Even though I was the one who asked him to come, the sight of William is rather unwelcome at the moment. And frankly, the idea of groveling in front of him—in front of anyone—turns my stomach.

William looks at me expectantly, still grinning.

“Thank you for coming here,” I say stiffly.

“Your groveling needs some work,” he says.

“As do your manners,” I reply, my jaw tight. “I’d appreciate it if you took your hands off Victoria.”

“Good God, you’re cranky today,” he says, lifting his arm from her shoulders. “At least you were stranded somewhere pleasant.” He looks over at Victoria. “Has he been like this all day? I hope he hasn’t ruined your opinion of Salzburg. Lovely city—at least when you don’t have to endure a grump like my brother.”

“It is beautiful,” she says, but she doesn’t smile.

“William,” I say, trying to draw his eyes back to me. “Did you bring money for us?”

“Of course,” he says. “But I’m not sure I’m going to give you any until you ask for it nicely.”

I don’t have the patience for William’s antics, not today.

“This isn’t a game,” I say. “If you have no intention of giving us the money, then I’ll find another way to handle this.”

The smile falls from William’s face. “God, you’re even worse than usual.” He looks at Victoria again. “How do you stand him when he’s like this?”

Her gaze is still on me when she answers him. “He just saw the newspapers.”

“And?” William looks at me, then back at her. “What happened?”

“I’m surprised you haven’t heard,” I say. “I can’t imagine our father would have suffered the news quietly.”

He frowns. “There was something going on when I left. Father called a bunch of people to his office—that’s how I was able to slip out without anyone noticing. But I just assumed it was some matter of state. Are you telling me it has to do with you?” He glances around, his eyes finally settling on the newsstand just behind us. He strides over and scans the papers.

Victoria is still standing in front of me, watching me closely.

“I’m sure your father will have a solution,” she says.

I give a bitter laugh. “You’ve seen firsthand the sort of solutions my father suggests.” I shake my head. “No—as much as I hate to admit it, I think you might be right. I have to lay myself at the feet of the people of Montovia. Publicly acknowledge what I have done.” Even saying it out loud to her makes my chest tighten. My whole life, I’ve lectured my brothers—especially Leopold—about taking responsibility for their actions. But it was easy for me to do so because I always did what was right, what was expected of me. This is the first time in my life that I’ve had to take public responsibility for a mistake of this scale.

I glance over my shoulder at William. He’s still reading the newspaper article about me, so I take the chance to step a little closer to Victoria.

“Come back to Montovia with me,” I ask her again. “Be by my side as I face this.”

She shakes her head. “Your press secretary—”

“Not as a member of the press. As a friend.”

I can see the uncertainty in her eyes.

Before she can answer, though, William is beside me again, the paper in his hand.

“Fuck,” he says. “How much of this is true?”

I don’t let myself glance down at the paper. “Enough.” I haven’t even read the article yet, but I know that much.

William curses under his breath. “So this is what happened in Prague? I knew you and Leo got into some shit, but…fuck.”

“We need to get back to Montovia as soon as possible,” I say.

William nods. “Though I don’t envy the meeting you’re going to have with Father upon your return.”

Neither do I. I’m certain by now that Father has also heard about my outright refusal to marry Lady Clarissa. I’ll be lucky if I’m even allowed in the palace.

But it’s my only choice. I must make this right. The look in Tobias’s mother’s eyes is burned into my mind. I don’t think I can bear for someone else to look at me like that. I need the people of Montovia to know I am sorry. That I am ready to lay myself down and ask for forgiveness.

“I need to get to the American consulate,” Victoria says. “I need to get a new passport.”

“I’ve already had your luggage located,” William says. “And made arrangements for it to be sent back to the palace as soon as possible. With some luck, it might be there as early as this afternoon. In the meantime, rest assured that my brother and I can get you into Montovia without a passport.”

Victoria frowns, but relief rushes through me. Now she has no choice but to return with me—at least for a few hours.

“There’s a train leaving in fifteen minutes,” William adds. “We can be on it, if you’d like.”

“Yes,” I say. “I think that would be best.”

Victoria looks less certain.

“Come back to Montovia,” I say softly to her. “Just one more night.”

She glances down at her feet. “It’s always just one more night.”

“Because sometimes we’re not ready for the bigger decisions just yet,” I say. “We have to take everything piece by piece.”

“Your father’s not going to like me being there.”

“Frankly, my father can go fuck himself.”

Victoria’s eyes widen, but she doesn’t say anything.

“My mother will be on your side,” I add. “She’ll defend your right to be there.”

