The sun peeked through the drapes of her bedroom the next morning. Marianna groaned as she rubbed her eyes and sat up. She felt all out of sorts since her encounter with Leo yesterday. It had felt so good, sitting on his bed, holding hands with him. Letting him know that she was there for him.

And the way it made her heart race? Well, that was a mistake, but she couldn't blame the prince for that. It was her own dumb fault for letting feelings grow that shouldn't. He deserved someone to support him, not develop feelings for him. He deserved better.

There was a knock on the door, and Adelina walked in before Marianna could answer. She gave Marianna a curt nod and headed over to the window to open the drapes. Marianna rubbed her eyes and sat up.

Adelina was in full business mode. She went straight to the closet and pulled out a fitted business suit, then disappeared into Marianna's bathroom and came back out, clapping her hands.

"You are very behind, Miss Marianna," she said as she walked over to the bed and pulled back Marianna's covers. "Her Highness will not appreciate it if you are late."

At the mention of Mrs. DeLuca, Marianna leapt out of the bed. The last thing she wanted was to disappoint Leo's mom. Even though this whole situation was fake, Marianna had this intense desire to get the queen's approval—even though she knew that it wasn't ever going to happen.

Adelina ushered her into the bathroom, where she instructed Marianna to take a shower and to dress in the outfit she’d arranged. When she was clean, Marianna turned off the water and stepped out onto the plush bathmats that dotted the floor. She wrapped a towel around her body and made her way up to the mirror, where she wiped off the fog.

Before she had any time to think, Adelina opened the bathroom door and entered. It was as if she were anticipating Marianna's every move. When she was dressed, Adelina pushed her down onto the nearby chair and began working on her wet hair.

"Straight and down," Marianna said, hoping to not have an incident like the day before, when she’d ended up looking like the queen.

Adelina nodded but continued to twist and pull her hair. Finally, Marianna stood. "I'll take it from here," she said holding up her hands, hoping that Adelina would get the hint.

The woman huffed but then shook her head and smiled. "Sure. I will wait outside." She narrowed her eyes as if challenging Marianna.

"Great. That would be awesome," Marianna said, turning to focus on her thick, curly hair.

Adelina stared at her for a moment before she turned and stalked out of the room.

Finally, having a minute to herself, Marianna did her hair the way she wanted it and then dressed in the business suit. She left the bathroom feeling clean and like herself again—not the version that Adelina or Mrs. DeLuca wanted her to be.

After she slipped on a pair of pantyhose and flats, she smiled over at Adelina, who didn't look too pleased at being kicked from her duties. Marianna hoped her smile would soften Adelina's expression, but it didn't.

She walked over to her door and opened it. Just as she stepped out, she heard a familiar voice.

"Well, good morning," Leo said.

Marianna turned to see him walk up to her. He had on a pair of business slacks and a button-up shirt. His sleeves were rolled up past his wrists and the top button was undone. He looked relaxed but formal. And incredibly handsome. So much so that Marianna almost forgot how to speak.

"I—you—" She let out her breath and smiled. "Hi. You look great," she said as she waved at him and then felt stupid. What was the matter with her?

He grinned at her. "So do you." He leaned forward. "I like it when you don't look like my mom."

She brushed her hair back and tucked it behind her ear. "Good. I don't like it when I look like your mom."

He pulled back and studied her—in that raw and unabashed way he always did that made butterflies race around her stomach.

"So, what are we going to do today?" she asked, hoping to move her focus on to something other than how he was making her feel.

"Well, I know my mom has plans. But I was hoping we could play hooky—grab Clara and head up the coast. I can show you the beauty that Caro has to offer."

Marianna swallowed. That sounded amazing. She'd grown to love Clara overnight and spending the day with her and her handsome brother sounded better than sitting next to their judgy mom.

"So you'll come?" he asked. Her heart pounded at the hopeful hint to his voice.

She chewed her lip. "Sure."

He clapped his hands together. "Perfect. Clara will be so excited."

Marianna nodded as she followed after him. He led her down the stairs and over to the dining room, where people were milling around, filling their plates from the buffet that had been set up. Half of the people Marianna didn't recognize. Everyone else had been there in New York.

Thankfully, Clara was sitting at the table when Marianna had filled her plate and was looking for a spot. She'd rather hang out with the eight-year-old than any adult there. Well, she really wanted to be with Leo, but from the way Gisella was hanging onto his arm and laughing a bit too loud at what he was saying, Marianna knew that wasn't possible.

"We're going to the beach?" Clara asked, peering up at Marianna with hope in her gaze.

Marianna turned her attention back to her and smiled. "I think so. That's what your brother said."

Her smile grew wide as she shifted in her seat. It was as if her tiny body couldn't contain her excitement. "Oh, that's amazing. I hope you bury me in the sand. All the way up to my neck." She giggled as she gazed off into the distance.

"But mother, we are taking her," Leo's voice broke through the low murmur of voices. Everyone shushed and turned toward Leo and Mrs. DeLuca.

When Marianna glanced over, she saw Mrs. DeLuca's skin redden as she nodded toward everyone who was watching her. "My apologies. My son and I have something to discuss in the other room." She grabbed his arm and led him away.

Clara's sigh pulled Marianna's attention down. "We're not going to the beach. Mommy is mad at Leo. Again."

Marianna reached out and wrapped her arm around Clara's shoulders. "Sometimes that happens. Adults have a lot to do, and princes who are going to be king have a lot more to do."

