Back in her room, knowing Thomas was waiting for her in the hallway, Kaylie rushed to change out of her ball gown and put on the clothes she’d originally arrived in. She packed in record time, wanting to get out of the castle just as much as the prince wanted her gone.
After the initial shock and numbness had worn off, she knew the prince wasn’t bluffing about calling the police. Her heart was broken. First, it turned out the prince had a girlfriend, and now she’d found out that he and the entire royal family were living a lie.
She’d called Rachel and told her to tell Gerry the video needed to be taken down immediately. She also told her to hold off on running the feature she’d turned in earlier because she’d just learned something new that could potentially make her story huge and be something exclusive.
When Rachel had pushed to find out more, Kaylie hadn’t wanted to say anything yet, because she was still deciding what to do. She didn’t know if she should tell the truth about the Christmas Crown being stolen, or let the feature run, as she’d already turned it in.
Her entire career was based around reporting the truth not ignoring important facts. She also knew if she told the real Christmas Crown story it was the kind of juicy exclusive that Gerry would love, giving her a real shot at her dream job.
Rachel had told her she had until midnight to decide because the story, whichever one she decided to do, needed to go live on Christmas morning.
She felt terrible that she hadn’t had a chance to finish the Christmas fairy tale for the princess but in reality, knew the last thing the prince would want now is anything from her.
Thomas knocked on her door. “Are you ready?”
“Coming,” she called back to him as she quickly hung her ballgown up next to the other dresses she was leaving behind, along with everything else the queen had given her. She was heading for the door when she stopped at her dresser and picked up the painting of the Christmas tree she had painted with the princess. It was one memory she wasn’t willing to leave behind.
The ball was still going on as she left the castle with Thomas having no idea where he was taking her. She was relieved and embarrassed when he’d pulled up to his own quaint home in Tolvania and said he and his wife were going to take her in for the night.
When she’d tried to insist that she didn’t want to impose, especially on Christmas Eve, he’d insisted it was fine and had also added it was their only choice since the few small bed and breakfasts and tiny inns in Tolvania were already booked through Christmas.
After introducing her to his lovely wife, Susan, who welcomed her warmly despite the circumstances, Thomas had excused himself to return to the castle. He was still on duty.
“So, what happens next?” Kaylie asked him. She was almost afraid to hear the answer.
“The prince has arranged for you to fly out of Tolvania first thing in the morning.”
Kaylie nodded. She didn’t know why it hurt so much. She shouldn’t be surprised. She knew she should be relieved that she was finally going back to New York City.
Thomas checked a text that came in on his phone. He took a deep breath before turning to Kaylie. “Miss Karlyle, I’ll need to take your phone.”
Kaylie’s eyes grew huge and she took a step back. “What? No…”
Thomas held up his phone. “I’m afraid I don’t have a choice. It comes from my boss.”
Kaylie ricocheted from shock to anger. “The prince told you to take my phone? He can’t have my phone. Everything is in my phone.”
“I think that’s the point,” Thomas said. “And while you’re here in Tolvania, I’m afraid what he says goes. Your phone, please.”
“I have a password,” Kaylie said. “He’s not going to be able to get into it and see anything…”
“I don’t believe he cares about seeing anything,” Thomas said.
“He just doesn’t want me to have it,” Kaylie said, exasperated. “What does he think I’m going to do?” Kaylie held up her hand. “Don’t even answer that.” She reluctantly gave Thomas her phone. “This isn’t a fairy tale. This is a nightmare.”
An hour later, sitting on the bed in Thomas’s guest room, Kaylie was still upset. She had her computer on her lap when she called Rachel and was relieved when she picked up right away.
“Well?” Rachel asked when she came up on the screen. “Are we just using the story about Tolvania’s Christmas traditions that you sent me this morning, or do you have something else?”
Kaylie sat up straighter. “I just wrote you a new story. I’m sending it now and I want you to use this one instead.”
“So, you have an update on the Christmas Crown?” Rachel said, excited. “I can’t wait to hear it.”
“I do have an update.” She took a deep breath and then looked determined as she pushed the send button on her email. “I want to make sure you get this. Tell me when it comes in.”
