I woke alone to the same thing as at the golf course: a full breakfast tray set out, filling the room with delicious smells. But this time, there was no Aiden. And no golf course greens or ocean view. Snow was falling on the grounds around the estate with the beautiful mountains serving as the background.

Climbing from the bed, I checked my phone to see if Aiden had messaged me, but all I had was a text from Carter telling me to be strong and that I had to go running even here, on vacation.

If only he knew what this vacation was like. I wished he were here.

But I couldn't feel sorry for myself, not after seeing the king.

Aiden and his siblings were suffering.

And on top of it, Aiden had an ex-sister-in-law trying to weasel her way into his bed. A mother who wanted that. A dying father. A complicated relationship with a girl who lived a helicopter, a jet, and a short car ride away. And, as of tonight, a country that hadn’t been a country for very long. The world was watching, waiting to see what the small wealthy nation the size of a large city would do.

I stared out the window, enjoying the view of the snow lightly falling on the grounds below as people scurried, just as they had the night before, busy with preparations for a huge celebration.

A celebration I couldn't muster excitement for.

Deciding not to dwell on it, I ate and dressed quickly, checking on everyone else with texts. But no one responded.

Linna was likely still sleeping. Jess was probably with Johan, which I assumed meant we weren’t going to see her anytime soon. Maybe all day. Bea and Dee were with their parents at their own lodges. And Aiden wasn’t replying. I decided to go and find him, see if we could hang out a little bit before everything started.

When I left the room, a server girl curtseyed to me from where she stood across from my door, like maybe she was watching it.

I didn’t know how to respond. Did I curtsey back?

Deciding to just be cool, and not curtsey, I smiled at her and headed for Aiden’s room. Though he probably wouldn’t still be sleeping, I hoped he would be there. I didn’t want to go downstairs and face everyone else, nor was I prepared for his mother or Alex. Not on my own.

Fortunately, Dad and Hattie were flying in this morning, though they’d had some flight delays out of Canada. They wouldn't be great backup right away; they would need to sleep, particularly Dad. The jet lag from the West Coast of the US would be murder, and everyone needed to be ready for the coronation at six that evening. Right before the mass service at the church.

Mary had messaged me the itinerary, it was savage. Full mass. I’d had to Google how long it would be. I almost died when I saw it was over an hour. And the itinerary said the day started early.

Everyone was expected downstairs and ready for the light luncheon at noon.

After that there was an afternoon planned with ladies from the family and friends who had come to see Aiden become king. The men would be spending their afternoon with important dignitaries.

Then we would all return to our rooms and get ready for the coronation. And attend the church, watch the ceremony, endure a full mass, and then back to the mansion for food, drinks, and a Christmas ball. Aiden would be king and his father would be able to live his last months or years, whichever he had, in peace. He would advise Aiden and shadow him to ensure he was a good king. But the responsibility of the country and the demands of government wouldn’t be his. They would be Aiden’s, which meant my life would change.

No, not my life, my relationship.

I passed another servant girl, standing along the wall in the hallway, who also curtseyed. It was crazy they curtseyed for everyone. What a weird way to live in a busy mansion, bobbing every time you saw someone you thought might be important.

The far wing of the house, where the family’s rooms were, was a long and darker hallway, darker than the other parts of the house, decorated in a rich and traditional style with portraits and tapestries and heavy curtains.

The hall was as wide as a living room back home and decorated with tables and chairs lining the wall.

The huge painting of Aiden made me stop and take notice. He was gorgeous, even in oil. The painting captured the mischief and emotion in his eyes. I was almost jealous of the person who painted it, knowing they had sat for hours and hours, forcing him to stand there so they could just look at him. So they could see every angle and secret and thought. Whoever painted it saw him. Aiden was deep and thoughtful, his eyes always haunted by something, and they took you on a tour of the subject every time you made the mistake of staring too deeply.

My heart fluttered as I turned and walked to where the door to his room was. It was ajar, open just a crack. I lifted my hand to knock but heard voices, his and maybe his sister’s.

“You’re beautiful. Of course not,” Aiden said, sounding almost defensive.

I peered through the crack but was unable to see so I pushed the door open a little more, surprised to find Aiden and Alex standing in the large picture window of his room. She was barefoot, wearing nothing but a thin pale pink slip, like lingerie for sleeping. He was dressed for the day. Two breakfast plates sat on the table. Two glasses of orange juice. Two chairs.

He ate breakfast with her like that?

