I’m barely out of the arena when I feel a tap on my shoulder. I don’t turn—I can’t face him. Not after humiliating him like that.

“It’s what’s best for Montovia, Andrew.” My voice is broken, but not the sobbing mess I figured it would be when I made my decision to end our short engagement.

“You’re sounding more like my brother every day. Isn’t there some saying about how over time you become the same person as the one you love?”

I spin to face William.

He grins. “Because you, Victoria, are becoming more like my brother with every passing moment.” His smile falls slightly. “And that is not necessarily a good thing.”

“You can’t argue with my reasoning, William. No one in this country can. What I did back there…” Tears fill my eyes as I remember how I humiliated the man I love. “I made the only decision I could. Andrew got the scepter back and Montovia avoided certain war. What else could I have done?”

William shrugs. “I’m not questioning your reasoning. Not at all. I…” He glances around at the crowd that has started to form around us. “Come.” He holds his elbow out to me. “We should return to the palace.”

I nod and take his arm. He leads me to one of the horse drawn carriages waiting nearby and within minutes we’re back at the palace.

“What are you going to do now?” William looks over at me as we walk the short distance to one of the side entrances.

“I’m not sure. I need to explain it to Andrew. I need to make sure he understands—”

“If anyone can understand duty to our country, it’s my brother.” William’s mouth twists into something of a wry grin. “Unfortunately.”

“I suppose I should get my things. I can’t imagine he’ll want me under the same roof after what I did to him.”

William only blinks at me for a few moments. “If I know my brother, he’ll do what he can to change your mind.”

“That would be stupid. That would be—”

“We are speaking of my brother, are we not? The one who thought putting on a pageant of suitors would cover up the fact he’d gambled away our national treasure?” He chuckles. “For as brilliant as my brother is at times, he can also be quite stupid. As I suppose all the royal children have been from time to time.”

“Speak for yourself, Brother.” Sophia’s lilting voice comes from the doorway. She waves William away and takes me by the elbow. “Come, Victoria. We need to do a final fitting for your gown for the masquerade ball tomorrow.”

“I…can’t.”

She frowns. “Of course you can. You don’t think a little thing like breaking your betrothal to my brother is going to stop the ball, do you?”

She knows?

I’m sure they can both see the confusion on my face. “I thought you left, Sophia. How do you know—?”

“Have you learned nothing in your short stay in Montovia, Victoria?” She laughs. “Nothing travels so fast as a good rumor, particularly one about Andrew.” Her smile falls. “Not that I expect it to remain true for long. You are planning to go back on your word to Reginald, are you not?”

I glance between the two siblings. “And how could I do that? If I go back on my word, he’ll take back the scepter and his father will want to go to war.” I let out a long breath. “I think it will be better in the long run if I just go now. Stop torturing myself with trying to get out of what I’ve done. Besides, it was the right choice. I was never going to make a very good princess.”

William and Sophia give each other a knowing look, but it’s Sophia who speaks first. “That is where you are wrong, Victoria. I never could have made a decision like the one you made tonight. You did what was best for a country that isn’t even your own. I’m not sure I could have done the same, even under the same circumstances. My brothers may disagree, but I think you made a very royal decision tonight. You put the needs of our country ahead of your own.”

William nods. “My sister is right. And when Andrew’s head returns—if it returns—he’ll be the first to agree.”

Sophia squeezes the top of my arm. “But you must attend the ball tomorrow before you leave. You’ll be masked—no one will need to know it’s you. You can spend the entire evening dancing with my brother and no one needs to know, not even Reginald. Besides, I expect that putrid excuse for a prince will be returning to his own country now that he’s had his revenge on our family.”

William takes a step toward us, almost as though he thinks we’re being overheard. “We can wait until we have the rights to the scepter in hand. And wait until King Maximilian has signed away his claim to the Amhurst Valley and given it to my father. After that, you’ll be free to be with Andrew again in public. You can continue your courtship. I know my brother will want that. It’s just going to take some time.”

I nod. It’s just going to take some time. If Andrew will wait for me after what I’ve done to him. And it’s that thought that makes my stomach turn with guilt again. He won’t want to wait for me. Even if he does find it in his heart to understand that I did what I thought was right for Montovia, he won’t want to be with me after what I did to him tonight.

“I appreciate the help. From both of you.” I glance between the two of them. “I really do. But I made my bed and now I have to lie in it. I can’t stay here—I should get my things.”

“At least take the dress with you, Victoria.” Sophia looks as though she might cry. “We…we can find a hotel for you to stay at in the city. You should at least stay until after the ball. Please?”

I’m not sure what comes over me, but I nod in agreement. “Okay.” It isn’t as though I’m in a huge hurry to get on another plane again—ever—even after everything that’s happened in the past few days. “But I can’t stay here. I just need to get my things.”

I look down at my toes—I can’t explain the feeling in my gut other than it being an overwhelming guilt I’m not sure I’ll ever be able to shake.

I finally look up at the two after a long moment. “If you see Andrew tonight, please tell him again how sorry I am. Tell him…tell him I finally understand how it must have felt for him all these years to have put the needs of his country ahead of his own.”

Our heads all turn at the sound of shouting coming from the courtyard. Someone is running toward the palace—it’s too dark and too far away to see who. But then another shout comes from behind the person and another figure comes into view. And as they near the palace, it’s all too obvious what is going on.

Andrew is chasing Reginald and is yelling at him at the top of his lungs. “Come back here, traitor! I’m going to kill you!”