Royal Holiday Romance: The Christmas Queen

4 - Rani

When Rani left Cheers and Beers, it was just past three in the morning, and there was a sports car in the parking lot. The silhouette of a man in a long coat leaned against the driver's side door, his face illuminated by his cell phone as she approached.

"Rani, right?"

"Your Highness," Rani took a step back into a shaky curtsy.

"Josef is fine," he smiled, and slipped the phone into his pocket. Without the bright screen, they were cast in the amber glow of a nearby flickering streetlight. "Can we talk?"

Rani's mind raced trying to make sense of the evening's events.

Several months ago, the Coopers told Rani that Reggie's unpaid tab would be coming out of her meager salary. After a tense confrontation that had Reggie emptying his pockets onto the bar, she discovered that he was an Earl. With a signet ring and the personal mailing address of the future King of Wynterra.

At the time, Prince Henrik was taking a more active and public role in governing affairs. Unlike his mother - who made more magazine covers than newspaper headlines - Prince Henrik was more actively involved in social and political issues that seemed to be beneath the notice of other monarchs. The Queen herself had failed to intervene on an immigration issue that had soured Rani's grandfather against her.

And though she would publicly deny it, some part of her was intrigued by the serious Prince and his grim countenance.

They were only two years apart in age and, although he attended boarding school with the offspring of the international elite and she scraped through public school with bruised limbs and busted lips, they had come of age at the same time.

Maybe, she had thought with a spark of hope that sounded much like a signet ring rattling against the bar countertop, he would understand the plight of his people.

Maybe he would be different.

But he wasn't different. He had acted exactly like a Winters and dismissed her intelligence due to her class and gender.

After Josef's suggestion, Henrik stormed out of the bar, followed by their five henchmen. Reggie had sat in silence for another hour before getting up and leaving - without finishing his drink.

And Rani was left to finish her shift - alone, confused and worried.

She masked that fear now with anger. In the eery silence of early morning, she crossed her arms and frowned at Josef. "I don't get in cars with men I don't know."

"I just want to talk," he slid his hands into his pockets.

Rani rocked back on her heels.

On one hand, she was curious. You're getting married, Josef had said. What had that meant? And what did it have to do with her? The only thing more ridiculous than a commoner on the Advisor Council was a commoner as Queen.

On the other hand, her bus was scheduled to arrive in fifteen minutes.

"If it is a waste of your time," Josef shook his hand and the keys jingled. "You can keep the car."

Dammit.

"Fine," Rani let out a loud breath that plumed to smoke in front of her. She took her phone out and tapped in a quick alert. "You have ten minutes."

Josef slid his hands into his pockets and grinned. "Do you have a boyfriend?"

"Oh, God," Rani took a step back, but Josef raised his hands up defensively.

"No, no, let me try that again. Please."

Rani arched an eyebrow. "Nine minutes, thirty seconds."