Kristin's entire body was stiff with hurt pride and her muscles banded together. The contract should have been enough of a signal to keep her heart safe. She glanced around the hallway, unsure where she was and her heart beat grew faster and faster. This was the cost of taking a risk. Allowing herself to believe in something more.

She increased her speed despite the red satin heels, but she wasn't sure she was going in the right direction. The blue walls in the never-ending hallway, separated with oak doors that led to rooms she’d never been in, was making her dizzy.

Her skin felt dewy again, her hairs raised as if someone was close. She called out, "Whoever is there, go away."

A shadow stepped forward from behind a corner of the upcoming hall. She caught her breath.

"Princess."

Ice raced through her veins. She recognized the forty something year old man she had met earlier in the hall. "Korba, I'm not a princess."

He inched closer to her. Her spine became like a steel rod as he said, "You're an American, and the last thing we need in this country are your people to come and take us over."

Her heartbeat was so fast she feared a heart attack, but her years of self-defense classes reminded her to keep her knees apart and ready to kick. Her hands clenched into fists. "My people? I don't know the President. There will be no tanks coming in after me—I’m nobody. I want to go home."

He turned as if to walk with her down the hall, without a care in the world. "Then, I will drive you to the airport."

"You will?" Her voice was an octave higher. She coughed but the adrenaline still pumped in her veins. "That's it? You're not going to threaten me?"

He moved closer to her and invaded her space. "No. The prince must marry in two weeks. If you are gone, then we can proceed as planned and no one gets hurt."

The hair on her body stuck straight up. She put her hand out to create boundaries. "Proceed as planned? Just leave me alone. I can find my own ride. Your country must have a car service."

He grabbed her arm and tried to force her to go with him. "See, I can't do that. You have to disappear for two weeks, and that's exactly what we're going to do."

"You're hurting me." She squirmed her shoulder.

He squeezed her arm tighter. "Then come quietly."

"Not a chance." She stomped on his foot with her heel and then brought her leg up to knee him in his groin. The slit in her red dress allowed her easy movement.

“Ouch!” He let her go and covered his manhood. "Oww."

She refused to wait and see if he was okay. She ran. Once she was in the hallway she took off her pretty heels and continued to run faster. She heard no footsteps behind her.

Picking the first door, she ducked inside, then quietly closed it. Once she locked herself in a small dark closet devoid of clothes or anything at all, she ensured there was no other entryway by hitting the back wall. Safe. She dug the phone out of her bra and listened to her heart go fast as she said to herself, "Now let me call Antonio."

Someone banged on the door. Her hands shook. Antonio answered and she didn't wait for hello. "Korba is here. He tried to kidnap me."

"Be right there." Antonio's words were like steel that helped brace her against fear from the ramming of the oak door outside.

Then another man outside the door asked, "What's taking so long?" She didn’t recognize the voice.

Instead of ramming, there was a jiggle at the knob. A second later the door of her closet opened and it was a young brown-haired soldier standing with Korba. She dropped the phone in her bra and made her hands into fists. The soldier tried to get her, but she kicked his leg, right at the knee cap. He shouted, "Ahh."

Korba shook his head and stood more in position to defend himself. "No one likes assault, Princess." Korba commanded the soldier toward Kristin. "Get her."

Footsteps marched in the hall. The soldier grabbed her shoulders and held her captive. The door swung open and this time Babik and two of his men pointed guns at them. "I command you to stop, Henri."

The strong boy holding her neck must be Henri. Antonio had sent a rescue. She stilled in that moment.

Korba then said, "Not a chance Babik."

She reached up and got her hand underneath his and used that as momentum to swing out of his grip. Henri wasn't expecting her move. "What the..."

Babik grabbed her and pulled her behind him. "Princess, come where you're safe."

More guards marched into the room and immediately controlled Henri and Korba, handcuffing both men, despite their vehement struggles. Babik walked with her away from the scene so she didn't see much else. As they went down another hallway, she couldn't stand the silence anymore. "They were trying to kidnap me and wanted Antonio to marry another."

Babik didn't blink. "Princess, it's best if I take you to your room. His Highness will meet you there, but on a personal note, I hope Prince Aussa marries you. You’re fearless."

"That was adrenaline." She shook her head as her heart still beat wildly. The panic hadn't gone away. They neared her door and she massaged her forehead. "You can tell..." This political situation wasn't good for anyone in Antonio's family. She'd talk to him about that, not his general. She nodded and opened her door. "Okay. Thank you. I trust you."

"Good." Babik closed the door behind her. She walked into her room and stared at the dresses still on racks and sat on the chair she had her makeup done in an hour ago.

Everything had changed. Antonio targeted her specifically and lied about it, which gnawed at her from the inside. Then he had a political mess where there was clearly a plot for a coup. She should go, pack her bag and get out of here.

Her lips still tingled with his kiss, which shouldn't make a difference, but to her it did. If she went home, no one would make her feel like that again. But a kiss wasn't love.

Her head began to ache though at least her heart slowed to its normal pace. The door opened and she rose to her feet, expecting Antonio.

Her eyes widened and she bowed her head and curtsied when she saw it was his mother. "Your Highness."

