San Myshuno
Senator Suites Penthouse
Early afternoon
William inhaled deeply, trying to subdue the nervous feeling turning his stomach. Convincing his parents he wanted to come back to San Myshuno to attend some art workshop, using some last-minute prospects he had picked up at the airport when he had to return home with his mother the last time he was here, hadn’t been the easiest feat. But compared to what lay ahead, it now seemed like a cakewalk.
The real reason William wanted to return to San Myshuno was Grace. Their daily texts, chats, and video calls had made him feel like he truly knew her. She invited him over for coffee and book discussions, eager to show him her collection of love notes found in books sold to her grandmother’s shop.
While William was interested in the notes, he was more enamored with Grace. Unlike most 16-year-olds, he had different rules and responsibilities as a Crown Prince. Dating was harder for him, and marriage by 25 was a requirement. He had to have at least two children, one being the spare, before his 30th year of life, but starting a family as early as somehow proper was strongly encouraged. He only met aristocrats and nobles, none of whom interested him. Inspired by his sister’s budding, albeit still secret romance with a stable boy, William decided he wanted to marry for love, even if it meant choosing a commoner, as long as her feelings were genuine, and they shared common interests. Someone like Grace.
Back home, New Year’s meant boring balls and tea calls with aristocratic ladies his age, which he found dull. He felt justified in using a little white lie to see Grace again and learn more about her life. And to see if they ‘vibed’, as his cousin Ryan always called that when he met another girl he was interested in. Unlike his cousin, William could never just date any girl who caught his fancy, he had to be careful and deliberate. And Grace definitely vibed with him. Grace, however, was still blissfully unaware of his true identity, even when she asked for a room tour, he showed her the butler’s room instead of his elaborate suite. This deception weighed heavily on him, as he hated lying to Grace but feared revealing his true identity would change everything between them and they both weren’t quite ready for it yet.
William tried to sneak out unnoticed, but his grandmother, despite her advanced age, had the ears of a lynx.
“William honey, where are you off to?” Vivien Cameron called from the living room of the two-story luxury penthouse.
“Oh, just heading to another class, Grandma. I must be going, do not want to be tardy. Love you.” he tried, but she appeared in the doorway, her movements still smooth like that of a person 20 years younger, the look on her face told him she wasn’t buying it.
Stepping closer to him, fixing his tie, she smiled.
“I see. Must be some enticing class for you to dress up like all that. Can’t wait to hear all about that class, and maybe even see a photo?” Vivien’s ‘code’ was clear as day. She had figured William’s rouse out.
“Umm, you shall, as soon as I have enough … umm … information to show. Bye now, Grandma.” With a quick peck on her cheek, he almost made his escape, but instead ran straight into his grandfather who was returning home.
Bouncing off Liam Cameron’s still very athletic chest, the young Crown Prince stood discombobulated.
“Jeeze kid, where’s the fire? Where are you going anyway? I brought us some lunch back from my run. Well, I just need a quick hose down and we can eat. After that, I need to go into work for a little while, but I’ll be back early and will make sure to bring Nick with me so we can have a nice dinner at that new place,” Liam said, bemused, holding up a paper bag with the logo of a famous restaurant on it.
“Sorry Grandpa, I am not hungry and rather in a hurry. I have … class.”
“I couldn’t help but notice the hurry. Do they make all teens wear ties and cologne for random workshops now? And if I didn’t know any better, I’d say it smells like mine.”
“Uh yes, indeed it is. Sorry, I would have asked before using it, but you were not here as you know,” William babbled nervously.
“Yeah, thanks kid, I tend to still be aware of my surroundings. I don’t mind you using my cologne, but did you have to swim laps in it? A little goes a long way, you know, as anyone you might end up sharing an elevator with will confirm,” Liam chuckled, as his grandson blushed deeply.
William looked panicked. “It’s too much? I don’t have time for a shower!”
“It’s fine, baby boy, your grandpa is just being silly, aren’t you Liam. Let William go now. Run along, and don’t forget to take a photo for your dear old grandma.”
With that, she pulled her husband inside while shoving her grandson out into the hallway by the elevator, shutting the door.
William shrugged, then headed out.
