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Chapter One
Princess Veronica
“You’ve got the poker face of a five-year-old playing Go Fish,” I said to my best friend Daphne as she pretended not to peek at her phone. “What has got you so captivated?”
“Nothing,” she answered while we sipped tea on the royal terrace. “Do you fancy a vacation before you start your new project? Maybe London or Sydney?” She shot another glance at her phone, then set it face-down on the table when she saw I caught her. Again.
My suspicion radar vibrated like crazy. There was something she didn’t want me to see.
“Let me have a look at your phone.” I held out my hand. “If it’s nothing, you won’t have a problem showing me what you were looking at.”
“It is inconvenient and highly frustrating that you know me so well,” Daphne said.
“And it really isn’t necessary to protect my feelings,” I said. “I can handle whatever it might be. What is it, more gossip?”
Daphne shook her head. “It’s just a replay of the top story on Channel Five news. It’s about your love life, or the supposed lack thereof. Nothing you should be looking at.”
“Are they running out of genuine news?” I feigned indifference while my stomach twisted with annoyance.
I was getting a little tired of the scrutiny and speculation of people who didn’t know a thing about me. Ever since my wedding was canceled, the world had been obsessed with my next move. Or, my next man, to be more accurate. Well, I had news for them: I didn’t have a plan and I didn’t have a man. The only thing I wanted to do was enjoy my three weeks of downtime before I got to work on my passion project with the International Grain Coalition.
Daphne continued with that look on her face. The “There’s something you should know, but you will not like it” kind of look. The curiosity bubbled inside me, a vexing itch that just had to be scratched.
“Show me,” I said. “I want to see what’s got you so jittery.”
“It’s the tea. You know how Earl Grey gets to me.” She glanced inside her full cup, then back up at me with chagrin.
I crossed my arms and waited.
Daphne sighed and handed me her phone.
I nixed the subtitles, turned up the volume, and tapped on the rewatch button.
“The unexpected breakup of Prince Oliver and Princess Veronica continues to take the world by storm.” The news anchor’s tone hovered between intrigue and pity.
Both Oliver and I were beyond grateful that the arranged marriage meticulously planned by our parents had been called off. We’d been friends since childhood, but the thought of marrying him was about as off-putting as marrying my brother. I had certainly dodged a bullet, but why was the spotlight on me?
“And what’s next for the princess?” the news anchor continued as a montage of my photos slid across the screen. “Does Princess Veronica have any new suitors on the horizon? This is her second big breakup in a little over a year. Is it possible the princess will now embrace spinsterhood?”
“Spinsterhood? This is twenty-first century Kastonia, not the set of Bridgerton! I’m only thirty-one!” I echoed.
Daphne’s eyes twinkled with amusement. “Apparently, it’s a viable career option now. Embrace the new you.”
“Maybe I will,” I joked. “I’ll shock them all by becoming a certified old maid and adopting a dozen cats.”
“Your devotion is inspiring since I hear the average spinster-to-cat ratio is seven,” Daphne deadpanned. “I guess a princess must follow her heart, even if it leads to litter boxes.”
“Nothing could be truer,” I said with a smile. “I just don’t understand why this is news. Of all the things they could talk about, why would they choose my love life? Why aren’t they talking about something more exciting, like the film festival?”
The Kastonia International Film festival draws thousands of people to our city every year, including many A-list actors and directors from Hollywood. In fact, it is one of the most popular film festivals in the world, right behind Venice, Cannes, Berlin, Toronto and Sundance.
Daphne shrugged. “The film festival ends today. Obviously, they ran out of things to talk about. Not to mention the fact that you’re much more exciting than the latest Marvel movie.”
I’m not sure I agreed, but why did the news channels always have to put a negative spin on things? I’d much rather embrace the singleton life than be with the wrong person. My happiness did merit consideration, regardless of what the media, and apparently all of Kastonia thought.
“Rumor has it that King Gustav and Queen Camille are already in secret negotiations with Queen Annabelle of Verdana,” the news anchor continued as a video of my parents with Oliver’s mother filled the screen. “Another arranged marriage, perhaps? This time with Prince Oliver’s brother, Prince Augustus? Would Princess Veronica actually give him another chance now that he is next in line to be king?”
No, I certainly would not!
