“You need to go find yourself,” Louis says.
“You’re not going to try to talk me out of it?”
“Why would I do that? I love New York. It’s the second place on earth I’d live.”
“But—”
“Delphine,” he cuts me off, his voice gentle, “you’ve spent your entire life being the rebellious princess who causes problems.” He shakes his head. “You need to figure out who you are outside of these walls. That’s not running away. That’s growing up.”
I blink hard because my emotions are starting to bubble under the surface.
“I’ll need to ask Father for permission,” I say. “I’m nervous.”
“He’ll say yes.”
“You don’t know that.”
“I don’t. But I don’t see why he’d have any issues.” Louis smiles. “Last week, he shared with me that he could see how restless you were. Father had his year abroad before he took on royal duties. He’ll have no issues allowing you to have yours.”
The door opens, and Addison enters; her hair is windswept from the garden walk. She stops when she sees us, looking between Louis and me with curiosity.
“Am I interrupting? I can come back,” she says.
“No, no. Please join us.”
“Delphine wants to move to New York,” Louis says.
Addison’s face lights up. “Really? When?”
“After the wedding and holidays,” I explain. “New year, new meenergy.”
She crosses the room and perches on the arm of Louis’s chair; her hand finds his shoulder. “You can live in my loft. It’s furnished and sitting empty. Plenty of space, great light, tons of room.”
“I appreciate the offer, but your place is known to the paparazzi. Not exactly the greatest when I want to try to fly under the radar while I’m there.”
Addison nods. “Fair point. They’d spot you too easily there.”
“You should go ask Father right now. He’s in a great mood today,” Louis says.
“Really?” I stand. “I should before I lose my nerve.”
“He’s in his study,” Addison says. “He’s been there all afternoon, pretending to read while actually staring out the window.”
“That’s his thinking pose,” Louis tells her.
I roll my eyes, but my heart is pounding as I move toward the door. This is it. The conversation I’ve been rehearsing in my head for weeks. The moment I ask for permission to become someone other than Princess Delphine of Montclaire.
“Delphine,” Louis says.
I turn back. My brother is watching me with pride.
“Your happiness always has my support,” he says. “Whatever happens in there, whatever he says, I have your back. And I want you to have fun and figure out who you are. But promise me you’ll come back eventually.”
“Of course I will.”
“I’m serious. You have duties here, responsibilities that can’t wait forever.”
He pulls me into a hug. Louis holds me tight, and I let him because we both know everything is changing.
