Chapter 35 – Desta
DESTA
I’ll admit, when the car pulled up, I had a worst-case scenario going through my head.
I envisioned it was Antonia or Sven or some other person I’d have to survive.
I caught a break from that, and no, that’s not a pun given my current situation.
For once, luck was on my side. Or perhaps Ferrin sent me an angel.
An older gentleman pulled over and rushed out of his car with worry creasing in his eyes. “My dear, you’re not well.”
Understatement of my life.
“Let us get you to the hospital. Do you have someone to call? Someone to meet you?”
I fed him a bullshit story, and he offered me his phone.
Except I had no one to call. No numbers that I knew.
So I looked up the main number for the palace, and a woman named Emily told me someone would call me back.
I don’t know who I spoke with after that.
I have no clue if anyone is actually coming for me.
Right now, that’s okay because the nurse gave me some medication for the pain, which is way better than the stuff Sven juiced me up with, and cleaned and fixed the cuts on my face and body.
They put me in a gown, and a woman is wrapping a purple cast on my arm after the X-ray declared it’s not displaced and I don’t require surgery.
A simple radial fracture, and in four to six weeks, I should be good to go.
I was lucky. That’s what the doctor said. It’s what the nurse said to me too.
Lucky. Again with that word.
Is that what I am? Honestly, that’s a scary notion to hold onto. Especially when I feel like it’s the eye of the storm, where everything is deceptively calm. Not to sound like Ferrin, but as long as Antonia is lurking about, I’m in danger. I don’t know where Sven is. That’s an issue too.
After they’re done with the cast, I’m left alone until the door to my room opens and a tall, handsome man enters.
The door shuts behind him, and he closes the curtain.
My heart starts to pound at his quiet intensity.
Not to mention he’s huge. Like the size of the freaking doorway, huge and all muscles with it.
“I’m Gabe, Prince Rowan’s bodyguard and his chief of security.”
I blink and my eyes glass over. “Um. Hi.” I don’t know what to say. What does one say to that? To this situation.
He bows at me, and I shake my head, not understanding the gesture until it hits me. He believes I’m the princess. But why? I haven’t met anyone in the family. Haven’t talked to any of them. Are they simply going based on whatever Ferrin told them? I suppose they are, but that seems… wrong.
And how do I know this isn’t a trap? Antonia could have sent him here. She knew I was hurt. It wouldn’t be difficult for her to figure out that I went to a hospital.
“Prove it.”
A smirk curls up his lips. “Smart girl.” He reaches into his pocket and pulls out his country ID along with his palace ID badge. Works for me.
“What happens now?”
“My colleague is working on getting you discharged. Once that happens, we’ll take you to the palace for you to meet the king and prince.”
I swallow thickly and lick my dry lips.
“If that’s what you want,” he continues, softening his approach to my visible unease. He’s giving me the choice, and now those tears that had been glistening fall. God, I’ve done nothing but cry this week when crying wasn’t really my thing before.
“I’d like that. Thank you for coming so quickly.”
“Your Highness, there are a lot of people who are very anxious to meet you. But there are also people who are anxious to stop that meeting. We’re going to need to keep this very tight.”
“I understand.” And I do. That’s been the story of my life since I walked out of the cottage. Possibly even before. “I’ll answer whatever questions I can, though I’m not sure how much I know.”
“If your friend hadn’t called and told us about you, we wouldn’t have been this close today. We wouldn’t have known about you, nor would we have believed it if you’d called. He saved you.”
My eyes close, and I release a shaky breath. “He did. A few times.”
I don’t care about the reward he was after.
He deserved it. He should have gotten it and his retirement.
If I hadn’t gotten so upset, maybe none of this would have happened.
Maybe he wouldn’t be dead now. I know he was trying to let me go.
He had been not so subtly hinting at it.
He didn’t feel the same way about me as I felt about him.
It sucks. But he was still good to me. Better than he needed to be.
I shake my head and wipe at the insipid tears.
I wish we could have had more time. All the time. All the kisses and caresses and moments. I wish I could have tracked him down on his island. We could have had more.
God, I hate this. He’s gone, and I yelled at him.
