11. Xander
Xander woke on the couch with a stretch. Unlike yesterday, he wasn’t awoken by Maisy clattering pots and pans in the kitchen, which seemed like a good sign. He rolled off the couch and stumbled into the bathroom, where he quickly prepared for the day. Back in the living room, he noticed that Maisy’s door was still closed. A quick glance at the clock revealed that it was quite early — a little before seven. Perhaps the jet lag was catching up with him.
He would have liked to hit the gym and work away some of his many thoughts and worries, but he wasn’t allowed to leave the villa without Maisy. Instead, he performed some push-ups, sit-ups, and squats on the balcony, then poked around the kitchen. Last night’s dinner had been a seafood spaghetti that Maisy had whipped up, which had been quite nice. They’d sat on the balcony together to eat and had enjoyed a perfectly innocuous conversation about the view and movies they’d both watched.
Everything was innocuous. It had to be. After all, Xander was on vacation with his brother’s girl — whether Maisy and Niko loved each other or not. Xander wasn’t allowed to notice how sexy Maisy looked in her white bikini or how much she could make him laugh when she wasn’t actively angry with him. He certainly shouldn’t notice how this honeymoon was actually kind of fun.
Xander dropped to the ground and knocked out another set of twenty military push-ups. He needed to remain distant — while also giving Maisy the best vacation of her life to make up for what he’d done. It was a hard line to walk, and Xander was fairly certain he wasn’t doing a good job. Maisy hadn’t seemed to notice that he couldn’t take his eyes off her, but it was only a matter of time before he slipped up. Even though Maisy didn’t have feelings for Niko, it was both romantically unlikely and politically impossible for Maisy to have feelings for Xander instead.
Xander hopped back up to his feet, rolled out his shoulders, and gazed out over the ocean view. It wasn’t that he had feelings for Maisy, not really. He just found her attractive in more ways than one and, with the two of them trapped in such close quarters, it was hard not to notice her.
But he could do it. Xander headed back into the kitchen, where he looked around for something for breakfast. Maisy had made him toast and tea the day before, after all, even though he’d teased her about the color of the toast. It was time he returned the favor.
Breakfast was almost ready when Maisy emerged from the bedroom. She was wearing a lacy nightgown that stopped at her upper thigh and showed off her curves all too well. It must have been something she’d packed for her originally planned honeymoon. Beneath the nightgown, most of her long, athletic legs were on full display, but Xander looked away before he could notice much else.
Maisy hurried past him into the bathroom and closed the door behind her, and Xander turned his focus to the pancake he’d been in the middle of flipping when she’d emerged. Despite his best attempts, he knew he would never be able to get the image of Maisy in that white, lacy, skimpy nightgown out of his mind. She’d looked like a model, even though she’d just rolled out of bed. If only he were marooned on Kanalea with any other woman, this wouldn’t be so difficult.
When Maisy exited the bathroom a few minutes later, she was wearing a pair of high-waisted pink shorts and a white crop top. It wasn’t all that much better than the nightgown — she still looked gorgeous, especially with her hair in a ponytail that brushed her shoulders, and her feet bare.
“Something smells good.” She crossed to the kitchen and perched on one of the barstools. A soft scent of coconut floated to Xander.
“It must be the pancakes with fresh fruit and hash browns on the side.” Xander flipped the last pancake onto a plate, drizzled it with syrup and freshly cut strawberries, and slid it across the table to Maisy.
“Wow. This looks great.” Maisy took a deep breath. “You really can cook.”
“Well, the pancakes are from a mix, and the hash browns were in the freezer. But thanks.”
Maisy assembled a forkful of pancake and popped it into her mouth. She chewed with a blissful smile.
“This is so good. I’ll be honest; what I miss most in Aenicea is American brunch.” Maisy took a bite of hash browns, then her chewing slowed and she frowned at Xander. “You’re trying to buy me off with food, aren’t you?”
“Yep.” Xander assembled his own plate and leaned against the counter across from Maisy. “That’s my strategy in a nutshell.”
Maisy sighed happily. “It’s working.” She took a drink of water. “This isn’t what you usually have in Aenicea though, is it?”
“No. You’ve probably had some of our traditional breakfasts, right? Like the amanden?”
“Um…”
“Big, crunchy bread rings filled with olives and cheese?”
“Oh, yes! I liked those. But I also had a breakfast that was some creamy cheese with watermelon and mint?”
“Right.” Xander nodded. “Kafori. Niko adores kafori.”
“I don’t really get it, to be honest. It was a little… weird?”
