Enzo smiled down at her. "I think that sounds perfect."
Laughter filledtheir quarters as they made a very simple meal together - that was all they could manage in the small kitchen in their quarters.
As they ate, they talked a little bit about their days. The Council meeting had taken most of the day. Between briefings, preparations, traveling, and the meeting itself, complete with interruptions, meant Victoria had done almost nothing else.
Not even check in on the investigation in the archives.
Enzo’s phone buzzed. He picked it up and looked at the screen. “Jeanette and her team asked if they could meet with us for a few minutes.”
Victoria glanced down at the comfortable closed she’d changed into. “Is there any chance we can go as we are?”
He sent a quick text. “They’re going to meet us near here. Not in our quarters, but we don’t have to go all the way downstairs. I doubt they expect us to be in formal wear.”
She rolled her eyes at him and carried their dishes into the kitchen and set them in the sink. If they weren’t getting ready to go to this meeting, she would have done them herself.
A few minutes later, they were seated with Jeanette and her team.
“We’ve made it as far as we can here, Your Majesties” Jeanette told them. “At least for the moment. The painting is forged. We can’t know for certain what’s on the other side of the real one. Nothing else is missing from here. Law enforcement authorities or others are far better equipped to find the thief and the artwork than we are.”
Enzo nodded. “They’re already working on it.”
“We suspected as much.” Jeanette looked at one of her associates. “Terri and Tristan will be going to a couple of the other countries to attempt to find the pieces of artwork in those archives.” She turned to Victoria. “Nathaniel will be going to Southern Santiero.”
All Victoria could do was nod. Though she knew far more about the history of her homeland, she didn’t know enough about any of the artifacts to be of much help. “My mum would be a good one to talk to. She studied history at university and has worked with the historian on several projects.”
It would also give her mum a sense of purpose again. Victoria knew she’d been a bit adrift since she became a widow. Even though Victoria hadn’t been in Southern Santiero for most ofthat time, she’d kept a close eye on her family in general, and her mum in particular.
“There’s nothing more we can do here for the moment then?” Enzo asked.
“Correct, sir.”
He pushed back from the table. “Thank you for keeping us apprised of the situation.” Everyone else stood as he did. “Please let us know when you find more.”
There were murmurs of ascent from around the room before they all filed out.
“A meeting that could have been an email.” Enzo made the lament as they walked back to their quarters. “Though I do understand why this particular one needed to be in person. If we hadn’t gone straight to our quarters after the Council meeting, it would have been fairly easy to have it in the Executive Wing.”
Victoria nodded her agreement as he held the door open for her.
“Would you like to watch something together?” Enzo closed their door behind them.
“That sounds nice.”
Once they’d settled into the big chair together with a blanket pulled over them, Enzo navigated to the HEA TV app. “Whatever is on here?”
Victoria nodded as she pulled the blanket more tightly around her then laughed when the app opened.
A royal movie - one with a prince who was trying to hide his identity.
The accuracy was... questionable.
Enzo pointed out the errors with such conviction that Victoria couldn’t help but laugh.
As it came to an end, he ranted about proper ways to address members of a royal family. She tried to hide her smile as she snuggled closer.
“Are you laughing at me?”
Victoria looked up at him, to see his eyes had narrowed.
