Expecting Royal Twins! (15 page)

“All you have to do is smile and wave. The parade will be an excellent way for people who remember your parents to see you as their princess.”

She wrung her hands. “What if I fall on my face?”

“You’ll be sitting in a carriage.”

Isabel stuck out her tongue at him.

He grinned, relieved her playfulness had returned. “If you fall, I’ll catch you.”

She stared at him with an unreadable expression in her beautiful eyes. He wished they would twinkle the way they had earlier in the week. “I guess it would be okay.”

He’d hoped for more enthusiasm, but at least she was taking her place as a Vernonian princess seriously. That pleased him. “Thank you, Isabel.”

Her gaze grew serious. “Is this what my life will be like when we return? Parades and whatnot?”

“You will be expected to take a public role making appearances, going on outings, attending openings. You’ll get used to the routine after a few times.”

Her gaze cut away. “Sounds like a lot of fluff. Princess waving and cutting ribbons.”

She made the tasks sound so trivial. “There is some fluff involved, but participating in events is expected by the people and an important part of our duties.”

“Duty or not, I’m not a fluff person,” she said. “I prefer to do a task. Help people. Accomplish something. That’s one reason I like being a mechanic.”

“What’s another reason?”

“Cars are awesome.” She splashed him. “Which you would know if you ever drove one instead of being chauffeured around all the time.”

Niko splashed her back. He’d missed this side of their relationship. He might not want things too serious between them, but that didn’t have to take away all their fun. “You will be able to accomplish many things and help people with your solo agenda.”

Her arms dropped to her sides. “My what?”

“Good Works,” he clarified. “The social issues, charities and causes you want to focus your energies on apart from the ones we work on together.”

“Are these Good Works another one of my duties?” she asked.

He nodded. “The entire country will follow what you choose to do.”

She stared off into the horizon. The twinkle returned to her eyes and loosened the knot in his stomach. “I could bring a Formula 1 race to Vernonia.”

Niko dug the oars into the water to take a deeper stroke. He needed to steer her away from that idea. “Grand Prix is an interesting thought, but I’m sure you will come up with something else.”

“Think about it.” Two little lines formed above her nose. “A race sponsored by a long lost American princess would give Vernonia lots of good press and tourist dollars.”

“Most princesses work on things like education or health issues. That’s why they call them Good Works.”

She slid him a furtive glance. “I’m not like other princesses.”

“I know, but you’re working on that, right?” he half teased.

She didn’t look amused. “Cars and racing are my things. Why can’t I combine those with Good Works?”

“Having your own interests is fine, but you are still Her Royal Highness Crown Princess Isabel of Vernonia,” Niko explained. “You will become a role model.”

Isabel frowned. “So you don’t think I can be a role model now.”

“You’ll be a stronger role model if you take your contemporary outlook and make it more appealing to the masses.”

Isabel crossed her arms over her chest. “So I’m not appealing, either.”

“That is not what I meant.”

“What do you mean?” Her voice rose and not in a good way. “You talk about wanting to modernize Vernonia yet you cling to all these outdated stereotypes. You should show Vernonians that things are changing.”

“Show, yes, but we cannot shock people into progress.”

“My working as a mechanic is not shocking. Neither is bringing an F1 race to Vernonia. It’s a pretty darn good idea actually. You shouldn’t dismiss it without at least considering it.”

“Change takes time.” Niko knew Izzy had a stubborn side. He didn’t want her to dig in her heels about this. “Before you become too attached to this race idea, consider what Julianna might do if she were in your shoes.”

Isabel winced. “You want me to be like Jules?”

“She would be an excellent role model for you to emulate when it comes to the choice of Good Works.”

Anger flared in Isabel’s eyes. “I don’t know what Jules might choose to do, but I know something she wouldn’t do.”

“What?” he asked.

Isabel grabbed one of the oars and threw it into the water on the starboard side of the rowboat.

Forget stubborn. Now she was being ungracious. Niko reached for it. “You’re not being nice.”

Isabel stood. “I’m only getting started.”

He didn’t know what she had in mind, but her voice had an edge to it he hadn’t heard before. “Sit down before you fall overboard.”

She leaned over toward one side. The boat tipped.

“Isa—”

Niko splashed into the cold water. Isabel, too.

