Chapter 40 – Desta
DESTA
Today is the last day the pool at the palace will be open.
Not only are we heading toward autumn, but they’re planning a massive renovation of the entire area.
Evidently, Rowan and the children felt the pool was boring, so they’ve designed waterslides, a waterfall with a grotto, and a thermal spa area. It sounds heavenly.
But I can’t swim.
It was something that shocked the children.
None of them could understand how such a thing is even possible.
I didn’t go into specifics with them. So today they’re teaching me how to swim.
I have a large plastic bag covering my cast that I’m itching to get off, and the girls, Jaqueline, Phaedra, and Sabrina have taken to being my teachers.
The princesses are my teachers in many things. All the things I have no clue about, they love telling me. There’s a lot to learn, and right now that includes swimming.
All of my bruises and cuts have, for the most part, healed up.
We’ve been here two weeks, and in these two weeks, we’re no closer to figuring anything out.
It’s more than a little frustrating, but with that, we’ve kept my return under wraps.
I haven’t left the palace, but that doesn’t bother me much.
I’m used to staying put.
Ferrin is a different story. He, along with Gabe and occasionally Javier, has gone out on missions to search for Marie and Antonia.
I suggested announcing myself to the kingdom in a public setting and seeing if one of them comes out of the woodwork, but no one else liked the idea of making me an intentional mark.
“We just got you back,” Sebastian said. “We’re not risking your life over this again.”
Rowan was in full agreement, and it was difficult to argue with them.
But I wish this were done. I wish this were over.
I don’t want this hanging over our heads anymore.
Ferrin said we have to be patient. That finding people who don’t want to be found isn’t always that simple, especially when they know how to live in the shadows.
But if they’re living in the shadows, why come back out? Why put yourself at risk and for what? Antonia already knows we’re looking for her and Marie, well, other than the tiara situation and whether she or Antonia has it, hasn’t bothered anyone since she took me.
My DNA came back the other day, and it showed that I am, in fact, Princess Desta. Not that anyone questioned it, but if we announced me prior to that, there would be questions thrown at us that we wouldn’t be able to answer. Now we can.
“Move your arms,” Sabrina not so helpfully demands.
“Like this!” Zayer whips his arms madly about and splashes all of us while he turns around and around in his floaty vest.
“Zayer, not like that!” Phaedra tells him, always the one to be in charge. “Like this.” She rolls her arms in alternating pulls that slice through the water. “Like they’re scooping ice cream,” Phaedra suggests.
I’ve never scooped ice cream, but I don’t mention that either. The last time I had an ice cream was the great make-out followed by police incident. Ferrin chuckles off to the side as if he’s having the same memory.
“Come on, princess. You can do it. Show this pool who’s boss.”
I covertly flip him off, which makes Marcella and Bellamy laugh. They’re sitting in the shade with the twins, who are napping. I can’t get enough of them. They’re so sweet and cuddly and just squish into you, wanting nothing but love. It’s the best.
I move my arms as the girls demonstrate and work to kick my feet.
It’s not great. I’ll be honest with you.
And if I were tossed into a lake again, I doubt I’d get very far and would likely drown.
But I’m getting there. This is our second swim lesson, and I’m already loads better than I was the first time.
“You should practice treading water,” Rowan suggests as he comes out the back slider door with Sebastian and Althea beside him.
“Hopefully I won’t require that skill again, and by the time the pool reopens next spring, I can start with fresh lessons.”
Rowan drops to the edge of the pool beside Ferrin and puts his feet in the water while Sebastian and Althea join Marcella and Bellamy with the twins. I peek over in between my horrible attempt at a front crawl stroke and see Ferrin and Rowan talking in low voices.
They had been following a lead, but Sebastian doesn’t want to take advantage of any measure that isn’t legal. He’s worried something like that could be made public, and then there’d be scrutiny or worse. Rowan doesn’t seem to care as much, and I know Ferrin doesn’t at all.
Ferrin was officially declared dead. Well, Rhys Stephan is dead.
