A Very Merry Princess

“I’m checking on you. I sense something is wrong. Tell me what it is.”

Every now and then her father surprised her by being emotionally perceptive. Not a traditional characteristic in a male ruling monarch. Imperious, yes. Decisive, sure. But aware of the ebb and flow of his daughter’s emotions? Why now?

“Dad, I’m totally fine.”

“Of course you are. Would you prefer someone else to go with Rida in your place?”

“What? And leave him in the hands of a stranger? I don’t think so.”

“I doubt any of the groomsmen at the royal stable would be considered strangers,” her father said gently. “Is it that you will miss your brothers?”

Of course she would miss her brothers. They were sixteen, fourteen and twelve, and she adored them. Being a big sister was a lot more fun than she would have thought.

“I will miss all my family,” she murmured, glancing at the horse trailer. “Dad, we really have to get going.”

Her father stayed where he was. “They’ll wait.”

Right. Because, hey, it was his plane.

“Daughter of my heart, I know there have been difficulties as you have found your way to adulthood,” King Malik began. “Unexpected pitfalls.”

Bethany stifled a groan. She so didn’t want to have this conversation. Not now. Not again.

The unexpected pitfalls, as he’d called them, had been a series of hideous events that had left her feeling exposed and incredibly betrayed.

At fourteen, Bethany had been sent to a Swiss boarding school populated by the daughters of presidents, prime ministers and kings. She’d loved her studies and had made plenty of friends. Missing her family had been a drag, but she’d handled it.

At a coed dance with a neighboring school, she’d met a boy. It had been an innocent flirtation, completely age appropriate, and the night had ended with her first kiss. Only a frenemy had found out and had written all about it in an underground school blog. Someone leaked the blog to the European press and the story had grown into a scandal of sex parties and drugs.

Bethany had been humiliated. Her parents had offered her the chance to return to El Bahar and she’d taken it. Private tutors and her love of learning had meant she’d finished high school only two years later. She’d gone to college in Tennessee. Older and wiser, she’d been exceptionally careful about dating.

She’d fallen for a sweet guy—a slightly nerdy engineering major. They’d taken things slow. When they’d finally become lovers, he’d secretly taken pictures and sold them to a tabloid. While there hadn’t been actual frontal nudity, there’d been no confusing what—and who—was in the pictures. The headline—I Deflowered a Princess—had added to the clarity of the moment.

Once again a devastated Bethany had retreated to the safety of the palace walls. Her father had threatened to hunt down the young man in question and throw him in the dungeon while deciding which of several horrible ways to punish him. Her normally even-tempered mother had agreed. When Bethany surfaced from the shame, she’d been more concerned about what she was doing wrong.

Other people managed to grow up in the limelight without so much as a misstep. Was it because she was just some kid from Riverside, California? Was there a whole “to the manor born” thing she was missing? Regardless of the reason, she’d accepted that she had to be even more careful. She’d withdrawn from much of what the world considered ordinary life. She could trust her family and the people in the palace and her horses. Everyone else—not so much.

Which was why she would travel as plain Beth Smith and not tell anyone in Happily Inc who she really was. While she helped Rida get settled, she would experience living as a normal, happy young woman before returning to the safety of the palace once again.

Now she looked at her father. “Dad, it’s not the pitfalls. It’s that you sold Rida. He’s wonderful. Fast and smart, with perfect form. He would have been a wonderful addition to our breeding program.”

“Yes, he would have been. However, in my stable every horse is perfection. He would have been one of many and I believe he deserves more. He deserves to be special. In America he will have a chance to fulfill his potential—to find out all he is meant to be.”

She narrowed her gaze. “We are still talking about the horse, right?”

Her father smiled. “Of course. What else?”

He had a point—it wasn’t as if she was staying in Happily Inc. Once Rida was settled, she would be returning home. In time for Christmas, as she’d promised her mother.

She hugged her father. “I’ll be okay, Dad.”

He held on tight for a second before letting her go. “You know how to get in touch with me if you need anything. If necessary, the El Baharian Air Force is at your disposal.”

“I’m going to pretend you never said that.”

Her father chuckled, then got back in his car and was whisked away.

With the royal distraction gone, Bethany turned her attention to the horse trailer. She helped unfasten the latches, then spoke softly to the huge, solid black horse.

“Hey, big guy. How are you feeling? Ready for an adventure? I think we should check out this little town called Happily Inc. It’s supposed to be really nice this time of year. What do you say?”

She walked into the trailer and untied Rida, then guided him down the ramp. She gave him a couple of minutes to adjust to being outside, before leading him onto the plane.

He walked confidently at her side and went directly into his stall.

Normally he was left loose, but given that they would be flying, she tied him securely. If she had to enter the stall while they were in flight, she wanted to know where his hooves would reach. Rida had a reputation for being stubborn and difficult—with everyone else. With her, he was docile and sweet. Still, he was a powerful animal who could be unpredictable if frightened or startled.

She stroked his gleaming black coat and received a nuzzle in return. “I still can’t believe my father sold you,” she murmured into his neck. “I swear, if you don’t love this place, you’re coming directly home. I promise.”

Rida leaned his head against hers, as if telling her he trusted her completely. She lingered for a second before stepping out of the stall. She picked up the phone by the door separating her section of the plane from the main passenger section.

“We’re ready,” Bethany told the flight attendant who answered. “Whenever the captain is ready to take off.”

“Yes, Princess...ah, Ms. Smith,” the woman said. “I’ll let him know.”

“Thank you.”

Bethany thought about asking her to remind all the staff that, as of now, she was just plain Beth Smith, an unremarkable groom accompanying an extraordinary horse on his journey. She decided to let it go. The odds of anyone addressing her by name once they reached Happily Inc seemed small. When she got Rida and his things off the plane, the crew would immediately return to El Bahar.

“Please let me know when you’d like meal service and if I can help in any way.”

“I appreciate that.”

Bethany hung up, then checked on Rida. The horse looked relaxed and sleepy. She settled in her seat and fastened her seat belt before closing her eyes and wishing the stupid trip was behind her. Not that being home was going to be much of a help.

She was twenty-six years old and basically working as a groom in her father’s stable. How pathetic was that? With all the opportunities given her, she should be doing something important with her life. Raising money for a cause, going to medical school and curing a disease. Instead she was hiding—afraid to go into the world because someone might pretend to be her friend only to find out something about her that he or she could sell to a tabloid or post on the internet.

She wanted to be useful and figure out what was important to her. She wanted to get on with her life, fall in love and have a family. Disappearing into the palace was getting her nowhere. It was time to grow up and take charge of her own happiness.

She promised herself she would use her time in Happily Inc to come up with a plan. Nothing was off the table—she could go back to college and finish her degree, go to work for a nonprofit, or join an online dating service. At this point the most important thing was to do something.

So first a plan, second implementation. She knew her parents loved her. Now she wanted them to be proud of her. And even more important, she wanted to be proud of herself.

CHAPTER TWO (#u52257ef2-e39e-50d4-b277-07086cd0b34a)

CADE SAUNDERS WAS trying to act cool, but it was nearly impossible. He felt like a kid on Christmas morning. No, that wasn’t right. He felt like a kid on five Christmas mornings and six birthdays rolled into one. He couldn’t sleep, couldn’t eat, and he found himself whistling for no apparent reason.

He was an idiot, he thought cheerfully as he stood on the front porch of his house. But that was just fine with him—his good fortune was idiotworthy.