San Myshuno
A Brownstone Building near the Spice District
A little while later, William looked up at one of the Brownstone buildings, which all looked the same to him. This was the address Grace had given him, and where his phone app led him, so he stepped up some stone stairs and looked for her last name. Harper.
It took him what felt like an eternity to work up the courage to push the button.
An elderly voice croaked through the intercom, so William quickly answered, “Ah yeah, hi, I am Will, here to see Grace.”
“Oh,” the voice said, then the buzzer was activated. William pushed the door open, stepping into a dimly lit hallway that smelled of mildew and old carpet. The walls were peeling, and the flickering lights added to the eerie atmosphere. He looked around, feeling completely out of his element, without any clue where to go next. Suddenly, he heard fast footsteps, and a person appeared from around a corner, heading his way.
As they tried to pass him, he cleared his throat. “Umm, excuse me, I am looking for the Harpers? Where do I go?”
“Harpers? I think they are on the second floor. Elevator’s that way,” the person said, pointing before rushing out. William felt a pang of fear and anxiety. If his parents knew he was here… oh boy. His dad would turn bright red while rattling down the worst and dullest chores as punishment for William’s insolence, to complete while grounding him for weeks.
The elevator doors opened to reveal another hallway, slightly better lit but equally as unappealing as the one below. William started looking at doors, when one opened and a teen girl about his age appeared.
“Excuse me, do you know which door the Harpers are?” he asked.
“Not THIS one!” she snapped, pointing at the door she had come out of, as she proceeded to dump a bag of trash down a chute. When she turned back, she sighed, pointing at a door at the end of the hallway. “That’s them. But I wouldn’t if I were you. Been going on and on all afternoon. Again. My mom already called the landlord. Again. Like that’s ever gonna do anything. The moment he hangs up he forgets all about it. Same with anything that breaks in this shithole.”
With that, she disappeared, slamming the door, which echoed eerily. William took a deep breath and went to the door she had pointed out. After working up more courage, he knocked.
After a while, the door was torn open and a woman appeared, her face twisted in annoyance. “What?! Do they send little boys now with noise complaints? We live near that damn harbor and the damn train rattles the dishes off the shelves every hour on the hour, so I want to hear nothing about a raised voice once in a while! Get over it, get a life and stay out of other people’s business!” William realized that was not the same voice that had answered the intercom earlier.
“Okay. Is this the Harper residence?” William asked bravely.
“What if it were?!” the woman screeched.
“Is Grace here? I am here to see her,” William asked, his voice trembling.
“What does a pretty boy want from that geek?!” she snapped.
“I… books. We… she… we talked and she said… ummm,” he stammered.
“Ah, I see, you are a geek too. That figures. You sound like my loser of a husband, and our nerd daughter takes after him, cos nobody in MY family has ever been like that! We don’t have time for teen boys on top of all this nonsense and all the trouble they can get a stupid girl like Grace into! Get lost, kid! Just fuck off already and never come back, okay!?”
With a groan, the woman slammed the door in his face. William’s heart sank, and he fought back tears as he ran back out, only to realize he didn’t know how to get back home. He had forgotten all about his phone, but then he saw his grandfather and uncle’s law firm building in the distance and ran straight for it, hoping to find some solace there.
“Excuse me, you can’t just go in there … hello… wait!” the secretary came running after William from behind her desk, but he had already torn the door open, his grandfather jumped up from behind his desk to catch the boy in his arms, as William buried his face in his shoulder.
“It’s all right, Brenda, I’ve got this. He’s my grandson. Privacy, please, and hold all calls for now.”
“Excuse me, Sir, but… that is not Ryan.” the assistant looked more than confused, making Liam laugh.
“Oh, no. This is William, another grandson, I suppose you haven’t met him yet. He’s not local. It’s fine. How does my schedule look for the rest of the day?”
“Just the staff meeting at 3.”
“Tell my son he’s heading that today. I’ll be out of the office for the rest of the day starting immediately. Shouldn’t be too much of an inconvenience, considering I have technically been retired for years.” Liam decreed.
“Yes, Sir.” the assistant left, shutting the door behind herself.
“William, look at me. I have a feeling we’re gonna have to talk.” Liam unsuccessfully tried to pluck his grandson off himself.
William continued to cling to his grandpa, shaking his head.