“I know. I think so too. But Niko would eat it every day if he could.”
“He has weird taste in food.” Maisy took another bite. “Although I also had a lot of just eggs and fruit and bread and that kind of thing.”
“Yeah. Nowadays, more and more Aeniceans choose to eat American-style foods. For breakfast and for other meals, too. I love a good pancake as much as the next guy, obviously, but it’s a little sad to see the stalls that used to sell amanden and gallios and other traditional pastries disappearing.”
“That reminds me — we should try some traditional Kanalean food while we’re here. I suspect we haven’t had any yet, unless Kanaleans traditionally eat a lot of picnic foods and spaghetti. I hate to think we might leave without trying anything local.”
“That’s a good idea.” Xander ate another bite of his breakfast. “Maybe today, after the jungle hike, we can swing through town and try to find something. We are technically allowed to be out if we’re together.”
“Bribing me with food again.” Maisy waved her fork at Xander. “I see what you’re doing.”
Xander raised his hands in surrender. “You caught me again.”
They chatted a little more about Aenicean and Kanalean foods while finishing their breakfast, then broke off to get ready for the hike. Xander wasn’t sure how long they’d be walking, but it was a hot day and he wanted to be prepared. He packed a bottle of water and some fruit in a small backpack that he’d found in the living room, then added a baseball cap and a pair of sensible sneakers to his outfit. As a final touch, he put on a little sunscreen. As he applied it to his face, he couldn’t help remembering putting sunscreen on Maisy yesterday. Running his hands across her shoulder blades and down the graceful arch of her back had been… well… memorable was one word that came to mind.
Xander was ready a little before Maisy, so he sat on the couch and flipped through a four-year-old magazine on fishing that was on the bookshelf in the living room. Maisy emerged a little while later in the same shorts and crop top, but with a large floppy hat on her head and a pair of walking shoes on her feet.
“I didn’t pack this,” she said as she came to sit beside Xander on the couch. “The hat, I mean. It must have been one of the publicists.”
“Is it not your style?”
Maisy tilted her head to show Xander the very large pink flower on the brim of the hat. “Not exactly. The one I wore yesterday was better, but I’m under strict orders not to repeat clothes.”
Xander chuckled. “If it makes you feel better, I didn’t pick any of the clothes that are here. Not a single one.”
“I don’t think Niko did either.” Maisy bit her lip. “He left most of the arrangements up to the publicists.”
Xander felt a stab of annoyance. It made sense, of course, that all their conversations would eventually circle back to Niko, but he wasn’t in the mood to chat about his brother. It made the situation they were in all too real. They weren’t just on vacation — they had an important role to play to ensure the future of Aenicea.
“That sounds like him.” The answer was bland, but it was better than saying what Xander was really feeling.
Just then, the door opened and Safa entered the villa. Apparently, she didn’t feel a need to knock.
“Good. You’re ready. Shall we?”
Xander and Maisy got to their feet and followed her out to the car.
“Is it just me, or do you feel like a schoolchild on a field trip?” Xander asked Maisy in a hushed voice.
“I feel more like schoolchildren who are being punished for bad behavior and are heading to detention,” Maisy replied softly.
“At least our detention is a nice hike and not writing lines.”
“True.”
Xander opened Maisy’s car door for her. She rolled her eyes, but climbed in and allowed him to close the door behind her. Xander crossed behind the car and got in on his own side. He’d barely buckled his seat belt before they were off.
Safa began telling them about the hike as they merged onto the main road. This time, they turned the opposite way from where they’d gone yesterday.
“Stay close together,” Safa said. “Hold hands as much as you can. We’ll want to take a few posed pictures and a few candid ones, so be ready. The hike is only about three kilometers, so it shouldn’t be too challenging.”
“Three kilometers — that’s about two miles, right?”
“Give or take.” Xander glanced at her. “How does that sound?”
“A little short, to be honest, but it is warm out. Maybe we’ll be tired.”
They turned away from the beach and toward the island’s jungled interior. After a few minutes of driving, they passed a building with a dirt lot full of ATVs and a sign advertising off-the-beaten-track adventures.
“That looks fun,” Maisy said. She turned her head to look back at the building as they passed.
“I was thinking the same thing.” Xander twisted to look back at the sign advertising the business. “Maybe we can go back after the hike.”
“That would be fine, if you stay together and take a few selfies.” Safa must have been listening, even though she was looking at her tablet, because she answered the unasked question seamlessly.
“Oh, I don’t know. It does look fun, but I’ve never driven an ATV.” Maisy bit her lip. “Is it safe?”
