by Alex Tryst

Feedback: Drop me a line if you’d like at alextryst@e-scribblers.com.

Copyright © June, 2009 by Alex Tryst. All Rights Reserved.

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A month later Anastasia found herself in Dallas, Texas. She had flown there from her tour of Florida, and the first stop on the day’s agenda was to head to the children’s hospital to spend time with the kids and their parents. Another group was also going to be there, but the hospital didn’t want to miss the opportunity to have Anastasia come, and the redhead had no qualms about sharing the spotlight with another organization.

She had opted to dress more casually that day and donned a pair of chinos instead of her usual dress slacks and a white short-sleeved polo instead of a long-sleeved dress shirt and rounded out the look with a ball cap from her alma mater and sunglasses in hopes of keeping a low profile.

Upon her arrival with her security detail, she learned the other organization that was supposed to be there was a local church that had brought their youth group to visit the kids. It became quickly obvious that it was the adults who were more interested in Anastasia’s presence than the children who temporarily resided there at the hospital, as the teenagers had them engrossed in projects. She took it in stride though and was engaging as possible.

It seemed many of the parents wanted to talk to her about the state of healthcare, which was a subject relatively unknown to her, but she listened attentively, taking mental notes of the common concerns and wondered what her mother was doing to address these problems. However, as she engaged parents in discussion, her eyes kept straying across the room to one of the church members. There was a petite blue-eyed blonde in the corner of the room sitting on the floor, reading to a group of children, whose gaze had met with hers several times. Anastasia thought she looked much older and more mature than the others, figuring her to be closer to her own age, but it was hard to tell. Nevertheless, she wanted to meet her.

When the opportunity arose to do so, she made her way across the room and sat down next to the blonde on the floor. “Mind if I join you?” she asked, flashing a smile.

“Not at all, your highness,” she replied with a smile of her own.

Anastasia felt her heart jump in double time for a moment in response. “Everyone calls me Stasia.”

“I’m Layla. Would you like to read the next one?” she suggested, extending the book to her.

Anastasia took it, letting her hand brush Layla’s in the exchange, which didn’t go unnoticed by the blonde judging by the little flush that graced her cheeks. “Thank you. It would be a great pleasure.”

The two women sat side by side as they took turns reading books. However, as they did so, Anastasia noticed that the man and woman in charge of the church group kept looking over at her. She wondered why she was receiving so much attention from them, so after about five minutes, she leaned over to Layla as they were between books.

“Why do your chaperones keep looking at me?”

The fair blonde flushed a little and shook her head. “Those aren’t my chaperones. They’re my parents. My father is the head of the youth group at the church.”

“So you are a preacher’s daughter?” She nodded. “All the same, why are they looking at me that way? Do they have some issue to take up with me?”

“No,” she replied, but Anastasia could tell just by looking into her eyes that it wasn’t the truth. The redhead gazed intensely at her until Layla conceded, “Yes.”

“Well, what is it?”

“I don’t think it should be discussed here in front of the children.”

“All right. What if we were to discuss it over dinner tonight then?” she suggested.

“Excuse me?” Layla was caught off guard by the question as her pulse began to race. She felt she could barely contain her composure when she first saw Anastasia enter the room. For as long as she could remember, she had had a crush on the redheaded princess but had kept it a secret. She knew her parents didn’t approve of her interest in women given their religious beliefs and in fact when they had recently found out, they were seriously displeased. Layla knew why they kept staring at Anastasia. The princess’s sexual orientation was publicly known, and most citizens considered it a non-issue, but Layla’s parents’ church was among a select group of religious circles that made it clear they did not agree with that kind of behavior, which was why Layla had hidden herself for so long. Her parents were not happy with the ongoing exchange between her and the princess.

Anastasia saw the rapid cadence of the pulse in Layla’s neck and knew she had not misread her, so she posed the question again. “I would like to have dinner with you tonight if you are available, so we can discuss the issue which seems to make your parents uncomfortable.”

