The Inherited Series Book 2: The Claimant Read online

  "Too early," I told him. It wasn't light out yet, and the room outside the blankets was cold.

  "I know," Leopold said, but he pulled me up anyway. I brought the blanket with me, wrapping it around me as I followed him down the hall to the library.

  The TV was on, its light flickering through the dark room. I shared my blanket with Leopold as we sat side by side on the couch, his arm resting on my shoulders and his heat warming me. "Look," Leopold said softly, nodding towards the screen.

  I squinted, focusing on the picture in front of me. My mouth fell open; the castle was on TV, with a crowd of people pooled in front of the gates.

  "Is that...?" I left the question unfinished, not sure whether I wanted to know the answer or not.

  "They made the announcement," he explained softly, his thumb rubbing calming circles on my arm.

  "This is live?" I gasped, fully awake now. I grabbed the controller and began clicking through the channels.

  My face flickered across the TV screen; clips of the interview from Friday, stills from the photo shoot of Leopold and I, images of the castle and the crowd, Solis, and Arcadis filled the screen. The announcement was all over every new station, and they watched as the narrative accompanying the clips was broadcast in English, French, Spanish, and even German.

  "We are due out there in an hour," Leopold said.

  "It's unbelievable." It was so strange that all those people were waiting for us.

  "There is more," he said as he stood up. Leopold took me to the main balcony that overlooked the square that was situated at the top of the stairs. Carefully, he pulled aside the heavy velvet curtain that usually blocked out the huge wall of windows and doors. My breath hitched, blood pounding in my ears, as I looked through the inch-wide gap. Phillipa had warned me it would be busy, but I hadn't expected this. The square in front of the castle was packed full of people. They were pressed up against the wall and gate of the castle, screaming, cheering, and holding signs. Bunches of flowers, which had presumably been thrown onto the property, sat in the yard inside the gates. There were news vans parked out front, cameras trained on the castle, and reporters standing under lights with microphones. The sunlight was just peaking over the horizon, and already hundreds of people were awake, waiting and ready.

  Angelique was waiting for me when I went to my room. "Congratulations," she beamed, taking away my blanket. I drifted in and out of sleep as she worked on my hair and makeup. I was surprisingly calm despite the fact that I knew I was going to have to stand in front of that crowd in the next hour or so. Maybe it was because I was so sleepy, or maybe because I knew this would just be the first of many times I would have to do this. This was our first appearance as an engaged couple and I suspected the event was very small compared to the occasions that hadn't happened yet, such as weddings, births, and anniversaries of various kinds.

  The dress she put me in was white and safe, decidedly undecided between being Solisian and Arcadian. It was made up of complicated folds and pleats that formed tightly to my arms and torso before smoothing and billowing around my legs. Angelique had fastened a fascinator on top of my head, decorating the loose curls that hung down past my shoulders. It was all very conservative and delicate.

  I was then sent down the hall, back towards the main staircase and the balcony. There was a handful of guards and servants there now, all waiting for the signal. Leopold was waiting as well. He was in uniform, deep blue pants and jacket, all trimmed in gold with rows of medals shining upon his chest. His sword was on his hip.

  "Ready, love?" he asked, as I stopped beside him. He brushed his knuckles against the back of my hand.

  "All set," I said.

  Leopold nodded at the guards, and they pulled the balcony doors open. Arms linked together, Leopold and I stepped out onto the balcony. The noise was instantly deafening as the crowd below us instantly roared at our emergence. Millions of lights flashed as photographs were taken. People were yelling, holding their cell phones up in the air, and waving flags. My breath caught in my chest, and my hands trembled as we reached the railing. It was just so big; there were so many people.

  "Are you alright?" Leopold asked softly, leaning down close to my ear so that I could hear.

  "Yeah," I told him, finding my words.

  He smiled crookedly and said, "Then say hello to your people."

