She entered San Vitali, her favorite designer. They had locations in Torren and in her country, and of course in Italy and Spain. Their clothes were highly sought after, and she loved them. She knew the head designer personally. It was her one weakness: beautiful clothes. Luckily her mother agreed with her. The queen of her small nation of Landrona viewed each of her children as emissaries for their land and wanted them dressed as well as possible wherever they went. Which suited Seraphina just fine. She turned in a circle and breathed deeply the San Vitali signature perfume.

“Princess Seraphina, we are so glad you are here.” A personal shopper approached with a bottle of water, offered to take her things, and led the way to her own personal dressing room. “I have gathered everything you requested.” She smiled. “Plus a few extras which I know you will appreciate.”

“Thank you Therese.” She’d known this shopper for years, requesting her whenever she was in town. “Do you know if Avani has a new Fall line ready?”

She placed a finger on her nose. “I will get you the exclusive catalog. One moment.”

“Thank you.” The Fall catalog was top secret until San Vitali did their big Fall reveal. But Seraphina always got an early preview.

She needed an outfit. Or rather five outfits, if she were to be Trane’s date at the Summit. The press would be shooting him from all angles and the idea that she and Trane might be back together would be snatched up immediately by all the paparazzi. Her image could be blasted far and wide. Call her vain, but she wanted to look good.

There would be a gala, a ball, dinner parties, and of course, the main ribbon cutting ceremony of Torren’s new salt water conversion plant. Not to mention the actual summit where world leaders from all over would be present, as well as every big name environmental organization in the world. Diving companies, marinas, shipping execs, all the major players were invited. And she thrilled that she would be there too, with her press tags, taking notes on it all. Somewhere in all of that, there had to be an award-winning story. And she wanted to tell it.

Her new friends, the environmental activists, wanted tickets to the event. Lunch had been interesting with them. The lobby group was small, just starting out, called themselves Eco Fresh. Really, she would love to help them find a good PR firm. Eco Fresh sounded a bit like a laundry detergent. But they seemed so sincere, so emphatic. She knew they would be tireless. She had seen the passion in their eyes. At one point the leader looked a bit too passionate, but weren’t they all just one step short of insane, all of those who cared anyway.

Her phone rang and her heart skipped a beat. “Trane.”

“You sound cheerful.”

“I’m at San Vitali.”

“Ah, shopping. How long will you be there?”

“Another hour or so.”

“Great, I’ll pick you up when you’re done.”

“Really?” She sounded like a teenager and she didn’t care.

“Yes, and I asked Heidi to gather a few of your things you might need.”

“And might I know what we are doing and where we are going?”

“Does that sound like the kind of date I would plan? Full disclosure?”

“Absolutely not. I don’t know why I asked.” She laughed, thrilled at the thought of more time with Trane. “I’m excited to see you.”

When she finished shopping, she arranged for the packages to be delivered to the palace including one gorgeous blue gown that would be perfect for the gala. Once she knew her presentation would be appropriate, that she would look stunning when necessary, capable when important, and supportive and fun during all the appropriate times, she allowed herself to address her other concerns. Like what if the Valdez family had secrets to hide. What if, dear Trane was finally showing her the attention she had craved all these years, but she would have to expose him? She had a feeling she wouldn’t know what to do until the situation was upon her.

Trane pulled up in an enclosed jeep. She suspected it had bullet proof glass. Her meeting with Lucan this morning taught her that he was serious about his job. And nothing was overlooked. Trane hopped out, eyed her business attire and tossed her a small duffle. “As smoking as I think this new skirt suit is on you, you’re gonna want to change.”

She peeked in her bag. Nikes, leggings, and a t-shirt. “We working out?” The thought of Trane, bulging muscles, sweating, and working made her blood race.

“Not in the way you’re thinking, I’m sure.”

“And what am I thinking?”

“I don’t totally know but your eyes wandered over me like a hot coal.”

She blushed. “Did they?” She turned form him and rushed back inside to change.

Once they were on their way, he turned down a dirt road and headed for the remote part of the island.

“Oh, the falls?”

“We’ll see them.”

“But there’s more. The caves?”

“Nope, not today.”

She craned her neck ahead of them as though that would provide the answer. Stretching up to the sky, Mount Galapo rose to the clouds. “The volcano?”

“And she guessed it!”

“I haven’t done that in years.”

“Nor I. But it’s supposed to be beautiful in the spring; there are multiple new species of flowers.”

“Thank you Trane. This is just what I needed.” And the hike would take hours. The thought of hours on end with this handsome man couldn’t be any better.

They pulled to a stop at the edge of the wilderness area. “No cars past this point.”

He pulled two bikes off the back of the jeep. She hopped on hers, adjusted the seat and then followed him down a long dirt path. It started out wide so they rode side by side and talked of everything. He pointed out birds while she signaled towards trees. They talked of high school memories and common quirks their royal families shared.

“I went to a public middle school.”

“You did not.”

She nodded. “I did. For one month.”

“That had to be the worst.”

“Well, it was. They were nice enough, but the body guard thing didn’t go over well. The kids thought I was way more weird than cool. Some of the guys created accounts dedicated to me and how far they could get.”

Trane immediately bristled. “Jerks.”

“Jerks.” She laughed. “I can think of a couple other more choice words.”

“And I’m sure they deserve them, but I do not need to sully my mouth because someone else was disgusting.”

Phina liked that. “You keep those lips clean. I have a vested interest.”

He stopped, dust billowing up all around him. “Do you now?”

