Andorra was exactly as I recalled it, a winter wonderland with small changes like posters of Aiden everywhere. The coronation mocked me from every corner of the small country.

Leaving the airport in Toulouse, I had been anxious. But leaving the helipad in Andorra was much worse, even if the horse-drawn carriages, Christmas bells, and decorations created the magic of Christmas.

It was snowing and the flakes leaving the sky fat and delicate, made it feel like living in a snow globe.

Aiden had texted me every leg of the journey, obviously nervous for me to arrive, and now that I was here, he’d stopped.

But we knew who was picking us up; fate wouldn’t have let anyone else come. Isaac and Tracy smiled as if this were some sort of kismet moment.

I wanted to growl and grumble, but the sooner we got there, the sooner I saw him.

Jess leaned on me and whispered, “What do I do about Johan and Aaron?”

“Tell them the truth,” I said.

“What’s the truth, honestly?” Jess sighed. She hadn’t spoken to us about the Aaron thing yet. She’d denied it as best she could. I suspected she would die before really telling us what the hell she was thinking. Aaron? . . . I was lost. When they broke up because he was gross and sleazy, I’d assumed she’d learned her lesson. But then she got together with Aiden’s sleazy brother so I figured that was her type, but I wasn’t getting past it. And now she was sort of seeing them both? Even Linna was baffled.

“You and Aaron have weirdly impossible feelings for each other that make no sense and came up out of nowhere. Like International Aaron is somehow irresistible. But you also love Johan. And you need to choose one of them.”

“But I’m not sure about anything—”

“Stop being a chickenshit,” Linna called her out. “Either date them both until you know which one you like better, risking that they might figure it out and you lose them both, or pick now and risk being wrong.”

“Fine, but when the drama turns into a whole thing—”

“Oh, like your drama could ever touch Fin’s.” Linna scoffed.

“She has a point,” I agreed. My stomach agreed too, it was aching.

“Let’s just get through the coronation and Christmas and I’ll choose.” She said it like that was the worst thought ever. Which was crazy. Jess had never been a dramatic person. “I need you both to know, nothing has happened between me and Aaron. Like nothing. We talked a lot. That’s it.”

“Mmmmhmmm.” Linna didn’t sound convinced. I wasn't.

When we got to the mansion, the valet opened the door, bowing slightly. “Good afternoon, ladies. Miss Roze.”

“Hi.” I was already uncomfortable. One sentence and I was dying. I climbed from the car and hurried up the steps to the mansion, smiling at the doorman and guards.

Aiden was there, hurrying down the grand staircase as I entered, in a full tux. He looked delicious. “You’re here!” He was everything. Seeing him cured all my anxiety and doubts. His arms wrapped around me but it was different. He didn’t melt. He hugged tightly and kissed the side of my head, then moved on, greeting Linna and Jess. “So pleased you’re all here.” He placed a hand on the small of my back. “Everyone is waiting for you in the formal dining room. Marchella will take you to your rooms to freshen up. Dressers are waiting for you, they’ll get you ready.” He placed another quick kiss on my cheek and hurried off.

“Please follow me.” Marchella, the girl not properly introduced to us motioned and walked away.

“What the hell just happened?” Linna scanned the busy mansion where not one person looked at us. They were scurrying.

“I don't know. Let’s just get this over with.” I couldn’t have been more disappointed. He didn’t even smell me.

We hurried after Marchella, up the stairs and into the guest wing where we were placed last time. I got the exact same room as last time. We were separated and freshened, royalty style. Which of course meant putting on a five-thousand-dollar gown, complete with jewelry, heels, hair, and a face full of makeup.

It was an hour before the three of us stepped from our suites and into the hall, our mouths dropping open when we saw each other.

“Oh my God, you look amazing. That dress. I can’t even.” Linna rushed me, looking exactly the same as Jess, spectacular.

“Linna,” Jess gushed, “I’m not even evening.”

We laughed together, glistening with jewels and gloss and sheen.

“Ladies?”

We turned to see Mary, also dressed to the nines.

“I was told to come and fetch you.” She beamed, hurrying for us, arms out wide. We all hugged tightly, having missed her these last few months. “And you all are stunning. But we should hurry; Father can only stay at the table for a short amount of time, and everyone else is here.” She grabbed my hand and pulled me down the hall.

When we got downstairs, I truly felt like Cinderella. I was in a gown. The handsome prince was smiling at me. The evil queen wanted my head, no doubt because of the ring on my right hand that had been photographed eighty times now with half the rags in England talking about it and our alleged engagement. And the dining room was done up in preparation for the coronation that would take place tomorrow night. The whole house was decorated for Christmas, like a scene from a movie.

It was a fairy tale, with glitz and glamour and head-spinning beauty at every turn. The mansion, which had been beautiful when we were here before, was now over the top. The wood shone, the walls held stunning floor-to-ceiling portraits of the family, and every person in the place had dressed the part. Servants in tuxes and gorgeous black dresses. The guests were the same. The men were all in black-tie attire and the women were in glittering gowns.

Aiden’s father was the only one out of place. Not that he wasn’t dressed appropriately—he was—but he was visibly sick. His pallor contrasted the dark circles under his eyes.

Aiden rose, forcing all the men at the massive table, which must have had fifty people seated at it, to stand. He walked around, placing a delicate kiss on my cheek as he escorted me to his father. “Father, you remember my Finley. And off course her sister Jessica. And her best friend, Linna.” He was informal, which was his right as the heir prince, I guessed.

“Of course.” The man who had aged twenty years in four months nodded. “Of course. So pleased to see you again, such beautiful girls.” He tried to smile and light up for us, breaking my heart.

“It’s lovely to see you again, Your Highness. A true honor to be invited back. Thank you.” I curtseyed as Mary had shown me.

