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Daphne arched an eyebrow and said warily, “Anywhere?”
I nodded decisively. “Anywhere.”
“Okay . . .” Daphne continued to tap and scroll on her phone, shaking her head in disappointment. “Come on, there has to be something.”
I crossed my fingers, waiting.
Daphne suddenly looked up. “Okay, got it. There’s a flight to Nairobi, Kenya that leaves in three hours.”
“Africa? That’s a little too adventurous for my taste this trip,” I said. “Can you try finding something else a little less exciting?”
“Surely not the whole continent would be too adventurous for your taste?” Daphne continued scrolling through the flight schedules for what seemed like an eternity. “Well, that’s it. I can’t find anything else. What do you want to do? Should we find something that leaves in the morning?”
“Tomorrow is too late.” I paced back and forth in my chamber, thinking, knowing that August would be there soon.
The clock was ticking.
I had run out of options.
“Book it—two first-class tickets to Nairobi,” I finally said.
“You got it,” Daphne said, then winced a moment later. “It appears that all the first-class seats are taken. In fact, it says there are only two seats left on the entire flight, in coach.” She tapped a few seconds more. “Oh, look! This is great news! How lucky! There’s a seat right by the restroom and food service at the back of the plane. You can have that seat and maintain privacy and enjoy the convenience.” Her finger hovered excitedly over her phone. “You make the call.”
I could not believe I was going to do this.
“Book it!” I practically yelled at her.
I began pacing again as Daphne focused on her phone, hoping she could reserve the last two seats on the flight before someone else did. Without another word, she confidently tapped in the information with her two thumbs like a pro. A couple of minutes later, a smile formed on her face.
“Booked!” she said. “It looks like you and I are going to Kenya.”
I nodded. “I guess we are.”
Booking a last-minute flight to a continent I’d never even considered visiting before today felt reckless. Especially since we didn’t have a place to stay. And yet, here I was, throwing caution to the wind with Daphne by my side. The logical part of me whispered doubts, questioning the rashness of my choice.
“This is crazy,” I said, half-expecting her to confirm my fears.
She chuckled, then put her arm around me for support. “Maybe a little crazy, but spontaneity is the spice of life.”
Just then, there was a knock at the door.
“Yes?” I said. “Come in.”
The chamber door swung open and Karl Gooseman, the Palace Head Steward, stepped inside, his posture rigid with formality. “Your Highness, pardon the interruption.”
“Not a problem, Karl,” I said, hoping he would make it quick since I needed to pack. “How may I help you?”
“Prince August is here to see you,” he said. “He’s waiting in the tearoom.”
The walls seemed to close in on me, the air almost too stifling to breathe. My heart raced, and my thoughts spiraled as I tried to determine my next move. Luckily, it didn’t take me long to figure it out.
“Please have the driver bring the car around to the side entrance of the palace,” I said, knowing that the tearoom overlooked the driveway in the front and it needed to be avoided at all costs.
Karl hesitated, then asked, “I don’t understand. What about Prince August?”
“Serve him some of his favorite blueberry scones,” I responded. “Let him know that I’ll be with him as soon as possible.”
Which would be never.
