Tess wasn't sure what she expected to happen after her interview.

Given the constant stream of news flooding into the castle, she thought that the second she crossed the threshold, servants and guards--maybe even a royal or two--would bombard her, though she didn't know whether they'd praise her or chastise her. On the way home, she prepared for every scenario--how she'd justify herself to an angry Ellaria, how she'd respond to a confused Antone, how she'd sympathize with a pleased Regianna.

But she hadn't had to do anything--nothing at all. Because when she returned to her quarters? The only thing that greeted her was silence. As usual, her meals were delivered and her sheets were turned down, but aside from the everyday trapping of life in the castle, her days were uneventful.

Still no Ellaria, no Regianna. No Antone.

By the second day, she wondered if maybe they simply hadn't seen it, but given the amount of press her interview had gotten, that couldn't really be believed. Every few minutes, her phone buzzed with a new article about her "graceful, poised" attitude or with another request from a reporter who wanted a piece of her.

By the third day, she was on the point of marching to Antone's office herself, desperate to at least know how he felt, but just as she finished dressing and forming her battle plan, Luca knocked on her door and let himself in.

"Your Grace." He nodded and she offered him a smile.

"You're a sight for sore eyes. Where have you been?"

Luca shook his head. "The past few days have been...they're a blur, frankly."

Tess frowned. "What do you mean? Did something happen?"

"Probably best if I show you. That's actually what I'm here for. Would you follow me?"

Tess glanced down at her trim, scarlet dress. Her contacts were in and her hair was done. She was ready to face the day. "Um, yeah, sure. Let's go."

"Excellent." Luca held out his arm and she looped her’s around it easily, falling into step with him. At first, they headed toward Antone's quarters, and her heart thrummed a little faster at the idea of seeing him, speaking with him, but just as they reached the archway into that wing, Luca turned at led her up a flight of wide, stone stairs.

"We're going to the turret?" Tess wrinkled her nose. Even in the days when she'd been left to wonder the castle alone, she hadn't dared to enter this part of the palace. Still, as they climbed, the view of the ocean became that much more breathtaking, and a few times Tess was tempted to stop and stare out the window, watching as the waves crashed against the rocks.

"What's up here?" she asked.

"That's what we're going to see. We've been doing a good bit of construction."

"Construction?"

Luca nodded. "This part of the palace is a remnant from an older time--when people used to have to stay for months at a time on visits, you see. It was outfitted for long-term guests."

Tess furrowed her brows, "Okay."

At last, they reached the landing to find a set of wide, oak double doors set in the cold, classic stone of the rest of the building. Luca knocked, but didn't bother to wait for a response before pushing the door open and leading Tess inside.

It was like stepping through a portal into another dimension, so much so that Tess glanced behind her to check the reality of her settings. Where she had once been standing in a drafty, stone passageway, she was now in a modestly furnished apartment.

The walls were a made of drywall, and though they were painted white, there were paint chips pinned to them in different spots. The windows were still the tear-drop shape of the rest of the castle, but department-store curtains hung on either side of them, softening their ancient appearance.

She blinked, pivoting as she glanced past the living room's huge, brick-encased fireplace and into the somewhat-cramped open-concept kitchen. It was simple, with only the essential appliances and a neutral, durable countertop.

"What is this place?" she asked, and then Luca took her arm again, leading her past the kitchen and down a hallway she'd only just noticed.

"We have more to see," was his only answer.

And they did. He showed her a tiny bedroom, this one already decorated with eclectic, metal elephants hanging on the walls and twinkling Christmas lights lining the windows.

She pointed to them, the wind practically knocked out of her. "Are those...are those mine?"

"More to see," Luca said, and he led her into another room, this one not yet decorated save for the plain, white crib in the corner.

Her baby's room. The nursery.

"This is going to be my house." It wasn't a question, but Luca nodded as she walked toward the crib, gripping the side gently. It was like something out of a fairytale, but it wasn't the part with the prince and princess living happily ever after.

No, this was the part where the prince locked his princess away in a tower, safe and secure and alone. Just her and the baby.

