I yawned in the least sexiest way possible.
“Why are we up this early?” I whined.
Julian pursed his lips. I wondered how he had the energy to be annoyed with me so early in the morning.
“I leave back to Aujina tomorrow,” he said with a frown. “You should be happy to spend as much time as possible with me before my departure.”
“Can’t I be happy and asleep at the same time?” I asked.
“That question is somehow deeply philosophical and ridiculous at the same time.”
“I aim to confuse.”
Julian insisted we take the royal car from my family castle to the downtown of the capital at the crack of dawn. Once Julian had dragged me out of bed and wrapped me in a coat and scarf, we spent forty minutes on the road, looking out the window at the scenic snowscapes around us.
I had only been downtown once. My princess lessons and other lifestyle adjustments had taken up my energy, and I hadn’t been interested in traveling around the new country I was supposed to be in charge of. It wasn’t that I didn’t want to see Paijeana – it was a gorgeous, heart-warming country – but I felt homesick for California to the point of not wanting to be anywhere at all.
I missed the sun of California, my friends, my old home, and my old neighborhood. I moved to the castle without even a proper goodbye to those places, and it felt like cheating to explore the country Paijeana with a smile.
I mentioned this to Julian yesterday and apparently his idea of consoling me was to drag me out in the snow at seven in the morning. Typical Julian. He was a royal prince who had a degree in psychology, yet somehow, ignored the basic idea of emotions.
“We’re here,” he said.
I opened my eyes and looked out the window. In the heart of downtown, we pulled onto a small snow-covered street. There were shops lined on each side of the street, the faded brick buildings standing out against the pure snow. There were only a few cars scattered along the curb, the lights in the shops dim.
We pulled into a small roundabout, and the driver stopped in front of an antique bookstore decorated with strings of lights and a tier of books shaped into a heart in the window display.
The driver opened the door and we stepped out, the cold air nipping at my face in a way that woke me back up.
“A bookstore?” I asked.
Julian said nothing, putting a hand on my back and gently escorting me into the store. I was instantly covered in warmth and the smell of cinnamon rolls, and I couldn’t help but smile at the twinkling lights that draped around the wall-to-wall bookshelves and white loveseats.
“Welcome, Prince Julian and Princess Marina,” one of the staff members said with a bow. We gave a nod in return as they took our coats and scarves. “Please enjoy your time here today. It’s an honor to have you with us.”
“Thank you for opening up early at our request,” Julian returned.
The shop wasn’t open yet? Ah, yes. Maybe Julian wanted to come here without stirring up the paparazzi. That would make sense.
“It’s our pleasure,” the clerk replied. “Is there anything I can help you with while you’re here?”
Julian shook his head respectfully. “Thank you, but I’ll take it from here.”
The clerk smiled, and with another bow, left us to browse.
“This place is adorable,” I said. “But why are we here so early?”
“There is a list of books I need to pick up before I head back to Aujina.”
He reached into his pocket and pulled out a piece of paper, unfolding it and handing it to me. It was a list of books with their titles and authors.
“I expect you to give your best effort,” he said. “Don’t tarry.”
He walked off. It took me a minute to realize he wanted me to find the books for him, and another minute to find my words.
“You brought me all the way out here to pick up your books?” I yelled after him.
“Stop procrastinating!” he yelled back.
I grumbled a few choice words I couldn’t yell across the bookstore and looked back at the list. It was a completely odd collection of books, and I wasn’t sure why he would want them at all.
“Dr. Jekyll Mr. Hyde, Pride and Prejudice, The Flowers of Evil, The Genealogy of Morals, The Art of War, Thug Kitchen… what on earth does he need these books for?”
I groaned to myself, looking around the store in annoyance. He got me out of my nice warm bed for this?
Browsing around the store, I found a copy of Pride and Prejudice in the window display. A red bookmark stuck out of the top, with the word MEET across the top of it. I opened up the book to look inside, but nothing interesting stood out on the pages, and there was nothing else on the bookmark itself.
I went after the second book, and it too had a red bookmark. This one said THIRD.
Meet third? What did that mean?
What was this sneaky prince up to?
I eventually found the other four books for a total of six, each one with a bookmark that had a single word.
MEET, THIRD, ON, THE, ME, FLOOR
I laughed to myself and rearranged them into their proper order.
MEET ME ON THE THIRD FLOOR.
Climbing the spiral staircase, I went to the third floor, which seemed to be blocked off from the regular public. Crossing the roped-off doorway, I was greeted by the smell of cinnamon vanilla and fresh coffee. There was a giant, decorated window that took up almost an entire wall, looking out onto the city below. There were two large couches and a dining table in the middle of the room with an arrangement of cinnamon rolls, coffee, fresh fruit, and yogurt. I smiled and put the books down on one of the side tables next to the couches, stealing a glance out the window.
A pair of warm arms wrapped around me from behind, and Julian’s rich scent made me smile even bigger. I felt him kiss my shoulder, leaning his head against it.
“Happy early Valentine’s Day,” he said in my ear. “An apology for not being able to spend it with you like I should.”
I turned to face him, giving him a peck on the lips in appreciation. “You did all this for me?”
He smiled. “I arranged it. The staff of the bookstore did the hard work.”
“So the books you needed…?”
He nodded at them. “Those are gifts. For you. They’re already paid for.”
I smiled wider, the blood rushing to my face as my emotions overwhelmed me.
“You know,” I said, “you can be incredibly thoughtful sometimes.”
He looked down into my eyes as he held me close. “It’s easy to be thoughtful when I can’t stop thinking about you.”
He leaned back in and kissed me, slow and sweet. The warmth from his hands and lips were irresistible, and I couldn’t help but melt at his touch.
After a few moments of delicious kisses, he pulled back and nodded at the table full of food.
“How does breakfast by the window sound?” he asked. “I know this isn’t your home, Marina, but I want you to feel like you belong here. This is your kingdom. So perhaps if you watch your capital city come alive, you will find something in the daily lives of your people to fall in love with.”
My heart did a backflip, and I couldn’t help but squeeze him in affection. “You really are thoughtful, Julian. I miss America a lot, and I hope one day to think of Paijeana as my home, but honestly? Wherever you are… that’s my favorite place to be.”
He kissed my forehead. “That’s good. Because I intend to keep you beside me no matter where I go.”
Read more scenes with Julian in The Five Princes