“I have this thing to do at my parents’ church tonight.”

“Will that take all evening?”

“No. It’s finished around eight.”

“Then we can make it a late dinner.”

Layla smiled down at the kids and told them they were going to take a break from reading for a bit but would be back in a few minutes. With that they dispersed and she and Anastasia stood. “Look, Stasia, I really would like to have dinner with you, but my parents…”

“What does this have to do with them?”

“They would disapprove.”

“So? Do you always cater to your parents’ desires?”

She shook her head. “They don’t approve of my dating interests,” she quietly remarked.

Anastasia paused in thought for a moment. The thought had never crossed her mind that someone would disapprove of someone else’s innate sexual orientation. “Oh, I am beginning to understand. That is why I am the source of their looks. They do not approve of me.” It was the first time in her life that she had felt such negativity directed at her from any of her country’s citizens.

Layla shook her head. “They just found out about me and are upset. It goes against what they believe.”

“What do you believe?” she asked.

“That I couldn’t be any other way than what I am.”

Anastasia nodded. “Do you always do what they tell you to?”

“They are my parents, and up until recently I have taken their guidance.”

“Are you not old enough to make your own decisions?”

“I’m twenty, so yes, technically I am old enough, but there are other issues to consider.”

“Such as?”

“They’re paying for my education, and I don’t want them to stop.”

“Is that all?” she scoffed.

Layla felt a little offended by the flippant remark. “The rest of the world doesn’t live in a palace, Princess Anastasia. We have real problems.”

Feeling rebuked Anastasia nodded. “I apologize. That was impolite to marginalize your problems. You have your reasons.” She paused. “Does this mean that I will not have the pleasure of your company at dinner tonight?”

“I’m sorry. I want to, but I don’t see how I can get away from my parents. I’m living with them over the summer until I go back to school.”

“What about tomorrow morning for breakfast?”

“I volunteer here at the children’s hospital. I’ll be here tomorrow morning.”

“Will your parents be here then?” She shook her head. “Then may I call upon you tomorrow morning here?”

She gave a little smile. Her heart started to pound a little harder as she realized the princess truly did want to see her again. Nodding she replied, “I’d like that. I get here at 8:00.”

“Then I will come between 8:30 and 9:00 and maybe we can sit and have a cup of coffee.”

“That sounds good. For now though I think we should get back to these kids.”

When Anastasia left the hospital that afternoon, she couldn’t stop thinking about the experience there. It was a first for her to see that the country still continued to have problems that the government had not addressed in the healthcare system. She wanted to make sure she brought it to her mother’s attention at her next opportunity. Then her thoughts turned to the beautiful blonde. She was saddened by the fact that the woman seemed scared to live her life because of the beliefs of her parents. It had occurred to her that parents would not support their children, given who her own parents were. While they were always there to serve up discipline when it lacked, she always had their support for whatever she wanted in her life. She never imagined it could be different for others.

That night over dinner with her parents Layla sat quietly thinking about Anastasia. She could hardly believe that the woman on whom she had a crush for many years actually was there in her life for several hours. Moreover, the princess had taken an interest in her and even asked her to dinner. She was amazed by the gesture and smiled to herself as she looked at her plate.

“What are you thinking about?” her mother asked.

“Just the day. It was great to have Princess Anastasia there. I hope it will bring attention to the hospital.”

“We noticed her speaking to you,” her father said. “We didn’t like it.”

“We were just talking.”

He shook his head. “You’re a pretty girl, Layla, and you turn heads wherever you go. The princess seemed to be paying extra attention to you. She didn’t spend as much time with anyone else. We do not condone her attentions toward you, and we would expect you to rebuff any suggestions she may have to continue those attentions.”

“I seriously doubt the princess thinks of me that way,” she said. However, the thought had lingered in her head as she continued to ponder the princess’s insistence on seeing her again. She hoped that meant her crush had a real interest.

