Royally Screwed Part 24

"I had no idea mother. What else has changed since I've been gone?"

"You've started going gray I hear," Anastasia said as she breezed in, pulling her husband behind her.

"One. Only one. Sergei sure does have a big mouth." He murmured 'goat' in Sezynian with a look at Kat that got them all laughing.

"Baba is also requesting the presence of your betrothed."

An edgy silence spanned between them. "I don't have a betrothed. Yet."

"Any candidates would do," the Queen said with an arched eyebrow.

Sebastian let out a lazy-sounding laugh at the look. "Do you think I'm being obtuse?"

"I think you're being capricious and indecisive but since when is that untrue?"

Roman cleared his throat slightly. "Yes, you need to be on your way," Anastasia said, quickening across the room.

Kat grinned. "I get to come and see your vineyard today, right Roman? I believe you owe me a bottle of wine." "I believe I owe you a case of wine. At the very least." Roman turned to Sebastian conspiratorially. "Do not play poker with this woman."

"Oh I already learned that lesson. She took me for all I had."

"Hmm, I don't believe you've ever paid up either. Just add it to the list of things you owe me under the s.h.i.+rt."

"You told me you'd never played before." Roman looked at her with shock. Kat just shrugged.

"Who's better at poker Roman or Sebastian?" Anastasia asked with interest.

"Better question Kat or Mother?"

"You play poker?" Kat asked the Queen. She smiled demurely and raised a graceful hand.

"Don't let that serene look fool you. She's a shark."

"I have been known to go for the jugular on occasion." She rose from her seat. "Just be sure to stay on my good side dear." She smiled to herself as she left the room.

"Was she serious?" Kat asked hesitantly.

"The Queen would eat you alive," Sebastian said, patting her hand in rea.s.surance. "Stay clear of Baba too, just in case."

"And on that note," Kat said as she rose, "let's get out of here."

The vineyard was fascinating. Kat had never seen anything grow before. Her home was made of a dozen floors of steel and iron. She was surrounded by concrete, stone, brick. She rarely made it out of the city, never even saw countryside. The power that Roman had, to create something, nurture it, watch it flourish and grow, it spoke to her. Roots, all she'd ever wanted were roots.

The winemaking process was interesting as well, if a bit boring. She thought making wine would be like what she'd seen on black and white reruns, Lucy stomping on grapes. It all turned out to be very precise and technical; here were people that used chemistry on a daily basis. But the sight of huge barrels in the cellar was just her thing, the romantic pursuit she'd been looking for. A perfect location for a party or business retreat. Their tour ended back outside overlooking all of the acres of empty s.p.a.ce just waiting for a bounty to grow once more, thoughts of alcohol themes running through her head.

Roman left them to go talk with his staff and Kat looked out across the expansive hillside and couldn't contain the question any longer. "How did you do it?" she asked, trying to convince her heart that she didn't know perfectly well why she was asking.

"Do what?" Anastasia prodded gently.

"Meet someone normal. Meet Roman. Fall in love. Live happily ever after."

A wistful smile appeared on the princess's face. "I love telling this story," she began, her voice getting just a bit dreamy for a moment. "But it doesn't start out well. Starts with the same problem Sebi's having now having to get married. My father had been telling me for years that he could arrange a marriage for me, a good match, and I'd finally convinced myself that it was my only choice. So I relented and my father set a meeting."

"You and Roman were an arranged marriage?!" Kat couldn't keep the disbelief and awe from her voice.

Anastasia just patted her hand. "I insisted if I was doing it, I was going alone, no witnesses. I made the bodyguards follow along behind me. I was on my way, driving down some country roads, when a blizzard blew through and separated us. The weather had been bad but it just snuck up on us, on me, literally. My car ended up run off the road and dead. I was forced to get out and walk. Just as I was almost frozen solid, I spied a farmhouse up ahead and sought shelter. I walked in the front door and there was Roman, standing in front of the fire."

"What did he think, having a princess show up on his doorstep?" Kat asked.

"I didn't tell him who I was. I didn't tell him my name at all. He called me Feyalka because I still had a flower in my hair, even after the long walk. And it was instantaneous. We spent the first day in bed." Anastasia actually blushed and Kat couldn't hold back a laugh. "And the second day arguing about politics in French. We rarely ever agreed, we rarely ever agree, on anything, but that's part of why I love him. When you live this life, you don't want for anything except perspective."

