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Candice ~Part 3~

To go back and read Part 1 of Candice’s story, click here.

To read Part 2 of Candice’s story, click here.

Arriving at Mai Branton’s office was a blur. Probably because Candice was first escorted through a gorgeous, sprawling villa to reach it. The whole place was stunning. Artwork, fountains, gardens, people, dozens of turns she couldn’t keep track of, and her brain was still spinning through every word spoken in the car with Prince Dalton. A part of her still could hardly comprehend that she had seen him in person, let alone speak with him.

Thankfully Felix was still with her, leading her through the maze of hallways. When he stopped in front of a random door that looked no different than any of the other ones they had passed, Candice had to rock back hard on her heels to avoid slamming into him.

“Are you sure it’s this one?” She blurted. “How do you know it’s this one?”

“Don’t worry, miss. This is the one.” He didn’t wait any longer, opening the door and heading in. Candice reluctantly followed after him, taking a deep breath as she went.

Mai did not smile as Candice entered, instead moving to pull several papers off the printer. “Ms Evans. I trust your ride was uneventful.”

Surprised, Candice glanced over at Felix. He smiled and shook his head slightly. Thankfully Ms Branton did not notice since she was focused on the papers she’d printed.

“Yes, thank you.”

“Alright.” Ms Branton motioned to the seat across the desk from her. “Please take a seat. I have an agreement for you to sign as well as your schedule for the next few days. I hope you understand that some training will be necessary to prepare you for your required appointments and events. Questions?”

“What does the agreement entail? And what is my boss thinking is happening?”

“Your boss will be told in the morning that you have been temporarily contracted to assist in the upcoming conference and are required to be attending training meetings and such. If we need you after the conference we will think of something else to tell him.”

It took over an hour for Ms Branton to cover all the details that were outlined in the agreement as well as her schedule for the next day. After everything was signed and all the questions were answered and all the ‘don’ts’ covered, Ms Branton escorted her to the suite where she would be staying for the duration of her visit.

As they walked, Candice shook her head. “I am so lost, I’ll never remember where to go.”

“I will make sure you receive a map with your schedule in the morning. And if you still get lost, ask any of the staff for help and they will be happy to assist.”

“Ms Branton, I have what may seem like an odd question.” She chuckled hesitantly. “Will I be seeing the prince before that first public engagement?”

Ms. Branton stopped walking. “Why?”

Candice faced her with a shrug, smiling easily even though she wanted to wilt a little under the suspicious glare she was being subject to. “I wouldn’t want to react oddly to meeting him for the first time with who knows how many people watching.”

“You have a point.” Ms Branton gave a sharp nod. “I will have to check his schedule. Your first appearance with the prince won’t be for another week so we should be able to find some time somewhere, even if it is for only a few minutes at a time.”

Opening the door to her room, Candice forced herself to not stumble to a stop. It wasn’t actually a room, it was a suite with a beautifully appointed sitting room and branched off into two rooms, one on either side. Ms Branton stopped just inside the door.

“Now Candice, you should have all the essentials you will need for the night in your room as well as some snacks. Dinner will be brought here tonight in about an hour. When they come, let them know any food preferences, dietary requirements, and such that you need. I will see you in my office tomorrow after you have your breakfast.”

“Thank you.” She stopped herself from bowing. “I’m unsure how to fill the gaps in etiquette. I know how I’m supposed to act in public…”

Ms Branton shook her head. “Do not worry. We will cover it all tomorrow.”

Candice nodded and wandered further into my huge room as she heard the door click shut behind Ms Branton. She didn’t get farther than a small side table that was not visible from the door, sitting beside the sofa. Not seen from the door, laying there on that table, was a phone. Candice hurried to pick it up and rush to the door, turning it over in her hands. As she made it to the door, it buzzed in her hand.

Luckily she glanced down at the screen before she opened her door because she discovered that the text, several texts, were for her. 

Candice? 

Candice stared down at the phone and opened another. 

This is Dalton…the prince. I hope this phone is somewhere you can find it.

Apparently the prince was very swift on fulfilling promises. Her fingers fumbled and she unlocked the phone. As she hurried to open the messages she dropped the phone. Laughing to herself she picked it up and took a shaky breath, moving over to the sofa to sit. And breathe.

Another text came in before she began to type.

Dalton: I can only imagine what you will think when you find this phone with hundreds of texts from a random guy you just met. Ha.

Candice laughed. And finally sent her text.

Candice: You have amazing timing. I almost took the phone to Ms Branton thinking someone had left their phone. And you are not a random guy. Though I do appreciate the thought of acting like a beacon with all the texts to ensure that I noticed the phone.

Dalton: You found it!

Candice:  You managed to get me a phone. I admit to being surprised at how fast you followed through.

Dalton: Let’s just say that I was motivated to be prompt. I’m curious about this whole pastry thing you so fetchingly whispered into my ear. You definitely had my attention.

Candice blushed, writing, deleting, and rewriting different responses before settling with: Fetchingly? I was going for convincing.

Candice ~Part 2~

If you missed Part 1 of her story, click here.

My phone rang as I stepped out of Stella’s Bakery at the end of my shift. I had a guess who was calling and even after spending the rest of my shift trying to figure out if I would say yes to playing the part of a Countess, I still didn’t know my answer.

It rang again, startling me from my thoughts. After a deep breath, I answered. “Hello, Candice Evans speaking.”

“Candice. This is Mai Branton. Have you made your decision?”

“Wow. You weren’t kidding about needing an answer once my shift was over.” I stopped on the curb. “What if I hadn’t called the number until now?”

“Then we wouldn’t be having this conversation.” There was a slight pause. “You are going to say no, aren’t you?”

I shrugged. “I don’t feel right, lying to the prince.”

Mai laughed. “Oh you won’t be. He knows. In fact, he is part of the team searching for her stand in. He chose you.”

“Prince Dalton chose me to fill in for his fiance?”

“Would that change your answer?” Mai’s voice sounded hopeful.

Hastily reassessing, I slumped to sit down on the curb. “If he knows, then I guess it’s fine. How long?”

“Until Countess de Launcey is located.” Mai sighed. “Now, get off the ground and let’s be on our way.”

I shot to my feet and looked around. I couldn’t see the woman I remembered from the bakery anywhere. “Can you see me?”

“No, dear. I can only imagine how I would take the news of all this. I will send a car to pick you up. Are you on your way home or still at the bakery?”

