grass.
“Uh, sir? Your Highness?”
He immediately stopped and turned to her. “Yes.”
She watched him take in her awkward steps and attempt to keep her balance. He took a step toward her and she noticed his hands clenched into tight fists. His expression was one she had never seen before; he appeared almost pained.
“Do you mind if I hold on to you until we get back on solid ground?” She tried to make it a joke, but the flood of relief in his eyes made the smile fall from her face.
He immediately moved to her side, gently taking her hand and placing it on his muscled forearm. As they began to walk together, her mind spun. He was not allowed to touch a woman without permission. No, that could not be right. She had seen him pat Konani on the shoulder. Still puzzling over the behavior, she tried to strike up a conversation.
“What is Ghadrik like?” She looked up at him to see a faint smile on his lips.
“Much like Earth. Ghadrik is comprised of one large continent, much like Earth 200 million years ago.”
“And the capital city?”
If he was surprised by her knowledge, he did not show it. “Anshargal is in the south. The Shadrakin Mountains are to the west and the Guskin Coast to the south. The Great Plains are to the north and east.”
She tried to picture it. A thriving city on the coast, surrounded by miles of green grass and towering mountains. She smiled. It was a screen saver.
“And you?”
She looked up to find him watching her. “Me? I’m from Missouri.” She gestured vaguely. “It’s nothing like this,” she said looking past the garden to the White House. “It’s much slower.”
He cocked his head to the side, clearly interested.
“Well, I g rew up in a small town near an air force base. Lots of pickup trucks, zero traffic jams, and the waitress at the diner knows everyone by name.”
He smiled at her description. “And your family is still there?”
She nodded. “My dad and brothers. My mom died two years ago.” She looked down when her hand was enveloped by warmth.
His large hand covered hers. “I am sorry for your loss.” He was staring down at their hands, a thoughtful frown on his face.
“Thank you, but I’m fine. She was sick for a long time.”
He nodded at her words, but did not comment.
“What’s your mother like?”
He raised his head and smiled faintly. “She is queen,” he said, as if that was answer it itself.
She raised her eyebrows. “Okay?”
His smile widened, clearly thinking of his mother. “She is resolute, strong, and intelligent. All that a queen should be.”
Abby found herself smiling with him. “Is she nice?”
Amusement filled his eyes. “To loved ones? Most assuredly. To enemies? Definitely not.”
In her mind, she pictured the queen in her armor and nodded. Her stomach suddenly let out a vicious growl.
“Do you think lunch is ready, yet?” she asked, placing her free hand over her stomach.
The prince looked toward the lunch gazebo. “Possibly.” He dropped his gaze to her. “Shall we go see?”
At her nod, he led her back the way they had come. It was slow going with her heels sinking into the wet ground on every step. Almost to dry ground, her shoe caught and stayed in the mud sending her hopping forward on one foot. She made a mad grab for anything to keep her vertical.
Her hands unerringly snatched the front of the prince’s suit jacket, simultaneously pulling him toward her and down to the ground. They fell in a tangle of limbs, him turning to hit the ground first and her head smacking into his chest hard enough to make her see stars. When they stopped moving, mortification, like she had never felt before, spread through her like wildfire.
His Royal Highness, the Prince of Ghadrik, lay flat on his back on the White House lawn with her sprawled across him. She was so getting fired. Breathing hard and feeling the heat of his body beneath her palms, she slowly raised her eyes to look at his face.
“I’m so
“Uh, sir? Your Highness?”
He immediately stopped and turned to her. “Yes.”
She watched him take in her awkward steps and attempt to keep her balance. He took a step toward her and she noticed his hands clenched into tight fists. His expression was one she had never seen before; he appeared almost pained.
“Do you mind if I hold on to you until we get back on solid ground?” She tried to make it a joke, but the flood of relief in his eyes made the smile fall from her face.
He immediately moved to her side, gently taking her hand and placing it on his muscled forearm. As they began to walk together, her mind spun. He was not allowed to touch a woman without permission. No, that could not be right. She had seen him pat Konani on the shoulder. Still puzzling over the behavior, she tried to strike up a conversation.
“What is Ghadrik like?” She looked up at him to see a faint smile on his lips.
“Much like Earth. Ghadrik is comprised of one large continent, much like Earth 200 million years ago.”
“And the capital city?”
If he was surprised by her knowledge, he did not show it. “Anshargal is in the south. The Shadrakin Mountains are to the west and the Guskin Coast to the south. The Great Plains are to the north and east.”
She tried to picture it. A thriving city on the coast, surrounded by miles of green grass and towering mountains. She smiled. It was a screen saver.
“And you?”
She looked up to find him watching her. “Me? I’m from Missouri.” She gestured vaguely. “It’s nothing like this,” she said looking past the garden to the White House. “It’s much slower.”
He cocked his head to the side, clearly interested.
“Well, I g rew up in a small town near an air force base. Lots of pickup trucks, zero traffic jams, and the waitress at the diner knows everyone by name.”
He smiled at her description. “And your family is still there?”
She nodded. “My dad and brothers. My mom died two years ago.” She looked down when her hand was enveloped by warmth.
His large hand covered hers. “I am sorry for your loss.” He was staring down at their hands, a thoughtful frown on his face.
“Thank you, but I’m fine. She was sick for a long time.”
He nodded at her words, but did not comment.
“What’s your mother like?”
He raised his head and smiled faintly. “She is queen,” he said, as if that was answer it itself.
She raised her eyebrows. “Okay?”
His smile widened, clearly thinking of his mother. “She is resolute, strong, and intelligent. All that a queen should be.”
Abby found herself smiling with him. “Is she nice?”
Amusement filled his eyes. “To loved ones? Most assuredly. To enemies? Definitely not.”
In her mind, she pictured the queen in her armor and nodded. Her stomach suddenly let out a vicious growl.
“Do you think lunch is ready, yet?” she asked, placing her free hand over her stomach.
The prince looked toward the lunch gazebo. “Possibly.” He dropped his gaze to her. “Shall we go see?”
At her nod, he led her back the way they had come. It was slow going with her heels sinking into the wet ground on every step. Almost to dry ground, her shoe caught and stayed in the mud sending her hopping forward on one foot. She made a mad grab for anything to keep her vertical.
Her hands unerringly snatched the front of the prince’s suit jacket, simultaneously pulling him toward her and down to the ground. They fell in a tangle of limbs, him turning to hit the ground first and her head smacking into his chest hard enough to make her see stars. When they stopped moving, mortification, like she had never felt before, spread through her like wildfire.
His Royal Highness, the Prince of Ghadrik, lay flat on his back on the White House lawn with her sprawled across him. She was so getting fired. Breathing hard and feeling the heat of his body beneath her palms, she slowly raised her eyes to look at his face.
“I’m so
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