I hurry down the long hall to the hospital with Xavier, who is double-timing it in his excitement for me to find Arthur. I turn my mobile on as soon as we get in the car and wait for it to boot up.

“To the palace!”

“I know a short-cut,” Xavier says, wrenching open the back door of the car for me.

Tires screeching, the car pulls out on the road and we zoom off toward my prince. I sit up, hands on the headrest of the passenger seat, watching out the window as Xavier weaves in and out of traffic. “This is rather exciting, isn’t it?”

“Agreed! You know, you burn two extra calories per minute when your adrenaline is pumping like this.”

“Do you?” I’m so happy I don’t even mind his fitness facts today. I’m going to find Arthur and I know in my heart that everything will be okay.

Gravel spins under the tires as the car skids to a stop in front of the palace. I get out and run up the steps as fast as my legs can carry me. One of the pages opens the door and I run into the Grande Hall, stopping when I get there to decide if I should try his office or his apartment.

A door opens to my left and the king walks out. He stops when he sees me. “Oh, it’s you.”

I hold my chin high. “Yes, it is. I came by to say that you and your nasty friends won’t be able to chase me off. I have four older brothers and they’re all total shits to me, so I have loads of experience dealing with arseholes. So, you’d better get used to the fact that I’ll be your daughter-in-law. I know that I may not be elegant or graceful or well-born, but I have a kind heart and I’m brave as fuck, and I’ll protect your son with my very life if it’s required, which should count for something.” I take a deep breath. “And you know what else? I’m going to be the person who keeps your family in touch with the people of Avonia, which is something Brooke Beddingfield or any of your other stuffy cronies could never do. And you know what else? I saved your sorry arse during the referendum, so you should probably just say thank you and welcome me to the sodding family.”

He stares at me, looking utterly shocked for a moment. My heart pounds in my chest as I wonder what the penalty is for swearing at the king. What if they do have some torture devices hidden in the basement? Shit.

He rubs his chin with one hand. “I’m going to say something to you I have never said in my life. I may have been wrong about you. You’re tougher than I thought which, frankly, is a job requirement. Also, I think there’s a chance you’ll be good for my son.”

I blink in surprise, then nod. “You’re bloody well right I will be. Now, where is he so I can tell him we’re back on?”

King Winston shrugs. “If I had to guess, he’s out looking for you.”

“Thank you, Your Majesty.” I curtsy then turn and hurry to the door, calling back, “Sorry for all the swearing!”

When I get outside, Xavier is doing one-armed push-ups off the bottom step.

“He’s not here!” I shout. “Let’s go!”

“Where?”

“I’ll figure it out when we get on the road.”

I climb back into the car, then remember my phone has been shut off since I went to the hospital. I turn it on and wait impatiently for it to load. Finally, I see a text from my mum.

“Ha! He’s at my house!”

“Let’s go!” Xavier glances back at me, smiling in the rearview mirror. “Oh, you may want to put on some lipstick. Do you have a hairbrush in your purse?”

Apparently, he’s been spending too much time with my mother. His nagging has now extended from fitness to fashion. But, to be fair, he’s right—I’m a bit of a mess. I search through my handbag until I find a comb, some mints, and a tube of lip gloss. By the time we pull onto Abbott Lane, I’m semi-presentable.

“Hmm. The car’s not here,” Xavier mumbles.

“What?”

“I’ll pull up at the house and try to reach Ollie. You run in and see if your mum knows where he went.”

* * *

I take the stairs two at a time, then make a sharp right into the bathroom. Xavier and Ollie managed to speak and it turns out Arthur went to the hospital to find me, but is now on his way back here. According to Xavier, I have t-minus seven to get myself looking—and smelling—gorgeous. I hear the creaking of the stairs and my mum appears at the entrance to the bathroom. She smiles at me. “So, do you finally believe it?”

“Believe what?” I squeeze too much toothpaste onto my brush, then go to work.

“That you’re meant to be together.”

“Yeah, I think so,” I say, the words muffled.

“Believe it, Twinkle. You are enough. Just the way you are. Arthur sees it. And you need to know it deep down inside.”

I spit out the toothpaste. “That wasn’t the only reason we broke up, you know.”

“Yes, it was.” She pats me on the shoulder. “Otherwise you wouldn’t have started to believe that malarkey about Brooke being better. She may be better at being a lady and, well, school obviously, but she’s not better at loving Arthur.”

I smile. “Thanks, Mum. That’s the nicest thing you’ve ever said to me.”

“You’re welcome, Twinkle.” She looks me up and down. “You should really hurry and get ready. Arthur’ll be here any minute.”

She turns to leave, then calls over her shoulder, “Dad and I are going out for a couple of hours. I need to pick up some of that cheese at that shop I like.”

* * *

By the time there’s a knock at the door I’m in my little black dress, fresh knickers, and lipstick, with my hair up in a loose bun. Arthur smiles down at me. “I remember that dress.”

“Do you?”

“You wore it to dinner the first day we met. It drained all the blood from my brain the entire evening.”

“I’ll take that as a compliment.” I grin up at him, desperately wanting to pull him into the house by his tie, but hold back.

“I’m here to confess, then beg you to come back to me.”

“Well, that all depends on what you’re confessing to…”

He screws up his face, looking thoroughly embarrassed. “I’m the brains behind @WeLoveTessa.”

“You?! But, you’re always saying to just ignore all of that.”

“Which is why I didn’t want to admit to it. It makes me a terrible hypocrite, not to mention that you said my comebacks were that of a moronic teenage boy.”

