Max could feel his father’s eyes prying into the back of him, watching every decision he made as he glanced through the documents in front of him. The king had insisted Max work alongside him to make sure he was prepared for when he took his place as the head of state for Triola.

Max, on the other hand, would have much preferred to simply relax in his suite, have gone to play cards at the local gentleman’s club, or to spend time with a couple of the noblewomen.

“You missed that one,” his father pointed out a section in one document regarding the repairs to several of the bridges in the capital’s heart. “When you go through the briefings about public work projects, you need to make sure you read every part. There can be crucial parts we need clarification on before we approve them.”

“Yes, Father,” Max said with a nod of his head. Though he would rather be anywhere else, a small part of Max still wanted to impress his father and show him he could handle the workload of being king.

“Once we are finished with this, we will travel over to Grace Memorial Hospital. A new children’s wing has opened, and they asked for the royal family to make an appearance.” 

“Good thing I wore a suit today, rather than coming to work with you in sweats and a t-shirt.”

His father made a disapproving grunt under his breath before saying, “I hope for your sake you’re joking. It’s bad enough you’re constantly photographed with a myriad of trashy women, but at least you always manage to get photographed looking appropriately dressed.”

Max found it amusing his father drew the line at wearing casual clothing. Thank goodness he didn’t know all the other things Max had done that he would consider far worse.

“Is that why you want me to come today? To help clean up my image?” Max questioned, though he already knew the answer.

“Yes, our primary focus over the next two months is to restore the public’s trust in you. That way, when we announce your engagement to Lady Liliana, it will help solidify your re-branding.”

“Whatever you think best,” Max muttered under his breath, resolving himself to accept his father’s commands for the time being. Hopefully over the next two months, he could find a way out from his arranged engagement. He had no desire to be married to Lily.

A half hour later, the royal family arrived at the hospital. As their chauffeur pulled into the reserved parking spot for their limo, Max prepared himself for the paparazzi that would be waiting. They would expect their arrival and target him. He had no desire to answer more questions about Starla or his lifestyle. Max simply wanted to get this appearance over and retreat to the safety of the palace.

“I shouldn’t have to remind you to be on your best behavior,” his father stated, making it clear he expected Max not to mess up the beginning of his redemption tour.

“I will make sure to turn on the charm in all the right ways,” Max affirmed. “Believe me, I want this to go smoothly just as much as you do.” Max knew the sooner he got the public back on his side, the sooner he could get back to living his life the way he wanted. 

The king, queen, and crown prince all exited the limo, claps and cheers echoing around them. Mixed among them though, were a few boos and nasty comments directed Max’s way. Perhaps getting everyone to overlook his choices would be more difficult than Max thought. 

“You’re disgracing Triola by being with that tramp singer,” one woman shouted. “You should be ashamed of yourself.”

The crowd hurled several more insults at him as he made his way to the platform. Max didn’t easily embarrass, but the public’s reaction made Max uncomfortable. He suddenly wished he hadn’t been forced to come to this appearance, but knew he had to make do until he could leave.

What upset Max the most though, was the fact he did not understand why everyone was so upset with him. He knew the tabloids and news outlets had been harsh, but he honestly thought it was to drum up business. He didn’t realize it was what the public thought of him as well.

As he climbed the steps to the top of the platform, his eyes caught familiar faces. Apparently, his father had invited the Lockharts to attend the event. Not surprising, since he had made it clear Lily would be a constant presence to get the public used to seeing them around one another. 

Someone from the crowd shouted another unflattering remark about Max. Lily’s eyes momentarily darted over to him. She had a look of pity on her face before she quickly averted her attention to the king who was taking his place in front of the podium. 

Max wasn’t sure what to make of Lily’s reaction. Part of him was grateful she cared, but a bigger part of him didn’t want to be pitied, let alone by the woman he was being forced to marry. If for no other reason than to change Lily’s image of him, he wanted to sway the public to his side again.

“Good afternoon, my fellow Triolans, I am grateful to be here with all of you to celebrate the opening of the Grace Memorial Hospital Children’s Wing. For too long, Triola’s sick children have had no place of their own to go, but with state-of-the-art equipment, the finest doctors and nurses, and a completely modern facility, that will no longer be the case. Moving forward, these children,” he gestured to the youth sitting on the platform behind him—a couple held crutches in their laps, a few sat without hair (a trademark of cancer) and one in a wheelchair, “will have a place where their voices can be heard, where they can feel valued, and where they can receive the best care in the world.”

