9. Xander
Xander flipped the fish onto its other side and heard the satisfying sizzle of the hot oil, accompanied by a delicious scent. If this didn’t entice Maisy out of her room, he didn’t know what would.
Spatula in one hand, he knelt down to peer into the oven, where he was roasting potatoes with slivers of onion and herbs. The potatoes were coming along nicely and were already a pleasant golden brown. Finally, he glanced at the salad he’d thrown together, which was resting on the counter awaiting its dressing. Everything was coming together beautifully.
Just then, Xander heard the bathroom door open and shut behind him. Without looking, he called, “Are you hungry?”
“Maybe a little,” came the reply.
“Good. Dinner will be ready in five minutes. Go have a seat on the balcony and pour yourself a margarita, if you’d like.”
There was a pause. Xander could imagine Maisy weighing the benefits of dinner after a long day with the drawback of sitting with him for an extended period of time. He kept his back to her, giving her time to decide. Finally, there was a small but audible sigh.
“Fine.”
Xander grinned to himself as he flipped the fish onto a serving platter. Phase One of Operation Forgiveness was a success. He heard Maisy’s footsteps as she crossed to the balcony. Once she was outside, he took the potatoes out of the oven, slid them onto a second serving platter, and carried the first load of food out to the balcony.
As Xander stepped through the open doorway that separated the balcony from the bathroom, his breath caught. Maisy was standing with her back to him, leaning against the railing. The sea breeze lifted her hair, which was damp from the shower, and pulled at the hem of her sundress. She was barefoot. Behind her, the sky was tinged red and orange and pink with the impending sunset, and the ocean reflected those colors back.
Xander had seen Maisy many times before, in dresses and skirts and slacks and her wedding gown. She’d always been beautiful, but she was more beautiful than ever today. She looked somehow more real without her usual armor of sophisticated clothes and heels.
Then Maisy turned, and Xander saw her face. She wasn’t wearing makeup, at least not that he could tell, but her cheeks were lightly pink from the shower and her green eyes shone in the light of the setting sun.
“Well, are we going to eat?” Her brisk tone was a counterpoint to the vulnerability Xander had seen in her a moment before.
“Yes, ma’am.” Xander set the plates down. “I’ll be back with the rest.”
He hurried back inside. His heart was racing and he took deep breaths to calm it. Maisy was beautiful, but that didn’t mean he had to get all flustered. Xander had seen many pretty girls before. Even if he hadn’t been married to any of them.
When he returned with the salad and a plate of fresh garlic bread, Maisy was seated at the table with a margarita in front of her. She’d also poured one for Xander, which he counted as a win as well.
“This all looks nice.” She crossed her arms as though to counteract the kindness of the statement.
“Thank you.”
“Where did you learn to cook, anyway? It doesn’t seem like a very princely activity. Plus, you always seemed busy with the ladies.”
“I’m not as much of a playboy as you seem to think.” Xander slid a piece of fish onto her plate. “And I used to escape to the kitchens as a child when I was tired of what you call ‘princely activities.’ The chefs said I could stay there if I helped them, so I learned the basics of cooking from a young age. I haven’t had as much time to practice as I’ve gotten older, though.”
“Did Niko escape to the kitchens, too?”
Xander’s stomach tightened. Of course Maisy wanted to talk about Niko.
“No. He was much more focused on his duties.”
“That’s how older siblings are. We have to be dutiful so that you younger siblings can goof off and make trouble.”
“Is that how you are with Lily?”
Maisy took a sip of her margarita.
“I don’t want to talk about Lily.”
“What do you want to talk about?”
“Nothing. We’re supposed to be keeping our distance, remember?”
“Right. Because sitting down across from me to eat a dinner I’ve prepared is a great way to maintain distance.”
“Do you want me to leave?”
“No. I’d look like a total weirdo drinking and eating alone out here.”
For some reason, that made Maisy chuckle.
“Weirdo? This is how I can tell you’re not Niko. He would never say ‘weirdo.’”