I glanced back at the bakery and smiled. “I am standing in front of the bakery. Should I wait here?”

Mai’s voice crackled for a second, as if she were talking to someone away from her phone. Then she was back. “Stay there. Felix is on his way. Black sedan with our flag on the door panel. He will identify himself before approaching you. See you in a few.”

With that, the phone disconnected and I stared at the blank screen.

Ten minutes later a black sedan pulled up a few feet away and a tall smiling man stepped out, tipping his hat toward her. “Miss Evans? My name is Felix. Miss Branton sent me to fetch you.”

“A pleasure to meet you, Felix. Do you know if it would be possible for me to stop by my house for a minute?”

Felix opened the back door and bowed. “I believe that has already been put on the schedule for tomorrow. Is there something urgent you need to retrieve?”

Candice shook her head. “Other than necessities, no. Tooth brush, pajamas, that sort of thing.”

“We have some options available for you in the guest suite. No worries there, miss.”

Candice nodded and got in. She gave a small squeal when she realized she wasn’t alone. Thankfully her first instinct was not to strike out. “Prince Dalton!”

Felix dipped his head down, confusion on his face. “Did Miss Branton not inform you that he would be in the car?” Felix looked to the prince.

Prince Dalton waved him away. “It is my fault, Felix. I will deal with Miss Branton when we arrive. You will not get in trouble.”

I edged away from the royal with as much subtlety as I could manage. However, when his attention came back to me I couldn’t see straight.

“I am truly sorry to give you such a start, Miss Evans. I merely could not resist meeting you away from all the prying eyes.” He extended his hand. “A pleasure to meet you. Thank you for stepping in during this crisis.”

“I…you…hi.” Words were not working well for me at the moment.

Prince Dalton chuckled. “Hi.”

“I don’t know how I am supposed to address you. I know I’m going to be pretending to be a countess, and your fiancé at that but you know I’m not. Do I call you different things depending on the situation? How do I know which situation warrants which address? Does the countess run away often?” I clamped my hand over my mouth and took a deep breath. “Sorry.”

“No. I understand how this would all be very confusing. Especially if I am the first royal you have met.” One eyebrow raised in question at that.

“I…yes. You are my first royal. Not mine. Erm.” I lost the battle to not squirm a little in my seat.

Prince Dalton smiled. “Not to worry. Please call me Dalton, in private and public. That way, there is no confusion. Callista and I were on a first name basis, so you calling me anything else would raise questions.”

My mouth gaped, but only for a second. I reigned in my shock as quickly as I could. “Do you like pastries?”

I could see the surprise on his face at the abrupt change of topic but refrained from taking it back.

“I do.” His smile was back and more dazzling than ever. “Why?”

“Oh. I sell pastries. And my favorite thing is helping people find their favorite. Do you have a favorite?”

I watched as he thought, surprised that he didn’t have an answer right away.

“You know, Candice, I don’t think I’ve ever had someone ask me that. Usually I eat whatever pastry is brought. And I enjoy it. Would you be able to help me discover my favorite?”

“Oh, I wasn’t implying that you had to have one. I was only making conversation. Pastries are one of the things I know best.”

He laughed. “Then we are sure to be able to find my favorite. Say you’ll help me.”

“I already am.” I smiled. “Though I’m sure I can manage helping with both.”

The car stopped and his smile disappeared behind a neutral, rather regal expression. I was immediately intimidated again. Before I could question the sudden change, the door opened.

“After you, Miss Evans.” Prince Dalton motioned politely to the door. Gone was the man who had been laughing with me only moments before. For a brief second, I wondered if I would ever get to see that side of him again or if I would only be seeing him at the necessary public obligations as his Countess de Launcey.

I whispered softly. “We have to find your favorite flavor first. I’ll make up a list.”

A flash of humor momentarily brightened his eyes as he whispered back. “I’ll be sure to get you a phone with my number in it so we can begin our investigation.”

On impulse I squeezed his hand and exited the car.

Come back next week for Part 3 of Candice’s story!

Candice

“Order for Kenley.” Hank called out.

I winced as Kenley grabbed her order. While I knew that Hank having a good loud voice was great for helping the customers know when their food was ready, but him yelling right next to my ear was wearing my nerves down to nothing. I was flinching every time he stepped up beside me.

Shaking it off, I turned to the next person in line. “Welcome to Stella’s Bakery. What can I get for you?”

A woman dressed in a black power suit with an expression to match stepped up to the counter. She didn’t glance at the menu board or the pastry display. Her gaze remained locked on me and there wasn’t a smile to accompany it. I braced for her complaint. I gave her my best customer service smile and mustered up all the patience I had left.

Instead of ordering or complaining, she laid a business card down on the counter in front of me. “You have been called to serve your country and your crown. Call me when your shift is done.” The woman attempted a smile but it didn’t show in her eyes. Maybe she wasn’t used to using her smile muscles.

In seconds, the woman was out of line and walking out the door. For a second, I thought about running after her and demanding an explanation to such an odd phrase. However, with the line winding through the shop I couldn’t give myself any more time to think about the woman’s unusual announcement. There were other customers waiting who did want to order. Slipping the card off the counter, I shoved it into my work apron and got back to work.

“Welcome to Stella’s Bakery. What can I get for you?”

An old balding man smiled at me. “I don’t know.”

“Any favorite flavor or type of pastry?” I gave him a bright smile back. My secret favorite part of my job was helping people discover their favorite pastry.

“Lemon?” He said. “Do you have that here?”

“We do.” I nodded, pointing at the display case next to me. “We have lemon tartlets, creamy lemon mousse cups, chocolate covered lemon truffles, and powdered lemon drops.” I leaned over the counter. “Lemon is my favorite too.”

“Candice.” My boss called from the back room. “Your 5 minute break was due an hour ago. Take it now before I have to fire you for loving your job too much.”

I laughed. “I’ll get right on that.” Turning back to the old man. “I guess you are going to be my last customer before I have to go on break. Did any of those sound like something you want to try?”

“I’ll take one of each.” He smiled. “And a lemon tartlet for you to have on your break.”

“Aww thank you sir. I can’t. It’s policy.” I sighed. I rang up his order and handed him a bag full of his pastries. “Enjoy.”

