I might be the world’s biggest fool, but there’s still hope for me.

After I ruined James Camden’s keynote speech and then punched Justine’s friend from university, I was worried that I’d destroyed my relationship with my wife beyond repair. It feels like every time we take a step forward, we end up taking two steps back.

But after speaking with my sister, I begin to feel optimistic again. Sophia’s words to me about my relationship with Justine give me the perspective I didn’t realize I needed. After all the ups and downs of these past few weeks, I feel real hope—not the passing good feelings that came after Justine and I shared a moment of connection, but something far deeper. No one ever said this marriage was going to be easy, but I wasn’t ready to fully embrace the challenge until now.

Justine has returned to the palace with her friend Carter, and though I long to go after her and apologize for my idiotic behavior, my sister convinces me to give her a little space to cool off. In the end, Sophia, Nicholas and I end up taking a long lunch at a little restaurant I discovered when I was helping rebuild one of the city’s bridges after the storm. Over the course of our meal, I’m surprised by how often I find myself laughing. It’s been too long since I felt so carefree and light.

As I finish the last of my food and listen to Sophia talk about how insufferable my brother Leo is being as he and his fiancée prepare for the birth of their first child, I find myself remembering the words I said to Justine what feels like a lifetime ago—when I told her I thought love was a choice. She didn’t understand what I was saying then, but that belief has never meant more to me than it does right now. The core of love doesn’t rest on happy feelings—emotions are too erratic and changeable for that—but rather on the conscious decision to be there for another, to put their needs before yours, to commit to them through all the ups and downs.

And I choose Justine. I choose to work through this—to improve myself and be the man she needs me to be. To protect her—but also to trust her.

Sophia flicks me on the arm. “You’re not listening to me.”

“Sorry,” I say, grinning. “I’ve got a lot on my mind.”

“I’m sure you do,” she says. “Maybe you should go find Justine and make up. She’s had plenty of time to cool down.”

That is, in fact, exactly what I want to do. But I’m also not sure I want to leave the company of my sister and brother so soon—I never realized how much I’d miss my family when I moved here.

“Come on,” Sophia says, rising. “We’ll head back to the palace with you.”

As we walk through the streets, I point out various buildings as we pass. Nicholas nods in quiet acknowledgment, but Sophia has questions about everything. I can’t answer them all—or even most of them—but I do my best.

“You really love it here, don’t you?” she says as we round the final corner.

“I…I don’t know if I’d say that,” I tell her. “I still feel like a visitor here.”

“You don’t sound like a visitor. Be honest—you’re already starting to think of this place as home.”

Honestly, if I tell myself this is home, it’s only to make myself feel more settled, to accept that this is my life now.

But is that really true? It may have been that way in the beginning, but after helping with the bridge repairs, I have a real stake in this place. I’ve poured my own blood, sweat, and tears into Rosvalia. I’ve made friends. I’ve started to put down roots.

That realization is shocking, but not in an upsetting way.

Of course, if Justine is planning on running off to America in a few months’ time, then this will all be for nothing. But I refuse to give up on us. I plan on fighting for this marriage with everything I have. It’s not just about pride, or possessiveness—there’s something between Justine and me, a connection that won’t be denied.

When we reach the palace, I lead Sophia and Nicholas to the guest quarters.

“Good luck,” Sophia says, standing on her toes to hug me. Nicholas, in his way, gives me an encouraging nod and leaves it at that.

Before long, I’m heading to the physician’s rooms, preparing what I’m going to say. First and foremost, of course, I’ll need to apologize. And then perhaps offer to take this friend of hers for a drink, to get to know him. Maybe I should suggest the three of us have dinner tonight.

I’m not going to lie—the thought of spending time with the fellow makes me cringe. But I’ll do it for Justine. To show her I can be civil and that I can trust her. And that she can trust me.

When I get to the physician’s quarters, though, I find them empty of any patients.

“Has the princess been by?” I ask the physician.

She shakes her head. “I haven’t seen her today. No one’s been by at all.”

Frowning, I leave. But I only hit the fellow once, and not even that hard—it’s possible he didn’t need medical assistance.

I try our shared suite next. Then Justine’s office. Both are empty, and I find myself starting to get worried. Where could she have gone? I remember my mad search last night, the one that finally ended with me standing outside James Camden’s room, listening to him with a woman. Even now, knowing that woman was not my wife, my stomach still churns at the memory.

Don’t jump to conclusions, I tell myself, forcing a deep breath. Remember what your sister said—do you really, deep down, believe Justine is off having sex with this friend of hers somewhere? Or that she’d leave you for some possible flame from her past? When I think about it that way, it sounds so absurd—especially after the sex we shared this morning on the stage. I need to keep my wits about me.

But even if my jealousy is in check, I still want to find my wife.

The chart of guest rooms is still where it was last night. I find myself reaching for it, even as I try to tell myself it’s a bad idea. I don’t know anything other than the fellow’s first name—and I’m not sure whether he’s staying in the palace or over at the event facility.

My eyes skim over the chart. There’s only one person with the given name Carter on here—a Carter Graham—and I know in my gut that it’s him.

There’s no harm in going by there. At the very least, I can apologize to him.

Before long, I’m walking through the guest wing again. When I reach his room, though, I find the door open.

“Hello?” I say, pushing it further and poking my head inside. “Justine, are you here?”

Instead of my wife, I find a couple of startled looking maids. They bow when they recognize me.

“Your Highness,” one of them says. “What can we do for you?”

I frown. “I…I was looking for the princess. Carter—the man staying in this room—is her friend, and I thought she might be here. Have you seen her? Or Carter, for that matter?”

The two women glance at each other, then the one who spoke before looks back at me.

“Mr. Graham has left,” she says. “The princess told us to go ahead and clean out the room.”

“So you saw her? She was here?”

Another glance passes between the two women.

“I don’t know where they were going, Your Highness,” the maid says. “But he took all of his things with him. And she…” She looks away.

My stomach clenches. “She what?”

“She had a suitcase, too, Your Highness.” The poor woman won’t even look me in the eye.

It takes a moment for her words to sink in, but when they do, I feel as if I’m going to be sick. Justine had a suitcase. She left with Carter Graham. She left with Carter and didn’t tell me she was going. That could only mean one thing, right?

“I… Thank you,” I manage as I stumble backwards out of the room. What am I going to do? How could she do this to me? To us?

Without even realizing it, I find myself heading down the corridor toward Sophia’s room. Maybe I’m just jumping to conclusions again. Maybe my sister will see a possibility I haven’t.

When I get to her door, I pound on it with my fist. “Sophia! Sophia, open up!”

She answers on the second knock. “Whoa, what’s wrong with you?”

“Justine is gone,” I say. “One of the maids just told me she left. With a suitcase. Her and Carter.”

Sophia’s eyes widen, but she doesn’t immediately say anything.

“Tell me I’m jumping to the wrong conclusion,” I say. “Tell me this doesn’t mean what I think it means.”

“It…” She shakes her head. “This doesn’t make any sense. I could have sworn…”

“You’re not helping, Sophia.”

She looks up at me. “I don’t know how to help. This seems… It looks like…”

“I know exactly what it looks like,” I growl. My tone startles even me, but my mind is already turning. “That bastard has bloody run off with her. And I’m going to do whatever it takes to get her back.”