He tried to reach her so he could help her back into the rowboat, but she dodged his arm. “Come here,” he shouted.

She lay on her back and kicked, putting more distance between them. “Jules is my friend, but I don’t want to be like her. I want to be me.”

With that, Isabel swam toward shore. Each long, graceful stroke took her farther and farther away from him. The security detail on shore scrambled into the water.

Niko gathered the oars, climbed back into the rowboat and watched her with a sinking feeling in his gut.

The honeymoon wasn’t scheduled to end for two more days, but it was definitely over now. Niko rowed back to shore. He had no idea what this meant long-term. He wasn’t sure he wanted to know.

T
HE
next day, an overcast sky hid the afternoon sun. Emil, the castle butler and Uncle Frank’s cousin, predicted rain would fall on the parade. The weather wasn’t ideal for the village’s celebration, but it matched Izzy’s mood perfectly.

She had barely spoken ten words to Niko since the incident on the lake. He’d slept in another room last night. He’d skipped breakfast this morning. She hadn’t seen him until an hour ago when they left the castle for the village.

An icy silence filled the limousine during the drive. Izzy didn’t know what to say to Niko. If she had ever had a disagreement with a guy she dated, she just never went out with him again. Fighting seemed like such a waste of time and energy. But that meant she’d never learned how to deal with conflict.

“Ready?” Niko asked as they took their seats in a horse drawn carriage decorated with fresh, colorful wildflowers.

The space on the bench seat between her and Niko felt as wide as the infield at the Indy 500. She forced a smile for the villagers’ benefit. “No, but I think it’s too late for them to cancel the parade. Unless Emil is right about a rainstorm.”

“The people would be disappointed,” Niko said flatly.

Villagers lined the narrow street, waving every imaginable size of Vernonian flags. “It reminds me of the Fourth of July parades back home except there isn’t any red, white and blue.”

“Each of the colors in the Vernonian flag has meaning. The light blue represents the sky, that our country may be as tranquil as the heavens above. The white stands for purity of heart and action. The yellow crest is the color of the sun, as it faithfully raises each day we pledge our loyalty to remain faithful to one another.”

“That’s beautiful,” she said. “I don’t know whether the story behind the colors of the U.S. flag is fact or fiction.”

“If this was the Fourth of July, you would be eating hot dogs and hamburgers.”

“Yeah, but the grilled spiced meat with onions cooking in that booth over there smell pretty good.” She motioned to her designer skirt, cropped jacket, hat, gloves and high heels. “Though I would never be dressed like this. I’d have on jeans or shorts and a T-shirt.”

“People came to see a princess today.”

A Sachestian princess. The future queen. Anxiety fluttered. “I know.”

She didn’t want to disappoint them which was why she’d worn the clothing the maid had put out this morning. But even though she wore fancy clothing and answered to Her Royal Highness or ma’am, she was still the same Izzy inside. Nothing would change that.

Not a new wardrobe.

Not princess lessons.

Not a prince for a husband.

If only Niko understood that and could accept her as she was. Then their marriage might stand a chance. As it was…

Izzy adjusted her white gloves and focused on the people. The friendly smiles and waves from the villagers lessened her apprehension.

Ahead of their carriage, a pickup truck pulled a float carrying folk dancers dressed in traditional costumes. Music played by the marching band behind them filled the air. The boom of the bass drum matched the beat of her heart, a combination of the anxiety over the parade and her marriage.

She waved and smiled, as did Niko. But once again, his smile didn’t reach his eyes. He remained silent, as did she. The villagers didn’t seem to notice the strain between them. For that, Izzy was thankful.

The carriage came to a sudden stop. The driver set the brake. The two horses whinnied and pawed at the ground.

She noticed the float in front of them had stopped, too.

A local official rushed up to the carriage.

“What is happening?” Niko asked.

“The truck pulling the dancers’ float has broken down, Your Royal Highness. We are summoning a mechanic.”

Finally, Izzy thought, a chance to be useful. She hopped out of the carriage without any assistance from the security.

Niko followed her off. He stood next to her on the street. “What are you doing?”

She straightened her skirt. “They need a mechanic.”

“You are a princess.”

“Why can’t I be both?” Izzy kept her voice low and a smile on her face. Jules would be so proud.