Disappearing into the back room I rolled my shoulders and slumped back against the wall. Heading to the small closet-like break room I grabbed my phone and went out back into the alley. As far as alleys go, it was neat and clean and I loved the fresh air.

While checking my texts and skipping past the ones from my mother, I remembered the business card I had stashed in my apron. Pulling it out, I looked it over. Mai Branton. I hesitated at the phone number. She had basically demanded I call when my shift was over. It wasn’t over but I didn’t want to wait another two hours to figure out what was going on.

A second later I was calling.

“Hello Candice.” The voice was the woman who had handed me the card. “Your shift does not end until 3.”

“I’m on break. Who are you?” I kept my voice steady even though my hands were shaking.

“As it says on the card my name is Mai Branton. I am the royal advisor’s head of logistics.”

“Ok. Why are you talking to me?”

“There is a situation. And when going over our options your name came up.”

“My name? From who?”

There was a hesitation. “I wish we could have this meeting face to face but I could not arrange it. I shouldn’t say this before you agree to help but I think you have a right to know. However, if you do repeat any of what I am about to say you will end up in jail, at the very least. When reviewing our options your name didn’t come up, it was your picture. You match the description we need.”

“You need someone who looks like me?”

“Yes.”

My breathing caught and my chest constricted. “Am I going to be framed for something?”

Mai chuckled. “No. Something much more exciting. Countess De Launcey is missing and you fit her description well enough that with some heels and makeup you can pass for her.”

“Why not just find your countess?”

“We are trying. And in the meantime she has some high profile engagements that she can not miss. You won’t be making any decisions or changing laws. We just need time to locate her without hysteria over a missing noble.”

“So you want me to fill in for the Countess De Launcey?”

“Yes.” After a pause she continued. “You will be well compensated and arrangements will be made so that you will not get in trouble with your employer or school.”

I began to pace. “Do I have time to think about it?”

“Till the end of your shift. We will have to work through the night to make sure you are ready for the essential upcoming engagements.”

“Like what?”

“Luncheon with Prince Dalton.”

I dropped my phone. As I scrambled to pick it back up Hank popped the door open. “Is your break almost over? The line is piling up out there. Tonya’s shift just started and could really use your help.”

“Coming.” I shoved my phone into my apron and headed back inside.

Come back next week for part 2 of Candice’s story!

Natalie

“Oliver!” 

“Yes, Ms. Penrose?” A tall, well dressed and handsome man accompanied his darkly honeyed voice as he strolled out of his corner office in response to her yell. He smiled over at where she was standing halfway out her office door.

Natalie handed him a sheaf of papers. “You told me to holler as soon as these arrived.”

“I did.” He chuckled. “After all these years, I am still amazed by your remarkable knack for details.”

“All these years? You make it sound like I’ve worked for you forever. It’s only been 3 years.” She scoffed as she moved back into her smaller office. 

Oliver followed. “That’s a lifetime for me. Before you, I couldn’t keep hold of an executive assistant for more than a week.”

“True.”

“And yet, after three years of great teamwork, you still insist on being called Ms Penrose.” He leaned against the doorframe, a cajoling tone entering his voice. “You call me Oliver.”

Her hands went to her hips as she laughed. “Only at your insistence.”

“Then I insist you allow me to call you Natalie at work.”

She was shaking her head before he even finished speaking. “Mr Hickson, if you insist on that, I may have to insist on two weeks’ notice. Besides, you call me Natalie all the time.”

“Yes, but only outside the office.” He pointed a finger at her. “And do not call me Mr. Hickson.”

She folded her arms and smiled up at him. “Outside the office is when we are friends and you are not my boss.”

“If you weren’t so competent, Ms Penrose, I’d fire you.” He scowled and pushed off the door frame. “I’ll need you in my office at 3 tomorrow. There’s a deal being discussed that I will need your insight on after the initial talks are complete. You might as well be there in case you have any questions you need me to ask in my follow-ups.”

Natalie nodded and added a reminder on her computer. “I’ll be there. I also got a call from the Farrow Charity. They have not yet received your answer. Were you expecting me to reply for you?”

“The Farrow Charity? Isn’t that this weekend? I can’t go. I don’t have a date.”

Natalie leaned back in her chair and laughed. “So get one. I will let them know you will be coming with a plus one.”

“Don’t do that. Then I’d actually have to look for a decent date. And I don’t have time for that. How about this? If you want me to go so badly, you find me someone.” He pouted for a mere moment then glared. “Isn’t it your job to see to all the details?”

“No.” She glared. “I see to the details of your work life, not your personal life. Besides, you never like the dates I get for you. And at the end of the date, they don’t seem to like you either.” Natalie shook her finger at him. “If I find someone, you will have to promise to be nice and charming and at least pretend you are thrilled to have her there. Olivia still won’t speak to me after that disastrous gala she attended with you.” 

“That was not my fault.” He leaned over the desk. “And you never let me defend myself about that one.”

“There was a picture in the newspaper, Oliver. That told me all I wanted to know. And Desiree scowls at me everytime I even mention work. Who else?” She paused. “Oh wait. How could I forget about Bree or Nicole? Your history of dates with people I know is abhorrent. Now, you either agree to my terms or go find your own date.”

He didn’t move. “Why can’t you be my date?” His smile grew. “You would be the perfect date.”

“No, I wouldn’t.”

“And why is that?”

With a triumphant smile Natalie crossed her arms. “Because it would be a work event and I would have to insist you call me Ms Penrose all night.”

“You’re joking.”

She shook her head and went back to work, leaving him standing there. He didn’t move for several minutes, silent. After the first few minutes, she stopped glancing up to see if he was still there.

“Ms Penrose.” His pensive voice startled her.

Natalie set down the paper she was revising and looked up. “Yes, Oliver?”

“Work is over. Shouldn’t you be heading home?”

Glancing at the clock, she nodded. “You’re right. See you tomorrow.” As she stood, she glanced over at him. “Don’t forget to find a date. I’ll be telling them that you’ll be bringing one.”

He nodded. “May I walk you out?”

Side by side, they walked out to the sidewalk. Since she lived close, she always walked. However, his walking with her was new. And since he offered no explanation Natalie slowed down and peered over at him. As he continued to walk with her, she laughed. “Are you lost or are you going to walk me all the way home in an attempt to convince me to set you up with someone?”

Oliver glanced back at their office building and smiled, ignoring her question completely. “Would you say that we are officially no longer at work?”

