Chapter 44

MILA

We left bright and early the next morning, before even the sun had risen. Felix had one of the royal drivers take us, and Mrs. Raven sent us off with freshly-baked muffins and coffees.

The drive to the coast was long and winding, about five hours by car. We had to go through one of the major mountain ranges, the Dragon’s Teeth (I had laughed at the name, and Felix sheepishly told me it was part of the old Fresonian folklore), and then down through farmland to the seaside. It was beautiful to watch the sunrise over the mountaintops.

The countryside of Fresonia was stunning–as soon as we got out of the city, the terrain turned to patchworks of grass, with large trees sloping over the roads. The sky was as blue as I’d ever seen it.

Somewhere on our descent down the mountains, I started to drift asleep. Felix shifted in the backseat, allowing my head to roll onto his chest. He stroked my hair as I closed my eyes, wondering if I had ever felt more peaceful.

My dreams were hazy, far away. I dreamed of a distant land where magic roamed free and dragons soared in the sky. And next to me, there was Felix, always holding my hand, always taking care of me.

Even from the depths of my sleep, I was vaguely aware of the car coming to a stop, of doors opening and closing. I woke up slightly, still not opening my eyes, as Felix picked me up and carried me up a wide stone staircase. Then I was being placed into a plush, comfy, bed, and everything went dark again.

I woke up in a strange room. I stretched, taking in my surroundings.

The room was much larger than Felix’s bedroom in his apartment. It was light and airy, awash in creams and blues. The duvet on the bed was lightweight and fluffy, and there was a large collage of seashells taking up the entire wall above the bed.

Best of all, there were floor-to-ceiling windows on the far wall, letting in the soft golden glow of the setting sun over the sea. The water lapped gentle waves against a white shoreline, and the rooftops of Carnea, dotting the coast, were shining in the fading late afternoon light.

Felix walked into the bedroom, wearing white linen pants and a matching short-sleeve button down.

“Good, you’re awake,” he said, walking over to kiss me hello. “I’m done with work for the day. Now we can spend the rest of the evening together.”

“This is beautiful! This is the sea cottage?” I asked. “It’s huge!”

“Cottage is a loose term,” Felix said, sitting down on the bed with me. “But it’s a lovely retreat that I’m very thankful to have.”

“Thank you for taking me here,” I told him, snuggling into his shoulder.

“I’m happy to have you here, Sleeping Beauty,” he teased. “Now, take some time to freshen up and come meet me downstairs on the veranda. I thought we might have some tea before dinner.”

He kissed the top of my head and left.

I picked out a comfortable light blue jumpsuit from my suitcase, pairing it with beige ballet flats and a messy bun. I wandered downstairs, finding that the veranda was a second-story balcony that wrapped around the entire house. A tea table had been set up on the side facing the water. Felix waved at me eagerly.

“Isn’t this beautiful?” he asked, his face full of joy.

I breathed in deeply. It was stunning here–the smell of the saltwater, the feel of the ocean breeze, the slight cries of seagulls in the distance. Carnea was the most peaceful place I had ever been.

The royal cottage sat back from the road, only steps away from the beach. There were large houses on either side, and the beautiful rooftops of Carnea were visible from the front balconies. I gratefully sank into one of the latticework chairs and prepared a cup of rose tea.

“This is what people mean when they say everyone should travel,” I said, taking a long sip of tea. “I can’t believe places like this in the world exist.”

“I must admit, I had no idea how fortunate I was to spend my summers here until I grew up,” Felix said. “But it was a lovely way to grow up.”

“I would love to spend summers here,” I said without thinking. Felix looked at me curiously. I blushed, knowing that I had just insinuated a future together that we had yet to discuss.

A strangely serious look appeared in Felix’s eyes. He leaned forward in his chair, clasping my hands in his.

“Mila,” Felix said. “There’s something I’ve been meaning to ask you.”

A flash from the beach caught the corner of my eye. I turned to see a small crowd of paparazzi attempting to hide in the sand dunes.

“Hold on,” I said, interrupting him. “Are those… photographers?”

Felix turned to the sand dunes, his face flooding with anger as he spotted the paparazzi.

“They need to get out of here!” He exclaimed. “That beach is private property! They’re not allowed to be here!”

He stood and made a call to his security team, but the photographers continued to snap away.

I raced into the house. I wasn’t embarrassed to be seen–it just felt incredibly invasive to be photographed while having tea. Not to mention, I hadn’t told my family anything about Felix, and it would certainly not ease tensions if they found out I was dating a prince through the tabloids.

Felix walked into the living room, shaking his head in frustration. “They already posted pictures on social media. I’m so sorry, Mila. I know we were hoping for a private getaway.”

I couldn’t help myself. I needed to see what they were saying about me.

Sure enough, grainy, far-off pictures of me and Felix on the veranda had hit every major social media site and several mainstream media headlines. All anyone could talk about was the Prince’s hot new romance.

To my horror, other pictures had been posted, too: me and Felix furniture shopping, me and Felix at a coffee shop, me walking home from work. I hadn’t even noticed the cameras.

Felix took a look at my face and plopped down next to me on the couch. “I’m sorry, Mila,” he said again. “I really am. I love you and I never want you to feel invaded or uncomfortable because of me.”

I sighed. “It’s not you at all. I’m just not used to having this much attention on me.”

“The good news is that you look beautiful in the photos, which is impressive considering most paparazzi pictures tend to be the most unflattering pictures known to man.” He was trying to cheer me up, which I appreciated.

“Thank you, Felix,” I murmured. I kept scrolling, even though it made me fidget with discomfort.

“Oh, what the hell?” I cried out, reading one headline in particular.

“What is it? What’s wrong?” Felix bent over my phone.

I tilted the screen so he could read the headline: NEW ROYAL ROMANCE HEATS UP; PRINCE FELIX DATES WOMAN WITH $1M BOUNTY

“Oh my god,” Felix groaned, sinking back into the couch. “We called off the bounty! I found you!”

I kept reading, my heart dropping as I did.

“Yeah, well, not everyone got the message. There’s an awful lot of people who think I’m a criminal.”