Crystalline Waters
After a week in Lythikos, we were finally back at the Palace. The staff had prepared a small welcome back dinner for the King and the court - but, as can be expected, the food served at dinner had been small, tiny portions of pretentious food, which left me very hungry. I made my way to the kitchens after midnight, when I knew the staff would have finished their shifts, and I would be free to raid the larder. So, you can imagine my surprise when I saw the lights on and voices coming from inside.
"Dad… I promise, I'm fine. I'm great, having the time of my life."
"Camilla…"
I peeked in the kitchen, only to find Myers flipping pancakes on the stove, with her phone on the counter, on speakerphone. Not wanting to eavesdrop, I tapped on the door frame a couple of times. She turned and smiled at me, motioning with her hand for me to come in. I went to the counter, sitting across from her.
"Dad, give me a minute." She covered the mic with her finger. "Hey, I'm making pancakes. You hungry?"
I nodded vigorously, giving her a thumbs up.
"Camilla? Camilla?!"
"I'm here, Dad! Sorry."
Her dad sighed. "Well, as I was saying… Honey, I just don't want you to spend all your savings over there… You've worked very hard these last couple of years, I don't want to see it all go to waste..."
"My dad." she mouthed to me, shaking her head. "You know, it amazes me that after all these years, you would think I'm not responsible with my money…" she covered the microphone with her finger. "He worries too much." She told me, rolling her eyes.
"Well, he's your dad. It's normal."
"I never said that." Her dad continued "I know you're very responsible - I don't doubt that for a second… but I'm not stupid either. After years of watching the Oscars together, I can only imagine how much a Chanel dress and Christian Livitan shoes cost."
"It's Louboutin, Dad."
"I honestly don't care, honey."
I smirked. I liked him already. I watched as they continued to talk, a small smile on Myers' face. In the past three weeks, she'd never once mentioned her family. She could've been an orphan, for all we knew. It made me curious… this side of her that she had yet to show us.
"Well… don't worry about that. I didn't pay for that dress. My sponsor set up a deal with the designers to lend me the outfit. Since there was going to be press at that particular event, it's good publicity for them. So they gave me a dress and I modeled it, basically."
I raised my eyebrows in surprise. Myers saw me and nodded. Well, it's good to hear Maxwell's at least doing something to help.
Her dad was silent for a moment. "Ok… well if you need anything, just call. Even if it's 4 am here."
"Okay. Thanks, Daddy."
Huh. Didn't peg her as a Daddy's girl.
"Now… Wendy! It's Milla. Honey, I'm going to put you on speaker."
"Okay."
"Milla?!" The woman's high pitched voice made me cringe a bit. "Hi, honey!"
"Hey, Wendy."
"We miss you! How's everything going?"
"It's going okay."
"Oh, honey we saw you on the E! Channel last week! You looked gorgeous! And the Prince is so handsome!"
Myers gave me a pointed look and rolled her eyes affectionately. "My step mother."
"Ah." I whispered, reaching out to grab a berry from a platter on the counter.
"Thanks, Wendy."
"So what's he like?"
"He's… princely, I guess." She looked to me and shrugged. "He's a true gentleman. He's been nothing but kind to me."
"And have you made any friends?"
"Wendy, I'm not in elementary school… but yes, I've made a couple good friends…"
"Tell us about them."
"Well, first there's my sponsor, Maxwell. He's the one who whisked me away to Cordonia. He's the funniest guy you'll ever meet, literally the life of the party."
"Ooh, I like him already."
"You would like him. He's really sweet, too. Then, there's Hana. She's… literally the smartest woman I've ever met."
"Smarter than Professor Jadue?"
I gave her a questioning look, tilting my head to the side.
"One of my professors in NYU. I was one of her TA's." She told me, before going back to her phone call. "Hmm… no, not like Professor Jadue. Hana's like one of those women in a Jane Austen novel. There's nothing she can't do; she sings, dances, plays piano, archery, baking, anything. You name it, she can do it. But she's really sweet and humble, too. She's incredibly talented, but she's not stuck up about it."
"That's good."
"That's a sign of low self-esteem." Her dad chimed in.
I nodded.
Myers hesitated. "Yes… it is. Sadly Hana is a bit insecure… I think it's because of her upbringing. Her parents put tons of pressure on her, to be the perfect lady, to marry the perfect husband…".
I rolled my eyes.
"Well, I'm sure you'll help her out with that." The woman, Wendy, chimed in. "You have a way of helping the people around you without even knowing it."
"I hope so… I'd love to see her come into herself, and see what a kick-ass woman she really is."
"She will. And… is that all?"
"No, then… there's Drake." She grinned at me. "He's actually here with me right now. We're sort of having a midnight snack in the kitchen."
"You do know she's googling each and every one of them as you speak, right?" Her dad asked.
"Yeah, I figured. That's why I left out everyone's last name."
"I'll just add the words 'nobles Cordonia' after their names. But let's get back to Drake… Are we on speakerphone? Can he hear us?"
"You are and he can."
"Oh, good. Hi, Drake!"
"Hello, Mrs. Myers, Mr. Myers…"
"Hello, Drake." Her father said.
"Oh, honey! He's got such a beautiful, deep voice! Hi, sweetheart! It's nice to meet you!"
I felt myself blushing, which caused Myers to snicker. "Wendy, you're embarrassing him."
"Oh, honey, I'm sorry! I didn't mean to make you uncomfortable."
