It takes maybe a couple of hours to reach Nolan’s lake house, which I find kind of funny. I know that Polovia is a relatively small country, but that just underscores how tiny it really is. I think it’s the size of Pennsylvania at best.

Nolan’s house is at the top of a hill overlooking a beautiful, crystal clear lake. I don’t think I’ve ever seen anything like it. I can literally see fish swimming around from the top of the water, and everything is so clear. It’s like stepping into glass, except it’s cold and it’s wet.

The house itself is beautiful. He calls it a cabin, but it’s definitely not a freaking cabin. It’s a very modern style, a lot like the Frank Lloyd Wright houses, with low, sloped roofs and lots of glass for natural light. It’s built into the side of the peak, with natural rocks jutting up through the floor. It’s obviously the kind of place a prince would own.

“Unpack and get settled,” Nolan says. “I have a little work to do.”

I laugh at that. “Work? You? I thought you just lazed around and looked pretty all day.”

He winks at me. “Glad to know you think I’m pretty. But I have some calls to make.”

“Have fun,” I say, waving as he disappears down a back hallway.

I start to slowly explore the cabin, and it turns out that “cabin” really isn’t the word for it. There’s a main room with couches, bookshelves, rugs and tapestries all tossed around to make the place seem very comfortable. The walls are pretty much big glass panels overlooking the gorgeous clear lake. There’s a large, modern kitchen, and a few rooms toward the back that I don’t explore.

Upstairs are a few more rooms. One looks like it’s a listening room, with some turntables and other stuff plus tons of vinyl records. I guess they didn’t get CDs in Polovia just yet. I linger in there and run my fingers along the spines of the records before heading back down the hall. There are three bedrooms, two full baths, and finally the master bedroom. It’s enormous, with its own bathroom, and the bed is at least a king size. I jump onto it, laughing to myself, wondering how the hell I got so lucky.

On the right of the bed, there’s a little control panel. I don’t recognize the words in Polovian, so I start hitting buttons. First, the shades rise up, opening the windows. Next, the closet doors all open up, which makes me laugh. I don’t know why someone would need a button to open some doors. Finally, a huge television descends from the ceiling and turns on.

I laugh and shake my head but I don’t keep hitting buttons. I’m afraid I’ll blow up the freaking house by mistake. Instead, I put my hands behind my back and sink down into the comfortable bed, letting myself relax.

I feel like my life is finally going somewhere. After college, I started drifting, and since I didn’t get along with my family, I ran away to Europe. And in Europe, I just went from city to city, taking odd jobs to get some extra cash, but mostly just living off my savings, doing nothing but touring and having fun.

Now though, I have a purpose. It’s an odd purpose, one I never thought I’d have, but I’m married. I’m part of a family. And I have a man like Nolan.

Something on television catches my attention. A picture of me flashes on screen, which makes me frown. I know that I’ve been in the news lately. It would be weird if I weren’t. I just married one of the most famous bachelors in Polovia, and not to mention a prominent member of their ruling family. Polovians take their royals seriously, so of course they’re going to gossip about me.

They’re saying terrible things, or at least the stuff that I can understand is pretty bad. I try not to listen to most of it, since it’s all just slander. But this segment catches my attention.

It’s on a news channel called Tiger News. It says something under my picture, which I don’t recognize. The segment cuts to a talking head guy who looks into the camera and starts speaking in serious but fast Polovian. Another face appears, and I think they’re arguing.

I’ve been understanding Polovian better ever since I started taking lessons, but I’m still new. I can only catch a little bit, but they seem really serious, and they keep saying one word over and over again. It’s a word I’ve never seen before.

I can’t pull myself away from the segment. It goes on and on, and they even have pictures of Nolan and I together. It’s bizarre and terrifying to see myself on TV, but even weirder that they’re being so serious about it. The one guy seems really angry, in fact, and he keeps saying things about the royal family. They keep saying that word, over and over, and apparently I am whatever that word means.

Not long later, Nolan appears in the doorway. “I was hoping you wouldn’t see that,” he says softly.

I cock my head at him. “What are they calling me?” I ask him.

He sighs and walks over. “This is partly what I was dealing with on the phone.”

“It’s serious, whatever it is,” I say. “They’re really, really unhappy.”

“They’re calling you a spy,” he says.

I hesitate a second before laughing. “Are you serious?”

“I’m serious,” he says, smiling sadly. “They say they have a document that proves you were hired by the State Department seven years ago.”