William nods. “Our mother will talk some sense into our father. She always does eventually.”

She closes her eyes. “It’s not like I have any choice. Unless one of you is volunteering to take me to Vienna to the consulate.”

“You still owe me a match, remember?” William says cheerfully. “I’m not letting you return to America until we’ve dueled each other again.”

She almost laughs. When she opens her eyes again, though, her gaze finds me, not William.

“I would be honored if you returned for one more night,” I tell her plainly. “As a friend, of course.”

She stares at me for a long moment, saying nothing. Finally, she lets out a long sigh.

“All right. I’ll go back to Montovia for one more night. On one condition.”

“Anything,” I say.

“You buy me some lunch first. I’m fucking starving.”

I surprise myself by laughing out loud. “Of course.”

We end up buying some pastries from a little stand on the platform, and we make it to the train just before the last call. Not that it matters, of course—they would have held the train for my brother and me. I wonder if they are aware that I am now the most-hated man in Montovia.

It will take a few days for the news to fully spread, I know, but we’re already too late to stop the worst of it. This is more than just a PR disaster—it is a matter of national pride and international politics. In a matter of a few short weeks, I went from being a well-respected prince to a symbol of shame.

The only bright spot in my life is Victoria. I want to pull her into my arms and hold her close—just hold her—but I know I must continue to play it carefully with her. She may have agreed to return to Montovia for a little longer, but as she said herself, she had little choice.

Another reason I can’t hold her is because William is in the compartment with us. There was only one private compartment available upon such short notice, so even though he fell asleep about five minutes after we left the Salzburg station, there will be no repeating what happened on the way to Salzburg, no matter how much either Victoria or I want or need it.

And I need it. I need to lose myself in her again, to drown in her sweetness, to give myself over to the feelings that course through me when I am near her. I cannot get enough of her.

I try to distract myself with other things—like the speech I’m going to have to make for the citizens of Montovia—but every time she moves on the bench next to me, I find myself distracted again. All she has to do is move her leg or let out a sigh or tap her fingers against the leather seat, and my full attention is drawn back to her again.

Maybe I should try and sleep like William, I tell myself. Victoria hasn’t said a word to me since we boarded, just stared at the scenery passing outside the window, and I don’t wish to disturb her. But I know I won’t ever be able to quiet my mind enough to sleep.

Finally, I can’t take the distance between Victoria and me any longer. Slowly, I reach across the space between us and place my hand over hers.

She jumps at my touch, but she doesn’t pull away. She doesn’t say anything, either, so I allow my fingers to curl over hers. That’s as far as I go—just holding her hand.

I love you, I think. I know you don’t want to hear it, but I do. Nothing will change that. If there was a moment when I could have turned back, when I could have written this story a different way, I passed it long ago.

We don’t say a word for the rest of the trip, but neither of us moves our hands, either. By the time we arrive in Montovia, I find myself feeling something akin to hope.

At least until I remember I still have to face my father.

The ride from the train station to the palace is a silent one. William is still a little groggy from his nap, and Victoria and I seem to have found a sort of uneasy peace—as long as we don’t think too hard or talk too much, as long as we just let things be between us, we are all right. She isn’t frightened.

Unsurprisingly, Stephan, my father’s steward, is waiting at the door.

“His Majesty wishes to speak with you at once,” he says to me. His beady little eyes snap to Victoria. “I do not think it wise to allow that woman into this palace again.”

“Unfortunately for you, I outrank you, and I say she stays,” I tell the man. “She is my guest, and I will have her treated with respect.”

Stephan’s nose twitches. “I suggest you go see his majesty immediately. He does not like to be kept waiting.”

Stephan doesn’t have to tell me that. And as much as I’d like to ignore my father’s demands, I know it will not help matters.

I turn to Victoria. “I’ll should go speak with him,” I tell her.

“I’ll escort her to her room,” William offers. “Or if you prefer, Victoria, we might have our fencing match. I’m feeling rather energetic after that train ride, and I suspect you might need to work off some steam.”

Victoria nods. “I could use a little exercise right now.”

I frown. As much as I dislike the idea of Victoria spending time alone with William, at least I know he won’t let anyone kick her out. She has some protection while in his company.

“Very well,” I say. “I’ll come find you in the gymnasium when I am done with Father.”

I lean forward, meaning to kiss her farewell—to give her something to remember, should William try to make a move on her—but I catch myself at the last minute.

She asked to be friends. Don’t scare her by pushing for more.

I straighten. “I will see you shortly.”

Then, before she can respond, I turn and stride down the corridor after Stephan, prepared to meet my fate.