The Reluctant Princess

CHAPTER ONE

CHAPTER ONE

Crown Prince Nikola Tomislav Kresimir of Vernonia strode past his father’s assistant and the two palace guards standing watch. As soon as he entered the king’s office, the door closed behind him.

He grimaced.

Niko didn’t have time for another impromptu assignment. Thousands of unread emails filled his inbox. The upcoming trade conference was becoming a logistical nightmare. Princess Julianna of Aliestle sat patiently in the library, waiting to have lunch with him.

His title demanded he juggle competing responsibilities. He thrived on doing that, but the collar of his dress shirt seemed to have shrunk two inches since he’d left his office three minutes ago. He tugged on his tie.

Not that doing anything would lessen his frustration level.

A summons from the king trumped everything else and often messed up Niko’s schedule for the rest of the day, sometimes the week. Not to mention, the havoc royal protocol played with his priority of turning their provincial country into a modern nation. But he followed his father’s orders out of respect and for the good of Vernonia.

King Dmitar sat behind his massive mahogany desk staring at a manila file folder in his hands. His once dark hair was now as white as the snowcapped peaks of the Balkans and Carpathians. His face, like Niko’s, was as rugged as those same mountain ranges. His wire-rimmed reading glasses rested low on his nose, making him seem more like a professor than a soldier and a king who had spent most of his rule trying to unite his country against all odds.

Niko stood ten feet away, waiting.

A breeze blew through an open window, carrying the sweet fragrance of flowers from the royal gardens. A vast improvement over the acrid smell of gunpowder and the sickening scent of blood that used to taint the air.

Five years had passed since the ratification of the peace treaty. Tensions between the two warring factions erupted occasionally, but peace prevailed. Niko intended to ensure it always would. That was what his late older brother, Stefan, would have wanted. A united Vernonia, however, seemed like a far-off dream. A fairy tale, really.

Not wanting to waste more time, Niko cleared his throat.

His father glanced up. Dark circles ringed his eyes.

“You sent for me, sir,” Niko said in English, which many citizens spoke. He and his father were trying to get out of the habit of speaking their native Slavic language because of the princess staying at the castle. If things worked out as he hoped, she would soon be living here permanently.

The lines on his father’s face seemed deeper, more pronounced, than they used to be. The conflict had aged him. So had grief. But the corners of his mouth curved upward into a rare smile. “I have good news, my son.”

The best news would be a line of credit assured by European banks. Improvement projects needed to be completed to move the country forward.

Niko stepped closer to the oversized desk. “I’ve spent the morning wading through the demands of the trade delegations. Good news will be a welcome relief, Father.”

“I have located your bride box.”

The unexpected news sank in. Resonated through him.

Niko respected the past—honored history as best he could—but the fact his marriage depended on the antiquated custom of presenting his wife a family heirloom on their wedding day irritated him. Traditions could only take his country so far. The new millennium required change. That included mindsets. But if he had the box, he could take the required steps to assure Vernonia’s future.

A thrill shot through him.

Even though his father knew how much locating the family treasure meant to Niko, he struggled not to show any emotion. Emotion was a weakness. His father had been telling him that his entire life. “You are certain the box is mine?”

“As certain as we can be until we see it in person.”

That was closer than they’d been before.

Niko released the breath he’d been holding. His bride box had disappeared over twenty years ago when terrorist acts led to a deadly civil war that ripped the country apart and nearly destroyed it. The economy had yet to recover.

“Where is the box?” he asked.

“The United States.” His father adjusted his glasses and studied the folder. “Charlotte, North Carolina.”

“A long way from home.”

“Yes.”

The location wasn’t important. What mattered was Niko would have possession of the box soon. Tradition—and his father—would be satisfied. Nothing would stand in the way of Niko’s marriage to Julianna. He could finally fulfill his duty as his parents and people wished him to do. The marriage would give him the means, courtesy of the princess’s dowry, and opportunity, provided by her country’s alliances, to do what he wanted—needed—to do with Vernonia.

Plans formed in his mind, but he couldn’t get too far ahead of himself. First, he needed the box. “How was it discovered?”

“The internet.” His father shuffled through papers in the file. “Someone posted on an antiques forum, searching for the key. After exchanges verifying the seriousness of our interest, the person emailed a photo that confirmed our suspicions. The box is yours.”

“Incredible.” Niko considered the numerous private investigators and treasure hunters hired to find the missing heirloom. He laughed at the irony. “Technology to the rescue of an Old World custom.”

“Technology may be useful, but our people desire tradition. You must remember that when you wear the crown.”

“Everything I’ve done has been for Vernonia.” Niko’s family had ruled for eight centuries. The country was in their blood and hearts. Duty always came first. “I realize the importance of the bride box to our country, but we must modernize if we are to succeed in the twenty-first century.”

