Chapter 3: Welcome to Monaco

Quitting and throwing the apron at Tariq's face was the bravest, most daring thing I have ever done in my life. My knees felt so weak afterwards, it was a good thing that Sebastian had an Uber waiting for us outside. There was still a part of me that didn't believe what was happening, but despite it all I was going with the flow.

Once we parked outside my apartment building, Sebastian chuckled. I frowned as I looked at him. 'I know I am not of royal descent and don't own a palace in some beautiful European countryside, but my apartment is pretty cool', I said and slammed the door behind me.

He hurried after me into the building's lobby. 'I'm pretty sure it is. I just find it hard to believe that you can afford a place at The Wilsons with your waitress salary, that's all', he explained.

I had to roll my eyes. Looks could be so deceiving. Pretty much like most my life, no one knew who I really was or who my parents were. I called the elevator and he stood beside me anxiously. I couldn't help but smile.

'What?', he asked, curious.

'You seem more anxious than I am, and I'm the one who's going on a life altering journey.'

'And I'm the one sponsoring it. It's my family's name on the line.' 

The elevator arrived and we hopped in. The moment we walked into my one-bedroom apartment, Sebastian's attention immediately went to the view of New York that came with the wall-sized windows in the living room. 

He gasped in awe as I headed to my bedroom and started pacKing my essentials and must-haves. A few moments later he came in and was shaKing his head in disbelief.

'Seriously, how can you make rent?', he asked as I handed him another suitcase and motioned for him to empty a drawer of socks. I love my socks.

'I don't', I said in short as I started assessing just how much underwear I will be needing. Would I have to do my own laundry, or will he have someone do it for me? I wondered if I could go new underwear shopping.

'What do you mean you don't?', he pressed on.

I frustratingly dumped all my underwear into the suitcase and nervously avoided his eyes. 'I don't have to pay rent because my parents own the building.'

'Wait, wait! You mean to say you're rich?', he couldn't hide his shock.

'No. My parents are rich. The apartment is the extent of the luxury I momentarily borrow from them', I was careful with my words.

'Well, they're going to die sometime. So, by definition, you're rich. And you don't need that much underwear.'

I wasn't sure to be taken aback by the fact that he unapologetically called me a rich brat or that I had too much underwear. I shook my head, ignored him, and removed half of the underwear I packed.

We were soon in the airport, boarding a – believe it or not – private jet. It was the most luxurious, leather-filled plane I have ever been on. My parent's company plane could never compare to this one. Towards the back of the plane, there were chillers filled with every alcoholic beverage under the sun. I was headed to paradise hung-over.

Standing by the bar was Henrik, the most annoying of Harper's friends who I had the pleasure of not talKing to much yesterday.

'I didn't know we had company', I whispered to Sebastian. He shrugged.

'Well, well. If it isn't little Miss Manhattan', he said as he approached us.

'Excuse me?', I was giving him a chance to retract his little condescending comment before I went all feminist on his Monegasque ass.

The flight attendant politely asked us to be seated and put our belts on as we were already late, and the pilot had to take off soon. I chose to sit next to Sebastian, and as far away from Henrik as possible. He seemed like a grade A jerk, and I wondered why Harper would want to be friends with him.

Sebastian and I ate and drank as we made small talk to pass the time. But as the time went by, I felt more and more anxious. The alcohol wasn't doing anything to calm my nerves, on the contrary. To add insult to injury, Henrik chose this specific time to come and join us.

'Could you look any paler?', he addressed me.

Just as I was about to give him a piece of my mind, Sebastian spoke. 'Easy there, lad. It's quiet brave what she is doing. It's okay if she is a little nervous.'

I silently thanked him.

'You better get your game on. You're not just going to meet Harper and the King; you're going to have to deal with those ladies at court. If they sniff that you're a tiny bit nervous, they will eat you alive.'

I couldn't believe the words coming out of his mouth. Both Sebastian and I stared at him in disbelief.

'Thanks for the pep talk. I don't know what I would've done without it', I said sarcastically as I chugged the last bit of martini.

'Who are you trying to impress with that attitude?', he pressed on.

'And what makes you think I am trying to impress anybody, least of all you?'

'Well then, what are you doing here? Isn't it Harper that you are after, and all the glories that come with him being a future King?'

'I don't care that Harper is a prince or a future King. Something special happened between us last night, and I owe it to him and myself to explore it further', I explained as firmly as possible.

'You heard how Harper went on and on about her. Besides, Emma is not some crown-chaser. Believe you me, her parents…'

I cut Sebastian off before he said another word. 'The point is, Henrik, thanks for your opinion but I don't need it.'

He completely ignored my remark and addressed Sebastian. 'She's not going to last a week with that naïve kind of thinKing. It was a waste of time bringing her here.'

Before any of us could say another word, the pilot announced over the intercom that we were going to land soon and that we must be seated. Sebastian encouraged me to take the window seat so that I could get a good look at Monaco from above.

As I looked outside the tiny plane window, I was bedazzled by the lush greens that seeped through the streets of Monaco. The houses were no taller than three stories, and had gambrel, orange roofs that complemented the green hues perfectly. The turquoise waters were tranquil and hugged the white, sandy beaches with such passion that made it impossible not to fall in love with the scene instantly. 

As I looked further up the slant that was Monaco, I could see the grandeur, stone palace that looked like it belonged in a fairytale. The closer we got to land, the more the place looked surreal.

