Erik
I was exhausted the next morning, but last night’s lovemaking marathon was worth every lost minute of sleep. Casey fulfilled every fantasy I’d ever had, both romantic and sexual, and we’d tried half a dozen positions before we could no longer move. When the alarm went off at nine, neither of us wanted to get up, but we showered and had a light breakfast before taking off for Hiskale. We explored the gardens of Denalhi and Olden Towne before stopping for a late lunch at Timur’s Café. The food was basic but delicious, and the music shop I’d told Casey about was next door, so once we were finished, we walked there.
As always in my country, I was recognized. Most people were just excited to see me, smiling and waving, but today I had a date. I was holding Casey’s hand and we’d reach over to kiss now and again, so there was no doubt this was different. I’d never brought a woman home before and the people who recognized me instantly reached for their phones or nudged their companions.
“Your Highness.” The owner of a candy shop I frequented was sweeping the sidewalk in front of his store and waved. “I have your favorite caramel bites.”
“Oh, well then lead the way.” We detoured inside and the smell of caramel was overwhelmingly delicious.
Casey sighed happily. “I love caramel—oh my god, that’s almost all there is in here.”
“Yes, it’s his specialty.” I grinned. “And wait until you taste the white chocolate wafers dipped in brandy-infused caramel.”
Her eyes widened as the owner brought out a tray of delicacies. He never took money from me so I rewarded him by placing huge orders to be shipped to friends, family and even to myself when I’d been at school in London.
“This is Casey,” I told him. He was one of the few who didn’t speak much English in my country, but his eyes danced with excitement as he spoke to her in ridiculously broken, but discernible, English.
“Please—this is best.” He pointed to different things on the tray and Casey took bites of all of them.
“Oh, god, we can’t do this,” she moaned in what sounded like orgasmic ecstasy. “I’ll weigh a thousand pounds if we keep trying stuff.”
“Good luck getting out of here without gaining at least five,” I chuckled.
We sampled candy and chatted while Casey wandered around and filled a basket with things to take with her.
“How’s business?” I asked the shop owner, Herman.
He made a face, shrugging. “Not so good, Your Highness. Tourists are few and far between and the locals don’t indulge in sweets like mine regularly. I make a living, but the last few years have been leaner than years past.”
“Why do you think that is?” I asked, frowning.
He met my gaze and then lowered his eyes. “It’s a difficult time, sir.”
“Tell me what you’re thinking. You’ve known me a long time. Talk to me.”
“The king, he is old-fashioned, and we worry about the direction of the country. With the religious sect becoming more powerful, people are staying home, less inclined to come downtown to shop. People are saving their money, not spending, fearing the day we have no trade with the outside world.”
“Why would you think this?”
He sighed. “There is talk. Prince Anwar goes to the villages in the mountains, he stirs up trouble, talking about the west coming to take our oil. He says the only way to protect it is to keep out the west, including trade and tourism.”
I frowned. I hadn’t heard any such thing, but it didn’t surprise me.
“This is troubling,” I said. “Perhaps you misunderstood.”
He shook his head. “My brother lives in such a village. Anwar has gone to the orthodox church twice, to talk with the people after services. He encourages religion and modesty for the women and sending our young men to the coast to work the oil jobs.”
“And the people… are they happy about this?”
“There are some. Enough. Those in the villages are poor, they don’t have the conveniences we have here in the city. They’re hungry and the winters are long and cold. They believe their sons will make money and send it home to them.”
“And you? What do you think?”
He looked up at me almost defiantly. “I think this will be the end of Limaj as we know it.”
“Thank you for telling me. I’ll look into this further.”
Something deep inside of me twisted painfully even as I tried to reassure him. I didn’t want this for my country or my people. Hell, I wouldn’t want it for myself. How was this happening without anyone knowing about it?
“If you were our king, this wouldn’t be happening,” he said quietly.
I met his gaze. “This isn’t possible,” I responded as gently as I could.
“It is not easy, but it is possible.”
“Thank you for your support. It means a lot to me.” I squeezed his shoulder, but there was nothing else to say. The hoops that would have to be jumped through for me to be king were huge and difficult. I’d never even considered them.
At some point, I’d have to talk to my father about everything I’d learned, but for now, Casey had dropped more than a dozen gift boxes of different candy collections on the counter.
“All of these, please,” she told Herman. “I’m eating some, giving some as gifts and bringing the rest home so I have them for a while.”
I translated and Herman smiled and nodded, packing them up and chatting with her in his broken English.
Sandor took the packages to the SUV and Casey and I continued down the street. I couldn’t wait for her to see the music shop, anxious to forget about what Herman had just told me and revel in showing my girl the country I loved as much as I loved her.
