Lady Stella Van Der Ness took a final look in the mirror hanging on her bedroom door, pleased that she looked nothing like a lady at the moment. The dress was short, the heels were high, and her long blonde hair was cascading in waves down her back. She looked, and felt, hot as hell. All eyes would be on her tonight, just the way she liked it.

Her phone rang, breaking the spell and her heels tapped in time to the music of her ringtone for a few seconds before picking it up. She reminded herself yet again that she should change her ringtone. She’d missed more than one call by being too into the music.

“Helloooo?” she sang, a smile in her voice when she saw Alix’s name on the screen. She had hoped she’d be hearing her best friend’s voice more often, now that Alix was finally done with her year volunteering abroad with Refugee Medical Alliance. While most of the other nobles in Prynesse were happy to help charities with their pocketbook, Stella was proud of her friend for trying to do more. She had just missed her so much.

The past year hadn’t been much better. Alix’s graduate program had been intense, and she was shacked up with her handsome prince, Duncan. Their visits back to Prynesse had been much too short for Stella’s liking. An unplanned phone call was a nice surprise.

“Someone’s in a good mood!” Alix laughed. “Did you just see Anton?”

Stella’s smile instantly vanished.

“Ah, no, not in awhile,” she said. Duncan’s brother Anton was the youngest prince in the royal family. He was also the hottest (in Stella’s completely unbiased opinion) but she didn’t want to think about that right now.

She hadn’t planned on telling Alix about their most recent breakup. Alix was so busy, and so happy with Duncan, she didn’t want to bother her best friend with all their drama. Even Stella was starting to get bored with it all.

“Oh, I’m sorry Stella,” Alix did sound sorry, for about three seconds. Her next words shone with barely contained joy. “I hope it won’t be too awkward for you then when you’re both at my wedding!”

“He proposed!” Stella couldn’t help jumping up and down a little in her four-inch heels. She didn’t even tremble. She had done more complicated things than jump in them. “When? How? Send me a picture of the ring right now!”

Alix laughed.

“I already emailed it to you,” she said. “We’re in Boston this week, for one of my med school interviews, and we went for a walk after dinner down by the water. Oh Stella, it was so sweet!”

As Alix went into the details, including describing the twinkling city skyline that was the backdrop for the proposal, Stella sighed and sat down on the couch across from her bed. Stella would never understand the appeal of American cities. A mix of medieval village and bold 21^st century architecture funded by some of the biggest banks in the world, she loved the blended energy of Prynesse’s capital city. She loved visiting Alix in the different places she’d lived, but nothing could compare to the surprising beauty of a 16^th century armory transformed into a school, or a sleek glass and steel construction added on to the side of a 200-year-old factory.

Her skirt rode up her thighs as she shifted on the couch, but she was too focused on Alix’s story to bother fixing it now. The dress was so tight she would have trouble breathing, but she didn’t need to breath to drink and dance. And she planned on doing a lot of it tonight.

“I can’t believe he finally asked!” Stella was surprised to feel the prickle of tears in her eyes. Honestly, she’d been expecting the news, as had everyone, for months. She’d been thinking she’d have to fake happiness for her friend, but was pleased to discover it came easily and naturally now that the moment was here. Why shouldn’t Alix have her happy ending with her prince charming, just because her own had turned out more like a never-ending booty call?

She refused to think of Anton right now, but couldn’t help it. Alix and Duncan had met the same night she’d finally hooked up with Anton, and yet their story had taken such a different road.

“Well, technically this is the second time he asked,” Alix said, reminding Stella of the only bit of drama in her love story: Duncan’s desperate plea to change her plans after college to go volunteer, and stay in Prynesse with him to be queen. Thank goodness Leo had decided not to abdicate, or Alix’s life – and Stella’s – would have been completely different.

“Well, it sounds like it went much better this time,” Stella couldn’t help but giggle. “I’m so happy for you!”

She could practically hear Alix beaming from across the ocean.

“I’m sorry things aren’t great with Anton right now,” Alix said, her voice suddenly full of concern. “What’s he done now?”

Stella let out a frustrated groan, and leaned back on the couch, kicking off her heels. This might take awhile.

“He hasn’t done anything, that’s the problem,” she said. “It’s been two years of this back and forth. He’ll be into me for a few months, then goes into a total art hermit mode, forgetting all about me, then pops up in the spring like a hungry bear waking up from hibernation looking for food.”

Alix chuckled.

“A hungry bear, huh?”

Stella rolled her eyes.

“Well, hungry for something.” She tried to laugh, but just couldn’t find it funny anymore. It really hadn’t bothered her, not at first. She was nearly as insatiable as he was in that department. Those first weeks and months had been fun, figuring out new ways to keep him entertained between the sheets. Right around the five-month mark, however, his interest always seemed to wane.

Since they were never anything official, he would just kind of float off, not answering her texts. The first time she had freaked out, especially without Alix there to talk to about it. By now Stella had learned to be patient. He always resurfaced after a few months, with a new exhibit ready to go and a strong desire to make up for weeks of celibacy.

Two years into this routine, however, and she was starting to get tired of it, even if he was still her ideal man in every way: insanely gorgeous and talented, not to mention the most eligible prince in Prynesse. With two older brothers, one with a baby, he was far enough away from the throne to get into all sorts of fun without too many raised eyebrows.

“Stella, I’m so sorry, you should have told me,” Alix said. “I know I’ve been so busy with school and everything, I wish I had called you more often.”

“No, it’s fine,” Stella said, and she meant it. “I’m heading out tonight with some of the girls. I like being able to have fun without him. He’ll be back eventually.”

It wasn’t the happy ending she’d imagined for herself, but she wasn’t sure what else to do at this point. She’d settle for a crazy night of dancing after a long week at work.

She glanced out her window at the dark evening sky as she stood to adjust her dress and put on her heels again. She should probably be wearing something a little warmer for the cool fall weather, but she was all about form before function in her weekend style. The rest of the week her work kept her in conservative skirt suits and kitten heels. Sometimes, she needed a break.

“Where are you headed? Gilt?”

“Where else?” The scene of Duncan and Alix’s first meeting was still the best and most exclusive club in the city, that had taken over the lower levels of an 18^th century villa-turned-office-building.

“I’ll try to video chat, more, okay?” Alix said, and Stella heard Duncan’s voice calling her in the background. “And I’ll be back for the coronation at Christmas, we can strategize then, if things aren’t already better.”

“I’m sure they will be.”

Stella kept her voice cheerful for her friend, not wanting to ruin her happiness. But in her heart, she wasn’t sure that she was still willing to give Anton any more chances to make things better.