There was clapping and cheering around the outdoor venue, and for a few moments—Max’s past was not the focus of the day. Though he knew it wouldn’t last, he was grateful to have even a short reprieve. 

Lily’s attention should have been on the king as he finished his speech, but she couldn’t keep her eyes from drifting to the back of Max. He was holding up respectably, despite the negative beginning to the afternoon. When the people first screamed at him, Lily had felt bad for Max, but it quickly changed to admiration as she watched him. 

Having the constant barrage of insults would have broken lesser men, but Max had held himself upright and refused to let them crack his veneer. She found that rather attractive, but of course, didn’t want him to know that.

The royal family, along with the Triola nobility and politicians, made their way into the lobby of the children’s hospital for the reception. The children’s wing had floor-to-ceiling glass windows that allowed the natural light to flood the area. There were a few dozen tables set up around the area, which included a table filled with an array of delicate desserts. Waiters were weaving in and out of the crowd, handing out appetizers and drinks to the guests.

“You need to find a way to put yourself next to the Crown Prince,” her mother urged, discreetly gesturing towards Max. 

“I can’t very well march myself up there and plant myself next to him,” Lily countered, not liking the way her mother insisted she press herself on Max.

“Well, you shouldn’t do it that way, but if you slowly work your way over to his side, it can be done in a natural way.”

Lily let out a heavy sigh as she shook her head. “Mother, I don’t know why you are acting like it’s so important. You’ve gotten what you’ve always wanted; I’m engaged to the Crown Prince.”

“Unofficially,” her mother leaned in and whispered. “That can change in an instant if you don’t keep yourself relevant. A better option can come along and steal him right out from under you. It’s your job to make sure that doesn’t happen.”

Time, it seemed, had not tapered her mother’s desire for social advancement. It didn’t feel good to be a piece of bait on a hook to make her mother’s plans a reality.

“If you will excuse me,” Lily stated, moving away from her mother. Instead of heading towards Max though, Lily headed towards the restroom. She needed a break from everyone.

As she headed down the long glass corridor, she tried to muster up the courage to approach Max. The iciness between them had not thawed, and Lily wasn’t sure if it ever would. Perhaps she was doomed to be in a marriage in name only rather than find a way to have a true connection. She wasn’t naïve enough to hope for love, especially with Max, but she had hoped they could at least find a way to be friends. But over the past few days, their silent war had not ended. She saw no sign of a white flag on Max’s part.

Lily stepped into the restroom and made her way over to the counter. She glanced at herself in the mirror, knowing her appearance needed to be spot on for photos that were sure to follow. From the side, she heard three women enter the restroom. They were giggling and whispering between them. As they got closer, Lily realized they were talking about Max.

“I heard that Starla and Prince Maxwell are secretly married, and that he’s returned home to tell his parents,” one woman stated.

“No, that can’t be the case or she would be with him,” the second woman countered. “I think he’s home to help rule the kingdom. His father is getting older and probably needs the Crown Prince to pick up the slack.”

The third woman snorted as she rolled her eyes. “No way, Layla. Prince Maxwell can’t manage to be photographed without being drunk, let alone run an entire kingdom.”

Though part of her agreed with the women, there was no way she would stand by and let them bash Max. It was that type of gossiping that was causing negative reactions to Max and the royal family.

Lily turned around to face the other women. “I think all of you ladies are mistaken. I’m sure Prince Maxwell has returned for the right reasons.”

“And who do you think you are, exactly?” the second woman challenged, flipping her blonde hair over her shoulder. “You sure seem to think you may speak on the prince’s behalf.”

“Wait a minute, I recognize her. She was standing behind the prince during the ceremony,” the third black-haired woman stated. Turning her attention to look at Lily, she asked with curiosity, “What’s your connection to the royal family?”

 “I’m Lady Liliana Lockhart, the daughter of the Earl of Northrop. My father is an advisor to the king.”

“That means you know all sorts of privy information regarding the family. You can answer all the questions about why the prince has returned to Triola,” the second woman stated. “This will be perfect for my blog.” 

Lily hadn’t realized that she was talking to someone connected to social media. She needed to be extra careful with what she said. “I’m only at liberty to say that the Crown Prince has returned to reconnect with the people of Triola.”