“William! You are almost 17, almost a grown man. Pull yourself together and tell me what is going on, for Christ’s sake! I am in my seventies and have a preexisting heart condition. You don’t scare people my age; it could be the last time.”
Conditioned to mind his parents and grandparents from an early age, the young Crown Prince obliged, accepting the tissue Liam handed him and cleaning up.
“Apologies, Grandpa. Now I have disappointed you too…” William lost his composure again, sniffling and sobbing, so Liam handed him the entire tissue box.
“Oh, holy cannoli, kid, calm down, it’s fine. I assume you don’t want me to take you home to run the risk of running into your mom and grandma in this condition? They will not let this go until you sing like a prized canary and everything is out in the open.”
William shook his head vigorously.
“Assume this is about a girl?” Liam guessed.
William nodded.
“How deep is this?” Liam interrogated further.
William shrugged.
“Jeez, kid, why are you making it harder than peeling off old wallpaper? Any sort of physical contact?”
“I didn’t even get to see her at all today!” William blurted out.
“Okay, aside from today. Is this some enamored enchantment from a distance, or have you ever gotten up close inside her personal bubble?”
William thought for a second, then nodded.
“Assume your nod means that there has been more than steamy glares from afar. Are we talking anything beyond a polite handshake?” Liam continued.
William nodded.
“So… are we talking about a hug, friendly or otherwise?”
William nodded.
“Maybe even a kiss?”
William stiffened and blushed deeply, his eyes wide, shaking his head.
“Ah, say no more. Got it. Loins are burning but the tires are stuck. Got it. Typical teen boy thing. Come on. Luckily, it is Friday, but still fairly early, so traffic won’t be bad. We are going to a thinking place.”
“What kind of thinking place?”
“One I have always gone to when I felt like you do. Trust me, your grandma gave me PLENTY of such times. Luckily the old girl has calmed down her explosive ways since.”
“A bar? Am I not too young for that?”
Liam playfully ruffled the 16-year-old’s hair. “No, not a bar. Very funny! We are going to Granite Falls. Your Highness is going to learn what roughing it means. And you will learn fishing. I have been trying to do that since you were old enough to hold a fishing rod, but your parents start sobbing and curl up in the fetal position each time I suggested it. Evidently, the mere thought of a member of the royal family out in the wilderness with a fishing pole is a terrible nightmare to them. Too bad for them, I don’t care anymore, and I am overruling both your parents, no matter how much that will rotate their crowns. You are learning how to fish, my boy, today.”
“My father is a King. He can’t be overruled.”
“Oh yes, kid. I can overrule him. Watch me! DONE! We’re leaving straight from here. I’ll call your grandmother on the way out, so she can’t try to stop us. And if I know one thing for certain, Vivien won’t come after us. She always hated Granite Falls. Oh, kid, do I have some stories to tell you, over some fish fry, once we catch them. By the time you fly back home to your palace, you’ll be a real man, thanks to your Grandpa Liam. I used to go with my Grandpa Declan. He was an amazing man. I wish you could have met him. I’ll share some of his wisdom with you. It will help you as a teen boy, a young man, and a future king.”
Granite Falls National Forest
Log Cabin
Wearing some extra clothes his grandfather always kept at the cabin the Cameron family still owned, William felt oddly exhilarated when something tugged on the fishing pole he was holding in the water.
“Grandpa!” he exclaimed, alarmed. Liam immediately put down his own fishing rod and helped his grandson.
A while later, William had bravely helped his grandpa clean the fish they had caught. Grilling them over an open fire made him feel oddly grown up, while the scent made his stomach scream for the delicious meal ahead.
Sitting there on some folding chairs, the sun slowly setting, the sounds and scents of the forest filling William’s lungs with comfort and joy, he turned to his grandfather. Their eyes met, and Liam smiled at him.
“Thank you, Grandpa. I wouldn’t have thought I’d enjoy this, but I do. Who would have guessed me to be quite the outdoorsy type?”
“I would. You may be royalty, kid, but you are also a Cameron. Our genes run deep, no matter what they are mixed with. We’re all adaptable, which is most important in life. Now, tell me about the girl…”
William grimaced, then sighed, and didn’t even try to fight it.