"That's okay, Mrs. Myers."
"Wendy, sweetheart. Mrs. Myers makes me feel old."
"Uh… ok… Wendy."
"So how do you know the Prince?"
"You can just call him Liam, you know. And Drake's actually his best friend. They've known each other since they were kids."
"Aww, that's so cute!"
I looked at Myers, whose eyes were light with laughter.
"Yeah… he's great. He's helped me out a lot since I got here." She gave me a thankful smile.
"Aww, Myers, you're making me blush."
"It's true." She said simply.
"How so?" Her dad asked. I didn't know why, but I was suddenly nervous.
"Well, for starters, he saved my life."
I snorted.
"What?!"
"Relax, Dad. He saved me from getting run over by a horse."
"It was nothing, really." I said.
"Thirteen year old you would've been heartbroken." Wendy joked.
"How did that happen?" Her dad asked.
"Well… twenty five year old me got lost and found herself in the stables. A horse got spooked and nearly ran me over until, out of nowhere, Drake showed up and put himself right between me and the horse, and managed to calm it down."
"Very brave, Drake." I smiled at Wendy's approving tone.
"It was nothing, Wendy."
"Yes, very brave indeed." Myers agreed. "Anyway, I think you'd really like him, Daddy. He's smart, loyal, and has a great sense of humor…" She placed her hand on top of mine and squeezed.
I turned my hand over, interlacing our fingers together. "Seriously, Myers. I'm blushing hard over here."
"Well, you'll have to invite him over when you come back. I'll take him out for a beer and a couple burgers."
"Well, how could I say no to that? I'd be honored, Mr. Myers."
"We'd love to have you over, Drake. All of Milla's friends are welcome in our home." Wendy commented.
"I'd love to, Wendy."
Wendy sighed. "Glad to hear that honey. Okay, sweetheart, I have to get to work now. Bye, baby." She made a kissing sound, and I figured she kissed Myers's dad goodbye. "Goodbye, honey. I love you so much. Have fun out there."
"I love you too, Wendy. Have a good day."
"Bye, baby. Goodbye, Drake! Take care of our girl!"
"Bye, Wendy. And I will."
"I should get going too." Her dad said.
"Ok, Daddy. I love you."
"I love you too, Milla. Hey, listen, before I go… I talked to your mom yesterday…"
Milla's expresion changed immediately. She tensed up, and let go of my hand. "And?"
"Well, she's a little hurt you haven't called her…"
"Dad, I don't exactly have a lot of free time - I didn't exactly come here on vacation - and when I do, it's either too late or too early…" She pursed her lips, her eyes guarded as she looked at me for a split second, looking quickly away.
"You could call her now…"
"Dad." Myers sighed, bringing a hand to her forehead. "I'll call her when I can, okay? I promise."
"Good. You know, if you ever need anything…"
"Dad!" Her eyes widened. "I'm not asking her for money." She whispered harshly.
Her father sighed, weary. "Honey, she's your mother. She only wants to help."
"I don't need any help. I've never asked her or Armando for anything in the past 12 years. I'm not going to start now."
"You're too proud, Milla."
"Ok, Dad… I have to go. I'll call you soon. Love you."
"I love you too, sweetheart. Goodbye, Drake."
"Goodbye, Mr. Myers."
"Bye, Dad."
She slammed her finger against the screen, her phone beeped as she ended the call. She slumped on the counter, taking a deep breath and releasing it, before going back to the pancakes on the skillet.
"Myers…"
She refused to meet my gaze, flipping a pancake. "Hmm…"
"You okay?"
"Fine." She shrugged nonchalantly.
"Myers."
"Yes?" She practically hissed at me.
"Look at me."
"Drake, I'm fine."
I raised my hands. "Okay… but I'm here if you want to talk about it."
She sighed, and finally looked at me. "I'm sorry."
"That's okay."
"It's just… family stuff that happened a million years ago."
"I'm assuming this has something to do with your mom?"
"Yeah…" She ran her fingers through her hair. "It's just typical stuff that comes with being a product of a failed marriage. My mom, she, uh… she left me and my dad when I was twelve."
"I'm sorry."
"That's okay." She placed a stack of pancakes in front of me, garnishing the plate with berries and a dash of maple syrup.
"Thank you." She nodded as she prepared a plate for herself. "Talk to me, Myers."
"What's there to say? I mean… in the US, 1 in 3 marriages end in divorce."
"Still doesn't mean it didn't affect you. You were a kid."
She sighed. "Well, if you really want to know…"
"I do."
She finished arranging her plate, and I gestured to a small round table. We both took our plates and sat down.
"Fine. My mom had an affair with a guy she met at a party - one she went to with my dad, by the way - and they were lovers for two years, before she finally left my dad for him. Armando." She rolled her eyes. "In the months before the split, she used to take me and my brother for ice cream, and he'd join us. She told us he was just a friend, but then when we got home, she'd tell us not to mention Armando to Dad."
Wow… I took a bite, and couldn't help but moan, as the different flavors invaded my tongue. A hint of vanilla, the tang of the berries, the buttery sweetness of the syrup. "Mmm… I'm sorry, but… Myers… this… is really good." I said between bites.
"I'm glad you like it." She smiled.
"What happened with Armando?"
