3. Chapter 3
Fitz
I knew it was a mistake to watch the interview in person, but I had to see Coco. My mother’s warning echoed in my ears. Under no circumstances was I allowed to go on camera. I waved Roxanne’s invitation away, graciously pulling back into the shadows another step.
“Oh, he’s shy,” she spoke to the camera like the audience could respond. “Isn’t that precious?”
“Come on, Your Highness.” I didn’t know who said it, but once they did, at least ten other voices echoed the sentiment, leaving me positively flummoxed.
“Ladies, won’t you invite our prince to join us?” Roxanne asked. “I think we’re missing some key elements to the story.”
“No, thank you,” I said, voice slightly raised to carry. “They’re the stars. I couldn’t possibly—”
“Not another word, Your Highness. I simply won’t continue without you.”
Internally, I groaned. But if I looked at it logically, Mother was hoping to avoid a scandal or too much gossip, and fighting the spotlight any longer would surely give her both.
Girding my strength, I took a step forward and the room went wild with applause. I jogged the remaining space and took the empty chair next to Michaela. Obviously, this was Roxanne’s intent from the start. While negotiating the terms of the interview, it was expressly stated that I wouldn’t appear on the show, and yet, she’d set out a chair.
“Thank you for joining us, Your Highness.” Roxanne smiled in her triumph. “Such an unexpected surprise.”
“Pleasure is all mine,” I lied. At least I was closer to Michaela than I’d been since her rescue.
“Speaking of this incident, you were particularly invested, weren’t you, Your Highness?”
I stared at Roxanne for at least five seconds without saying a word. “Well, I would be worried about your monarchy if I wasn’t. A visiting American and a sick Nolcovian child were swallowed by a sinkhole after an unprecedented massive earthquake.” I tried to lighten the mood. “Did you expect me to go on holiday instead?”
A modest chuckle rolled through the crowd, but Roxanne remained undeterred. “No, but I also wouldn’t expect you to stay near the site around-the-clock for days.” I’d considered this angle and prepared to give my rebuttal. However, Roxanne didn’t give me the chance. Roxanne twisted in her chair to speak to someone in the crew. “Kyrell, will you play that clip for us?” She spoke to the camera directly. “This is never before seen footage recorded on that fateful day by one of our viewers. I think it will put a whole new light on the situation.”
Clip? I turned to watch a monitor flicker to life near one of the cameras. While our screen was small, I knew the viewers at home were watching in all its fullness. A cell phone recording, taken the day we pulled Michaela and Leila from the cave in. Nervous, I glanced at Coco for reassurance, but her wide-eyed stare told me she felt the same way. The only difference between us was she was probably worried because she didn’t know what to expect on the video.
But I felt the clench of dread take hold, because I knew exactly what we were going to watch. It was the sort of thing that would put a target on her head.
Mother’s threat rolled through my mind.
I swear she will cease to exist.
Michaela
Fitz looked ready to pass out. This had to be bigger than the interview. Bigger than whatever they were going to show us. He didn’t rattle easily and yet he was shook.
Voices on the recording brought my head around.
“Medic!”
Bodies shifted through the screen, obviously running as little Leila was tended to, but the camera didn’t stray from the true star. Fitz stared at the disturbed dirt, visibly shaking, frantic even. Leila’s little voice spoke off camera, but I could barely hear her over my pounding heart.
“It’s giving way!” A warning went up from the workers and they scrambled from the site.
Everyone, that is, except Fitz.
“No.” He rushed toward the site, scaling a long board until he was able to start digging at the earth. “Coco! Coco!”
“Please stop,” Fitz spoke with power, but couldn’t hide his shaky agitation. “Please, for the sake of those who endured it. Don’t make them relive it.”
“It’s not much longer,” Roxie argued. “We can just go another minute.”
Bodies descended on Fitz in the video, pulling, jerking, trying to forcibly remove him, but he fought back like a warrior, unrelenting and feral in his single goal.
“Stop the video,” Fitz’s voice became a command, not a request. “You’re upsetting Leila.”
“She’s fine.” Roxie pushed his worries aside. “She isn’t even in this part.”
I couldn’t look away from the video. Fitz used both arms, shoving his hands in as deep as he could to remove whatever stood between him and me. I knew that dirt too well. Tiny pebbles, large rocks, they must have torn into his skin. I glanced at his arm, disappointed by the long sleeves of his coat that hid away the truth.
“I won’t ask again, Roxanne. For the sake of the survivors, stop the film.”