“Grace. Miss Grace Eleanor Harper. Well-mannered, polite, kind, genuine. She likes books, a lot, just like I do. She is very well-read; her grandma owns that little bookshop in the mall by your penthouse building, ‘Timeless Tomes & Treasures’. What a catchy name, isn’t it? She has a great sense of humor, thinks I do too, and imagine this, she read up about Henfordshire after we met for the first time when I was out with Ryan. She now knows so much about my home country; I think she can teach me things, and I am required to know everything as the future king.” William smiled proudly.
Liam looked at his grandson with knowing eyes. “Will and Grace, huh?” He chuckled, realizing his grandson didn’t get the joke. He continued more seriously, “She sounds like a great girl. And it sounds like she is just as enamored with you as you are with her. I assume she doesn’t know who you REALLY are?”
William’s smile vanished, he sighed, shaking his head. “She knows me only as Will. So far, I have been able to avoid telling her anything further without having to truly lie, but I know she will eventually want to know my last name and such details, and I resend the idea of lying to her. She gave me her proper address, I know it was rude of my not to follow suit, but how could I, since the palace has no address. Just Cromwell Palace, that IS the address. Maybe I could give her Jack’s address, I don’t think he or Izzy would snoop in personal correspondence not addressed to them. But wouldn’t that also be a lie? Even though I am quite confident the truth would change nothing. She isn’t one of those girls. I am convinced of it.”
“So, why the tears then?” Liam investigated dryly.
“There were no tears! I am a Crown Prince, I don’t cry!” William vehemently defended himself.
“Sure, kid. Why were you so bent out of shape earlier, with misty eyeballs?” Liam rephrased.
“Oh. That. You see, I made extra sure I wouldn’t be tardy when she invited me to her home, which is apparently near your office building. But when I finally found it, some woman shouted at me, then slammed the door in my face. I never even saw Grace. She must think I have forgotten about her. But I haven’t. I couldn’t if I tried.” William looked down, distressed.
“Okay, kid. You sure you had the right door?” Liam asked, trying to get to the bottom of this.
“Some girl in the hallway told me it was. There were no name signs anywhere, so I can’t be certain,” William shrugged.
“And why did that lady yell at you? Did you ask for Grace?” Liam wondered.
“Naturally, I did. And it’s all a mystery to me as well. I was exceedingly polite, yet the woman called me a pretty boy, said—nay, shouted—that I reminded her of her loser of a husband, and called Grace a geek, which she decidedly is not! Then the rude woman informed me that they don’t need boy problems on top of everything else, followed by some rather crude language, which I do not wish to repeat. After that, she slammed the door on me.” William was riled up and appalled, his face flushed with indignation.
Liam had a hard time suppressing a chuckle at his grandson’s passionate recounting. It was so different from his cousin Ryan, who wasn’t afraid to curse one bit. Knowing Ryan, he would have probably shared his own thoughts with that woman, just like Liam and Ryan’s father Nick would have, as all three generations were the passionate, hot-headed types. William, however, would never. The royal heir to a kingdom had been conditioned from a young age to never lose composure in public.
“Ah. Now THAT makes some sense. I deal with cases like that all the time. Marital problems, William. I’m going to assume that was Grace’s mother or stepmother, and she and her husband had a fight, which you walked into, so you got the brunt of her anger, presumably. Don’t take it personally, but if you go back, take my and your uncle’s business cards. Never say no to potential clients.” Smiling, Liam winked at William, who couldn’t help but smile.
“Does your phone have reception out here, kid?” Liam asked.
William pulled out his phone, held it this way and that, then shook his head. Liam nodded, pulled out his, and handed it to his grandson.
“Take mine. Call Grace. Tell her what happened, then ask her if she knows Everett Heights Park in Windenburg. Tell her to meet you there tomorrow at 10.”
“Morning or evening?” William asked.