She scooted back so they were side by side. “I do.” She leaned close. “I want these lips just how they are.” She pressed her mouth to his, enjoying the warm insistence of his response. Then she sighed. “I keep asking myself when this will end.”

“And I hope your self answers appropriately.”

“What should she say to me?”

“I hope she knows that Trane is all…In.”

She let his words wash over her in a great assurance. “I hope so.”

He reached out and ran his hand down her cheek. “I haven’t given you much history to go off of as an example, but I’m determined. We will make this work and take it where it goes.” His grin turned sheepish. “At least as far as I’m concerned.”

“Then as far as I’m concerned too.” And she knew she loved him. As she always had. More of her opened to a hope that they could be together. But if he ever let her down again, the fall would be worse than ever. Could she ever recover? She didn’t know. But looking into his warm eyes, sparkling love back at her, she knew it was worth it. At least she told herself that it was.

They took off again. The road narrowed and he took her up and down bike paths, through forests and across great meadows until the area around them turned rocky, filled with great climbing boulders and narrow footholds.

They left the bikes, and she followed him up the summit. Black rock, red lava rocks, and white tipped areas surrounded them. She pulled out her phone to snap multiple pictures, including several of Trane from behind because she couldn’t resist.

At last they reached the top, the rim of a great volcano, long since cold. The crater was filled with a brilliant blue water and rimmed with great volcanic rock.

“So beautiful.”

Trane looked out over all the land in every direction and she wished she could read his thoughts. He looked calm. He turned to her. “You know Jo had a hard time understanding that the crown comes first.”

Seraphina took a minute to grasp where he might be going.

“When the press went after her father, when they went after her and her relationship with Nico, she almost didn’t care enough to weather it out and stay. She left, you know.”

“I wondered where she went. Suddenly during the coronation there was no news of her, no pictures, no footage.”

Trane smirked. “You are a Jo fan.”

Seraphina shrugged. “She’s the best kind of queen.”

“We are all better off because she married Nico and stuck with it. She came back.” He turned to her and took her hands. “She came because her love for Nico was stronger than any of her fears.”

Seraphina swallowed. “That’s beautiful.”

Trane held his arm out. “This.” He turned in a circle, sweeping the island in his gesture. “This means everything to me.”

Phina turned away. “I know, Trane.”

He reached out and gently turned her head so that he could look into her eyes. “But I’m looking for a love even stronger.”

Her eyes widened.

“I’m looking for a love that can outlast all the sacrifices that come with being a royal, with being a Valdez. One that can weather any storm, which will last through the generations, all of them, that life brings.”

Phina’s eyes welled with tears and she swallowed.

“I’m trying, Phina. I want that with you.” His warm thumb wiped at a tear running down her cheek.

“Trane. These past few weeks have been magical with you, what I always hoped they could be, what I knew they could be, if we had a chance.”

He sat on the nearest boulder and patted the place next to him. “Let’s keep it this way. It will take work. I will need to keep trying with the time I have, but I think you’re worth it. We are worth it.”

She nodded. “Thank you.” She nudged at the rock in front of them, kind of absentmindedly kicking at it. “Although.”

“Although? Who says although after a statement like that?”

“Well now, stay with me. Although, I’m going to be the busy one for the next few weeks.”

“What do you mean?” It’s not like they swapped being busy. He was always, perpetually busy.

“I mean. I have a lot to do over the next few weeks and several important deadlines. I’m here for work, you know.”

And a portion of his elation at their romantic moment fizzled. “I am well aware you are here on assignment.” His voice sounded clipped.

“Well, there’s no need to be huffy about it. What’s wrong?”

“Nothing’s wrong.” He looked the other direction. “Well, ok, something’s wrong. It would be nice to know you were actually here for me also. Not just some story for the paper, some goose chase for a fault in our treatment of the Mediterranean.”

“Some story? Trane, do you know me at all?”

“Oh I know you. Just how far will you go to get this story of yours, Phina? What dregs of humanity are you making deals with?”

She leaned away from him. “What are you talking about?”

“Well here you are on assignment to report on our use of the Mediterranean. You don’t find dating the Duke of Torren, who is running the summit on this very thing, a bit of a conflict of interest?”

“I guess I hadn’t let it get complicated like that. I can keep the two separate.”

“Can you? Should you?” How did their conversation go this direction?

“What are you saying?”

“I didn’t realize how much the whole idea of your reporting bothers me.”

“My job bothers you?”

“No, Phina, well, yes, when your job involves reporting about me and my family.”

And suddenly she recognized how being hours into a wilderness preserve might not be the best thing. What did he want her to do? Quit? “What are you saying?”

“I’m not saying anything, well, I guess I’m asking something. Where do your loyalties lie, Phina?”

She stood. “That’s not a fair question. What you are really asking is what will I do if I discover a story that makes you Valdez princes look bad.” She had asked herself that same question every day since receiving the assignment from her boss. “How can I even know the answer to that until the specific situation arises?”

He huffed out a breath and the silence that followed weighed her down. Finally, he said, “I would be able to answer that question, no problem.” He pulled out his phone.

“What are you doing? Do you even have service up here?”

“Calling the helicopter.”

“You want to go? Trane, let’s talk about this.”

His eyes had turned icy. “What is there to discuss. I discovered all I need to know. I’m giving everything I’ve got to us. And you’re still not sure if we even matter.” He wandered up a few boulders and began a conversation. Soon he pocketed the phone and kept climbing, leaving her alone, staring out over the country of Torren. She had never been more relieved and devastated at the same time when she saw the circular blades touch down on a large flat outcropping.