By the time they got back to the castle, Ari's stomach was hurting, and she knew she had to lay down. Without a word, Arnold carried her from the limo toward the castle, when Grayson came out. "What happened?" he rushed over and took Ari from him with ease, concern filling his eyes."Civil unrest downtown." Arnold proceeded to tell him everything that happened, following Grayson as he carried her inside. "The princess wouldn't let me carry her to the limo and she fell, but then I scooped her up and got her out of there. The people recognized her and were beating on the limo. It probably traumatized her."Grayson carried her up the stairs straight to their bedroom and laid her on the bed. "Arnold, call Dr. Parker. See if he'll make a home visit to the castle. Please tell him it's an emergency.""Yes, Your Highness." He pulled out his cell phone and carried it out into the hallway, already talking to someone. "Do you have any idea who's behind this?" Celeste asked as she walked into th
After the doctor left and Ari fell asleep, Grayson's phone buzzed. He had put it on vibrate while she was asleep. When he looked down, he saw it was Arnold. Grayson hurried out to the hallway and clicked on his phone, so as not to disturb Ari. "What did you find out?"Arnold sighed into the phone. "Marcus was released this morning.""You have got to be kidding me," Grayson replied."No, I wish I were," Arnold replied. "They said they didn't have enough evidence to hold him.""What?""There's more."Grayson waited."We were able to catch some of the people involved in the attack this morning, and Marcus is behind it," Arnold replied. "His meeting had just broken up when the incident happened.""I think it's time I pay a visit to Commissioner Taylor." Grayson shook his head in disbelief. Estrea used to be so peaceful, and now it was turning into a war zone… all because of his cousin."Would you like me to go with you?" Arnold asked."Are you at the police station?""Yes."Grayson nodded,
"Grayson...." a voice said in the distance, a voice he would recognize anywhere.He tried to respond, but for some reason, he couldn't find his voice to answer the angel... his angel."Grayson...."Where was he, and why was he finding it so difficult to surface from the darkness that held him? Then he remembered... Xavier, his brother, lying limp and lifeless... and his wife at home with child. He had to wake, and he had to wake now. Grayson forced himself, searching for the light, illuminating his way back to reality... back to the people he loved."Ari?" Grayson felt someone squeeze his hand. He had to find his way back to her. Slowly, he opened his eyes... and saw his beautiful wife. "Ari."Tears filled her eyes as she pressed her hand gently to his face. "I was so worried about you.""How's Xavier?" he asked, bracing himself for the worst.Tears filled Ari's eyes. "He's alive, but he's in a coma. The doctor said that it was probably his body's way of healing itself.""Will he be ok
A few days later, Grayson was dressed and ready to leave the hospital. He just wished that Xavier was coming home with him, too. But even though he was awake, he had to stay in the hospital a bit longer to ensure there was no further injury."Are you okay?" Ari asked, folding what little clothes she had brought for him to the hospital. "You're okay to come home?""Don't start." He sighed, glancing over at her.He heard her sharp intake of breath."Look. I'm sorry. It's just that my brother is still in Intensive Care and the men who put him there are still free. I have to find out who did this and bring them to justice." Grayson sighed. Truth be told, he'd rather see them dead. But he didn't want to tell Ari that. "And the only way to do that is to get out of the hospital and find them."Ari nodded, but then she stepped up close to him. "But hear this. You will never speak to me that way again." She sighed, shaking her head. She rubbed his arm, but he pulled away, so she folded her arms
A few days later, Grayson was settling back into work, and Xavier was out of the Intensive Care, although he was still in the hospital. But Grayson was more determined than ever to solve the murders and find out who was behind this mess... once and for all."Your Highness." Arnold cocked his head to the side when he appeared in the doorway. "You sent for me?"Grayson nodded. "Do you know what kind of bullets Piers used? What kind of gun?"Arnold looked away, thinking, and then looked up and into Grayson's eyes. "It was a Smith & Wesson semi-automatic pistol."Grayson's heart stopped, remembering what the detective had said during the investigation. Then he looked at the police report to make sure. "Are you sure?"Arnold nodded. "Positive. That's the weapon he used in Afghanistan and his weapon of choice.""I thought all of you used Glock 17s?" Grayson asked. "That's standard issue from the castle."Arnold shrugged. "Well, since he was the boss, he could use any weapon he wanted."Grays
In order to try and keep her mind off the baby, Grayson, and everything else, Ari decided to go over her plans for Henley's House. Grayson had set her up an office next to his, and she planned to start using it. Ari knew what she wanted Henley's House to be, but she wanted to know what Henley thought, too.She knocked on the door of Henley's room, but Hildegard, one of Henley's nurses, opened the door."Is Henley all right?" she asked, peeking in, looking around.Hildegard took a step back, opening the door wide. "I'm afraid Miss Henley's not feeling well today."Ari nodded as she walked in. Her mother was sitting in a chair to the side of her bed."How is she?" Ari asked softly.Celeste closed the magazine she was reading and smiled. "She's not feeling very well today. The treatments cause a lot of nausea.""Stop talking about me as if I'm not here," Henley said, opening her eyes."Darling, you were asleep." Celeste placed her hand on her forehead. "How are you feeling?""A little bi