“AM, you Casanova! You’ll meet her there, go for a romantic walk, then take her to lunch. I’ll set it up for you since you don’t know where anything is. I was born and raised in Windenburg. Everyone knows Everett Heights, and it’s famous for romantic moments of all kinds. From the aww-cute stuff, which I assume you two will be doing, to people getting a bit too passionate in tents that may not even be theirs. Don’t even start with lectures on the hygiene, I can see it in your face, William. It’s what people have done at the height of passion for generations and not for us to judge. Not to mention I may or may not have been one of those people a time or ten, but that’s beside the point. My point is that once you go there with a girl, if she’s more than a friend, or if you’d like her to be, that’s the magical place for it. But definitely in daylight hours. I’m not setting you up for some late-night romance at Everett Heights. That would be asking for disaster. I don’t want to be held responsible for a premature new leaf on the old Cameron family tree. Old Cameron joke you probably won’t get. I’ll explain it after you talk to her.”
“Oh, I do know about Everett Heights, Grandpa! And about such tents. You forget Great-grandpa Blaine visits us too. Let’s just say he mentioned it a few times when talking about how he met Great-grandma Scarlett,” smirked William.
“Yeah, so we’re doing this in the brightest sunlight, my friend, and now you know why. I’ll be parked nearby and while I’m all for you getting your romance on, I refuse to be your chauffeur for nookie al fresco. So, call your girlfriend. We’re losing daylight, kid. For all you know, she might be making plans with other boys as we speak.”
“She isn’t my girlfriend, Grandpa. And Grace isn’t like that. Just like I’m not like that. Just another thing of many which we share in common,” William flushed slightly.
“With that attitude, she never will be either. At some point you’re gonna have to behave more like a Cameron and less like a Cromwell if you EVER want this to take both of you to higher ground. Just not tomorrow. If I see you both anywhere near said tents, I will spank both of you,” Liam winked, grinning as he got up and collected the dirty dishes, patting his grandson’s shoulder while William dialed, clearly nervous but smiling at his grandfather’s tease.
“Grace, hi, it’s Will. I’m on my grandpa’s phone. Yes, I was there but… ummm. Oh, you heard that lady shouting? That was your mum? Fight with your dad? Yes, yes, I already figured as much. Okay, no, I’m not upset. Didn’t even faze me. No biggie at all. I understand. Yes, of course, I still want to be friends. Speaking of, do you know Everett Heights? You do? Do you have plans at 10 am tomorrow? All right, you do now…”
William’s heart raced as he listened to Grace’s response. He could hear the relief in her voice, and it made him smile. “Great! I’ll see you then, by the large sign out front. Looking forward to it. Bye, Grace.”
He hung up and handed the phone back to his grandpa, who was watching him with a knowing smile. “All set?”
“Yes, she’ll be meeting me at Everett Heights tomorrow at 10,” William beamed with a faraway dreamy look, which suddenly changed to an expression of sheer panic. “Grandpa, I’ve got a date! A rendezvous. With a girl. The girl! Grace! Not just any Grace, THE Grace! It has to be serendipity that her name is mum’s name. Well, one of them anyway. And I am meeting her. Grace, not my mum.”
“Yup, you sure do. Congrats, kid, cos clearly this is your grand premiere. I don’t even have to ask if this is your first date. A neon sign around your neck couldn’t be more obvious.” Liam muttered, chuckling, until William grabbed a hold of him, staring at him, panicked.
“Grandpa, I am not dressed for a date! I can’t wear this! And I can’t wear what I wore yesterday!”
“Sure, you can. She never saw you. Doubt she’d care even if she had.”
“Ok. Right. And I did select the clothes specifically for meeting her. It took me hours to decide, for I could hardly ask my valet for assistance as nobody but you must know about Grace. I need to plan how to explain it all before I speak to Papa and Mama about her. Maybe I shall do what Papa did with Mama, just invite her for a visit and tell her everything in the royal gardens before meeting my family. I think Grandma might suspect something though; it might be tricky keeping it from her until I plan the proper reveal. And Ryan has actually met her, back when I first encountered her. If Grandma mentioned anything, he might remember. Ha, Grandpa, I have a date. With a girl. A real rendezvous. Me. Ha! And I sorted it out on my own, without my father throwing boring, dull young ladies of the proper standing at me.” William made Liam laugh with the shudder that followed his words.
“I am tickled pink for ya, kid. Now, let’s finish cleaning up here and get some rest. Tomorrow’s a big day.”
As they tidied up the cozy wooden cabin, William felt a sense of calm and excitement. He was grateful for his grandpa’s support and wisdom. This trip was turning out to be exactly what he needed.
EchoesOfLegacy 