild.”
Lex’s sex clenched in response. “I’m your King?”
“Oh yes, and I’m your pillow princess. You can do anything you want to me,” Roza said with a coquettish grin.
Lex groaned as she realized she could assuage her craving and hunger for Roza now, without fear. Roza had given herself to her in both body and heart, and nothing that Lex could imagine could keep them apart now.
*
By six o’clock the next morning, Lex had the fire going and tea brewing. When she had gotten up at five thirty, she’d noticed Major Ravn’s camp was bustling with activity. The uneasy feeling she had gotten the night before returned.
She heard a big yawn from behind her, and a pair of arms snaked around her neck. “Morning, baby.”
“Good morning, Princess. You’re up early. Is it the country air?”
Roza kissed her sweetly. “No, it’s Lennox King. I just want to be with you. Thank you for last night. You made it something I’ll remember for the rest of my life and—”
Lex noticed bright car lights illuminating the early morning gloom, pulling into the car park.
“Early morning dog walkers?” Roza asked.
A quick glance to the side and she saw Major Ravn and her team making their way over to the camp. “I don’t think so.” This was the source of the bad feeling, she was sure. Lex stood and pulled Roza into her arms.
Roza’s security team started to encircle the camp and Ravn approached with a serious look on her face.
“Ravn, what’s wrong?” Roza asked.
“We are expecting company from Denbourg. I’ll let them explain, ma’am.” Ravn stood off to the side.
“Are they going to arrest me, Princess?” Lex joked.
“Don’t be silly.” Roza laughed. “It’s more likely to be me.”
The cars came to a halt and security officers got out to open the passenger doors.
“Denbourg officials? Wait a minute, that’s Father’s head of security. What is going on?” Roza walked forward a few steps.
Lex’s bad mood was getting worse by the second. The atmosphere was what she could only describe as sombre.
Everyone stood back and two of the officials stepped forward.
“What? Am I in trouble again?” Roza said.
The female official said, “No, ma’am. My name is Lund, and I am Chief Privy Counsellor of Denbourg. We bring some bad news.”
The other took out a red velvet bag with the Denbourg crest on the front. Roza immediately gasped and held her hand to her mouth.
“What’s going on?” Lex said.
Everyone in the clearing, including Major Ravn, dropped to their knees, and all the blood drained from Roza’s face as she began to weep.
Lex held Roza tightly, trying to calm her. “Princess? Tell me what’s going on.”
Lund took a large gold and jewelled sovereign ring from the bag and presented it to Roza.
“It is with a heavy heart that I must tell you that His Majesty King Christian and His Royal Highness Crown Prince Augustus were killed yesterday afternoon in a terrorist assassination. It falls on me to bring you your father’s ring. The King is dead, long live the Queen.”
The bodyguards and officials repeated the phrase, while Lund pushed the ring onto Roza’s finger, and then Roza collapsed. Lex caught her and cradled her in her arms.
“They can’t be gone. Tell me it’s not real, Lex. Please, please, please.”
Lex met Ravn’s eyes who nodded and her stomach dropped to her toes. “Shh, darling. I’m here. I’m here for you.”
The sound of a whirling helicopter came from above, and a man came forward and introduced himself as Roza’s head of security, Colonel Voltz.
“Excuse me, Your Majesty? We have to get you to a secure location. The helicopter will take us to London.”
Roza clutched Lex’s T-shirt even tighter. “No, I don’t want to leave her. Lex, don’t let them take me.”
Lex moved into full protection mode. She wasn’t handing Roza over to anyone. “Colonel, I would like to take her back to my family home. She’ll be safe there.”
“Impossible. It isn’t safe. Denbourg has been subject to an attack at the heart of our constitution. We have to protect our Queen. Your Majesty, please follow me.”
“Major Ravn,” Lex shouted.
Ravn hurried over and saluted the colonel. “Sir, I have Lennox King’s home fully secure. I think it would be a good base until the Queen has come to terms with this.”
He was silent for a time and eventually said, “Very well but only for tonight. Major, I’ll let you handle this.”
When he walked off, Lex lifted Roza and carried her over to the car to take her home. As she did, all she could think was, I’ve lost her.
*
Lex sat in the living room with her family while the village doctor attended to Roza. The news played in the background as they waited. It showed military and police on the streets of Denbourg, as they hunted down terrorist snipers.