She said something quietly, I didn't hear it, then lifted her hands to his chest and stood on her tiptoes, brushing her lips against his.

They kissed as snow drifted past the window.

My mouth fell open.

They kissed.

I stepped back, stumbling almost.

They kissed.

Not sure what to do with it, I turned away. My heart raced and my mouth dried and soured at the same time. I was genuinely going to be sick. I ran, not caring how noisy I was, back to my room and burst through the door, rushing for the toilet, barely making it. All my breakfast came back as dry-eyed sobs heaved from me.

There were no tears, not yet.

I was still in shock.

How could he do this to me?

Why invite me if he was going to secretly be with her?

None of it made sense.

“Fin?” Linna called from the room but I couldn't answer. I heaved again.

“Fin?” She came into the bathroom, rubbing my back. “Oh shit, dude, you’re not pregnant, right?”

I gagged, shaking my head. “Alex,” was all I got out as I heaved.

“She poisoned you?”

“Kiss.” I retched again.

“She kissed you? Girl, don't be so homophobic.”

“Aiden!” My voice cracked as a switch turned off. My gagging ended, my eyes flooded, and the rage tears took over. I sobbed, hanging on to the toilet.

“What? Are you serious? You’re serious? Aiden and Alex kissed? You saw it?”

I managed a pathetic nod as she wiped my face.

“You saw them kiss?”

“I saw.” I shook with rage and pain and hatred. “She was we-wearing a nightie, like a sexy one.”

“Where?”

“His room. They just finished breakfast, and he said she was beautiful and they kissed.” I lost it again, crying so hard I wound up gagging.

“I’m gonna end her. I’m legit going to jail, right now!” She turned and left the room, leaving me with spit hanging from my lips and tears flooding my face.

I closed my eyes and prayed this was a bad dream. A terrible one.

It was impossible.

“Wait.” Linna walked back into the bathroom. “Tell me again, explain it exactly as it happened from the time you woke.” She leaned on the doorframe.

I stuttered and shivered my way through the agonizing details.

“You know what? This is a scheme.” Linna rinsed water on my facecloth. “She’s a devious bitch and this is her plan. She ended up in his room and kissed him on purpose. She set you up. Those little maids curtseying were spies. This is a setup. It’s too perfectly timed. And if we attack like the savage Americans we are, we fall right into that ho’s plan. No.” She knelt beside me, wiping my face clean, as only a true friend would.

A light dinged on.

There was a serious chance Linna was right.

What did I know for sure?

Alex was a scheming bitch. Aiden was an idiot when it came to her, always giving her the benefit of the doubt. And the queen had planned that photo shoot, so she wasn't above doing things to make it seem like Alex and Aiden had something going on.

“You are gonna get changed and I’ll do your makeup, and we’re gonna pretend this never happened.”

“Dude, I can’t—”

“You freakin’ well can. And you will. She set you up.” Linna’s eyes were wide. “He loves you, Fin. I might not be a fan of the whole royal family bullshit, but that guy loves you.” Her words made sense but one thing didn’t.

“She was in a silk nightgown, and they ate breakfast together and kissed in the window and the snow was falling. And it’s his coronation day. He ate with her on his coronation day, knowing she is trying to get him.”

“I know but there has to be an explanation.” Linna winced. There wasn't much explaining that could fix that. “I’m telling you now, this has ‘Alex the scheming ho’ written all over it. With a side of ‘Aiden is a moron but he loves you’ explanation. And you can’t make a scene. Everyone wants you to fail, Fin. And this is the start of the ‘Make Fin Fail’ Olympics with Her Majesty hosting the show.”

“You’re right.” I sighed and let her finish cleaning me. It was painful to admit it and to remain calm. My heart was wounded, my pride was bruised, and my trust was flaking away. But there was definitely a chance this was her plan.

“Get in the shower, start over. Pretend this never happened. I’m gonna go get Jess,” she said hurriedly and left.

Alex was going low, I needed to go high. I needed to be better than her. Even though every inch of me wanted blood.

Stripping my clothes off, I had a shower and washed my hair again. When I got out, Jess, Mary, and Linna were all there.

“Yeah, dude, she’s up to something,” Jess agreed as she blow-dried my hair. “She is setting you up to ruin this coronation.”

“She totally is,” Linna muttered, delicately adding fake lashes.

