Three days later, Adrian was still thinking about the horse.
This annoyed him.
Not because the incident mattered.
Because it didn’t.
The horse had recovered.
The exhibition had ended.
Life had continued.
Yet every so often, he found himself remembering a young woman kneeling in the dirt without hesitation while half the nobility stood frozen nearby.
Strange.
Very strange.
Adrian disliked unnecessary thoughts.
And this one felt distinctly unnecessary.
"Your Highness?"
Adrian looked up.
His secretary immediately straightened.
"My apologies."
The man looked relieved.
The stack of documents waiting on Adrian’s desk looked less relieved.
The Crown Prince sighed.
Work.
He preferred work.
Work made sense.
People did not.
Especially lately.
Meanwhile, Marian was enjoying a much better day.
Specifically because Adrian was not there.
Not because she didn’t like Adrian.
She loved Adrian.
The problem was that Adrian occasionally attempted to make her productive.
A terrible habit.
Fortunately, today he was trapped inside meetings.
Which meant Marian was free.
Very free.
Wonderfully free.
"Lady Marian."
Marian glanced up from the romance novel hidden inside her embroidery basket.
Her maid immediately looked suspicious.
Dangerous.
Very dangerous.
"What?"
"Are you reading again?"
"No."
The maid narrowed her eyes.
Marian smiled innocently.
The maid did not believe her.
Correctly.
"His Grace asked whether you’ve reviewed the estate reports."
Marian looked offended.
"Why would you ruin a perfectly pleasant afternoon?"
"They concern your future."
"My future concerns me very little."
The maid sighed.
"One day you’ll manage House Valmont."
"One day I will marry Adrian."
"That is not the same thing."
"It is from my perspective."
The maid looked moments away from resignation.
Marian considered that a victory.
Honestly, she had already worked one lifetime.
She had paid taxes.
Taken public transportation.
Answered emails.
Attended meetings that could have been messages.
This life?
This life came with servants.
She intended to enjoy them.
Unfortunately, freedom never lasted.
Especially when one’s father was Duke Theodore Valmont.
"Marian."
Marian immediately knew she was in trouble.
The Duke stood in the doorway.
Looking exactly like a man preparing to discuss responsibilities.
A terrifying sight.
"No."
The Duke blinked.
"I haven’t said anything."
"I know."
"Then how do you know the answer is no?"
"Because you’re about to ask me to do something."
The Duke actually laughed.
A rare occurrence.
"You are twenty years old."
"And thriving."
"You are avoiding work."
"I am avoiding unhappiness."
"That is not how life functions."
"It is when you’re rich."
The Duke stared.
Marian smiled.
The Duke pinched the bridge of his nose.
A gesture Adrian had apparently inherited.
Interesting.
Later that evening, Marian escaped.
This required strategy.
And determination.
Mostly determination.
The palace gardens offered excellent hiding places.
Especially near sunset.
She wandered familiar pathways lined with blooming roses.
The air smelled sweet.
The fading sunlight painted everything gold.
Perfect.
Exactly the sort of scenery romance novels were invented for.
Which was why Marian carried one.
Naturally.
A future Crown Princess needed priorities.
As she settled beneath a gazebo, footsteps approached.
Marian immediately looked up.
Then smiled.
"Adrian."
The Crown Prince stopped.
His expression softened.
Always.
Every single time.
"You disappeared."
"I prefer the term escaped."
"From?"
"My responsibilities."
"Marian."
"I’m very committed to avoiding them."
Adrian sat beside her.
Close.
Comfortably close.
The sort of distance that came from years of familiarity.
His gaze dropped to the book in her lap.
"A romance novel."
"An excellent one."
"You say that about all of them."
"Because all of them contain romance."
"I should have guessed."
Marian smiled.
No shame whatsoever.
Life was too short to be embarrassed by things one enjoyed.
Especially after dying once already.
"How was your day?" she asked.
"Meetings."
"My condolences."
"Reports."
"Tragic."
"Budget discussions."
"Oh, you actually suffered."
Adrian laughed.
The sound pleased her immediately.
Mission accomplished.
Again.
Then something strange happened.
A brief silence.
Not uncomfortable.
Just thoughtful.
Adrian looked toward the garden paths.
And for reasons he couldn’t explain, another image surfaced.
A young woman kneeling beside an injured horse.
Focused.
Determined.
Completely unconcerned with appearances.
The memory vanished almost immediately.
But not before Adrian noticed it.
Annoying.
Very annoying.
Because he had absolutely no reason to be thinking about Elena Hart.
None.
"What are you thinking about?"
Marian’s voice broke through his thoughts.
Adrian looked at her.
Really looked at her.
Golden evening light illuminated her silver-blonde hair.
Her blue eyes.
Her smile.
Beautiful.
Familiar.
Beloved.
Everything he had always wanted.
The image of Elena disappeared instantly.
Meaningless.
Completely meaningless.
"No reason."
Marian narrowed her eyes suspiciously.
"I don’t believe you."
"That sounds like a personal problem."
"Rude."
"So I’ve been told."
Marian leaned against his shoulder.
Naturally.
Comfortably.
As though she’d done it a thousand times before.
Because she had.
And Adrian smiled.
The future stretched before them exactly as it always had.
Marriage.
The throne.
A life together.
Everything was unchanged.
Or so they both believed.
Far away, in a modest room provided by Countess Everett, Elena Hart sat surrounded by medical texts.
Completely unaware that she had crossed the Crown Prince’s mind twice in the same week.
And equally unaware that such a thing might someday matter.
For now, she was simply studying.
For now, Adrian was simply engaged.
For now, Marian was simply happy.
The story had not broken yet.
But somewhere beneath the surface, the first fault lines had begun to form.