“Quite safe,” Xander said. “If you wanted, we could even ride one together.”
“You’re very confident that the pancakes worked and that we’re friends now, aren’t you?” Maisy raised her eyebrows.
“I am. My pancakes are magic.”
Maisy rolled her eyes and turned away. Xander grinned. He felt that his strategy really was working. Then he caught sight of Safa, who was looking at the two of them with a slightly bemused expression. It was one of the few displays of emotion Xander had seen from the woman, so he took note of it. He needed to be careful.
The road climbed a narrower and narrower route into the hills. Eventually, they reached a parking lot where a few other cars were already parked.
“You might run into some of the general public today, as we weren’t able to close the area,” Safa told them as they got out of the car. “Which means?”
“Newlywed vibes only.” Xander held out a hand for Maisy. “We’ve got it.”
She slipped her smaller hand into his, and Xander gave her palm a quick squeeze. He wished he didn’t notice how well their fingers locked together, like they were two pieces of a puzzle.
Or like they were just people with hands. There was no reason to get all sappy about it.
Safa led the way up a small path. It climbed higher and higher through a jungled area, and Maisy and Xander soon fell behind as they stopped to admire winding vines, tall palms, and a river that ran alongside the path. Birds sang somewhere high above them, and the river let out a soft babbling sound.
As they rounded a corner, they came face to face with a metal staircase anchored into the side of a rocky outcropping.
“Okay, two miles is starting to feel like a lot.” Maisy looked up to the top of the stairs high above.
“Are you scared of heights?”
“No. Heights are fine. But a gazillion stairs are a lot.”
Safa was already halfway up the stairs, so Xander released Maisy’s hand (not without a small pang) and gestured for her to lead the way. They began to climb. Soon, even Xander had to admit that two miles were sounding far, if this much of the trip was stairs. He was impressed with Maisy, who climbed the stairs with ease despite her complaining.
Around halfway up there was a small landing, and Maisy stepped to the side and leaned against the railing.
“The view is already pretty great.”
Xander climbed the last few steps and came to stand beside her. The view really was spectacular. Below them, the jungled hill they stood on rolled out into the foothills where their villa was, then down to the sea below.
“I think?—”
“Hey, you’re that princess, aren’t you?”
Xander and Maisy turned to see a family dressed in the classic sandals, hats, and board shorts of tourists descending the stairs from above. From the sound of the little girl who’d spoken, they were probably from the United States.
Maisy’s eyes widened. But then she adopted a sweet smile and bent down to the girl’s height.
“I sure am. I’m Maisy. How about you?”
“I’m Cassidy.” The little girl beamed at Maisy. “How come you aren’t wearing a fancy dress and a tiara?”
“Cassidy,” the mother said in a warning voice. “That isn’t very polite.”
“It’s fine.” Maisy smiled at Cassidy. “I’m wearing shorts and a hat because hiking in a fancy dress and a crown isn’t very easy. Even for princesses.”
“That makes sense.” Cassidy nodded. “My dad said I had to wear shorts, too.”
“She wanted to wear her Cinderella costume,” the dad added. “Anyway, sorry for disturbing you. You two are on your honeymoon, right? Cassidy is obsessed with princesses, and we all watched the televised version of your wedding.”
“I have to admit, it looked pretty romantic.” The mom pressed a hand to her heart. There was a beat of silence, then Xander realized it was probably his turn to say something.
“It certainly was romantic for us. Although not more romantic than this honeymoon. Kanalea really is gorgeous, isn’t it?”
The parents nodded. Cassidy tugged on Maisy’s hand.
“What’s it like being a princess in real life?”
“It’s really wonderful.” Maisy smiled again. “But of course, I’m not a princess by birth. I’m just one because I married a prince.”
“Do you love him?” Cassidy asked. Xander’s heart skipped a beat. What was Maisy going to say? There was no way she loved him, but she couldn’t well admit that to this little family. Maisy hesitated.
“Of course,” she said after a beat. It was no real admission of love, but Xander still felt a little thrown by it.
Cassidy beamed. “That’s so great. I hope I meet a prince someday, too.”
“Any guy can be like a prince, as long as you love each other and he’s good to you,” Maisy said. “So, keep your eyes peeled. You might find your prince where you least expect it.” She winked.
Then the parents urged Cassidy to keep moving. They said their goodbyes, and the little family continued down the stairs. Xander looked at Maisy, who was biting her lip and watching them go.
“You handled that really well.”
“Thanks.” Maisy bit her lip again. “This is really weird. Pretending that we’re a couple, I mean.”