She shrugged. “I suppose so. Are you waiting for me to call you Oliver before you leave? Is that why you are following me? See you tomorrow, Oliver.”

His hand on her arm stopped her as she turned to continue her walk home. When she looked over, he smiled broadly. “Natalie, my dear friend, dearest of all my friends, I don’t know if you know this but I have this charity thing I have to go to because my executive assistant is insisting I go and I would be honored if you would come with me as my date.”

“Oliver.”

He put his hands up. “Natalie, I am asking as a friend, not as your boss. Now you can’t insist on me calling you Ms Penrose at the Farrow Charity night.”

“I’m also not required to accept.”

“But will you anyways?” He gave her a huge fake pout. “Please.”

With a sigh she shook her head. “Put that face away and I’ll think about it.”

“Yes!’ He whooped.

“I didn’t say yes.” Natalie began walking away.

He called after her, “But you will!”

Lenore ~Part 4~

If you want to go back and read Part 1 of Lenore’s story, click here.

If you missed Part 2 of Lenore’s story, click here.

To go back and read Part 3 of Lenore’s story, click here.

Making herself comfortable in the taxi, Lenore rounded on Vaughn. “You are not going to tell my mother about all this crazy nonsense. I am not going to attempt to explain Atlan to her when I don’t even understand it myself.”

“You don’t have to worry about explaining. We will not be explaining Atlan. Or bringing it up at all. I will ask questions without mentioning any secret cities.” 

She shook her head. “No. That’s worse.”

“How so?”

With a groan she let her head crash back into the headrest. “Ugh. Just don’t talk. I need to figure this out.”

Thankfully he listened and remained silent as she kept her eyes closed and thought through what she could possibly say, rejecting it all as they came.

“We’re here.” He said, snapping her out of her thoughts.

She sat up straight and peered out the window, shocked at seeing her childhood home looking as normal and familiar as ever. Even more surprising was the sight of her mother, storming down the sidewalk toward the taxi, livid. Quickly, Lenore hopped out of the taxi and ran to embrace her.

In an amazingly fluid move Lenore’s mother hugged her, spun, deposited Lenore behind her, and went back to glaring at Vaughn in a heartbeat.

“Mom?”

She ignored Lenore, all her focus on Vaughn as he slowly slid out of the car with an easy smile. “Mrs. Shaisse. It is a pleasure to meet you.” His smile dropped and his eyes narrowed as he took in her stance. Immediately he bowed, low.

Her mother’s voice was harsh and strained as she asked, “Does she know?”

When he stood up straight, Vaughn gave a sharp nod. “I come as escort to figure out the discrepancy of her accidental arrival in Atlan.” He paused and glanced over at Lenore. “She found an old arch and practically fell through.”

Lenore could only stare in disbelief as her mother relaxed, motioning Vaugn to the house.

“Atlan. Then I suppose now would be the time to talk about a few things.” She put her arm around Lenore and looked back at Vaughn. “Join us inside, warrior.”

Lenore stared at her mother in shock. “Mom?” Turning to Vaughn she glared. “I thought you said we were absolutely not going to be bringing any of that up? Wait, Mom, do I know what? Why did you call him a warrior?”

“Inside, Lenore.” Her mother waved her inside without looking back at Vaughn. Closing the front door she took a deep breath. “Lenore, I need to speak with your guest for a minute.”

“Speak away, mom.” Lenore shrugged. “I’m not going anywhere. I want answers. You know about Atlan, talking about it like its commonplace knowledge and everything.”

Vaughn gave another low bow to her mother. “I did not know. Forgive my intrusion.”

Her mother waved her hand at him. “There was no way for you to know. Call me Zayta. Please sit down and I will explain.”

“Mom.” Lenore crossed her arms. “How do you know who he is?”

Spearing her with an icy don’t-cross-me glare, Zayta motioned once again to the sofa. “Go sit down, Lenore.”

Once all three were seated Zayta sighed. “Lenore, we come from a long line of well respected leaders in the city of Talsin. Similar to Atlan, our gates are closed to outsiders and can only be accessed through the archways. However, we believe that it is important to live among many diverse people to learn and grow from rich cultures such as our own. Your great grandfather was the first of our family to come here to Colorado. He fell in love with the place and its mountains. Eventually he moved here with his wife and children. After that, it became tradition for the women of our family to reconnect with our ancient heritage and live amongst the Talsin people for at least a year. Over the years many chose to remain in Talsin. Today only I remain here, for you.”

“For me?” Lenore jumped out of her seat and began pacing. “Why haven’t you told me any of this? Why the big secret?”

Zayta continued, unruffled by the outburst. “Tradition is special to us. I have been trying to set up the journey home with you for years. While I had hoped to take you as a gift before your wedding so you would at least know, I am sorry I have not pushed the issue harder. I did not want to burden you with so much change after your father died.”

Vaughn leaned forward, elbows on his knees. “Your family line is Shaisse? I do not recognize it. And I have studied the lines of most leading families in all four cities.”

“Four?!” Lenore exploded. “There are more cities? Do they all have kings that want to study me?”

Zayta jolted. “King Taran wants to study Lenore?” 

Vaughn inclined his head. “Only because of the mystery surrounding how she saw the archway.”

Lenore watched as her mother visibly relaxed. “Shaisse is not our Talsin family line.  My grandmother married a Shaisse from here. We are of the Reske line.”

Immediately Vaughn was on his feet and moving away.

“What?” Lenore grabbed him.

Glancing between the two of them, Vaughn struggled to speak. Finally Zayta chuckled. “Your friend is merely struggling with shock. He doesn’t know whether to call me a liar or bow again.”

“Why?”

Her mother once again speared her gaze into Lenore. “The Reske line was rumored to have died out years ago when political intrigue led way to the assassination of your grandmother’s brother and his family. Since my mother lived here and had married into a new name, none knew to look for her. Though many tried. Over the years people forgot about us and I have sought to keep it that way.” Turning her full attention on Vaughn once again Zayta smiled. “Now, warrior, I would hear what line you are of. You bow like you aren’t used to it and study noble family lines as if you are one.”

“I am Vaughn Laros.”

Zayta stood and swept a beautifully intricate curtsey that Lenore had never in her life seen her do. “The only son…and heir.”

Vaughn glanced at Lenore. “Yes. Though not the only heir in the room apparently.”

