“Ma’am.”

Angelica shook herself from her woolgathering to see her assistant at the door. “Sí, Malba?”  

“Ms. Emma Borell’s car is at the gates. I’ve informed Mr. Harrison, who will meet her for inspection.”

“Gracias.”

Will she be approachable? There were too many variables with the reporter, especially since her present situation with Ludwig could be a media headache—or rather, a media circus.

Dealing with Abelardo had been bad enough.

Abelardo. Ugh.

Angelica sighed as she looked into her closet, wishing she could just wear her comfortable, lounging clothes to her meeting. What were they going to do, boot her out of the family?

“Your closet cannot be that sad, Hermanita. I mean, look at it.”

Angelica turned toward Maria, giving her a smile. “I just don’t want to get dressed today.”

Maria’s expression turned naughty. “I completely understand. And if you do the interview naked, then it won’t matter what you say.”

“You silly girl!” Angelica picked up a brush and ran it over her hair as Maria chose her clothes for her. She could only imagine the look on her mother’s face if she showed up in the ratty t-shirt she had on. Anchela would likely disown her. “What brings you here?”

“I wanted to talk to you for a moment.” Maria picked up a navy and red middle-length dress and handed it to Angelica. “You’ve been so busy with everything going on, that I just wanted to say I’m proud of you.”

“Proud of what?” Surprised, Angelica gazed at Maria, who raised a pair of red flats and a pair of navy high-heels. “Navy.”

“You know, moving on from Abelardo with Ludwig. It looks like he truly makes you happy.”

Angelica ignored the pang in her chest at the mention of his name. She missed him already. “I…he’s a good man. I’ve enjoyed his company.”

Maria nodded. “I know it’s hard to deal with a broken heart, but you seem to have done so well after Abelardo.”

“I don’t know if I was ever in love with Abelardo. I think it was the…glamour of it all, you know?” She had thought about that more than once here lately, wondering if her feelings had ever been more than just infatuation with him. Angelica presented her back to Maria so she could zip her up. And gave her sister a tender smile over her shoulder. “Thank you.”

Maria returned her smile and patted her shoulder as she closed the top button. “Well, even if you were, I’m just glad to see you happy.”

Angelica turned and hugged her sister, glad that they had this bond between them. “Gracias.”

Maria squeezed her before saying, “Now, hurry up. The dragon is almost here.”

Angelica greeted Emma in her sitting room at the Harem palace. It wasn’t as grand a location as the ones in the main building since it had been designed as a place where the concubines were allowed to relax.

Formality could be set aside, within reason.

Emma stepped in to the room and paused at the door. She was a tall woman and slight of build. Her hair was blonde, and her eyebrows were dark. Her brown eyes were penetrating

“Thank you for joining me.”  Angelica stood and gestured to the chair opposite her. “Have a seat. I had coffee brought in.”

Angelica poured a cup for Emma and one for herself.  She picked up the plate and cup and set it in her lap. “I’m sure you can guess why I wanted you here.”

“You want me to tell the world that you are a better person.”

“Admittedly, I did want the people to see that they matter. That I would be down there with them. But I didn’t do it for a press event. I just wanted them to feel as though there was less distance between us.”

“Between us?” Emma shook her head. “You were born with a silver spoon in your mouth. You have no comprehension of what hard work even is.”

It’s about time to put this woman in her place. Most people were either intimidated by Angelica or believed she had to be pretty conceited. She wasn’t a snob, didn’t think she was better than anyone else, and she definitely wasn’t a cold fish. She had always been a bit shy, led a busy life that hadn’t allowed her friendships for the most part, and then there was the fact that few people were really friendly to the Crown Princess of Aragon. It wasn’t easy to warm up to people who either gave her the cold shoulder or kissed her ass.

Plus, she didn’t study in a private school with other wealthy, royal girls who would understand the constraints of her position. She studied in San José public school.

“I think you have the wrong idea of what we do.” She matched that dark gaze with the fierceness of her own. “I don’t parade in pretty dresses. My schooling involves more than needlepoint. Those are rather archaic beliefs. My job starts in the morning and doesn’t end until late at night.”

“You cannot deny that some of your work is attending social events.”

“And you’re trying to tell me that yours does not?”

Emma paused, not saying anything. She reached over and grabbed her cup of coffee, sipping at it.

About time. “I’m not going to tell you that I know what it’s like to do manual labor. I have done some, but my brother ensures that I don’t do a lot.” Even though she’d forced her way into more than one situation that had required it. Much to the embarrassment of her brother. “But I doubt seriously that the average person would be able to handle my workload on a regular basis. So, if we are perfectly done comparing whose life is the worst, I would greatly appreciate it if we could now concentrate on what is important.”

Emma licked her lips and set her cup down on the plate. “And what do you think that is?”

“I have confidential information that could get you the Pulitzer.” Angelica had learned that with certain people, honesty was the best way to go. No hidden truths. Just straight up honesty. She had misread Emma the last time. She wasn’t going to make that same mistake. “I’d be offering it to you as an exclusive.”

Emma got a sly expression on her face. “And in exchange?”

“I want you to stop posting derogatory photos of me. Call your photographer off.” Angelica smiled to soften the words and took a sip of her coffee. “And I want to know what you have on Abelardo, Ms. Borrell.”  

“I think by now you can call me by my first name.” Emma met Angelica’s gaze, alarm and curiosity in her face. “Why bring this up now?”

She set her cup on the table, rested one elbow on her crossed knee, and laid her other arm over it. “Because.”

