Princely Submission by K.C. Wells

Chapter Five

May

Stuart’s phone rang, and he answered instantly when he saw it was Matt. “Hey. Their flight’s due to land in about five minutes.” He stood in the terminal for private planes, his gaze fixed on the tarmac beyond the wall of glass in front of him.

“Everything ready?”

“Yup. The two cars are outside, and I went and checked out the hotel this morning. Only one elevator goes to the Presidential suite, and the only other rooms in that part of the hotel are the suite for us, and Jordan’s suite, which has an adjoining room. I’ll be in that one. It all looks good.” Through the window, Dave Lichfield gave him a nod. “They’re coming in.”

“Is Dave okay for you to act as liaison, seeing as you’ve met them?”

“I think he saw that as one less headache for him.” Dave was in charge of the security team.

“Good to know everything is in hand. Call me if you need anything.”

Stuart had to smile. Matt was a worrier. “Relax. This is gonna be textbook.”

Matt groaned. “Did you have to say that? Way to go to jinx it.”

The jet taxied into view. “Gotta go.” Stuart disconnected. He walked outside into the late afternoon sun and joined Dave, and the drivers who stood beside the gleaming black cars.

Dave rolled his eyes. “Has Matt calmed down yet? You’d think this was the first time we’ve provided a security detail for royalty.”

“You know Matt. Regular mother hen.”

The plane came to a stop. A moment later, the door opened, and the steps unfolded. Stuart and Dave walked over to stand at the foot of them. King Ludomir and Queen Adrianna were the first out, Jordan close behind. Piotr was at the rear.

The king smiled when he saw Stuart. “Good evening.” He shook hands.

Stuart bowed his head. “Welcome to the United States of America, Your Majesty.” He gestured to Dave. “May I introduce Dave Lichfield, who will be your personal bodyguard. He’s also the head of your security team.”

King Ludomir shook Dave’s hand. “Pleased to meet you, Mr. Lichfield.” He took his wife’s hand. “This is Her Majesty, Queen Adrianna.” Dave gave a bow. “And my son, Prince Jordan.”

“Is it far to the hotel?” Jordan demanded.

Stuart resisted the impulse to respond with sarcasm. “About half an hour when there’s no traffic, but seeing as it’s rush hour, all bets are off, Your Highness. It’ll take as long as it takes. If we’re lucky, we won’t get caught up in a jam at the Midtown Tunnel.” He watched as baggage handlers went over to collect the luggage. “We have to get you through security first.” Stuart pointed to the terminal. “In there.”

“That isn’t going to take forever, is it?”

The king cleared his throat. “A little patience, please, Jordan?” He met Stuart’s gaze, and his eyes twinkled. “His first flight, and he already acts as though he’s a seasoned traveler.”

Stuart led them into the terminal. “Once your passports and luggage have been checked, we’ll go to the hotel. I’ll be traveling with His Highness in the second car.”

As they stepped into the building, Stuart glanced at Jordan. The prince appeared bored already.

It’s gonna be a very long four weeks.

Stuart entered the key code and opened the door to Jordan’s suite. “Step this way, Your Highness.”

Jordan strode inside, the porter behind him with the luggage trolley. As he removed the cases and placed them on the thick carpet, Jordan turned to Stuart. “This is all for me?”

They were the first words Jordan had uttered since they’d left the terminal. Stuart had been subjected to the silent treatment all the way to the hotel. Not that he minded the silence, but it seemed a backward step.

He’s here now, isn’t he? He achieved his goal. He doesn’t need to pretend anymore. The mask was off, and Jordan was apparently done being polite.

“Allow me to give you a guided tour.” Stuart pointed to the two cream leather couches, alongside which sat a low coffee table with two piles of magazines. “You can watch TV here. And the hotel has provided you with a tablet. Use that if you want music.” He led him through a door to the right. “Your bedroom is through here.”

Jordan walked over to the four-poster bed, and stroked one of the posts. “What size bed is this?”

“A King.” Stuart smiled. “Fit for a prince. There’s another TV if you want to watch it from the bed. Your bathroom is through there.”

“Is there a bar?”

Stuart nodded. “It’s been stocked with water, juice and sodas.” When Jordan arched his eyebrows, Stuart locked gazes with him. “That was your father’s instruction. If you don’t like it, take it up with him.” And good luck with that.

The porter cleared his throat. “Will there be anything else, sir?”

“No, thank you.” Stuart handed him a folded bill, and he withdrew.

The door closed, and Jordan gave a nod. “This is okay. I’ve got a little time before dinner, so I’m going for a walk.”

“Give me a minute to inform the team, and I’ll be ready.”

Jordan blinked. “You’re not coming.”

Stuart folded his arms. “Excuse me? Think again.”

“I want to explore, and I don’t want a shadow. I’ll be safe. It’s not as if anyone here knows who I am, right?”

“That’s not the issue. I’m here to keep you safe.”

Jordan glared at him. “You can’t watch me every minute. You have to sleep or take a break at some point.”

Stuart indicated the door that led from the living room. “I’ll be right through there. That’s my room.”

His eyes bulged. “I’ll lock it. You can’t just walk in. Isn’t that an invasion of privacy?”

“I’ll knock first.”

Jordan put his hands on his hips. “Knock all you want, you’re not coming in.”

Stuart had heard enough. “I believe we talked about the consequences for misbehavior.”

“That was for my father’s benefit—wasn’t it?” Jordan narrowed his gaze. “You can’t lay a hand on me. I can have you arrested for… assault.”