“What’s that supposed to mean?” Lenore shook. 

Her mother touched her arm. “My mother was sister to the king of Talsin. You are the forgotten heir to the city of Talsin.”

“So like a princess?”

Vaughn shook his head. “Not like a princess. You are one.”

She scoffed. “And what? You’re a prince?”

He bowed his head with a nod.

Lenore ~Part 3~

Click here to start Lenore’s story from the beginning.

Click here to read part 2 of Lenore’s story.

Vaughn did not leave her personal space for a moment as he walked her through the most amazing and clean city she had ever seen. Spiraling towers shaped like narwhal horns shot high into the bright water, shimmery bubbles encasing each one. Hundreds of walkways and bridges connected the city buildings. There was so much to see and gawk at and Vaughn would not let her slow down at all.

When she grumbled and tried to pull away, he only laughed. “Ah, Lenore. This is not the time for sight-seeing. We have things to accomplish today.”

“But we are leaving. When will I ever get the chance, if not now?”

“You will be back.” His hand on her back propelled her forward, his eyes scanning for openings in the crowd for them to pass through. They were moving fast.

Lenore shook her head. “You don’t know that. Your king might decide to have me disappeared instead. Get rid of the pesky annoyance before she can make any real problems. Maybe that’s what we are doing now. Are you going to make me disappear? Send me through a gateway with nothing on the other side? Make your king’s life a little less stressful?”

Vaughn continued walking, half pulling her along. “Such a delightful imagination, Lenore. However, despite your gruesome opinion of me, we are going to visit your mother.”

“My what?!” She shrieked, halting in the middle of the path. “I thought you were joking. You are not going to meet my mother. Are you insane? Why would I take you to visit my mother?”

It was his chuckle that stopped her cold. “You act as though you have a choice.”

Her shoulders slumped just a little. “I’m not going willingly. And you will have a hard time explaining yourself if you drag me everywhere. It’s not socially acceptable where I’m from.”

“Lenore. I will not be dragging you anywhere.” He held out his arm and gave a small bow. “However, I am the one who will be escorting you on the journey.”

“No. What am I supposed to tell her? I just met you and randomly thought the two of you should meet?”

He pulled himself up straight and shot her a charming smirk. “I will pose as your boyfriend.”

“No.” She shook her head so fiercely that her ponytail smacked her in the face. “That won’t work. I have…had a fiance and she’s met him, so you can’t be him either.”

“Do you currently have a fiance, Lenore? Or do you no longer have one?” The poor man looked genuinely confused.

“Had. I had a fiance. Though my mom doesn’t know yet that I don’t.”

“Why not?”

She sighed and pulled herself a little further away. He didn’t stop her. “Because I stupidly went to check out the golden arch that was shimmering on the wall of a cliff and a crazy psycho pulled me through it.”

Vaughn had started walking again and Lenore realized that she had followed without thinking. “I do not see the connection.”

Holding in a growl, she clenched her fists instead. “I broke up with my fiance the same night I was pulled through the arch. Was that last night?” She sighed, remembering how angry and sad she had been, walking down the beach. “I obviously haven’t had a chance to talk to her since then.”

He nodded. “I can see how that would prove to have been difficult. Why did you end the relationship with your fiance?”

There was devastatingly chill silence as Lenore abruptly put significant space between them and walked at a faster clip, her jaw clenched shut. It didn’t take more than a second for him to catch up, however he didn’t speak. They walked side by side for several minutes until his hand caught her elbow. She didn’t have a chance to yell at him because he quickly pointed down a hallway. 

“We turn here.” He didn’t say more, waiting for her to begin her long striding steps. Not wanting to deal with looking at his penitently chagrined face, she complied.  Again they walked until they reached a room that looked very much like the room she had arrived in, however there were several plush couches to the side where people were sitting around amiably chatting.

“Are they waiting for something?” Lenore whispered.

Vaughn motioned her closer to the arch. “This is one of the portals that is in current regular use. And they are probably waiting for people to arrive, not waiting to leave.”

She peered at the twisting archway again. “Regular? Where does this one lead to?” Her analyzing stare turned on Vaughn.

“For the next twenty minutes this one connects to downtown Denver, Colorado. Which reminds me. Where does your mother live? And what is her name? Where is your father?”

A little ‘ha’ burst out of her lips. “Shouldn’t you know all that already?”

“I was attempting politeness, but if you’d rather I not bother…” His face blocked out the rest of the room as his arm snaked around her waist. 

She was stunned to discover herself in his embrace, and not hating him for it. Despite her startling feelings she pushed him away. “How about we not hug it out. And you can let me go through the shiny magical portal alone.”

“What happened to being worried about going through a gateway to nothing. Have you decided to trust my word?”

She laughed sardonically. “No. Though I seriously doubt all these other people have gathered to willingly walk through the portal of doom or wait for people to come back through it.”

He shook his head and extended his arm to her. “Come. It is time for our departure.” Vaughn nodded over at one of the men standing near the arch and then pulled her through. He caught her around the waist once more before she had a chance to stumble when they ended up in a small empty office. Blithely walking into the also empty hallway, Vaughn nodded toward the window. “Now, your mother lives in the small town just to the west of here and we must hurry if we are to avoid traffic.”

“Here?” Lenore tried processing the sights she was taking in. “This is nowhere near the beach. This is Colorado.”

His persistent tug on her waist, had her in a taxi and zipping away towards her mother’s house before she could think to ask any questions. 

Click here to read the next part of Lenore’s story.

Lenore ~Part 2~

If you want to read part 1 first, click here.

Trying to shake the fuzziness in her head, Lenore blinked furiously. Her brain could not make sense of what she was seeing. A giant manta ray was swimming over her, on the ceiling. No, in the ceiling? Yet she was in bed. But not her bed. And she had no idea how she had come to be in that amazing comfy bed. 

Luckily, the more she blinked, the more her memories filled in the blanks. The Adonis guy, no. He said his name was Vince? Van? Maybe Vaughn? He told her where she was. 

But where was she, really? And she didn’t mean the city they were in. She didn’t even want to think about that yet. This was not the room she had been in before. No gateway or guards or views of a crazy awesome underwater city. And Vaughn was gone. He had ditched her in solitary confinement as soon as she had answered his questions and now he had no further interest or use for her. Though she had to admit, it was rather plush for confinement. 

But had she answered him? She couldn’t remember.