"What happened next?"

"The snow melted and I left. I never made it to meet my match. Went back and told my parents it was off. They weren't happy, especially when I told them I'd met a vintner. I didn't know how he felt about me but after knowing how I felt about him, I wasn't going to let myself settle for anything less. Luckily Roman's one of the most earnest people there is, no playing games. The princess thing surprised him but it didn't stop him from asking me what I was doing for the rest of my life." She smiled a bit serenely out at the vines, lost in her own memories.

"And your parents?"

"Mother came around. She sees it. Father, he still wishes I had married the politician's son, the investment banker with the weak chin and beady eyes. He doesn't say no to the wine though."

"Do you think he's stopping you from being Queen?" Kat asked.

Anastasia laughed. "No. I was never going to lead. Sezynia has never had a Queen rule; we're a male lineage state. The most I can hope for is to be Baba Katya, determine the lines of succession. It's a very important job and one I'll a.s.sume with honor and grace. And maybe then my great niece can rule."

"That kind of sucks," Kat said after a moment. They shared a rueful smile.

"Progress is a snail. You can't always notice the difference in just one lifetime."

"Well I'm American and we're all for feminism. And progress. And opportunities. And I want for you everything you want for your brother, no restrictions. Your lack of a Y chromosome shouldn't hold you back."

At that Anastasia laughed again and leaned against a wooden post. "You do have a refres.h.i.+ng way of putting things. You remind me of boarding school. I liked boarding school."

"It's so beautiful here. I can't imagine why you'd ever want to leave, even for boarding school."

"You haven't seen anything yet," the Princess said with a twinkle. She grabbed Kat's hand and pulled her back towards the car.

Kat was lost again; though far from being upset about it, she just smiled. Not even the prospect of wandering the halls for hours could dampen the peaceful air that had overtaken her.

"Hey, Kat?" a voice called out to her. She backpedaled and saw Sebastian sitting in an armchair by an empty fireplace, official looking doc.u.ments spread out all around him.

"What are you doing?

"Hiding from Sergei." He pulled restlessly at the knot of his tie, loosening it ever so slightly. "I haven't kept on my reading of the business of the country and he's in a mood. Come and keep me company." When she walked farther into the room he finally got a good look at her and smirked ever so slightly. "And what have we been up to all day?"

"We went on a tour of the countryside."

Sebastian put his papers down and looked at her critically. "With who?" If those Lotharios in landscaping had carted her away he might have to go remind them of some things.

"Why, jealous?" she teased as she removed her hat and flopped it onto the table. "Your sister decided you've done a ghastly job of showing me what Sezynia actually looks like and took me out for a drive after the vineyard."

"That explains the hat," he murmured. Though she probably looked adorable with the top down and the wind flowing through her hair. Or things decidedly less appropriate than adorable.

"It's so beautiful here." Kat was standing at the window, looking out into the blinding sunlight. She turned and caught him staring at her but the normal grin didn't pop onto her face. She leaned back on the windowsill with her arms and stared at her feet. "Your sister did say something interesting."

"What'd she say? Did she bore you with facts about Sezynia's GDP per capita or our most popular exports?"

"No. Though she did show me the peac.o.c.ks."

"I told you Sezynian c.o.c.ks are magnificent, aren't they?" He winked at her and she laughed. And for a moment Sebastian wondered what else he was even looking for. The thought was fleeting, didn't even stay long enough for him to notice before Kat was talking again.

"We were talking about you actually. She asked me if I knew what had changed your mind about wanting to be King. So I told her what you'd said that morning after the party." She paused.

"Is that your story?" Sebastian teased. "Have you always been this riveting and I just never noticed?"

"And then she said this is the interesting part, pay attention 'Sometimes I wish it could all just go back to normal, to the way it used to be, when everyone was still friends.' She told me."

"Told you what?" he asked, looking away, back down at his papers, hiding.

"That you and Anton used to be inseparable. That people used to joke that it wasn't the Royal Twins but the Royal Triplets." She paused again. "What happened?"

"Ana didn't tell you that too?"

"No." Kat crossed the room and dropped down onto the table across from him, their knees almost touching. She finally had to pull the papers from his hands and waited for Sebastian to look at her before continuing. "Though I gather it wasn't entirely pleasant."

