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They had all been taken at the fair, when Amy and Artur had gone on the Ferris wheel. There he was, with his hand on her belly. There he was, looking at her with awed delight. And below, a video clip. Someone had taken it from behind, while they walked away from the Ferris wheel. “It is your baby,” she heard herself say. And then Artur: “And since it’s mine, we should think about—”
Her mouth worked before her thoughts could catch up.
“Where is he? I need to speak to him. Now.”
Before Sasha could answer, she pushed past her, ran through the sitting room, and out into the palace halls. He would be in his rooms—at least, she hoped he would be. Amy’s pulse thudded in her ears, the blood crashing through her veins. She burst through the door to Artur’s rooms so quickly that a young staffer had to leap back out of her way.
“Artur,” she shouted, and he came in quickly from his bedroom.
“Amy? What is it? Is it the baby? Is she—”
“This.” She brandished the tablet in his face. “This, Artur.”
He ran a hand through his hair. “Someone took photographs.”
“Did you authorize them?” She was seething now, with anger and fear and something white-hot at the pit of her gut. “Was this part of your plan?”
“Plan?” He looked shocked. “What? No, Amy—”
“Because I know this is what you wanted. You wanted us in the public eye, and now you got it. Now there’s no going back with this.”
Artur took the tablet gently from her hands. “That’s true,” he said simply. “I did want to date you. I did want it to be you I was seen with and photographed with, and not any of those other women. You’re the mother of my child, and the tour taught me that you’re the only woman I want to get serious with. You’re the only one I want a relationship with. You have the makings of a princess.”
“I can’t be a princess.” She could hardly breathe. “That’s insane.”
“We could be an amazing team.” Artur smiled at her, his eyes full of hope. “You have a knack for bringing out the best in me. You could fix what’s wrong in my world. In more ways than one. Amy, I—” He swallowed, pausing. “The way I feel for you grows stronger every day. Surely, you feel there’s something good between us, yes? Something worth exploring further?”
“No.” She spit the word before she could stop herself. “No, I don’t. I never wanted to be in the public eye. I never wanted to be a princess. And this family—your family—the communication problem isn’t just that the citizens can’t talk to you. I don’t know if you’re even listening.”
“I am listening,” he insisted.
“You’re not. If you listened, you’d already know that I’m a background player because that’s where I want to be. I’m not like you. I don’t want to be the center of attention and I don’t want my baby in the spotlight, either. We are not here to fix things for you. I’m here because it’s my job.” The fear rose up in her throat, choking her, overwhelming her. “I don’t want anything to do with you or your world.”
Artur’s face fell, and then it rearranged itself into something cold. Blank. Public. “In that case, you’re absolutely right,” he said, and her heart snapped in two. “You are being paid to be here. You’re being paid to fix this. You should focus on that.” He looked into her eyes, and it was like he’d become a different person. “I hope you have something to take notes with. You’ll need to arrange a press conference.”
Artur stood in front of the crowd, tall, confident—a complete stranger. He looked every bit the prince, and not the prince he had been when she met him. This version of him was serious, focused, yet still charming.
Amy couldn’t look away.
She hovered near the side of the stage, because that was where she needed to be, but she wanted to run and hide. The way he’d looked at her in his rooms...on the one hand, she deserved it. Amy knew she’d been cruel, and dishonest too. She did want something with Artur, but she didn’t want the businesslike marriage he’d proposed before they’d gone on the tour, where he dictated her role in the family and made it into a job. Love hadn’t been part of his offer, and she couldn’t accept anything less.
The press questions rolled straight through her ears. She only heard Artur’s voice, floating easily above the crowd as he answered.
“Yes,” he said firmly, his back straight, head held high. “Ms. Branch and I are having a child together.”
There was a flurry of questions, but Artur quieted them with a wave of his hand and a gentle smile that made Amy feel, somehow, like he’d included her in it too. It didn’t matter that he couldn’t see her—she felt it, anyway. He was good at this.
“I have an idea of what you’re keen to ask me, and no, the pregnancy will not be available for press coverage.” There was a low murmur of laughter from the crowd, and then one of the photographers shouted something from the back that she didn’t catch. “No, no pictures, Lyon.” Another swell of laughter, but then Artur turned serious. “In all honesty, I’m here to ask you for our privacy during this time in our lives. We are hard at work constructing a plan for the two of us and our growing family, and I’m sure you all understand the delicate nature of the moment. Thank you.”
It was perfect. He had handled it just how she would have counseled him to. But she hadn’t counseled him. He’d done it all on his own. Even the press seemed to understand that things had changed. They didn’t shout after him as he left, only bent over their notepads and talked to each other, preparing for the articles they’d file and the news segments they’d take. Her heart was bursting with pride—she thought it might actually explode.
As Artur came down the steps of the podium, Amy rushed toward him. It was as spontaneous a gesture as she’d ever made in her life, but how else could she thank him for being so perfect in this moment? She had been hurtful, and he had acted like a prince.
But he shook his head at her, cutting a quick glance at the crowd.
It stung. The rejection shot straight through her like an arrow.
Artur beckoned to her as he went past, and she numbly turned to walk at his side. She could tell by the set of his jaw that he was still upset, even if he was controlling it. He’d seemed so comfortable in front of the crowd. Amy had almost hoped that meant they could brush aside what had happened in his room. Now she knew there was no chance.