I stare at him like he’s insane. “But I was sixteen seven years ago,” I say. “I was in freaking high school. I didn’t even get my driver’s license until I turned eighteen.”

“I know,” he says. “Well, not about the license. That’s pretty old, isn’t it?”

“I’m a bad driver,” I say, waving him away. “That’s not the point.”

“It’s a fake,” he says. “I have people looking into it. And I was just downstairs, trying to speak with some supporters to calm them down. It seems that most people see through this bullshit.”

“And yet they keep saying it.” I watch as more people join the duo on screen to argue about whether or not I’m a spy, which is mind-blowing. “I was working at an ice cream store when I was sixteen, not at the State Department.”

He sighs and pulls me toward him. “I know,” he says. “You’re my princess, not a spy. This is Julian’s doing.”

“How?” I ask. “How can he have this kind of power?”

“I don’t know how,” I admit. “He’s been surveilling the castle for some time. Maybe he has some blackmail on the head of the network. But either way, it’s him, and we’ll do what we can to fight it.”

“I’m so sorry,” I say to him, suddenly realizing how bad this probably is. “You’re trying to win over your father and to get your crown, but I’m not helping.”

“No,” he says. “You’re helping.”

“I’m a distraction. A foreign distraction.” I climb out of bed and walk over to the window. “Why are we even doing this?”

He stands up slowly. “You know why. I need a wife and a child. You can give me both.”

“You can get that from someone else. Why me, Nolan?” I stare into his eyes, not understanding.

I’m pulling him down. I’m a liability. I’m some foreigner married to a royal in a country that hates foreigners. Of course they’re up in arms. Of course they’re calling me a spy and a whore. What else could we have expected?

“It’s you because I want it to be you,” he says sternly. “Stop questioning me.”

“Questioning you?” I laugh at him. “This is serious, Nolan.”

“I know it is. You need to trust me.”

I bite my lower lip, annoyed at the situation. I know it’s not his fault and yet I’m mad at him for choosing me. I seem like such a dumb decision on his part, and I don’t know why he won’t just let me go and find someone better suited.

“Let me help at least,” I say. “We can do something to combat this. Release a statement or something.”

“We already did,” he says. “There’s nothing you need to do. Just relax here and enjoy the stay.”

I stare at him. “We’re here because of this story, aren’t we?”

He hesitates. “No,” he says.

“You’re lying.” I shake my head in disbelief. “You think it’s too dangerous back in the castle.”

“Hazel,” he says. “Please, stop.”

“No, you stop.” I can feel myself getting worked up, but I can’t stop it. “This whole thing is insane. People think I’m some kind of foreign spy and a whore, and you’re supposed to get me pregnant. What the hell am I supposed to do?”

“Hazel.” He steps toward me, but I back away.

“Just stop, okay? Just stop. I need a second.”

He nods and watches as I take some deep breaths, trying to calm the panic that I know is swelling inside of me. I can’t lose it right now. I’ve been holding it together throughout this insane situation this whole time, and I can’t let myself suddenly lose it just because they’re calling me a traitor and a spy on top of everything else. It’s just another drop in the already deep bucket, I should be fine.

But for some reason, I don’t feel fine. Being in this place suddenly feels dangerous. He clearly took me from the castle because of this story, and I’m betting it’s because he thinks my life is in danger if we stay there. That freaking terrifies me. I didn’t sign up for something that could get me killed.

Hell, I didn’t know what I was signing up for. I guess I thought it would be a grand adventure. Difficult, once I got pregnant, but I thought I’d work it out. Now I’m realizing how silly I am and stupid and shallow. I thought it would be fun, but this is serious.

This is the future of a country, and I’m right in the middle of it.

“I just need some time,” I say to him finally.

“I’ll leave you alone.” He turns to leave.

“Wait, just tell me the truth. We came here to keep me safe, didn’t we?”

He hesitates at the door. “Yes,” he says before leaving and shutting the door behind him.

I sit back down on the bed and stare at the floor for a few minutes. Finally, I crawl up toward the control panel and turn the damn television off. I don’t need to keep hearing about how I’m a spy and a whore.

At least he told me the truth, so I guess there’s that. But I don’t like the truth. I wish I could go back to a couple of days ago, when I didn’t feel like I was ruining an entire country forever, just because I am who I am.

I don’t know what to do, so I wrap myself in a blanket and I pretend that I don’t exist, at least for a little while. Once I’ve calmed down, we’ll talk this through and figure it out. But for now, I’m spinning out, and I don’t know how I’m going to stop.