Top Secret Project - Prince Marcos - Chapter Twenty-Four

“Take only what you absolutely need,” Marcos said, reaching into his spacious walk-in closet and flicking on the light switch. He turned back to the main sitting room. “It must appear to the royal family and staff as if we are merely going on a holiday to visit Nicolas and Adele and that we’ll return soon.”
“And that is not reality?” Collins gulped.
Marcos stepped closer to his trusted adviser and put his hand on Collins’ shoulder. “I will understand if you don’t want to uproot your life here and follow me to Dubai, and Cancun, and wherever fate leads us after that.”
Collins glanced over Marcos’s shoulder to where Lyla and Nasrin stood near Benjamin’s crib. He cocked his head slightly and there was a subtle question in his eyes. Before Marcos could fully register what had happened, Collins met his eyes again. “We will come with you.”
“We?” Marcos understood the non-verbal communication he’d witnessed was between Collins and Nasrin. “I’m glad to hear that.” There was double meaning to his statement.
“I will follow wherever you lead, Your Highness.” Collins bowed his head.
“As will I,” Lyla said, stepping up beside him and slipping her hand in his.
“And I,” Nasrin stated, sidling up next to Collins, who wrapped his arm around her shoulders.
“I don’t know how soon we’ll return.” Marcos heard the vulnerability in his own words. “I don’t know how soon the king will schedule my coronation, if he will schedule it at all. I have little confidence in his ability to keep his word as long as the Princess of Tayma is controlling him.”
“Then we will wait, Your Highness,” Lyla said. She didn’t often call him that, unless she was teasing. He looked down at his wife in wonderment. She wasn’t teasing. “Let’s go on a second honeymoon… and stay for a really long time.”
“Could we, maybe, go on a first honeymoon?” Collins asked, looking down at Nasrin. “If we’re going to be travelling together… perhaps we should travel as husband and wife.”
“I would really like that,” Nasrin answered, tucking herself into Collins’ arms.
“We can arrange for an officiator when we get to Dubai tomorrow,” Marcos suggested. He wrapped his arm around his adviser’s shoulder, and Lyla wrapped hers around Nasrin’s.
The four of them stood in a loose circle, ready to take on the world, or perhaps escape from the world. Together.
“Let’s finish packing,” Marcos said as they dropped their arms and stepped away from each other. “Get some rest. We have a big day ahead of us.”

Epilogue:
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“Prince Marcos Sayid of Madain Saleh,” Nicholas called out from the shore as Marcos’ new yacht, The Princess of the Desert docked. “Welcome to Puerto Aventuras.”
Their captain had sailed smoothly through the canals to the marina since Marcos didn’t yet own a home with its own boat slip.
Nicholas had already begun quietly shopping around for the prince and his family to purchase a home close to his, but for now, they planned to stay at the Cohen’s compound. They had plenty of room.
Adele had given birth to twin baby boys, Alejandro and Santiago, just two months ahead of young Prince Benjamin. The three boys were destined to grow up as best friends. 

Okay, pause. I can't tell you any more from this section. There are too many spoilers. Plus, most of it's not written. What I can do is begin the next story for you. Read Chapter One of the story I'm calling The Crown Prince (for now). In this next book, the main character is Prince Marcos' grandson, who is coincidentally the father of my young princes, if you've read that story. If not, the chapters are available here on my blog under my Top Secret Project. When the series is finally written, this book will come first before the young princes. I just wrote them out of order. Anyway, I hope you love it! Let me know what you think! -Julie
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