Lex wasn’t allowed to stay in the bedroom with Roza and every minute away from her felt like an hour. She walked over to the TV. They were showing the military commemoration event both the King and Prince Augustus had attended earlier in the day. The camera panned out and the cracks of shots rang out, before the two men fell where they stood and chaos broke out.
“Roza can’t see this. Shut off all the TVs when she comes down.”
Jason stood and patted her shoulder. “Of course we will. Try and stay calm—she’s going to need you to be.”
“What can be taking so long? I need to see she’s okay,” Lex said.
Just then the family doctor, Dr. Kray, walked down the stairs with Lund.
“How is she, Doctor?” Lex asked quickly.
“Settled now. I’ve given her something to make her sleep,” Dr. Kray said.
Lund rounded on the doctor. “Doctor, do not give out any of the Queen’s medical or personal details. I thought the confidentiality document we had you sign made that clear?”
“But she’s been staying with the Kings. Lennox is her—”
Dr. Kray struggled for words, but Lex finished for him with confidence. “I’m her girlfriend, and I want to see her now.”
Lund looked her up and down, and clearly didn’t appreciate what she saw. “Queen Rozala may have been dating you, but that gives you no rights or official position.”
“I don’t want a position. I want to see the woman I love.” Lex closed her eyes for a second. Had she actually said that out loud? She looked at her mother and Poppy who were smiling proudly. Yes, she had said it, and she was glad she had.
“The Queen is sleeping now. You may see her if she calls for you later,” Lund said, and then she turned to her father. “Mr. King, we may need to use your home until we move the Queen tomorrow. The majority of our staff will get rooms at the local pub, but we will need to leave a large presence here.”
There was no question there, simply a statement of fact. Lex couldn’t stand this any further. She walked out of the house and slammed the door behind her. There were new faces everywhere, armed guards at the front gates and all around the perimeter.
Lex spotted Ravn coming out of the stable block, and she hurried over to her. “Major? Can I talk to you?”
“Of course, Lex,” Ravn said.
They walked over to sit in her mother’s summer house, where Lex hoped they might have privacy.
“How is the Queen?” Ravn asked.
Every time someone used Roza’s new title, she felt her slipping away from her just a little bit more. “I know she’s settled and sleeping, that’s all. The pompous Lund didn’t even want me to know that. You knew this happened last night, didn’t you?”
Ravn nodded sombrely. “I hope you will forgive me, but I wanted Her Majesty to have one last normal night. It’s not something that she will be able to do again.”
“You were right to keep it from us. I’ll always remember our night together.” Lex rubbed her face in her hands. “There’s a guard she doesn’t know on her bedroom door, and I’m not allowed in till she calls for me. What is going on?”
“That’s the Denbourg court in action, and that’s only a few of them. Wait till she gets back home. She’ll be surrounded by people like Lund, telling her what’s best and making her so very isolated, and dependent only on them. The late King’s court was full of old men and women set in their ways, just like him. She’ll need a strong Consort.”
Lex couldn’t imagine Roza coping with that pressure on her own, but the one thing she was certain of, after the way Lund had looked at her, was she would not be entertained as a partner for the Queen.
“If I can’t be there, you need to be at her side, Ravn. She trusts you with her life, and I trust you to protect her.”
Ravn sighed. “That’s where I want to be. She’s like my little sister, but there’s a chain of command. The late King’s security staff are now the Queen’s, until she requests otherwise.”
“You mean she can request you, Johann, and your team to stay in charge?” Lex asked.
“Of course. She is the Queen. Her word is law,” Ravn said.
“I think Roza needs to know that. With people like the Colonel and Lund, she may get pushed into things that are not in her best interest.”
As soon as she was able to speak to Roza, she would make sure she was able to make her own decisions.
“What happened in Battendorf? Surely when the King and the heir to the throne are attending an event, it’s the safest place in Denbourg.”
Ravn nodded her head in agreement. “It should have been. Usually we have agents spread out through the neighbouring tall buildings, all eyes trained on the royal family. One of our men was killed at his vantage point and the terrorists took their shots from there. They are still looking for the culprits, but they left a weapon that was linked to Thea Brandt.”
“I wish I could get my hands on that woman,” Lex said angrily.
