Twice Upon A Time (Unfinished Fairy Tales #2)(12)
Impossible. There is no way that the book could be at Jason’s. As much as I loved the book, I couldn’t take it along with all my luggage to Oregon. Yet . . . I reach into my mind, desperately trying to remember what the book looked like, but somehow, the more I try, the hazier it becomes. One moment, I recall the book rotating slowly, and the next moment it’s gone . . . gone where?
Pain explodes in my head.
I let out a cry and put both hands on my head. The dizziness returns in full force and I massage my temples, trying to compose myself. In a second, the prince is by my side.
“Kat? Kat, where are you hurting?”
“I’ll be . . . I’m fine.” I try to wave him away. “Just let me lie down for a second.”
He suddenly gets up and leaves, but soon, he is back with a middle-aged man in a black suit. “Dr. Jensen, it seems that my wife has a severe headache.”
The doctor checks my pulse and asks a few questions, which I’m able to answer clearly. The pain has subsided, but my head is still throbbing.
“Her Highness seems to be all right, apart from the sudden attack that I cannot find the reason for. I would suggest that she have some nourishment and take a good rest. She seems healthy enough, so hopefully it was simply over-exertion.”
Edward says a few things to him in a low voice. The doctor looks at me, shakes his head, and tells him in an equally low voice that I can’t discern. “Memory . . . temporary loss . . .” seems to be what they are talking about.
But I am in no mood to listen. My conversation with Edward was so shocking, so ridiculous that I refuse to believe it. I can’t have traveled to a storybook and later returned home. I can’t have met him, gotten engaged, and not remember anything about him. The most plausible explanation is that I happen to look like the princess, who has somehow disappeared. When the train stops, I must try to find where the real princess is and try to get home.
I pretty much sleep through the rest of the journey. Edward converts one of the chairs into a makeshift bed so I can lie down, using one of the cushions as a pillow. Once or twice in my sleep, I am dimly aware of the brush of his fingers on my forehead, smoothing back the hair from my face, but I’m too exhausted to care. My last conscious thought is to get away from this strange but fascinating world. I am not, and cannot be, this princess of Athelia.
* * *
“Kat. Kat, wake up. We have arrived.” I crack one eye open. Edward is leaning over me, that damned gorgeous face of his too close for comfort. I feel a fierce blush rising in my cheeks. I scramble up and try to put some distance between us.
“Where are we now?”
He smiles. “Enrilth, my childhood home. I’ve always longed to show it to you.” Then he takes a deep breath. “I am well aware that you do not remember anything about me, or us, but until we can figure out what has caused your memory loss and how we can deal with it, I fear that we must act as a couple in front of others. As the notorious royal family, I guarantee there are plenty who will take advantage, or even bring harm to you, should your condition be widely known.”
I bite my lower lip. I admit that his suggestion makes sense, but it makes me uneasy. In every romance I’ve read, couples that pretend to be in love always end up together. But in my case, this is a risk I can’t afford unless I absolutely cannot help it. I already have Jason, and besides, I’ve got to get home.
“Only in front of others.” I manage to keep my voice frosty. “When we are alone, you had better behave like a friend. Like a casual acquaintance.”
He doesn’t even blink. “Certainly. As long as it is necessary.”
I consider arguing with him about what constitutes as necessary, but my thoughts are interrupted by a rap on the door.
“Your Highness.” The curt, no-nonsense voice of the young woman rings out from the other side of the door.
Edward holds out his hand. I take it, and my heart beats faster when he wraps his fingers firmly over mine like he doesn’t want to ever let go.
“Remember, her name is Amelie,” he whispers. “And Bertram is the man who looks like he has giant blood.”
“Got it,” I whisper back, trying to ignore our joined hands. He held my hand earlier, but now that I’m aware that we must playact as a married couple, somehow, it’s more distracting.
Amelie is waiting for us, a folded cloak in her arms.
“It’s turning dark outside.” She hands me the cloak. “I heard it can get pretty chilly up here in the north.”
No way do I want to catch a cold, which seems easy with my short-sleeved gown, so I thank her and draw the cloak around my shoulders. I fumble for a moment with the clasp—it’s fashioned in an intricate twist of brass and bronze, which proves to be difficult compared to the simple modern ones that I’m used to.
“Allow me.” Edward reaches over and deftly fastens the clasp. Then he tucks a lock of my hair behind my ear and holds out his arm expectantly. “Ready?”
All of this happens so fast that I’ve barely time to reflect on how he touches me so naturally, so easily, like he’s used to taking care of me. Amelie doesn’t even blink or offer any help, even though she’s supposed to be my maid.
But since we’ve agreed to act like newlyweds, I can’t show any discomfort over the fact that a stranger is treating me like a cherished jewel. And the way he looks at me when he smooths back my hair—intense, affectionate, devoted, like I’m the only girl in his universe—I’m not even sure Jason has ever looked at me that way.