We leaked a story last week stating that his body had been found and identified. The notorious criminal is no more. All of his sins are officially pardoned. But more than that, it allows him to do some digging that everyone else can’t, which makes him very happy.
When I asked him the other day if he still wants to stay now that he has his freedom and can retire, he simply kissed me and said, “Maybe one day we’ll find a smaller place for us, but for now, this is better than I expected.”
I believe part of that is his growing friendships with Sebastian, Javier, and especially Gabe and Rowan.
Ferrin’s not an outsider who always has to watch his back or social engineer and manipulate to get what he wants.
He can be himself, and I think he’s feeling the freedom of that.
Of being around people who are trusting him, that he’s trusting in return.
I love watching it, and it makes me so happy for him to finally have that.
“Aunt Desta, focus,” Phaedra chastises, and I return my attention to the children.
“Right. Sorry. I’ve got this now!”
“Sort of.” Sabrina shrugs, and I can’t help my laugh. Phaedra is ever the up-and-coming queen, but Sabrina is trouble and doesn’t seem to make apologies for it.
I work on my swimming for another five or so minutes until the children get bored, and they go off to play sharks and minnows. I shudder thinking about the shark we came a little too close to in the sea and walk through the water toward Ferrin.
I climb out so I can sit beside him and Rowan, ringing out the excess water from my hair. What I really need is a haircut.
“What’s all this chatting?” I ask, nudging Ferrin with my elbow.
“Nothing,” Rowan tells me as he leans forward and rests his forearms on his thighs so he can see me around Ferrin. “The lead was dead. We’ll keep hunting though.”
I glance down at my hands, wrinkled from the water and baking in the sun. “I keep thinking about this. Why would they bother with me now?”
“You’re a liability to them,” Ferrin reminds me.
“Yes, but if it were you, would you stick your neck out?”
“No. Not likely. But I don’t exactly want to take chances with your life either.”
Fair.
“I’d like to announce myself,” I say, redirecting this. “I don’t want to stay hidden forever. I’ve already done that.”
Rowan frowns and nods toward Sebastian, who comes over and sits on the other side of me.
He tosses his arm around my shoulder, and it’s the best thing ever.
Over these last couple of weeks, I’ve loved getting to know them.
I’ve loved spending time and becoming friends with Bellamy and Marcella.
It’s been such a short amount of time, but I already feel a part of them.
“Should we have a royal ball?”
Marcella laughs, and Rowan smirks at her. Their story is a unique one, but I love it. They’re so perfect for each other.
“If Marcella would agree to set a wedding date, then perhaps it could be another royal wedding.”
She sighs. “You’re big on this setting a date thing.”
“They always are,” Bellamy teases. “They don’t like long engagements. Sebastian proposed and within two months we were married.”
“Oh, I remember.” Marcella laughs.
“Must be a royals thing,” I quip. “But I wouldn’t want to take away from your wedding by being announced to the world.”
“I don’t want a big wedding or a ball,” Marcella states. “I’d like a small, private ceremony without all the fanfare.”
“You could do it on the yacht,” Sebastian suggests. “That would be small and safer than many other options.”
Marcella meets Rowan’s eyes. “I’d be open to that.”
“How’s this?” Sebastian picks up before Rowan can comment.
“We announce Desta to the world, but we do so from the palace. We make a formal statement and have pictures taken and all of that. No one is allowed in, and we ask for privacy while we reconnect. Our mother will no doubt reach out—how could she not—and we see what further answers we can weed out of her. We also start to plan Rowan and Marcella’s wedding on the yacht.
We set a date, and hopefully by the time that date comes, we’ve already found Antonia and Marie. ”
“And if we haven’t?” Bellamy questions.
“Then the boat is an even better idea. Honestly, royal balls haven’t exactly been in our favor between Samil at the Christmas ball and our lovely spy at our wedding ball.”
