Once she and Enzo went separate directions, she’d slipped out of the archives and to her hidden alcove. Try as she might, she couldn’t focus on the words on the screen, much less be able to find herself escaping into another world, literally.
Instead, Victoria pulled the blanket up to her chin and stared out the window, such as it was. More of an arrow slit, the view couldn’t be described as epic - or even scenic. Only a bit of sky was visible from her chair. Occasionally, birds would fly into view. On even more rare occasions a plane would pass by, though only at such a height that a contrail was the clearest evidence it existed.
Thoughts swirled through her head but never fully coalesced.
She shouldn’t have just left without telling someone where she was going.
And she really shouldn’t have turned her phone off.
Not just to silent or do not disturb.
Off.
Cap would likely have something to say about that later.
But she didn’t want to be found. She knew she was safe. Cap would know she hadn’t left the palace. As much as she wanted to argue that should be enough, she knew it wouldn’t be.
Had anyone even noticed she’d left? Did Jeanette and Madeleine think she’d just gone back to her office to work since she wasn’t needed to help in the archives? Enzo wouldn’t know. He had too much going on. Meetings all day if his online diary was to be believed. Not the public one, but the one a few insiders had access to.
It still surprised her she’d been given access.
Yes, they were married. Yes, she was the queen. No, he hadn’t done anything to make her feel unwanted or unneeded.
That didn’t change the deep seated feelings of being extraneous.
She should probably work on those with a therapist.
Mental health hadn’t been talked about openly in her family, but it hadn’t been ignored either. As far as Victoria knew, none of her family members had ever employed a therapist. Certain members of the British royal family had been working to normalize seeking help for mental health concerns, but that hadn’t expanded into her world as a whole - at least not to the point that the public wouldn’t be concerned to discover their new queen needed therapy.
Voices could be heard drifting down the hallway. Were they coming closer? Would they find her?
When had she turned her phone off? Before or after she’d reached her hideaway? They’d be able to track her exact location if it was after, but she really couldn’t remember.
Footsteps were definitely approaching, but it seemed like only one or maybe two sets, not those of an entire search party.
They slowed as they neared the narrow opening to her nook.
“Hey.” Enzo entered alone. “Are you all right?”
His first words weren’t an admonition? They were words expressing concern for her well being?
Rather than answer, she shrugged and continued to stare out the arrow slit.
From the corner of her eye, she could see him look around for somewhere to sit. It only took him a few seconds to decide on the stone floor near the window. With no floor or wall covering, it had to be cool enough it would become uncomfortable before long - not to mention the lack of cushioning.
“Want to talk about it?” he asked softly.
Her only answer was another shrug.
“Okay.” He didn’t stand up, didn’t pull out his phone, didn’t do anything except shift into what looked to be a morecomfortable position. The back of his head rested against the wall behind him as he struggled to stop a yawn.
Victoria had no idea how long they sat there, but knew it had to be long enough for his staff to be concerned for his whereabouts, unless they already knew.
"They didn't need me," she blurted out. "So I thought I'd go read for a while. That's all."
She could tell he wanted to ask a question or two, but he still didn't say anything. He just waited for her to go on.
If she decided to.
