MR. Sanderson stayed in their room for three hours as he talked about the seriousness of the coming venture and how important Aria’s return to the throne was. He talked about America’s need for the vanadium and how much America needed to have military bases in Lanconia.
“Our plan is this,” Mr. Sanderson said. “We will take the imposter princess and her aunt, Lady Emere, tomorrow just as they return from America, before anyone of her family in Lanconia sees Princess Maude, and I imagine the brigands who put her in Princess Aria’s place will contact Her Royal Highness immediately. For them to be aware of your presence, you two will have to be seen as often as possible within the next twenty-four hours. Once Her Highness is taken, Lieutenant, your services will no longer be needed. She cannot reenter the palace with an American husband at her side. The ambassador and I have arranged for you to be returned to America as soon as contact is made.”
“But—” Aria began, wanting to tell the man that Lieutenant Montgomery was to remain as her husband.
J.T. put his hand on her arm. “So we have a couple of days,” he said softly.
“Yes,” Mr. Sanderson said, looking from one to the other, taking note of their closeness.
“I am concerned for her safety,” J.T. said. “I don’t want her alone among her enemies. Someone tried to kill her before.”
“Yes, but now whoever tried to kill her will think she is an American. I’m sure the murderers believe the actual princess to have been drowned in Florida. We plan to negotiate for the imposter princess’s return with whoever contacts Her Royal Highness. Princess Aria—they think—will be discharged once the imposter is returned. Someone believes the real princess is dead, but it may not be the same person who contacts Kathy Montgomery.”
J.T. stood, pacing and frowning. “I don’t believe whoever planned this is as stupid as you seem to think. She’s bound to give herself away. I think I—”
“Lieutenant,” Mr. Sanderson said sharply, “your services will no longer be needed. We can protect Her Royal Highness.”
Aria was trying to control her emotions but she was very pleased that the lieutenant wanted to protect her, that he was so concerned about her safety. Perhaps it was a camouflage of the truth. Maybe he wanted to remain with her forever.
J.T. turned his back to the two of them and looked out the window.
“We, the ambassador and I,” Mr. Sanderson said, “thought perhaps that the two of you might give some evidence of not being a happily married couple; then, when Her Royal Highness is contacted, it will seem natural that she is willing to participate in this farce without her husband.”
J.T. didn’t turn around but continued staring out of the window. “Yes, that makes sense,” he murmured. He turned back. “Shall we go to dinner? It’s been a long flight for both of us and we’d like to get to bed early.”
Mr. Sanderson cleared his throat. “Tonight, if possible, we thought perhaps you two could stage an argument at dinner, a loud, public argument, and Her Royal Highness could run to the embassy in anger and spend the night there. We need the time to brief her and we need to establish her contact with our embassy. There are many details to work out yet.”
“So, I’m no longer needed,” J.T. said, his eyes dark. He didn’t look at Aria. “I’m going to take a shower—if I can find a bathroom in this place—then we can go to dinner and start our fight. That should be easy.” He grabbed clean underwear from a suitcase, a towel from a rack, and left the room.
“No, no, no,” Aria said to Mr. Sanderson the minute J.T. was out of the room. “You have everything wrong. We are not to be separated. The American government would not help me unless I agreed to put an American on the throne beside me. We are to remain married and it is better that he stay beside me.” She felt a bit of panic. America was still in her veins and she didn’t want to let it slip away. And she didn’t want to lose this man who made her feel so lovely.
Mr. Sanderson gave her his best diplomatic look. “Of course we were informed of this aspect of your agreement, Your Royal Highness, but that was a military agreement, not a diplomatic or political one. You could not possibly consider putting an American on the Lanconian throne. He knows nothing of the duties of being prince consort, nor does he know about Lanconia. And from what I hear, he has no desire to become prince consort. He could not do a good job even if, by some freak chance, the Lanconian people would accept an American commoner as their queen’s husband. You must think of Lanconia and not your, ah…personal feelings.”
Aria could feel Lanconia seeping into her, rather like someone opening a window and letting a room gradually grow colder.
“But royalty does not divorce,” she said softly.
“Your marriage will be annulled,” Mr. Sanderson said. “It was made under duress and the Lanconian High Council will agree to it, as will the American government. We are trusting that you can persuade the king to award the vanadium to America and that, as a result of the help we have given you, in the future we may station American troops in your country.”
“Yes,” she said. “America has helped me and I will show my gratitude.”
Mr. Sanderson’s face changed. “I am sorry to cause you any unpleasantness. I had no idea the two of you had become fond of one another in so short a time. I was given to understand that you’d welcome an annulment.”
“At one time,” she murmured. Her head came up. “Let us have this time together, to say good-bye. We can part in anger when I am contacted. He can say that no wife of his will do such a thing and I can go against his orders. Later I can say that I like being a princess better than being a wife. The marriage can be dissolved when I am restored to my rightful place.”
“Yes, but—”
“You may leave me now.” As soon as Aria said it she realized how long it had been since she had given a regal order.
“Yes, Your Highness,” Mr. Sanderson said, then stood and gave a little bow as he left the room.
Aria walked to the window and looked down at the narrow street, at the people walking there. They seemed so old. There was no spring to their step. There were no children in sight. Every year more young people took their children and left the country. There was no industry for them, no jobs, no modern entertainment.
As she watched, she became even more aware of how these people were her responsibility. The High Council passed laws, worked on the trial system, but it was up to the royal family to create interest in the country. In the last century she and her family had become a tourist attraction.
She glanced down at her dress, the easiness of it, such a simple dark brown thing with no diamonds, no royal insignia, and she began to remember how she had to dress as a princess. It took three women two hours each morning to dress her and to arrange her long hair. All day long she changed clothes. There w
ere morning clothes, afternoon clothes, reception clothes, tea clothes, and long, formal dinner gowns.