My back was a bit stiff from sharing a bed with Jess for two nights in London, but I pushed through my run and made my way back to the dorms. I was mid stretch in the snow-covered courtyard when I caught a glimpse of Jess staring out the window at me.

My stomach sunk and I skipped stretching to head inside and see what that look was for.

“I am going to murder her! I knew it! I knew it!” Mary ranted and paced about the apartment.

“What’s going on?” I asked, darting my gaze to Jess’ glum stare.

“Ketamine.”

“What?” Her answer didn't satisfy my worry.

“The clinic called your phone while you were gone. You were drugged with ketamine. You and Mary.” She glanced at Mary. “And to boot, some twat posted a photo of you and Lucas having your weird root and sausage meal and it’s everywhere. I mean, like magazines back home are posting it.”

“Bugger,” I whispered a word I’d never said before but had heard Bea say at least a thousand times.

“My mother is all over this. There is no way any of this is coincidental. Sheila, the security guard, and that dumb video of you and Linna fighting, us getting drugged, and now this.” Mary was terrifying for such a small and pretty princess. “I am going to murder her.”

“But how?” I was a bit lost.

“Well, I would imagine poison. A little repayment, don't you think?” Linna snorted.

“No, how did she poison us? And only us?”

“The toast,” Jess answered, sounding as though she was perking up. “The toast. You went up there together and got drinks from a tray next to the queen. You were fine and didn't have drinks when you went up there. You gave your glass to Linna. And then the toast happened and you two went downhill fast.”

“Oh my God, and she couldn't be sure you would grab the right drink so she poisoned us both and then got angry with me like I was some sort of failure and disappointment. I’m going to my dad.” Mary stormed from the room, shrieking, “ISAAC!”

He and Tracy rushed from the room after her.

The three of us stood there, silent and confused and maybe a little scared.

My heart was racing and my stomach was aching, but I did the last thing I imagined I would. I ran after her, shouting like a crazy person, “WAIT! WAIT, MARY!”

She stopped at the SUV and glared, growling at me, “What?”

“Don't.” I wasn't sure what I was saying, but I continued, “This isn’t the right thing to do. Your dad is crazy sick and Aiden is so stressed out.”

“Fin!” Linna shouted from behind me as they caught up. “She screwed you over and cost you the person you love.

“I know.” I was as shocked as they were but it was the right thing to do. “I don't need Aiden to know. And I don't need your dad to know ever. And I don't want to cause more drama with your family or for myself, not to sound like a dick. Your dad is so sick. He would be really disappointed and Aiden would hate your mom. He would leave and quit and come and find me.”

“Don't be ridiculous—”

“Mary,” I cut her off. “He would and you know it. If he thought I’d been treated unfairly, you know he would come and find me. The fact I’m the disappointment and I’m the problem makes this easy for him to stay there, which is what your country and your father need.” I choked a bit on the words, “I can take the fall and let the world think I’m a screwup. I am a screwup; I just didn't do the things they think I did this time. Not all of them.”

“She’s right,” Isaac agreed with me. “If your father found out, this could be the thing that ends him. And the king would abdicate the throne. He would leave and never come back.”

Mary’s cheeks were fiery red, but she paused and then slumped, clearly defeated and empty of rage. “Fine.”

“This is shit. She’s going to get away with it.” Linna wasn't giving up.

“No, she isn’t. She has to live with the fact that Aiden is miserable, he will never marry Alex, and she can’t control him. And when he’s angry he’s horribly unbearable,” Mary conceded but she was not happy. “You’re too good and the world will never know it, Fin.” Mary sighed and walked back to the apartment.

“Well, keep it to yourself. God forbid the media ever finds out, might ruin their streaks.” I wasn't happy with the outcome, but Aiden didn’t need more on his plate. And that was what love was, saving the person you loved even when they didn't know you had.

His mother had won, and she would keep winning until it wasn't a risk to the kingdom or their dad. But the moment Aiden’s dad was dead, I wouldn't have to be the one who ran to Aiden crying foul. Mary would be burning the word in the grass out front of her mother’s bedroom.

Jess slipped an arm around my waist and leaned in. “You smell bad but that might be the nicest thing I have ever seen anyone do.”

“You’re constantly surrounded by horrible people. Your expectations are low,” I mocked her.

“That’s sad and true.” Jess laughed. “But in all fairness, I hate that this is going to end with you being the brat who can’t keep her pants on.”

“Me too, Jess.” I agreed and lowered my voice, “Who drugs their own kid with ketamine?”

“Sheila,” Jess answered too quickly. “We both know she is the one who taught the queen that lesson.”

“Yeah, that’s true. She totes knew the exact measurements she needed not to kill us.”

We strolled back to the apartment, trying to ignore the people pretending to take selfies but really getting a photo of me. I was going to start taking pictures of them back.

I made my way to my bedroom and closed the door, sliding down it to sit on the floor. I stared at my phone, wishing he would call and tell me he missed me and this was stupid and he was coming to see me.

But he didn't call.

He didn't text.

Weeks went by with nothing.

It was awful.

But the pain fueled the fire I needed for my final assignment in international studies about injustice toward women in the world. I drowned myself in their sorrows to make me see that my problems were still very First World.

While I felt sorry for myself and the photographs and being the campus joke—the girl who had lost her crown over the holidays—my paper rocked. And not because of me. But because of the young women around the world who suffered real hardships. Being cyberbullied sucked almost as bad as being publicly and internationally humiliated but being married off at a young age to a stranger or killed because of religious differences was something completely different. And I didn't feel sorry for myself anymore.

I was impassioned and finished the semester strong, and with a random invite home to see Hattie.