"Not particularly," he murmured. They sat there in silence. After a few minutes, Kat just shook her head and moved to stand. But Sebastian stopped her, grabbing her arm and pulling her back down.

"There was a party, here, a lot like the one we went to the other night. And there was a girl."

"You guys fought over a girl?" He grimaced and Kat didn't know why but she was holding her breath. "Did you love her?"

"No," he said, his voice mocking, "definitely not. But that never stopped her from wanting me to."

"I don't get it," Kat said finally, encroaching on his thoughts of Violetta, of Anton joking early that evening that he was going to 'take one for the team.'

"Anton was drunk, he propositioned the girl within earshot of her father, and her father demanded a wedding."

"Okay . . ."

"So there was one. And there was a month-long honeymoon and when they returned Anton was effectively smitten with her." He'd fallen, hard, like he'd promised he wouldn't do. "Unfortunately, she still had other plans. It had always been about the power - she didn't want to be anything else but Queen. Found her half-naked in my bedroom when they returned. And when I blew her off she told Anton I hit on her. He broke my nose; she broke my family."

"Are you talking about Violetta?" At his nod, she added, "She's still his wife?!" She had instantly disliked the woman on Anton's arm but she'd been preoccupied studying Sebastian's rival, not his partner.

"Yes. And that's why he can't win. Anton cannot win. She took him from me she doesn't get to be Queen as well. She will NOT sit on our throne!" He got up suddenly, swiping papers aside with relish, stalking to the window in anger. Kat watched as after a moment his shoulders stiffened, a slight nod of his head. A decision had been made.

Chapter 23.

There was a knock at the door to Kat's suite but before she could respond it opened. "Is there even a Sezynian word for privacy?" Her eyes danced though as Anastasia entered. When she saw Kat was dressed she swung the door open wider for Roman.

"No. Is that what you're wearing to dinner?"

Kat put down her cell phone, sending one last text message to Lane asking her to please track down Blaze who she hadn't heard anything from since she'd arrived, and gave the Princess a slightly bored look. "No, I was thinking about wearing this swimming."

Roman couldn't help but laugh at that. "What's wrong with what she's wearing?"

"Nothing, I was just asking."

"The last time you dressed me for dinner I looked like the wick of a candle."

"And incredibly beautiful. Don't forget about that."

"I'll take mildly good-looking tonight if that's all right with you." Kat placed her phone on the bedside table and walked reluctantly away from it.

"Then you should go change into something a bit more homely," Roman said smoothly. Anastasia glanced at him but he simply shrugged, moving forward to kiss Kat's hand. "It is poor form to not complement a woman when she looks as lovely as you."

"How hard do you think it would be for me to find a snowstorm to get trapped in?" Kat's question brought a quick smile to the royal couple and they exchanged an intimate glance. Kat wanted that, that un.o.bstructed affection, so badly.

"Come! Dinner, women! I'm starving." Roman waved them out of Kat's room and through the castle.

"Oh look, fresh meat," Anastasia murmured, not at all demurely, when they entered the drawing room.

"Feyalka," her husband responded with a raised eyebrow.

"What?" Her hands went out in a question before retreating back into her body, a flapping bird ready to take flight. "What do you think Kat?"

Both of their eyes turned to her and she looked away, over at Sebastian and Misha talking with his parents. "Exactly what he wanted."

"Pardon?"

"She's perfect. Exactly what he was looking for. Believe me, I know. I'm the one that's been looking."

"So you like her?"

"Like her? I picked her out, didn't I? I hope I like her."

Roman's eyes widened. "You want him to marry her?"

"Who else? I couldn't have found anyone better suited if I made her myself. She's tall, blond, gorgeous. She has a professional job but isn't too smart that Sebastian will actually have to start reading the Wall Street Journal to talk to her. She's personable, well-liked, charming, and her eyes aren't too close together."

"That's what Sebi's looking for? Someone with evenly s.p.a.ced eyes?" Kat just shrugged her shoulders. "Well she is attractive." Anastasia elbowed Roman in the side for that one. "Though not nearly as attractive as you my love."

The bell for dinner began to ring before Roman could say anything else and they withdrew to the dining room. "You're sitting beside me," Anastasia said, linking arms with her and steering them to seats at the table. Kat found herself seated next to Sebastian as well, the Prince sandwiched between her and his new friend.