Amy watched the crowds of people wave as their limo passed through the city center. Despite the tinted windows, she instinctively waved back. Lucio chuckled at her, but said nothing to discourage her.

They turned into the castle gate and her fiancé became more somber. She stilled at the thought. He was going to be hers, forever. She placed her hand over his and stared at his profile until the limo driver stopped at the front gate.

The white steps that led up to a lived-in castle with blue towers struck her. She’d lived in England all her life but it wasn’t like the queen had ever invited her inside for tea. Lucio waited until a servant opened his door and then said, "I'll see you to our room and then I must go find my parents and brothers."

She followed him out his door where he held his hand for her. Bright morning sun shone in her eyes. She squinted but followed him up the steps. At the door that also opened for them, she fixed her pearls. "Introduce me to the staff and they can show me up. Go to your parents."

He nodded with relief and guided her inside. "I'll find you the second we're done."

Her eyes adjusted and she took in the white-walled foyer with the red Persian carpets that had hard plastic overlay in case normal people like her walked this way.

There was something going on to her right that seemed like construction in the next room, but before she could ask, Lucio guided her toward the steps and a young brunette woman, dressed in a designer light blue pantsuit that was clearly made for her body type, complete with perfect makeup, coming down to meet them.

"This way?"

Amy gripped his hand as they climbed the first level of stairs. The woman met them on the level between the floors. Lucio performed the introductions. "Amy, this is Kristin." Amy straightened her spine. This was the new American princess. She blamed not recognizing her at first sight on the lack of caffeine. Lucio, ever the gentleman, continued, "Kristin, this is Amy, my fiancée." Amy held out her hand and clasped Kristin’s. Lucio finished, "Can you show her to my room while I go find my parents?"

Kristin nodded politely and said, "The king and queen are in the war room. I'm happy to show my future sister-in-law around the castle. Go."

Kristin sounded so very sure of herself. Lucio kissed Amy's cheek and released her hand. She watched while he proceeded up to the second floor. She turned her attention fully to the new princess and lowered her head with a slight curtsy. "Your Highness."

Kristin shook her head and linked her arm with hers. She guided her like they were to go up the stairs as well. "Kristin is fine. We're going to be family. I think your parents are around here somewhere. Once we get you to your room, they'll want an audience with you."

No one ever blocked her parents or formally called a family gathering, an audience. Amy allowed a slight smile and admitted while they went up the next flight of stairs, "I've never had an audience with my parents. This will be interesting, and please call me Amy."

Kristin beamed her acceptance and on the second floor, led her down a long hallway decorated with a few royal family portraits from a hundred years ago and crystal chandeliers. Amy kept pace. "Antonio told me that you knew Lucio in high school back in England. Did you know my husband or Marco?"

Amy nodded, though she wasn't as knowledgeable on Kristin's husband. She kept her voice low, like they shared a secret. "Marco was in my classes. He was always the one with the smart joke that the teacher never appreciated."

"That sounds like him." Kristin opened a door. Amy followed her inside Lucio’s den. It was sparsely decorated, but light green walls and the dark green bedspread made her immediately think man with class, which fit Lucio exactly. She went further into the room and turned around. Yes. This was all Lucio. The lack of furniture or fuss but the stereo in the corner was so him.

Kristin politely coughed. "Anything you remember about Antonio?"

The crown prince was a few years older and hadn't hung out in the library. Her parents had sent them to a prestigious school in order to mingle with the right people, but seniors never really spoke to freshmen. She felt her cheeks heat as no memory other than Antonio always wore a button down shirt came to mind. "Your Antonio seemed the most reserved out of the three Aussa brothers. He dressed the proper prince and never had a hair out of place."

Kristin let out a giggle. "Reserved? I'd give that label to Lucio to be honest. He's always been harder to read."

Amy went across the room and opened the balcony doors. Outside was still warm and inviting without being stifling. She turned around as memories of Lucio flooded through her. "Strange. Lucio was into hard rock and some rap and found a way to meet the bands. He was always cutting edge. I was so jealous the night he took my sister to the Foo Fighters. Lucio had slightly longer hair than his brothers then." The man who’d slept beside her was much more proper, but Amy remembered the bit of a rebel as she crossed her arms. "Now he's all military cut."

Kristin shrugged and grinned. "If you have pictures of any of them at the time, I'd love to see them."

She had all of high school documented. "I probably do. I’ve been making photo albums by year since I was little. It's a hobby. Give me a day and I'll see what I dig up."

"Sounds good. Thank you." Kristin tilted her head. "I'd love to have a cup of tea and get to know you more."

Her caffeine-starved body agreed. "You're speaking my language. We had no tea in the car."

