Chapter 3
ADDISON
The palace sent a plane for me. It wasn’t a commercial flight with a first-class upgrade, but an actual entire private jet with the Montclaire crest on the tail.
The flight attendant called me Miss Cross and offered me expensive champagne before we even took off.
I spent the seven-hour flight sketching in my notebook and trying not to feel like a fraud, which is difficult when dealing with royals.
I’m used to wealth, private jets, and luxuries most people aren’t, and my name has gotten me very far in life, except in the art world.
My work is judged on skill, not who my older brothers and father are.
The plane descends, and I see Montclaire sitting on a cliff overlooking the Mediterranean.
The castle is white stone and terra-cotta roofs and windows that catch the afternoon sun like liquid gold.
When my feet hit land, the air smells like salt and jasmine.
Beauty is everywhere I look. Roses spill over ancient walls in shades of coral and blush, while cypress trees line the long driveway.
In the courtyard, an oversized fountain splashes.
I want to capture this on canvas.
“Addison!”
Delphine appears at the top of the stone steps, waving with both hands like we’re old friends instead of two people who’ve met a few times at different art shows in the city.
Today, she’s wearing a bright sundress the color of lemons.
Her tan skin glows in the sunlight, and I think she’s the prettiest princess I’ve ever seen.
She practically skips down the stairs to meet me. She pulls me into a hug before I can properly curtsy to her. “None of that princess shit. Glad you made it safely!”
“Thank you,” I say, automatically knowing we’re going to be great friends.
“How was the flight? Did they take care of you? I instructed them to give you my favorite champagne.”
“The flight was incredible, and the champagne was wonderful. I needed it.” I’m smiling so hard that my cheeks hurt. “So, this is where you live?”
“This is it! Paradise, isn’t it? I hope you’re ready to have some fun with me this summer. I think I might need a wingwoman.” She loops her arm through mine and starts leading me toward the palace.
“I’ve heard I’m an excellent sidekick,” I tell her with a laugh.
“Come on. I’ll give you a quick tour before we go through all the boring official stuff.” She rolls her eyes.
The quick walk-through takes two entire hours. Apparently, the full tour would take four.
Delphine shows me everything from the grand ballroom with its frescoed ceiling to the library with floor-to-ceiling bookshelves.
The leather chairs are worn soft from centuries of use.
I know because I rub my hand across one.
She tells me stories as we walk, pointing out different portraits of her relatives, along with some of her and her brother.
She mentions Louis casually with a smile, and I keep my expression neutral even though my pulse races at the mention of his name.
Delphine walks me through a gallery filled with different landscapes with flowers in colorful shades. I think about the conversation Louis and I had about art, and I wonder which one in here is his favorite. I want to ask where her brother is, but I keep the question to myself.
By the time we reach the artists’ quarters, my head is spinning with history and the overwhelming realization that I’m actually here, competing for a position that painters have dreamed about for centuries.
“The other artists arrived six days ago,” Delphine says as we stroll down a path lined with lavender and buzzing with bees. “You’re a bit behind, but I’m not worried. You’ll have to prepare something by the end of the month to be judged.”
“How many other artists are there?”
“Nine men and you. So, ten.” She glances at me sideways. “The art world still has a lot of catching up to do, I’m afraid.”
“I’m used to it,” I tell her. “That’s why I paint with a chip on my shoulder.”
She grins as she stops in front of a small cottage with a blue door and window boxes overflowing with red flowers. “This is your home for three weeks. Hopefully longer. I do hope you win. It would help me prove a point to my parents.”
I almost ask what point she’s making, but decide against it. The less I get involved with the royal family, the better.
The cottage looks like it dropped out of a fairy tale with its stone walls. Flower bushes frame the doorway, and it seems too perfect to be real.
“This is so cozy and cute. I’m so excited!”
Delphine beams and hands me an old-fashioned key with a decorative iron handle. “There’s a butterfly garden right down this path that’s gorgeous at sunrise. Get settled and freshen up because a car will come for you at five so you can officially meet my parents.”
“The king and queen,” I say.
“Don’t be nervous. They’re lovely.” She squeezes my arm. “I have a good feeling about this, Addison Cross.”
She disappears down the lavender path with a smile that confirms she’s up to something.
