"A musical set in Gander, Newfoundland, Canada on 9/11 when planes were grounded there. They had almost as many people on the planes as they had living in the town. That's really all I know. I could probably ask my sister-in-law, but I haven't seen her since I visited my brother the day of the wedding." She stifled a yawn.
"I can let you get some sleep." It was much later where he was, but he had no idea what her schedule had been like. Just because she'd been at the hotel most of the time didn't mean she kept a regular schedule. In the time he'd known her, he'd come to know that she did a workout with a bar and resistance bands every day. It seemed much more strenuous than he would have expected. She had always seemed ready for a nap or bed every time she finished.
"No. I'm good. Not sure why I'm yawning." She did it again.
Enzo yawned in reply. "Now you've got me doing it."
"Sorry." The look on her face changed to one of mild concern. "Are you getting enough sleep?"
"Nope." The grin returned. "Not as much as I'd prefer anyway, but enough to remain functional."
They talked about a little bit of nothing for a few minutes before a knock on Enzo's office door interrupted them. "Someone is here to see me. I'm sorry to cut this so short."
She smiled. This time it did reach her eyes. "I understand. I'm glad we got to talk for a few minutes at least."
"Me too. I'll try to call you tomorrow." The crooked grin that had earned him comments from every tabloid news outlet became fixed into place. "Sleep well."
"You, too. Be sure to get enough sleep to be well rested and not just enough to remain functional." The look on her face softened. "Please let me know when you're ready for me to come to Dellisole."
"I will." He would appreciate having her here, but he wouldn't ask her to when he wouldn't be able to spend any time with her. Being in an unfamiliar place where she didn't know anyone wasn't something he would ask her to do. They said goodbye and he set his phone down before calling out for the person at the door to enter.
As much as he wanted to keep his promise to Victoria and get enough sleep, Enzo knew it wasn't going to happen. He continued meeting with his aides, advisors, security teams, and anyone else who showed up. It was well after midnight before he made it back to his quarters. He did the bare minimum to get ready for bed then collapsed into it. The covers were turned down before he arrived so he was able to tug his favorite blanket over his bare shoulders and succumb to the call of the sandman.
His alarm went off far more quickly than he would have liked, but such was the life of a crown prince who's mum was dying - and keeping it quiet from the public. He had a couple of appearances to make in her stead. The official reason was that the queen found herself a bit under the weather, not that she was dying.
The easy public smile that earned him the reputation of being "always happy" stayed fixed in place. Enzo loved spending time with the people of his country, especially children like the ones at the event he attended after breakfast. One of the five-year-olds seemed to take a special shine to him, appointing herself his guide through the children's library being reopened after a major renovation.
She showed him the new bookshelves and reading nooks then asked him to read with her in one of them. Since there wasn't a formal tour involved, he sat in one of the giant bag chairs and the girl clambored up on his lap. After they shifted a bit and settled in, he opened the book and started to read.
She shushed him and started to read it herself. The words weren't quite right, but the story was. He suspected this was a regular favorite someone had read to her a thousand times before. As they flipped through the illustrated pages, the little girl also pointed out things in the drawings.
Enzo was aware of the eyes on him and the photos being taken. He also knew the comments were about to start - whenwould he date someone publicly, when would he marry, when would he have a wife who helped fulfill the unspoken but very real directive to give birth to at least two children.
Comments about how he'd be a great father when the time came. They'd started mentioning it when he was a preteen and was seen playing with his younger siblings. He did look forward to being a father, but sometimes hated that it would be in the public eye. He needed to look at how other modern royal parents were handling the public part of their lives while protecting their children at the same time.
Mentally shaking himself, he went back to the book with the little girl.
As they finished, he looked up to see his aide standing next to an entry a few feet away. The look on his face told Enzo that something had happened, though it didn't seem like the worst had occurred. He wasn't yet king.
That was something, though. Whatever it was, Enzo knew he wouldn't like it.
4
Where had the pictures come from?
The day after the family had gone to see the first performance ofCome from Awayin the Quad Countries, the only pictures that should be in the news were from that event. The only pictures that should be on the tabloid sites were ones trying to decide if her sister-in-law or Queen Catherine from Eastern Novigradia had a belly bump or a big dinner.
Victoria closed her eyes and drew in a breath. "How did you get these?"
The PR Director had come to the hotel to meet with her. "They're already online with all of the outlets. There's no getting around it."
The series of ten photos clearly showed her along with a man, though his identity wasn't as apparent. Someone would figure it out soon enough. Enzo's out of focus features would be cleaned up by someone with a photo editing program and then the whole secret would be out.
"What's the reaction?" Did she want to know?
"Given the nature of the photos, the assumption is that you're pictured with your fiancé."
The pictures remained family friendly - they couldn't have been anything else - but there was clearly a romantic connection between her and the man in the photos. "Is the reaction favorable?"
