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winked at Jessabelle who blushed. The guard walked off and drove up a minute later in Malachi’s favorite thing, a sleek, black Lamborghini. He left the engine purring while Malachi opened the door for his wife. The guard held Malachi’s door open as he thanked the man. “We’ll be back later.”
    “Of course, sir.”
    The garage door lifted in front of the car, and Malachi eased out. He waved to the guards at the gate, silently thanking his security team for paving the way.
    “How far is it?” Jessabelle stared out the window as he maneuvered his way through Erres.
    “It’ll take us about an hour to get there. Usually it wouldn’t take so long, but I don’t think the roads are completely clear yet.” A black sedan with heavily tinted windows pulled out in front of them. “And there’s our escort.”
    “Escort?”
    So much for not mentioning it. “My security team. There’s not much of a threat to the family, but we always have security with us.” Traffic was light as they went through the city, likely familiar to her as she’d grown up there. “So tell me about yourself, Jessabelle. That’s an unusual name. Does it have history or did your parents just like it?”
    She fiddled with her engagement ring. “It’s my grandmother’s names mashed together. Jessica and Isabelle.”
    “Have you ever gone by a nickname? Like Jessa or Belle?”
    A quick shake of her head he could see out of the corner of his eye was his answer. “What’s your middle name?”
    “Grace.”
    He’d known that. He’d have to think about it. Come up with a nickname for her that only he used. “How old are you, Jessabelle Grace?”
    “Nineteen.” Right. She’d told him that earlier.
    “You’ve been out of school almost a year or almost two?”
    “Two.”
    “Have you been attending university?”
    Another shake of her head. “I’ve been helping my father.”
    “Did you want to attend university?”
    This time he got a shrug.
    “What did you want to be when you grew up? If you couldn’t be a princess?”
    She seemed to turn that over in her mind for a minute. “I’m not really sure. Something behind the scenes somewhere. I don’t like being in front of people.”
    “Is there something you’re especially good at?”
    “Not particularly.”
    Malachi didn’t believe that. There had to be something she excelled at, even if she wasn’t sure what it could be. So he moved on. “You have no brothers and sisters?”
    “No. Only child.”
    “Your mother died when you were how old?”
    “Eight.”
    “What did she die of?”
    “A car accident caused by a man who had a stroke.”
    “That’s awful. I’m so sorry.”
    “Your parents were at her funeral. My father always said that’s how he knew the king still appreciated what he did when they were younger.”
    “What exactly happened? I’ve never heard.”
    “Our fathers had gone to the same school since they were quite young. They were swimming with a group of friends in Lake Mevendia when they were about eighteen. I’m not quite sure what happened, but your father was hit in the head by something. An oar from the boat they were in perhaps. An accident. My father swam to shore with him because no one was strong enough to pull him back into the boat without tipping it.”
    The next question probably required finesse. Malachi had to ask anyway. “Did you always know you were to marry a prince?”

 
     
     
     
     
     
    Chapter 5
     
    “My father told me about the statement your father made several days after the incident. That one of my father’s daughters would marry one of your father’s sons. I never put much faith in it.” She looked at the ring she’d been twisting around her finger. “The last two years, I didn’t think he would survive long enough to see it come to pass, even if he wanted it to. In fact, I’m surprised he didn’t start pressing your father for the marriage contract as soon as I turned sixteen.”
    She glanced over at him out