The cottage has an open floor plan with one main room, featuring a bed tucked into a corner beneath a window.
The kitchen is the perfect size, with copper pots hanging above the stove.
In the sitting area, there’s a purple velvet armchair positioned to catch the afternoon light.
The walls are whitewashed, and the floors are honey-colored wood.
This all strangely feels like a dream.
I unpack my suitcases and arrange my brushes, paints, sketchbooks, and pencils on the kitchen table. My canvases are already stacked against the wall, along with the things I packed.
When I finally sit down and pull my phone from my pocket, I see three missed calls from Kendall. As I unpack, I call her back.
She answers on the first ring. “Finally! I’ve been worried. You were supposed to have landed nearly three hours ago. I was ready to call the authorities.”
“Sorry. I just got to my cottage, and it looks like it came straight out of a Disney cartoon. The palace is insane, Keke. I don’t even know how to articulate how beautiful this place is. It’s a true paradise.”
“Great. Have you seen him?”
“Not yet,” I tell her. “I’m going to ignore him and focus on my work. It’s more important.”
“Sure,” she says, and I can hear her smirking through the phone like she doesn’t believe me. “Patterson called me this morning and made me promise that I’d remind you to leave Louis alone.”
“Of course he did.”
“He’s being protective. It’s a big-brother personality trait.”
“He’s being annoying.” I pull out the pale green silk dress I bought specifically for meeting royalty and shake out the wrinkles. “And counterproductive because now I want to see Louis more than I did before.”
“Your oppositional defiance is showing.”
“It’s one of my best qualities.” I check the time and realize I only have an hour and a half before the car arrives. “I’m meeting the king and queen at five.”
“The actual king and queen?”
“Yes,” I say, suddenly feeling nervous that I want them to like me.
“Addy, what is your life right now?”
“I have no idea,” I admit. “But I kinda like it. Feels like change is coming. Like something is bubbling under the surface.”
A laugh releases from me, and a burst of excitement overtakes me. I’ve been missing this sensation in my life for far too long.
I move to the mirror in the corner of the room and study my reflection. My hair is tangled from traveling, and my eyes are tired.
“So, are you really buckling down and focusing on work? No fun while you’re there?” she asks, like she needs confirmation.
“I really want to win this contest, babe. On the flight over, I was thinking about how cool it would be to add royal portrait artist to my résumé. If I won, my work would survive through the centuries. Louis is a side quest, if the opportunity arises.”
“Uh-huh. Side quests always get the damsel into distress.”
I think about our exchange at the gallery and how he looked at me like I was art.
“He won’t stand a chance against me,” I say.
Kendall laughs. “That’s my girl. But be careful, okay? You’ve never met a fuckboy you couldn’t break, but this one’s a professional. Some might say a royal fuckboy.”
“Doesn’t concern or deter me.”
“That’s what worries me the most.” Her voice softens. “Remember what we talked about. Going with the flow and being open to things.”
“I’m open to everything.”
“Even falling in love?” she asks.
“Sure,” I say. “But we know how that’s worked out for me in the past. Anyway, I have to get ready.”
“Have loads of fun!”
“I plan on it.”
I end the call and stare at myself in the mirror, knowing I have an hour and a half to transform myself so I’m presentable to meet Louis’s parents.
This shouldn’t be difficult, considering I took etiquette lessons from the age of three and into adulthood.
My mother insisted. Plus, it was helpful in boarding school.
I shower and do my makeup lightly for a more natural look. I slide on the green silk dress that brings out the teal in my eyes. Then I put on my lucky pearl earrings, which I’ve worn to every major event in my life. The nude heels add three inches to my height. I look professional and put together.
When the car arrives five minutes early, I’m ready.
A footman leads me down a hallway of paintings and marble busts of people who died before America even existed.
My heels click against the marble floors and echo off the vaulted ceilings, but I keep my shoulders back and chin level because I’ve perfected looking confident even if I’m not.
The footman opens a set of double doors. “Miss Addison Cross of New York.”
The room is smaller than I expected. It’s intimate rather than grand. Tall windows overlook the sea. Leather furniture is arranged comfortably around a fireplace. Two people rise from their chairs and halt their conversations to greet me.