“We do not agree with her lifestyle or her choices, nor do we yours. It is unacceptable to be receiving attention from another woman. That is not what God intended, and we will never concede that he did. If you are insistent on your sexuality, you must at least remain celibate. We will never accept anything else for you,” he firmly stated.

Layla didn’t even bother to look at her parents. Instead she just stared at her plate. She knew it was useless to even try to engage them in a religious debate on this particular issue. She came at it from such a decisively different point. She knew her heart desired to know love and accept it from another person, and according to her own religious beliefs, God did allow her to seek that love in the arms of another woman. However, it wasn’t worth debating the subject with her parents. She knew they would just severely discipline her if she went against their directives.

The next day Anastasia was at the hospital again as she had promised, dressed in her typical style. She was scheduled to speak later in the day at an event in Houston, so she wore her slacks and dress shirt and had her dress jacket close by for when she needed to slip it on. Going up to the floor where Layla volunteered, she immediately noticed that the joyful noise from yesterday was absent. A sullen quietness hung over the floor. Going up to the nurses’ station, Anastasia saw the same nurses from the previous day who had been full of energy in somewhat of a daze, but they all managed to greet Anastasia with a respectful bow. When she asked for Layla, she was told that she was in the nurses’ lounge and given directions on how to get there.

The corridor was so quiet that Anastasia could hear the shoes she was wearing as they contacted the floor with each step. Getting to the lounge, she opened the door. “Layla,” she called into the darkened room. “Layla, it is Stasia. Are you in here?”

“Yes,” came a muffled reply.

Anastasia searched for the light switch on the wall with her hand. When they flickered to life, they revealed the tiny blonde sitting on the tile floor in the corner of the room. Her head was down between her knees, and it sounded like she was crying. “Layla, what is the matter?” she asked, coming to where she was and kneeling down. Layla didn’t answer at first as sobs heaved from her chest. She felt as if she could barely breathe. Not getting a response, Anastasia took a seat next to her on the cold floor. Unsure of what to do, she slowly reached for the back of the blonde head. “Layla,” she softly called. Still there was no response, so she decided to make another move and wrap the smaller woman up in her arms.

No words were spoken for several minutes, but slowly Layla’s body began to unfurl. “I’m sorry,” she managed to say after awhile.

“No. Do not be. I just want to make sure you are all right.”

She shook her head. “One of the children on the floor died early this morning. She was only four.”

Anastasia could feel the absolute sorrow exuding from the woman next to her. It was true utter anguish. It completely overwhelmed Anastasia that someone could feel something so deeply for someone else, because she had never experienced emotions so deeply of either happiness or sadness, but it was clear Layla was besieged by her grief. It profoundly moved the princess that such a person could feel that way for another.

“Come here,” she whispered offering her a tighter embrace.

Layla turned into her and clutched to the front of Anastasia’s shirt as she continued her weeping into the side of her neck. The redhead rubbed her back consolingly as she kissed on top of her blonde head. Neither spoke for a long time. When Layla began to finally calm herself, she became aware of the fact that her head was burrowed into the neck of the heir to the throne, and Anastasia’s arms were securely around her. She could feel lips dropping soothing kisses into her hair. She had never been in the arms of another woman before, but Anastasia’s were incredibly comforting. Slowly she raised her head and saw that her mascara had stained the princess’s shirt.

“I’m so sorry,” she whispered, rubbing at it to no avail.

Anastasia reached under her chin to raise her face and then gently wiped at the wetness. “Do not concern yourself with that,” she softly said, gazing into wet, red-rimmed blue eyes. Anastasia hardly noticed Layla’s blotchy red face. “I just want to make sure you are all right. That is all that matters.”

“It’s just so sad.”

The princess nodded slowly. “It is, but surely a woman of your beliefs believes she is in a better place free from her suffering.”

Layla nodded. “Yes but it doesn’t make it any easier for those left behind. I cannot stand to see children die. It just creates an ache in my soul. This is the second one we’ve lost since I started volunteering here.”

“You are a profoundly sensitive woman,” she said.