"Wll, one day my mom finally told my dad, and filed for divorce the next day. My dad didn't even see it coming. I still remember his face…"
"Oh, Myers…"
"Anyway, when she told me and my brother, she begged me to come with her. My brother was seven, and he didn't have a clue what was going on. My mom used that and just decided to take him. But not me. I refused to go with her. I told her I wouldn't leave my dad to go live with 'some guy she was fucking'. Then, I just remember going to my room and locking my door. I refused to come out until my dad got home. She'd already packed all of her and my brother's stuff, and just… left."
"I'm sorry."
She shrugged. "That's okay. It's all in the past now. Three years later, my dad married Wendy - who was a secretary at his autoshop - and my mom's still with Armando."
"And you're okay with that? With Wendy? With your mom?"
"Oh, Wendy's great! She's really good for my dad, and she was a great stepmother. She's more of a mother to me than my real mom. But, as you can probably tell, my relationship with my mother is… distant, and strained."
"Because of the divorce…"
"I think that played a large part in it, but it's not just that… My mother is… she's very beautiful, and very vain. Shallow. All she cares about is looks and money. I swear when I used to visit her and Armando, she'd always be commenting on my looks, my clothes, giving me tips to look prettier. Like a pageant mom. And don't even get me on when I started dating… it didn't matter if my boyfriend was smart or kind. To her, all it mattered was that he was good looking and came from money.
Wendy, on the other hand, always supported me. She was my rock in high school. She always gave me the best advice, taught me to respect myself, to never settle for anything, and to never change for anyone. It was great having her through my teen years." She smiled fondly. "That's why I've…" her smile disappeared into a grimace.
"That's why what?"
"That's why I've been avoiding calling my mother… She'd be over the moon that I'm here, competing for Liam. Her daughter and a Prince!" She yelled in a haughty voice. "I mean… I was an honor student in high school, graduated with honors from NYU, and have been living independently, holding my own for the last three years, but this would be my greatest accomplishment in her eyes! Bagging a Prince."
I let her rant, knowing she needed it. Who knows how long she's kept all these feelings towards her mother bottled up. She took a deep breath and closed her eyes, trying to calm down.
"I'm sorry… you shouldn't have to listen to this. See, this is why I didn't want to talk about my mother. She just makes me so… "
"That's okay, Myers." I gave her a small crooked smile. "Let's talk about something else, like… What did your dad say? When you told him?"
"He didn't really like it. He made a Bachelor joke, much like the one you made when we got here. But he supported me, anyway. He still worries, as you can see, but…"
"Yeah, well… he's your Dad. I mean, if my daughter told me she was going off to Europe to compete with other women for some guy's hand in marriage, I wouldn't exactly be thrilled either. The whole concept is outdated and… misogynistic."
"Yeah, I guess so… Anyway… that's the story of my parents."
"And your brother?"
"My brother? Well… he's five years younger than me, and he grew up with Mom and Armando. We, uh… we aren't very close either."
"How come?"
"It's… complicated. I guess it's a mixture of age difference and being raised differently. With my dad, when it was just the two of us, I always tried to help out as much as I could. I remember I used to get home from school and clean, make dinner, then schoolwork… I used to try to have everything ready by the time my Dad got home, so he could relax after working all day.
But with my mom… I think she babied him, spoiled him. I know that sounds really judgemental of me, but… it bothers me to see how lazy my brother is… he doesn't help out around the house, he graduated high school a couple years ago with mediocre grades, and decided not to go to college. But then I tell myself 'whatever, he's his own person, and I don't live with him, so why should it bother me?'" She shook her head. "Anyway, he's working with Armando now. Armando owns his own landscaping company."
"And your dad?"
"My dad's a mechanic, one of the best in the business. He also owns his own shop and everything. I guess, now that he's married to Wendy, it's a family business."
"And you never thought to work with him? Instead of…"
"Waitressing?" She shook her head. "No… I…" She sighed. "I know it might not make sense to you - or to a lot of people, since it's not the first time someone asks me that, my dad and Wendy included - but I… I guess I wanted to stand on my own two feet. I didn't want to get a job at my Dad or Armando's businesses, because I didn't want anything handed to me… Besides, both my parents live in New Jersey, and after college… I just couldn't imagine leaving New York."
"That's... really admirable, Myers. I mean it."
"Yeah?"
"Yeah…"
"Thanks. Most people would call it stupid." She laughed.
"Well, most people are stupid."
"Very true."
We finished the rest of our meal in silence, both deep in thought. I looked at her and slowly, the for eyed, baby deer image didn't seem to fit her anymore. Sure, she was somewhat naive to court life, but that's because she was still adapting to the environment. The real Myers was a strong, independent and hard working woman.
"Hey, Myers…"
"Hmm…?"
"Thanks for the pancakes."
"You're welcome."
She got up and reached for my plate, but I stood and pulled it away from her reach. "I'll wash the dishes… you cooked; it's only fair."
"Thanks."
I went to the sink and placed the dirty dishes inside, and Myers came and placed the mixing bowl, the measuring cups, and the skillet, as well. As I began watching the dishes, I looked to Myers, only to find her staring at me.
"What?"
She shook her head, a coy smile on her face. "Nothing."
"You're staring."
"I am."
"Why…?"
"I was just thinking… we keep running into each other. And… I'm really growing fond of these moments in between. I guess I just like… spending time with you."
I felt a blush creeping up on my neck, and cleared my throat. "Still trying to make me blush, Myers?"
"Nope." She reached out to tickle my neck. "I think it's clear I don't have to."
