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“I’m a smooth peanut butter girl all the way,” Palmer joked.

“Be serious,” Elizabeth requested, but laughed all the same.

“You want to know if I want you to lose your crown or not, right?”

“Yes.” Elizabeth lifted herself up, resting her head on her elbow, and stared at Palmer. “Rebecca seems to think you’d make a fine Queen Consort one day.”

“She does not.” Palmer laughed.

“She does. She said as much today.”

“Ibarely make a responsible adult,” Palmer argued.

“You’re a very responsible adult,” Elizabeth replied. “And you’re kind and caring. You’re smart and intuitive. Rebecca’s right: you would make a great Consort.”

“Is this a proposal?” Palmer lifted an eyebrow at her.

“No,” Elizabeth said, smiling.

“I kind of thoughtI’dbe the one doing that one day.”

“Proposing? To me?” Elizabeth asked in a very high-pitched voice.

“Calm down,” Palmer said, running her hand over Elizabeth’s cheek. “I meant that I’d be the one proposing to any woman I’d end up with, not specifically you.”

“Why is that?”

“I’ve just always thought so,” Palmer replied. “Since I thought about settling down, I figured it would bemebuying the ring and doing the asking.”

“Not that I’m saying we’re heading that direction or anything, but technically, as a Queen, the rule is thatI’dhave to askyou.”

“You’re kidding?” Palmer asked, running a hand through Elizabeth’s long blonde hair.

“No, the King or Queen must do the asking. That’s how it’s always worked.”

“Aren’t you trying to get rid of some of those old-timey customs? Canthatbe one of them?”

“We might not even need to worry about it,” Elizabeth reasoned. “But we have a while before you and I would be talking about that step, anyway. If the vote goes against me, I won’t be a Queen anymore, and you can ask, assuming you’d want to, then.”

Palmer kissed her quickly on the lips and said, “Do you really want to know what I’m thinking about this whole thing?”

“Yes, I think we have to discuss it. We love each other, and we’re together, Palmer, but therearelogistics and practicalities we should think through as well.”

“Okay. Well, here’s what I’m thinking.” She kissed Elizabeth again. “I’m crazy about you.” She shrugged a shoulder. “I love you. I want to be with you. I’ve never felt about anyone the way I feel about you, and that won’t change because of some vote.”

“I know that,” Elizabeth replied softly.

“Well, if I got a vote in this thing, I’d voteforthe monarchy.”

Elizabeth pulled back, surprised, and said, “You would?”

“Every time you’ve talked about this, you’ve said, ‘If they voteforus oragainstus,’ and you meantforkeeping you in your position andagainstkeeping you in your position. That tells me you want the vote to be pro-monarchy, Lizzy. You want to stay the Queen of St. Rais. And you don’t want it because you really care about some title – I’m convinced you’d be perfectly happy living in that one-bedroom house, studying physics all the time – you want the monarchy to remain because you believe it helps support St. Rais. You know what it’s about, and that’s not draining public funds or taking the nation to a war the entire world was already in anyway. I’ll admit: I don’t know whereIfit into all of that. But it’s clear to me that you know what you want. You may not want to admit it to yourself because itdoesmean you have to give up other things you want.” Palmer stared into Elizabeth’s blue eyes. “Then again, maybe it doesn’t. You’re already changing the rules so much, babe. I’m sure you could change a few more and have the best of both worlds.”

“I want you,” Elizabeth stated.

“I want you, too,” Palmer replied.

Elizabeth sighed and rolled away, running a hand over her face.