I told him I hate him when what I feel for him is the opposite of hate.
He wasn’t there with me. But what I felt for him was real.
I won’t excuse it away and say it was simply the situation or that he was the first guy to ever flirt or show interest.
I’ll hold onto it—onto him—for the rest of my life.
A few minutes later, my nurse returns with some clean clothes for me and discharge instructions.
I need a shower and a proper meal, but my nerves are running this show as Gabe keeps his arm around my shoulder and guides me to the elevator.
We’re greeted by another man who introduces himself to me as Javier.
He’s older and has kind eyes. I recognize his accent as the one I spoke to on the phone.
I’m helped up into a helicopter, strapped in, and given a pair of giant headphones to put on.
It’s surreal. In the span of a week, I went from Genevieve, a girl who lived an isolated life alone in a cottage, to a girl who’s escaped death three times and is now being transported via helicopter to a palace where I’m to meet a family I don’t remember and haven’t seen since I was an infant.
Oh, and the woman who raised me and claimed to love me had me drugged and sent two killers after me.
I haven’t processed anything. I’m not sure how to even begin doing that.
The helicopter takes off, and I spend the trip staring out the window at the world around us and the ground far below. My stomach is in my throat, and no amount of deep breathing or mental pep talks can get it lower.
We land on a field in the middle of nowhere, and I’m guided to a large black SUV.
I don’t ask questions. I simply go where I’m taken, and when we park in front of the massive—and no joke, it’s fucking massive—palace, two women are there waiting for me.
One is petite with curves, brown hair, blue eyes, and a giant smile.
The other is a taller blonde with green eyes and reserved features.
“Hi!” the brunette chirps with a warm, welcoming hug. “I’m Bellamy, Sebastian’s wife. It’s fantastic to meet you. This is Marcella, Rowan’s fiancée.”
She’s talking about the king and prince, so that makes her the queen. She’s American. I can tell by her accent, and I remember Ferrin mentioning her. She’s the supposed curse breaker. And she called herself by her first name with no formality. It sets me at ease a bit.
“Hi!” I offer her a smile that I’m not sure hits my lips. “Thank you. It’s lovely to meet you both.”
“Sebastian and Rowan felt it might be too overwhelming if they were here instead of us. So you’ll meet them later over drinks and appetizers.
Everything is better with alcohol and food.
” The brunette laughs. “The children will be at dinner, but they’ll take some of the pressure off. Trust me. They’re incredible.”
I nod. That’s it. But I’m shaking, and there’s no hiding it.
“Don’t stress it,” the blonde informs me, gesturing to the brunette. “This is where you belong, and it gets easier. Trust me. Neither of us grew up like this, so we totally get it. But you should know I was also raised by Antonia, though I suspect it was different for you than it was for me.”
That gives me pause. My eyes round. “You were? How?”
“She was sort of my boss in a way. She was the head of the house for the family I lived with. It’s a really long story, but I think we’ll end up sharing a lot of those with each other. I don’t know what she was like with you.”
“She was…” I sigh. I’m heartbroken, and I feel like that’s all I’ve been for a week.
“Like a mother to me. A mother who wasn’t around much.
She disciplined me a lot as a child, but eventually, I stopped giving her reasons to.
She was a mother who kept me alone and isolated.
A mother who turned out to be a liar and just as violent and dangerous as all the people she warned me against.”
She gives me a wan smile. “I understand that perfectly. You’re not alone anymore. Truly, this may be a palace, and they are royalty, but once you get to know them, you’ll see, they’re the best people in the world.”
I release a shaky breath, a lightness hitting my muscles and taking away the heaviness that’s lived inside me, well, forever. “Honestly, that might be the best thing anyone has said to me.”
“I’m sorry that was your life with her,” she continues. “She used to leave our house every weekend for one night. I never knew where she went, but I’m assuming Signoria Batorini did. She was my evil stepmother, for lack of a better term. They were best friends.”
Realization clicks through me. “She told me about her. She said her best friend was poisoned. Is that her?”
Marcella blanches. “Yes. I’m the one who poisoned her because she tried to poison the prince. Again, very long story.”
