Kingdom Come (2 page)

“Then what is it that has impressed you, Prince Edric?”

She w
atched him from beneath her eyelashes, as his bright gaze almost met hers before he turned to regard the President.

“You have a very large military, Mr. President.” He smiled. “Why is that?”

The President was visibly thrown by the non sequitor. “Excuse me?”

“Second
in the world, if North Korea is to be believed. Behind Russia, is it?”

She knew her mouth was hanging open, but she was too busy looking back and forth between the two men to bother with it. She was no politician, but it sounded like a threat t
o her. From the President’s gob smacked expression, she assumed he had not missed it. When the prince sat forward on the couch, her gaze snapped to him.

She studied him while he was occupied with the President. His posture had taken on a watchful, mildly amused air that made her think the President had no idea who he was dealing with. She heard Agent Jackson’s words in her mind. A demand to fix this, to keep things on track.

Licking her lips nervously, she said, “Prince Edric?”

His gaze immediately settled on her, disregarding the leader of her country in a way that could be nothing but insulting to the man. “Yes, Miss Ashley?”

She could not suppress the shiver when he said her name in a tone completely unlike the baiting tone he had used with the President. “Would you-” she broke off and cleared her throat.

He settled back on the couch and watched her, allowing her to take her time.

Her gaze flicked to the President and he was watching her with narrowed eyes. She searched her mind for something to say. Anything to get the attention off her and the conversation on a pleasant topic. She tossed out the first thing that entered her mind.

“Would you explain what you meant earlier? About being champion. What does that mean?”

She managed to get the questions out without stuttering. As she was mentally patting herself on the back, the prince smiled, flashing a row of bright white, perfectly straight teeth.

It was unfair. When she realized her mouth was hanging open, she snapped it shut and looked away. She was vaguely aware of the President looking back and forth between them, but was more focused on her burning face. It was so ridiculous.

She was a grown woman, twenty-five years old, and she was blushing like a teenager. As the prince began to speak, she forced herself to look at his face. She told herself she was not affected.

“To be the Queen’s Champion is a great honor. It is comparable to a general, if Earth had one military and one general.” His eyes still did not meet hers, fastened somewhere just above her head.

“And the Queen, that’s your mother?” She glanced at the President to make sure it was alright to continue speaking. He gave her a small nod.

“Yes.”

“Is she going to come here, too?”

“She does not care for humans,” he answered as he looked at the President.

“Oh. Any particular reason?” she quipped, before she caught herself.

He gave her what looked like a fond smile. “Several.”

The President cleared his throat and the smile vanished. The prince slowly moved his gaze to look at him. “I think this meeting is over.”

…

His party landed on the front lawn of an aptly named large, white house. He paused as the wind died down and glanced around at the capital of the nation. A nation he would not visit were it not necessary. From what he had learned from his advisors, the country’s leader intended to try his hand at manipulation. He would learn that the Queen’s Champion was not to be trifled with.

At a quick nod from the captain of his guard, he led the way into the building. The furnishings were tasteful by human standards, the people he passed wise enough to show proper deference. A tall, whip-thin man stood just at the edge of the large entryway. He quickly glanced over the royal guard, before he met the prince’s gaze.

“Your Majesty,” he murmured, holding out his hand. “My name is Agent Jackson. I’m the Head of Security at the White House.”

Edric sneered down at him. “I have a meeting with your leader.”

“Of course.” The man dropped his hand to his side. “Please, follow me.”

Edric scanned the humans they passed in the halls. His irritation grew when he realized the one face he wanted to see was absent. He cast a dark look at the captain of his guard.

“Lies,” he murmured under his breath in his native tongue.

Limek nodded. “So it would seem, my prince.” His eyes narrowed on the agent’s back.

Edric watched the human pause outside a set of doors and type into a data device. A moment later, he pushed open the doors.

“Your Majesty.” He gestured for Edric to precede him into the room.

The prince shared a silent look with Limek. At his captain’s nod, he strode past the agent into the room. It was precisely as his advisors had shown him. Two large sofas, a desk, and the seal of the country on a large rug. He scanned the room in the space of a few seconds and turned his gaze to the man who stood a few feet from him.

From
photographs, he knew the man was the leader of the country. He expected someone taller. The doors closed with a quiet thud behind him. Smiling widely, the man approached him. He held out a hand, clearly expecting him to take it. After a pregnant pause, he raised his hand to clasp the human’s.

“Your Majesty, it is my pleasure to have you here.” The president managed to make it sound like he was doing him a favor. His hand clenched a bit tighter, before he let go and stepped back.

Edric gave him a barely-there smile. “It is interesting to meet you.”

“Thank you. I apologize, my assistant isn’t here yet, but I’m sure she will be here presently.” The man gave him another bright smile.

It set his teeth on edge. “Very well.”

He allowed the man to usher him onto one of the sofas. It was clearly made for aesthetics rather than comfort. Grinding his teeth to keep from speaking, he ignored the man’s monologue about the history of the room. His advisors had already told him all there was to know about the building for security reasons. The man was wasting his breath.

A flurry of activity outside the door to his right made him raise his head slowly. There was something about the faint breathing he could hear through the door. Still pondering, he turned his head to watch the doors open. A young woman stepped into the room slowly, apprehension in every movement she made.

He could not take his eyes off her. As her large, grey eyes
took in the room, his gaze roamed over her. She was exactly as he thought she would be. Her photographs did not do her justice. They could not capture the length of her legs, the width of her hips, or the ripe curves of her body.