Kristin slipped her cell phone from an interior pocket of her suit. "Renee will be upset if we don't invite her. Shall we meet on the balcony in five minutes? I'll get the staff to set everything up."

"Sounds lovely." Amy saw a servant cleaning a table outside on the balcony as if by telepathy. This life was her parents’ dream come true for her. She turned toward Kristin. "I don't know how to transition to being a princess. I never thought about it so I'd like to pick your brain a little."

"Sure thing," Kristin answered. "And it's not that bad. I never thought I'd be a princess, but his mother, Anna, makes it so much easier. She tells us what to do and we follow her orders."

A knock sounded at the door as Amy checked her hair in the mirror of the adjoining bathroom. "Who is it?"

Kristin went to open it and called out, "Renee. She wants to hear all about how her husband was the class clown."

Amy left the bathroom and tried not to stare at the dark-haired woman her age. Marco had married a beauty, too. The servants finished with setting up the tea and the three of them went outside. "I didn't say that exactly," Amy said for clarity. "I said Marco was extremely intelligent but slightly sarcastic on subjects that our straight-laced teacher didn’t pick up on or never understood—the rest of us laughed."

As the three ladies each took a seat and adjusted their napkins on their laps, Renee said, "We should warn you, Amy, that your sister is here and asking a lot of questions."

Evie, here? Did her parents think to give her groom to Evie? Her skin zapped as if prodded with an electric wire, but she picked up her tea cup without a giveaway tremble of her fingers. She could pretend to be unaffected, right? She sipped to fortify her nerves. "Evie is here already?"

Kristin's blush made Amy pause and take in every word. "Yes, with her fiancé. Michael seems to be the only one unaware that your sister is still interested in your Lucio. Now that we’ve met you, we thought it fair to warn you to be on guard."

Right. Evie had first dibs on Lucio and as a teenager, spoke about him every day to deliberately torment her. Amy had always stayed silent and let her sister have her way, but this time, her parents had sworn to back her up and keep Evie away.

Someone knocked at the door to her bedroom. Amy stared at both of them as Lucio wouldn't knock. "Could that be my parents?"

"Probably. They’ve been waiting to speak to you since your arrival yesterday, and then again this morning."

She didn’t regret yesterday. "We were only slightly delayed. The drive through the mountain hit a snag as a tourist bus went off road. Lucio went to help, but that was only twenty minutes off schedule."

"They wanted yesterday," Renee clarified.

Kristin and Renee finished their tea as a servant answered Lucio’s door. Amy heard her mother's sigh and stood, her knee bumping the table. Her nerves were a wreck.

Renee rose as well, dragging Kristin up with her. "We'll leave you all alone to catch up. It was lovely to chat with you."

Then both of the princesses reached out and hugged her. Amy assumed it was their American attitude but thanked them both. If she could have convinced them to stay, she would have, but she got the feeling that they’d already formed an unfavorable opinion about her folks.

A servant brought her parents to the balcony as the princesses left. A uniformed young woman changed the tea cups and cleaned the table. Amy pointed for them to both sit and they did so. Her mother’s gray hair was now chestnut brown and almost matched her father’s perfectly. They must have used the same bottle, but then she’d expect them to look spruced up as they were guests in a royal palace. A fresh pot of tea was placed on the table, and Amy scooted her chair further in. "Mother. Father. I heard Evie is here as well."

Her mother picked up a small scone and placed it on her plate. "We'll ensure she doesn't ruin your wedding."

Her heart hammered in her chest. This time, she had her parents and Lucio's promise, but the image of Evie kissing Lucio at the table beside her in the library replayed in her mind. Now that she'd kissed Lucio, she understood his appeal, which made her want him even more.

Evie could be major trouble, but Amy picked up her cup, had another sip and let the tea help bolster her courage. "And my potential happiness after the wedding?"

Again, her mother spoke, as if she was the family spokesman. "That's entirely your choice, dear, though we hope you live forever in love and happiness with Lucio."

Good. They were all on the same page. She picked up her tea cup. "You swore to give me time alone with Lucio. I wasn't expecting Evie here this fast."

Her father chimed in as the bedroom door opened. "We didn't think she'd be here either, but Evie believes you'll marry quickly and wanted to be here for it."

Amy understood better than her parents. Evie might not want to say it, but she didn't want Amy to marry Lucio, who waited now at the bedroom door. Amy looked into the haunted brown eyes of her fiancé, and prayed her sister made no trouble for either of them.

"Can you please excuse us? I need to speak to Lucio."

Her parents both stood as Amy walked into the bedroom and reached for Lucio’s hands. Whatever caused that look in his gaze, she'd help him. If they had any chance at a future, they had to work together. As his fingers closed around her hand, she felt more secure. They had to have their shot.