Page 5 of The Royal in Room 3

“Because of your own foolish mistake.” Bastian’s heavy sigh came across the line. “Tell me exactly where you are, and I will organize to have you released.”

I swallowed the lump in my throat. “You’re right, Bastian. I got myself into this mess, and I’ll get myself out of it. Please don’t tell Father about this disappointment. Goodbye, Bastian.”

“Prince—”

I placed the receiver back on the hook and let out a shuddering breath. What now? I’d turned down the only person who could prove I was exactly who I claimed to be.

“If you’re finished with your call, Your Royal Highness”—the cop gave a mocking bow and stretched out his hand—“will you come this way, please?”

“Laugh all you want,” I mumbled under my breath as I followed him. “It doesn’t make it any less true.”

“Of course. In that case, I am the newly minted bishop of Rome.”

I clenched my teeth, ignoring him as he led me to a small room with a table and a couple of chairs.

“Stay here, and I’ll be back shortly. Maybe have a think about whether you want to keep up this charade of yours or come clean about who you really are.”

Left alone in the room, I had no choice but to sit on the hard chair while trying not to cry and failing. Maybe I shouldn’t have hung up on Bastian after all.

I had chosen California as the place to spread my wings and prove to my father that I could still be someone without the backing of the royal family because this was where my mother had come from. I’d thought I would feel a sense of belonging here, but I’d only run into one rotten person after another.

No one could be trusted, and because of that, I might have to spend time in prison.

The door opened again, and this time Officer Smalling was not alone. Another cop entered with him, this one taller and bald, but he didn’t look as mean.

You can’t judge someone by the way they look. Haven’t you learned anything?

“This is Officer Vale,” Smalling said by way of introduction. “And this right here is the thief who claims he’s a prince of some country no one’s even heard of. If you ask me, he belongs in a psychiatric ward.”

“I am not mentally challenged, nor am I a thief!” I cried. “I am a prince. Prince Soren Maximilian Aurelius Leontes of Belvaria. If you would check, you would see that I am right.”

“How about we just call you Soren for now?” Officer Vale advanced toward me. “Prince or not, you did skip out on the restaurant bill. Now, why don’t you tell me what happened?”

“If you won’t believe me anyway, why should I say it again?”

“Because I am trying to help you.” Officer Vale nodded to Smalling. “I’ll handle it.”

“Suit yourself. I say charge him now and ask for a psychiatric evaluation.”

Smalling left, closing the door behind him. Officer Vale took the seat across from me and smiled gently. “Soren, why don’t we start over? I apologize on behalf of Officer Smalling if he’s been unprofessional. It’s not often we get dine-and-dashers who claim to have descended from royalty.”

“Do you believe me then?”

“I want to believe you. How about we start from the top? What’s your full name and age?”

“My name is Prince Soren Maximilian Aurelius Leontes, and I am twenty-two years old,” I said for what must have been the fifth time.

“Thank you, Soren. What are the names of the people you were dining with?”

I told him exactly what happened. My roommate, Daphne, and her two friends had invited me to a restaurant for dinner because I had been feeling pretty down. I’d visited the house where my mother was raised as a foster child, and the new owner hadn’t allowed me to enter the property even though I’d explained who I was and asked nicely.

When we got to the restaurant, I didn’t eat much, but Daphne and her friends ordered expensive meals from the menu. During dessert, they snuck out after telling me they were going to the restroom. They never returned, and when I tried to leave to find them, the restaurant manager was called.

I only knew the first names of Daphne’s friends but was able to give Officer Vale Daphne’s full name, along with her apartment location, where she’d told me I could stay with her until I found a job.

“You have my phone!” I said, feeling more vibrant now. “If you check the messages, you will see where Daphne invited me to dinner, and when I reminded her I couldn’t pay, she said she would cover the bill.”

“That would help,” Officer Vale said. “But we would need your permission to view the contents.”