God Save the Queen (10 page)

Chapter 15

Curveball

             
It was a good week of pure, dreary, mindless work before I got a break. LaGard finally caved and gave me a day to myself. So I stayed in my pajamas that morning, grabbed an apple from the kitchen, and made my way to the library. I hadn’t gotten a lot of reading done and I was determined to do that today.

             
Although there was a huge selection of books in the shelves around me, I had brought about ten books of my own. They consisted of the classics, such as
Emma, The House of Seven Gables
and
The Catcher in the Rye
, and the not-so classics, like all the Harry Potters, the whole
Twilight
saga, and the
Gossip Girl
series. I had just dipped into reading
Emma
when I heard the door open.

             
I tried not to look up and be more interested in my book than anything else. After all, it
was
my day off. However my plan didn’t work when I heard a familiar voice sneer, “Well, aren’t we the little scholar.”

             
I sighed and replied without looking up, “Look, it’s not my fault you can’t read. You don’t have to be jealous.”

             
He laughed and said, “Hey, I came here to tell you LaGard wants to talk to you.”

             
I groaned and slammed my book down. “Great. Is it or is it not my day off?”

             
Kevin shrugged. “Look, just come with me, okay? He told me it was important.”

             
“I’m going to charge him two days off for this,” I grumbled. I followed Kevin out the door, not expecting anything remotely like what LaGard had in store for me.

*
              *              *

             
“Betrothed?!”
I screeched.

             
Kevin sat in the chair next to me and looked every bit as shocked as I’m sure I did. Terrence looked uncomfortable, like he just wanted to leave. Barnes and Antonio just stood there trying to look pokerfaced as good bodyguards should, but nevertheless I could tell they were just as surprised. And there was LaGard at his desk, smiling his weird little grin, like he had just won the Powerball Lottery.

             
“
Oui,
” he responded. “You are betrothed. It was in your parents’ will. You cannot go against it. It was set up before either of you could walk.” He pulled out a manila folder and began looking at the contents within it. “His name is Michael Godard, and he is the future Duke of Newcastle. He is also my nephew. He is arriving in about two hours, so you need to go and get ready.”

             
I sat there for another second, and then words started spewing out: 

“
You can’t be serious?! This is ridiculous! You can’t just set up two people who’ve never met and tell them to get married. This isn’t the Medieval Ages. This is the twenty-first century!”             

             
I was panting with rage. LaGard just leaned back in his swivel chair and once again flashed his little grin. I wanted to wind up and smack it off his face.

             
“
Oui
, you are right.” Was he really thinking of calling it off? “That is why Michael is coming. He will be staying here. And over time you will grow to like each other.” He could tell I was still raging, so he leaned over his desk and tried one more time to explain it to me. “Look, we are not telling you that you have to get married the minute he walks through the door. What I
am
saying, however, is that you will eventually get married.” He stood up suddenly and crossed his hands over his chest. “Whether you like it or not.” He checked his watch. “You’d best be leaving. You have to get ready.”

*
              *              *

             
Reluctantly I went up to my room and got into a dress that LaGard had picked out for me. It was a little red dress with petticoats and a little red sun hat to match. Really? Once I put it on, I was immediately reminded of a classic Fifties’ mother, like from
Leave it to Beaver
. All I needed was a pie.

              As I made my way down the staircase to the entrance, I caught up with Kevin, who apparently also had to show up to meet the man of my nightmares. He laughed out loud when he saw my outfit.

             
“Wow. What the hell are you wearing? You look like Mrs. Cleaver.” He leaned over and tapped the top of my head. “By the way, nice hat.”

             
“Ugh! Can we just hurry this up?” I said, swiping his hand away. “I still have my day off and I want to finish the rest of that book.”

             
“Finish it? Didn’t you just start it?”

             
I shrugged. “Well, I’ve already read it before, so I can just skip over the parts that I already know are boring.”

             
Kevin put his hands up in protest and stepped in front of me. “Wait, you’re re-reading a book? That’s ridiculous. I mean, only dorks do that.”

             
I rolled my eyes. “Well, then, I’m a dork. Which apparently is unappealing to
you
, so sue me.”

             
“No, I don’t mean… I don’t think that dorks are…unappealing.” Stuttering was a sign that Kevin was uncomfortable in the situation. I was starting to enjoy his discomfort. “I actually dated many dorks. I mean you’re not a dork, you’re just really smart and I have nothing against intelligent people, which is good because people like you solve problems in the world, and I’m just digging a hole for myself, aren’t I?”

             
I nodded. “A
big
one.”

             
He sighed before responding, “Where I was going with this is… I don’t think dorks are unappealing, but your new guy might. So if you really don’t want to marry him…”

             
I saw where he was going with this but I didn’t want to hear it. “Kevin, you don’t get it. LaGard showed me the paperwork. It’s like an iron-clad contract. I’m no lawyer, but it looks pretty tight to me.” I sighed. “And it’s annoying because I’m probably going to end up with some old geezer who’ll die in like a month anyway.” Kevin snickered. “It’s not funny!” I hissed. “This is a serious matter. It’s my
life.
”

             
And then the two doors that opened onto the entranceway were in front of me.
Ugh,
I thought as I pushed them open. And just as it had been on the day I arrived, the palace staff was lined up in front of the door, awaiting the palace’s new arrival. Kevin nudged me towards Terrence and LaGard, and then took his place in line.

