She’d left her homeland not long after she turned eighteen. Her mum, and everyone else, likely still viewed her as someone barely done with her schooling, incapable of handling something like this.
Of course, Victoria had proved them correct when she got herself into the situation in the first place.
“We’ll see.” Victoria remained noncommittal. “I’m not sure how long I’m going to be here. I may be leaving tonight or tomorrow.”
Her mum’s silence came through loud and clear until she finally broke it. “That’s an option, but it’s likely best for you to stay and face whatever’s about to happen rather than let the press and public make up whatever story they want.”
Victoria knew her mum was right.
But she still wanted to leave.
She told her mum she’d get back to her then disconnected the call before her mum could reply.
“Meeting with the PR people?” Her companion sounded sympathetic.
Victoria nodded.
“I’ll likely have to do the same once we return to Dellisole.” He shook his head. “No. Not likely. Definitely. The only question is whether or not you’ll join me at the meeting.”
With her eyes closed, Victoria groaned. “If possible, I like that idea even less than going with Mum.”
He took a seat next to her and took her hand, linking their fingers together. “At some point, everyone will have to know.”
“I know. I’ve known that all along, but that doesn’t mean I’m looking forward to it.”
His warm chuckle reminded her oif one of the reasons she’d found herself beginning to fall in love with him.
Why he wasn’t her fiancé.
Why, in a few months, she would be the next Queen Consort of Dellisole.
Crown Prince Vincenzo Gianni Raphaelof the country of Dellisole - one-third of the Commonwealth of Terra Insula - hoped his self-assured facade continued to convince Victoria that he had a clue what he was doing.
And that he fully understood why he’d married her in a very private ceremony a few days earlier.
He knew he wasn’t in love with her the way he’d always expected to be when the time came, but he also knew he’d made the right choice.
A slip to the press wasn’t exactly the way he’d thought it would come out, though.
Enzo sat next to Victoria and wrapped his arm around her shoulders. “We’ll figure this out. We may not be able to introduce our relationship slowly like we talked about, but maybe it’s better this way.” He tried to find the bright side. “We won’t have to slow play it, especially with...”
His carefully crafted facade began to slip, but Enzo forced it back into place. He far preferred avoidance to dwelling on the future speeding at him like a bullet train.
“Your ascension to the throne.” Victoria’s calm voice helped him slip back into the persona she knew.
Very, very few people knew his mum only had a few months to live, at most. Likely not that long.
He still didn’t know what compelled him to confide the young lady he met on holiday, before he knew she was a member of another royal family. Before he knew she knew all too well what the loss of a parent, who was also the monarch, did to a family.
“Yes.”
“I know I screwed up.” Her head rested more heavily against him. “I know I should be the one to clean it up, but a retraction will only cause more problems when we tell the world after we talk to your mum.”
Enzo ran his thumb over her upper arm. “Maybe we just don’t say anything. Tell them more details will be available when you’re ready to share them.”
“And a royal wedding in Dellisole? The people here are going to be annoyed enough the only princess of this generation isn’t having a big wedding here. What will your people think of theirnew king already being married but not having a real wedding?” Victoria’s voice sounded weary, much like Enzo felt.
“I don’t know. We’ll be having a coronation soon enough.” His voice tried to crack, but he forced himself to maintain control. “We could find a way to incorporate some of the traditional wedding elements into it.”