“Because you think he might embarrass you and your family again?”

“No.” And it was about time Emma understood what it meant to be a princess. “Because I think he means to do the people of Aragon harm and I need to know what that is.”

“What do you mean?”  Emma straightened and resituated herself in her chair, frowning in confusion. “He just smelled…fishy to me. I knew there was something off about that man. What’s frustrating is that I was unable to find anything concrete.”

Angelica seemed to be surrounded by people who were hard to pin down but a puzzle piece kind of seemed to fit into place just then. “The last time he was here, my father was murdered shortly thereafter. And now he shows up again, and there’s a bomb attack on my family.”

“But the police believe that it was somebody else.”

“There are too many unexplained things. What I do know is that there is great change occurring in my country, and I need to make sure that my people are taken care of and do not get caught in the crossfire again.”

Emma looked at Angelica with a new light in her brown eyes. “I’ll see what I can find, Your Royal Highness.”

“I think by now,” she said, repeating Emma’s words, “you know me well enough to be able to use my first name.”

Emma picked up her cup and took a long sip. “Indeed.”

“She won’t talk.” Roger lowered his tired body on the old and battered chair in front of Chief Bandres’s desk, wincing when a broken spring poked his ass. His body still seethed with anger at Celipa’s deception, not understanding how someone who had fierce loyalty to the royal family could be swayed to abandon that trust. Had they really known her to begin with?

“Hija de puta.”

“My gut says there’s something big coming up.”

“I want our investigation on Aguilar and Abelardo tightened up,” the chief continued, fire in her eyes. She was just as angry about the situation as Roger was. “Two men following them at all times. We need to know their movements, their contacts. Something is going on with those two and I’m not sure anymore it has nothing to do with the royal family.”

The Guardia Civil office, with only the dull light from the lamp on the desk illuminating the small space, was a sad place to be at that time of the night, but Roger knew Chief Bandres won’t leave the building until she got a new security plan for the royal family.

“Consider it done, Chief.”

Valantín frowned at her as they stood outside the door. They typically gave the councilmembers a moment of privacy before entering. “I’m surprised to see you here today.”

Angelica ran through her schedule as quickly as she could mentally, but she came up blank. “Did I miss something?”

“No. I just assumed you would be working on your project again.” Valantín hopped onto the balls of his feet and resettled once. “Getting any moment you can to spend time with Ludwig.”

“So, you haven’t decided to drop the conversation.”

“Of course not. But I know you. You need time to make a decision.”

I have no idea what the right decision might be. “What would you advise?”

“What would your single, older brother advise in realms of the heart?” He gave her one of his rare candid expressions.

They didn’t have many moments like this where they could just be themselves. She smiled and leaned into him. “Yes.”

He bit his bottom lip and took a deep breath in. “This life is lonely. I feel that if you have a chance at love, you should take it.”

“And if love comes for you? Will you take your own advice?”

“We both know that love is unlikely for me. But if I am lucky enough, I’ll have you to advise me.”

She didn’t know what to say.  

“What holds you back?”

“You mean besides my past experience?”

He shrugged. “Abelardo was unfortunate, but he should not be holding you back.”

Oh, if you only knew.  

“I get the feeling there is something else. Something you do not wish to discuss.”

There were so many things she needed to consider. “What if he demands I go back to his land? He is, after all, a well-to-do businessmen. He has his whole life there.”

Valantín winced. “Why would you stay?”

That single question hit her like a knife. “I take my job very seriously. I assist a great deal.”

“That you do. What if you didn’t have to?”

“What do you mean?”

“I mean,” he said, turning toward her, and grabbing her hands, “what if you could live a different life?”

“Who else are you going to get to do this job?”

He squeezed her hands, his expression soft. “I only mean to say that you do far more for me than you probably need to.”

She wasn’t going to deny that. Originally, it had started out of necessity. No one had been prepared for their father’s death. They had advisors, yes. But they did not know who they could trust. They had no idea which of them might be behind the King’s assassination.

So, the two of them had banded together, vowing to never betray the other, and always look out for one another. They would not allow their country to fail. And if whoever was behind their father’s death came after Valantín, they both had wanted to ensure Angelica was capable of stepping in and taking over. Their main objective had been to make sure their people felt as little pain from their actions as possible.

“Are you saying you don’t need me anymore?”

“Baby Sister, I am telling you that I think you have fulfilled the obligations to your title. I’m saying that if you wish to have a life, you should take it. Now, while you still can.”

They had never spoken of it aloud, but for some reason Valantín had it in his head that he would never find love, or produce heirs. Ever since they were kids, he always said he would never produce any children of his own.

It was probably one of the reasons Angelica took her job so seriously. She didn’t know why he thought that. She only knew that he did. “I will not abandon you.”

“It would not be abandoning. It would be like something you should’ve been doing a long time ago.”

She didn’t know what to say to him. “I haven’t decided one way or the other yet.”

“Whatever your decision is, it needs to be based on you. What do you want? What do you need?”

“And if he demands that I leave my country?”

“Then, we deal with that when the time comes. It’s time I stopped taking precedence in your life. It’s time you did.”

The door to the chamber opened.

Valantín held up his hand. “You do what you need to. I will take care of our country as I should.”

She knew that the meeting was about to start, but she wasn’t sure what he was trying to tell her.

“Go to Ludwig. Go to your project. Let me handle the council.” He didn’t wait for her to respond. Straightening, he walked through the door and he closed it behind him.