"Hey!" I splashed some water at her, while squirming to dodge her fingers.
She gasped, shocked, before reaching for the faucet, and splashed me right back. We began a brutal water fight all across the kitchen, her excited squeals filling the room. Soon, we were bringing out the big guns.
Anything within reach that could be used to hold water was a weapon. Myers grabbed a glass and splashed me as I ducked for cover. I got a few shots in with the measuring cups she'd left on the sink. She grabbed a pitcher full of ice water from the counter and poured it over my head, as I went in for the kill. The ice water ran down my back as I grabbed Myers and lifted her over my shoulder like a potato sack.
She kicked and squealed, laughing wildly as I set her down on the sink, quickly grabbing the pull out tap and cranking the water.
"No! Drake! No!" She screamed between laughs as I hosed her.
"Yield!"
"All right, all right, I yield!" she screamed, between giggles.
I turned off the tap, and from behind her back she took out a full glass and poured it right over my head.
"Seriously?" I chuckled.
She shrugged, "All's fair in love and war."
I shook my head, shaking out the water from my hair while she wrangled hers, squeezing water from it. Suddenly, she began sliding deeper into the sink, and wrapped her legs around my waist for leverage. I quickly wrapped my arms around her waist to steady her.
"Whoa! Sorry!"
I chuckled. "Careful, Myers. Wouldn't want you to get stuck in there."
"What's going on here?"
We both jumped apart, Myers letting out a yelp, and nearly falling on the slippery floor.
"Bastien!" He stood near the door, arms crossed across his chest and an amused grin adorning his face. "Uh…"
"We were… just here for a midnight snack. Sorry we didn't save you some pancakes." Myers said sheepishly.
Bastien locked eyes with me, then Myers, his gaze impenetrable as he looked between us back and forth.
"We were just finishing cleaning up…" Myers continued. It was clear Bastien was making her uncomfortable. I narrowed my eyes, giving him a pointed look. You can stop now… you got what you wanted, she's officially freaked out.
"Very well. You should get to bed now, Lady Camilla. Drake and I can finish cleaning up."
"But-"
"You want to be well rested for the Regatta tomorrow, don't you?"
Myers pouted, looking every bit like a scolded child. "Ok… good night, then…"
She looked to me and I gave her a reassuring smile. "Night, Myers."
"Night. Good night, Bastien."
"Good night, Lady Camilla."
She stepped out of the kitchen, and I headed to the broom closet to grab a mop. I slowly began wiping the floor, feeling Bastien's eyes on the back of my head. The silence began to grow heavy, until I finally turned around only to find him smirking at me.
"What?" I growled.
He shook his head. "Nothing… I was just thinking how close you and Lady Camilla have grown these last couple of weeks."
"We're just friends."
"Ah, so you do consider her a friend."
"No! I- maybe. I don't know. We're just-"
"So you don't consider her a friend."
"I don't know." I said through gritted teeth. "It's too soon. I don't know her that well to go as far as calling her a friend."
"And yet, I think I've seen you smile and laugh more in the presence of this non-friend the last few days than in the last ten years."
I shrugged. "So?"
"Drake…" his tone softened. I finally looked him in the eye, and saw he was no longer smiling. He looked worried. "She is here for Prince Liam."
Those words hit me like a punch to the chest. Even though I always repeated them to myself - they'd become like my bloody mantra these last few days - it still hurt when someone else said them out loud.
"I know."
"Are you sure?"
"Listen, Bastien. The only reason I even started to spend time with her is because Liam asked me to. He asked me to keep an eye out for her, to keep her out of trouble, to keep her safe."
"Spoken like a true King's Guard. And as a King's Guard myself, allow me to share something I've learned over the years. We may become King's Guard out of duty to our King and Country, or out of loyalty to a friend." He gave me a pointed look. "But you'll find out that the more time you spend watching over a person, the more you learn about them. You begin to see a different side to them, a side they may not show to anyone else, and… inevitably, you begin to care for them. Care soon turns to affection, which soon turns to love."
I scoffed. "There's nothing going on between me and Myers. Yeah, I kinda care about her - for Liam's sake - but-"
"I would take a bullet for King Constantine, and for Prince Liam, not out of duty, but out of love. I love them both, and wouldn't hesitate to give my life for them. That is what happens after 20 years of being a King's Guard."
"I've known Myers for a little over a month!"
"Which is exactly why I'm worried." He said simply. "I've known you since you were a boy, Drake. You are almost like a son to me. And I have never seen you get so close to someone so quickly."
"Bastien…"
"I just don't want to see you get hurt, Drake." With a final look, he turned and left.
The next morning, before the Regatta, Liam came to my room. "Hey."
"Hey, man. What's up?"
"I was hoping you could help me with something…"
"Ok…"
"Well, I'd like to surprise Camilla today at the Regatta. She's come all this way for me, excelled at every single event so far, and I'd like to do something to thank her."
"Something like what?"
"Well… I was hoping you could make something for her. Some American food she'd like and we could all eat at the beach party tonight."
"Do you have any ideas?"
"Sadly, nothing comes to mind. I am not very familiar with American cuisine."
"Hah! Ok, I'll see what I can do."
"Thank you, Drake. If you need anything, let me know."
"Yeah, don't worry about it." We walked out of my room together, him heading for his rooms and I headed to the kitchen.
