Page 53 of His Runaway Princess

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As they drovenorth out of the capital city, Ryker wondered if he’d ever get used to sitting in the back seat and not being in control of the auto.

This drive, unlike one of the routes between Lake Akushla and the city of Akushla, seemed to be completely safe - not one switchback in sight.

Amalia appeared completely at ease, despite the incident after their brunch. She’d leaned her seat back and closed her eyes. He knew she hadn’t slept nearly long enough the night before.

No matter how hard he tried, Ryker wasn’t able to do the same. Instead, he watched the road and the scenery as they travelled for nearly two hours.

About the time they pulled through a large metal gate, Amalia raised the back of her seat with a yawn.

“Feel better?” he asked, reaching for her hand.

She nodded. “A little more rested anyway. Tonight should be a lot better. It’s always so peaceful out here.”

Looking around, Ryker could see that. The house wasn’t as big as the Quatremaine’s home on Lake Akushla, but definitely much larger than any home he’d ever lived in until he moved to the palace. His parents had been middle class, but comfortable. Their house had been immaculate but homey at the same time.

The auto glided to a stop in front of the stairs. A staff member, presumably one from the house, opened the door for them. Ryker exited then turned to help Amalia onto the cobbled drive. She thanked the man by name then led the way up the staircase and into the house.

Inside, the home seemed as unpretentious as any royal home Ryker had ever been to. It reminded him more of the home Prince Darius and Princess Esther shared in the States than it did a royal home.

“We’re this way,” Amalia told him, heading up the stairs to the right.

No marble graced this floor. No impressive chandelier hung from the ceiling. Instead, what looked to be vinyl plank covered the floor. Interesting.

Ryker followed her until they reached a suite on the third floor. Set on the rear of the house, the windows overlooked the plateau leading to a cliff. From the angle, he couldn’t tell how steep or high the cliff might be, but the water beyond told him it was likely tall.

“This is a great view,” he told Amalia as he took it in.

“It’s my favorite.” Was that a yawn?

Ryker turned in time to see her flop back onto the bed and cover her eyes with her arm. He chuckled to himself.

“A few years ago, Grandfather let me choose what room I wanted to be mine when we came up here. I think it’s kind of a rite of passage as you become an adult. When I was younger, I stayed near Mum and Papa and my siblings.” She rolled onto her side, pulling her knees up onto the bed. “Ginny and Ollie have a room on this floor as well, but I don’t remember where. I think it’s on the other end. I don’t know why she chose it. Maybe because it was close, but not too close? This is where Ginny and Ollie came on their honeymoon about a year ago.” She sounded adorable when she rambled.

Choosing a comfortable chair, Ryker moved it closer to the bed. After toeing his shoes off, he sat with his feet propped up on the edge of the mattress. “How often do you come up here?”

“A few times a year.” She punctuated her words with another yawn. “Holidays mostly. We usually spend Christmas here. Christmas Eve is spent serving meals or working with a particularly relevant charity. Then we drive up here after Christmas Eve service and eat a late meal. If the Aurora Borealis are out, we go watch for a bit then go to bed. The next morning, the staff has the day off so we take care of everything ourselves. We open stockings, have a big brunch, then open gifts before spending the day playing games or watching movies or just spending time together.”

“That sounds very nice.” Would he be here for the next Christmas gathering? It had been quite some time since he’d had an actual Christmas with family.

She moved up the bed until her head lay on one of the pillows. “It is. We stay in our pajamas all day, even my grandfather, unless he happens to have a meeting or something unexpected. Before supper, we watch his Christmas Day address as a family, then make something quick and easy to eat.”

Even as she finished speaking, Ryker could tell she had started drifting. Rather than respond to her, he looked around and found a blanket laying over the back of another chair. After covering her with it, he went onto the balcony to stare at the view.

It bothered him that the man he’d seen remained on the loose. Despite their rapid response, the security team personnel hadn’t been able to find him. What were the security protocols for this home? He needed to look into them.

No.

He needed to trust the team tasked with their safety. If they ever came to him and asked his opinion, he’d give it. Or if he saw something that needed changing, he’d bring it to their attention in an appropriate manner.

Yes, he’d spent all of his adult life to date as a member of a protection detail, but he knew how he’d feel if someone he didn’t know started second guessing him all of the time.

A noise below made him look down in time to see Princess Regina and her husband emerge from the house. He watched as they walked toward the cliff, though he didn’t think they’d get too close.

Turning along a path he couldn’t quite see, they continued toward the edge until Ryker stood up straighter and contemplated calling after them.

And then...

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