             
I stood next to Terrence as LaGard was lecturing the staff about their behavior.

“I know this is going to be hard
,” Terrence whispered into my ear, “but it will all work out in the end, my dear. You have nothing to fear.”

             
Terrence was one of the nicest people here, but I really didn’t want to spin this arranged marriage business at the moment. “And you know this
how?
” I asked him. “Was your wife picked out for you?”

             
Terrence brushed off my acidic tone and responded without missing a beat. “Actually, she was, and we were married for forty-five wonderful years. That is, until death took her from me.” His eyes began to tear up, and I immediately regretted my challenging tone, so I gave him a hug. I’m not a huge fan of hugging, but I could tell it was all Terrence needed at that moment.

             
After the awkward embrace, LaGard came over and made sure that our little line was just as sharp-looking as the palace staff’s. Then he gave us a lecture about how we should try not to say anything rude or obnoxious, as if it was our natural impulse we hadn’t yet learned to curb. I noticed he was staring straight at me when he was listing all of the things not to do. And all I kept thinking to myself was,
I’m not
that
embarrassing, am I?

             
My thoughts were cut short by the two large entrance doors opening. A bright wedge of blinding daylight shone into the entranceway and I saw the outline of a small little man, who must have been the doorman, Donnie. Next to him was a taller man, who was helping him carry the luggage. Once the doors were shut and my eyes adjusted, I saw Donnie and the man who was soon to be my husband. And now I didn’t have single complaint.

             
Michael was a tall man, around six-foot-four, I guessed, and about twenty-four to twenty-five years old. He had dark brown, almost chocolate hair. And it was apparent that he went to the gym a lot, because you could see his biceps straining out of his fitted grey sweatshirt. He was kind, too, helping Donnie, who was struggling with the suitcases. He flashed a perfect smile and laughed at some joke that only Donnie could tell. Could he get anymore perfect?

             
“Ah, Uncle!” he called, waving to LaGard as he made his way over with some suitcases, an English accent pouring out of his lips. That’s it! He was perfect, no way around it. Not even the Greek heroes could compete with Michael right now.

             
Once he made it over to our little group he introduced himself first to Terrence and then went over to LaGard and shared an embrace. LaGard then led him down the line and as they came closer to where I was standing, I was afraid he was going to take one look at me and refuse any engagement. But I was wrong. Michael flashed his already legendary smile and said, “Ah, so this is the princess. Hello, it’s a pleasure meeting you.” He dipped into a deep bow, gently took my hand and gave it a peck.

             
I could feel my cheeks turning a deep color of red. He was so handsome and I didn’t know how to respond to this kind of gallantry, so I let out a little giggle and said hello. I must have gazed into his dark brown eyes for… how long was it? I don’t know, but it seemed like forever. Then LaGard, in typical fashion, broke the spell by making one of his ill-timed interruptions.

             
“Well, Michael, why don’t you come with me and I’ll introduce you to your new staff.” He then started strolling down the line, expecting us to follow like lap dogs, I suppose.

             
Michael turned and glanced at me and then outstretched his arm for me to latch onto. I hesitated a split-second, perhaps because I didn’t want to seem too eager, or maybe because I wasn’t sure of the proper etiquette in these matters. He caught my hesitation and wasn’t put out by it a bit; instead he laughed, and honestly, it sounded like a melody played by the angels.

As
we followed LaGard down the line to introduce the staff, Michael couldn’t have been more pleasant. He smiled to everyone and shook each person’s hand, addressing them by their names and thanking them for being here and so on. I couldn’t help but smile, he was that wonderful. After we reached Kevin, who was the last in line, LaGard dismissed everyone except for Antonio, Barnes and Donnie. Kevin decided to stay in case Donnie couldn’t handle the luggage by himself.

             
However I wasn’t paying attention. I was more involved in the conversation with Michael, and how I was going to give him a tour of the castle once he got settled in his room. Then LaGard said something that totally got my attention.

             
“
Oui,
all of Michael’s belongings will be going to Anya’s room.” Pause. “
Non
, I don’t care where you put them.”

             
I stopped my conversation with Michael mid-sentence, flashed him the “wait one minute” finger, and then quickly walked over to LaGard and the rest of them.

             
“Excuse me, Monsieur, but did I hear you say that Michael’s things will be going into my bedroom?”

             
LaGard didn’t even look up from his paper that he was suddenly very into. “Hm? Yes, he’ll be staying in your room with you.”

             
I took a deep breath before asking, “Why? Have we run out of rooms in the palace?” This was quickly becoming an uncomfortable conversation.

             
“You will be sharing a bed. What did you expect?” LaGard snapped. Apparently he had a short fuse today.

             
“I expect to be consulted about these matters,” I said evenly. I tried to word this very well. I was dancing on the comfort line. “And if you had consulted me, I would have told you that I won’t share a bed with someone I just met all of two minutes ago.”

             
“I couldn’t agree more, Uncle,” Michael said, suddenly standing next to me as he placed a hand on my shoulder. “My goodness, we’ve just met. It’s not like we need to produce heirs anytime soon.”