I opened the fridge, looking around for something I could do. Burgers? Nah, too much work and too many ingredients needed. Pizza? Nah, don't have time to make the crust from scratch, nor the time to drive down into town to buy it. I was running out of ideas, until I opened the freezer and saw some ground beef and frozen meats. Barbecue and sloppy joes! Heck yeah!
I hadn't had sloppy joes since I was a kid, and I bet neither has Myers. I took out the ground beef, some chicken, and ribs and set it in the sink to defrost. Then I went to the pantry, grabbing onions, garlic, red peppers, tomato sauce and some slices of cheese, and got to work. This was going to be so good!
Time passed quickly and soon I was at the docks with the catering crew, instructing them on where to leave my food. Suddenly I spotted Maxwell running towards me.
"Drake!" He swerved just in time to avoid crashing into a waiter. "Drake, thank god!"
"What?!" Dread suddenly crept up my back. "What is it? Did something happen to Myers?"
"No, no, Milla is fine!" He stopped to catch his breath. "It's our crew…"
"What about them?"
"Well, they… sort of… quit."
"What?"
"Apparently, Bertrand couldn't pay them up front, so… they quit."
"So… who's going to sail the boat? Myers is…" I stopped as I saw his big puppy dog eyes. "Oh no…"
"Please, Drake! You're the only one who actually knows how to steer a ship! Please!"
"Ugh… fine, fine! But Myers is going to have to help too. We can't do this just the two of us."
"Yes, yes!" He said eagerly. "Thank you, thank you, thank you!"
We walked to the boat, and waited for Myers. She showed up a couple of minutes later, looking very pretty in a simple striped top and navy blue shorts.
As soon as she saw us prepping the boat, she ran towards us, looking around the deck. "Drake? Hey, what are you doing here? And Maxwell, didn't you leave with Bertrand? And shouldn't there be more people, like a crew?"
"Yeah, Maxwell." You have to tell her. "What happened?"
"Well, I have good news and bad news."
"Bad news first."
"Ok, that bad news is the actual crew dropped out… something about not paying upfront? But the good news is… we have Drake!" He gestured exaggeratedly to me. "He volunteered to help us out!"
"He volunteered?" Myers eyed me, her eyes twinkling with laughter.
"Maxwell begged me."
"I thought I was rather dignified."
"Practically in tears, actually."
"And you both know about sailing?"
"I used to own several boats, and Drake's an excellent boatsman."
"Ok, great. Let's do this. Wait, what about Bertrand? Why isn't he here?"
"I believe his exact words were, and I quote, 'Have we fallen so far? Is this what becomes of House Ramsford?' And then he muttered something about ruin and reducing our name to rubble and the I hope he went to get a drink or something after that."
Wow… you know, for a guy who's always berating and belittling Maxwell, Bertrand's the first one to rage quit when something goes wrong, always leaving Maxwell to try to fix it.
"Wow, Maxwell, I'm sorry." Myers reached out and gave him a hug. "Don't worry, it'll be fine. I'll help out in any way that I can, even if I don't know anything about sailing."
"Thanks, Milla."
"Yeah, well… I'm sorry to say, Myers, you're not going to be cruising around like the other ladies. You're going to have to do some work to help us win. I hope you're up for the job."
"Always am, Drake. I just hope you can keep up."
"You're on, Myers."
"Hey what about Tariq? He looks like a guy who can sail a boat."
I let out a big, sarcastic laugh, and Myers rolled her eyes.
"Okay, it was only a thought."
I finished prepping the boat and steered it to the starting line. Soon, the King fired the starting shot, and we were off!
"The wind's changed!"
Maxwell and I hurried to readjust the sails, Maxwell throwing a rope haphazardly at Myers and ordered her to tie it. I was surprised when she managed to tie it into a nice sailors knot.
Soon, we saw the bouy that marked the halfway point. We swerved around it, coming in a little too fast, but soon we were back on track.
"Myers, secure the jib!"
"And that means to…?"
"Catch the wind coming from behind us."
She raced to the front of the deck to redirect the sail. She adjusted it to catch the wind and soon we were sailing past Olivia's boat.
The look on her face was priceless.
We crossed the finish line, and Myers ran to me and jumped in my arms. "We did it!"
I was momentarily caught off guard by her momentum, and nearly fell, but managed to catch myself and spin her around. She then let go of me, and ran to hug Maxwell.
"Woohoo!"
"We kicked ass!"
I laughed, shaking my head. Myers really likes winning, I thought, remembering how she also celebrated beating me at our ski race.
I went to stand next to her and clapped her shoulder. "You really pulled through for us, Myers."
"It was a team effort."
"Hell, yeah!"
As we approached the harbor, Liam and his dad were waiting for us, to offer their congratulations. Soon, we all separated to watch the rest of the races. I went with Liam and the rest of the Royal family, placing our usual bets. For the first time in a long time, I lost, and paid my debt of 10 push ups.
After that, it was time for the beach party. I went out back to the caterers' tent and grabbed the trays of food. I set them up on a table over in the picnic area, catching a clear view of Myers' grimace as she tried the caviar. She caught my eye and I waved them over. Her eyes widened as she caught sight of the spread.
"I hope you're all hungry, because the real food has arrived!"
"Drake! You're a lifesaver!" Myers reached out to touch one of the trays.
"There's so much of it!" Maxwell commented, jumping giddily.
"Is this… barbecue?" Hana stared open mouthed at the different cuts of meat.