If she hadn’t still been laying in bed, she probably would have jumped out of her skin when the door slammed open and in walked a very officious looking woman, not a hair out of place.

“Staisse? Spell it.”

Lenore gaped at her. “Who are you?”

The woman’s eyes speared her. “Spell your name, girl. I can’t believe they sent me in to deal with the outsider. Me. I have far too much to do today to pamper a spoiled little nobody.”

“S-t-a-i-s-s-e.” Lenore gulped. “Am I a prisoner?”

With a groan, the woman finished typing in the translucent tablet she was holding and clasped it behind her back. Suddenly she looked like the stereotype ‘school marm’ ready to chastise her students a.k.a Lenore.

“Don’t be foolish, child. “ She gestured around the room. “Does this look like a cell? You are in a guest holding room until you can be confirmed and vetted.”

“And if I’m not?”

Another spear-tipped gaze was tossed her way. “Then you will forget any of this happened and no longer be my concern.”

Lenore exhaled. “That works for me. I’d rather be back to blissfully unaware.”

“Ms Staisse, you are the first to naturally see our doorway in over 400 years. The likelihood that the king will simply let you leave with no memories of what happened is next to none. Most likely  you will be vetted merely so he can hand you over to the science division to determine what went wrong so that we can prevent any more spill over.”

“I vote no.” Lenore plopped back on her bed.

“You lost your ‘vote’ when you crossed that doorway.” The woman crossed her arms.

“I didn’t cross the doorway.” Lenore tried to not screech hysterically. “The gorgeous, muscly guy pulled me through.”

“What do you mean?”

Before she blurted it all out, her eyes narrowed at the suddenly attentive tone. “You never told me who you are.”

“No. I did not.” The woman’s smile remained fixed. “I do not like to waste my time. Now you will tell me what happened or I will send you down to the interview room for a more thorough discussion.”

“Where’s Vaughn? That’s his name, right?”

Again the woman’s attention slammed into her. “Did Vaughn bring you here?”

Lenore was nodding as the door once again burst open. Vaughn came striding in with an easy smile.

“There you are, Ms Perkins. Are you still harassing the girl? I thought you just needed to confirm her name.”

Ms Perkins turned on him. “I was just about to hear an interesting story from the staisse girl. She claims that you pulled her through.”

Vaughn sighed. “Of course she did. She doesn’t understand how the doorways work. Her hand was already through the doorway. She was coming through whether she wanted to or not. I only finished the process faster so that she wouldn’t be spotted by anyone else as she was slowly disappearing into a cliff.”

“No! You…” 

Vaughn cut her off with a glare before switching back to his utterly charming smile. 

Ms Perkins humphed. “I’ll see that the king receives my report now.”

Lenore watched her leave. She quickly slammed her mouth shut as Vaughn faced her again. The door closed and she jumped just a little.

“Are you trying to get me in trouble?”

“Not knowingly.” With a bright smile she rose up. Standing with her arms crossed she cocked her head to the side. “If you weren’t so abrupt before and took some time to explain things I wouldn’t be talking to anyone who would listen.”

“Do you have a great great grandparent or further back that mysteriously disappeared without a trace and reappeared years later?”

“What?”

He shrugged. “I’m trying to figure out how you saw the doorway.”

“No disappearing relatives. Though every woman in my mother’s line goes on a year long trip with no phone or anything when they reach 20. Does that count as disappearing? That probably doesn’t count. Unless you are looking for women who are adventurous and have wandering spirits. Now I’m rambling.” Lenore clamped her mouth shut.

“How old are you?”

“Twenty one.”

“Did you go on this family trip?

“No.” Her arms crossed tightly across her middle.

“Why did you not go on your trip?”

Lenore shrugged. “I was busy with school. My mom has been trying to convince me to go but by the time I was done with school I had a fiancé. I couldn’t leave.”

“We must meet your mom.”

She laughed. “Your scary guard dog/secretary…”

“Ms Perkins?”

“Yes. She told me that I would either be heading to be experimented on or returning home minus the memories.”

“New development.” Vaughn slipped an arm around her waist and propelled her to the door. “And it looks like we get to spend some quality time together.”

Lenore glared up at him. “No kissing.”

“Let us meet your mother, then we can talk about kissing.”

“No, not kissing. We will talk about not kissing.”

Vaughn continued to escort her out. “We surely will have time to talk of both. Though I agree. No kissing in front of your mother yet.”

Come back next week to read part 3 of Lenore’s story!

Lenore

Lenore walked along the beach near La Jolla Cove, breathing in the crisp salty air. It was the calming breath she needed. After the fight she had just had with Colin, her now ex-fiance, over the fact that texting other girls to set up dates while she was out of town definitely counts as cheating, she needed the space.

She needed to hear the crash of the waves to steady her breaking heart. She needed the soft sand underneath her feet to ground her. And she most definitely needed time away from the restaurant she had just run out of crying, following their far too loud for being in public fight.

Several deep breaths later she stood still, staring at the looming cliff. The tide was rising and she didn’t have much time left before she wouldn’t be able to walk on the beach at all. Daylight was also fading, so there was that.

Just as she was about to turn back to go find her car she spotted an odd intricate arch that looked to be embedded in the cliff. There were beautiful shells and twisting seaweed like vines along the arch.

“What?” She whispered.

As soon as she spoke, the rock face inside the arch shimmered. Almost like when you go snorkeling and look up at the surface from under the water and see the sunlight scattering through the depths.

Without much forethought she moved toward it. The whole thing was stunning. And the closer she got to the arch, the brighter it shone. In the fading light it was calling to her curiosity, tugging her to inspect it closer.

She reached out to touch the water-like cliff face and found that there was no resistance. It was as if the rock she had seen before had liquefied into something else. However, she wasn’t able to pull her finger back. It didn’t hurt per se but she wanted her hand back.

After tugging for a minute she became a little more panicked, yanking hard. Just as she sucked in a deep breath to yell for help, a large bronzed hand and arm reached through the shimmery water and grabbed hold of her upper arm. Shock stole the air from her body when an Adonis-like face appeared attached to the hand currently holding her. With no warning the man smiled and pulled her in. The shock causing her to freeze melted into an oddly relaxed shudder, until he kissed her. Whether it was instinct or habit, Lenore’s eyes closed as she was filled with a rush of heat. She stumbled forward, falling further into the kiss and forgetting about the arch she had been struggling to extricate herself from; the same one he had just emerged from.

