Elena spoke rapidly into her headset in Italian while I stood there holding a speech about farming regulations and export tariffs, my stomach sinking with the familiar feeling of things going catastrophically wrong.
"There's been some kind of system error," Elena said, returning with worry lines creasing her forehead."The original speech has disappeared from our files entirely.We're checking backups now."
"How long until I go on?"
"Five minutes."
"Can we postpone?"
"Absolutely not.Half of European royalty is in that audience.We cannot delay a charity event because of technical difficulties."
Right.Because admitting to being human was worse than going out there unprepared.
"Do you remember the key points from your speech?"Elena asked, desperation creeping into her voice.
"Some of them.The hospital needs new cardiac surgery equipment.They treat ten thousand kids a year.Healthcare is important."I gestured vaguely."General platitudes about children being the future."
"That's not enough for fifteen minutes."
"Then I'll have to improvise."
"Queen Isabelle specifically said—"
"Well, she isn't the one standing here with a speech about crop subsidies five minutes before showtime."
Elena looked like she wanted to argue, but there wasn't time.A stage manager appeared to shepherd me toward the wings, and suddenly I was standing behind a curtain listening to someone announce my name to a ballroom full of people expecting competence.
"Ladies and gentlemen, Her Royal Highness Princess Bettina of Valdoria."
The applause sounded polite but skeptical.Fair enough.I was skeptical too.
I walked out onto the stage, temporarily blinded by lights that made it impossible to see the audience clearly.Just shapes in the darkness, hundreds of them, waiting to judge the American barista who'd married their prince.
"Thank you."I gripped the podium to keep my hands steady."It's an honor to be here today supporting such an important cause."
So far so good.Generic enough to work for literally any charity event.
"The Solmarian Children's Hospital represents the best of this country's values: caring for the most vulnerable members of our society with compassion and expertise."
True, if vague.I'd read about this in the library yesterday.
"I've spent the past day learning about the incredible work being done here, and I'm continually impressed by the dedication of your medical staff."
Also true.I had read about it.Extensively.While trying not to think about how I was probably going to embarrass myself at this exact event.
I glanced down at the agricultural speech, which was absolutely useless, and made a decision that I would probably regret.
"Which is why I'm so excited to announce that the royal family will be increasing our annual contribution to the hospital's cardiac surgery program by fifty percent."
The words were out before I could stop them.Fifty percent of what?I had no idea what the current contribution was.Did I have the authority to make that promise?Almost certainly not.
But the audience burst into enthusiastic applause, and I saw Elena in the wings, scribbling frantically on her tablet with the expression of someone calculating exactly how much money I'd just committed without authorization.
In for a penny, in for a pound.
"This increased funding will help the hospital acquire the new pediatric cardiac equipment they need to serve even more children throughout the island chain."
More applause.At least I'd gotten that detail right from my research.
