19. Noah
NOAH
IREALIZED I was in trouble the moment Baxter directed me to the king’s car.
My limited belongings had already been packed up earlier that morning, and I was following the line of staff heading to our dedicated vehicles to begin the two-week tour of Valoria with the king when I was summoned by the head butler.
Without a word, he led me to the glossy black car with tinted windows so dark you couldn’t see inside. The one with the small Valorian flag fixed to the front. The king’s private car.
My stomach dropped as Baxter opened the door. What was he doing?
“Is there a problem, Mr. Bennett?” he said.
Yes, there was a problem. A huge, glaring one. Why was he holding open the door to the king’s car like he expected me to take a seat?
But I knew better than to question my superior, so I said, “No, sir.”
“His Majesty requested that you accompany him for this leg of the trip.”
Oh my God. He hadn’t.
Was he out of his mind? Apparently our rendezvous in the secret passage and almost getting caught by Gabriel hadn’t been enough of a risk, and now I was supposed to ride beside the king across the country and pretend I didn’t know what his mouth on mine felt like?
This was a terrible idea.
But I nodded at Baxter and stepped inside the dark interior, and the door shut behind me with a soft click.
As my eyes adjusted, I took a steadying breath.
The car just smelled expensive, like leather and polished wood…
and Nicholas. It instantly had my heart beating faster as he came into view.
He’d unbuttoned his jacket but looked so regal and untouchable that I found myself taking the seat opposite him.
Professional distance and all, which was laughable considering our knees were only inches away from each other.
“Your Majesty,” I said.
The corner of his mouth twitched. “That’s how we’re beginning?”
“This is a public tour, sir.”
“We’re currently in my private car.”
“With a driver and security. Not to mention the motorcade and the other staff, which is where I should be.”
“You should be where I want you to be, and it’s not sitting opposite me, Noah.”
I wet my lips, feeling tempted but undeniably nervous as I glanced over my shoulder at the dark petition that separated us from the driver and security.
“They can’t hear you. They can’t see you. And no one is allowed to enter without my permission first,” Nicholas said, leaning forward. He held his hand out to me, palm upturned, and though it was asking for trouble, I took it.
He pulled me off my seat and into the one beside him as the car began to move, heading out the gates of Montclair Palace. Still holding my hand, he pressed a kiss to the back of it before settling it in his lap.
“Thank you,” he said. “For being here with me.”
He looked like he wanted to say more but didn’t, and it was then that I realized he needed me. This was his first tour, the first time coming face to face with the people he now ruled as their king, not just the next in line in a distant future.
Nicholas was nervous. His face didn’t betray that, obviously, but the way he stroked his thumb over my hand as he held it in his lap told me all I needed to know.
I was his comfort, the one he’d chosen to be beside him during this momentous time in his life, and it made my heart stutter and my throat grow tight.
I squeezed his hand, grateful I could be here when he needed me, and let the silence fall between us, comfortable and safe.
By the time we reached the first town on our stop, massive crowds lined the streets, waiting for a glimpse of their king.
While Nicholas looked out the window, I watched him, observing firsthand the way his demeanor began to change as the motorcade came to a stop.
When I’d first met him, I thought the man beside me was ice cold, made of steel, but now I realized that that steel was just armor he put on to help him navigate his new role.
This time I lifted our joined hands to kiss his knuckles.
“Good luck…Nicholas,” I said, smiling at him before moving to the opposite side of the car so he could exit.
His eyes warmed, and then he took in a deep inhale and knocked on the window, indicating he was ready.
I winked at him and then the door opened and he stepped outside to a thunderous roar from the crowd. I stayed in the car, watching from the window as he smiled and waved on his way to greet his people.
There were children holding flowers and offering them up to him, and he sweetly took every one, making conversation with each person who’d been waiting, giving each one time and attention as they no doubt offered condolences for his father, along with well wishes.
I watched him through it all, moving to the other side of the car to get a better view.
Nicholas stopped at an older man in full military dress blues sitting in a wheelchair and took his hand, holding on to it as the man spoke to him, his face full of emotion.
