Runaway Royal Read online

  Table of Contents

  Books by Wendi Zwaduk

  Title Page

  Legal Page

  Book Description

  Dedication

  Chapter One

  Chapter Two

  Chapter Three

  Chapter Four

  Chapter Five

  Chapter Six

  Chapter Seven

  Chapter Eight

  Chapter Nine

  Chapter Ten

  Chapter Eleven

  Chapter Twelve

  Chapter Thirteen

  Chapter Fourteen

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  About the Author

  Totally Bound Publishing books by Wendi Zwaduk

  Single Books

  Learning How to Bend

  Must Be Doing Something Right

  My Immortal

  You’ll Think of Me

  Tangled Up

  Careless Whisper

  Please Remember Me

  What Might Have Been

  Ever Fallen In Love

  Someone Like You

  Love Remembers

  When You’re With Me

  Sunshine of Your Love

  Firelit Magic

  Her Man

  My Favorite Mistake

  Silk and Decadence

  Bound by Desire

  Love Lessons

  Drawn Together

  Written Together

  Together Again

  Dancing Together

  The Refuge

  Running with the Wicked

  Resisting the Wicked

  Clandestine Classics

  The Phantom of the Opera

  Anthologies

  Treble: Savin’ Me

  Switch: Still the One

  Bound to the Billionaire: Play to Him

  Whip It Up: Honey and Decadence

  Lasso Lovin’: Tying One On

  Wild After Dark: Taken In

  Boots, Chaps and Cowboy Hats: Between Us

  Three’s a Charm: A Sinful Tune

  Sensory Limits: Just You and Me

  Seasonal Collections

  Heart Attack: Over My Head

  Haunted By You: Miss Me Baby

  Wanton Witches: Candlelit Magic

  Jolly Rogered: Ruined by the Pirate

  Naughty or Nice?: Wrapped in Red and Green

  RUNAWAY ROYAL

  WENDI ZWADUK

  Runaway Royal

  ISBN # 978-1-83943-476-1

  ©Copyright Wendi Zwaduk 2021

  Cover Art by Erin Dameron-Hill ©Copyright March 2021

  Interior text design by Claire Siemaszkiewicz

  Totally Bound Publishing

  This is a work of fiction. All characters, places and events are from the author’s imagination and should not be confused with fact. Any resemblance to persons, living or dead, events or places is purely coincidental.

  All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced in any material form, whether by printing, photocopying, scanning or otherwise without the written permission of the publisher, Totally Bound Publishing.

  Applications should be addressed in the first instance, in writing, to Totally Bound Publishing. Unauthorised or restricted acts in relation to this publication may result in civil proceedings and/or criminal prosecution.

  The author and illustrator have asserted their respective rights under the Copyright Designs and Patents Acts 1988 (as amended) to be identified as the author of this book and illustrator of the artwork.

  Published in 2021 by Totally Bound Publishing, United Kingdom.

  No part of this book may be reproduced, scanned, or distributed in any printed or electronic form without permission. Please do not participate in or encourage piracy of copyrighted materials in violation of the authors’ rights. Purchase only authorised copies.

  Totally Bound Publishing is an imprint of Totally Entwined Group Limited.

  If you purchased this book without a cover you should be aware that this book is stolen property. It was reported as “unsold and destroyed” to the publisher and neither the author nor the publisher has received any payment for this “stripped book”.

  Will this runaway royal ever find her place…and true love?

  All Princess Catherine Zara of Lysianna wants to do is attend college like everyone else her age. So she’s a royal and requires a security guard to move about in public, but if she goes to university, she doesn’t have to marry the man chosen for her. He’s not her true love, so why torture herself? All she has to do to get her life started is to run away to the US…

  And then she meets Luke.

  Luke Cobb wants to survive college with a degree in studio art and guarantees that he can show his paintings in the local galleries. All he needs is the right break to get his work mainstream and the right woman to stoke his dormant muse. When he meets Zara, he’s smitten and his creativity sparks.

  Except, she’s a princess and he’s a commoner, which could be a big problem…

  Dedication

  For JPZ, my prince

  Chapter One

  “I can do this.” Princess Catherine shored up her courage. She was a royal. A princess. She could do anything she set her mind to—except stand up to the king and queen.

  She stared at her reflection in the mirror. Her parents, the king and queen of Lysianna, wouldn’t allow her to head to another country on her own. They insisted she be an advisor to her brother, the future king. Charlie could handle himself and he’d be a great king—whenever the time came.

  If she didn’t practice what she wanted to say, she’d flounder and this was not the time to lose her nerve. She tucked her hair behind her ears. “Mother, Father, I need to speak with you. I’ve completed two years of online schooling towards a degree in art history and I’m going to Kenton State College in the United States to finish it.” Did she sound convincing enough?

  She’d already completed her application for acceptance on campus, chosen her classes for the first semester and landed a good apartment in a building just across from the main portion of the campus. Her plane ticket had been paid for and she’d packed most of her things. All she needed to do was tell her parents she’d be leaving.

