I wake up in an enormous, comfortable bed, and it takes me a second to remember that I’m in a cave underneath a castle. A little groggy, I get out of bed, and try to pretend like any of this is normal.

Except, of course, it’s not normal at all, not even a little bit. Yesterday was actually insane. I feel like I barely took any of it in.

The Bellestanian press was absolutely brutal. I expected them to be loud and maybe a little aggressive, but they seemed to actually hate Bran. Which shocks me, because from what I understand, Bran singlehandedly brought his country into the twenty-first century and beyond.

I did a little research on Bellestan before leaving, naturally. Before Bran and his company Babble, Bellestan was just like every other ex-Soviet state, except even smaller than most and even more secluded. It’s surrounded by mountains, which keeps it safe and independent, and it’s rich in agrarian land and natural resources. Basically, people were mostly farmers up until the last ten years.

Bran invested billions into Bellestan. He installed internet infrastructure, rebuilt their crumbling roads, and basically made the country a hotspot for tourists once again. This brought in a lot of money, but it also strained some of the local population that apparently wants to go back to farming fulltime for whatever reason.

It’s more complicated than that, but I don’t think I’ll ever understand the nuances. Bellestan is its own place with its own deep rich cultural history, and a lot of the issues that they’re facing are just totally alien to me. Honestly, I kind of wonder how well Bran really understands it all, since he’s the one that’s pushing for many of the modernization processes.

He made this seem like it would be easy when he first invited me, but I’m starting to realize that it’s going to be far from that. Still, at least my rooms are absolutely beautiful. As I brush my teeth, wash my face, and get dressed, I feel like I’m seeing them for the first time.

If I had to picture what a royal hotel room would look like, this is basically it. It’s modern, but there are classical flourishes all over, like the oil paintings hanging on the walls and the ornate lamps and other details. The furniture is all functional, but still very stylish. And to top it all off, the little kitchen is actually fully stocked.

I put on some coffee and get out my laptop. It’s eight in the morning in Bellestan, which means it’s the middle of the night back home. I want to Skype my mom, but instead I just send her a quick email, letting her know that I’m safe and sound.

When the coffee is done, I drink it while looking at social media. It feels almost normal, if only my room had windows. Instead, I’m buried under thousands of tons of rock, way underneath a castle, and I’m supposed to be pretending to be a Princess.

As I’m finishing my coffee, there’s suddenly a knock at the door, but not at the front door. It’s the door right next to the kitchen, the one that connects to Bran’s room.

I take a deep breath before heading over and pulling it open. Bran grins at me, wearing a simple and casual part of slacks and a button-down shirt. He steps into my room without so much as a good morning.

“Are you ready for breakfast?” he asks me.

I cock my head at him. “Breakfast?” I ask. “I’m not even showered yet.”

He sighs. “I sent you a message.”

“Where?”

“Your phone.”

“Oh, crap.” I run into my room and grab my phone. Sure enough, there’s a text from Bran from last night informing me about breakfast with his parents. “Shit!” I say.

He laughs, standing in my bedroom door. “You look fine.”

“I’m a mess.”

“It’s okay,” he says. “Honestly.”

“At least let me get changed real fast.”

“Real fast,” he says. “Mom and Dad are real busy, you know.”

He stands there and watches me as I step over toward my bags. I look over at him. “Get out!”

He sighs. “You’re no fun,” he mumbles as he leaves my bedroom and shuts the door behind him.

I get dressed quickly, just a simple skirt with a tucked-in white blouse. I look maybe a little more formal than Bran does, but I’m meeting royalty for the first time today. I wish I had time to shower, but I still look fine enough. I do some quick makeup, and I meet Bran back out in the main room a few minutes later.

“You look great,” he says as I emerge.

“I wish I had an hour.”

He laughs and shrugs. “It’s just breakfast, Mila. Relax.”

“You relax,” I grumble. “I have to meet your parents for the first time here, you know.”

“Honestly, they’re good people. You could show up in pajamas and they wouldn’t care.”

“Why are you dressed, then?” I ask him.

He grins at me and shrugs. “I have standards, you know.”

I roll my eyes at him as I follow him out the front door. We emerge into the hallway and I’m surprised to see Aleks standing there. He strikes a quick salute as Bran walks past.

“Cut that shit out,” Bran says softly.

“Just following protocol, asshole,” Aleks responds.

We file down the hallway, Bran in the lead, Aleks bringing up the rear. He keeps a respectful distance, and I suddenly realize that he’ll be following us all the time. I guess I didn’t really understand their conversation yesterday when Aleks and Bran were talking about Aleks being our personal guard. I figured it would involve something else, not actually being here all the time.