Rachel stared at her screen for several moments, then a smile broke out. “Just got it.” Her eyes widened when she read the title. “A Royal Family’s Christmas Crown Secret.”
Kaylie nodded. “That’s it.”
“Oh, this sounds juicy,” Rachel said.
Kaylie leaned in closer to the computer. “You have no idea.”
It was early Christmas morning and the sun was just coming up as Thomas drove Kaylie into the Tolvania airport and up to the private plane she’d originally flown in on.
She knew she should be relieved to be going home, but her heart hurt from everything that had happened the night before. Normally, when dealing with difficult emotions, she could just go numb and power through her feelings, but this morning none of her usual go-to defense mechanisms were working. She felt exhausted, emotionally and physically. She took a deep breath before reaching for her door handle with a shaky hand.
Thomas turned in his seat to look at her. “If you could please wait. We’re not quite ready.”
A small, hopeless sigh escaped Kaylie’s lips as she sat back in her seat and continued to fight off the tears that had been threatening to fall ever since they’d pulled up to the airport. At this point, she just wanted to go before she broke down in front of Thomas. She wasn’t sure how much longer she’d be able to act like she was okay when she most certainly was not.
When she saw Thomas watching her in his rear-view mirror, she offered him a wobbly smile. “Thank you again, Thomas, for letting me stay last night. That was very kind of you and your wife.”
“You are welcome,” Thomas said. “I’m sorry about the circumstances.”
Kaylie nodded. “Me, too. I’m sorry about a lot of things.” When she saw the pilot step out of the plane and motion for them to come, her stomach hurt.
When Thomas got out of the car and started walking toward her door, she quickly wiped a tear away and put on a brave face. She wasn’t sure who she was trying to fool, herself or Thomas.
“Thank you again,” she said before rushing to the plane, trying to escape the icy wind that had her shivering right down to her toes. As she started climbing the stairs to get into the plane, she heard a car drive up and turned around. Her heart raced with hope when she saw it was the same car the prince had been in the first time she’d met him at the airport when she’d accidentally jumped into the car, landing on his lap. She held her breath as she watched Thomas open the car door, but was instantly disappointed and then startled when it wasn’t the prince that stepped out, but the queen.
Kaylie gulped. “Oh, boy…” she said under her breath. She slowly descended the plane’s stairs and tried to summon her courage as she walked toward the somber queen.
“Good morning,” the queen said, breaking the awkward silence.
“Morning,” Kaylie said in a voice that cracked with emotion.
The queen reached in her coat pocket and brought out Kaylie’s cell phone and handed it to her. “I thought you would want this before you go.”
Kaylie, surprised, took the phone. “Thank you very much.” Kaylie looked into the queen’s eyes. “I just want to say how sorry I am, for everything. I know what the prince believes but I swear to you I never took that video of your family with any plans of it ever being seen by anyone but myself. All I was doing was writing a positive feature story about Christmas in Tolvania that I thought could be good for the village and help bring in more tourism and show how very special it is to everyone. I was never writing a hit piece on your family…”
“I know,” the queen said. “I believe you.”
Kaylie’s eyes grew. “You do?”
“Yes,” the queen said. “From what I’ve seen, you have very strong convictions and you feel it’s your duty to report the truth, just like we, as a royal family, feel it’s our duty to protect the people of Tolvania and our family. In a sense we are the same, driven by duty and honor, so when you tell me you were never trying to hurt my family, I believe you.”
Kaylie dropped her head. “But I did hurt you. That video that was accidentally sent…”
“Was an accident,” the queen said. “And I saw your online Christmas Tolvania feature. Your story about the Christmas Crown secret.”
When Kaylie lifted her eyes to the queen, she was relieved and thankful when she didn’t see judgment, just admiration.
“I thought your story was beautifully written,” the queen said. “I will say the headline had me worried for a moment, A Royal Family’s Christmas Crown Secret, but you kept our secret and for that, I thank you. I thought it was wonderful how you explained the crown’s secret is all about how it symbolizes the magic of Christmas and always believing in true love. The way you shared the stories of people who had found love after seeing the Christmas Crown, I thought it was uplifting and powerful, and above all else I think it will bring people hope. For people who may not have found their great love yet, your story will hopefully encourage them to keep an open heart and believe that love will find them when they’re ready.”