“You’re not the only one. Denbourg is reeling. I’ve never experienced anything like this in my career or my life. The country needs calm leadership, and we need to hunt down the person or persons responsible.”
“Voltz wants Roza to leave tomorrow. What do you think?” Lex asked.
“I think she should stay here for a few days. She’s safe and more comfortable. Denbourg needs her as head of state, but a few days here would be sensible.”
“That’s what I think. She needs to be around a loving family, until she’s strong enough to leave—” Me.
*
Bea put on her ivory silk dressing gown and walked through their living quarters to George’s office. She had been waiting for George to join her in bed and when she hadn’t arrived went in search of her. George had an enormous number of red boxes arrive this evening, because of the terror attack in Denbourg, and they had missed dinner together.
She knocked lightly on the door and walked in. George was on the telephone, but waved her in. Bea noticed straight away that the sandwich she had asked to be served to George while she worked was left untouched.
“I appreciate that, Prime Minister, but I don’t want to let the terrorists win. Our presence amongst the public is an important—”
She could see the tension and strain written all over her partner’s face, and she wasn’t surprised. It felt like the whole world was in chaos and George’s family and everything she believed in was under attack.
“Of course. Thank you, Prime Minister. End call.”
George held out her hand and beckoned Bea over. “I thought you’d be sleeping. It’s half-past twelve.”
“I was worried, and I can’t sleep well without you there.”
Bea was pulled down into George’s lap and George automatically untied Bea’s dressing gown so she could place her hand on her stomach.
“You have to take care of yourself now. Let me do all the worrying.”
Bea caressed George’s cheek. “I want to share your worry. Did you speak to Roza?”
“Only briefly. She found it difficult to talk but I spoke to Lex and Major Ravn. Ravn tells me Lex and her family are being a tower of strength for Roza. You were right about her—she’s really proven herself an excellent partner for Roza, and she’s going to need it. The Denbourg officials are trying to take control and manoeuvre her for their own ends.”
Bea was shocked. “But her father and brother have just died.”
“I know, but you can understand them in a way. They are jumpy and uneasy. The King and his heir have been taken out in one day, the people are on the streets protesting and demanding stability, and you never want a nervous population.”
“But she’s just a young woman.”
“Her court and government don’t see her as a young woman, they see a head of state, a symbol, a person who embodies the Denbourg constitution, and they want her back, safe and sound in Ximeno Palace. Bo Dixon informed me that the Denbourg prime minister is extremely worried that Roza will break under the pressure. Her second cousin, Prince Bernard, is next in the line of succession and is watching eagerly for her to fail and abdicate.”
“He should be more worried about helping her. Where is he from?”
“He was brought up in Denbourg but now lives in Monaco. The worrying thing is he is heavily involved with a European right wing organization. If he was to get his hands on the crown it could cause problems for Denbourg, as well as all of Europe.”
Bea sighed and leaned her head on George’s shoulder. “We all need to make sure Roza feels supported. You sounded annoyed with Bo when I came in.”
George wrapped her arms around Bea. “She and the intelligence services took part in a Cobra security meeting, and raised the terror threat to the UK to extremely likely.”
“Why?”
“Our armed forces took part in the bombing of Thea Brandt’s organization. We could be in the firing line, and to that end the prime minister wants to cancel our upcoming engagements.”
The thought that she could lose George was terrifying. They’d come close enough when George was shot, and now they had a child to consider.
“We can’t let the terrorists win.”
“Exactly what I said. As monarchs we have to be seen to be believed. I said as much to the PM and she has reluctantly agreed for the moment, but we will have to put up with increased intrusive security.”
“If I ever lost you, George…”
“You won’t lose me, but if anything happened to me, I have an heir to replace me. So I had to inform the prime minister of our news. Security around you will be increased dramatically—no one will get near you or our child.”
Bea felt immediately angry. “Don’t talk about yourself as if you’re replaceable. You are irreplaceable to me.”
“I know that, my darling. I’m simply being pragmatic. We would have had to have this talk in any case. I have drafted a new will, now we are expecting a child. A copy of my wishes will also be held in Number Ten. If anything happens to me, both you and Theo will be joint regents until our child turns eighteen, at which point he or she will inherit the throne.”
Bea could see why George brought it up, but she didn’t want to even consider it. “Okay, I understand. Now it’s been said, don’t ever say it again.”
George nodded and kissed her tenderly. “I love you.”