“You’re pretending nothing.” Xander and Maisy turned to see Safa standing on the stairs just above them. “You’re creating a historical record. But Xander is right. Maisy, you handled that well. I got a few useable shots.” She gestured to her camera. “Now, let’s keep moving.”
The rest of the hike went more or less smoothly. They climbed the remainder of the stairs and spent a while at the top admiring the view of the island and posing for pictures. A few more tourists came, but no one seemed to recognize Maisy and Xander — or at least, no one else spoke to them. Maisy seemed a little subdued, but she still remarked on the beauty of the view.
On the way back down the stairs, Safa asked if they were still interested in renting an ATV. Xander couldn’t see Maisy’s face, since she was walking in front of him, but he smiled when she said she was interested.
Back at the car, Safa explained that the driver could once again drop her off at her hotel, then come back to pick them up.
“Or you can take a taxi,” she added.
“Let’s do the taxi,” Xander suggested quickly. If they had control over when they left, hopefully they could enjoy the afternoon a little more and spend some time out of the spotlight. Plus, it would make it easier to find Kanalean food for lunch if they were on their own.
“That works for me,” Maisy agreed.
So, the driver dropped Maisy and Xander off in front of the ATV rental company.
“Don’t forget the selfies!” Safa called out of the window as she drove away. Xander gave her a thumbs-up, then turned to Maisy.
“Free at last. Am I the only one who feels like we just made a great escape?”
“We practically dug our way out of prison with a spoon.” Maisy’s tone was sarcastic, but Xander could see a glimmer of enthusiasm in those beautiful green eyes. “Let’s rent one ATV. I’m not sure if I want to drive on these roads.” As she spoke, she removed the floppy hat, set it on a nearby stump, and pulled a hair tie out of her pocket. Then she gathered her long brown hair into a messy bun. As a final touch, she bent down and tightened her shoelaces before straightening up and putting her hands on her hips. “Let’s do this.”
“Okay, Adventure Barbie.”
Maisy glared at him. “I am the farthest thing from a Barbie.”
“I just mean that with your hair up and dirt on your face, you look so different from how you normally do.”
“Dirt on my face?” Maisy swiped a hand across her cheek. “Did I get it?”
“No.”
“It doesn’t matter. We’re in the forest. A little dirt is to be expected. I just hope it won’t show up in our selfies.”
“Here’s my question,” Xander said as he led the way into the rental building. “If we don’t have cellphones, how are we supposed to take selfies?”
Maisy’s eyes lit up. “Safa must have forgotten that we don’t have phones. That means no pictures and no publicity for the rest of the day!”
“Exactly. It’s just you and me.” Xander grinned at her. “Shall we, my lady?”
“Oh, yes.”
Inside, Xander and Maisy rented an ATV for ninety minutes. Xander paid with one of his many royal credit cards, knowing the transaction would pass without any raised eyebrows. Outside, the rental shop’s owner offered Xander a quick rundown of how to work the ATV, then gave them helmets and suggested a route through the backroads.
“Thanks!” Xander tipped him, then mounted the ATV. “Your chariot awaits.”
“Um, right.” Maisy adjusted the strap of her helmet, then climbed on behind Xander.
“You might want to scoot a little closer and hold on around my waist,” Xander suggested. Maisy was so far back that she would probably fall off as soon as he accelerated.
“Right!” Maisy scooted closer and hesitantly put her arms around Xander’s waist. Despite himself, Xander felt a rush of warmth at the contact. She held on only loosely, but he could still feel her warmth behind him.
“Ready?”
“Ready!”
Xander piloted them slowly out of the parking lot and down the road to the gravel path the ATV owner had suggested they take. Once they reached the road, he accelerated slightly as the road climbed higher and wound through the trees.
“Are you okay back there?” he called.
“Yeah!” came Maisy’s enthusiastic reply. “This is great! I feel so free!”
“Do you mind if I go a little faster?”
“Go for it!”
Xander gunned the throttle and they shot forward. Maisy gave a little shriek of surprise and happiness, then tightened her arms around him. As focused as he was on the road ahead and on the fact that this woman was his brother’s fiancée, Xander couldn’t help noticing how good that felt. Maisy’s soft curves were pressed fully against him, and her head rested on his shoulder.
“Hold on tight! We’re about to cross a river!”
“Okay!”
The dirt road they were following descended slightly into a shallow stream, sending a great curtain of water up on either side of them. Maisy laughed and held tighter as they emerged from the stream and the road began to climb again.
“This is awesome!”
“I told you!”
