This, right here, was what she’d always wanted.
What she’d seen in Ginny and Ollie since they arrived in Øyanord a year earlier. What many of her counterparts in other countries had found - like Christiana and Alexander or Nicklaus and Yvette here in Ravenzario. Or most of the next generation in the Quad Countries, Belles Montagnes, and New Sargasso.
Who was left?
Alfred in Eyjania. Lydia in New Sargasso. Neither of them were adults just yet, though they were getting close. Esme’s brother in Islas del Sargasso, though Amalia couldn’t remember his name off the top of her head. Her younger siblings. Maybe the ones in Athmetis, though Øyanord didn’t have much of a relationship with the Mediterranean country, so she could be wrong.
“What are you thinking about?” This time Ryker didn’t have to practically yell to be heard. Instead, his voice was nearly a whisper.
“Not much,” she told him, unwilling to voice any of it just yet. “Mostly how much I’m enjoying this dance.”
“Me, too.” The husky tone in his voice caught her off-guard.
Amalia leaned away from him and looked up into his dark eyes. The look there took her breath away.
Could he...
Did she...
Was he going to kiss her?
Would she let him?
In that second, looking at him looking at her, she wanted it more than anything in the world.
6
By the time they made it to the late afternoon on the fourth day, Ryker began to wonder if he’d overreacted on the ferry and afterward.
There had been no sign of anyone following the princess.
Better to overreact and be wrong than to underreact and have something irreversible happen.
At least the couch in this hotel had been quite comfortable.
“What’s the plan today? Didn’t the guide say there might be a change?” Princess Amalia set her bag on the floor and pulled out the telescoping handle.
Ryker nodded as he zipped his suitcase closed. “Something about the weather, but I’m not sure what it was. The chance for rain maybe? They didn’t say what our mode of transportation was supposed to be, but that could play a role.”
They spent the day much as they had the first couple. Seated together in the van, in their own bubble since the others were in one of their own. He did his best to keep her laughing or at least rolling her eyes at his ridiculous tour guide impression.
And avoiding at any mention of the dances or near kiss they’d shared.
After stopping at some ruins from the days much closer to the formation of the Commonwealth of Belles Montagnes, they went back into Zarifan. Ryker found himself more on edge and could tell it affected the princess. Doing his best to relax, he found he couldn’t.
Would something happen now that they were back in the city of Zarifan? They wouldn’t stop anywhere until they reached the location where they’d depart for Baicampo. The guide hadn’t said much else about their travels or who the special guests would be.
But until they were out of the city, Ryker wouldn’t be able to relax.
“Where are we going?”
The apprehension in the princess’s voice caused him to look around more carefully, uncertain what could be causing the anxiety. He couldn’t see anything. “The marina?” That seemed to be the only thing in the direction they were headed.
She nodded. “I’m not fond of smaller boats. I found it difficult enough to convince myself to get on the ferry.”
Interesting. She lived on a small island nation. Surely she’d grown up on and around the water.
He didn’t press for details. Maybe she’d trust him sometime, but unless it actually affected her ability to get on the boat, he wouldn’t push her.