“And you’re not going to do that. Instead you’re going to be the perfect girlfriend. And you’re going to wear this,” Mary came out of my closet with a gorgeous sparkly three-quarter-sleeve indigo colored boat-neck top. She laid it out delicately and placed a long black knit pencil skirt next to it with thick tights and knee-high, high-heeled black boots.

They dressed me like I was a child, which ironically fit the situation because I really wanted to be a child about the whole thing.

“I wouldn't put it past Mother or Alex for this. And I know my brother. He loves you, Fin. He’s an idiot, but he loves you.” Mary smiled as she clasped the diamond bracelet around my wrist. “And now you look so hot, he won’t even remember Alex in her stupid nightgown.”

They made it sound easy and simple and solved. I could pretend it was. But it wasn't. I could act like I didn't care, but I did.

And the act was hard, even when we got downstairs and Aiden’s eyes widened, seeing me with my hair long in soft curls and my makeup done to perfection, or my collarbones showing, one of his favorite spots. By the look on his mother’s face, the outfit was impeccably chosen. Wintery and beautiful, classy and yet the pencil skirt showed off the curves I’d managed to tone a bit in the last six weeks.

Alex was no slouch though. And she was standing next to Aiden, her hand resting on his arm. No doubt, this was also timed appropriately. The girl either had every member of the staff on her side or she was psychic.

Aiden walked away from her and his mother, crossing the room to me with a look on his face I wished I could have captured, frozen, had painted. It was amazing until he said the same thing he’d said to Alex. “You are beautiful.”

My fingers balled as I swallowed the lump of rage.

He pressed his lips against the side of my face, smelling like home and tricking me into a lie about how I felt about him in that moment.

Alex’s eyes stayed on us, pleasure dripped from her soft smile, almost as if she knew I’d seen the kiss. Did she know I saw? Were the maids spies? Was it all a setup?

“Brother,” Mary didn't offer him an ounce of kindness. Her tone was dripping in something too. Something rotten.

“Aiden,” Linna added fuel to that fire.

Jess didn't speak to him.

“What was that about?” he asked, following them across the room with his gaze.

“Nothing,” I lied. I was giving him the chance to tell me what happened on his own. And I was giving him the day as a hall pass. It was his coronation and I wouldn’t ruin it. Not the way they planned on me doing.

And, fortunately, I didn't have to spend much time with him, so there was minimal salt rubbed into my wounds.

He spent the entire morning and luncheon visiting and pretending everything was fine. He never tried to get me alone or pry into why the cold shoulder was coming from everyone in the far corner, particularly Bea. Once everyone knew, she was next-level angry, sort of chilling at an eleven which was different for the English. Bea was pissed and vibing, but she wouldn't make a scene. Even Dee’s husband, Mark, was angry.

Alex and the queen avoided us, implying guilt as far as Mary was concerned. And Johan made several comments about the behavior around the mansion when I wasn't here. By the end of lunch, no one defended Aiden and I felt worse.

Hattie and Dad arrived as lunch was being put away, both looking exhausted. I hurried to where they were, hugging them both and breathing in some much needed love. “I’m so pumped you’re here.” I kissed Dad on the cheek. “Alex and the queen are giving Sheila a run for her money.”

Dad’s eyes drifted across the room. “Are you all right?”

“I’m okay.” I smiled politely and led them to the grand staircase. “It doesn't matter right now. What does matter is you two need to nap. The coronation starts at six. We all have to be at the church for five forty. And the ceremony goes for like half an hour to an hour. Then a full Catholic mass, which is going to be like a year long. Then we have food and a Christmas ball. So get upstairs, they’ve scheduled you a three-hour nap. I’ll come wake you for four so you can get ready.”

“All right.” Dad kissed me wearily.

“May I have everyone’s attention? Ladies,” the queen announced, interrupting our chat. “The men are going to the den, and I’m inviting the ladies into the parlor for champagne and cakes.”

“Yeah, I don't think I can tolerate this champagne and cakes nonsense. I’ll see you after my nap,” Hattie grumbled and turned away, heading for the stairs.

“Marcella.” I waved to the servant girl I recognized. I assumed she was assigned to me. She was always nearby. “Can you take them to their rooms? This is my great-aunt Hattie and my father, Frank.”

“Of course.”

“Love you, kid. You look stunning, by the way.” Dad leaned in. “Be careful, Fin,” he whispered and left me there.

When I turned around, the men were leaving, filtering through the grand dining room to the den.

Aiden was glowing. His eyes didn't do the thing they normally did and whisper about the agony he was having with the circumstances. He looked excited.

That made one of us.