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CHAPTER 34

LIZZY

DAY OF PLAY.

The night I spent with Declan in the palace felt like a dream.

Not just because it had been amazing, but because it seemed like the only way we could truly be together—if at all—was in my dreams. For now, I was focused once again on helping him. He didn’t want to be king, and selfishly, I thought that maybe if he wasn’t king, there might be a chance for us.

So, I dedicated myself to Declan’s ridiculous PR ideas. And honestly, the plan we’d come up with might just work.

We met Lambert the next morning on the royal lawn, where a small stage had been erected, and we had invited local press. There weren’t a lot of major news outlets in Murdan, but there were plenty of influencers who had a surprising amount of reach.

“What’s going on?” Lambert asked, looking around at the citizens and reporters milling about.

We might have leaked a little hint about today’s festivities on some of the palace’s social media channels last night.

“This is step one in your PR rehabilitation campaign,” Declan told his brother.

“You ready for your briefing?” I asked.

Lambert looked skeptical, but he nodded. Just then, a woman stepped up beside him—a tall, dark-haired, dark-skinned woman who might have been in her early thirties.

“Deck, Lizzy, this is Celeste.”

The way Lambert changed when she was at his side told me everything I needed to know. He loved her completely. And she was gorgeous, polite, and the way she looked at him told me she loved him just as much.

“It’s a pleasure to meet you, Celeste,” Declan said, smiling at the woman who clearly had his brother’s heart. “Has Lambert told you a bit of the plan?”

“I don’t know the plan,” Lambert said, opening his hands and shaking his head.

“The plan is this,” I told him. “In just a few minutes, you’re going to step up and announce the first annual Murdan Day of Play.”

“Day of Play?” Lambert looked confused.

“Yes,” Declan said. “Every employer in the kingdom will give their employees at least two hours off this afternoon to go to a public park—or come here, to the palace lawn—to play. You and I will be out playing with all the kingdom’s children, Mom and Dad will be here, and we will build goodwill with our citizens.”

“The big PR plan is to play?” Lambert asked, looking between Declan and me.

“It’s just the first step, Lambert,” I told him.

“It sounds marvelous to me,” Celeste said, smiling.

“I guess it’s worth a try,” Lambert said. He looked at me. “You’re the expert, after all.”

I didn’t want to tell him the truth—just like I hadn’t wanted any of the Wombats players to know I had absolutely no idea what I was doing when it came to PR.

So, I just smiled and nodded.

Within the hour, a patio had been set up for the royal family, with shade and refreshments, and the press and many citizens had gathered in front of the stage to one side of the lawn.

Lambert climbed the stairs and took his spot in front of the microphone, tapping it to see if it was on.

“Men and women of Murdan,” he called out, quieting the crowd. “I’m Lambert, son of King Erik and Queen Penelope. You all know I enjoy a good romp as much as the next guy, so I thought it would be fitting for me to be the one to announce Murdan’s first annual Royal Day of Play.”

The gathered crowd roared—clapping and cheering. Many were taking pictures of Lambert, standing with the royal banners waving in the air behind him.

“This afternoon,” Lambert continued, “I hope you’ll join us here on the royal lawn, or in one of the many public parks throughout the land, to celebrate and play with your family and friends. Though it’s often overlooked, play is an important part of being a whole human.”

Declan leaned in toward me. “He’s going off script.”

“I think it’s good,” I told him.

Lambert continued, “Though there is such a thing as too much play, I think having some time off—time to bond with those you love—is what makes us well-rounded people. And so, I’d like to introduce you to a new face here at the palace. The woman I love. This is Celeste.”

He gestured for Celeste to join him on the stage, and she did so—seemingly reluctantly.

Despite her hesitation, Celeste climbed the stairs gracefully and stood with poise at Lambert’s side.

“They’re the perfect royal couple,” Declan murmured, leaning close to my side.

His breath tickled my ear, sending a shiver down my spine. But I had to agree with him. They did look regal standing there together as the crowd cheered their welcome to Celeste.

The rest of the day went off without a hitch.

With so many people gathered on the royal lawn, I wasn’t sure I had ever seen so many Murdan citizens in one place—except maybe in videos of King Erik’s coronation.

Families and children romped and played, vendors lined the streets near the palace selling lemonade and ice cream, and it was a lighthearted, glorious afternoon.

I kept a close eye on the palace’s social media accounts, which filled with photos and gleeful posts made by participating citizens.

That evening, Declan invited me to join his family for an early supper.

“Of course you’ll go,” my mother told me when I asked her whether it was appropriate. “You don’t refuse an invitation from the royal family.”

“It’s only… I think Declan might expect something.”

“Expect something?” she asked. “Like what?”

“I don’t know. I just… I don’t know what we are, where we stand. I don’t even know if I have a job anymore, now that Neel’s gone.”

“We have plenty of time to work all these things out,” she said. “For now, go enjoy your success from today. And have dinner with the man you love.”

“Mom, I never said?—”

It felt silly to deny it.

I did love Declan.

I just didn’t see how a real future was possible for us.

There was such an immense chasm between our places here in Murdan.

“Well done,” said the king, toasting his sons at dinner.

“Well done, indeed,” said the queen, smiling at all of us around the table. “What a wonderful day. And who knew that what our citizens really needed was just a day of play?”

“Lambert knew,” Declan said, smiling at his older brother.

“Well, Lambert would know about play,” the king said, his voice taking on a stern tone.

I knew that meant we still had work to do. But I wasn’t worried.

The way the queen and king had embraced Celeste—who sat quietly at Lambert’s side as we ate—suggested they were open to seeing their older son in a new light.

“Son, how did the fittings go?” the queen asked Declan.

Declan hesitated, and I realized—he hadn’t gone to his fittings.

“Yes, well, Mom… I thought we might delay those a bit.”

“Whatever for?” The queen looked distressed and put her fork down.

“I just don’t feel ready,” Declan said.

The queen frowned but relented. “I can try to reschedule for next week, I suppose. Will you be ready then?”

“Yes. Next week would be good. Late in the week.”

“Fine,” the queen said, taking a sip of wine. “I’ll try for Thursday.”

Lambert exhaled and looked between his parents, his sudden sigh pulling everyone’s attention. He blushed a bit and I wondered what had gotten him flustered when no one had spoken a word. After a long moment, he blurted, “The thing is… I’m going to marry Celeste.”

Celeste smiled. “And I’m going to marry you,” she said softly. And in that moment, everything in the room changed.

The truth—all of it—was about to come out.

The king leaned back in his chair, shaking his head, before breaking into a deep, booming laugh.

Then, looking at his son, he said, “But don’t you see? This changes everything.”