Casey was enchanted the moment we got to the shop, the carved dragon on the door catching her eye in addition to the gorgeous, delicately carved instruments in the window. The owner, Vicenzo, recognized Casey immediately, his face lighting up with a huge smile.
“Ms. Hart! I am humbled you have come to my little shop.” His English was much better than Herman’s.
“I’ve heard wonderful things about your work,” she replied, shaking his hand.
“Your Highness.” His eyes got bigger and rounder when he realized who her companion was, his cheeks reddening slightly.
“Good to meet you.” I shook his hand as well, nodding. “I’ve been told the most amazing things about your work, and I knew Casey would want to see firsthand.”
“Come.” Vicenzo practically buzzed around the shop, showing Casey a plethora of instruments he’d designed, from violins to pianos to guitars.
“Your work is incredible,” she whispered, fingering a flute covered with dragons etched in ivory.
“Thank you. I am honored.” He bowed his head.
“An electric guitar decorated with dragon’s wings that were inlaid with mother-of-pearl would be stunning,” she mused. “Do you have anything like that?”
“Not at the moment,” he responded. “But it can be commissioned.”
“I have to think about what I want,” she said. “Definitely something pink.”
“Pink?” Vicenzo looked startled.
“I want something different for my next guitar, and I already have black, red, and teal guitars. I think pink is next.”
“I can make this for you.”
“I’ll be in touch,” she promised. “Once I’m back in Las Vegas and have time to figure out details.”
“Of course.” He handed her a business card with his personal phone number printed on the back. “Call me any time.”
“Thank you.” She looked around. “But now I want to browse.”
She walked over to a wall with instruments and was fingering them lightly when her phone rang and she answered it with a happy smile. “Nick! I was just thinking about you… yeah, I’m at this music store in Limaj. You would not believe the custom work this guy does…no, carving… Guitars, drums, pianos, everything… oh, I don’t know.” She turned to Vicenzo. “Do you do bass guitars?”
“I can do anything,” he nodded.
She went back to her phone call and I was all but forgotten. I hated it but reminded myself that they’d been friends forever, played in a band together and if she wanted to be with him, she could be. They could have ridden off into romantic bliss if that’s what she wanted, but she obviously didn’t, and I wasn’t going to be the jealous guy. Well, not much anyway.
“Oh, there’s these drum sticks…” She picked a pair up off a shelf. “I think BJ would love them. Maybe as part of his birthday present…yeah? Okay, I’m going to get them… no, I don’t think so. I want something custom and pink.” She laughed. “Piss off, you’re just jealous you don’t play a pink guitar…” They talked another few minutes and then she hung up and brought the drum sticks to Vicenzo. “Can you wrap these up as a gift? They’re for the drummer of my band.”
“Of course.” He hurried to do her bidding and she turned to me with a smile. “The band would love this place. Maybe someday I’ll bring Jade.”
“She would be our guest,” I said graciously.
We walked out hand-in-hand and she sighed happily as she handed Sandor her bag. “I think I’m going to have a guitar made with dragons on it. I just don’t know what I want yet.”
“We can make this happen.”
“Your Highness!” someone called out, and I instinctively pulled Casey closer to me. My fellow countrymen tended to be respectful and easygoing when they saw me out and about, but the foreign press was another story.
Sandor and Aziz flanked us, keeping the two reporters a respectful distance away, but they already had their cameras going off.
“Have you come home for good, Your Highness?”
“Is that Casey Hart?”
Casey gave a brief wave, smiling in a friendly manner but sticking close to me.
“Casey and I are on holiday,” I responded, though we kept moving towards the waiting SUV. “I’ve brought her home to meet the family and see some of our beautiful country.”
“Rumor has it that there was an altercation in Monte Carlo with His Royal Highness, Prince Anwar.”
“Not at all,” I said, shooing Casey into the SUV while I paused to finish my statement. “They hadn’t yet met so he didn’t know who she was. Once they were introduced, everything was fine. Have a good day, everyone.” I got into the SUV and motioned for the driver to go.
“How did they know about me and Anwar?” Casey asked, frowning.
“There are eyes everywhere,” I responded, though I was equally baffled. That had been a private party, and there were unspoken rules about taking unauthorized photos and video when royals were in attendance. My gut told me Anwar leaked the gossip to the press himself to stir things up because he didn’t like the idea that Casey and I had gotten so close to his parents.
“Should we respond?”
“Nope. What I told them just now is all we’re going to say. I’m sure they’ll move on to something else in a day or so.” At least I hoped so. We needed to get out of Limaj and go someplace where Anwar wasn’t. He was starting to become a pain in my ass, and I just wanted to take my girl and get away from him.
“Okay.” She rested her head on my shoulder as we made our way back to the palace.