Kaylie didn’t realize she was crying until the queen took off her glove and gently wiped a tear off Kaylie’s cheek.
“So, are you ready?” the queen asked.
“For?” Kaylie asked, confused.
“To come back home with me because you still owe me a fairy tale for my granddaughter. It’s Christmas and that was our agreement, was it not?”
“Yes,” Kaylie said nervously. “But I didn’t get a chance to finish it…”
The queen looked confident as she linked arms with Kaylie. “You’re a storyteller. I’m sure you’ll come up with something fast.”
Kaylie shook her head, worried. “But the prince, he doesn’t want me there. He said…”
The queen interrupted by opening the car door for her. “The prince says a lot of things. You let me worry about him. Please get in. Chef Jake is making our Christmas gingerbread pancakes and we don’t want to miss that tradition, do we?”
When Kaylie didn’t know what to say, the queen reached out and took her hand and gave it a reassuring squeeze. “And I want to thank you again personally for not reporting the story about our Christmas Crown being stolen. It would have broken so many people’s hearts right now. I know as a family it’s time we address this, but now you’ve given us the time to do it properly…”
But Kaylie didn’t hear the rest of what the queen was saying because she was too busy staring at the queen’s glittering diamond tennis bracelet.
“Your bracelet…” Kaylie said, not realizing she’d said it out loud.
The queen held it up so it caught the light. “It’s my Christmas present from my son. He had a jeweler in the village make it special, to be just like the one I’ve always admired that our family friend, Madeline, had, that her parents gave her.”
“I saw him with Madeline in the store. I thought he was buying it for her,” Kaylie said.
The queen laughed. “Oh, no, my son isn’t interested in Madeline. They’ve always been great friends. He thinks of her like a sister.”
Kaylie shook her head, processing the news. “I really thought they were into each other…”
The queen studied her intently. “And did that bother you?”
“Yes,” Kaylie answered honestly.
The queen smiled a knowing smile. “Good. Now, let’s go celebrate Christmas.”
A few minutes later, as they walked toward the door of the castle, Kaylie could honestly say she had never been more nervous in her life. She understood that the queen had forgiven her for the video and wanted the Christmas fairy tale for the princess, but she didn’t think the queen understood exactly how furious the prince had been at her.
Before she could worry anymore, the door was flung open and the princess greeted her with a huge beaming smile. “Merry Christmas, Kaylie!” the princess said and surprised Kaylie when she opened her arms for a big hug.
Kaylie felt a rush of love as she quickly knelt down to hug the princess, and when she felt the princess’s little arms hug her tight, her eyes misted up with tears again.
“That was so nice of you to stay with Thomas and his wife and keep them company on Christmas Eve,” the princess said.
When Kaylie stood up and gave the queen a confused look, the queen shrugged and whispered so the princess couldn’t hear, “You’re the storyteller, not me. I did the best I could.”
Kaylie couldn’t help but laugh and that’s when she noticed Blixen was wearing a bright red Christmas sweater that was covered with white snowflakes. He was holding his leash in his mouth. “Well, it looks like someone is getting ready for a walk,” Kaylie said, smiling at Blixen.
When Blixen, excited, dropped his leash and barked, they all laughed. Everyone but the prince, who had just come to the door looking stunned, and not in a good way.
“What’s going on here?” the prince demanded, locking eyes with Kaylie.
Kaylie shivered when she saw his demeanor toward her hadn’t changed one bit. Her eyes flew to the queen for help.
“Anna, would you like to take Kaylie on your quick walk with Blixen before our Christmas pancakes?” the queen asked.
The princess’s face lit up with joy. “Yes, Grandmother. I can take Kaylie for a walk, too.”
“I don’t need to wear a leash, do I?” Kaylie asked with a chuckle. She purposefully avoided looking at the prince.
The princess giggled. “Of course not. Only Blixen needs the leash. Come on. Let’s go!” The princess took Blixen’s leash and Kaylie’s hand and led them both out the door.
As they left, Kaylie looked nervous but the queen just smiled a self-assured smile. “Have fun.”