“Wow.” A strange laugh catapults from my lips. “Wait. Batorini? Where do I know that name from?”
“Samil Batorini was the former prime minister,” Bellamy informs me.
“He tried to kill…” I trail off and notice the scar on her neck for the first time. Holy shit.
“Yep.” She taps the long, white slice with her finger. “This lovely reminder is from him.”
“God, I’m so sorry. And his mother was best friends with Antonia, and you lived in her house.
” I point to Marcella and whistle through my teeth.
But more than that, I’m not the only one who’s had it different or rough or tragic.
Everyone in this palace has, and it seems that dates back to when I was a baby.
“Yeah. It seems I have a lot to catch up on.”
Bellamy snorts. “You could say that. But all that aside, I know you don’t know us, and we don’t know you, but you’re family, and we’d really love for you to stay and get to know us.
Plus, Marcella and I are close to your age.
We’d love for you to be our friend too. Neither of us had the easiest of upbringings, either, so we truly do understand. ”
Tears set fire to my eyes, and I swallow past the fresh burn in my throat.
I nod. It’s all I’ve got. Friends. I’ve never had those, but it sounds fucking amazing.
I have nowhere else to go, but the thought of staying here, of learning and discovering all the things I’ve missed, is beautifully alluring.
“Listen, it’s new and strange here,” Bellamy states.
“It’s a freaking palace. I was an English teacher with no life other than my sick father, and she was a servant in an abusive home.
Trust us, we get how weird it is to suddenly be royalty and live in a palace.
But the king and prince have been searching for you since you were taken.
You’re safe here. And sometimes that’s all we need to hear. ”
“It’s true,” Marcella continues. “Sebastian and Rowan never gave up hope. They never stopped looking. Rowan’s been tormented since you were taken. He always blamed himself for what happened since he woke the king after hearing a noise but never alerted the guards.”
My head dips, and my heart shakes in my chest, making my bones and muscles follow suit.
“Antonia told me… that is, she said… she’s not my mother.” I slowly lift my head. “But neither is the dowager queen.”
“Right.” Marcella nods. “Don’t sweat it. We’ll get to all of that. But yes, we know.”
Well, that’s a relief. They seem to know more than I do.
“These are my stepdaughters.” Bellamy pulls out her phone, and there’s a picture of two beautiful little girls. And holy shit, they look so much like me.
“I looked similar to that when I was their age. Minus the eyes and hair color. They’re blonder than I am.”
“Yes,” Bellamy agrees. “You’re part of them. Sebastian told me he knew it the moment he saw your picture. They have your smile, and how lovely is that? You have no clue how happy it made him that you look so much like them.”
I tilt my head at the way she says that, but she presses on.
“Let’s show you to your room, and we can go from there.”
I nod, more than a little exhausted. I need sleep. I need food. I need a shower. I need all the things. But I also need to meet my brothers. I have people, real people, for the first time ever.
They take me inside the palace, and holy Jesus. I’m in a palace where my family lives.
“Your room has clothes for you.” Bellamy’s hand lands on my good arm.
“The drawers and closet are filled. They’re all for you.
Please don’t feel weird about wearing anything.
I might have gone a little nuts when I heard about you and then saw your picture.
Once I had an idea of your size, I ordered you a ton of stuff.
But if you don’t like them or they’re not to your taste, we can get you anything you want. ”
“I’ve lived in T-shirts, pants, and shorts for most of my life. I would wear my nicer blouses for Antonia, but that’s it. Anything you got me, I’m positive I’ll love. Thank you for doing that for me.”
We walk into a massive entry room that’s filled with art and sculptures. I take a moment to look around, my heart hammering so hard it hurts.
“This way.” Bellamy waves me on and leads me up a curved flight of stone steps. But the moment we reach the second floor before we ascend to the third, an awareness tickles the back of my neck. I freeze, letting the sensation take over, my insides matching the chill that sweeps over me.
I twist to look down the hall. Then I blink and blink again, shaking uncontrollably. If I thought my heart was beating hard before, it’s about to explode now.
“Is this for real?”
Because I’m staring straight at Ferrin.