  So I did. I waved, just like Phillipa had made me practice, and stared down in amazement at the crowd below.

  Chapter Four

  "Are you sure you're alright, Cats?" John asked for the tenth time.

  "I'm in a fortress with professional body guards," I responded, slightly irritated from reassuring him so many times.

  "We know," said my mom, patting John's arm. "I just can't imagine what it's like over there today. John had to call in at work because there are so many news people and vans surrounding our house that he can't get out. Besides, I didn't want him to leave me to deal with them on my own."

  I had been Skyping with them for a half hour, listening to them go on about how exciting and scary everything had been since the announcement this morning, how proud they were of me, and how much they were looking forward to the wedding. Because of the different time zones, their house had been surrounded by press since twelve o'clock last night. Clair, John, and Louis had all been asked to do interviews and had been called by newspaper and broadcasting stations looking to get some sort of inside scoop on me. Tess and Alex had even been approached by some paparazzi on their way to school.

  "Where is Leopold?" Clair queried. "I would like to congratulate my future son-in-law!"

  "He had to go and study after we made the announcement from the balcony. He's got a test on Wednesday," I told her. "See?" I moved my computer around, showing them my empty bedroom, and then I settled it back on my pillow.

  "Strange, I would have thought he would be right beside you, even with the studying," smiled Clair.

  "Apparently, I am too distracting, so I've been kicked out so he can concentrate," I told her.

  "Well, just be careful, alright?" said John. "If Leopold is not with you, stay close to those security guards of yours."

  "Will do," I told him. "And you guys let me know if it gets too bad at your end. I'm sure Felip could have something done about it."

  "We will. Bye, hun," Clair beamed, blowing a kiss at the camera.

  "Love you," I told them and then ended the call. I sighed and laid back into the pillows, tired. I had already tried to sleep with no success. Leopold said he would be busy until around dinner, and it was only about two now. With Phillipa gone, I didn't have much to do.

  I groaned, remembering suddenly that I had homework. I pushed myself up and went over to the desk, grabbing the list of flowers and their meanings, and then I retreated to my bed. The list was useless if I didn't know what any of the flowers looked like, and I was pretty sure I needed to be able to recognize them if I was going to make bouquets.

  I studied the list. Even after yesterday's lesson I only recognized a handful of the names and could safely identify less. I opened my browser and typed in the first Latin name on the list. A bright red spiky looking flower popped up. My nose scrunched up. I was pretty sure I had never seen this plant before in my life. This was ridiculous. I had no idea how Phillipa thought I was supposed to memorize all these flowers and leaves in fewer than two days.

  With a sigh, I clicked in a slideshow program, and I typed in the Latin name of the spiky flower into the title bar, followed by its meaning underneath, and then copied and pasted the picture onto the slide. I repeated this process over and over, working my way down the list, ultimately creating a bunch of digital cue cards.

  When Angelique arrived, the warm evening sun was slanting through my bedroom windows, striping the room in long lengths of dark shadow and streams of lazy light. I was at the end of my bed, in one of the last sunny spots, flipping through the slideshow for the fifth time. I could recognize a good portion of the list now. They were mostly
very common plants like irises, hyacinth, hydrangeas, but a few were very strange looking, like the spiky red one. Knowing what they looked like was one thing, but I was pretty sure that, without my list or cue cards, I would still be unable to accurately name them, never mind tell you their meanings.

  "It is time to get ready for dinner, Mademoiselle," Angelique told me.

  I groaned and stretched obligingly, happy for a reason to shut off my laptop. The royal family was eating dinner together tonight – everyone who was left in the castle at least – in celebration of the official announcement. It was nothing formal, just a small gesture, which was reaffirmed by the fact that Angelique brought a pair of pants for me to wear. Those pants, paired with a short-sleeved eyelet blouse, was the most casual outfit I had worn all summer, and it had been deemed appropriate for public viewing. Leopold was dressed similarly when I found him in the hall, casually leaning against the wall while he waited. He was in khakis and a bright green polo shirt that fit tightly over his broad shoulders. It was the same moss green as one of his eyes, and it made the honey, caramel, cinnamon tresses of his tangled hair stand out beautifully. It was rare to see him in color and the effect was quite dazzling.

