Chapter 7

Owen took Jordan by the hand once they were out of view of the ballroom and led her into the hedge maze that his mother had constructed when his brother was little. He and Leonardo had spent hours playing here when younger. Thankfully, the current Queen, his stepmother, had enjoyed the solitude of the maze as well and kept it maintained.

He led Jordan deeper into the maze and straight to a two-person swing. He stopped her in front of it. “I can’t believe you’re here. Why did you accept Cordova’s invitation after turning mine down?”

Jordan reached up and put her hands on either side of Owen’s face. “I regretted turning you down almost as soon as you left me. The longer it went, the more I knew I’d made a mistake. I would have contacted you and asked to come, but I didn’t know how to get in touch with you.

“Then Stephano showed up. He explained Cordova had no one to sponsor this year for the season. He thought I might like the chance to see Phildonia and try to get to know you better.”

She smiled and shrugged. “It seemed like the second chance I’d been looking for. Does it upset you I’m here?”

He took her by the waist and pulled her close, allowing his breath to mingle with hers. “Not at all, now that I know you came for me and not for Stephano or Harrison.”

“While I hope my association with Cordova helps Stephano and Harrison out, I have no interest in them. It was fortunate in that they needed a lady to sponsor and I needed an invitation. I’m here for us, Owen. To see if our connection is the real thing or just a temporary affection.”

He lowered his head the rest of the way, claiming her lips. His kiss that grew more passionate by the minute. When his lungs pounded for air, he pulled away long enough to fill his need for oxygen and then claimed her lips repeatedly. He went to wrap her in his arms, but those marvelous mechanical wings got in the way. She laughed a light trilling laugh and pulled away, unclipping the belt at her waist. “Lift them straight up and they’ll detach now.”

Without waiting a second, he did as she asked and carefully laid them on the ground against the hedge itself. Then he took her and wrapped her in his arms, pulling her close as possible. She wrapped her arms around his neck, her fingers tangling in the hair at the back of his neck. His mouth found hers again, and he drank deep from her lips. Then he moved to placing kisses on her neck and nibbling at her earlobe.

Jordan moaned and returned the favor. Time passed, and Owen felt himself reaching the point of no return. He stepped away and placed one last chaste kiss on her lips. “I think it would be wise for me to see you to your door, My Lady.”

He saw her shiver. “Are you cold?”

She bit her lip and shook her head. “No, I just like it when you call me that?”

“Call you what? My Lady? That’s what you are, Jordan. Make no mistake about that. No matter what may come or how I end up choosing at the end of this season. I recognize our connection and if I was free to marry for love, I’d declare my choice tonight.”

She smiled a sad smile and nodded. “I know, My Prince. You are like those heroes at the Alamo. You have set aside your personal freedom for what is best for your people and their future.”

He pulled her into his arms again and kissed her soundly one last time for the night. “I have. That you recognize that further convinces me that at the end of this ridiculous charade, it will be you standing by my side.”

She smiled and melted against him. Owen stepped back and picked up the mechanical wings. “This was ingenious, Jordan. How did you come up with the whole phoenix costume so quickly?”

She winked at him as she turned her back to him so he could settle them back on her shoulders. He watched as she latched the belt back around her waist and then fiddled with the stone on her bracelet, causing the wings to extend again. She shifted a few times until they hung balanced and pressed the stone again, causing them to retract. “I told you, Your Highness, I have many connections. I just used one with a New York Broadway costume designer.”

“Well, it was ingenious. You certainly showed that you took our customs to heart and fully embraced them.”

“Thank you. That was my intention.” She bit her lower lip. “Well, and maybe impress you and your family at the same time.”

He took her hand again as they headed back to the palace. “I’m going to presume you are staying at the Palace tonight. Most of the duchies that have a lady here are, so they can attend the breakfast with the Royal Family. That will be when they are formally introduced to my father and the Queen.”

“I was told by my maid that we were. She was going to meet me in my room to help me get out of this getup.”

“Were you informed that most of the Ladies would have a gift for my stepmother, the Queen?”

“I was, and I was told that she has an affinity for the gardens and oversees the flower beds herself when she can?”

“How do you know this? That isn’t common knowledge. I’m not even sure any of the other Ladies know that gardening is the Queen’s secret passion.”

She smiled. “Prince Owen, when will you learn that I have sources that can find out anything? Just because I’m in your country now, instead of mine, doesn’t mean I’m without my own resources for anything I might need to know or gain. What I had wasn’t a sure source, but you’ve confirmed that it is legit. Therefore, yes, I have a gift for your stepmother. It will be one she should enjoy immensely.”

He kissed her hand as they were now strolling hand in hand through the castle. He saw a member of the palace staff scurrying to be unseen. “Do you know which guest suite they have set aside for the Cordova nobles?”

“Yes, your Highness, it is in the east wing and we have adorned the doors with the phoenix crest of their house.”

He nodded, and the woman started to slip away again when Jordan turned to her. “Thank you. What is your name?”

“Me, My Lady?”

“Yes you. You helped the Prince and I. I’d like to know your name.”

The girl curtsied. “It’s Cora, My Lady.”

“Well, thank you, Cora. You’ve saved me from stumbling around looking for my house.”

The girl looked between Owen and Jordan before finally smiling. “It was my pleasure, My Lady.”

She hurried away, but Owen noticed her looking back over her shoulder at them. “You know, most people don’t thank them for doing their job.”