Annoyed, Roxie motioned for her team to end the video. On the screen, Fitz’s whole frame froze. “I’ve got her!” In an instant, all those fighting him turned their focus to saving me. My body rose from the earth, coated in dirt and coughing. Fitz pulled me into his arms, a mess of emotion and pain. The camera angle zoomed in on our faces, close enough that it was impossible to miss his whispered words of apology. “I’m so sorry. Please forgive me.”
I watched as my eyes opened and small particles of mud fluttered to my cheeks. “Fitz?”
The video stopped. Any hope of declaring our connection platonic was dashed to pieces. Like the most perfect picture, other than my pale skin and dirt-coated clothing, we stared at each other, breathless and adoring. Two souls finally connecting and getting that second chance Roxie mentioned early on.
Fitz cleared his throat. “I think we’re about finished here, yes?”
Roxie agreed by nodding but pressed on. “Just a couple more questions, Your Highness.” She didn’t wait for consent. “You called her something. What was that?”
Fitz shrugged. “I don’t recall calling her anything.”
“And she called you Fitz. Is that a normal nickname for you?”
I dared not look at him, afraid of the volumes we could give away with a stare. Instead, my panic tightened my chest in a death grip again.
“No, I can’t say that it is.”
“So,” Roxie closed in on the vein of questioning with perfect precision, “what is the nature of your relationship?”
“Michaela is competing. The same as Lady Sadira and Lady Esmerey.” Fitz tried to maintain a level voice, but he sounded close to losing it. In that arena, I was miles ahead of him. The snare tightened with every question, and I feared we wouldn’t find our way out unscathed. No one had exactly spelled out the consequence to me for spilling the truth of our longstanding relationship, but I could only imagine it would be detrimental to my health.
“Yes, she’s competing, but clearly there is a history there for the both of you.” Roxie refused to let go and I couldn’t see a way out for either of us. “We saw the clip of you pulling her over the hill at The Snood. Not to mention the way you touched her when you thought you were alone. So tender and yet intimate.”
“We’ve had a connection since the beginning.” He shifted in his seat. “It’s not my fault she wasn’t considered worthy of airtime until now.”
“You’re saying they’ve hidden your relationship?”
She was going after the conspiracy theory route and, while it wasn’t a lie, it also wasn’t safe. The room started to spin as my panic took the driver’s seat in my mind. I leaned forward, head in my hands. Everything became disconnected, as if the strings connecting me to reality had been snipped. Fitz gave a short command and within moments, the royal doctors helped me off stage. Cool air eased over my warm cheeks as we stepped into the hallway. Kabir quickly took over, looping my arm around his neck to take almost my full weight in his strength.
“Here, m’lady.” He helped me to a bench against the wall, around the corner from the ballroom. Once sitting, I leaned forward, elbows on my thighs, face cradled in my palms. My bodyguard’s hand rubbed my back softly, almost apologetically. He was charged with keeping me safe, and this wasn’t supposed to be an attack. It was only an interview. But I knew that question in the wrong hands could be weapons. “Wait here. I’ll get you water.”
The direction to stay put wasn’t actually necessary. It wasn’t like I was springing to my feet to do cartwheels, let alone walk back to my room. My confuddled head still spun, overwhelmed by the risks of the interview and what I’d learned from the video.
Fitz fought for me.
Against all odds, he fought for me.
And yet, I hadn’t seen him at all since that moment.
It wouldn’t gel.
The doctors checked my vitals, gave me a compress, and told me to rest more. The interview continued and my guilt deepened. I was able to escape, but that meant I left Fitz to the wolves. It wasn’t fair to him. He saved my life. This was no way to repay him.
Around the corner and out of sight the doctors spoke in low tones to someone else. I suspected Kabir wanted an update. I wished he would bring my water instead.
“I’ll take it from here,” someone assured the doctors.
I looked up, expecting my bodyguard, but instead found Fitz. He cracked a grin, looped my arm around his neck and scooped me up without a word. Weak, I leaned against him, content to be his for a moment. I closed my eyes and rested as we moved quickly through the palace, weaving hallways with the navigational bearings of someone who’d grown up in the palace. Clearly, Fitz had a plan, and every determined step brought him closer to the endgame.
A door opened and Fitz spoke a word of gratitude before he entered. I felt the air change, no longer drafty but warm and cozy. The door closed behind us and within moments, the soft cushion of Fitz’s couch took my weight. I opened my eyes, surprised he brought me to his chambers. Especially without using the passageway. He knelt at my feet, dark eyes searching my face.
“How are you?” His brow creased. “Really?”
