The Royal Romance Book 1

Chapter 9: Race to the Finish

"Yeah... sun's out, fun's out!"

I throw my arms up, basking in the warmth of the sun.

"All right, that's enough of that, you two." Bertrand gives us both a stern look, "Keep your wits about you. Lady Riley, you must always remember that in a crowded venue like this, a photo can be taken at any time... Refrain from silliness. And a word of advice... If the press corners you, be sure to hint that the Prince likes you, but you don't want to be too obvious about it."

"Got it. We're close, but not too close."

Through the throngs of attendees, I spot Prince Liam. He sees me in the crowd and makes his way over...

"Ah, the Prince. Maxwell and I will get the paperwork squared away. You go mingle. Our yacht will be docked at gate B."

As they walk off, Liam runs up to me, "Riley... fancy seeing you here. It must be a strange coincidence we keep showing up at the same events..."

"Fate must be on our side."

We smile at each other and he leans forward to kiss me on the cheek, "You look beautiful today, by the way. I like the rope belt."

"Heh, hopefully I won't have to use it... But I do have a race to win today..." I wink at him and he sends me a loving laugh.

"Ah yes, the ceremonial race. You know, it's an honor to be part of the Regatta tradition"

"The tradition of rich people having private boats?"

"The Regatta's more symbolic than that. Since Cordonia isn't very big, we don't have many glorious battles as part of our identity... or at least, we haven't for several hundred years. But we do have a defining moment. When a storm ravaged our neighbors across the sea, Cordonians responded by manning every available boat to bring humanitarian supplies to the devastated area. It was one of our finest hours. So, this Regatta symbolizes the generosity of the Cordonians and the strong bonds we've forged with our neighbors."

"That's very noble. I'm honored to participate. Now, tell me the truth... are you enjoying yourself?"

"It's a beautiful day, the staff had been well-prepared, and we're ready to celebrate our fine seafaring tradition. My father in particular seems in high spirits. But he always loves this event."

"That's all good... But you didn't answer my question, and you're not even smiling! What's wrong?"

"Well..." He looks up at me with a surprised face then shifts around uneasily. "My father loves the Regatta so much, I've never had the heart to tell him that I hate sailing."

"Liam...you should tell him. Don't you think he should know?"

"You don't know my father the way I do. It would devastate him. And besides, pretending to enjoy it for a few hours once a year is the least I can do for the old man. I actually used to enjoy sailing, but one experience soured me on it."

"What's the story there?"

"Let's say I once felt the call of freedom on the sea. When Drake and I were young boys, we snuck out with one of the royal sloops. The weather had been sunny, but turned gray and windy when we reached a few kilometers out. We probably could've managed if we'd been more experienced, but the choppy waters capsized our boat. We had to swim back. I'm not sure which was worse, the cold or the taste of saltwater. Even worse, we had to push the boat all the way back to shore so we wouldn't get in trouble!"

"Wow... that must have been awful!"

"It was pretty miserable experience, though I can laugh about it now! We were cold, wet, and exhausted... but we survived. Anyway, I've never told anyone that story. No one ever found out what we did... although my interest in sailing did drop quite a bit after that."