Queen Anna Camilla stood in front of her. "I thought you were about to be my daughter-in-law. Why did you leave?"

Kristin wasn't sure what to do. She glanced up and saw the queen was about to sit where Renee had her hair done with her. Kristin returned to her seat. "I thought you wanted Sophia to wed Antonio."

The queen motioned for her to sit and once she did, she turned her knees toward her. "I want my son to inherit the throne and help us squash this coup in our small kingdom."

Foreign affairs weren’t her cup of tea. She’d studied enough history to know monarchs tended to lose their heads against the will of the people. "If that's what the people want, democracy isn’t a bad way to go."

"It's not." The queen spoke with such assurance that Kristin accepted it as truth. “But you’re under a bad impression at the moment. The citizens of Avce love us.”

Kristin lowered her head and let the sense that Antonio was not going to die here wash over her. She could breathe easier as the queen said, "We are a constitutional monarchy and we were brought back by the majority over a decade ago. There are splinter groups loyal to other nearby countries, but they are not “the people.” You have already been told our attackers were outsiders."

"Antonio said he’d lose his ability to see his family ever again if he doesn’t marry in two weeks. Would you really banish your son?"

“No.” She sighed and leaned closer. "The laws are ancient and meant to preserve bloodlines that he didn’t know about until it was almost too late."

“But…” Kristin pleated the red fabric in her fingers and tried to figure out how she felt. She chose her words carefully. "I don't know if he should marry me."

The queen’s chin lifted in a royal manner but she reached out and patted Kristin’s hand. "You make him happy. I see it on his face and you look happy next to him."

She lowered her lashes. "I was, but he doesn’t love me or believe in love."

“From what I understood, you don’t believe in love yourself.” The queen stood, straightened any nonexistent wrinkles her ball gown might have and then said, "Argue about semantics later. He gave you a contract outlining duties you would perform for a fee, correct? Right now we have the press here and it's time we all do our duty."

If she married him, then she needed to speak with him, alone, about his computer search. If people knew the playboy prince was actually looking for a wife, he would have been inundated, and he had no time to waste. Antonio was always so logical about everything. She swallowed her pride. "Where is Antonio?"

The queen stopped at the door. "Antonio and Babik had to speak, but... well, here he is."

Kristin's gaze locked on his. A different sort of rush pulsed in her veins now. She couldn't look away as she asked, "Can you give us a minute?"

The queen answered, "Of course. Kristin, do not wash your knuckles or change out of that dress. I want the press to see that you can take care of yourself. Feisty American."

Kristin tore her gaze off Antonio and stared at his mother. She truly was a master politician. "Yes, Your Majesty."

The doors closed behind her and they were alone. She wanted to run into his arms, but she wasn't that weak. She hugged her waist to still her wayward thoughts. "Antonio."

He came closer and traced her face. His touch ignited her cells and made her ache to be with him. "Kristin, are you hurt?"

"I'm fine. Hold on." She tore herself away and marched toward her bag. She was about to do something possibly reckless, but she had to follow through. She took out the contract and dug for a pen. A moment later she signed it.

Then she handed the papers to Antonio who asked, "What's this?"

"The contract," she reminded him. She then straightened her dress and ignored the small tear near her knee. Her pulse raced as she said, "I'll still marry you."

He reached out for her hand again but she kept hers at her side. This was a no love agreement. She stared down and asked, "So, you forgive me for leaving you at the table?"

He narrowed his gaze and his brow furrowed. "I think I should be the one asking you. I should have told you about the computer program."

It was not her style to let a computer give her an excel sheet of names and numbers of the men she might marry. She’d skipped Internet dating despite recommendations because she felt people lied in their profiles. But since she was part of his scheme, she wanted the numbers. "How many people did it find for you?"

He crossed his arms. "After going through billions, you were the final choice."

The only name was hers. Whoever he hired was both her fairy godmother and the devil himself, but if she chose to stay, then in time she'd figure out a way to win his heart too. Love had to exist, somehow. Right now she was still too angry to think clearly, so she pushed the contract into his hand and hoped this ended the conversation. "Well, here is the contract. We should be good, and I'll conduct myself properly from now on."

He reached out for her, but she avoided his touch. "Kristin..."

If he touched her then she might let go of her anger and that had kept her alive so far. She needed the protection of her shield and he might take it away by being kind. "Let's go tell the press. I'm thrilled to be your bride."

"Kristin, I'm sorry."

Tears swelled in her eyes and she turned toward him. He pierced through her armor and she felt the waterworks growing that would run her makeup. She sniffled to stop it. "Don't. Let's just go."

He came forward and brushed a wayward piece of hair out of her eyes. "There was only you for me. I can't imagine marrying anyone else."

She hugged him and sniffed against his shoulder. His mother had wanted her to be strong, but now she'd be a hot mess. "Stop. I'll ruin my makeup and your mother wants me looking tough."

He massaged her back which helped calm her as he kissed her forehead. "After? Can we talk, just you and me?"

"Sure." What else could she say? She was tired. She knew he wasn't in love with her. She’d agreed to his terms of the contract. Now to navigate through her own heart to figure out how to live with this decision, because the truth was she wanted him. She wanted to be here and she wanted to be in his arms. And most of all she wanted to believe that love was real.