“A little dizzy still,” I admitted. “But so happy to see you.”
Relief spilled over his features. “I’ve been going positively mad being away from you. Bleeding bonkers.”
“Why didn’t you come? I mean, I know Dahlia had orders but…” I trailed off as his expression shifted to total defeat. “Your mother?”
He nodded once to confirm it. “Threats.” Fitz didn’t want to elaborate. “Against you.”
I glanced around the space. “And yet here we are…” Snow fell outside his balcony doors. A fire raged in the hearth. Everything begged me to stay, but if it meant the queen had some nefarious plot against me, I wasn’t looking to push my luck.
“Because I can’t stay away from you, Coco.” Fitz rose up on his knees, tightening the space between us. “There are things I need you to know. Truths that…” His palm cupped my jaw as his thumb rubbed my cheek. “These bruises, they make me feel so guilty.”
“Why? You didn’t cause the earthquake, Fitz. You didn’t make me play with the girls on the hill. You—”
“Because I was going to send you home.” He choked back emotion. “I almost did and if I hadn’t, you would have been with me.” Fitz bent closer, lips hovering over the bruise he’d touched. “None of these would exist.” He pressed an airy kiss to my cheek. “It was a mistake. A foolish mistake.”
I wasn’t going to argue that, but I also understood why he did it. “You were trying to save us, Fitz.” I planned to say more. Something about how it wasn’t a fair choice, his country or me. Or that I would have found a way to recover. That I understood if he still needed to send me home. Any one of those could have expressed some of what I was feeling, but before I could form the words, Fitz stole my breath.
Fitz
I captured her lips with mine, unable to stay away one more second. My fingers tunneled into her hair. Fire erupted in my chest, burning with the chemistry ignited between us. I pulled closer, wishing I could put every emotion into my kiss.
The pain I felt thinking she was gone.
The flicker of hope when I felt her fingers grasp mine through the rocks and dirt.
My elation as I realized she was going to make it.
But most of all the realization that I loved her and that I always had.
The connection we’d built over the years had created a deeper bond than I ever could have imagined. She was it, my one and only.
The woman of my dreams.
My everything.
I shifted my grip, pulling my hand from her hair to wrap my arms around her waist. She responded eagerly, as if her mind had been harboring all the same thoughts. Her arms wrapped around me, fingers touching the hair on the back of my neck. My mind went hazy, but I kissed her again, relishing the closeness and our moment of solitude.
I had to tell her. I needed to explain what this meant. What she meant to me. But talking meant stopping, and I couldn’t bear that either.
Not yet.
Never once had a kiss felt like sparks flying through my chest. I needed to slow down, but our relationship felt rushed. A lifetime of not giving into these feelings paired with a future that didn’t have much hope. I pulled away, breathless, but content to watch her for a moment in the fire’s glow.
“You are so beautiful, Michaela. I’m… that is… I’m completely gone over you.” When our lips met again, her whimper sent my heart soaring, overcome by the way she unwound me. She left me absolutely desperate for her. Willing to give up anything to keep her as mine.
“Fitz,” she spoke my name against my lips, but I barely paused until she pulled away far enough to say what she needed. “How would we make this work?”
“It doesn’t matter,” I assured her. “We’ll figure it out.” With a tug, I brought her closer. I pressed a kiss to her cheek. “I made you a lady, didn’t I?” I kissed her cheek again, closer to her ear. “I’ll make you Nolcovian next. I am the prince after all. Or have you forgotten again?” I found her lips again and got lost for a moment. “Whatever it takes. We’ll make it work.”
Tingles ran up my spine as her lips pulled on mine. Those promises I’d made, every moment with her in my arms, I felt her begging me to keep them. Not to let this fade away, but if only she understood how I felt when I thought I lost her. It had to be said. I had to explain what had changed.
Taking her arms, I broke our kiss, but stayed close, foreheads still pressed together as we struggled to catch our breath. “Michaela, there’s something I have to say.”
Her head lifted away from mine to stare into my eyes. “What’s going on, Fitz?”
I’d earned that flicker of distrust in her eyes. This competition was a rollercoaster, and I put more loops in than I wanted to admit. “I need you to know that I won’t make the same mistake again.”
She leaned back, pushing more space between us. “You won’t send me home at all? Is the competition over?”
I wanted to say yes, but it wouldn’t be that simple. It had to play out, and I needed the time to find a viable path. Hopefully one where my father either changed the law or I found a way to make her a citizen overnight. Which meant I needed her to agree to be a citizen, not to mention rule as a queen.
