American Royals

“Strangers were talking to strangers, everyone acting as though the entire capital had become one giant street festival.” Isabella still held a tissue in her hands. She began folding it over and over into an ever-shrinking triangle. “I never thought I would get the chance to actually work for him, and then …” She sighed. “He’s been such a good king.”

A chill ran down Nina’s spine at the finality of her mamá’s words. It sounded as though she was already mourning him. “We don’t know what’s going on. He might make a full recovery.”

“The palace hasn’t made any statement. That’s not a good sign,” her mamá countered. Well, she of all people knew the inner workings of the palace infrastructure.

Nina thought again of the twins. Of the entire royal family, huddled together in one of those bleak waiting rooms, waiting for good news that might never come.

“You should go to St. Stephen’s,” Julie chimed in, as if reading her daughter’s mind. “I know Jeff and Samantha could use a friendly face right now.”

Nina hated the thought of letting her best friend go through this alone. But there was no way she could face the prince right now. “Mom, no. I can’t.”

“I know it’ll be weird, seeing Jeff after last night,” her mom said gently. “But you should be there for Sam’s sake.”

Nina knew her mom was right. But then she thought of last night, of how Jeff had automatically taken Daphne’s side. How easily it had apparently been for him, to walk away from their relationship.

“You don’t understand. It wasn’t exactly a normal breakup.”

“That makes sense, given that your relationship was hardly normal.”

Nina could only nod in agreement, pulling a pillow onto her lap to hug it.

“Do you want to talk about it?” her mom went on. When Nina didn’t answer right away, she tried again. “It just seemed like you and Jeff were so happy together. I can’t understand what came between you.”

It wasn’t what came between us, Nina thought, but who. The glamorous, insidious Daphne Deighton, getting what she wanted, just like always.

Nina took a breath and told her parents everything that had happened.

When she finished, her mamá’s face was mottled with anger. “How dare she. I always knew there was something off about that girl—what a little—”

“I feel sorry for her,” her mom cut in. “She’s clearly lost sight of reality.”

Nina nodded. “That’s what makes her so dangerous. There’s nothing she won’t do in order to get what she wants.”

“Let me get this straight,” Isabella went on, pulling one leg up to cross it over the other. “You’re giving up, just because Jeff’s terrible ex-girlfriend cornered you in a bathroom and said some nasty things?”

“I’m not giving up. I’m just sick of it all: the paparazzi attention, the way the palace kept butting into our relationship. The fact that I had to dress differently if I wanted to be with him. Everything Daphne said was simply the icing on the cake.”

Her parents’ eyes met over her head. Nina could practically feel their indecision, the silent messages crossing and colliding between them.

“Nina, I would be lying if I said we were thrilled when you first told us that you and the prince were dating,” her mamá began—which was a generous way to phrase it, given that they’d found out from the tabloids. “But it was also clear to us that you and Jeff really cared about each other. That kind of feeling doesn’t come along very often. It’s worth fighting for, worth defending. Especially from people like Daphne.”

Nina shifted. “Fight Daphne? You don’t understand what she’s like.”

“Oh, Nina. I’ve gone up against the Daphne Deightons of the world a thousand times over.” Isabella let out a mournful sigh. “You think your mom and I don’t know how it feels, being told that we aren’t good enough, that we don’t belong? I am a gay Latina woman in a position of enormous power in the king’s administration. That has won me far more enemies than it has friends. Every day I face people like Daphne—people who fight dirty, who think that they are entitled to anything in the world that they want, simply because they can reach their greedy hands out and take it.”

“Exactly!” Nina exclaimed. “How on earth can I win against someone like that? Fight fire with fire?” The thought of trying to out-manipulate Daphne was daunting. No way could Nina wage that kind of social warfare.

“Of course not.”

Julie combed her fingers through Nina’s hair: a soft, distracted gesture. “Your mamá and I look to each other to stay grounded. People like Daphne—who walk around the world hurting others, hiding their real selves—those people are the unlucky ones. You can’t worry about them. All you can do is be yourself, wholly and unapologetically. You don’t have to change for anyone, not even for a prince. And if Jefferson doesn’t love you just as you are, then he isn’t the young man I thought he was,” she added softly.

Nina shook her head. “I don’t know …. Jeff and I said some pretty harsh things to each other.” Hadn’t she called him shallow and selfish?

“Oh, sweetheart. Someday you’ll understand that words are just that—words. They can hurt, but they can also heal.”