My hands are shaking when we return to the Great Hall, back to the crowds of people and the incredible array of food that is constantly being replenished. The wait staff must be really good at their jobs because I rarely catch one of them attending to the tables.

Before we re-enter the fray, I tug Alec’s arm and whisper in his ear. “Did I do all right?”

I’m not usually the kind of girl who needs validation for how navigated a social situation. I’ve been handling that on my own for years, thank you very much. But being here with Alec is different. I can’t sit on the periphery and hope I’m playing my cards right, like I did back in New York. It’s beginning to sink in that the more time I spend with Alec, the more I’m going to belong and fit in here, and the more I’ll live according to their rules, not my own.

This gives me pause.

The king’s words ring in my ears.

“There are expectations, Ms. Reeves. This is not to be taken lightly.”

Of course, I can’t know all that he meant by that, but since he’s the King of Saintland and oversees the entire kingdom, it wasn’t your typical “be careful with each other’s hearts” speech. Now that Alec will be the crown prince, our relationship and everything it entails will have ramifications reaching far beyond the two of us.

I’m going to have a lot less leeway for plans that might shake up the status quo.

“Is that something you really want?” the voice in the back of my head pipes up. “Don’t you want to be in charge of your own life?”

As I stand at Alec’s side, my hand on his arm, it’s easy to scoff at the thought. I am in charge of my own life, and I have chosen to be here. So what if it’s going to be harder to pack up and move across the country when I feel like a change of scenery?

The only scenery I need is Alec.

I don’t end up having much time to think about it because the very next day, everything changes.

Alec arrives at my suite at eight in the morning and sits with me while I eat breakfast. As the team starts packing up the suite, he explains how the near future is going to play out.

“Rooms are already prepared for you in the palace,” he says, breaking a small piece from a scone and popping it into his mouth.

“Rooms?” I say.

“Yes. There are several suites on the third level of the palace where my rooms and Marcus—.” He breaks off, swallowing as though it hurts, and then continues. “—where my rooms are located. The king’s rooms are also on that level. You’ll be staying in the queen’s rooms.”

It occurs to me that those would have been his mother’s private rooms if she had had the chance to live here.

The significance of being assigned to the queen’s quarters makes my head spin.

“Claire will be with you there, as well,” he says, taking another bite of the scone. “If you’re happy with her, she can continue on as your head personal assistant.”

“Head personal assistant? Isn’t this a bit much for your…your girlfriend?”

I realize after the words are out of my mouth that this is the first time either of us has brought up titles, and I wish I could grab them out of the air and shove them back into my mouth. What am I thinking? He doesn’t need that kind of pressure right now.

But Alec only leans across the table at me, a glint sparkling in his tired eyes. “Do you really think, my lady Jessica, that at the end of this you will be only my girlfriend?”

A furious blush rushes to my cheeks. “Let’s not talk about it now,” I say hurriedly.

The quiver in my voice makes him smile. “I’ll tell you what I think. I think you’ll be much, much more than my girlfriend when all is said and done.”

A laugh bubbles up in my chest at his innuendo-laced tone. “Alec, there are people around,” I whisper.

He waves a hand. “There are always people around. I can send them all away right now if you want to spend some time alone reminding each other why we’re in this for the long haul.” He plants a kiss on the top of my head.

“No,” I giggle, feeling giddy and foolish. “There’s a lot to do today, isn’t there?”

“Oh, yes,” he says. “You have a full schedule, and so do I. It seems we both have a lot to get caught up on. But that could wait twenty minutes.” He pulls me into a tight embrace and kisses my hair again.

The half grin on his face is the first real smile I’ve seen from him since he got the news about his brother.

“Twenty minutes,” I say sternly, although we both know that if he wants three hours, three days, or six months, I’ll give in without a second thought.

The team is out the door inside of ten seconds.

* * *

The sex is hard, rough and fast, both of us unrestrained in our show of passion for one another, leaving marks from our lips and fingers. When we’re spent, lying back on my bed in the Diamond Circle, I trace the line of his jaw with my fingertip.

It’s the last time for several days—perhaps even weeks—that I see him so relaxed.

By noon, I’ve been set up in the queen’s rooms in Sainthall Palace, by 12:30 I’m eating my first lunch prepared by the palace staff, and by 1:00 I’m sitting through my first briefing meeting.

There is a lot I don’t know about being with the crown prince, but I’m about to learn it all at breakneck speed.

The moment the first staff member starts speaking, I fight the urge to leave. I honestly thought it would be like spending time with Christian’s crowd back home, but the first five minutes of this presentation—a lesson on the myriad etiquette rules I’ll need to follow—seem like it’s a graduate level course in an unknown foreign language.

I straighten my back in my chair and take in a deep breath to try and push my apprehension away.

I can do this.

I will do this.

There will be no regrets.