  "Good afternoon?" he asked, pulling me close to his side.

  "Productive," I told him. "And you?"

  Leopold nodded. "Good. I am starting to feel confident that I may actually know what I am doing."

  I slapped his arm lightly, making him smile.

  "Everything is well in America?" he checked.

  "Fine. Well, I mean, a little ridiculous, but I think it will be okay. I told them to call if things got too out of hand."

  "Good, I am glad," he said and then pulled me to a stop just outside the doors to the dining room. "Now, I want to warn you, Cat. There are a lot of people on the other side of the door. It is another tradition. The way the castle staff shows us their appreciation for the wedding."

  "Appreciation?" I asked, looking skeptically at the huge wooden doors before us. All I heard was silence. If there was a horde of people in there, they were doing a very good job of keeping quiet. I couldn't imagine how good they would be at surprise parties.

  Leopold started to explain hastily. "Now that we are getting married, we will be their next rulers. It is their way of confirming that they will follow us during our reign, and serve us loyally, that they appreciate that we let them serve us."

  "That we allow them to serve us?" I huffed. "Sounds a little barbaric, don't you think?" It seemed ludicrous that they should be thanking us for letting them serve us. If anything, it should be the opposite. I felt bad every time one of the staff had to help me, especially when it was something I could easily do myself, like run a bath, make a cup of tea, or open a door.

  "Exactly," Leopold said. "Most of the people who work in the castle belong to families who have served the royal family for centuries. Their positions are as ancient as yours or mine, and they take much honor and pride in what they do, and what their ancestors did, as loyal servants to the crown."

  "Oh," I said, feeling a bit better now. If it was important to the staff to do this, then it didn't seem so bad. "I didn't realize that there was such a long lineage involved."

  "Some of the families can trace their history back to the knights in the first King's Guard," Leopold said, tucking a few strands of loose hair behind my ear. "Just smile. Be happy for their happiness; be happy for us. We are the future, and they are helping us achieve it."

  I rolled my eyes. "You know, you are sounding a lot smarter lately. I thing this king gene may actually be starting to kick in."

  "About time too. I have been having panic attacks waiting for something to work." Leopold winked at me and then took my arm and led me into the dining room. As promised, the staff were lined up along the walls of the dining room. They bowed and curtsied as we entered, and then applauded politely. I felt a blush light across my cheeks and had to fight the urge to hide behind Leopold. Felip, Beatrice, Hector, and Rose were standing there as well, smiling at Leopold and me. It only lasted a few moments before the entire workforce disappeared through the kitchen door.

  ***

  "Please," I moaned, pulling on Leopold's hand.

  "Please, what?" Leopold asked, allowing me to slow him a bit.

  "You know very well what," I told him sternly, making him chuckle.

  Leopold cocked a copper brow, full lips quirked in amusement, and he tugged on my arm, drawing me down the corridor. I stumbled slightly and he caught me, his arm sliding around my waist. "You had too much champagne," he replied.

  "Have not," I huffed and brushed out of his hold, determined to prove him wrong. I was nowhere near intoxicated, although I had to admit I did feel a little light-headed, warm too, and my skin was tingly. It was hardly my fault though. There had been a number of toasts in mine and Leopold's honor, and the sips had begun to add up. I wasn't accustomed to drinking, unlike Leopold who seemed completely unaffected, despite having tossed back his champagne along with a few glasses of Solisian wine.

  "We cannot go outside, Cat," he said, picking up his pace again. I scrambled to keep up with his long stride. "It is dangerous."

  I snorted a little indelicately. "That's never stopped you before."