Later that night, Ari was sitting in bed, going over the plans for Henley's House when Grayson came in and sat on the edge of the bed, looking tired as he undid his tie."So, how're you?" Ari set her plans to the side and wrapped her arms around Grayson's neck. He looked like he needed a hug.Grayson chuckled. "I should be asking you that."Ari smiled. "Oh, I feel fine. It seems that the morning sickness is starting to go away now.""Well, in that case...." Grayson grabbed her and pulled her across his lap, as she giggled. Then he stroked the hair away from her face. "I'm so lucky to have you.""You bet you are," she teased, but then she became serious. "But I'm lucky to have you, too." She placed a hand on his cheek as she looked into his eyes. "Are you okay?"He nodded. "I found out that Piers had the same gun that killed Ralph. The bullets matched."Ari sat up. "Really?"Grayson nodded. "I also think that Commissioner Taylor is in on everything, too.""What?" Ari asked. "The murders
Ari woke the next morning to bright sunshine streaming in through the window. But it wasn't the extreme bright that comes with snow. No, she had a feeling that it was the first unofficial day of spring, and she wanted to take advantage of it. She rolled over and her arm landed on Grayson. He opened one eye. "Morning." She laid her head down on his chest, not wanting to leave and begin the day. "I wish we could stay here all day long."Grayson chuckled. "It would be nice." He rubbed her back, still half asleep.She raised up and looked into his eyes. "Well, we could.""Don't tempt me." He traced lazy circles on her bare back with his eyes still closed. "So, what do you have planned for today?"She sighed, not wanting to think of leaving Grayson... even for a few hours. "I have an appointment at the hospital today about Henley's House and I can't miss it. I was thinking of asking my mom and Vickie to come along, too." Ari chuckled. "Mom's been driving Henley crazy.""Yeah, I overheard.
Grayson was proud of his father's efforts to unite Estrea once again. It was clear that the old ways were no longer working. It was time for a fresh start. And King Maxwell of Estrea was determined to do just that.The election was held the next month, as King Maxwell promised, and the Royal Council was selected. But through it all, the feeling in Estrea had been one of new hope. In the news, King Maxwell was praised for his bold initiative to bring the realm into the Twenty-First Century.A few weeks later, the first meeting of the Royal Council was held on April 1. The board voted to continue holding the meetings twice a month, on the first and third Mondays, to keep the council abreast of the happenings of Estrea. The king then promised to make the proceedings and decisions made by the council known to the public in the interest of full disclosure. There was also a procedure set in place for grievances, ensuring that everyone's concerns would be heard. "So, what about the name Maso
The next day, Grayson was working in his office at the castle when Xavier walked in. Without a word, he crossed the room to the television and flipped it on. Then he stood back and folded his arms across his chest."And in the news today," Ella J. Scott said to the camera. "The body of Prince Marcus Pierce was found in an old abandoned warehouse, along with the bodies of other men. One of the men has been identified as Piers Wingfield, former head of security for the Crown. King Maxwell Pierce and members of the Royal Family have made no comment as to the cause of death. In other news—"Xavier sighed, folding his arms across his chest. "I don't think you have to worry about paying Piers now.""Let's speak with Father," Grayson said, already headed toward the door.Xavier followed. "What should we tell him?"Grayson sighed, turning around to face him with his hand on their father's door. "The truth."Xavier looked at him for a moment, and then nodded his agreement.Grayson knocked on th
A week later when Ari was feeling better, she finally had that meeting with the hospital administrator about Henley's House. This time, Henley, her mother, and Vickie attended. Grayson had wanted to go, too, but Ari had to persuade him to let her go without him. After all, she couldn't live in fear for the rest of her life."This is a wonderful idea. I appreciate you bringing it to us," said the hospital administrator, Dr. Sienna Gallagher. "We look forward to hearing more about it. And please be sure to tell His Majesty King Maxwell Pierce and His Highness Grayson Pierce how much we appreciate it. Cancer patients, and their families, will be very appreciative."After speaking with Dr. Gallagher, and at Henley's insistence, Ari had decided to expand Henley's House to include all cancer patients treated at Estrea Medical Hospital, not just leukemia patients.Ari held out her hand. "The pleasure is ours. Thank you for offering us the land on which to build. I'll speak with my husband and