That didn't seem to appease Clara. She just sat there with her shoulders rounded, pushing some food around on her plate. Marianna's heart went out to her. That poor little girl just wanted to have some fun. Something Marianna was sure didn't happen a lot. Not when her family was as busy as they were.

Marianna clapped her hands, hoping to redirect her frustration. "How about we finish breakfast and head upstairs. I'm sure there's a printer around here, and we can make ourselves some coloring pages. Do you like to color?"

Clara hesitated and peeked up at Marianna. "Can we get a Belle coloring page?"

"From Beauty and the Beast?"

Clara nodded.

"Of course. I'm sure there are a lot."

That seemed to be what Clara needed to hear. She smiled and began shoveling eggs into her mouth. "Perfect," she said through the food.

Marianna patted her head and then moved to eat her breakfast.

Fifteen minutes later, Leo came back into the room, looking more frustrated than ever. Marianna wished she could go up to him and ask him what was wrong. To calm him down. She hated how stressed out he looked. How disappointed in his life he seemed. She wished there was something that she could say that would help ease his burden.

But she knew that was a joke. What did she know about running a country? All she could really do was encourage him to do his duty and help him laugh. It felt small and ridiculous, but she was going to do it to the best of her ability.

"Marianna?" Mrs. DeLuca said from behind her.

Marianna turned to see the queen standing a few feet away.

"Yeah?" Marianna asked, hoping she didn't have eggs in her teeth.

"We are sending you on a tour of Trieste today." Mrs. DeLuca reached over toward Horace who tore off a piece of paper and handed it to her. She studied it for a moment before passing it over to Marianna.

Marianna took it. She ran her gaze over it. This was an itinerary. Her entire day was planned down to the half hour. It didn't have her getting back until late that night.

From the forlorn look on Clara's face, Marianna knew she understood what was happening. The adults were leaving, and Clara would be left alone. Again.

Marianna wanted to comfort her, but she doubted that the queen would appreciate her meddling with the princess as well, so she kept her comments to herself. Mrs. DeLuca seemed to have grown bored because she walked over to a woman wearing a suit with her hair pulled up into a severe bun.

"It'll be okay," Marianna said, leaning toward Clara.

Clara looked up at her with wide eyes. "I'm going to be left alone. Again."

Marianna nodded. "I promise, as soon as I get back, we will color."

Clara shrugged. "Okay." She stood and set her napkin down on her plate.

It hurt Marianna's heart to see this little girl so broken up about her situation. It couldn't feel good, always being cast aside. She allowed her gaze to follow Clara out of the room. It wasn't until she was gone that Marianna noticed that Leo was studying her. Once he caught her attention, he tipped his head toward the open door.

Marianna nodded, finished up her food, and then stood. She nodded to a few people—praying that she looked normal and not like some crazed tourist—and, hoping no one was watching, slipped out the door.

Just as she walked by one of the rooms, she felt a hand engulf her arm and pull her into an alcove just off the main hallway. It was small, forcing the two of them to stand next to each other. She could feel Leo’s intensity as he stared down at her.

"So you heard?" he asked, pushing his hands through his hair as if he had all of this pent-up anger and didn't know where to put it.

"You and your mom?" she asked, keeping her voice low. It couldn't feel good, having your mother scold you like a child. Leo was going to be king, and yet his mother treated him like a disobedient kid.

His jaw clenched as he nodded. "Yeah. She's forbidden me to go out with you guys today. She said there is too much to do and I should focus on my responsibilities instead of gallivanting around the countryside." He sighed, leaning his back against the wall and tilting his face toward the ceiling. "I just want to get away from all of this."

Marianna wanted to reach out and brush her hand against his arm. Wanted to tell him that she understood what he was going through. She understood the frustration of being controlled by someone. But that felt too intimate, and right now, keeping her distance was best. So she just nodded. "I get it."

He glanced down at her, his expression serious. Tingles raced up her spine as he leaned closer to her. From the corner of her eye, she saw him reached his hand out like he was about to brush his fingers across her cheek. She braced herself for the myriad of sensations that always came from his touch.

But it never came. Instead he shoved both hands into his front pockets. "I should go," he said, dipping his head and stepping out into the hallway.

Marianna nodded. "Oh, okay." She pushed out the feelings that came from his sudden need to distance himself from her. It hurt more than she cared to admit.

He glanced over at her. For a moment, regret flashed over his face. He scrubbed his face with his hand. "My mom wants to take you out to do some shopping and sightseeing. I will be stuck here, dealing with contracts and issues." He gave her a weak smile. "Do you think you'll be okay?"

Marianna hated seeing him so stressed out, and she hated that he was worrying about her. With everything he had going on, the last thing she wanted to be was a burden. She forced a smile and brushed off his concern. "Are you kidding me? I'll be just fine. Go. Do whatever princely duty you have." This time, she reached out and rested her hand on his arm. She met his gaze with as much force as she could.

A look of relief flashed over his face. "Okay. That's good to hear. I won’t have to be stuck in meetings worrying about how you are doing." His gaze dropped to her hand and then back up to her. She could feel his intensity.

She swallowed, forcing her feelings to the back of her mind. "I'll be fine," she repeated. This time, her response was much less confident.

He patted her hand that was still resting on his arm, letting his fingers linger against her skin for a few moments before stepping out of reach. He gave her a wink and headed back down the hall.

Now alone, Marianna took a deep breath. She was probably never going to be the same after this trip. It was for certain, Leo DeLuca was slowly inching his way into her heart and taking hold. The possibility of leaving Caro in one piece was already well out the window. Instead, she needed to focus on keeping afloat. Protecting her heart just enough to survive their inevitable breakup.