It really was awesome, as Maisy had said. Xander hadn’t felt this free since before the wedding. For all that he was the carefree “spare,” while Niko was the heir, Xander felt a heavy weight, as well. He was still one of the faces of his country. He still had responsibilities. And lately, he’d had even heavier responsibilities, as Niko’s best man — and as the guy who’d foolishly taken his brother’s place in the wedding. Xander worried about the future, his and Niko’s and Maisy’s and his country’s. That wasn’t easy to put aside.
Yet now, bouncing over bumps and flying around corners and climbing up and down rolling hills with Maisy’s arms around him and the fresh air in his face, none of that mattered. The only thing that mattered was this moment. They could have been the only two people in the world.
After a while, they passed a viewpoint and Xander slowed, then pulled over.
“Shall we stop and look around?”
“Sure.” Maisy released him and swung her leg over the side of the ATV. Her cheeks were pink, her hair was messy under her helmet, and she was smiling wider than Xander had ever seen. “I loved that.”
“It was pretty fun.”
“I’ve never done anything like that before.” Maisy spun as she walked toward the viewpoint, her arms lifted to the side and her face turned up to the tropical sunshine. “I know that sounds dumb, but I’ve always done what I was expected to do — studying and ballet and photo opportunities and work. I never do things just because I want to.”
“You should.” Xander followed her, more slowly. The view over the jungle and the ocean in the distance was beautiful, but the sight of Maisy enjoying herself so much was even more entrancing.
“Yeah, right.” Maisy’s arms fell back to her sides and she shrugged. “Because being a queen and doing what you want really go hand in hand.”
Xander felt like a jerk for bringing up the future when they’d been having such a nice time.
“Sorry, Maisy.”
“It’s okay.” She sighed and sank onto a nearby boulder. “I just worry, you know? What if I’m not even a good queen?”
“Maise, you’ll be a wonderful queen.” Xander sat beside her, not too close. He was very aware of her presence, as always.
“I’m not so sure.”
“Come on. I’ve seen you. You’re kind, you’re thoughtful; you care about others more than yourself and about your duty more than anything. Those are all parts of being a good queen.” Xander bit his lip. “I’m the one who needs to stay off the royal stage, as it were.”
“What do you mean?” Maisy turned to him, her expression curious.
“My family is always encouraging me to take a greater role. When I turn them down, they assume I’m being selfish and that I want to live my life away from the limelight, which is true, in part. But there’s another part of me that stays away from politics because I know I’d just mess it up. I’m not like my family.”
“That’s ridiculous. You wouldn’t mess anything up.”
“Yes, I would. Even when I go into something with the best intentions, I make a mess of it.” Xander hadn’t spoken this honestly in, well, he wasn’t even sure how long. But something about Maisy’s openness and vulnerability made him feel comfortable enough to speak up, too. “Just think about this wedding. I wanted to help you and Niko, and I only made everything worse.”
“You didn’t.” Maisy reached for Xander’s hand and squeezed it. “You were only trying to help. And if anything, it was Niko and I who messed everything up by not being honest with each other or with our families about how we were feeling. Plus, you’ve done everything you could to make things right ever since then. By making this trip so wonderful, for instance. Those are all the qualities of a good leader.”
Xander was speechless. Hearing those words, and from Maisy, was unbelievably touching. And if she believed in him, well, maybe he could believe in himself, too. Xander wanted to maintain the openness and the connection between them, sitting here on this rock with the whole island of Kanalea spread below them and an afternoon of adventures to come. He wanted to say something encouraging about Maisy and about the future she would have.
But then he realized that he was still holding Maisy’s hand, with no cameras around to capture the moment and no legitimate reason to be doing so. And the pull he’d felt towards Maisy was only growing stronger. This was a dangerous path to be walking.
So, instead of being open or vulnerable or honest, Xander resorted to his usual tactics. He withdrew his hand, stretched, and put on a playful smile.
“Does this mean you’ve finally forgiven me for the twin swap? Did my charm win you over?”
Maisy picked up the change in atmosphere and went with it, although she looked a little confused.
“Sure, your ‘charm’ did it. Or maybe I’m just being nice to the guy who’s my ride out of here.”
“Wise. You don’t want to make the guy with the ATV keys angry. Speaking of which, should we continue?”
“Yep!” Maisy got to her feet. She looked a little flustered, and Xander felt the urge to ask her if everything was okay, but he didn’t. His heart still felt tender from the moment they’d shared. He needed to be careful.
If he wasn’t, the twin swap wouldn’t be the worst disaster he’d started this week.