Layla nodded. “I always have been. People think it’s a flaw or that I’m being fake, because I just tend to feel things so deeply.”

“I do not think that. In fact, I think it is an incredible gift to be able to feel so intensely. I have never felt something so acutely as you have displayed, for better or worse. My life up until this very moment has been one adrift in an emotionless void, but I can actually feel your pain, and it hurts me deeply. I wish there was something I could do to lessen it.”

“You’re here. For now that’s enough,” she whispered as she reached for the hand that slipped up to her cheek. It was larger than her own as she enfolded it between hers.

“Come. Let me move you to the couch,” she suggested. Helping Layla to her feet, Anastasia walked her over to the sofa and sat her on it. “Could I get you something? Coffee? Water? Handkerchief?” she questioned, pulling one out of her pocket.

“Thank you,” Layla replied as she took the white cotton square and wiped her eyes. She tried to give it back when she was finished.

“Keep it in case you need it again.”

She nodded and looked down at it. The Washington family crest was stitched in gold in one corner and Anastasia’s initials in the opposite. “Thank you, Stasia.” There was silence for a moment as the thought overcame her that her fantasy woman was sitting so closely to her and had showed her such tenderness. She still couldn’t believe she had even met Anastasia much less received any attention from her, but she was there with one arm around her.

Anastasia remained quiet for a few minutes but then decided she would try to take Layla’s mind off of what had happened. “Did your parents have anything to say about me when you left yesterday?”

She nodded. “They mentioned that they thought you were flirting with me.”

“So they are perceptive then?” she teased lightly.

Layla didn’t say anything for a moment but had been wondering something since they met the previous day to which she wanted an answer. Looking into blue eyes, she asked, “Why me, Stasia? You could have anyone you wanted.”

The redhead looked away for a moment before looking back into blue eyes. “If you had asked me that yesterday, my answer would have been different than it is right now. Yesterday’s answer would have been because I thought you were pretty, and you are the type of girl that usually captures my interest.”

“What’s today’s answer?”

“Today it is because I think you are the most amazing woman I have ever met,” she softly said. “The effect you have had on me in these moments just now have touched me in a way I have never felt before. I think you are extraordinary, Layla, and I do not even know anything about you other than your first name, age, and the fact that you weep genuine tears over the sadness of humanity.”

Layla’s face blushed deeply at the words Anastasia had bestowed on her. “I’ll tell you anything you wish to know about me.”

“Let us start with something simple like your full name.”

“Layla Elise Stone.”

“Elise? That is my middle name.”

“I know,” she mentioned.

“Do you?” she asked curiously.

“Doesn’t everyone know that?”

“Where do you go to school?”

“I’ll be a junior at The University of the South in the fall.”

“Where is that?”

“It’s in Sewanee, Tennessee. Are you a Christian?”

“I believe in God, but the Washingtons have always been careful not to assert one religious belief over another. We believe the government should not influence the manner in which people choose to worship, even if that includes not doing so at all. We attend official services at the Washington Cathedral, which is Episcopalian, but I have never considered myself Episcopalian. I have never considered myself anything.”

“I’m an Episcopalian, but my parents are Anglicans. Do you believe in Jesus Christ?”

She shrugged. “No one has ever asked me that. I have never given it any thought actually.”

“What about heaven or even hell?”

Anastasia gave an obliging smile. “Could we talk about something a little less complicated than religion?”

“Sorry. I just have always wondered that about you,” she admitted.

“You have? You have thought about me before we met yesterday?”

She blushed but nodded. “I’ve seen you on TV and in magazines and papers, and I’ve been curious what it was like to meet you and talk to you.”

“And now that you have? Do I live up to expectations?” she joked.

“Yes and no.”

“How is that?”

“You’re less pretentious that I expected,” she said with a smile. “And cuter, too,” she added with a little flush.