Myers and I shared a look. Oh, my sweet naive, little child, she seemed to say.
"Oh, yes! Classic Americana. You've got your pulled pork, chicken kebabs, brisket, ribs, vegetables, and sauces unique to different regions of the world." I pointed to each of the dishes as I listed them. "And you can't forget the classic sloppy joe."
"You've literally made me the happiest person on Earth right now." Myers sat and gingerly took a plate, filling it with a sloppy joe, a couple of ribs and some pork.
"Milla… are you going to eat all of that?" Hana asked, shocked
Milla looked at her - her mouth wide open ready to take a bite - before digging in. She hummed appreciatively, half her face covered in tomato sauce. "Drake. This. Is. Amazing! I love sloppy joes! They're basically all I ate through middle school."
"Thank you, Myers. Someone else can appreciate a simple dish."
"A sloppy… joe?"
"Seasoned ground beef with onions, tomato sauce and whatever else you feel like throwing in there." I explained to Hana.
Maxwell sat down, filling his hamburger bun with beef and some cheese. "You had me at not fish."
"It looks messy, but intriguing. It does seem strange to have such casual food here."
"Liam thought Myers would appreciate it. A little taste of home."
Myers looked up from her sandwich. "This was his idea?"
"Mostly." I grinned. "From a purely selfish angle, I'm not exactly a caviar and oysters kind of guy, so… But, any way, let's dig in!" Maxwell and Myers lifted their head from their plates. "Those of us who haven't already." I gestured for Hana to sit. "I love barbecues. This reminds me of cookouts on the lawn or summers with the family."
"Aww." Myers grinned at me. "Drake, that's so sweet."
"It is not. Eat your ribs, Myers." I quipped. She rolled her eyes, but obliged nonetheless.
I filled my plate and dug in. We joked and teased each other as we ate, laughing at Maxwell's face after eating or explaining to Hana how to actually eat a sloppy joe. Soon, most of the food was gone and we were all lying down on a giant towel in the the sand.
"That was so good!" Maxwell groaned.
"I'll have to ask the chefs back home to add barbecue chicken to the rotation." Hana added.
"It really was delicious." Myers turned to look at me. She touched my arm, giving it a gentle squeeze. "Thanks, Drake."
"You're welcome. I don't know about you, but I'm ready to hit the water."
Maxwell huffed as he stretched out on the sand. "I'm ready to stretch out like a beached whale."
"Suit yourself. You coming with me, Myers? Hana?"
"Hang on. We need to put on sunscreen before we go." Hana sat upright and began rummaging through her bag.
"Do we really?"
Myers sat up, placing her elbows on her knees, and stared at the ocean. "I'd love some sunscreen." She turned to Hana, before resuming her gazing.
She looked… not troubled, but preoccupied, maybe. I nudged her with my shoulder. "Hey. You okay?" I whispered.
Myers raised a corner of her lips, giving me a small half smile. "I'm… I'm fine."
I was about to ask if she was sure, when Hana shouted "I found it!", triumphantly swinging the sunscreen in the air.
Myers stood and swiftly removed her top, revealing a light green bikini underneath. She proceeded to wiggle out of her shorts, and I had to turn away in order not to gawk at her. I felt heat rising to my cheeks, looking out of the corner of my eye every now and then as she rubbed sunscreen on her arms, her torso, her legs - wow, she had great legs! - before turning to Hana and doing her back.
"Drake, are you coming?"
"Uh… yeah." I stood and took off my shirt. I couldn't help the surge of manly pride as I took in her reaction - her eyes roaming appreciatively over my torso, before looking away, embarrassed.
She shot me a furtive glance, biting her lip, before stepping towards me. "Here. I'll do you."
"This really doesn't seem necessary."
"Sun safety is no joke."
I rolled my eyes, grinning, before turning around. Myers began applying sunscreen all over my back, gently massaging it into my skin. I… may have flexed slightly, for her benefit, as her hands roamed up and down my shoulders, my back and my spine. "Is the lady satisfied?"
I turned, noticing the slight pink tinge on her cheeks and her neck. Myers refused to look me in the, instead dotting five drops of sunscreen on my face - on my forehead, my nose, my chin and my cheeks.
"Spread it out." She ordered. "Or you'll burn there."
"Yes, ma'am." I rubbed the sunscreen onto my face. "I assume you want me to do your back?"
"Actually, yes, I do " She turned, lifting her long, brown hair, exposing her long, elegant neck and her shoulders.
I almost failed to stifle my groan. "You're killing me, Myers."
I began massaging the sunscreen on the her back, marveling at the feel of her soft skin under my rough fingertips, admiring the graceful curves of her neck and shoulders, down to her waist-
"Ready to go?"
"Uh, yeah. More than ready. I hope you're not wearing that swimsuit for nothing, Myers." I challenged, noticing the wicked gleam in her eye come to life. "Who's with me?"
"Me!" Hana yelled.
"Let's do this!" Myers took off running, immediately diving into the water under a wave.
Hana and I soon followed, Hana squealing and jumping back as her toes touched the water. "It's colder than I thought!"
"You just need to adjust. Here, let me help." I splashed her and soon it was her and Myers against me.
"Okay, okay!" I coughed. "I get it!"
They stopped splashing me and soon, we were all just floating in the water.
Myers sighed contentedly. "I missed the ocean."
"Did you grow up near it, Milla?"