He noticed a few strands of her chestnut hair had fallen free of the neat hairstyle. It was an improvement. He preferred her hair as he had always seen it, flowing freely down her back. The pantsuit she wore was nicely fitted, but she was clearly uncomfortable. She would have not chosen to wear something so out of character.

He was vaguely aware of the president clearing his throat. The woman’s eyes immediately turned toward them and a becoming blush rose in her pale cheeks. Movement behind her drew his gaze. He watched with narrowed eyes as the same agent stopped behind her, handing her a data pad identical to the one he used earlier.

She visibly started at the presence behind her. His hands clenched on his knees to
keep himself from standing. Agent Jackson met his irritated gaze for a fraction of a second and he thought he saw satisfaction before the man left the room. The woman’s movement drew his attention away from the closing doors.

She smiled slightly, just a small curve of her full lips, and moved further into the room. Even with the strange footwear she wore, her movements held her usual grace. She prowled forward and paused at the end of the president’s sofa. Her eyes landed on him for
the barest of moments, before the president began to speak.

“M
iss Ashley, thank you for joining us. We were just about to begin.”

Edric ignored the president’s nod in his direction, instead watching the thoughts flow across the woman’s face.

“Prince Edric, this is my administrative assistant, Abigail Ashley.”

Most of him bristled at the president calling Abigail his anything, but he suppressed the urge to growl at the man. He watched her gaze move over him appreciatively, straightening his spine to let her know she was free to look. As her eyes rose to his, he felt the moment his nature accepted her.

Lightning streaked down his spine, a slight pain, but the joy of being in her presence negated much of the discomfort. He allowed himself only a moment to look into her eyes, before he forced himself to look away. It would be disrespectful to hold her gaze once he had determined her to be the one he sought.

“Okay, let’s get started. Prince Edric, is there anything you need before we get started? Refreshments?”

At the president’s words, he had to fight the urge to look at the young woman standing so close to him. “No. Thank you.” After he spoke, he noticed an immediate change in her scent. She was interested in him. He willed himself to keep still.

"Miss Ashley, would you please be seated?" At the president’s words, she moved to sit across from him. “Are you ready, Miss Ashley?”

She gave the president a shaky smile and he had to suppress an irrational surge of jealousy. “Yes, sir. Please continue.”

He glanced at her when she spoke, her voice softly accented by her Midwestern upbringing.

“I’ll just, um, take notes? Sir.”

The small stumble made him want to smile. She was so far out of her element, but it only served to remind him of how very different she was from the others.

“Prince Edric, shall we begin with introductions?”

Still admiring her, the president’s words drew his eyes away from her. “Of course,” he answered, irritation in every syllable. The man had one thing he wanted. It was not enough to warm his tone.

“Do you mind getting us started?”

The president was a manipulator, but a very wise one. He knew, with Abigail in the room, the prince would have very little choice but to answer his questions. His nature demanded he present himself as worthy of her. He ground his teeth, but raised his head to give the president a dark look.

“I am Ambassador of the Ghadrik, High Prince of the Ghadrikan kingdom, and Champion of Her Majesty, The Queen.”

The president’s lips quirked into a small sneer, but when he spoke it was absent from his tone. “Though I was not born to royalty,” he paused to raise a challenging
eyebrow, “I am President of the United States, a great nation built on democracy.”

His eyes narrowed at the insult to his people. It was only the awareness of Abigail’s presence that curbed his violent outburst. “How nice for you,” he hissed venomously.

“Um, sir?”

He jerked his head to look at her, the president mirroring his movement. His eyes instantly softened at the worried frown on her face. “Could we take a short break? I forgot to bring my voice recorder. It’s still in Agent Jackson’s suit jacket.”

She was a smart one to try to diffuse the situation. Even though he knew she was doing it for her president, he still respected her attempt.

“Of course, Miss Ashley.” The president turned his head to look at him, and he did not bother to meet the man’s gaze. “Do you mind if we take a short break?”

She turned her head to look at him, her eyes seeming to look into him. He looked away before he could meet her gaze. “That is satisfactory,” he said.

As soon as she left the room all pretense of civility fled. He bared his teeth at the man across from him who gave him a darkly amused smile.

“So, we have something you want?” The question was pointless, as they both knew the president had him at a disadvantage.

He leaned forward in his chair. “You think I can’t find a woman anywhere?” He scoffed. “There is nothing special about her.”

“Yet, you came to a meeting that you earlier refused,” the president shot back. “Only after we acquired your interest.”

“You think Russia did not make a similar offer?” He sat back in his chair with a
satisfied smirk on his lips. “A much larger country. Far more variety.”

“But no Abigail Ashley.”

He hated how sure the president sounded. The man knew far more than he should. “As if I would desire such a woman.”

“Despite her deficiencies, you do want her. And if you intend to get her, you will have to negotiate with the United States.”

He gave the man a grim smile. “We will see.”

The door opened a moment later, cutting off whatever retort the president intended to utter. His satisfaction faded when he turned to look at the beautiful woman standing in the doorway, a frown on her face. His confusion swiftly turned to fury when she limped into the room.

He ignored the president’s words, eyes taking in her appearance for any sign of injury. A small tumble, she said. He had nothing but distrust for the country and its useless leader. He forced himself to stay seated, as he watched her retake her seat and quietly speak with the president.