It was Anastasia’s turn to blush the color of her hair. “I do not think a woman has ever made me blush before,” she admitted. “You are incredible, Layla.” There was a moment of silence between them as they just gazed at each other. Anastasia knew the perfect opportunity to kiss this woman was at hand. Layla was giving her all the signals that the advance would be accepted, but she hesitated. For once she really didn’t want to be wrong. She leaned in a little closer to the blonde to see what the reaction might be and immediately saw the blonde take a sharp breath. “Layla,” she whispered.

“Yes?” she asked in equally hushed tone.

“I am not usually like this, but for the last several minutes I have been preoccupied with the thought of kissing you,” she confessed.

“Oh my.”

“Would you mind too terribly much if I indulged myself?” she asked, cupping the blonde’s face in her hands. “I have to know what it is like to kiss such an angel.”

Even though there was no verbal reply, the deepening flush of Layla’s face was enough for Anastasia. She leaned in and gently brushed her lips across pink ones. She felt Layla’s right hand drift up onto her chest, which set her heart thudding rapidly. It was a brief touch but left them both affected.

“Am I dreaming?” Layla whispered. She had never kissed another woman before, but the faint touch of the heir’s lips against her own made her feel dizzy.

“Perhaps we both are,” Anastasia answered before leaning in a second time for another gentle kiss.

When the second innocent kiss came to its mutual conclusion, it took Layla a moment to compose herself. “Wow. This suddenly feels very fast.”

“I am sorry. I did not mean to make you uncomfortable,” the redhead apologized.

Layla shook her head. “You’re pretty wonderful, and any woman would be a fool to refuse you,” she said. “But you have a reputation.”

“Do you think I am insincere?”

“I hope not,” she confessed. “But I don’t know you at all, just what I’ve seen and read.”

Anastasia pulled back a little and nodded. “You are right, of course. You do not know what my motivations might be.”

“That’s not to say I think you have any. I just don’t know you. That doesn’t mean I wouldn’t like to get to know you.”

“I would like that, too, very much, Layla.”

“Really?”

“Absolutely. I meant what I said. I think you are incredible.”

“How do we go about getting to know one another when we don’t even live remotely close to each other?”

“Leave that to me. I will think of something. For now, though, we just enjoy the little bit of time we do have,” she said consulting her watch. “Could I take you somewhere? Perhaps the cafeteria? We can get something to eat.”

“I really have to get back to work,” she said.

“Okay. Are you feeling a little better now?”

She nodded. “Thank you for everything.”

“If I cannot take you somewhere, could I get your phone number, so I can call you?”

“Of course. Let me write it down for you. Do you have some paper?”

“Here. Write it on the back of this,” Anastasia offered pulling out her contact card from her pants pocket.

Layla looked at it before taking a pen from the front pocket of her own shirt and putting her number on the back. “Do you write email?”

“Sometimes.”

“I’ll put my email down for you as well.” When she was finished, she handed it back but asked, “Do you have another one of those that I could have?”

“Sure.” She pulled another out of her pocket. “This number is to my office at the palace. Someone is always there to answer it, and they can find me anywhere in the world. Just be sure to let them know who you are, and I will put you on the list of access people.”

“Great. Thank you.”

They walked slowly back to the nurses’ station with Anastasia’s security and staff trailing closely behind. “I suppose this is where I must leave you,” the princess said.

Layla nodded. “Thank you for coming to see me.”

They loitered closely together for a moment before Anastasia made a move to embrace her. Their hug lingered for long minutes. “Please call me if you need anything at all. Your name will be on the access list within five minutes of me leaving,” she promised.

“I will.”

Leaning down Anastasia kissed her softly on the cheek. “Take care of yourself. I hope to see you soon.”

“You too.”

With that, Anastasia walked down the corridor toward the elevator. Turning to her Secretary of Affairs, Madeline Sumner, she handed her the card on which Layla’s information was written. “Maddy, see that this woman gets added to the access list immediately and file the number for future use.”

“Certainly, Stasia. A new love interest?” she joked.

Anastasia smiled. “I think I am in love,” she said.

“Of course you are. When are you not?” she continued to tease, pulling out her phone.