 Unable to pull back, now that her shoulder had touched the shimmering cliff face, her attempt to push him away resulted in her stumbling into his lips.

Like a rush of ice in her veins, her eyes popped open and she shoved him away again. Surprisingly it worked the second time and she was able to create some distance between them. She was met with an incredible sight that had nothing to do with the handsome man now standing in front of her.

Gasping, she reached a hand out to touch what looked like a bubble wall. On the other side of it was the ocean… and a city. She could see other large bubbles and connecting hallways of light forming around the vast city.

“Where?” Lenore couldn’t think of words to form her question further.

Apparently her new kissing buddy had questions of his own. “How did you know the archway was there? You shouldn’t have been able to see it.”

Her focus snapped over to him. “Is that why you kissed me? Because I saw an arch in a cliff? Or was it because I touched it without permission?” Even as she could hear the slight tinge of hysteria in her tone she couldn’t stop talking. “Where am I?? How do I get back?”

His arms folded as he gave her what she assumed was supposed to be a soothing smile. It looked a little more like a superior gloat though.

“You didn’t answer my question.”

“You didn’t answer any of mine.” She folded her arms to mimic his.

“Mine are more important ones that require immediate answers.”

Lenore took a deep breath to keep herself from launching at him to smack that pretty boy smile off his face. “That is a matter of perspective.” She looked around again. “How do I get out of here?”

“You don’t, unless I clear you.” He pointed behind him. “Once I do, my friend in the control room will open the door to this hallway and we can see what we can do about finding you a place to stay until we can return you to the surface.”

She clamped her jaw shut and shook her head. “I need to know what is going on before I talk to you about anything.”

He took a step forward. “Or maybe I should just kiss you until you tell me everything I want to know.”

“Is that supposed to be a threat or my reward?” She taunted, unwilling to admit that she really had enjoyed kissing him.

His smirk broadened. “My name is Vaughn.” He stuck his hand out. “Maybe I should start there. You touched one of the few portals still accessible to Atlan. Since you were an unknown, I was sent to assess the situation.”

“Does typical protocol include the kissing or am I special?”

“I’d say you are very special because kissing is against protocol on first contact and I am already very much tempted to do it again. However, I should probably at least know your name first?”

“Wait. Did you say Atlantis?”

“No. Atlantis is several miles north of here.”

“Oh.” She turned to stare out at the city. Almost as if she wasn’t aware that she was talking she whispered. “I’m Lenore. North?”

“Ms. North. We need to know how you broached security.”

Lenore shook her head. “My name is Lenore Shaisse. Not North.”

“Lenore?”

Hearing her name caused her to jump. “Yes?”

“How did you see the archway? Were you looking for it?”

She shook her head. “No. I was just walking on the beach and I saw it, then something started shimmering on the cliff face and I felt a strong desire to touch it, and then my finger was stuck. Then you showed up. You want to kiss me again?” Feeling unsteady she wavered, reaching her hand out to find some support and found his arm around her instead.

He smiled down at her. “Very much so, my lady.”

“Oh. Good.” Her world went black.

Click here for Part 2 of Lenore’s story!

Darra

Already 5 minutes late and nothing to show for it. If anything else happened to slow her down, she was going to miss her bus. Then, the only options would be running to catch the bus at its next stop, which would be impossible in her suit, or wait 20 minutes for the next bus that would make her even more late for work.

If she could run in her sensible one inch heels she would, even if she would look like an absolute nutter. 

“Get moving, Darra. You can’t be late.” She muttered under her breath.

Somehow she made it to the bus before it left. Winded from how fast she had been walking she hurried up the steps of the bus. Making her way back to her usual seat, she tried to slow down her breathing. 

Plopping into her seat the bus surged forward, the gentle jostling a familiar friend.

“You almost didn’t make it.” The woman across the aisle leaned forward. “You’ll have to thank that sweet man up there for stalling the driver long enough for you to get on.”

“What?” 

The woman nodded up at a man who looked as out of place as she did in his nice black suit. It was so black it almost seemed to repel any of the bus’s dirt away from him.

“He’s new.” Darra noted.

The woman nodded with a coy smile as she leaned back into her seat. “It’s nice to have a change of scenery every once in a while on my way to work.”

Darra chuckled, winking at her chatty neighbor. “Hopefully it’s not just a one time thing.” She continued to glance up at her rescuer, wishing she had known that sitting up at the front of the bus today would have been in her best interest. 

Sitting all the way back where she was, there was no way for her to make it up to where he was sitting without being obvious. As she was sternly resigning herself to never meeting the man, he glanced back her way.

When his gaze landed on her, he smiled softly and gave a small nod. Darra nodded back while simultaneously trying to keep her returning grin from bursting into a full-on maniacal smile. Her thrilled surprise quickly turned to shock when he stood and made his way to the seat right next to her.

He stuck out his hand. “I’m Keith.”

“Darra.”

“I’m glad you were able to make it in time. You headed to work?”

Darra nodded. “I am. Though I hear I also have you to thank for being able to make it. If you hadn’t stalled him I would have been so late. How did you manage? Phil is usually completely non-responsive when I try to get him to talk.”

Keith leaned closer. “I didn’t give him a choice. I’ve learned that when I talk as though I assume that people will do what I am saying, they will.”

“So what, you told him that he was going to hold the bus until I could make it on?”

“No. I expected him to show me his credentials and license to ensure that I wanted to get on the bus at all.” He shrugged.

“He showed you?”

“He did. And every time he moved to start the bus I would ask him a question about what I was reading. It wasn’t hard to come up with plenty of questions since I don’t know a thing about bus credentials. He was definitely interested in making sure I wasn’t upset.”

I laughed softly.

“And don’t worry. From what I could tell, he is a great bus driver.”

“I know.” Darra laughed again. “I’ve been taking this bus to work for 3 years now and have never had a problem with Phil’s driving, my only problem with the bus is my own lack of punctuality.”

“3 years, that is a long time to have the same bus driver. Don’t they ever switch routes? I’d get bored of it.”

“Why? Do you take different buses to get to work because you are bored?” Darra smiled to take a tiny bit of the sting out of her words.

He took it graciously. “Point taken. Especially since this is my first time on this bus.”

“New job or new place?”

Darra could see the woman across the aisle lean closer to hear his answer.