“Forget the competition for a minute.” I brushed my thumb over her cheek. “This is bigger than that.” Her lips called to me, but I forced myself to focus. “I won’t do it again, I swear.”
“Do what?”
“I won’t choose my country over love, ever again.”
“Fitz, are you saying—”
I couldn’t wait for the rest of the question. Let her feel it in my kiss. My hand dove back into her hair as I crashed against her. She met me full force, just as lost in the emotion as I was. I kissed her cheek, her jaw, beneath her ear, anything to feel her respond to my touch. Anything to know once and for all that she was mine. Every moment with her left me starving for another. I found her lips once more, like returning home after a long holiday. She gripped me with strength I didn’t expect and doubted I’d ever earned. Nothing mattered outside these walls, nothing could touch what we had built together.
My chamber doors slammed open. I pulled away from Michaela, startled by the intrusion. Bishop rushed inside, waving us apart.
“She’s coming.” He ignored me completely and immediately gripped Michaela’s arm. “You must get out of here. Queen Mariah is on the warpath and heads will roll, my dear.”
I gripped Michaela’s other arm and kept her near me. “Let her come. I’m not afraid, Cousin.”
“You should be.” He groaned. “I understand the power of a good snog, and trust me, I tried to stall as much as I could, but short of tripping her Royal Majesty in the hallway—”
“It’s fine,” Michaela interrupted him. “I’ll go.”
“Bleeding fabulous. The bird has a brain.” He tugged her arm again. “Let’s crack on then. Time is of the…” Bishop’s voice trailed off as my mother filled my open chamber doorway. “Blimey. Onto plan B, then?”
“And what’s plan B?” Michaela whispered, looking like she wanted to disappear into the couch cushions.
“I thought that one was on you.” Bishop pulled her from the couch and smiled at Mother. “Right then, I’ve found her. No worries. Right as rain.”
Mother ignored them both and kept her focus on me. She closed the door behind them as they exited. I awaited the pending storm, fearing this one might destroy us all.
“What were you thinking?”
Without much direction, I wasn’t sure which folly she was referring to.
I rose to my feet, not liking the height disparity when I kneeled on the floor. “Well, the crowd insisted I go on camera. I feel like I did the best I could, all things considered.”
“That’s not what I meant.” She breezed closer to me like a phantom on the moor. “Why did you bring her back here? And so obviously?”
“She was dizzy from the onslaught of questioning.” I left out a few reasons, but it felt good enough to me. “She needed a break.”
“But to your chambers, Leonidas? What were you thinking? Word has already spread through the palace. They’re all saying you’ve made your choice, and it’s her.”
“What of it?” Fake courage urged me on. “What if she is my choice?”
Anger kindled to rage in her eyes. “I told you the consequences of that choice. I trusted you not to make it. But now you’ve forced my hand.” She spun, headed for the door. “I’ll dispatch the guards immediately to apprehend her.”
“You’ll do nothing of the sort!” I skirted the couch, headed to intercept her. “Your threats are only that, Mother. Empty, hollow words with no ground to stand on.”
She whirled back to face me, skirts swishing under the momentum. “You can’t imagine what I am capable of, Son.”
“Oh, I can. I really can.” I held up a finger to pause her thoughts. “But tell me, as the word circulated through the staff tonight, did you hear any words of distress? Any cry for the noble blood she’s missing? Anyone worried that she isn’t Nolcovian by birth?”
Bluffing was never my strong point. It never looked good on me. Sweaty palms, racing heart, I felt closer to a heart attack than winning a bet. But as her face faltered, my confidence surged. There was no outcry against Michaela.
“I dare you to harm her, Mother. I dare you to say one negative word within earshot of one of our citizens. Because what you never expected, what you never saw coming,” I couldn’t help but smile a little as I realized I still held the upper hand, “is Nolcovians adore her. And so do I. She has more support than you ever thought possible. And if you come down harshly, their opinion of you will plummet.”
Her jaw tightened, clearly distressed by the thought. “I may take the chance anyway.”
“No,” I asserted, “you won’t.”
Sensing her loss in this battle, she ripped the door open and exited like a child who’d lost a toy. My palm rubbed over my mouth, surprised by my willingness to stand up to her and also still exhilarated by my stolen moments with Michaela.
I did adore her, and at least she had an idea of how deep my feelings went. I could tell her the rest next time. After the banquet tomorrow night perhaps. Father would be in attendance and spending the evening with Michaela would change his mind about her, I was sure of it. It would all work out tomorrow. I only had to wait one more day.
Happily ever after waited just within my reach.