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“To pleasant surprises,” he toasted, and we all touched glasses.
As we took sips of our drinks, I pondered just how surprised August was going to be when he found out we were gone.
“Hey—what’s up with Sabrina and Simon over there?” Caleb asked, his gaze fixed on them across the room.
They were staring at us with wide eyes, looking like they’d seen ghosts, but they were not coming over to chat with us.
“Something is going on,” I said. “That’s really weird.”
August waved them over and called out, “Come join us, don’t just stand there!”
Sabrina and Simon hesitated, then approached us, their movements overly cautious, almost as if they were not supposed to be there.
“What’s going on with you two?” Daphne asked.
Sabrina kept her head down, avoiding eye contact, bowing. “We were online, Your Highnesses, trying to learn more about your countries since we thought you were all so delightful. Then we discovered that you really are royalty.” She bowed again. “We thought you were joking! We were so wrong!” She bowed again.
“Let’s call that the shock of a lifetime!” Simon attempted a bow, which ended awkwardly with a bit of wind, causing him to grab his back with a grimace. “Ow, that will not work. I’ve got a cramp now. Big cramp.”
“Here, honey,” Sabrina said, rubbing his back.
“Much better—ooh, that feels good, right there,” he said, before glancing at us from the corner of his eye. “Are we allowed to make eye contact?”
August laughed heartily. “Please, there is no need to be so formal. Just treat us like you did on the game drive. We’re still the same people. And we’re friends now. This is the twenty-first century, and we’re just tourists here. See it like we’re on vacation from royalty.”
“Are you sure?” Sabrina asked, bowing again.
“We’re sure,” I said. “Honestly, you don’t need to change anything. We’re here to have fun, not hold court.”
Simon, still holding his back, tried to relax, but his nervous chuckle didn’t quite mask his discomfort. “We thought it was all part of a game. I mean, we were having such a good time with you. You don’t even have any bodyguards or servants, or anything that important people have.”
“And we’ve been worrying ever since we found out who you were if we had said anything inappropriate,” Sabrina added, her voice tinged with concern. “My goodness, I even laughed when Princess Veronica accidentally punched Prince August in his personal, uh, appendage.”
Caleb smirked. “We all laughed at that.”
“You’ve been perfect,” I reassured them. “And regarding the security detail, we wanted to keep a low profile, and Africa was the perfect place since we aren’t well-known here. You will keep this a secret, won’t you?”
“Of course. That certainly makes us feel better,” Simon said.
“Perfect! Please—join us for a drink,” Caleb asked.
“We would love to, but we have a walking tour schedule for the next hour,” Sabrina said. “We’ll see you at dinner, though. If you’ll allow us the honor of sitting with you.”
“We would love that,” August said. “We’ll see you later then.”
After Simon and Sabrina walked away, the bartender asked, “What are your thoughts about this part of Africa so far? Are you enjoying your stay?”
“Absolutely amazing,” August said.
“We are on day one and this has been one of the most memorable experiences of my life,” Caleb said, then gestured to me. “Including that unfortunate event involving my sister when she was almost mauled to death by a four-inch lizard.”
Everyone laughed except for me. Although I did crack a smile at the ridiculousness of what had happened. I rarely overreact like that.
“Hilarious,” I deadpanned.
“I agree with Caleb,” Daphne said. “This was a day I will never forget, and the spa made it even better. Just perfect. Thank you.”
The bartender nodded, pleased. “That’s what we aim for—making Africa your happy place. Ernest Hemingway once said, ‘I never knew of a morning in Africa?—’”