I’m still distracted by the enormity of the cave we’re in as we head down the hall. Bran keeps moving, not even looking out the window, but I can’t help myself.

The place is just so beautiful. The rock walls up above the human-made floors are all still rough hewn and natural. There’s a soft glimmer of light coming up from the bottom of the cavern, and the floors themselves are all lit. It feels like a modern hotel atrium, except we’re underground, and it’s much bigger.

We pass some other staff members, and everyone is very deferential to Bran. We finally stop outside a pair of double doors, and Bran turns toward me.

“You ready?” he asks.

“I guess so,” I say.

“Call my mother Queen Ana and my father King Branimir. They’ll tell you to call them Ana and Big Bran, but please don’t call my father that. Stick with King Bran.”

I nod my head, suddenly very nervous. “Will he mind if I don’t call him Big Bran?”

“No,” Bran says. “It’s not really a big deal, I just don’t feel like hearing you saying it.” He grins a little bit and steps closer, speaking more softly so that Aleks can’t hear. “I’m your Big Bran.”

I blink, surprised by that, but I don’t have time to think about it. He turns and opens the double doors, and we step into the dining room.

King Branimir and Queen Ana look like any other normal Bellestanian people, although the King is a large man with a big gray bushy beard. He looks like Santa Claus if Santa were also half bear and extremely dangerous. Queen Ana is slight and beautiful, and they both stand when we enter the room.

“Mom, Dad,” Bran says.

“Son.” Queen Ana steps up and embraces him first. “It’s so good to see you.”

“You too, Mom.” He pulls away and hugs his dad. “Still haven’t lost any weight, huh, King?”

“Working on it,” King Bran rumbles in a deep baritone. “Now, let’s see the girl.”

Bran steps away and gestures at me. I smile at the two of them, hands clasped in front of me. “King Branimir, Queen Ana, it’s very nice to meet you.”

“Hello, dear.” Queen Ana steps up to me first and gives me a surprisingly warm hug. “Please, call me Ana now. You’re going to be family.”

I feel a little guilty as I smile at her, but Bran’s face remains passive.

“It’s nice to meet you,” King Bran rumbles. “Call me Big Bran. Everyone else does.”

“Okay,” I say, though I won’t do it. If Bran doesn’t want me to, I won’t, though I don’t know how I feel about that last thing he said.

King Bran pulls me into a big hug then laughs. “Are you two hungry?” he rumbles as we sit down at the table.

Staff members come out with two plates loaded with food and they place them down in front of Bran and I. It’s basically a classic English breakfast, with sausage and bacon and eggs, all amazing and delicious and artery-clogging. King Bran is already halfway through his plate, and he doesn’t look like he has any intentions of stopping.

Ana watches me and smiles. “How do you like your visit so far?” she asks me.

“It’s amazing,” I say honestly. “This place is… incredible.”

“Damn right it is,” King Bran rumbles. “Krizmans built this place, a long, long time ago.”

Bran rolls his eyes at me, but the King continues.

“Krizmans are great builders, you know. That’s why Bran was able to bring so much infrastructure to Bellestan. Right, son?”

“Right,” Bran says, grinning at me.

“Clearly we’re proud of him,” Ana says. “But let’s hear more about you.”

“Well,” I say. “I’m from a small town. Mom and Dad are still married and alive. Dad works in a factory and Mom is a paralegal. I got a scholarship to the University of Pennsylvania, so that’s how I moved out into the big city, and then I got a job working for Bran. And now… I’m here.” I smile at them, hoping that my vague little answer is going to be enough.

Truthfully, I’m starting to feel a little guilty. These seem like really nice people and they think I’m going to be joining their family for real. I don’t want to mislead them any more than I already am. I know Bran explained this bit to me already, that his parents have to be in the dark or else this won’t work, but still. I know he doesn’t like lying to them either so I have to just trust him.

Still, I wish they could be in on this. I wish they could understand that I’m not a bad person, that I’m just trying to do what’s best for me and for their country. I wish I could get closer to them, but I know I have to keep my distance.

“Small town, eh?” King Bran rumbles. “We’re from a small town too, you know. Bellestan is all small towns, actually.” He launches into a little history lesson on the royal line and their origins, which is good, because it gives me time to pick at the food.

I’m shocked at how kind and warm both the King and Queen are. I know Bran keeps telling me that they’re normal, nice people, but I still expected them to be a little formal. Instead, they’re just like any other parents I’ve met, and their English is impeccable.