"Yeah… I'm from this little town in Jersey that's right on the coast. And to top it off, our apartment was two blocks away from the beach. I remember me and my friends used to sneak into a private beach that was near a hotel."
"And you never got caught?"
"Not once." She grinned, floating gently in the water.
"That sounds lovely. Growing up in a small town, with close friends, just getting into all kinds of adventures." Hana said wistfully.
Myers snorted. "It's not all it's cracked up to be. I remember by the time I was in high school, I couldn't wait to get out of there."
"Why?" Hana probed.
She looked thoughtful. "It just wasn't for me."
I could sense she didn't really want to talk about her hometown, for whatever reason. Maybe she was just a private person, since as far as I could tell, she had yet to mention her family to anyone other than me. I felt sort of proud about that… that, for some reason, she actually trusted me. Anyway, I decided to bail her out before Hana could ask more questions. "Hey, Myers." I called to her. "Let's race."
"You're a glutton for punishment today."
"We'll see how scary you are without Hana helping you out."
"All right, you're on."
"I'll be the judge!"
"We'll swim onto the far end of this beach and back to these rocks."
"Agreed."
"Ready… set… channel your inner mermaid!"
I began swimming as fast as I could, kicking my legs and pushing myself through the water. Myers was hot in my tail, but in the end I won.
"Yes! I am Triton, King of the Ocean!" I raised my arms in the air triumphantly.
"Well done, Triton." She raised her hand and high fived me.
"Huh… I was sure you'd be a sore loser. I mean, I've seen how much you like to win."
"Yeah, I'm competitive, but I'd like to think of myself as a graceful loser."
I regarded her with raised eyebrows. "You really are, Myers."
Her face suddenly changed, contorting with pain. "Ow! Drake, Drake!"
I rushed over to her and let her lean against me, her arms grasping me tightly around my neck. "What?! What?!"
"Cramp! Cramp! My leg!" She yelped.
I picked her up quickly, but gently, and carried back to shore. She buried her face in my neck, hissing and taking shallow breaths. I set her down on the sand, and she covered her eyes with her forearms.
"Which-"
"My left leg, my calf!"
I set to work massaging the tight muscles, rubbing it in soothing circles, adding steady pressure. From the corner of my eye, I saw Maxwell and Hana rushing towards us, then Liam and Bertrand.
She whined and hissed in pain, and I drew my attention back to her, maintaining the pressure, working her calf. Slowly I felt her muscles relax. I felt her sigh, and take deep breaths, letting them out slowly.
"Milla!" Liam knelt towards her, taking one of her hands. "What happened? Is she okay?"
"Milla!" Hana and Maxwell shouted.
"Camilla, are you hurt?" Bertrand asked.
"Liam, guys, it's okay. It was just a cramp." She turned to me. "Thank you, Drake. That hurt like a bitch."
Liam laughed, squeezing her hand, and Bertrand shook his head. Oh, the profanity, I could hear him saying.
"You're welcome." I said sheepishly.
Between me and Liam, we helped her stand. She placed one arm around my neck, the other around Liam's, and we walked towards a table. I placed my arm around her waist to steady her, and saw she was placing most of her weight on her right leg, limping slightly.
"Shall I carry you?" Liam offered.
From the corner of my eye, I saw Bertrand gleam with pride and rolled my eyes. He was probably ecstatic Liam was paying her this much attention. Sure, she could've drowned for all he cares, as long as it was the Prince giving her mouth to mouth. Nobles.
"No, that's okay."
"I insist." Liam shot me a pleading look, and I let go of Myers' waist.
"You probably should let him, Myers. It wouldn't do you any good to strain that leg anymore than you have to."
She rolled her eyes affectionately. "Fine."
Liam smiled as he placed an arm beneath her legs and the other on her back, bridal style. How very fitting.
I shook my head and headed back to where Maxwell and Hana. I stayed with them, till Maxwell left to go speak with Bertrand.
"It was lucky you were here, Drake. God knows what would've happened if…" Hana trailed off worriedly.
"Nah." I placed a hand on her shoulder. "It was just a cramp, probably from the race."
"Or maybe because we jumped on the water too soon after eating."
"Sure…" I didn't know anyone still believed that; in my opinion, it was something parents told their kids so they could relax for awhile before having to go in the water with them.
"Ugh, I can't believe the Prince is still fawning over Camilla. It was only a cramp, for God's sake, it's not like she drowned." Olivia's voice carried from the refreshments table. "I wish I was that good an actress."
"Je ne sais pas. I don't think Camilla would fake a cramp only to get the Prince's attention." Kiara said.
"I don't believe so, either." Penelope added. "She doesn't seem like the kind of person who would resort to such cheap tricks."
"Well, of course you wouldn't. Neither of you are so bright to have thought of it yourselves; of course you wouldn't think another would be able to do so."
"Oh, I can't believe how rotten she is!" Hana clenched her fists, frowning. It was the first time I'd seen her angry, and I couldn't help smiling. Even when she's mad, she looks pretty. "Milla would never do that."
I shrugged. "It's clear she feels threatened by Myers, and is trying to turn the other ladies against her."
"Thankfully, it doesn't seem like it's working."
Huh… "Aren't you upset about that? I mean, technically Myers is your competition as well…"
She smiled warmly. "Yes, but more than that, she's my friend. Milla's been nothing but kind and supportive of me since the moment we met."
That sounds like Myers.
