"He also asked me to make sure you ate something today.Said you tend to skip meals when you're upset."
That stopped me.Archie knew that about me.Had noticed it, remembered it, cared enough to mention it to the kitchen staff even while we were fighting.
I hated that it made my chest ache.
"I'll eat a croissant," I muttered, grabbing one from the cooling rack and taking an aggressive bite."Happy?"
"Ecstatic," Chef Marcello said dryly."Though I should warn you, Lord Viktor was also asking about your schedule."
"Why does Viktor care about my schedule?"
"He said something about wanting to help you prepare for tonight's event.Make sure you're ready for the media questions."
The thought of Viktor's careful concern made my skin crawl, though I couldn't explain why.He'd been nothing but helpful since arriving this morning.Sympathetic, even.But something about the way he looked at me felt like an evaluation I was failing.
"I don't need Viktor's help."
"That's what I told him," Petra said."But he's waiting in the Blue Salon anyway.Says he has some talking points you should review before tonight."
I finished my croissant and brushed crumbs from my jeans."Fine.Let's get this over with."
Viktor stood when I entered the salon, his expression perfectly calibrated to convey sympathetic concern."Princess Bettina.How are you holding up?"
"I've been better."
"I can only imagine how difficult this must be."He gestured to the chair across from him."Please, sit.I thought we should discuss how to handle tonight's reception."
I sat, feeling like I was back in high school being called to the principal's office."I assume the strategy is smile, wave, and pretend my ex-boyfriend didn't just sell lies to international media."
"The strategy is to appear confident and unbothered.If the media sees you're affected by this, they'll keep pushing."He pulled out a tablet with what looked like prepared remarks."I've drafted some responses to common questions you might encounter."
I scanned the document.It was full of diplomatic non-answers that managed to say nothing while sounding vaguely apologetic."These make me sound guilty."
"They make you sound cautious.There's a difference."
"Is there?Because 'I regret any misunderstanding about my past relationships' sounds like I'm admitting I did something wrong."
"You're acknowledging that perception matters in your position."
"But the perception is based on lies."
Viktor's expression remained unreadable."The truth is less important than how the story is received, Your Highness.You're learning that royal life requires a certain...flexibility with narrative."
The words settled wrong in my stomach."I'm not going to lie about what happened."
"I'm not asking you to lie.I'm asking you to be strategic about what you confirm."He leaned forward slightly."The Grand Duchess is concerned about how this reflects on Valdoria.Your credibility affects hers."
Guilt twisted in my chest.My grandmother had already lost so much, her daughter, her son-in-law, twenty years wondering what had happened to me.And now I was bringing scandal to her doorstep because some guy I'd barely dated wanted his fifteen minutes of fame.
"What does she want me to do?"
"Project confidence.Show that you're suited to your role despite what the tabloids claim."He paused."I know this is difficult, Your Highness.But you need to understand that your actions reflect on more than just yourself.Every misstep, every scandal, makes people question whether this alliance was wise."
"Are you saying I'm damaging the alliance?"
"I'm saying that others are starting to ask that question."His tone was gentle, almost regretful."The incidents have been piling up.And now this.Some of our allied governments are wondering if perhaps the marriage was arranged too hastily."
"The marriage was arranged because Putin is threatening the Mediterranean."
