Tess quickly dried off and donned her light cover-up before going back inside the castle. When she arrived at their bedroom, she was pleased to see that Mo was back from her evening of romance with the prince.

As soon as the women saw each other, they said in unison, “I had a terrible night!” When they realized that they had both expressed the same sentiment, they each said, “What happened?... You go first… No you…” By the end of their nearly identical string of word selections, they both burst out with laughter.

The stress of the entire trip, attempting to learn and remember the intricacies of royal protocol, and their individual man troubles bubbled out in their giggling outburst. Once their laughter subsided, they flopped down onto Mo’s bed and Tess said, “Tell me.”

Mo’s face crumpled. “Pierce is so amazing. He’s nothing like the man I would have pictured myself ending up with, yet he’s somehow perfect for me. I mean, the royal thing is kind of a turn off.” Seeming to realize what she had just said and who she had said it to, Mo bit her lip. “Sorry, I know about your ‘marrying a prince’ fantasy.”

Tess rolled her eyes and nodded. She didn’t want her friend to think she begrudged Mo the right to happiness, even if it was with a prince. “It was just a childish daydream,” she tried, but she sensed that the excuse fell flat. Mo knew Tess well enough to realize that she had never quite been able to let that particular dream go.

Deciding not to get into that awkward discussion right now, Mo got back to her explanation. “Anyway, on paper we seem so wrong for each other. I mean, I’m a daredevil, who gets a thrill from bungee jumping and skydiving, while he’s an actual prince, who will soon be King, and completely responsible for an entire island; but when we’re together none of that matters.”

Tess nodded, having seen the enamored way the two of them gazed at each other. “I’m ready to take our relationship to the next level, but he is being a perfect gentleman. He hasn’t done anything more than kiss me, despite my blatant hints that I am open to a more physical relationship.”

Although she was surprised at Mo’s quick jump to wanting to be intimate with the prince, she hid her shock. She knew her friend had strong feelings for the man, but Mo was normally much more cautious and slow-moving about such things.

“His mother hates me, and she is insisting that he keep his options open for the royal ball. It’s like she’s hoping that he’ll find someone there that will be better ‘wife material,’ so he can dump me.”

Mo paused, obviously waiting for Tess to weigh in. Tess wasn’t sure how to console her friend because she feared that she was exactly right about the queen’s intentions. It was clear that the woman didn’t approve of either of them, and that she would be thrilled if Pierce discovered a companion that she found to be more suitable for him at the ball.

Turning frightened light green eyes on Tess, Mo squeaked, “What if he does find someone better for him than me?”

Tess had never heard her friend sounding so self-conscious. Normally, Mo was completely self-assured. The queen’s obvious disapproval must really have her rattled. “Someone better than you? Impossible.” Tess weighed in, hoping to make her friend feel better.

“Someone better for him than me,” Mo clarified. “We both know I’m not princess material. There will be all kinds of graceful, polite, and beautiful women at this ball scrambling for Pierce’s attention. What if he sees how much more appropriate they are to become royalty than I am?”

The fear in Mo’s eyes was genuine. Tess wanted to alleviate it, but she wasn’t sure how best to do that. She finally settled on, “He’d have to be crazy to not see what a wonderful, amazing, and beautiful person you are. Is he crazy?”

Mo was looking down and didn’t respond to Tess’s question, so Tess prodded her again. “Is Pierce crazy?”

“No,” Mo finally mumbled.

Smiling, Tess added, “No, he’s not crazy, so he will choose you.” She acted like her wild leap was a foregone conclusion.

It must have worked because Mo looked up at her with renewed hope shining in her eyes. “You think so?”

“I know so,” Tess assured her, even as she hoped that she was right.

Obviously feeling better, Mo asked, “Why was your night terrible?”

“Sebastian,” Tess responded, as if that answered the question. When Mo raised her brows, indicating that she wanted more of an explanation than that, Tess lifted her shoulders. “He thinks I want to be with the prince, rather than him.”

It was as if Mo had been waiting for the perfect opening to bring this up. She looked Tess directly in the eyes, hoping to get a true reading on her reaction before asking, “Would you prefer to be with Pierce?”