“Both.” Keith smiled. “I moved from California and start my job today.”

“Where at?” The woman across the aisle asked.

Keith looked startled as he looked over his shoulder at the woman. “Oh hello.”

Had he forgotten that there were other people on the bus?

“I’m Keith.” He held out his hand to her.

“Margaret.”

“I start work at Dynamic Enterprises.”

“Oh wonderful!.” Margaret cooed. “I work there too.”

“Really. It’s great to already know a coworker. I look forward to working with you.” Keith’s attention returned to Darra. “And where do you work?”

“A few blocks over. It’s a small accounting firm, NCPA.”

“Would you mind if I walk with you?

Darra sat up straighter. “I wouldn’t mind at all.”

Margaret interjected. “She gets off one stop before ours. You might be late if you get off too soon.”

“Thank you, Margaret. It is so kind of you to let me know. If that is the case,” He faced Darra again with a smile and a wink. “Then I will need to walk a little faster after I see Miss Darra to her place of work.”

“I don’t want to make you late, especially on your first day.” Darra hedged. “We can always talk more on the bus tomorrow.”

She could see him hesitating and she realized that she was holding her breath.

“I’ll concede today because I don’t know how long it will take me to get to work from my stop. Tomorrow though, I plan to walk with you.” After a moment’s pause he added, “If that is alright with you.”

At Darra’s nod, he leaned back into his seat a little more. “It’s a date.” He declared.

And Darra was happy to realize that she wasn’t inclined to tell him that it wasn’t.

Rowena ~Part 3~

To read Part 1, click here.

To read Part 2, click here.

Sitting there, still too close to the fire, Rowena struggled to keep from glaring at the provoking man before her. Several moments of infuriating silence passed before she calmly stood. 

At least, she hoped that she looked calm because her insides were roiling with fury.

“Lord Wallis,” She began.

The aforementioned man interrupted. “You don’t believe me? Why?”

Rowena took a breath. “It has been years since you have even acknowledged my existence, and never in public. So now, you have summarily decided to enter my life and impose your friendship upon me?”

“Friendship is not what I was speaking to your father about.”

Moving to sit further away, Rowena almost batted at him when he rose and followed her over to the chaise. Luckily, Lord Wallis was still standing when Lady Dalton entered the room in a flurry of apologies.

“Oh Lord Wallis. Do forgive me for being out when you arrived. I hope you do not hold it against me, for I was not told you were coming, else I would have stayed home and been here to greet you personally. I do hope my daughter has been sufficient company to fill your time.”

Lord Wallis quickly bowed. “Lady Dalton. How pleasant it is to be able to spend some time with your family. I was just about to remark to Miss Rowena how it has been far too long since our families caught up.”

“I heard about your father passing, dear. That must have been so trying for your poor family.” Lady Dalton moved to join them, snagging the only nearby chair, thus forcing Lord Wallis to sit on the chaise next to Rowena. She shot him a glance when his leg brushed hers.

Lord Wallis sighed, all of his attention on her mother. “I must confess that my father had been ill for well over a year. We all knew he would be passing soon.”

Lady Dalton nodded amiably. “Then perhaps you have taken this chance to renew your acquaintance with my husband to amend the broken friendship between our two families? Your father was so insistent that I no longer visit with your dear mother, though we were the closest of friends.”

“Indeed. I come to heal the rift and even to offer a dinner invitation to your family so that you may have the chance to become reacquainted with my mother.” 

Rowena shivered under the brief but profound scrutiny Lord Wallis’ next glance shot through her. 

Another glance seared her core. As she shifted, he took the opportunity to suddenly face her and grasp both her hands in his. She gasped and tried to pull away, looking over at her mother in shock. However her mother had a broad smile on her face and quickly took up a focused scrutiny of her gloves.

“Miss Rowena. I come to you to beseech you to entertain the notion of our being the closest of friends once more.”

Try as she might, she could not extricate her hands from his firm grip without making it obvious that she was trying to escape. She could see the amusement shimmering in his gaze as he continued to look beseechingly into her eyes. “And what would that friendship entail, Lord Wallis? For I would not want to subject you to any gossip upon suddenly appearing in society as my dearest friend. Scandal could ensue. Surely there is a girl upon whom you have set your sights who would not appreciate the talk.”

He nodded. “Your forethought is most commendable.”

She fought the urge to step on his foot at his ingratiating tone. Instead she dug into his hand with one of her nails until he winced.

“However, Miss Rowena, the woman upon whom I intend to shower with my attention will come to no ill will from any friendship I have for you.”

Rowena could only stare. When she finally opened her mouth to speak, her mother cut her off before she managed a sound. Lord Wallis was forced to turn to look at Lady Dalton as she spoke most ardently.

“You know, as a close friend of your family I feel I am able to confess to you that at one time both your mother and I had harbored a hope that the two of you would marry.”

“Mother!” Rowena jumped to her feet, effectively severing any contact with the man who had ignored her for far too long to make this easy of a return into her good graces, though her mother seemed to have already forgotten it. “That is a rather personal thing to say to one whom we have not seen for so many years.”

Lady Dalton waved her daughter off. “Oh pish. You are so young, darling. It has hardly been any time at all. A few scant years, at most.”

Lord Wallis gave a half nod from where he still sat. “You are too kind, Lady Dalton. And I must confess that I have missed our families getting together.”

“We shall have to remedy that.” Lady Dalton rose to her feet, her whole face beaming with pleasure. “In fact, with Hettie in the room I don’t feel that there should be any problem with my leaving the room for a moment to talk to Lord Dalton about renewing our friendships further. I will only be a moment.” 

Her mother winked at Rowena on her way out.

As soon as Lady Dalton was out of the room Lord Wallis rose. He easily stepped over to where Rowena stood stiff with stunned shock. In a low voice, so as not to be overheard, Lord Wallis tilted his head toward her. His hand drifted out toward her as if he didn’t realize it was moving. “Rowena. I am in earnest. I want us to be friends. Please believe me.”

Glancing down at where he was now purposefully holding out both of his hands for her to take, Rowena looked up into his face, a slash of confusion slicing at her firm resolve to stay clear of him. “Why?”

A smile hinted at the corner of his mouth as he softly took her hands in his. “Because, Rowena, I am going to marry you. And I want us to be friends when I do; the very best of friends. I’ve been such a fool.”