Frederick wasn't happy he left his new wife alone without talking to her about where he was going, but truthfully, hedidn'tknow where he was going. More accurately, he didn't know why he was going.
He'd received a text, coded in such a way that he knew it was important and told him to go to his office.
He entered through a side door, his eyes sweeping throughout the room as he did, but he didn't see anyone. Walking toward his desk, he wondered if a message waited for him instead of a meeting.
Only years of careful listening meant he could hear the whisper of the door to a secret passage - one very few people knew existed.
"Hi."
Frederick turned to see his little sister standing there. Tears filled his eyes unexpectedly fast.
Before he could speak, she dipped into a deep curtsy. "Congratulations, Your Majesty. I'm thrilled for you."
“Victoria.”
And then she was holding onto him, crying the same as he was.
He wanted to ask where she'd been, why she hadn't been at the wedding, but he suspected pushing her too quickly would only result in her shutting down and pulling away.
"I'm sorry I wasn't there."
Frederick could barely understand her with her face buried in his chest. He didn't know what to say.
"I was here. I watched it online, but I didn't want to be the story. 'Prodigal princess returns home' or anything else that would take away from your day." She moved away from him and reached for a tissue in a decorated box on his desk.
"I am so very happy to see you." He wanted to press for more answers about where she'd been and why she didn't communicate with him at all, but he kept the questions to himself.
"Oh no!" She brushed at his jacket. "I got you wet."
That made Frederick smile. "I'm not concerned about it." He motioned toward the chairs nearby and took a seat in one as she sat in the other.
"Thank you for not pushing me," she told him quietly, wiping at her cheeks with the tissue. "I've needed to get out on my own and travel and do... some other things."
She didn't expand on where she'd been or what she'd done, but it seemed to be important to her.
"I'll be here for a few days, spend a little bit of time with Mum and the boys, then I'll be back on the road as it were. I won't leave the palace, so no one will know I was here." She sniffled again.
"Frederick?" The side door opened to let Elise in.
He stood and tugged on his jacket to straighten it.
"Elise, I would like you to meet my sister, Victoria.”
His sister stood and curtsied to Elise for the first time. "Welcome to the family."
Elise's face brightened. "I'm so glad you're here." She hurried toward them and pulled his sister in for a hug. "It’s such a pleasure to meet you."
"I didn't want to be the story on your big day," she explained again. "I haven't been seen in Southern Santiero in a very long time, and I wouldn't want my arrival to distract from what's important."
"I appreciate that." Elise stepped back but took hold of his sister's hands. "But it would have been just fine if you did." She looked at Frederick. "The most important part of today happened a few months ago when we were legally married. Speculation about where you've been wouldn't have bothered me at all."
Frederick wondered how much space or time speculation about why she wasn't there would take up.
With another swipe at her face, his sister started to edge toward the secret passage. "You two need to get back to the reception. I'm so glad I got to meet you, Elise."
Frederick could see his sister tear up again.
"And I'm so happy to see you, Ricky. I miss you." She gave him another quick hug then hurried to open the door to the secret passage and went through without looking back.
