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Ellery almost smiled. She’d never known an older person who used Snapchat, but it was an easy way to communicate. She pushed open the door and dropped the keys onto the console.
“Thank you,” Naomi said warmly. “for being willing to protect my country’s royal family. It means more than I could ever express. I would happily give you a million dollars if you’d accept it.”
“I wouldn’t,” Ellery said, trying to keep the acid from her voice. She and her mom loathed being a ‘project’ and well-meaning people thinking they wanted a handout. Their pride and faith might be all they had, but they had both in spades.
“I know. Please keep this between us.” Her gaze was intense. “Please don’t let Prince Derek know I approached you. The entire family is hoodwinked by Hattie Ballard and won’t listen to reason or even the solid police proof. Miss Ballard’s fingerprints all over the knives that prove she murdered Jane and Franz, stuck a knife through each of their hearts.”
Ellery shivered. Was she really comfortable going to the castle with such a woman there? At the same time, how could she in good conscience not try to help protect Derek, his family, and his country? Would he and his family truly not listen to reason? “How do you know Hattie will even come to the wedding?”
“Why do you think they’re having a completely private wedding and family-only dinner at the castle?” She arched an eyebrow. “That evening, General Raymond and his American bride will host a reception, but only select friends, family, and media are invited.”
“I heard Macey Clifton is a private person.”
“It’s a lovely excuse, isn’t it?” Naomi didn’t look spiteful or dishonest. She looked lovely and as if she could be royalty. “Prince Curtis and Aliya Drummond eloped because the prince was a ‘reclusive mountain man’.” She shrugged. “It’s all very convenient.”
Ellery needed to do some Google research—and pray really hard.
“I suspect Hattie Ballard and Prince Steffan will be there for the wedding and family dinner, then most likely disappear to some foreign jungle again. Maybe they’ll hide out in the castle. I don’t know. It is a massive castle and outsiders haven’t been allowed in since Queen Anne’s death. With the exception of trusted royal guards, Macey Clifton, and Aliya Drummond. True love is the key.” She tried to smile at Ellery. “You’ll be in a unique position to get me information no one else has access to. My husband and Prime Minister Shule can use that information to protect the royal family from the brilliant scheming of Hattie Ballard. Who might she stab next? Her own lover Prince Steffan? The king? Sweet Princess Kiera? Prince Derek?”
Naomi paused. For effect or because she visibly trembled, Ellery didn’t know. “All of Augustine will be in your debt, Ellery. Especially Prince Derek.”
Naomi gave her a significant look. She knew. She knew how gone Ellery was over Derek. What she didn’t know was that Ellery refused to act on her longings for a prince who was so far out of her league. Even with Ellery’s athletic ability and years of training, she couldn’t jump that high.
“I’ll let you know,” she managed, worn out and overloaded emotionally and physically. It was torture to fight her feelings for Derek every day. This nightmare with Hattie Ballard being in a position to hurt, maybe stab a member of his family, was horrifying. This was the farthest thing from a fairy tale.
Climbing wearily from the car, her legs felt barely able to support her. She’d done plyometric workouts that didn’t wear her out as much as this conversation had.
She shut the door and walked up to her building, using her key to get in the exterior door, then wearily climbing the stairs.
Loud female voices carried from her apartment. These walls were paper thin. Shoving in her key, she turned the door handle, said a prayer to keep a happy face on, and walked in to their humble home.
“There’s our beauty,” Aunt Elise exclaimed.
“Ellery!” her mom beamed from her easy chair. She looked happy. Today must’ve been a good day.
“Hi, Aunt Elise. Hi, Mom.” Ellery hurried over to kiss her mom’s soft cheek. She loved how real her mom was. She loved her wrinkles and her softness and her kindness. It felt like a direct contrast to Naomi Rindlesbacher. The lady had been kind and not demeaning, and it wasn’t her fault she was wealthy and perfect-looking, but Ellery preferred down-to-earth people like her mom and Aunt Elise. “You look good.”
“So do you.” Her mom’s nose wrinkled. “But you need a shower.”
Ellery straightened. She wouldn’t mind a shower. Lathering off her sweaty day would give her some time to muddle through everything in her head.
“Wait.” Aunt Elise held up her hand. “I’m working the late shift tonight, but I haven’t seen you since Sunday and you avoided telling me how the romance with you and Prince Derek is going.” Her hazel eyes glittered happily. “Let me live vicariously through you, beautiful, please.”
Ellery laughed wryly and shook her head. “I would if I could. There is no romance between us.” There were sparks and desire but no relationship so she wasn’t truly lying to her aunt.
“No,” Aunt Elise groaned. “Your mom keeps claiming that, but I pray she’s wrong and the social media sites are right. Look what popped up on my Insta feed tonight.” She hurried to Ellery’s side, holding out her phone.
Ellery didn’t want to look. Occasionally, some site got a pic of her and Derek and made a big deal out of it. With all the Derek thoughts pinging through her head right now, she couldn’t take reading or seeing speculation that was only a dream for her. But if she went to Augustine to protect him and his family …
Entertainment News had a picture of Derek pressing her against his beautiful Bugatti. He looked more beautiful than the car, and the tender look they’d captured on his face… Oh, my. Ellery’s heart threatened to burst from her chest. She loved when Derek looked at her like that.
The Ninja Warrior Prince and the Adorkable Boston Beauty spotted outside Warrior Gym. Will Ellery Monson attend the royal wedding as Prince Derek’s date or possibly as his fiancée? #theprincewarrior #dreamyprince #cinderellastory #princesselle
“Oh, my.” Ellery clutched at her own throat, unable to peel her eyes from the small screen in her aunt’s hand. The media had dubbed her and Derek the Cinderella story, but nobody had ever used #princesselle before.
Derek made the hash tag ‘dreamy prince’ seem like an understatement. She could still feel his body pressed against hers, his clean but manly scent, his blue eyes lighting her up all the way through and making her forget every worry in the world.
“Can you even imagine if he invited you to the wedding?”