“I may have been a little harsh when I said that.”

“I may have been a total fool to do any of it in the first place.”

“Maybe.” I nod.

“I also figured out who @IHateTessa was. Do you want to know?”

“Yes.”

“Let’s just say you won’t be seeing Damien around the palace anymore.”

My mouth drops. “Did you…have him offed?”

“No, this isn’t Game of Thrones. We fired him.”

“Oh, yeah, that makes more sense,” I say. “While we’re confessing, you should know that I may have just zipped over to the palace and told your father off.”

His mouth spreads into a wide grin. “Did you now?”

“I did. I even said fuck and told him I saved his sorry arse in the referendum.” I laugh a little, then remember Brooke. “What about Brooke? Have you figured out that she likes you in a ‘more than a friend’ way?”

“I did when I found out who’d been feeding Damien the photos of us together.”

Gasping, I say, “It was her all along?”

He shakes his head. “Her mother. Brooke tried to convince me she didn’t know, but when I pressed her on the subject she fell apart, apologized profusely, then promptly tried to stick her tongue down my throat in a last-ditch effort to make me hers.”

“I knew it!” I snap my fingers, feeling temporary satisfaction at being right which is swiftly followed by anger at the thought of her kissing Arthur. The look on my face must show what I’m thinking.

“Don’t worry. I set her straight.” He points to his mouth. “I told her these lips belong to Tessa Sharpe.”

“Was she horribly disappointed?”

“She’ll be in mourning for years to come.”

My entire body smiles at the thought.

Arthur grins at me. “So, do you believe me now that nothing happened?”

“I do, and I’m sorry that I didn’t before.” I nod.

“You’re forgiven. I was acting suspicious. Very foolish of me, I know, given what was at stake.”

“Yes, it was, which brings me to the next item on the agenda. I think we need to renegotiate the terms of our relationship.”

“Agreed. But can I come in and kiss you first?”

I put on my most posh voice. “If you must.”

“I really fucking must.” He steps inside, shutting the door behind him with one foot, then takes me in his arms and lowers his mouth over mine. I close my eyes and disappear into the most passionate, amazingly wonderful, toe-curling, leg-rising-up-of-its-own-accord kiss that I’ve ever had.

When it’s over, he pulls back. “Should we go somewhere where we can be alone—for negotiation purposes? These things can take days.”

“My parents have gone out, so we’ll have the place to ourselves for two entire hours,” I say, licking my lips. “If we’re unable to resolve our differences by then, we’ll have to reconvene in another location.”

“You’re so deliciously naughty.”

“That’s why you like me.”

“Wrong.” He gives me a quick kiss on the lips, leaving me wanting more. “That’s why I love you.”

“I say we try something new. Strip negotiation.”

He raises one eyebrow. “I’m intrigued. What are the rules?”

“For every one of my terms you agree to I take off an item of clothing, and same for your terms.”

“Deal.”

We shake hands, then he says, “Now, lose the dress.”

“What?”

“I just agreed to your first term. Dress. Off.”

* * *

“This is Vanessa Platt from the ABNC news desk. Breaking news from the palace as an official statement has been issued. Prince Arthur and Tessa Sharpe have called off their wedding, which was to have taken place three weeks from now. Giles Bigley is on location in front of the palace with more. Giles?”

“Yes, Vanessa, shock reverberates through Avonia today as Prince Arthur and Tessa Sharpe call off their wedding.”

“The statement was very vague, not providing any indication as to the reasons behind it. Are they ending their relationship or just postponing the nuptials?”

“Excellent question. The prince has remained silent on the matter and has yet to post on Instagram or Twitter in the past several days, but because the announcement comes on the heels of the Princess Dowager’s open-heart surgery, it could very well be that they have elected to postpone until she is able to attend the ceremony.”

Vanessa’s face falls a little. “Yes, I suppose that could be possible.”

“I’d say it’s highly likely, Vanessa. Both Tessa and Prince Arthur were seen coming and going from Valcourt Memorial last night and earlier today. It’s doubtful that she would be attending the Princess Dowager’s side were she and Prince Arthur calling it quits.”

* * *

“Oh, bugger.” Arthur sits up in bed suddenly.

We’ve been negotiating for the past three hours now with one brief break for me to text my mum and suggest that they go visit Lars and Nina for a few hours. I got a quick reply from mum which included a winkie face emoticon and a promise that they’ll be gone until after ten tonight. A little awkward if I’m to be honest, but we’re all adults here. Mostly.

“What is it?” I ask, my brain completely unable to think up what could possibly be wrong.

“The announcement. I forgot to call Vincent to cancel.”

I sit up. “Oh, bugger.”

We both take to our mobile phones and stare in horror at the dozens of notifications that we’re broken up. Arthur looks at me with wild eyes, and then bursts out laughing. “Oh, sod it.”

He grabs my mobile out of my hand and tosses it and his onto the pile of lace scraps that used to be a designer wedding gown. Then he takes me in my arms and snogs me senseless, only stopping for a second to ask, “What is that pile of shredded fabric?”

“Oh, that? My wedding dress,” I say simply.

He tilts his head, and nods as though that makes perfect sense. “Mr. Whiskers?”

“Mmmhmm.”

“He knew we needed a fresh start.”

“Genius, that cat,” I say, smiling.

“This time around, we do the whole thing our way. No tiny, nasty wedding planners, no diets, no twenty-page guest lists. Just you and me and whatever kind of wedding you want.”