Danielle Steel - H.R.H.

When honor, duty, tradition,

and her country's welfare

are all that can matter …

regardless of the price.

PRAISE FOR

DANIELLE STEEL“Steel pulls out all the emotional stops.… She delivers.” —Publishers Weekly “Steel is one of the best!” —Los Angeles Times “The world's most popular author tells a good, well-paced story and explores some important issues.… Steel affirm[s]life while admitting its turbulence, melodramas, and misfiring passions.” —Booklist “Danielle Steel writes boldly and with practiced vividness about tragedy—both national and personal … with insight and power.” —Nashville Banner “There is a smooth reading style to her writings which makes it easy to forget the time and to keep flipping the pages.” —Pittsburgh Press “One of the things that keep Danielle Steel fresh is her bent for timely story lines.… The combination of Steel's comprehensive research and her skill at creating credible characters makes for a gripping read.” —Newark Star-Ledger “What counts for the reader is the ring of authenticity.” —San Francisco Chronicle “Steel knows how to wring the emotion out of the briefest scene.” —People “Ms. Steel excels at pacing her narrative, which races forward, mirroring the frenetic lives chronicled; men and women swept up in bewildering change, seeking solutions to problems never before faced.” —Nashville Banner “Danielle Steel has again uplifted her readers while skillfully communicating some of life's bittersweet verities. Who could ask for a finer gift than that?” —Philadelphia Inquirer

PRAISE FOR THE RECENT NOVELS OF

DANIELLE STEEL H.R.H .“A journey of discovery, change and awakening …a story of love found, love lost and ultimately an ending that proves surprising.”— Asbury Park Press “Steel's fans will be waiting for this one.”— Booklist SISTERS “Female bonding with a cozy slumber-party vibe.” —Kirkus Reviews “Legions of [Steel] fans … won't be disappointed.” —Publishers Weekly COMING OUT “Acknowledges the unique challenges of today's mixed families.”— Kirkus Reviews “[A] tender, loving novel.”— Fort Wayne Journal Gazette THE HOUSE “Many happy endings.”— Chicago Tribune “A … Steel fairy tale.”— Booklist TOXIC BACHELORS “A breezy read … that will keep fans reading and waiting for more.”— Publishers Weekly “Steel delivers … happy endings in the usual nontoxic, satisfying manner.”— Booklist MIRACLE “Steel is almost as much a part of the beach as sunscreen.”— New York Post “Another Steel page-turner. Three strangers' lives become linked after a terrible storm ravages northern California.” —Lowell Sun IMPOSSIBLE “Dramatic, suspenseful … Steel knows what her fans want and this solid, meaty tale will not disappoint them.”— Booklist ECHOES “Courage of conviction, strength of character and love of family that transcends loss are the traits that echo through three generations of women …a moving story that is Steel at her finest.”— Chattanooga Times Free Press “Get out your hankies … Steel put her all into this one.”— Kirkus Reviews “A compelling tale of love and loss.”— Booklist A MAIN SELECTION OF THE LITERARY GUILD AND DOUBLEDAY BOOK CLUB

Also by Danielle Steel

BUNGALOW 2 LIGHTNING SISTERS WINGS COMING OUT THE GIFT THE HOUSE ACCIDENT TOXIC BACHELORS VANISHED MIRACLE MIXED BLESSINGS IMPOSSIBLE JEWELS ECHOES NO GREATER LOVE SECOND CHANCE HEARTBEAT RANSOM MESSAGE FROM NAM SAFE HARBOUR DADDY JOHNNY ANGEL STAR DATING GAME ZOYA ANSWERED PRAYERS KALEIDOSCOPE SUNSET IN ST. TROPEZ FINE THINGS THE COTTAGE WANDERLUST THE KISS SECRETS LEAP OF FAITH FAMILY ALBUM LONE EAGLE FULL CIRCLE JOURNEY CHANGES THE HOUSE ON HOPE STREET THURSTON HOUSE THE WEDDING CROSSINGS IRRESISTIBLE FORCES ONCE IN A LIFETIME GRANNY DAN A PERFECT STRANGER BITTERSWEET REMEMBRANCE MIRROR IMAGE PALOMINO HIS BRIGHT LIGHT: LOVE: POEMS The Story of Nick Traina THE RING THE KLONE AND I LOVING THE LONG ROAD HOME TO LOVE AGAIN THE GHOST SUMMER'S END SPECIAL DELIVERY SEASON OF PASSION THE RANCH THE PROMISE SILENT HONOR NOW AND FOREVER MALICE PASSION'S PROMISE FIVE DAYS IN PARIS GOING HOME

To my beloved children,

Beatrix, Trevor, Todd, Nick, Samantha,

Victoria, Vanessa, Maxx, Zara,

with all my thanks and love for the

wonderful people you are,

with deep gratitude for how good you are

to me, how kind, how loving, how generous

with your hearts and time.

May your lives unfold with ease and grace,

May you find joy, serenity, and love,

and may all the opportunities you dream of be yours.

I wish you happy endings, happily ever afters,

friends, companions, and spouses who treasure you and

treat you with tenderness, love, and respect,

and children as exceptionally wonderful as you are.

If you have children like mine, you will indeed be blessed.

With all my love,

Mom/d.s.

Chapter 1

Christianna stood at her bedroom window, looking down at the hillside in the pouring rain. She was watching a large white dog, soaking wet with matted hair, digging excitedly in the mud. Every now and then he would look up at her and wag his tail, and then return to digging again. He was the Great Pyrenees her father had given her eight years before. His name was Charles, and in many ways he was her best friend. She laughed as she watched him chase a rabbit that eluded him and promptly disappeared. Charles barked frantically and then splashed happily through the mud again, looking for something else to pursue. He was having a great time, as Christianna was, watching him. It was the last of summer and the weather was still warm. She had returned to Vaduz in June, after four years of college in Berkeley. Coming home had been something of a shock, and so far the best thing about her homecoming was Charles. Other than her cousins in England and Germany, and acquaintances throughout Europe, her only friend was Charles. She led a sheltered and isolated life, and always had. It seemed unlikely she would see her Berkeley friends again.

As she watched the dog disappear toward the stables, Christianna hurried out of her room, intent on going outside and following him. She grabbed her riding slicker and a pair of rubber boots she used to muck out her horse's stall, and ran down the back stairs. She was grateful that no one noticed her, and a moment later she was outside, sliding through the mud and running after the big white dog. She called his name, and in an instant he bounded up to her, nearly knocking her down. He wagged his tail, splashing water everywhere, put a muddy paw on her, and when she bent to stroke him, he reached up and licked her face, and then ran away again as she laughed. Together, they ran side by side along the bridle path. It was too wet today to ride.

When the dog strayed from the path, she called his name, he hesitated only for an instant, and then came back to her each time. He was normally well behaved, but the rain excited him, as he ran and barked.