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My fingers scribble as my brow furrows in concentration. I don’t know how long I’ll be gone, but I’m hoping Kitty will be waiting for me when I get back. I believe the bond we share is strong enough to hold us together, even if we’re miles away from each other. I’ll miss her every second that we’re apart, and I’ll count the days until we can be together again. There, it’s done. I’m sure the missive is a mess of run-on sentences and grammar errors, but it’s from the heart. Then, I fold the letter and place it into an envelope before sealing it and writing her name on the front. I hope that after Kitty reads it, she’ll decide I’m worth the wait.
CHAPTER12
Kitty
Atear rolls down my cheek as I peruse the missive in my hands. I’ve already read it three times, hoping the words will change, but it still says the same thing. Eric’s leaving. How can this be? Our romance is still so fresh, so new. This isn’t fair. I can’t go months without seeing him; I won’t be able to take it.
I wipe my tears away as I let out a muffled sob. Then I fold the letter and stuff it into my pocket. I quickly get on my feet and march down the palace hall. I need to see him right now; it can’t wait another second. It’s still early in the morning, so he’s probably in his bed sleeping. I’m not scheduled to clean the private quarters for another hour, but I have to speak to him face to face.
I walk over to the elevator and press the button insistently. I tap my foot anxiously as I wait for it to get to the first floor, and finally, it dings and the doors open. Then, I run onto the elevator and press the button for the top floor. The doors close as a tear streams down my face. I wipe it away, trying not to fall apart because this is not the time.
When the elevator opens, I walk right to his suite and knock on the door. I listen closely, but there’s no answer, so I use my housekeeping key to let myself in. The door slams shut behind me as I look around the living area.
“Eric,” I call out as I roam his private chambers searching for him. “Where are you?” There’s no answer.
I run to the bedroom, expecting to find him sleeping, but his bed is empty. I check around his room, flinging open closets and opening dresser drawers. Most of his things are gone. No! He can’t be gone already! So soon? Yet I didn’t even get to say goodbye. I run out of his bedroom, and through the living area back into the hallway. Then, I race to the elevator and press the button over and over again. The doors open, and I fly into the small space like a bat out of hell. I take it all the way down to the first floor, hoping he’s in the dining room eating breakfast. I burst through the double doors, but he isn’t here either. I feel so helpless; I don’t know what to do.
A nervous pageboy walks past the dining room carrying a stack of mail. “Wait, please!” I call out, waving my arms to get his attention. It’s the same one as before, and he halts, stopping in his tracks.
“Yes?” he asks. I look around to make sure no one is within earshot of our conversation.
“Please tell me you know where the Prince is,” I say. He swallows hard.
“Prince Eric is on a flight to France. He’ll be gone for the next three months,” the boy says. It feels like my heart just shattered into a million pieces. I quickly turn away as a tear trickles down my cheek.
“I’m sorry,” the boy says in a sympathetic tone before reaching into his pocket for a handkerchief. “Here you go, ma’am.” I wipe away my tears and force myself to stop crying. I can’t fall apart like this at work; I’ve got to pull it together.
“Thank you,” I reply as I hand the handkerchief back.
“You’re welcome. He’ll be back in no time,” the young boy assures me diffidently.
“You’re right,” I say, forcing a smile. “And now, I’ve got to get back to work. Thank you again.” With that, I lift my head up high as I walk back down the hall to the throne room.
Still, the shock makes me numb. I wish we could’ve had some time together before Eric left, but everything just happened so fast. I try my best to keep it together as I make my way down the hallway. I wish I could just curl into a ball and cry my eyes out, but there’s work to be done, and I can’t sit around like a heartsick fool.
I walk into the throne room feeling a bit defeated but refusing to let it show. Blinking hard, I dust off the case that contains the King’s crown. Someday, Eric will wear it when it’s his turn to reign over Chromia, but who will his queen be? I’m falling for him, but I have to be realistic. He’s a prince, and I’m just a lowly maid. His family expects him to marry a princess or at least some wealthy heiress, and not someone from the palace staff.
I glance down at my uniform. Honestly, I’m kidding myself by thinking that I could have a future with Eric. What we share behind closed doors is great, but what will the world say when they see a maid dangling from his arm? I take the letter out of my pocket and read it over again. The language is touching as he professes his adoration, and he begs me to wait for him to get back from his tour. But should I? What if I waste my days waiting for him and he comes back with a governor's daughter on his arm? It would break my heart to see him with some other woman.
I pace back and forth on the marble floor as I try to decide what to do. I’m falling for Eric, but let’s be real: this man has a history of being a playboy. How do I know he won’t fall into another woman’s arms while he’s gone? It’s not that I mind waiting for him; I just need to know that he’sworththe wait. I wish I had someone I could go to for advice, but we’ve been meeting in secret. No one knows about our relationship, except for the stammering pageboy.
I fold the letter up and stuff it back into my pocket. How could King Wilhelm do this on such short notice? Does the king do this kind of thing often? I wish Wilhelm weren’t so impulsive because I miss Eric so much already; I don’t know how I’m going to make it three months apart from him. I’ve finally found love, and now it feels like it’s being snatched right out of the palm of my hand and there’s nothing I can do about it.
I finish dusting the King’s throne and then check to make sure I haven’t missed anything. The room is spotless, so I grab my cart and wheel it toward the elevator. I fight back tears as I wait for the doors to open. I can’t let anyone see me crying or they’ll want to know why. As a result, I take a deep breath and try to calm down as I get onto the elevator. I zoom up to the top floor again, this time knowing for sure that Eric won’t be there. Usually, I start with Princess Ella’s private quarters, but today, I decide to start with Eric’s.
I let out a soft sob as I unlock his door. I wheel the cart in and close the door, locking it behind me. Then in the privacy of the empty quarters, I walk into his bedroom and pick up a t-shirt he left lying on the floor. I bury my face in the shirt and inhale his natural scent. The smell warms my heart, and for a second, I feel like he’s standing right next to me.
I touch the sheets on his bed. We made love here only hours ago. It was passionate and breathtaking. Our bodies collided in the heat of the night, and I called out his name like a siren at sea. His powerful thrusts made a river flow between my thighs like never before, and each stroke took me higher and higher until finally, I ascended into the heavens as I climaxed with a bone-shattering scream. Just thinking about the hot, dirty sex we had last night makes my cunt throb.
But now that he's gone, I'll be without Eric’s touch and without his kiss. My days will be long, and my nights will be cold. He’s the only man I’ve been with, and I can’t see myself being with anyone else. I guess that pretty much answers the question for me, and I know what I have to do. Three months is a long time, but I have to wait for him. I know our relationship is new, but what we have is special, and I don’t want to lose it. Deep in my heart, I know Eric’s worth the wait.
This won’t be easy, but I know I can get through it. I’ll be counting the days until he returns, marking them off on my calendar one by one. It won’t be long until I’m in my prince’s arms again, my face nestled in his chest. Neither time nor distance can put out the fire that burns so brightly between us. This kind of passion only comes around once in a lifetime, and I’m willing to wait until it’s back in my possession again.
CHAPTER13
Eric
Iplace a candle in the center of the table and light it. The flickering flame casts shadows about the dimly lit room, and I pop open a bottle of champagne I brought back from France and fill two flutes. Kitty should be here any minute now. It's been three long months, but my tour is finally the fuck over. Being away from her felt like I was in hell, but now that I'm back, I'm ready to pick up where we left off.
