"Give it a week or so and it will all die down. Someone else will do something to knock mild speculation off the front page. It'll be a footnote on our WIKIPEDIA pages, if that." She leaned forward a bit and smiled. "It's not a big deal at all, but I appreciate your concern."
Frederick had planned to tell her the rest of the news that would occupy the Southern Santierian press for days, but decided he didn't want to burden her with the additional weight now resting on his shoulders. It wasn't her problem to solve. "I wanted to be certain you were aware that I didn't have anything to do with the story and neither did my team." He stood and held out a hand to support her as she stood.
Elise placed her hand in his and stood up. She didn't let go as she looked straight into his dark eyes. "I would never have thought you did, but I appreciate that you took the time ensure I was aware before I left for the set."
He tipped his head toward her. "It was my pleasure." He didn't want to let go of her hand, but knew it was time. "I hope the rest of your time in Southern Santiero is pleasant and that filming goes smoothly."
Her hand fell to her side. "Thank you. I'm sure it will be fantastic. Plus it's much nicer here than it is at home in Eastern Novigradia this time of year. You actually have sunshine for hours a day."
Frederick clasped his hands behind his back. "It is a benefit of living much closer to the equator. Day length doesn't fluxuate nearly as much from season to season as it does in parts of the world further north."
"But you also don't get to see the Northern Lights," she countered. "There's something to be said for both types of climate."
By then they'd reached the door. Frederick reached for the carved handle and tugged it open. "Someone will show you back to your room so you can finish getting ready for the day. They will take you to the garrison where a car will be waiting."
Her blond ponytail swung as she turned. "Thank you for your hospitality. I hope I'll see you again soon."
And then she was gone.
Frederick released the door and pushed it shut then returned to his vantage point overlooking the city below. He didn't actually hear the side door open but still knew that George had entered.
"You didn't tell her, sir?" Very few would question him or a decision without some sort of apology. George was one of them.
"No. It's not her problem. It's mine. The potential connection between the two stories hasn't been made yet, and I'm not going to be the one to help them do it." He sighed and turned around. "There is no reason she should be involved at all."
"There is a reason for her to be involved, sir. At least one the press will find."
Frederick shook his head. "No. This is my problem, not hers." He ran a hand through his hair. "I'm the one who has to get married by the end of the month."
It had beenthree weeks and the local media had long since moved on to something besides her alleged sordid affair with the king.
At least that's what Elise had been told. She wasn't keeping track herself, but her make-up artist kept up with it for her without realizing it.
"There's something else going on with the royal family," Celina went on. "I haven't been able to get a read on what exactly it is. I'll dig into it later and see what I can find out."
"You don't need to do that," Elise told her. "I just wanted to know if they'd moved on from me and the king." She flipped to the next page of her magazine. "Anything else doesn't really concern me."
Topics of conversation moved on to a wide variety of other things. By the time she made it back to her hotel late that evening, all Elise wanted to do was sleep.
Restlessness she couldn't explain kept her from doing just that. Finally giving up, she used the remote to turn the television on. A late-night gossip panel type show was on.
"King Frederick doesn't seem to be any closer to finding his queen," the man on the left said.
"No, he does not." The woman on location agreed with him.
Finding his queen? The mere thought gave her a stab of an emotion she couldn't quite define. Jealousy? That couldn't be right.
"We haven't heard anything definitive," the woman went on. "Reportedly a number of eligible women from around the country have been meeting with King Frederick. The insidesource says he's met with multiple women a day at times, though never at the same time. It's unknown if he's met with any of them more than once."
A number of women? Multiple women a day? Was he that desperate to get married? It didn't make sense. He'd given her no indication this search for a queen was on his mind when they'd spent time together a few weeks earlier.
Would he have actually kissed her like that if he knew he'd be getting married soon?
Even before the question finished floating through her mind, Elise knew the answer.
No. He wouldn't have kissed her - or even agreed to share the bed for sleeping - if he knew he'd be searching for a wife soon.
So this was a new development since then.