"Besides, I think we both know the odds of the Prince actually choosing me are slim to none, so why not make my peace with that and be happy for my friend?"
"That's very noble of you, Hana."
"It's just common sense, really."
I followed her gaze to where Liam and Myers were sitting, talking quietly.
"They make a lovely couple."
I tried to drown the wave of disappointment that seemed to course through me. "Yeah…"
I turned my attention back to Hana, and soon we were joined by Maxwell again. He looked a bit down - Bertrand must have been berating him for something again - so we joked and teased each other trying to cheer him up.
The afternoon passed quickly, Liam leaving Myers to tend to his other suitors, Maxwell leaving to get Myers to do some campaigning for allies, Hana leaving to do… something, and I found myself sitting on the beach, watching the sun go down. I didn't mind, though. It was good to get some time to myself.
"Hey, stranger." Myers sat next to me, landing on the sand with a thump.
So much for alone time.
"How's your leg?"
"Fine, now. Thanks for saving me… again." She bumped me with the shoulder.
I snorted. "I'd hardly call that 'saving you'."
"Suit yourself. I'm grateful nonetheless."
She turned her gaze to the water, staring at it with an intensity I'd never seen before.
"Myers."
"Yeah?"
How should I phrase this? There was something going on with her today. It was like she wasn't fully here; like her body was here, but her mind was somewhere far away… There was something bothering her.
Instead of telling her all this, I opted for eloquently stating, "You're weird today."
Her brows furrowed, and yet she gave me a whimsical smile. "What?"
"You're… you've been sorta distracted today. You okay?"
"I'm…" she hesitated, her eyes shifting back to the water for an instant, before landing on the ground. "I feel weird today. I woke up weird today." She shook her head.
"Did something happen?" I lowered my voice to a whisper. "Did you call your mom?"
She laughed and shoved me. "No! It's not that. It's… it's going to sound stupid and you're totally going to laugh if I tell you."
"Probably, yeah. But you can still tell me."
She regarded me for a second, her deep, dark eyes boring into mine. "Okay. I kinda… had this weird dream last night. Maybe it was because we ate too late, or the water war or…" she trailed off.
"Anyway, I was with my friends at this hotel - I think it was a hotel, anyway - and we were dancing in this grand ballroom, when my friend Carrie tells us she's going to the pool.
Turns out 'the pool' is this massive sort of one-way infinity pool on the top of the hotel. And it had this tunnel that was the only way to get back to the first floor of the hotel, for some reason. Like, if you went up there, the only way to get back down to the lobby was through this underwater tunnel."
"Okay…"
"Anyway, for some reason, there was this guy I really wanted to impress, and he dared me to go to the infinity pool and come back through the tunnel."
"And you can never back down from a good dare."
She nodded. "And I can never back down from a good dare. So I went with Carrie, and we dove together. She literally carried me on her back, and dove all the way down and through the tunnel. I remember being underwater, and holding my breath, but when I ran out, I could still breath underwater… And the water was so clear, and so blue… it was so beautiful." She turned back to look at the vast ocean.
"And that's it?"
"No. When we got back to the lobby, the guy was all 'that doesn't count, your friend helped you, la la la la la'. So I went back up there, intending to dive by myself. But when I got there, I started to panic. I didn't want to go through the tunnel again, I was scared I'd run out of breath faster, that I wouldn't be able to breathe underwater this time…
I went to talk to the lifeguard, the people in charge, anyone, asking them if there was another way down - there had to be another way down - I told them I was feeling unsafe, that I did not want to do it, that they couldn't make me do it… and then I woke up. But I woke up with this sour taste in my mouth, and this awful feeling of impotence, angry with myself and the people in my dream for trying to make me do something I didn't want to."
"Yeah, but it was just a dream, right? I mean, you woke up, and that's that."
She hummed. "I don't know… I'm still trying to figure out what it means."
I snorted, and she glared at me. "I'm sorry!" I laughed. "I just didn't peg you as the type to search for the meanings of her dreams."
She rolled her eyes. "I am, but not in the way you think. I don't believe clear water means prosperity and murky water means hard times ahead, like my grandma used to say. But I do believe that our dreams are subconscious manifestations of our innermost thoughts, feelings and/or desires. Things latent within us that we've repressed, or that we don't realize we're feeling."
"How very Freudian of you."
"Hah!"
"Anyway, to me it's pretty clear. Maybe you feel someone's making you do something you don't want to." A thought came to mind. I frowned. "Has Bertrand - or Maxwell-"
"Stop right there." She interrupted me. "Bertrand and Maxwell have never pushed me to do anything I'm not comfortable with. Yes, they both want me to win, Bertrand loves to give me instructions and tell me what to do, how to behave - but the second I ask him to stop, he does. They've treated me with nothing but respect."
I let out a sigh of relief. Why was I relieved?
"I think…" she trailed off, and I followed her gaze to see Liam over by the refreshment table, talking to Olivia.
As if he felt her eyes on him, Liam met her gaze and flashed her a brilliant smile. The corner of her lips quirked up in a small half smile that failed to reach her eyes.
She broke eye contact and turned back to me. "I think that, maybe, the person that's making me do something I don't really want to is… me."
"What…?"
She rose quickly. "Nevermind. Forget you heard that. I'll, uh… see you later."
She quickly trotted over to the other side of the beach, where Maxwell and Bertrand were, leaving me very confused.
Was she… having seconds thoughts about the competition?