That coward won’t even face me like a man.

I got in two good punches—and dodged two of his—before Reginald realized we were unmatched. Under normal circumstances, things might have been more even. But anger has given me a new strength, and apparently the bastard can’t take it.

I sprint after him toward the palace. I don’t know where he thinks he’s going—does he mean to hide from me in my own home? Maybe he thinks the Royal Guard will come out and break us up again.

Not before I get another hit in.

He’s fast, but I’m desperate. I catch up to him in the courtyard, and I grab him by the collar, pulling him back toward me.

“You coward,” I growl through clenched teeth, readying my fist to strike him again. “I swear, if you utter one—”

“Andrew.”

The voice is like a bolt straight through my chest. Victoria. My heart stops, and my hand freezes in midair. I can’t think. I can only wait, breathless, for that beautiful voice to come again.

Reginald sees his opening. While I’m still stunned, trying to determine whether I’ve actually heard Victoria’s voice, he twists around in my grip and throws a punch at me. His knuckles collide with my cheek, and I stumble back. Stars dance across my vision.

Instantly, the rage overtakes me again. I blink away the stars and lunge at him, and my quick recovery gives me the advantage. I throw him down on the ground and press a knee into his chest. This time he’s not getting away. This time—

“Andrew, stop.”

This time her voice is closer. Again, just the sound of it stuns me for a moment.

She’s here.

I shift more of my weight onto Reginald. This time I don’t intend to give him an opening. When I look up, I see Victoria coming down the steps, and my heart sings at the sight of her.

She’s still here.

The relief is so strong I could almost weep. But I keep my emotions in check as she approaches me.

“Victoria.” I’m sure the relief and joy in my voice are plain for all to hear.

She pauses some steps away, as if she’s afraid to come too close. “Andrew, don’t make this worse than it already is.”

I glance down at Reginald. He grunts and squirms, trying to get free, but I just lean more weight onto him.

When I glance back at Victoria, she’s looking at him, too. In fact, I’d swear she’s avoiding my gaze.

“Victoria,” I say. “Fuck whatever arrangement you had with this coward.”

She glances at me again, and in the light from the lanterns I see tears gleaming in her eyes.

“Andrew…” She shakes her head. “I can’t. I can’t do that.”

What the hell does she mean she can’t? What does she think she’s doing to me now?

“I know how much this country means to you,” she goes on. “I know how much you’d sacrifice for Montovia. This is for your people. If I refused the offer, if Montovia lost one of its treasured symbols and the Amhurst Valley because of my selfishness… You might be all right with the idea of it now, because your emotions are running high. But in time you’d only come to resent me for it. I won’t let that happen. I’m doing the right thing, and we both know it.”

“This is not the right thing,” I say. “This is the opposite of right. And for what it’s worth, Maximilian is the only one who can sign over the rights to that valley. Reginald is just toying with us.” I dig my knee into his chest for good measure, and he grunts and tries unsuccessfully to push me off him.

“That’s not exactly true,” the bastard says, a little breathlessly. “My father has granted me a certain amount of diplomatic responsibility. If I tell him we’ve come to an agreement over the valley, he’ll stand by my decision.”

“He’ll blindly accept that you gave away such a valuable piece of land to spite me?” I demand.

“I wouldn’t put it to him in such terms,” he says. “But trust me, the deal I made with Victoria is perfectly valid, and I intend to uphold my end as long as she upholds hers.”

This is ridiculous. I can’t believe it’s come to this.

Victoria is suddenly just beside me, and I look up into her eyes. A tear has leaked down her cheek, but she quickly wipes it away.

“I’m leaving, Andrew,” she says quietly.

My heart nearly stops again. “You can’t.”

“I have to. I…I need time to think.”

“I don’t accept this bargain you two made,” I say, glancing between Victoria and Reginald. “I refuse.”

“The decision isn’t yours,” she says. “It’s mine, and I’ve made it.”

She moves away from me, and I start to stand. Reginald takes the opportunity to escape me, and he scrambles to his feet.

“You hear that?” he says, smirking. “I’ve won, Andrew. The game is over.”

I know that now isn’t the time to lose my temper again, but I can’t help myself. I spin and punch him again, hitting him in the jaw so hard that he falls back.

“Andrew!”

This time it’s not Victoria that calls my name—it’s William. And with him are a dozen of the Royal Guard.

Shit.

“My father will hear of this,” Reginald says, his voice thick with pain. “And so will the rest of the world—they’ll hear exactly how the heir to the Montovian throne treats his honored guests.”

I want to charge him again, but suddenly there are guards between him and me, and a couple of them grab my arms, restraining me. William is beside me.

“Let it go,” my brother says. “Don’t make this worse than it already is.”

“You know what that bastard has done—”

“I do. And mashing him to a bloody pulp won’t change anything. It’ll only make you look worse.”

He’s right, damn him. The guards on either side of me seem to realize I’m no longer going to charge Reginald, because they release me again.

That bastard can wait. Right now, I need to find Victoria.

I turn, but someone grabs me again—this time it’s William.

“Let her go, Brother,” he says. “Trust me.”

“I will not let her go.” I scan the courtyard for her, but I don’t see her anywhere—has she already disappeared?

“Let her go,” William says again. “She’s made her decision. Trust her.”

“She was tricked. She—”

“She’s an intelligent woman. She made the decision she thought was best for both of you.”

No. I won’t let her make this decision—not for Montovia and not for me.

I break free of his arm and run through the courtyard to the head of the road down to the city. I’ll stop her. I’ll—

I pause, looking down at the brightly lit streets below. The sound of music and laughter reaches me.

But Victoria is nowhere to be seen on the road down into the city. I have no idea how she disappeared so quickly, but I know the truth deep in my chest—she’s gone.