“True. Once he said ‘LOL’ and looked uncomfortable for almost an hour afterwards.”
Maisy grinned. “I can’t believe he actually said that. Was he sick?”
“I think he was trying to be hip with the kids, as they say.”
“Hip with the kids.” Maisy chuckled again. “Another phrase Niko would never say.”
“How’s your fish?”
“It’s very nice.”
They lapsed into silence. There was still tension between them — Xander knew without a doubt that Maisy was angry and that her anger wasn’t going away anytime soon. But they were eating together and talking as if they didn’t hate each other, which was progress. And the view was breathtaking. As the sun slipped towards the horizon, orange and red and yellow spread across the sky and the waves like paint seeping across a canvas. It gave everything an almost magical feeling.
Maisy must have felt it too, because she paused to gaze out over the water. Her hair lifted slightly in the evening breeze.
“Have you ever seen such a beautiful place?” Xander asked.
“Aenicea is quite nice, too.”
“I’m sorry — again. I know you must have been looking forward to being the crown princess.”
Maisy turned to him with a slightly puzzled expression. Xander noticed that her margarita glass was almost empty — as was his.
“Why would you think that?”
“I don’t know.” Xander shrugged to emphasize his point. “Isn’t that what so many little girls dream of — marrying a prince and becoming a princess? Surely the thought of being queen someday was at least a little interesting.”
“Do you want to be king?” The question caught Xander off guard, and for a moment his thoughts spun through a whirl of wondering if Maisy was asking if he had meant to sabotage Niko and somehow take the throne during the wedding debacle. But when Xander looked into Maisy’s eyes, he saw that the question had been genuine.
“No.” Xander paused to gather his thoughts. To cover, he offered Maisy a second margarita, then poured one for himself. “I was always glad to be the younger brother.”
“Why?” Maisy pressed.
“The thought of being responsible for a whole country is terrifying,” Xander admitted. “And almost worse is the idea of all those eyes on me. When you’re the king, or even the crown prince, everyone is watching you all the time — like they’re waiting for you to mess up or step out of line.”
“Exactly.” Maisy raised her glass and took a long sip. “So, why would you think that’s something I want?”
It was a good question, and Xander took a moment to consider it. His head was slightly fuzzy from the alcohol — and based on Maisy’s lighter stature and the fact that he’d rarely seen her drink, he had to imagine that she was much tipsier. They needed to be careful.
“Well, Niko loves being the crown prince,” Xander said. “And you love Niko.”
Maisy snorted. “I love Niko? What makes you think that?”
In that moment, everything gelled into crystalline focus. It was like the world stopped for just a moment as Maisy sat in her sundress with her drink, casually asking why Xander thought she loved his brother.
“Don’t you?” Xander asked. “I mean, you were going to be married. And you seemed upset after the wedding.”
Maisy took a deep breath, then let it out. “I shouldn’t… This is a mistake. Let’s, um, let’s eat. Forget I said anything.”
Xander wasn’t sure how he was supposed to forget a bombshell like that, especially when it made his heart race like it did. If Maisy didn’t really love Niko, well, that changed everything. Didn’t it? But Xander also knew that forcing Maisy to talk wasn’t going to help anything. So, he just nodded and turned his attention to the remainder of his dinner, which was quickly going cold.
They ate in silence for a few minutes, then Maisy let out a soft sigh.
“I’m sorry for what I said about Niko.”
“There’s no reason to be. It’s not like I’m going to report back to him.”
“Sure, but you are his brother. If I were going to tell anyone I didn’t love Niko, it shouldn’t be you.” Maisy seemed to realize the significance of her words at the same moment Xander did, because she clapped a hand over her mouth.
“You don’t love Niko?” It was half question, half statement.
“I don’t. And he doesn’t love me, either.”
“Maisy…”
“No, I know that for sure. I know it because we talked the night before the wedding.”
“You did?”