Anastasia overheard her taking care of the request as they got into the elevator. The group then headed to the airport to make their way to Houston. As they arrived onto the tarmac, Madeline’s phone rang. She answered it and then leaned closer to Anastasia as they were climbing the stairs to the plane.

“Layla Stone is on the line. Do you want to take it?”

“Of course. Put her through onto the plane’s phone,” she said rushing up the rest of the stairs. By the time she got into the cabin, the phone was already ringing. “Hello,” she greeted picking up the receiver.

“That actually worked,” Layla giggled. “This is Layla.”

“I told you it would. I am glad you called.”

“I just wanted to thank you again for earlier.”

“I just hope I was able to provide you with some small comfort.”

“You did. Thank you.”

“Well, as much as I would like to continue this conversation, I really need to go now. I am on a plane to Houston. Could we talk tonight?”

“Of course.”

“Wonderful. I will call you tonight. How is 9:00 for you?”

“I look forward to it.”

“Great. I will talk to you then. Have a good rest of the day.”

“You, too, Stasia.”

When 9:00 came Anastasia was sitting in a hotel room in downtown Houston looking out the window. Her staff had dispersed for the evening, but Madeline had left Layla’s phone number for Anastasia on the bar. Taking a sip of her drink, she picked up the phone and placed the call she had been anticipating all day. The phone rang a few times before the blonde answered.

“Hi, Layla. It is Anastasia,” she announced.

“Hi, Stasia. How was the rest of your day?”

“Busy but fine. How was yours? What did you do with it?”

“Okay. I worked at the hospital and then went over to the church for choir practice.”

“You sing?”

“Yes. I’m in the choir. I actually have a solo at church this coming Sunday. Would you like to come to hear it?”

“I would love to do that, but it is a bit complicated for me to go anywhere on short notice. It would be a hassle for everyone else that went there on Sunday. I would not want to ruin it for them. Perhaps you could record it?”

“I think that could be arranged.”

“I really would love to hear you, Layla.”

“What else did you do today?”

“Had dinner with my parents and am now just hanging out in my room.”

“Have our parents said anything else about me today?”

“No. They don’t know that I even saw you.”

“Tell me. What is going on there? Why do your parents disagree with someone’s innate sexual orientation?”

“It’s what they believe religiously. Anglicans, which is what they are now, believe that it’s wrong.”

“I see, but you are not Anglican. You are Episcopalian.”

“Yes. They were too, but the Episcopal Church is undergoing a lot of change right now, and people are splitting off because of some gay and women bishops in the church. My parents were really involved in our old church but headed up the split and now help run their new church.”

“I see. I guess I never really thought about this issue in a religious context.”

“It’s not just the Anglicans. There are many religious groups that believe that.”

“But I have never heard of such a thing.”

“Why would you? Even if they disagree with you, they won’t speak out against you. You’re the royal family.”

“You are right of course. I would hope no one would ever speak out against my family out of respect.”

“Exactly but they don’t like it, Stasia. I can assure you of that.”

“How would someone change their mind on the matter?”

“Many religious experts debate this topic all the time. It’s quite complicated, and there are no easy answers, but if you wanted to learn more about why they think the way they do, you should start with the basics.”

“Which would be?”

“The Bible, of course. Have you ever read it?”

“No.”

“Well, if you want to become more knowledgeable, you’ll have to read it.”

“And then what?”

“Just start with that. It could take you quite some time just to get through that book. It’s not light reading, and you’ll probably be confused in several areas.”

“Would it help if I had a teacher?”

“Probably. Maybe you can take some classes.”

“Or maybe I can have a personal tutor. Would you be available?” she asked.

“Me? I’m not an expert.”

“Oh, I am not so sure about that. You already know more than I do. Please think about it.”

“I’m sure there are scholars at your disposal who would be better suited to help you.”

“But you sound so knowledgeable. I am sure I can find all that I am looking for in you alone,” she whispered. There was a pause in conversation.