“I agree,” Bellamy chimes in. “I don’t want anyone in danger, especially with the children there. I love the idea of the yacht. It’s romantic, and then you two can do a honeymoon however you want it, and we’ll leave you to it.”
“Six months,” Marcella states, her gaze locked on Rowan. “We plan our wedding for six months from now. Somewhere between announcing Desta’s return to the royal family and our wedding, we’ll get Antonia.”
“We’ll make sure of it,” Ferrin agrees, his hand on my thigh, his thumb dragging up and down.
This man’s ferocity makes me sweat. Everything about him pulls me in more and more.
From his wit and charm and smiles to his dirty mouth and dominance and protective, beautiful heart.
What we had started fast and burned hot, but those flames haven’t dissipated.
They’re a steady, undeniable heat I only want more and more of.
I kiss the corner of his lips. “Then it’s settled,” I say, my voice quiet as I watch the children play. “I feel better about this. I don’t want to put anyone in danger.”
Marcella scoffs as she braids her hair. “You’re not. No more than I am. Everyone here knows more than some people want us to. I’ve been here a few months, and if Antonia has attempted to come after me, I haven’t seen or felt it.”
“I think the danger is in the past,” I acknowledge.
“I used to say that if I could find you and bring you home, that would be enough to break the curse.” Rowan thoughtfully runs a finger through the water, making a small wake as he talks.
“Bellamy and Sebastian love each other. Marcella and I love each other. You’re home.
Samil is dead. Signoria is dead. Yes, Antonia is still out there, but she was betrayed herself and loved you.
” He points at me before returning his finger to the water.
“The root of the curse was betrayal, and by closing up those pieces, we’ve broken it. ”
Silence hits all of it. “I’m not sure I ever believed in it,” Bellamy says after a quiet minute.
“But I love that. I love believing the curse is lifted.” She looks out over the children, and a chill sweeps through me.
I can’t imagine the sort of fear they’ve held, believing the children could be part of an ancient curse that could hurt or kill them.
“The announcement will bring it all full circle,” Althea comments. “You’re home, and the curse has been lifted. Obviously we won’t mention the curse directly, but it’ll be implied all the same. The world will ask where you’ve been. You need to be ready to answer that.”
My heart beats a little faster in my chest, and I look at Ferrin. “What if I tell them the truth? That I was held in a cottage by a woman who claimed to be my mother until you showed up and I escaped. Unless you don’t want Antonia to know you’re alive.”
“Maybe we simply say you escaped for now. I don’t think anyone is going to come for you,” he recognizes.
“If it were me, I’d run fast and hard, and she has no reason to stay.
Coming after you or Marcella is a weak move and a setup for failure from the start.
But, in making that speech, it could rattle her.
Make her nervous. Careless. And with that, maybe she makes a mistake, and we nab her.
Even if she’s gone into hiding, I don’t want her lurking about.
I want her where Charlotte is. I don’t like unknowns.
Marie is another issue, and frankly, she could be dead for all we know.
I still believe it was Antonia who took the tiara and not Marie.
I say we continue to look for her, but she’s not my primary target. ”
“I think we also need to have more guards brought into the palace,” Sebastian states, leaning back and putting his weight on his hands. “Special forces. Trained people.”
“I’m not going to fight you on that.” Bellamy stands when one of the children starts to fuss, but I hop to my feet and go over to pick baby Joseph up.
It’s not the easiest with my cast, but I’ve gotten good at it.
I bring him to my chest and rock him, checking with Bellamy that I’m doing it right. She smiles and nods encouragingly.
I’m so in love with this family. With the children and these people. They brought me in and are doing so much for me. I want to return the favor, not simply put their lives in peril.
“Then it’s settled.” I kiss the baby’s head. “A statement. A small wedding to plan. And more searching to close any loose ends.”
Marcella stands and rubs the back of the baby’s head as I hold and rock him. “No one can stay hidden forever. You’re proof of that. Sooner or later, this will all come to an end. Honestly, and I never thought I’d say this, but it already feels as though it has or is at the very least starting to.”
We can only hope.