“Well, he’s doing a lousy job so far,” the first girl stated with bitterness. “Over the past few years, he seemed more preoccupied with globetrotting around the world with celebrities than being our prince.”

“He came today after all,” Lily pointed out. “That has to count for something.”

“Right, he showed up and stood by quietly as his father handled everything. Sounds like the same old routine,” the second girl scoffed. “It’s clear the prince hasn’t changed.”

Lily had wondered the same thing. Was Max capable of change? She hoped he was, knowing that to make their marriage work, he would need to. Though she had her own concerns, she needed to do her part to convince the public Max was capable of change as both their futures depended on it.

“I know it seems that way, but you really should give the prince a chance to prove himself before passing further judgment on him,” Lily requested of the women.

 “What I’m finding interesting is how much you are defending him,” the second girl observed. “You mentioned your father’s connection, but we never got a straight answer from you what your connection is to the royal family, or more pointedly, the prince.”

“My family is part of the royal court, and therefore I spend time around the royal family,” Lily stated, before adding, “I have to be getting back. I hope all of you will enjoy the rest of the evening.”

Lily made her way back down the hallway, before she reached the lobby though, she heard laughter nearby. She followed the noise and noticed through the glass windows, Max was outside on the patio playing with several of the children who had been on the stage earlier in the day. 

He was playing his version of “Simon Says,” but instead was using the phrase, “The Prince Says.” 

“The prince says, clap your hands three times,” the children did as he commanded. 

“Crow like a rooster,” he said next.

Two of the children did it, and Max laughed as he shook his head. “Oh, no, I didn’t say the prince says. That means the both of you are out.”

All the children erupted in laughter, and Lily realized the kids were loving it. Without thinking, Lily quickly pulled out her phone and secretly started videoing the playtime. 

As she watched Max engage with the kids, she found herself smiling at how sweet he was with them. She hadn’t expected to see this side of him, and a small piece of her heart thawed towards him. 

After several minutes of recording him with the children, Lily quietly slipped away. She didn’t want to ruin their time together and figured it would be better to head back to the reception.

“Where have you been?” her mother asked with irritation as Lily reentered the lobby. 

“I visited the restroom,” Lily stated defensively. “I know you would like to have me under your thumb all the time, but I am a grown woman.”

“Then act like it,” her mother hissed. “Keep an eye on your fiancé.”

Lily knew exactly where Max was, but she also knew her mother would happily interrupt the time for her own agenda. Not wanting to do that to Max, Lily stated, “I’m sure he’ll be back at any moment.”

The rest of the royal family, along with the nobility in attendance, came together for photos. Max came rushing from down the hallway, tucking in his shirt with a frazzled look on his face.

As he approached the group, Lily overheard the king whisper to Max, “Please tell me your state of attire doesn’t mean you were doing something you shouldn’t have been.”

“You would think that,” Max stated with resentment, “but your assumption is wrong.”

Before Max could explain further, the photographer arranged everyone for the photos. 

After a dozen or so pictures were taken, Lily was finally free to stop smiling for the camera. She never realized her cheeks could hurt so much. 

Her mother was gesturing with her eyes for Lily to join Max. Realizing she could no longer avoid it, Lily resolved to do her mother’s biding. 

“Good afternoon, your Royal Highness,” Lily stated with a hesitant smile. 

“Good afternoon, Lady Liliana,” Max said in return. “I’m surprised to see you here today.”

“Believe me, it wasn’t my idea,” Lily assured him. “I was summoned to attend by the king and told by my parents to obey.”

“Sounds about right,” Max stated with a small chuckle. “I was under the same mandate.”

“It seems it will be the way of things for the foreseeable future.”

Max nodded. “I suppose we should resign ourselves to it.”

The photographer who was wandering around the reception taking candid pictures, asked them to turn to face him. Both of them did, and the photographer snapped away.

“I’m guessing we should get used to that,” Lily stated with distaste.

“You’re not really used to it, but it’s an everyday occurrence for me,” Max pointed out. “I’ll do my best to make it as painless as possible for you.” Noticing the king was gesturing for Max to come over, he said, “If you will excuse me, Lady Liliana. It seems the king is in need of me.”

As Lily watched Max walk away, she wondered if she was seeing a new side to Max, one that reminded her of the boy she fell in love with back in high school but had been buried so far down she had thought it had been a mirage. Could it be possible that Max was a good guy pretending to be a bad one?