  "Well there hasn't been a mob of people outside the castle walls before," he frowned. "At least, not recently."

  "It's not like they have pitchforks," I grumbled under my breath and then caught his arm again, giving in.

  "Once security gets things under control again, I will take you outside," he promised, patting my hand where it sat in the crook of his elbow.

  I sighed but didn't say anything more. I knew it would be futile. The security around the castle had been doubled in preparation for the announcement. Things had been going well so far, but we were not supposed to leave the safety of our fortress for the next twenty-four hours until the security team was assured that we were in fact secure. Of course, as usual, Leopold was going to be exempt from the rule and would get to leave the castle tomorrow.

  When I complained about this to him he just pursed his lips, looking at me hard. "I am going to the Royal Air Force base. If anywhere is safer than the castle, it is there."

  Based on the bruise that was still fading on his shoulder, I was willing to bet money against that, but I bit my tongue. Leopold would thankfully be finishing his time there very shortly.

  "I will be back in a minute," Leopold said, leaving me at my door where Angelique was patiently waiting. She took me inside and began helping me out of my pants and blouse, exchanging them for one of the numerous pairs of silk pajamas that I possessed.

  I looked around my room as she brushed out my hair. My things had been cleaned up. The papers and laptop I had left out were now, presumably, stowed safely inside one of my desk drawers. The creases I had left when I lay on the bed had been smoothed out again and the stray bits of clothing had been picked up. The room looked as though it was not lived in, as though it was just another of the many unused guest rooms in the castle. I wondered curiously how Leopold managed to get away with having his room constantly look like it had been ransacked or blown up.

  There was a faint knock on the door and Leopold strode in, dressed in sweatpants and a t-shirt. Angelique put down the hairbrush and bowed slightly, before excusing herself. The second she was gone, Leopold flopped down onto my bed, crossing his arms behind his head as he regarded me expectantly. He pulled me against him, my back pressed to his chest. He ran a hand through my hair, winding it into submission and out of his face.

  "It is on my leg," he said, softly running his fingertips over the silk that covered the outside of my leg, from knee to hip.

  I frowned, not sure what he was talking about at first, and then as realization hit, I said, "The tattoo."

  I felt his nod. "Hector has one too." His hand pressed into my ribs and then over my breastbone, above my heart. "And Felip. The princes of Solis have always gotten them and worn them proudly. They were never
meant to be seen, though, or recognized, as it would have endangered us, made us identifiable. Now that does not matter so much and it is just done out of tradition. It was a little easier back then of course, when no one ever saw your arms."

  "What are they?" I asked him, wondering what could possibly have marked the skin of all the male royals for who knows how long.

  "Symbols of who we are. You know the lions used in heraldry?" he asked. His mouth was very close to my ear. I could feel his breath on the back of my neck.

  "Yes," I confirmed, thinking of all of the funny gold lions that decorated flags and crests and banners.

  "Felip and Hector both have a lion sagent. It represents their role as king, sitting on the throne. Mine, as the second son and commander of the army, is a lion rampant holding a sword. It is supposed to represent my role as protector and defender of the country.”

  He paused for a moment and then said softly, "I guess ours are the wrong way round now."

  ***

  I squinted at the papers, trying to see if the pictures on the page matched the flowers I had in my hand. This morning I had officially been given permission to go outside. Now, I had to be accompanied by a heavy guard, and I was only allowed because I had to do my homework. Leopold was gone and Phillipa was due back very shortly for our lesson. I didn't have much time to figure out the arrangement, and the cue cards I had made weren't very helpful; I could only flip through them so fast.

  I scrunched my nose, looking at my bouquet. I needed Orchids, but I think I had picked Freesia instead. I shuffled the cards frustratedly, searching for the photo that matched the flower in my hand. When I couldn't find it, I sighed and ripped out a cluster of random blue flowers that I thought looked nice. I would just pick a bunch of stuff and figure it out afterward, when Google was close by.