  She abandoned her image in the mirror and resumed packing the last of her things—her brushes, photos and stuffed rabbit in her bag. She’d come back, but she wasn’t sure when. Sadness filled her mind. Change would be hard—she’d only ever lived in the castle—but she needed to move forward with her life. She’d never be happy living as part of the court. Even if she did nothing more than teach an art class or run a portion of a museum back home, she’d be happy and doing something with her life.

  Her lady-in-waiting, Corinne, hurried into the room. “I guess you’re ready to go.” She folded her arms. “Want me to go with you? I should.”

  She had plans for her lady and wasn’t about to disclose them now. Corinne was terrible with secrets and would’ve told her parents before the point of no return. “It’s handled.”

  Corinne sat on the bed. “What am I going to do with myself? I have nothing to do if you’re not here. They might let me go.”

  “They won’t.” She closed her bag. “They like you. If my brother wasn’t gay, they’d have married you off to him by now.”

  “But he is gay.” Corinne groaned. “Sucks.”

  Her lady hadn’t been shy about her crush on Charlie. In the whole of their time together, Corinne had insisted to Catherine she wanted to marry Charlie. The problem? Besides Charlie being gay, he wasn’t going to marry Corinne simply to make an heir. He refused to change just for the royal line.

  “Your parents would rather you marry D
uke Elmore. He’s handsome,” Corinne said. “If you’re into older guys.”

  Catherine shivered. “Older isn’t the half of it. He’s almost twenty years older than me, he’s not handsome at all and I don’t like him. I don’t want to be married to someone who sees me as a ticket to the good life. He wants a title beyond duke.” Her stepmother would never understand. She’d married the king, despite their ten-year age difference, just to have a title.

  “So you’re going to America to avoid him?”

  “No.” She simply refused to marry someone out of duty, not love. “I want to finish my degree. Art makes me happy. Him? Not so much.”

  “Well, it’s time to talk to your parents.” Corinne walked with her to the corridor. “Need me to do anything?”

  “Nope. I’ve got this handled.” Catherine gave her bag to the butler. “Thank you.” She shored herself up again and headed down to the throne room. The car was ready and once she reached the airport, the plane would be waiting to whisk her to the States. Even if her parents said no, she’d left nothing to chance.

  “Catherine.” Her stepmother, Eloise, closed her book. “You look determined. Have you made a decision concerning the duke?”

  “I have.” She clasped her hands together. “I refuse to marry him.” She stood tall. “I’ve made a choice about my future, too.”

  “Oh?” Her father finally looked up from his paperwork. “What have you decided?”

  She sucked in a ragged breath, then sighed. “Mother, Father, I’m attending college.”

  Her father tipped his head and said nothing. Her stepmother gasped. “Why? You’re a royal. You don’t have to do schooling. Elmore will take care of you and you can play with your art all you want. Royals don’t dirty their hands with studies.”

  Her stepmother spit the words out like sour candies. Catherine didn’t care. She had to focus. “I want a degree in art history. I’d like to learn about the art here in Lysianna and around the world—like my mother used to know.”

  “Interesting,” her father said. He tapped his pen on the table. “Why do you want to follow in your mother’s footsteps?”

  She’d prepared for this question. “I need to have something that’s mine. I love art and I’m dying to continue my studies.” She had to keep her explanation short and sweet. The more she talked, the greater the chance her parents would coerce her to change her mind. “I want something to hold on to that reminds me of my mother. I don’t remember her and this is my private link.”

  “She’s gone,” her stepmother snapped.

  “Let her have this, Queen. It’s her choice,” her father said. “She’ll get bored after a year or she’ll find this is the thing she wants to do. As for Elmore, he can wait. Or maybe he can’t and he’ll choose someone else. Doesn’t matter to me. He’s a pest.”

  She wasn’t going to get bored, but if her father thought Elmore was a pest, then why try to palm her off on him?

  “What about Charles?” her stepmother said. “He should be the one to go first. Yes, he deserves a degree.”

  “He already has one.” Catherine gritted her teeth. Their parents didn’t know Charlie well. He hated being referred to as Charles and he wasn’t interested in going to college again. Charlie had attained a degree on his own and had his plan for making his own way without their parents to intervene. Now was her chance to do the same.

  “Anyway, I’m leaving.” She turned on her heel and left the room. If she looked back, she risked changing her mind. Only forward now.

  “You’re what?” Her stepmother chased after her. “You cannot. We need to arrange lodgings and security and everything else. You’ll need handlers and Elmore should accompany you for protection. Or he should set up a security detail so he can keep you safe, but stay here to run his businesses.”

  God, no. Catherine headed through the foyer to the waiting car. “Goodbye, Mother.” The idea of calling her stepmother Mother annoyed her. She’d had a mother and the queen wasn’t a very good substitute.

  “Catherine.” Her stepmother caught up to her. “We’ll summon Elmore. You cannot make the flight unprotected.”

  She sighed. “He’s old enough to be my father and he’s not attractive, so no.” She tossed her bag onto the seat. “I’ll be fine. No one in the United States knows me, so I won’t need the huge protection you’re planning.” She’d have her roommate in her new apartment and a few transplanted palace security guards around, but out of sight.

