She had witnessed Xander drop his guard in public a second time in a surprising place. He had taken Reanna with him to the fresh air markets one weekend. He had told her since many of the farms were isolated, meeting in town the first Saturday of each month allowed them to catch up on the news and discuss issues concerning their crops. It was an informal gathering that involved boisterous laughing and freshly baked goods prepared by the farmers’ wives. It was obvious that Xander’s presence was common. He bantered with the men comfortably, and they shared their concerns with him calmly, seeming confident he would act on their behalf.
Xander kept Reanna at his side the whole time. He introduced her by name, but didn’t say more nor did anyone ask. His subjects accepted her because he silently proclaimed it to be so.
It probably also helped that almost every news channel announced Reanna would likely be their next queen. Reanna tried to ignore it as Xander had told her to, but there was a part of her beginning to hope something that amazing could actually happen. As the weeks passed, she stood beside him with more confidence, greeted strangers more warmly, and worried less and less about what everyone thought of her. With each landmark Xander explored with her, each shop owner he introduced her to, Reanna fell helplessly, hopelessly more in love with not only Xander but also his country.
Curiosity had driven Reanna once to ask Xander why she hadn’t met his brothers or father at any of the events. Xander had turned to her with a strangely aloof expression on his face and said, “When I do introduce you to my father, it will be more than a simple meeting. It will be a declaration of my feelings for you.”
When . . .
He hadn’t said if.
He also hadn’t said he loved her, but was he preparing to?
She waited, but Xander didn’t share more about his feelings. Because of that, Reanna still woke each morning wondering if he was verging on asking her to leave or to meet his family.
Those first few minutes of each day, before Xander woke and gave her a kiss that made everything else melt away, were the most stressful for Reanna. Like a nearly starved person savoring what could be the last morsel of food before another long fast, Reanna tried to remain grateful for every moment she had with Xander. If her time with Xander did end, she would survive, and she would be better for having experienced all this.
Here in Rubare Collina she felt stronger, braver, and able to face any future — even if it didn’t include a prince.
Please let it include a prince.
Kendra didn’t understand how Reanna could calmly discuss both possibilities with her during their weekly chats. Reanna tried and failed to explain how she could love and still keep enough of herself protected. Kendra said she understood, but no one who hadn’t survived repeated loss could.
Lost in her thoughts, Reanna was standing in the castle garden waiting for Xander to join her. She wasn’t sure what they had planned for the day, but she’d chosen a comfortable, blue linen dress that would suit many occasions.
“Excuse me, are you Reanna?” a woman asked, approaching her.
Reanna jumped and spun toward her. “Yes?”
The older woman smiled warmly at her. She was tall, Reanna guessed in her late fifties, and simply attired in a muted floral dress. She wore her brown hair swept up in a neat bun. “Forgive me for startling you. I’m not supposed to be here, but I couldn’t resist the chance to meet you.” She held out her hand in greeting. “My name is Moira. I’m the royal nanny.”
Reanna shook her hand and joked, “Aren’t the princes too old for one?”
Moira’s eyes misted. “Age is irrelevant. I love the boys as much now as I did when they used to sneak into the kitchen and bribe the cook to make them the treats I had denied them. They never were good at following the rules.” Hearing Moira’s emotional response, Reanna was at a loss for what to say. Moira looked around, presumably waiting until she was sure they were still alone before speaking again. “We don’t have much time, Reanna. Tell me, do you love Xander?”
Reanna stuttered, “I . . . I . . .”
The woman took one of Reanna’s hands in hers. “Are you close to loving him? Could you imagine yourself spending the rest of your life here?”
Is this a joke? Am I on camera? Reanna scanned the area around them.
Moira gave her hand a squeeze, bringing Reanna’s attention back to her. “Xander turns thirty soon. If you have feelings for him, don’t hide them. Not even in public. Don’t let there be a question about how you feel for him.”
“Okay,” Reanna said slowly. Where did this woman escape from? It’s best to play along with a crazy person’s fantasy. “I’ll do that. Thank you.”
The woman looked over her shoulder one last time then said in a rush, “Please don’t tell anyone I was here. Not even Xander.”
Reanna pried her hand free from the woman. “I won’t. I promise.”
With a nod, the woman walked quickly out of the garden and disappeared.
Alone again, Reanna said aloud, “Good talk.”
“Who are you talking to?” Xander asked, sliding his arms around her from behind and nuzzling her neck.
Reanna tensed then relaxed. Every country, like every family, had unstable people. Moira seemed relatively harmless so Reanna decided not to mention her. “Myself. I do that sometimes.”
He kissed her neck again. “Sorry my phone call took so long. I’m planning a surprise for you.”
Reanna laid both of her hands over his and leaned back against him. “What is it?”
He chuckled. “If I told you it wouldn’t be a surprise, would it?”
Reanna laced the fingers of one of her hands with his and said softly, “I’ve never liked surprises. They never turn out well for me.”
He hugged her tightly and said, “That was before you met me, Reanna. Trust me, you’ll love this one.”
Reanna closed her eyes and tried not to get excited. “Will I receive it today?”
“No, I planned a day on my yacht for us. I thought you might want to see some of the beaches that are difficult to get to by land. We’ll anchor by the alcove, have lunch, then there is a Spanish shipwreck we could snorkel to if you’re interested.”
“That sounds wonderful,” Reanna said. She let herself trust Xander because everything about him, from the very first moment they had met, had turned out better than she’d dared hope. With Xander, she let herself believe that good things could happen to her.
That evening, while Reanna showered and changed for dinner, Xander remembered what Reanna had said about not all surprises being good ones. A member of his staff announced that Xander’s brothers had arrived and were waiting to speak with him in the library of the castle.
It wasn’t the first time Xander had spoken to them since returning home with Reanna. However, it was the first indication their curiosity was beginning to outweigh their common sense. He’d told them the summer castle was off limits until he said otherwise.
He didn’t hide his displeasure as he walked into the library. His youngest brother, Christopher, was standing in the middle of the room, talking to his middle brother, Bryan, who was seated with his feet up on the antique coffee table. Bryan put his feet down when Xander gave him a cold look.
Christopher folded his arms across his chest and said, “Don’t glower at us, Xander. We’re not the ones driving father crazy by traipsing all over the country with a woman who should have been kept a secret until the council’s announcement.”
Bryan stood. “I still can’t believe you’re going through with it. A year ago you said you’d never let an antiquated law make you do anything. But here you are, falling right in line. What happened?”
Xander rose to his full height and spoke through gritted teeth. “You will understand when it’s your time. That’s all I can say for now.”
Bryan shook his head. “Because Simon told you not to? Who is the future king, you or him?”
“You can try, but you won’t goad me into saying what I ca
nnot divulge. When you turn twenty-nine, I will play a role in explaining all of this to you, but for now, enjoy your innocence.”
Christopher barked out a laugh. “Innocence? Does he know who he’s talking to? Xander, when it’s my turn, you can skip the birds and bees talk. I’ve been doing fine on my own.”
Bryan stepped closer to Xander. “It’s not about that at all, is it? What did Simon tell you that you think we can’t handle yet?”
Xander stared his brothers down. “There are ugly truths from the past and those that poison our present. Knowledge of either would put both of you in danger before I had the resources to defend you.”
Christopher grimaced. “You sound like Father.”
“That’s because I understand him better now than I did before. Just as you will when you have your Vita Unica.”
Bryan cocked his head to one side. “If you understand Father so well, then you know how angry you’re making him by flaunting your choice in public.”