Jordan shook her head. “Well, they should. Telling us where my room was isn’t her job. Cora delayed her journey and responded to our question. That deserves the common decency to thank her for her help.”

“You are a wonder, Lady Jordan Sparks.”

Jordan shrugged and wrinkled her nose. “I’m no such thing, Prince Owen. I’m just me.”

Owen stopped and pulled her into his arms, and kissed her quickly. He pulled away when he heard a familiar giggle and looked up to see his sister leading their grandmother up the hall. “Well, I guess we know where you snuck away to, don’t we?”

“What are you two doing wandering around the palace?”

His grandmother cackled. “Wandering, boy? You better get your head out of the clouds. You’re leading that woman right into the heart of the lion’s den.”

Owen looked around and realized they were indeed in the private wing reserved for his family. “Oh well, this isn’t where we were heading at all.”

Jaqueline laughed. “I’m surprised, dear brother, that you even know what day it is. I’ve never seen you so thrown by a surprise before.”

His grandmother nodded her head. “I agree, Jacquie. Owen, take yourself to bed. Your sister and I will see that our newest lady finds her way to her rooms. You’d better start playing the game, young man, or you’ll find yourself married to the wrong lady. Your Father and his wife will not make these kinds of mistakes. Their pick will be presented as the representative from Valaria at breakfast tomorrow.”

“They dare introduce her as from my mother’s own house?”

His grandmother walked over and poked him in the head with her aged finger. “Think, Prince Owen. Use that training in tactics and maneuvers I know you received. They couldn’t present her from Avandor, could they? No, because that is your house. While you have caretakership of your mother’s house, it belongs to no one. Thus, the King may present a temporary replacement. So, don’t respond when the King presents the temporary Countess of Valaria to you tomorrow. They’ve given her use of the house and chambers here in the Royal Wing.”

He nodded his head. “Thank you, Grandmother. Are you both sure I shouldn’t escort Lady Jordan to her assigned rooms?”

“Not after disappearing with her and missing the end of the ball, then showing up here in the Royal wing with her. Are you trying to get her removed from Phildonia before she has a chance to shine?”

Jaqueline pointed at his room. “Go to your room, Prince Owen. I will see your girlfriend home safely.”

Owen’s mouth clenched. “Jaquie.”

His grandmother laughed. “Don’t bother denying it, boy. Unless you plan to tell us you’ve started wearing orange lip gloss.”

Owen whipped a handkerchief out of his pocket and wiped his mouth; sure enough, it had traces of Jordan’s orange lip gloss on it. “You two win this round. Jordan, My Lady, I will see you tomorrow.”

“Sweet dreams, My Prince.”

Jaquie squealed. “You two are so sickeningly sweet.”

Owen tweaked his sister’s nose and then continued to his suite and locked himself inside. He had much to think about before morning. Including how to handle his king and queen’s obvious attempt to circumvent his choice.

*****

Jordan turned to the Dowager Queen and the Princess. They both turned and headed a couple of doors further into the hallway they were already on. The elder royal looked back at where Jordan was still standing. “Come along, Miss Clairemont, unless you want all your secrets revealed in the hallway.”

Jordan was so shocked to hear her birth name out of the retired Queen’s lips that she started following automatically. “You know that isn’t actually my name anymore, don’t you, Your Majesty?”

“I know that your legal name is Jordan Roseland Clairemont-Sparks and that you’ve been going by Jordan Sparks. I also know who you really are and why you changed your name. What I want to know is are you willing to do whatever it takes to become the next Queen of the country I love, and the wife of the man destined to lead that country into the future?”

They entered a door and the older woman shook off the hand of her granddaughter. “I’m not feeble yet, granddaughter. Ring the kitchen for some tea and biscuits.”

The Princess bowed deeply in a sweeping motion. “As you wish, Grandmother.”

The older lady tried not to smile as she pointed her finger at the girl. “None of your sass, either. We’ve company, you know.”

Then the old queen looked at Jordan. “Don’t be surprised at what I know, young lady. I’ve met your father many times, and unlike my son and his wife, I pay attention when people talk and show us things. I saw the picture of you when you graduated from college last year. And I heard the frustration and pride in his voice when he talked about your name change.” She motioned to Jordan’s back. “Do you need help to remove those splendid wings, my dear? They can’t be comfortable after all this time.”

Jordan smiled. “They do become cumbersome after a while, but they were totally worth the effort. I wanted everyone to realize I came to be part of the court, not a casual observer.”

“You mean you came to give notice to the court that you mean to win my grandson’s heart and become his princess!” The older woman waved to her granddaughter. “Help Jordan out of those wings, Jaqueline dear.”

“Yes Grandmother. I wanted a chance to look at them up close, anyway. There have been women who’ve shown up with wings in the past, but none that were functional. How did you get them to open and close like that?”

Jordan once again undid the belt at her waist. “If you help me lift them straight off my shoulders, I’ll show you how they work.”

Together, the two younger women got them off and Jordan laid them on the ground, finished side down. “They have two mechanisms known as mini-servos here in the center. Do you see them?”

She pointed them out, and then she took the bracelet off her wrist. “They are remote controlled by this bracelet. When I push the right stone...”

She pushed the crystal that had the remote trigger under it and the whisper glide servos pushed the rods out of the body and extended the wings. The Princess clapped like she had in the ballroom. “How wonderful.”

Jordan handed her the bracelet. “Push the stone and they’ll retract.”