Page 73 of Royal Affair

"Oh my God, you did!" she squealed, then immediately lowered her voice when heads turned our way. "When? How was it? I need details!"

"After the kidnapping," I admitted. "And it was... intense. Perfect. Everything I'd imagined and more."

"And then what?" Gabriela asked, always focused on the pragmatic elements.

"And then he left. Went back to London the next day." The memory still stung, despite everything that had happened since."When he came back, he said it was a mistake. That we needed to maintain professional boundaries."

"But he's still jealous enough to threaten mutilation if another man touches you," Octavia pointed out. "Sounds like those 'professional boundaries' aren't working out so well."

"That's the problem," I sighed. "One minute he's cold and distant, the next he's... not. And I don't know which is real—the professional who wants nothing to do with me, or the man who can't stand seeing me with someone else."

"They're both real," Gabriela said thoughtfully. "The question is which one he decides to be."

I toyed with my coffee cup, watching the design in the foam slowly disintegrate. "It doesn't even matter. In a few months, I'll be back in Belavista permanently. My mother's stepping down once I graduate. I'll be queen, Gabi. And James will be?—"

"Your lover?" Octavia suggested with a raised eyebrow.

"My ex-bodyguard," I corrected. "Back in London, running his security firm, forgetting all about the princess he once protected."

Both my friends exchanged a look I couldn't quite interpret.

"What?" I asked.

"Eve," Gabriela began gently, "I've never seen you like this about anyone. Not even Pierre, and you were crazy about him."

"That was different," I protested. "I was younger then. It wasn't as?—"

"Intense?" Octavia supplied. "Because that's the word you keep using when you talk about him. Intense."

She was right. Everything about James was intense—his focus, his control, his rare moments of vulnerability. Even his silences were intense.

"Have you thought about what you want?" Gabriela asked. "Not what's practical, or what's expected of you as future queen. What you, Evangeline the woman, actually want?"

I stared at her, caught off guard by the directness of the question. What did I want? The answer came immediately, with a clarity that was both liberating and terrifying.

"I want him," I said simply. "Not just physically. I want all of him—the professional and the possessive, the controlled and the passionate. Even the parts that scare me a little."

Saying it aloud felt like stepping off a cliff, exhilarating and frightening in equal measure.

"Then maybe you should tell him that," Octavia suggested. "Before you both drive yourselves crazy dancing around each other."

"It's not that simple," I sighed. "Alexandra's death changed everything. The timeline for my return to Bellavista, my coronation—it's all accelerated now. And my mother's health..."

I trailed off, the familiar weight of grief and worry settling over me again. In the chaos of recent events, I'd barely had time to properly process Alexandra's loss or what it meant for my future.

"How are you doing with all of that?" Gabriela asked softly, reaching across the table to squeeze my hand. "Really?"

The gentle concern in her voice nearly undid me. I blinked rapidly against sudden tears.

"I miss her," I admitted, my voice cracking slightly. "We weren't close like some sisters, but she was always there—steady, reliable. I keep expecting to get a text from her about some royal protocol I'm forgetting, or advice about how to handle the press."

"And your mom?" Octavia asked.

"The doctors still don't know exactly what's wrong. They're running tests, but..." I swallowed hard. "She's getting weaker. More confused sometimes. It's why she's stepping down after my graduation. She doesn't think she can continue ruling effectively."

"Which leaves you," Gabriela said, understanding in her eyes.

"Which leaves me," I echoed. "Future Queen Evangeline, who once dreamed of being a simple veterinarian."