Jess and Linna did as well.

Bea winked at me from where she sat with Dee and her husband next to her, also grinning at us. Aiden walked us to the far end of the table, which took almost a full minute, to where his mother sat.

“And, Mother, you remember everyone, I assume.” Aiden sounded terse.

“Of course I do. Welcome, girls.” She gave the same snooty fake smirk. “And, Alex, you’ve also met everyone?”

Alex offered us all that same smile as last time. Linna muttered something almost silently as we curtseyed to the queen and smiled at Alex.

The queen and Alex both took a second to flicker their gaze to my ring. I felt naked with them seeing it.

Aiden led us to our seats near Mary, Bea, and Dee and her husband. Aiden pulled out our chairs for us and went back to sit next to his father, at his right hand where Johan and Jack also sat. Johan stole a look at Jess. Her cheeks flushed and I knew we were in trouble. She genuinely liked them both.

I was just grateful it wasn’t me.

I didn’t need anything extra.

Not here.

“As everyone is here, let our feast begin!” the king said, again trying to be animated.

Servants entered with silver trays of food, placing our soup to start.

Dinner was incredible, a true feast of French and Spanish cuisine, a perfect blend of flavors and dishes.

We ate, I forced myself to eat.

We laughed, I forced myself to participate in all the conversations.

We drank, I forced myself to toast Alex and the queen and Aiden becoming the king, though I didn’t like any of those things.

Aiden enjoyed himself, talking to everyone but me. I forced myself not to look his way.

The king made it to dessert. He ate small spoonfuls of food, showing he was tasting and trying, but visibly unable to eat. The eyes of his children lingered on him, all attempting to hide the haunted stares one got when their loved one was dying.

When dinner was over, drinks were being served in the parlor.

I was done.

I’d behaved and mingled after a day of travel and was exhausted.

But before I could excuse myself the way the king had, Aiden crossed the dining room, coming my way. His lips toyed with a grin as his eyes probed mine. He placed a hand on the small of my back again, leaning in and whispering, “You are truly beautiful.”

My cheeks blushed as I lowered my gaze, terrified of meeting his mother’s disapproving stare.

“I can’t tell you how amazing it is having you here. How much it means to me.” He placed a secret kiss on the side of my cheek, leading me to mingle more.

I was dead on my feet, against mingling, getting death stares from multiple spots around the room, and done. But I mingled.

Eventually, he led me to the corner where Johan, Linna, Jess, Dee, Bea, and Mary were, freeing me into their custody as he left again to circulate.

“You as tired as I am?” Linna asked, stifling a yawn.

“No, more tired.” I stole a glance at Alex and the queen. “Mary, is she still living here?” I would have thought she’d be gone home by now.

“She is.” Mary sounded as excited about it as I was. “Has a new position with the government and everything.”

“Why?” I asked, a little snarky.

“Why indeed.” Mary lowered her voice, “If Mother had her way, Alex and Aiden would marry. She was always the queen that Mother chose. That Hello! photo shoot was completely mother’s idea.”

“Alex is a scammy ho. I called it from the beginning,” Linna said.

“I’ve heard from several of Alex’s friends that she has spent a tremendous amount of time trying to secure Aiden,” Dee added.

“But Fin has stolen his heart, and Alex, that tart, doesn’t stand a chance,” Bea finished the story.

“But if the queen—”

“Fin,” Mary cut me off, “have you tried to convince Aiden of anything he didn’t want to do? He might be Mister Passionate and fun adventurer on the outside, but he’s a mule on the inside.”

“Yeah.” A smile played upon my lips.

“Then you know how successful Mother has been,” Johan joined in. “Aiden might bend if Father suggested it, but he seems content to let Aiden make his own choices.” His eyes sparkled as he said it.

“Everyone knows how Aiden is. Mother needs to figure it out. Besides, you two are as good as engaged. The papers are saying it.” Mary leaned in. “Which let me tell you, I am sorry I missed that hissy fit when Mother found out.”

“She was shrill.” Johan laughed.

That made me feel worse.

Everyone carried on conversations for about an hour, which I was hardly active in. My mind danced with dread and exhaustion.

“You just blinked for a whole minute, Fin,” Aiden whispered in my ear. “Let me take you to bed.” He slipped my arm into his and helped me stand.

“Goodnight everyone.” I smiled softly and turned, letting Aiden lead me to a doorway that was out of the way, off to the side.

We got to a set of stairs I hadn’t seen before. “Right, the stairs,” I murmured sleepily.

“Allow me.” He scooped me up into his arms and carried me up the steps as though I weighed nothing. And while I’d lost my freshman eleven, the dress weighed more than that, by far. I wrapped my arms around his neck and closed my eyes.

When we reached my room, he came in, closing the door and loosening his bowtie.

“Are you staying?” I asked, turning around and moving my hair so he could unzip me.

“I am not. I came to make sure you’re tucked in.” He removed the dress with deft hands and led me to the bathroom. “I even made sure you have those weird cloths you use to take your makeup off.”

“Oh my God. I love you.” I ambled into the bathroom and got the microfiber cloth wet and washed my face completely free of makeup with no effort.

“That is sorcery.”

“I know, right?” I turned, standing in only my underwear, and pressed my chest against his dress shirt, lifting my face. “I’m so pumped to be with you.”

“Me too.” He mesmerized me with his stare, then lowered his lips to mine, brushing a delicate kiss. “Come on.” He led me to the massive canopy bed and pulled back the covers. I climbed in, disappointed when he tucked me in. He had hardly noticed my being naked, and now he wasn’t staying.

He kissed me again, brushing my hair from my face. “Sleep tight, my love.” He pressed his lips on my forehead.

I closed my eyes and drifted off to sleep.

I didn’t even hear the door close as he left me there to slumber alone.