Page 62 of The Prince and the Puck

“That’s true,” Declan said. He turned to me. “Lizzy, do you have a few minutes?”

My heart jumped. I told myself that this would surely be about the crown, the treason we had just uncovered, or his potential ascension to the throne. It wouldn’t have anything to do with us.

Don’t hope for anything else,I warned myself. I took a deep breath and faced Declan as we sat on a bench just outside the entrance we’d come through.

“Lizzy, I wondered if you might be willing to put on your PR hat a little bit longer.” That was definitely not what I had been expecting him to say.

“I don’t really have a PR hat. You know that.”

“I think we both know more about PR than we used to,” Declan said.

“Doesn’t make either of us qualified for anything,” I told him.

He laughed. “That’s true. I am only qualified to play hockey.” He smiled and rubbed a hand across one side of his beard. My eyes followed the movement, and I hated myself for wishing I could feel that softness again.

But there was a separation between us now. A distance that needed to stay in place.

He was royalty.

I... was not.

“What do you need PR for?” I asked.

“It’s not for me. It’s for my brother. I need to show the people that he’s fit to rule. He’s had some... PR crises in the past.”

“No shit.”

“Yeah. But the thing is—that was all spin, too.”

“What do you mean?” I asked.

It was common knowledge that the older prince had been in and out of rehab most of his adult life.

“What if everything you think you know about Lambert is wrong?” Declan asked.

I stared at him. “That would be a pretty fantastic story.”

“Well, then you’re gonna love this,” Declan said.

And then he told me a story. A fantastic one.

When he was done, my mind was spinning.

Everything the people of Murdan believed about their prince was a lie. And it was a lie all in the name of love.

What better story was there than that?

Sure, the prince had allowed himself to take on an image that was somewhat scandalous. But the reality was that he had successfully protected someone he loved.

And done no real harm.

The true heir was fit to rule, after all.

That was a happy ending.

And the people of Murdan would certainly embrace it—if it was put to them the right way.

“I think we need to change Lambert’s image gradually,” I told Declan.