“It’s inappropriate,” Niko said, under his breath. “Unacceptable.”

She removed her white gloves. “The parade must go on.”

“Don’t do this, Isabel. The people—”

“I am more like these people than you.”

“No, you are not. Do not do this. There will be consequences.”

“You’re overreacting.” Izzy thought about Princess Diana, who had been known as the People’s Princess. Diana hadn’t been given that title by sitting around and waiting for others to take charge. “I know what I’m doing.”

He pressed his lips together.

Annoyance flared. “Would you please stop with that royal stiff upper lip thing you always do?”

His eyes darkened. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

As Izzy hurried past the float with the dancers, she tucked her gloves into a pocket on her jacket.

An official fell into step with her. “How may I be of assistance, Your Royal Highness?”

“I’m going to see if I can fix the truck.”

The man gasped. “We need a mechanic, ma’am.”

Izzy raised her chin. “I am a mechanic.”

And a damn good one, she thought.

The hood of the truck was already opened. Several people stood there contemplating the inner working of the vehicle.

“The engine didn’t die,” the truck driver said, scratching his balding head. “But the truck won’t move.”

“Excuse me,” Izzy said, nudging her way through several festively clad dancers.

The group parted for her like the Red Sea. The scent of motor oil from the engine smelled better than perfume, but the truck had to be older than her. She climbed on the grill to look inside. It even had a carburetor. She checked the hoses and the fan belt. Grease dirtied her hands. One of her fingernails chipped. For the truck to just stop moving, something must have broken or come undone. And that was when she saw it. “A-ha. A broken throttle linkage to the carburetor.”

Izzy sensed rather than felt Niko move right behind her.

He whispered, “Let someone else fix it.”

“I know how to do it.” She looked at those standing around. No one was smiling. “I need a pair of glasses. Sunglasses would work, too. Wire rimmed ones would probably be easiest. I promise to replace them.”

One of the officials stepped forward. Disapproval filled his eyes, but he handed her a pair of glasses.

“Thank you.” Izzy broke off one of the earpieces. She threaded the piece through the linkage and twisted the ends together. She lowered the hood and stepped out of the way. “That should do it.”

The truck driver shifted into gear. The truck rolled forward. “It worked.”

The crowd was so quiet. No one cheered or waved flags. The people stared with a look of shock and disappointment in their eyes. She didn’t understand. The parade could continue, but the only ones smiling at her were the children.

There will be consequences.

An old man shook his head. Two men frowned. A group of women whispered and motioned to her.

Izzy hurried back to the carriage and climbed aboard. She brushed her dirty hands together, wishing for a wet wipe. Grease stained her skirt.

A crisp white handkerchief appeared at the end of Niko’s extended arm. His tight jaw and narrowed lips told her he wasn’t happy. He could join the club.

Izzy took it and wiped her hands. “I don’t see why everyone is so upset.”

The carriage lurched forward.

“People came expecting to see a princess, someone special not like themselves.” Niko snatched the handkerchief from her and wiped her chin. “But instead they see a woman who doesn’t care enough to keep her clothes clean for them. Your hands are dirty. Your fingernails chipped. They feel cheated and disrespected.”

Heat burned her cheeks. “I wanted to win the people over by helping.”

“You could have accomplished that by walking out to the crowd and visiting with them while the truck was repaired. You could have told someone what to fix instead of insisting you do it yourself.”

Humiliation flowed through her veins. She glanced down at her still dirty hands and put on her gloves. “You never told me.”

“You never gave me a chance, but can you honestly say you would have listened to me?”

She stiffened with shame, but she continued to wave and smile at the villagers along the parade route. The people, however, didn’t return the gesture. “This is who I am,” she said quietly.

“You are not a commoner, Isabel.” Niko waved at a small girl holding a green balloon. “You are the special woman willing to sacrifice your future, your dreams for her country. You are Royal Highness Crown Princess Isabel of Vernonia. It’s time you started acting like her.”

As she blew a kiss to a little boy sitting on his father’s shoulders and holding a small American flag, Niko’s words sunk in. A horrible realization washed over her. “You’re never going to accept Izzy Poussard, mechanic and race car fanatic.”

“It is time for you to leave the past behind and move on,” he said.

“The way you want Vernonia to move on without changing your own outdated views.”

