Peach

“Oh my god, you’re here.”

I launch myself at Joey before she’s even made it into the palace. We’re in the portico where Papaya and Meemaw and I first arrived with Viktor, but this time, the staff are all familiar, and Fred’s only with us because Papaya couldn’t wait to show him to Gracie.

“Nice stone,” Zeus says behind her. “Joey, we should buy a castle too.”

“We are not—”

“Aw, c’mon, babe. Gracie and Peach have castles. We could get a moat. And when we have kids, they’d have to do moat races. And pull up the drawbridge before they get to go to bed at night. And we could have jousting in the field, and—”

Manning shoves him, which is like shoving a small castle, because Zeus doesn’t move. “Castles are worthless without secret passages,” Manning announces.

“Aw, fuck, yeah.”

Gracie shoves him from the other side. “Watch your mouth around the baby.”

Sophie’s sleeping in her baby carrier, and I take one look at her and almost burst into tears. “She’s so big.”

She’s bundled up and wrapped six ways to Sunday, but her cheeks are chubby and her hair is getting so thick and long and I swear her head’s twice as big as it was.

“You should see her thighs,” Gracie says proudly.

“Rolls and rolls of baby fat,” Manning agrees, equally proudly.

I lead them into the castle, which has gotten a superficial cleaning and still doesn’t sparkle, but doesn’t seem so run-down either.

“Wow, this is…”

“Charming and full of personality,” I finish for Gracie.

Joey snorts. “Lead me to a heart toilet. I need to—”

“Gah, keep it to yourself,” Gracie interrupts.

We get them settled—there are guest rooms in a separate wing of the castle, closer to the ballroom and the formal dining room—and I pull them all into the private apartment and introduce them to Viktor’s family.

He’s off doing king things, because that’s all he ever does.

King things.

Until family time every evening, when he pulls off his tie and joins us for dinner and challenges Papaya to mancala or chess or one of the numerous other board games Alexander and Samuel keep slipping into the family room.

And that’s before he takes me to bed.

While Viktor’s mum and Samuel fuss over Sophie, Manning, and Zeus disappear with Papaya.

Probably debating if they could actually swing from the heart chandelier in the atrium.

“How bad’s the dress?” Joey asks me as we settle across the room at a game table by one of the windows overlooking the courtyard.

“It’s bad,” I whisper. “There’s so much white lace you’d think I was the second coming of the Virgin Mary.”

“I make that mistake with you all the time.”

We both dissolve in a fit of snort-laughs.

“I miss you,” I tell her when we’re done.

“I fucking miss you too,” she replies, “but you’re doing serious good shit here.”

I roll my eyes. Not because she’s wrong, but because I’m afraid to admit how much it feels good knowing that I’m making a difference. The two major banks have already started special programs to help small business owners, I talked Viktor into using some royal family money to establish a scholarship fund for low-income students, and after hearing a heartbreaking story at a formal dinner from a woman who lost her son, I had my secretary help me put together a commission to study mental health facilities in Amoria. It’s already proceeding with a plan to get virtual resources to remote villages. I don’t know if the internet makes us more stressed and is adding to the anxiety in the world, or if it just helps make us more aware of it, but I know that a healthier, happier nation improves everything for all of us.

“I’m just keeping busy since you keep taking my jobs away,” I tell Joey.

“You’re doing something bigger than Weightless.”

“It’s been a good opportunity to spread my wings,” I acknowledge. “So when I come back—”

She cuts me off with a dark look.

“Okay, yes, Papaya’s doing really well,” I whisper. For the most part. She’s still having problems here and there, and the language barrier is still frustrating her, but seeing a new part of the world and having consistency has been good for her. “But I’m still coming back.”

“What about Viktor?” she asks.

My pulse surges into panic mode. “He’s been meeting with the Prime Minister to work out a new succession plan because this whole marriage thing is ridiculously outdated. So—”

“I meant you and Viktor, not the kingdom and Viktor.”

“I—” I don’t know. I don’t know. I know he’s patient and steady and ridiculously perfect. He confessed last week that he used to dabble in writing, and had a mystery novel almost finished, but hadn’t had time to look at it or even think about it, and he was so crazy adorable with the way the tips of his ears went red while he was telling me.

But he’ll always be king first.

Just like he was always Manning’s bodyguard first.

Joey squeezes my shoulder. “It’s a leap worth taking,” she tells me. “And I wouldn’t be here if I thought he was bad for you.”

“He’s a good man.” Damn tears are threatening to swell up again. “But why would he want to saddle himself with me for the rest of his life?”

“Don’t diminish yourself to make excuses for being afraid to fall in love,” Joey growls.

“I—” I start.

She cuts me off with a poke to the shoulder. “Just don’t.”

I don’t argue.

Mostly because I know it’s pointless. She’ll outstubborn me almost every time.

But also because maybe, just maybe, I’m starting to believe Viktor could be man enough to love me despite me.

And I still don’t know what that means for my future, except that it would mean never working with Joey again.