AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“Fine,” he grits out, relaxing his shoulders under my touch.
17
Etienne
“How about a reservation for a nice lobster dinner tomorrow night?”
Between courses, I try again with this easily confused concierge, who’s come to check on us during our dinner.
Steffen nods. “Yes, sir. Right away, sir.”
That’s better.
“Of course, I’ll need you to reserve a car for us as well.”
“No, sir, that won’t be necessary.”
“Why not?”
“The best lobster on the island is here at the resort.”
I look at Kala, but she is as perplexed as I am.
“I’m sure it is. But we’d love to explore the nightlife. This whole place is too quiet.”
“I’m sorry, Your Highness. I can’t do that.”
I scrub a hand over my face. “Steffen, this is getting old. Why can’t you make us a dinner reservation?”
He clears his throat, then leans close so only Kala and I can hear. “The armed guards are keeping the public out of the resort, under orders from the king.”
I stare at him blankly. Surely, I’ve misunderstood. I look past him, past our attendants and bodyguards, through to the lobby entrance, where scary dudes with guns stand watch.
“Are they keeping the public out…or are they keeping us in?” I ask, swallowing hard at the memory of being on lockdown in the palace back home. All the comforts one could dream of, but none of the freedoms.
Steffen eyes a security guard manning the restaurant’s main entrance then turns back to me and quietly whispers, “I’m not supposed to tell you that. But that is the situation, yes.”
“I’m being held prisoner on my honeymoon,” I mutter.
“Oh my gods,” Kala breathes.
“In the Pearl Crescents,” Steffen chirps, shrugging. “It could be worse. Three months of no responsibility and all the seafood you can eat.”
I stare at him again. “Wait. Three…months?”
“Excuse me?” Kala puts in, on the verge of raising her voice.
Steffen winces. “Were you not made aware…?”
The stare I give him says no; I was unaware of this.
“Etienne, what’s happening?”
I turn to her. “I think I know what happened to my phone.”
She blinks at me, confused at first. But then, she understands. “I see.”
My wife does not say, “Don’t be ridiculous, Etienne.” Or “You’re being paranoid, Etienne.” Kala believes me, plain and simple. A hard knot of emotion inside me begins to unravel. Someone…is on my side?