“I told you change takes time.” His gaze met hers. “I know what Vernonia needs.”

My father believes Vernonia needs an heir. He wants one as soon as possible.

Her worst fear was turning out to be true. Niko hadn’t wanted to go on a honeymoon to start the marriage off right. He’d only wanted her to get pregnant. No wonder things were so great in the bedroom, but not anywhere else.

This marriage had been a sham from the very beginning.

“You never really wanted a wife.” Her insides twisted. “The only thing you want is a baby. You said you’d be honest, but you’re no different than your father.”

The silent ride from the village seemed to push Isabel farther away from Niko. He longed to reach out to her, but he couldn’t. Not when he was so on edge. He’d never been in a situation like this. Anger, frustration, hurt and something unfamiliar he couldn’t define swirled inside him. He needed to keep the emotions in check so he wouldn’t lose control.

The limousine stopped in front of the castle. Niko stepped out. Isabel followed. Without a look back, she marched into the castle like a soldier on a mission.

Niko felt the same way. He followed her up to their bedroom and closed the door.

She took a deep breath. “This was all a big mistake.”

Relief washed over him. She understood that she had let him down—and had let herself down. That explained her outburst. “Send a formal apology to the village. Tell them you’re sorry for your lapse in judgment and inappropriate behavior during the parade today.”

Her mouth gaped. “I’m not talking about the parade. I’m talking about our marriage.”

All the emotion he’d been holding in exploded like a volcano. Anger surged. “You mean the marriage I was trapped into?”

“It’s not like I wanted to marry you!” she lashed back. Her eyes glistened, but she didn’t cry. “I want to be in an equal partnership with someone who will accept me, love me for who I am, not for who they want me to be. I want to be a wife, not a duty or obligation that has to be juggled with a bunch of other responsibilities. I don’t want to be married to a man who keeps me at arm’s length and only wants to have sex with me because he needs an heir.”

Each of her emotionally charged words jabbed at him like pummeling fists. Niko could barely think above the uproar in his head. He didn’t know if he could give her what she wanted. He resented her for wanting more already. “We just got married. We’ve only known each other a few weeks. This was never supposed to be a starry-eyed romance or a love match.”

Her mouth twisted. “You’ve made it quite clear that’s not what you want.”

“Would you rather I lie and tell you what you want to hear?”

“I want you to be honest, Niko.”

“I have been honest!” His voice sounded harsh, raw. He didn’t know how to handle all this emotion. “I’ve tried to be honest with you since we met.”

“It’s my turn to be honest.” Her gaze bored into him. “I’m not sure I can do this state marriage the way I thought I could. I just don’t get this whole duty thing. I’m not sure I ever will.”

His heart skipped a beat. “Isabel—”

She held up her hand, and he stopped talking.

“I’m never going to be the perfect princess you want for Vernonia.” Her voice cracked. “I don’t want to be a royal broodmare, either. I need time to think, to figure out what I want to do.”

His lungs constricted. He struggled to breathe. “Do?”

“Whether I remain in Vernonia or return home to Charlotte.”

Her words stunned him. Whatever difficulties had come between them, Niko knew Isabel had a large heart. She must really be hurting to consider returning to the U.S. “We agreed to figure things out together.”

“The only place we’re really together is in bed. Sex won’t solve anything.” The pain in her pretty eyes was undeniable. “We need to figure things out on our own before we can do anything together.”

“No.”

“It’s time for you to go.”

Unfamiliar panic flared. He didn’t want to leave her. Lose her.

Feelings overwhelmed him, overcame his tentative control. In a swift move, he pulled her to him and crushed his lips against hers in a brutal kiss. Isabel didn’t back away, but kissed him back. He didn’t know the right words to express how he felt, didn’t even understand how he felt, but he could show her. Niko poured all his emotions, all his feelings into the kiss until she clung to him.

Finally, regretfully, he drew back. He saw the same passion, the same confusion in her eyes that he felt. “I’ll leave you now.”

The weeks passed. Izzy remained at her family’s castle. The only contact with Niko had been a month ago when a package of documents arrived transferring her father’s estate, including ownership of the castle, to her. He hadn’t emailed, texted or called her.

Maybe that was why she’d felt so tired and crummy lately. A broken heart. She hoped not.