By the end, Nicholas reached for the man’s shoulder, a more personal gesture that had the old man in tears. Happy tears, from the looks of it.
Nicholas gave his hand a squeeze before being led away to the entrance of the children’s hospital, where he’d spend the next two hours visiting and reading stories.
What I wouldn’t give to see him in action, even though his visit would be shown all over every news station. But I was just a footman, and this was His Majesty’s new world.
I would have to be content to just watch.
TWO HOURS TURNED into three and a half, and when Nicholas finally emerged from the hospital to the surrounding crowds, he had a smile on his face, but a heaviness in his eyes that came from visiting the most vulnerable.
No one would notice, not when they were all waving and shouting his name adoringly. But I could tell by the tight pull of his lips and the strain on his handsome features that he was feeling the weight of helplessness as he reached the car.
The door opened and he entered, and I put my tablet aside and waited until it shut and we were alone.
“Difficult?” I said.
He leaned back in his seat and closed his eyes.
“Unbelievably so.” He took a deep breath and opened his eyes, and the pain and sadness in them broke my heart.
“Those poor children… The parents… They’re so unbelievably strong in the face of such tremendous hardships.
So brave in the face of such uncertain futures. ”
I sat forward and reached for his hands. “And today you gave them a reason to continue being strong.”
Nicholas shook his head. “I didn’t do anything. Couldn’t do anything. That’s the worst part. To look into the face of someone so helpless and not be able to do anything to make their way of life better.”
“But you did,” I said, squeezing his hands.
“Don’t you see? Your mere presence lifted every single spirit in and out of that hospital today.
By taking the time to talk, smile, and listen to their stories—even when I know your secretary was telling you to leave—you made every single person you met today feel a little bit better.
” I smiled. “You did everything and more.”
Nicholas slipped a hand free of mine and reached up to brush the backs of his fingers down my cheek. “Thank you for saying that.”
“It’s true.” I turned my head to kiss his fingers. “The expectations placed on you are vast, but you live up to every single one of them.”
Nicholas gripped my chin lightly and leaned forward to brush his lips across mine. “How are you real, Noah Bennett?”
I smiled and rested my forehead against his. “I could ask the same of you.”
“It’s like I dreamed you up, right when I needed you.” His eyes traced every feature of mine, right before he took my face in his hands and claimed my mouth in the sweetest kiss I’d ever had.
It was soft, gentle, and made my heart race, and when he finally broke the embrace, his lips tilted into a crooked smile.
“You better move back to your side of the car, Mr. Bennett. I’m not feeling particularly strong right now, and you are difficult to resist.”
“Of course… Your Majesty.”
Nicholas smirked, his demeanor more relaxed now as we pulled away from the hospital and continued on to the next stop on his schedule—the local markets. This one was going to be a little bit trickier, and made me nervous, if I were being honest.
The hospital was easily locked down, security much more manageable than here, where Nicholas was out in a public space surrounded by crowds of adoring citizens. But this was part of his new role, showing up and connecting with his people, and he couldn’t really do that by avoiding them, could he?
The car drew to a stop at the front entrance of the markets, and once again the streets were lined with curious onlookers.
Nicholas peered out the window, waiting for the go-ahead that everything was safe and clear. Then security stopped by the car door, giving the signal they were ready, and he glanced over at me.
“Come with me.”
“What?” I chuckled at the absurdity of his request. It was one thing to be ordered into his vehicle with him, but if any of the staff caught sight of me walking through the markets by his side, the gossip would be unbearable.
“Come with me into the markets. You don’t have to stand next to me, but come and experience it. Have you ever been to Valoria’s local markets?”
“I… Uh, no.” I’d been to the small markets in my village, but that was nothing compared to these. Valoria’s markets were a booming community all on their own, with the best produce, the best crafts, and the best street food from all across the kingdom.
“There’s nothing like them,” he said.
I grinned despite the sudden ball of nerves in my stomach. Was I really considering this?
“Please,” Nicholas said, moving to the edge of his seat to tap on the window. “You must be hungry, and I want to share this with you. Even if it’s at a distance.”