His father studied Niko. “Yet you have agreed to an arranged marriage.”

“I have always known my bride would be decided for me. That is our way.”

But in this case, he was pleased with the choice. His marriage to Julianna wasn’t a love match, but he respected the princess and considered her a friend. Something he couldn’t say about every royal presented to him as a potential wife. Perhaps love would grow as the years passed. No matter, their marriage would act as a bridge between the past and the future.

He might not be as popular as the United Kingdom’s Prince William or Prince Harry, but Niko had the attention of royal watchers. The publicity surrounding a royal wedding would be good for his country’s nascent tourist industry. He would use whatever he could to Vernonia’s advantage, including his marriage. “I may not be a stickler for tradition, but I will always do what is best for the country.”

“As will I.” His father placed the folder on his desk. “You have the key.”

“Of course, sir.” Niko had been wearing the idiotic thing for twenty-odd years, ever since the decree that never allowed him to take it off. Only the size of the chain had changed.

He pulled the thick silver necklace from beneath his shirt. The key resembling a cross and heart welded together dangled from his fingers. “Can I stop wearing it now?”

“No.” The word echoed through the spacious office until the tapestries on the wall swallowed the sound. “You will need the key when you go to North Carolina tomorrow.”

“Send Jovan. I can’t travel to the United States. I’m needed here,” Niko countered. “My schedule is full. Princess Julianna is visiting.”

“The box is yours.” His father used his majestic tone, the one that demanded immediate compliance. “You will bring it home. My assistant will provide your aide with a travel itinerary and information.”

Niko bit his tongue. Further resistance would be futile. Even if it made little sense under the current circumstances, the king’s say was final. “Fine, but you realize I have never seen the box.”

“You have seen it. You were a child, so you don’t remember.”

What Niko remembered was war, the one thing he wanted and hoped to forget. The cost of the conflict had been immeasurable with the loss of lives, including that of the crown prince, his brother and best friend. Not a day went by that he didn’t think of Stefan.

Miss him.

Keeping peace and modernizing Vernonia were Niko’s only goals. Though the parliament wanted him to provide an heir. Now that nothing stood in his way of marrying, he could soon tackle that request. Speaking of which...

“Do you wish for me to propose to Julianna before I leave for America or upon my return, Father?”

The king’s face reddened. “There shall be no official proposal.”

“What?” Niko remembered the open window and the people on the other side of the office door. He lowered his voice. “We’ve spent months negotiating with the Council of Elders in Aliestle. Even the Separatists are in favor of the marriage since King Alaric supported them during the conflict. The only obstacle has been the bride box. A delay will send the wrong—”

“No proposal.”

Frustration mounted. Niko had searched for a suitable bride for over a year. He didn’t want to start over. “You agreed Julianna is an excellent choice for a wife and the future queen of Vernonia. That is why finding the box has been a priority.”

“Julianna is more than suitable to be the queen, but...” His father removed his glasses and rubbed his eyes. “Are you in love with her?”

Love? His traditional father broaching the subject surprised Niko. His grandparents had arranged his parents’ marriage. After Stefan’s death, Niko had stepped into his role as crown prince. The choice of his bride—a woman who would be queen—had become more complicated now that he would rule, but that was his fate.

“We get along well. Share common views and have a similar sense of responsibility. She’s beautiful and intelligent. I will be content with her as my wife,” Niko stated honestly. “The publicity surrounding a royal wedding will increase our visibility to the tourist industry. Most importantly, an alliance with Aliestle will give Vernonia the capital required to complete rebuilding. I see no negatives or problems with this union.”

“You’ve examined all angles.”

Niko bowed his head. “As you taught me, Father.”

“And Julianna. Are her feelings engaged?”

“She...cares for me,” Niko answered carefully. “As I do for her. She understands what is expected.”

“But is she in love with you?”

Uncomfortable, Niko shifted his weight between his feet. “You’ve never spoken about love before. Only duty and what a state marriage would entail.”

“You are old enough to know whether a woman has feelings for you or not. Answer my question.”

Niko considered his outing with Julianna yesterday. They’d left their security detail on the shore and sailed on the lake. He’d kissed her for the first time. The kiss had been...pleasant, but Julianna appeared more interested in sailing than in kissing him again. “I do not believe she is in love with me. In fact, I’m certain she isn’t.”

“Good.”

“I do not understand what is going on, sir. If something has changed with Vernonia’s relationship to Aliestle—”

“Nothing has changed.” His father’s drawn-out sigh would have made the parliament members’ knees tremble beneath their heavy robes. “But a slight...complication in regard to you marrying Julianna has arisen.”

Niko’s muscles tensed. “What kind of complication?”