Ari had fallen asleep on the way home, despite her best efforts to stay awake. But the lack of sleep and the continuous motion of Grayson stroking her hair, made sleep inevitable. But now that she was with Grayson again, the world could fall apart, and she wouldn't care. Her stomach hurt a bit, waking her."Are you alright?" Grayson asked, his voice filled with concern.Ari nodded. "My stomach's hurting just a bit, but I'm fine. I just need to rest.""And eat," Xavier added, looking at her in the rearview mirror. Ari laughed. "Well, that's a given." She thought for a moment, wanting to word it correctly. "Xavier, Grayson, thank you both for coming to my rescue.""It's my pleasure, my lady," Xavier teased."You know I would move heaven and earth to get to you," Grayson replied, his voice low and husky.Xavier nodded. "And he is not exaggerating."Ari laughed. "Well, I truly appreciate it." Then she thought of something. "I had to do something that I'm not proud of." She bit her lower
Ari ran through the forest as quickly as she could, headed toward who knew where. She remembered that there was a road that lead back to the village, and she had to find it. She couldn't follow the beach; she'd ever get home.Home.A small word that held so much power. As she ran, all she could think of was Grayson and going home, their home together, at the castle. Then she fell, stumbling over a root protruding from the ground, but caught herself with her hands. But she got up and started running again. After a bit, she looked behind her to see if anyone was following... and ran straight into something. When she looked up... it was Piers."No!" she screamed at the top of her lungs, her knees buckling under her. But to her surprise, he caught her in his strong arms."Quiet!" Piers said, holding a finger to his lips."Hold it right there." When she looked up and saw Grayson holding a gun, her heart leapt with relief and joy."Grayson!"Piers quickly pulled her in front of him. "I want
Grayson rode with Xavier into the night toward the shore. Although the chances of finding her in the dead of night was slim and none, he knew he had to try. And from the moment Xavier had heard, he was along for the ride. Without question. "Thank you for this," Grayson said, looking over at him.One corner of his lips curled into a smile. "You don't have to thank me. You would do the same for me, if the tables were turned.""Without question."Xavier shrugged. "But then again, I'd do it for Ari, anyway."Grayson chuckled. "Of course, you would," he teased. "I'm glad that you two get along so well.""What can I say? She's a nice girl...." Then he grinned. "and I'm a nice guy."Grayson laughed. "Yes, you are... but I didn't say that.""Of course not." Xavier looked over at him and smiled. "So, have you seen anything suspicious?"Grayson shook his head. "No. Nothing that could be used as a fortress or a hideout.""The shore is farther away than I thought." Xavier sighed."Which is why I
Ari looked around the warehouse, taking everything in. Maybe she would find a clue as to where she was. She kept hearing the crashing of waves, as if she were near the ocean, which meant that she was a few hours away from the castle. Either way, it would be a long walk back.One thing was certain: she couldn't just run back down the road to the castle, even if she did manage to escape. But then again, if she could just get out, then she could easily find her way back to the castle. Surely, someone would know the way and could give her a ride. Although she had no idea what time it was or how much time had lapsed, she knew she had much less than twenty-four hours now and, although there were no windows, she knew it had to be dark—or close to it—making it the perfect time to escape. But she was also getting hungry and she knew she had to eat soon. Also, when she came out of the restroom earlier, Piers had put another zip tie around her wrists again. So, she had to escape when the Zip tie
Grayson called Xavier, knowing he couldn't just sit there and wait. At that moment, he would give anything to have Ari back."Yeah," Xavier answered on the first ring. "Find anything?" Grayson asked, pacing the floor in his office. "Yeah, I think you'd better get down here." From the sound of it, Xavier was pacing, too.Grayson sighed, fearing the worst. "I'll be right there." He clicked off and was ready to walk out when the door slowly opened. "Where's Ari?" Celeste asked, slowly walking in, obviously having overheard something. "Do you know where she is?"Grayson sighed, biting his lower lip. "Please, sit down." He knew he had to go, but her mother deserved to know the truth before he left.Celeste said nothing but slowly walked into the room and folded her arms across her chest. "Where is she?"Grayson looked directly into her eyes, pain ripping through his whole body, as if someone had physically shoved their hand into his chest and ripped his heart out."Ari's been kidnapped."
Ari looked around the warehouse and all eyes were on her. Marcus gritted his teeth as he walked purposefully toward her and slapped her across the face. "How dare you say that about me?" He raised his hand again, but Piers caught it.Piers shook his head. "You gave your word that she will not be harmed for twenty-four hours."Marcus glared at him for a moment, and then ripped his hand out of his grasp. Then he turned his attention to Ari. "Kill me, will you?"Ari raised her head and glared at him, staring daggers into his eyes looking through her hair covering one eye. "Mark my words. You will never get away with this. You should have taken the deal that King Maxwell offered you. It's as good as you're going to get." She shrugged. "It's more than I would have given you.""Why you—" Marcus made a move toward her again, but Piers stood in his way and shook his head in warning."Not while I'm here," Piers replied. Quicker than Ari would have thought possible, Marcus whipped out a gun an