Maisy nodded. “I was in my room, tossing and turning and trying to sleep, when Niko knocked on my door. He was very clearly drunk. I invited him in, and we sat down at the table in my room so we wouldn’t wake Lily, and had… probably the first honest conversation we’ve ever had.”
Xander’s brain aligned Maisy’s story with his own memories of the night before the wedding. Niko must have gone to her room after speaking with Xander on the terrace. The only question was why. Xander had reminded his brother of his duties, not told him to go running off to Maisy to say he didn’t love her. Maisy had mentioned previously that she knew Niko had cold feet, but Xander hadn’t expected anything like this.
“And what did he say?” Xander prompted.
“He said he was having second thoughts about the wedding. That he wasn’t sure being married to me was what he wanted. And you know what I felt? I felt relief. A warm, cascading sense of relief, because I didn’t want to marry him either. I just wasn’t brave enough to go against everything our families wanted for us.” Maisy raised her margarita in a toast, then took a long sip.
“Wait.” Xander held up a hand. “You didn’t want to marry Niko because you didn’t love him, or because you didn’t want to be queen?”
“Both.” Maisy let out another sigh. “I didn’t want any of this. So, we talked, and we agreed to call off the wedding.”
Xander’s mouth practically fell open. The bride and groom had agreed to cancel the wedding the night before?
“I don’t understand. If you agreed to call off the wedding, why did it seem to still be on the next day?”
“When Niko and I spoke, he insisted that he be the one to take the heat. He said he’d send a note to his parents and that I would show up for the wedding as though nothing was amiss. That way, I would look like a jilted bride, and it would seem to be all Niko’s fault. He told me he had a good reason prepared to tell his parents and everything. I offered to find our parents and speak with them together, but Niko insisted.”
“So, on the morning of the wedding, you got ready as though everything was fine.”
“Exactly. And then, to my surprise, I heard that Niko was ready. When I stepped into the wedding hall and saw him — you — at the front, I assumed he’d changed his mind. And despite everything, I was a little excited. I thought, maybe, if he were willing to try, it could still work out. And his vows were so sweet. He seemed like a completely different person — which, of course, he was. He was you.”
So much new information was coming at Xander that his tipsy brain was having trouble processing it. Slowly, the pieces clicked into place. Neither Maisy nor Niko had wanted to get married. They’d had a plan in place. Yet Xander’s stunt to try to save the day had ruined it instead.
“Maisy, I’m so sorry. I had no idea that you didn’t want to marry Niko or that the two of you had a plan.”
“I know you didn’t. But I hope you can see now why I’m so angry.”
Xander could. He’d trapped Maisy into a loveless marriage by masquerading as Niko — there was no way the royal family would let Maisy walk away when the Aenicean people already believed her to be married. The fact that Maisy didn’t love Niko was music to Xander’s ears, but it hardly seemed important in the face of what he’d done. He was filled with guilt.
“I do. And I understand if you never forgive me.”
“People make mistakes. I was just sure that when the wedding day was over, I’d be free to live my own life. And now, I’m stuck here in purgatory while my parents and yours decide my future. A future that will almost definitely entail me being married to Niko.” Maisy lowered her voice. “I know he’s your brother, and he’s a good guy, but he’s so boring.”
This surprised Xander into a short laugh, which he quickly stifled. Maisy was upset, and laughing at her wouldn’t help.
“He is a little boring, isn’t he?”
Maisy nodded vigorously. “Even when he’s trying not to be.” She sank her face into her hands.
“What did you want to do?” Xander asked.
Maisy lifted her head and gave him a confused look. “What do you mean?”
“You said you wanted to be free to live your own life. What did you want to do?”
“I don’t know,” she admitted. “I’ve never had time to think about it. When I was young, I was in school, then college, then immediately in an entry-level position at Mangovy. I’ve never had time to make my own decisions.”
Mangovy was the name of the Carpenter family’s corporation. As far as Xander knew, they made everything from packaged snacks to household items to baby clothes.
