The Royal Romance Book 1

Chapter 2 : Welcome to Cordonia

After packing my bags and leaving my New York apartment and job behind, I find myself on a plane to Cordonia with Maxwell and Drake. The anticipation coursing through my veins. Just the thought of being able to see Liam again gets my heart thumping and my palms sweaty. I'm not entirely sure what awaits me, what with this being a competition for his heart. 

"Say goodbye to New York and hello to Cordonia!" Maxwell exclaims as we begin to take off. 

"I can't believe this is actually happening..." I start to fidget with my fingers and stare out the window, watching the city grow smaller. 

"Believe it. We'll be landing in a couple of hours, ready or not. And if you're not ready, those ladies at court are going to eat you alive." Drake crosses his arms and glances away from me, almost in disgust. I'm not sure who put the stick up his butt, but I don't plan on letting anything stand in my way of seeing Liam again.

"Yeesh, don't scare her, Drake. You okay, Riley?" Maxwell places his hand on my shoulder and I give him a reassuring smile. 

"Honestly... I'm not afraid of anything."

Drake lifts his head up and gives me a scoff. "Heh, We'll see once we land."

"I don't get why you're being so grim about this..."

"Look, no offense, but I've seen girls like you come and go. It never ends well. Not for you, not for Liam, not for the royal family."

"Riley's not some crown-chaser!" Maxwell stands in front of me as if he's my big brother protecting his little sister. I feel comforted and safe with him in my corner. Although I can fight my own battles. I push him aside and stare Drake down.

"Drake... I'm different than those other girls. Liam being a prince doesn't matter at all to me"

"That's exactly the kind of naive thinking that's going to land you in trouble."

I scoff at him and throw on my head phones. I see out of the corner of my eye that he turns towards his window and is muttering something under his breath. Maxwell goes back to his seat and looks out his window with his face resting on his fist. I ease into my chair and turn up my music.

A while later, Maxwell taps me on the shoulder and I pull my earbuds out. 

"Hey, look! You can see Cordonia out of the window! Riley, you won't want to miss this!"

I quickly glance out to see a beautiful town surrounded by crystal clear water and giant green trees. At the top is the palace, which is big and magnificent. I smile at the thought of meeting all the wonderful people and getting to know their stories. I also think about Liam and his responsibilities to this astonishing world. 

"That's Cordonia? It's like something out of a fairy tale! The sparkling ocean, the swaying trees-"

"If you burst into song, I'm jumping out of the plane." Drake says, as he turns away from me and covers his eyes with a small pillow.

"I'm just saying it's beautiful." I turn toward Maxwell who is lit up with excitement. 

"It is, isn't it? Are you ready?"

"Ready as I'll ever be." I grin as Maxwell pats me on the back. 

One car ride later, I step out onto the grounds of...

"The Royal Palace. Welcome to your home for the next few months, Riley." Maxwell takes my hand as I get out of the car and gaze wide-eyed at the wonders before me. The Palace has gold trim with white and blue colors all around it. It has beautiful intricate designs throughout the whole architecture.