Suddenly, the King finishes his history lesson and leans toward me. “Listen, Mila,” he says. “Are you fertile?”

I nearly choke on the sausage in my mouth.

“Dad,” Bran says. “Jesus. Are you serious?”

“What?” King Bran asks. “We’re royal, damnit. Having babies is what we do.”

“Maybe not at breakfast,” Bran says. “Or maybe not the first time you meet her.”

“First, second, what’s it matter?” The King leans toward me, grinning a big, jovial grin. “So dear, how is it down there?”

I must be bright red, because Queen Ana comes to my rescue. “You’re being impolite,” she says to the King.

He huffs. “Well, now my wife is against me, all for a simple question.”

“I’m fertile,” I manage to say. “As far as I know,” I add more softly.

There’s a moment of silence before the King laughs. “Wonderful!” he says. “So you’ll be having plenty of babies, and soon.” He winks at me.

Bran looks mortified and Queen Ana just shakes her head.

But King Bran doesn’t seem to mind. He just launches into another history lesson, this time about the relative fertility of past Queens. I can’t really listen, though, because all I can think about is having Bran’s baby. He keeps looking at me with this smirk, clearly enjoying my discomfort, and clearly thinking the same thing.

I can only imagine what he’d say about me having his babies. Really, he’d talk about the process of making the babies, and I really don’t want to hear that. It’s bad enough that I keep thinking about it myself, I don’t need him describing in detail how he’d get me pregnant.

After about ten more minutes, King Bran suddenly finishes his speech and stands. “I have to get going,” he says, glancing at his phone. “Meetings all morning.”

“Of course,” I say. I go to stand to say goodbye, but he waves his hand.

“Sit, eat, enjoy yourself. Ana and I will see you again soon.”

Queen Ana stands and smiles at me. “It’s been nice. Please, enjoy yourself here.” She turns to Bran. “You be good. Take care of your fiancée, please.”

“Yes, mother.” He grins and she squeezes him on the shoulder.

The royal parents both leave out a side door, and I’m left alone with Bran.

“Painless,” he says to me.

“Why’d they both leave so fast?” I ask him.

He laughs and shrugs. “They’re busy people. They don’t usually do this breakfast thing, this was just to meet you. You’ll be seeing more of them, don’t worry.”

“Will your father be asking anything else about my fertility?”

Bran grins at me. “He means well.” He leans toward me. “Good to know that you’re fertile, though.”

I give him a look then nod my head and pick at my food. “I hope that went well, at least.”

“Why?” he asks. “Want my parents to like you?”

“I mean, of course I do.”

“Since we’re getting married and all.” He leans toward me, grinning.

I give him a look. “No, I mean, this will just be easier if they like me. Plus, I want to be liked. Is that so wrong?”

“Not at all.” His grin is infuriating, like he knows something about me that I don’t. “Anyway, you’re dismissed now, if you want to go back and shower.”

“Do we have plans for today?”

“We do, but not right away, so you’ve got some time.”

“Okay, good.” I stand and look at him for a second. “Can I, uh… get this plate to go?”

He laughs and gestures, and I realize that there’s a staff member standing silently in the corner. He walks quickly over, takes the plate from me, and returns a moment later with a Styrofoam box full of a new meal.

“I can get used to this,” I say to Bran.

He laughs again. “Don’t. We’re not here that long.”

“One month is a while.” I give him another look. “See you later?”

He nods. “See you soon.”

I carry my food back out into the hallway. Aleks and another man are there. Aleks nods to me, but only the other man follows. I glance back at him.

“I guess you’re my escort?” I ask.

“That’s right, Princess,” he says. “My name is Hans.”

“Well, Hans, show me to my room, because I’m lost already.”

He stifles a smile and leads the way.

I can’t stop thinking about that meeting with the royal family. I don’t know if it went well or if they got out of there as fast as they could because I was so unbearable. I think I handled it well, but I can’t ever be sure.

I don’t know why I care so much though. It shouldn’t matter if Bran’s parents like me. I’m not really marrying him. I’m not really becoming a Princess.

Although… I have to admit, I like being called Princess. Maybe not when Bran says it, because he has some other, inappropriate implications, but I’ve always wanted to be a Princess. When I was a little girl, I was obsessed with royalty. Now, I actually am royalty, or at least I’m a fake fiancée slash Princess for one month.

It’s overwhelming, but it’s exciting. And at least now I get to take a shower.