'I've never seen such a beautiful country. You must love living here. It's just so lively, and the way you guys live alongside nature', I found myself saying.

'Oh god. If you break into song, I am jumping off the plane', Henrik's voice broke through possibly the most perfect moment I had experienced outside New York. 

It took every fiber in my being to not get up and slap the living crap out of him. Instead, I went back to admiring the view as the plane was slowly descending into the runway.

As we got out of the plane, I was glad to see two limousines waiting for us. Henrik quickly hopped into one and drove off into the afternoon sun. I thanked the heavens that I didn't have to endure a car ride with him as well.

Sebastian and I hopped into the smaller limousine with velvet, lush interior. Once we were inside, he handed me a bottle of water to sober up a little bit. 

'What is up with Henrik? Why is he such an ass?', I couldn't help but ask. He barely knew me and passed judgement on me like I was everything that was wrong with the world.

Sebastian sighed and paused a moment before he replied. 'Henrik is what we call here… a commoner. His father died at a young age, and his mother remarried the King's best-friend – rendering him and his mother royals by marriage. He's always been treated as an outsider here. It didn't matter that he was Harper's best friend.'

I let his words sink in for a minute. Royal or not, he had no right treating me like that. I understand that losing his father must've been hard on him, but he was still taken care of for the rest of his life. His attitude towards me was inexcusable.

'Yeah, well. With that attitude, no one would ever want to be around him. If he's being treated as an outsider, it's his own damn doing.'

We drove the rest of the way in silence, as I admired the streets of Monaco. I rolled down the window and could instantly smell the buttery goodness of the tiny bakeries that lined every corner and the natural, floral scent of the greenery around. People looked happy here, healthy even. Maybe it was because of all the nature, and the pear orchards that they grew up in between. Who wouldn't be happy if they lived in such a magical, wondrous place? 

We pulled in front of the palace and I stepped outside and examined it. The palace was easily four stories high and was painted in a pearly white coating that made it look heavenly. The blue windows reflected the colors of the sky; clear and refreshing. The flag of Monaco was hoisted proudly on the lone keep of the palace. The whole of it looked larger than life.

'I'll be staying here?', I couldn't hide the terror in my voice.

'You and all the ladies vying for Harper's hand will stay here at court', he explained.

You have got to be kidding me! 'I thought you guys were going to put me in a hotel or something.'

I took a deep breath and mustered all the bravery in me to follow Sebastian through the scarily huge iron gates. As we stepped into the palace, I was immediately awestruck by the grand stairs that was lined with a red and yellow oriental-inspired carpet. The most amusing thing, however, was the elevator that was in between them. I couldn't help but smirk and raise an eyebrow at that.

'The King is old. It's tiring going up and down these stairs at his age', Sebastian explained. We both headed for the elevator – I was too tired to be going up any stairs too – and a little bit tipsy.

We went to the story above and as we walked into the corridor, I couldn't help but admire the décor in this place. It was an interesting clash of vintage and modern. The stone walls were painted a refreshing shade of off-white, and the walls where lined with abstract art amidst the vintage portraits.

'The paintings' are Harper's. He really likes art', Sebastian explained. I smiled as it reminded me of our little moment in front of Lady Liberty.

'This is where you will be staying', he said as he opened the door to a lavish bedchamber that was just bright and inviting as the rest of the palace. The walls were lined with full-length paintings, the ceilings were gilded for an antique flair, and the bed was full of fluffy pillows that seemed to be welcoming me with open arms.

'Wow! This is something', I exclaimed as I walked around to get a full feel of the room.

'This is the smallest room we have. If I had known you would be part of our world sooner, I would've arranged for a bigger one.'

This was the smallest room? My whole apartment could fit in here!

'It's perfect. Thank you.'

At that moment, a couple of men dressed as bellhops walked in with my luggage and placed them in front of the wardrobe.

Once they were gone, Sebastian showed me to the bathroom which was tucked in behind a hidden door next to the wardrobe. 'Shower the plane ride off you, get dressed and we'll meet later for tonight's event. Do you have a dress?'

'I have a dress. It is not designer, if that's what you are really asKing, and what event are you talKing about?'

'Sorry, I forgot that you're new here. The first event of the social season is tonight where you will be formally introduced to the King and the Prince as a potential suitor – The Masquerade.'

'Masquerade? You mean masks and gloves and ball gowns?', my voice raised a few octaves. I don't do dress up parties. Halloween was the extent of it for me.

'Yes. I will set an appointment for you with the palace's boutique in an hour so you can pick out a dress and work on your look for the night.'

I slowly nodded and rubbed my temples. Do I really want to be doing this? Was Harper worth all the trouble I am getting myself into? I closed my eyes and thought of the kiss we shared just last night. It was the perfect kiss. That was the answer I needed.

'Okay. I will shower and go to the palace boutique', I told myself more than I was reassuring Sebastian.

'Perfect! And if you need anything, just text me', he said as he saved his number on my phone.

'Actually Sebastian, I do need something', I said and bit my lower lip, not sure if I should be asKing for anything at all.

'Sure, what is it?', he asked hurriedly.

'Can I get access to HBO Max? When I am this nervous, I usually watch the sitcom Friends. It helps me calm down.'

He stared at me in disbelief and left the room without saying another word.