Page 1 of The Problem with Princes
ChapterOne
If I die right here,right now…I will die content.
Not that I’m ready to meet my maker or anything. I mean why mess up a perfect vacation?
The view before me—it’s beyond amazing. But there is something else. Something I can’t quite put my finger on.
I place my forearms on the chest-high rock wall separating me from the sheer cliff and lean tentatively over. My heart races at the height, but the view of the sparkling blue water of the Aegean Sea, the waves breaking into white foam on the rocks below make it worth it. And this wall is sturdy. I feel mostly safe behind it. On either side, the hills slope gently away from the water’s edge. Red tile roofs and white stucco houses are separated from the green foliage only by the road winding up the hillsides. This little Mediterranean island is just what I imagined it would be.
A light breeze blew off the water, picking up the small hairs at the back of my neck and fluttering the brim of my large floppy hat. I close my eyes, breathing in the salty scent. If only this was real life.
My mouth pulls down at the thought of returning home. My muscles tighten and I knead at the back of my neck, trying to ward off the headache that is sure to come. This vacation is supposed to help ease these feelings. I open my eyes, hoping to regain some of my previous serenity.
“Earth to Grace. Come in, Grace.” Texie waves her hand back and forth in front of my face.
I blink a few times, turning to look at her over my shoulder.
“Where are you, Gee? I don’t think you’ve heard a single word I’ve said.” There is a hint of irritation in her voice, but mostly she sounds like she is on the verge of laughing.
Texie and I have been best friends since meeting in a poli-sci study group our first semester at Stanford.
“I’m in Atraxia, Tex. Just like you.”
She tilts her head to the side and raises a brow at me.
I straighten, shaking my head. “Sorry. I’m just reveling.” I sweep my hand to the side, encompassing the view I’ve been watching. I heave another deep sigh. “What were you saying?”
“I said I’m starving. How about we head back to that little pastry shop we saw on our way here?”
My stomach growls loudly. “Apparently, you’re not the only one.” I push off the wall and turn to face her. “That sounds fabulous. Maybe we can bring it back here and eat on that bench over there?” I offer a hopeful smile, adding a bit of whine to my voice for added measure.
“I don’t care where we eat as long as I get some food.” Texie is one of those people who eats whatever she wants and never gains an ounce. It’s one of the many ways we’re opposites. I love her in spite of her unfair genetics, but that doesn’t stop me from clenching my fists beneath the table when she snarfs down three servings of dessert while I pick at my half-serving.
Her blonde hair swishes around her shoulders as she turns in the opposite direction. “Come on, Grace. That view isn’t going anywhere. But the baklava in the bakery window surely is.”
We make our way down the cobblestone street toward the little pastry shop we’d passed earlier. Centuries-old buildings shade the narrow street. Two cars can’t pass each other with more than an inch of clearance, but that doesn’t stop the delivery trucks from wedging themselves into every alley, sometimes blocking the road completely to unload their wares.
The ambiance makes me feel a little like the Pied Piper of Hamelin. I can’t stop the smile that breaks out on my face. Goosebumps even dot my arms. Something about this place just makes me happy.
“Are you reveling again?” Texie gives me a little shoulder bump. “I’m glad this is the final stop on our trip, rather than our first. You would have been no fun at all in Romania or Serbia after this, assuming I’d have even been able to get you there.”
I roll my eyes. “Whatever.” But I stop and stare at her. “Don’t you feel it?”
“Feel what? It’s beautiful, but so were Albania and Montenegro.”
I tilt my head to the side, really looking at her. How can she not be moved? But then I realize something. She just doesn’t get it like I do.
For me, there is something almost spiritual here. I frown.Wow.Even I think that sounds overly sappy.
I give her a quick shrug before I turn my attention back to the buildings around us. The tinkling of a bell adds just the right amount of fairy-tale charm to the picture.
“Grace.” Texie grabs my arm and pulls, but not before I slam into something solid, nearly knocking the wind out of me.
“Oh, for the love of Pete.” I take a step back and look down at the stain covering the lower half of my white tank top, barely visible beneath my gauzy floral top. A burning sensation envelops my belly and scalds a dark brown path down my white skinny jeans.
Tears form in my eyes, and I suck in my stomach, trying to get the fabric away from my burning skin. Breathing out slowly through clenched teeth, I look around. What did I hit?
Texie elbows me in the ribs.