  “Take Corinne, please?” Her stepmother pushed Corinne at her. “You can’t go alone. And don’t forget, you need to have an approved consort by the time of your official portrait reveal.”

  “Fine.” Catherine nodded to her lady-in-waiting. “Let’s go.” She ducked into the car without bothering for hugs or kisses from her stepmother. That wasn’t her stepmother’s style. Her father hadn’t left the throne room. Her stepmother glared at her, but didn’t otherwise show emotion. She wouldn’t dare. Any bit of cracking might show she was human and the people of Lysianna didn’t think she had emotions. She wanted to say goodbye to her brother, but he wasn’t even in the country.

  Catherine settled on the seat and sighed. “That worked out exactly as I planned.”

  “What about me?” Corinne asked. “You said I’d stay here.”

  “I lied.” She winked. “I couldn’t go totally alone. They’re right. I do need someone with me that I can trust.” Well, mostly trust. “I packed you a bag and added your name to the charter. You’re flying with me.”

  Corinne’s eyes widened. “My princess.” She grinned. “Naughty.”

  She sighed again. “I’ve never been naughty a day in my life. Crafty, maybe, but never naughty.”

  “You’ve lived in your brother’s shadow for too long.”

  “He’ll be king and I won’t hold the throne. Even if something happens to him, they won’t let me be queen, so why not have something that’s mine?” Catherine asked. “I don’t mind.” She didn’t. “This way I’m out from under their thumb and can experience life.” She couldn’t wait for the next Chapter to start. There was a great big world out there just waiting for her to explore it.

  There was the tricky thing about her needing a consort, but she had plenty of time. The portrait reveal wasn’t for another year. The world wouldn’t wait a year—not when her consort might be out there somewhere.

  * * * *

  Twelve hours later, Catherine stepped through the doorway of her apartment. Picking an apartment had been harder than she’d thought and the one she’d ended up with looked nothing like the photos online. The carpets weren’t pretty beige, but more of a dirty tan. The furnishings already there looked tired, rather than like antiques. The walls were boring and bland, but it was bigger than most of the apartments in the building.

  Besides, she’d made it. The flight hadn’t been bad, although the miles of paperwork had sucked. Then there had been moving things into the apartment. At least there had been an elevator. She’d never changed residences before and had no idea how hard lugging her bags and other belongings would be. Still, she’d done the work with little help.

  Count one victory for me.

  She deposited her personal belongings on her new bed. The art in the bedroom left something to be desired, but she’d live. Soon, she’d be so engrossed in learning she wouldn’t have time to complain about the sad art. She arranged her brushes and makeup on the counter in the bathroom, then pieced through her clothes hanging in the closet. She’d run away from her life—away from everything she knew. On one hand, she’d made a huge gamble that could bite her hard in the ass. On the other, she could find the direction she needed in life. Direction was good.

  When Catherine returned to the living room, Corinne had collapsed on the couch. “What a day.” Corinne propped her feet on the coffee table. “This is why we left the castle? It’s furnished, but it’s lived-in. Couldn’t you find something better?”

  “I could’ve, but I wanted the authentic college ex
perience.” Excitement ratcheted up in her brain. “I’ve never done anything like this—nothing on my own. But I did. I’m here.” She stepped out to the miniscule balcony. There was no privacy, but she was high enough up to be safe from stalkers. Did anyone care that she’d come to America? Probably not. She hadn’t announced anything on social media and as far as she knew, her stepmother hadn’t alerted the media yet.

  She spotted movement in her peripheral vision. A man stood on one of the other balconies. Two floors down and one unit over, if she wasn’t mistaken. Tall, dark hair…he could be handsome if she saw him from the front. He could also be nothing like she preferred. He sat on a weathered lawn chair with his back to her and bent over what appeared to be a drawing board. She couldn’t quite make out what he’d drawn on the paper or board.

  She almost shouted to him to ask what he’d sketched. Instead, she leaned over the railing and watched him. Within seconds, she recognized the form—a nude woman. He must have a girlfriend there. Or a model.

  Figures. He had to be handsome and most likely taken. All the good-looking ones were involved with someone. She ducked back into the apartment and closed the screen door.

  “Did you see something?” Corinne asked. She hadn’t left her spot on the couch. “Anything good?”

  “No.” Catherine leaned on the doorframe. He could be good and handsome, or rotten. What did she know? She left the door and sat beside her lady. “It’s strange how it’s so quiet.”

  “Because there’s no one around?”

  “And because there’s not someone breathing down my neck. My stepmother is desperate for me to marry the duke,” Catherine said. “Doesn’t she know I can’t stand him? I’ve told her as much. Yet, she seems to think that she’s got to push him at me.”

  “Still?” Corinne shrugged. “He’s not so bad.”

  “Yeah, he is.” He’d tried to assault her at the last ball and demanded she marry him before she did something stupid, like lose her virginity to someone else. Her stomach lurched. She’d rather die than marry him. “At least we’re here where he’ll leave me alone. I think he’s trying to curry my father’s favor and it doesn’t appear to be working.”