“That sounds like a lot.”
“That’s not the half of it. When my parents decided I should marry Niko, my duties doubled. Suddenly I had dancing lessons and courses on Aenicean history and politics to fill up every free moment. That’s not to mention my work at Mangovy or all the public appearances. I feel like my life hasn’t been my own since I was a child.”
Xander’s heart felt heavy. “I used to feel the same way. But I was lucky. As I’ve gotten older, Niko has taken a more and more central role, while I’ve stepped into the shadows. I was clear with my parents from when I was young that I didn’t want a place in politics.”
“I wish I were that brave.”
“I don’t feel brave. My parents still want me to take an official position in my brother’s cabinet, or at least a government role. And I might just give in one of these days.”
“You seem to do mostly what you want, though. I’ve seen pictures of the trips you’ve taken and the fun you’ve had. When you went paragliding in Ecuador, I was so jealous. Maybe that’s what I would do, if I could — travel. See the world.”
“I’ve seen pictures of you traveling.”
“Sure, on business trips or to visit Aenicea. But I’ve never traveled just for fun or picked a place that I want to visit.”
“Did you pick Kanalea for the honeymoon?”
Maisy glanced over the water, then shook her head. “No. The royal publicity team thought it would be a good spot.”
“Well, I can’t do anything to change what’s already happened, and I doubt I can influence our parents’ choices. But how about I do everything I can to make this trip the kind you’ve always dreamed of?”
Maisy scoffed. “I don’t think that’s possible. We have a whole roster of tame, photographable activities. And I have to do them all with you.”
The return to snide remarks was almost welcome after the relative vulnerability of a few minutes ago.
“I can be quite charming, you know. I bet I could make those tame activities fun. Maybe you should give me a shot.”
Maisy mimed making a finger gun and shooting Xander. “Pew, pew. There’s your shot.”
It was so silly and so out of character that they both started laughing. Maisy fired off a few more imaginary bullets, then blew on the tip of her finger gun and pretended to holster it. They smiled at each other. Then, just as suddenly, Maisy stood.
“Are you going somewhere?”
“I need to sleep. As fun as this has been, I’m exhausted and I have a lot to think about.”
“I understand — but so soon?” They had just been starting to talk like friends instead of rivals. Xander had enjoyed seeing this other side of Maisy and didn’t want it to end just yet. He felt like they’d finally been connecting.
“Yes. I’ll see you tomorrow.” And with that, Maisy hurried off the terrace. A moment later, she reappeared, grabbed her empty plate and glass, and carried them into the kitchen. Xander heard a clink of dishes, then the sound of the bedroom door closing.
Xander sat back in his seat. He wasn’t sure why Maisy had left so abruptly, but he’d enjoyed the evening with her anyway. It had been… eye-opening, in more ways than one. Xander felt even guiltier than before at the knowledge that he’d ruined Maisy’s plans and smashed her dreams of having a life of her own. He knew he’d need to step up his apology strategy if he wanted to make things right.
But almost stronger than the guilt was another emotion. Xander couldn’t quite place it. He just kept thinking, over and over, of the fact that Maisy didn’t love Niko. She never had. She hadn’t wanted to marry him. She even thought he was boring, for goodness’ sake. Xander knew he should feel offended for Niko’s sake, but he just felt… something else. It was like a weight had been lifted.
Xander sat, alone on the porch and lost in his thoughts, until the sky was inky black and dotted with a smattering of bright stars. His body was tired and ached for sleep — unlike Maisy, he hadn’t napped on the flight — but he wasn’t quite ready to sleep yet. He was thinking of how he could make this trip better for Maisy. Slowly but surely, he came up with a plan that he thought could work.
Only then did he clean up the table and load the dishwasher. Once the kitchen was clean, he found a spare blanket and made himself as comfortable as he could on the sofa. It wasn’t all that comfy, but it would do. Finally, Xander surrendered to sleep — and to dreams.