It was thoughtful, she knew, for him to have made her cell so comfortable--so homey. Perhaps he would expect her to thank him for that when she saw him at state dinners or on those rare occasions when he'd come to see their child.

After all, if he'd wanted to see her, he would have done it by now. He would have shown her all this himself, rather than sending Luca along like she was some project he had to mark off his list before he could move along with his life.

Tears welled up in the corners of her eyes, but she choked on them, forcing herself not to cry.

"Your Highness, are you alright?"

With a shaky breath, she nodded. "Yes, thank you for showing me everything. I guess someone will be sending up my clothes later?"

Luca frowned. "No, new clothes are here for you in your dresser."

Tess blinked, then went back into her bedroom. When she opened the drawers, familiar objects stared back at her. Her t-shirts. Her yoga pants. Her sweatshirts.

"I don't understand," she said, and then she caught sight of her glasses, too, sitting on her nightstand.

"There's still more to see," Luca said.

She shook her head. "I...I'm tired. I think I want to lay down for a while. I'll see the rest of the place later."

"I'm afraid I have to insist," Luca said, and though his tone was light, Tess knew she had no choice but to obey. So she followed him. At last he opened the door to the final room, and she let out a little gasp.

There, sitting at one of the two desks in the tiny office, was Antone.

"Thank you, Luca. You can leave us now," he said, and Luca turned on his heel, though he offered Tess a small smile before he went. When the door clicked closed and they were alone together, Antone stood from his chair, taking both of Tess' hands in his own and staring deep into her eyes.

"Well?" he asked. "What do you think?"

She shook her head. "I don't know what to think. This is...it's amazing. Thank you."

The tears threatened her again, but she took another deep breath, determined to remain strong. "I promise I'll take care of it and...it was very thoughtful for you to have done this for me."

"I did this for us," he corrected. "After I saw you on the news the other day..." He glanced away from her, apparently lost for words. "I hated seeing you like that, Tess. I want you just as you are--wild and funny and stubborn. Whatever that was...I know it was for me, for the family, but I never want you to be someone you're not or to be forced into something. You said that you were in a cage--"

"That was wrong, I--"

Antone shook his head. "No, it wasn't. You were right. One hundred percent right. Look, I know you can't go back to New York and raise the baby the way you wanted to, but I want you to be able to have as close to a normal life as you possibly can. I want that for the baby, too. And if you don't want me to be part of your life? I can respect that. We can go back to the way it was with a visitation agreement and--"

"No." The word came out so quickly she surprised even herself. "No, I want you to stay. I want you here with me. I want...I want to be a family. I want to be your wife. In every way, I want to be your wife. I meant what I said. You will be a great king, and if there's a part of you that I have to learn to live without..."

Antone shook his head again. "There are two desks in this office. One for you and one for me. You were right, Tess, about everything. I have to share the load with you. You are going to be queen...and soon."

She blinked. "What do you mean?"

"The thing I've been keeping from you...I didn't want to overwhelm you, but it seems we have no choice. My father, with some help from the parliament, has decided it is best for him to abdicate his title. Almost like a retirement."

"But that would mean..."

Antone nodded. "The coronation is set for next month."

"You're going to be king," she whispered.

"So it would seem." He squeezed her hands. "Make no mistake, though. You do not have to attend the ceremony or--"

"No, I want to be there. I want to support you. Let me share the load."

He offered her a faint smile. "Of course."

"Antone...Antone, I love you." She searched his gaze, her heart in her throat.

Releasing one of her hands, he cupped her cheek and pulled her closer. "I love you, too, mi amore. Not because you are the mother of my child or because you are my wife. I love you because you are, and I believe I always will."

Then, at last, the tears that had threatened her for days fell, and Antone flicked them away as he leaned in and kissed her with his warm, welcoming lips.

This, she realized, was what home--what family--felt like. It wasn't the apartment she'd lived in or the expectations her parents had set that she would never live up to.

It was the safety, the love she felt in Antone's embrace, and no matter what happened or where they went, she knew that feeling would never go away, not as long as he was beside her.

The End