Layla thought about those words for a moment and their possible meanings. In just the two days she had known Anastasia, she could feel her emotions running more deeply for the princess than when she was just a fantasy in her mind. She didn’t really know how to respond to such a statement.

Sensing as much, Anastasia decided to move the conversation in another direction. “So, what is on your agenda for tomorrow?”

“Same thing as today. Volunteer at the hospital, choir practice. I may go out with some high school friends in the evening. What about you?”

“Nothing that exciting. I have a couple of speeches to make. Apparently I am to have dinner with the mayor of Houston as well. Then it is off to Austin.”

“Are you going to be coming back to Dallas anytime soon?”

“I had not planned on it originally in this trip. However, now that I have met you, I would like to come back to Dallas at the earliest available opportunity. It just so happens I am heading back to D.C. on Sunday. I would like to see you if you are available.”

“I have church in the morning and the early evening.”

“Sounds like you are free for the afternoon and later evening then. I think my plane could be in Dallas that evening. Perhaps we could have dinner after your church service. Would that be convenient for you?”

“I think I can do that.”

“Would that cause a problem with your parents?”

“They won’t have to necessarily know. I can just say that I’m meeting with a friend.”

“Do you have to say anything at all?”

“I suppose I don’t. They may ask, however.”

“Then you could always tell them that you had dinner with me and were teaching me about the Bible. After all I intend to ask you more about this topic, so please do come prepared.”

Layla laughed a little. “All right. Dinner and a Bible lesson it is.”

“That only leaves where and when. What time do you get out of church?”

“I should be able to leave by about 7:15, so anytime after that is fine. Where would you like to have dinner?”

“As I mentioned before, it can be difficult for me to go anywhere without advanced planning, so maybe it is best if we just have dinner at the hotel where I will be staying. I am not exactly sure where that is given the fact that this is a last minute stop, but I will let you know as soon as arrangements have been made. You can come after church, and I will make sure I am available when you get there.”

“All right.”

The two continued to talk for a while longer about nothing of great significance before Anastasia excused herself for the night with a promise to call later in the week. When they had hung up, Layla just continued to lie on top of her bed looking up at the ceiling and thinking. Never in her wildest fantasies did she ever consider that she would in fact meet the princess, much less begin to have a relationship with her. She wondered about the possibilities of it as she thought of the kisses they had shared earlier that morning. Even as much as she had always longed for it, she had never kissed another woman before and was completely blown away by the fact that the heir had made a move to kiss her, not once but twice, in the softest of touches. They were faint gentle caresses, which had a dizzying effect. Layla reveled in the memory of them for several minutes before reality made her sober a bit.

The princess was widely known to take after her mother, the queen, in all things adventurous, including exploits with women. She was the epitome of a woman of means, and women clamored after her wherever she went, even though the affairs were often short-lived. It made Layla wonder why the redhead had singled her out in such a way. She did not want to be just another diversion for the princess.

Instead she imagined what it might be like to be the one woman who had an effect on the heir. She thought it would be a spectacular feat to succeed where no one else had, but she knew she could not offer the same inducements as other women just on her principles alone. She was conservative in matters of her heart and body, which she figured would be something to which Anastasia was unaccustomed. Nonetheless she fantasized what it might be like to see those blue eyes gazing at her with such affection. It was a true dream, one never likely to ever be a reality, she figured.

Nevertheless, the twenty-year-old daydreamed of them in close intimacy as she reached over to her nightstand. From the drawer she pulled out a magazine, which had a picture of Anastasia on the cover. It was an issue commemorating the princess’s graduation from college and contained photographs of her throughout the years, including several recent ones. Layla thought she looked incredibly sexy in her naval officer’s uniform and cover. She sighed as the thought of that mouth, which smiled for the camera, kissing her over and over. Her breathing began to turn uneven as she thought of the heir’s chest under her hand, as it had been earlier that day and the loud thumping of Anastasia’s heart. Layla knew she was enamored but did not want to show too many of her emotions until she knew more of the redhead’s intensions.

Continued in Chapter 3

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