Stuart bit back a smile. “Would you like to put that theory to the test?” He gestured to the cases. “I’ll leave you to unpack. Your parents are expecting us to join them for dinner in their suite at seven.” He couldn’t resist. “If you need any help, just knock.”

That earned him another glare. “I don’t need your help.”

“Fine. I’ll be ready at a quarter of seven.” And with that, he strolled out of the bedroom and to the adjoining door.

He wasn’t there to win Jordan over. He had a job to do, and if getting that done required taking a certain prince over his knee and spanking his royal ass, he’d do it.

Stuart’s palm was itching more than ever.

Stuart sipped his water. “Will you have time to do a little sightseeing, Your Majesty? Does your schedule allow for that?” Dinner had been served in the room that doubled as a meeting room. They sat at a long table with eight chairs. Notably, Stuart was the only bodyguard present: the others were in the restaurant downstairs.

“Perhaps next week,” the king remarked. “Piotr has tried to afford us some time to see this amazing city.” He glanced at his PA with a smile. “For which we are grateful.”

“Father, can we talk about my clothes?”

King Ludomir frowned. “What’s wrong with them? You look fine to me.”

Stuart thought so too. Jordan wore dark blue pants, a white shirt and blue tie, and a black waistcoat covered in rich purple swirling leaves.

He’s a good-looking young man. Pity he’s a brat too.

“Yes, but I can’t go out sightseeing dressed like this. I want to blend in. I want to dress like Americans my age dress.”

The queen widened her eyes. “I bought you new clothes for this trip. Don’t you like them?”

“Yes, I do, but…”

For one brief moment, Stuart felt a stab of pity. Jordan had probably never been allowed to choose clothes for himself. It wasn’t Stuart’s place to suggest a shopping trip might be in order, however.

The king studied Jordan. “Very well. You can buy some new clothes.”

Jordan’s eyes lit up. “Thank you. I’ll go shopping tomorrow.” He aimed a triumphant glance in Stuart’s direction.

The king coughed. “There’s a clothing store in the hotel lobby. I noticed it when we were checking in. Have whatever you buy charged to me.”

Stuart couldn’t miss Jordan’s crestfallen look. Nice try, kid. Except he wasn’t a kid. Maybe I need to cut him a little slack.

Then he reconsidered. When he’s earned it. He had a feeling Jordan wouldn’t stay down for long.

Stuart walked out of the hotel shop, pocketing the gum he’d just bought. His phone rang, and he answered immediately when he saw it was Dave. “Anything wrong?” He’d only been away from his room for five minutes.

“Is the prince with you?”

“You didn’t see him when I took the elevator, did you?”

“Housekeeping wanted to check he had everything he needed, but he’s not in his room.”

“Well, he can’t have gotten far.” And how in the hell did he get past Dave? Then Stuart froze as a familiar figure emerged from the door leading to the stairs. “I see him.” He disconnected and hurried over to catch up with Jordan as he strode through the lobby. “Going somewhere, Your Highness?”

Jordan gave a start. “Oh. I came down here to look at the clothing store.”

“You’ll see it tomorrow, because it’s closed right now. I’ll escort you back to your room. And if there’s anything else you need, ask.”

“I don’t need an escort, I know the way,” Jordan mumbled as they headed toward the elevators.

“Apparently.” Stuart made a mental note to watch both doors that led to Jordan’s suite.

He tries this shit the first night?

Stuart had a feeling Jordan was going to be a major PITA.

Stuart had no idea what had awoken him, but as he lay in bed, he caught noise coming from Jordan’s room. He turned on the light and peered bleary-eyed at his phone.

It’s three a.m. What is he doing?

Stuart got out of bed, put on his robe, and knocked at the door. When there was no response, he opened it and stepped through into the living room. Light came from the bedroom. Stuart walked over to the open door and peered inside.

Jordan sat in bed, the tablet in his hands, its light illuminating his face.

“Jordan, do you know what time it is? You should be sleeping. You’ve got a meeting with your father at nine.”

Jordan raised his head and blinked. “I created accounts for Instagram, TikTok, and even Facebook, even though I have no one to send a friend request to.” He looked tired.

Stuart bit back a smile. “You’ve been busy.” He got the impression this was a big deal. “Don’t you have access to social media in Elloria?” Then he realized the stupidity of his question. Of course you don’t. The king and queen would have seen to that.

Talk about a sheltered existence. Jordan had just awoken to a whole new world.

“There’s so much I’ve missed out on.” His wistful expression tugged at Stuart’s heart.

Stuart went over to the bed. “You need to sleep,” he said in a firm voice. “Turn that off now. You can come back to this tomorrow.” He pried the tablet from Jordan’s hands, noting that the prince didn’t resist all that much. “Okay. I’ll put this in the living room. Get some sleep. You’ve got a long day ahead of you.” He turned off the screen.

Jordan shifted farther down the bed, dragged the comforter up to his chin, and closed his eyes. “G’night.” He sounded as though he was half asleep already.

Stuart left the bedroom and closed the door after him. He placed the tablet on the coffee table, then as an afterthought, plugged it into its charger. Then he retreated into his own room and closed the door.

One minute he’s irritating the hell out of me, the next he makes me feel sorry for him.

When Jordan wasn’t trying to aggravate Stuart, he was kind of… sweet. And vulnerable.

I don’t expect I’ll see that side of him all that often. Which was a pity, because Stuart liked Feisty with a side of Sweet.