Page 28 of Desperately Yours

Carriage ride to countryside

Picnic by lake

Boat ride with music

It all felt wrong. These were the sorts of things that the rest of the ladies would want. But Coco? What we needed was a trampoline, a sky full of stars, and no one else in the world. We needed snacks and old movies, maybe a mix tape full of the best songs from the early 2000s and gummy worms to tie into ropes to see who could eat one the fastest. None of these romantic outings meshed with Coco, not really. And yet, my heart pulled for her in ways it never had with anyone else.

I sighed and stood. The interviews would be starting soon. I couldn’t intervene, but I wanted to be present just the same. I pulled my suit coat from the back of the chair and slipped it back on again. After the interviews, I would talk with Bishop. Maybe he had some ideas to bring romance into my evening with Coco.

Or maybe it wasn’t coming together for another reason.

I hated the thought, but perhaps we simply weren’t meant to be.

Michaela

“You realize Ihavebeen interviewed before, right? And recently.”

Bishop gave me a side eye that would rival the sass of a thirteen-year-old girl. “You realize you have never been interviewed by a king, not to mention the father of the man you’d like to marry, to whom, or to which, or… oh, whatever.Tosh!All that fancy twaddle.” He put his hands up as we walked down the hallway together. “Frankly, your love is illegal and this is your shot to fix it. So maybe stop being sobleedingcocky, yes?”

Obviously beat, I stopped by a marble statue of a rearing ram. At least its significance finally made sense to me. I frowned at Bishop, but his one arched eyebrow wasn’t giving way at all.

“Fine.” He wasn’t wrong. “But I swear, I know not to stutter or speak over anyone. I’ve memorized all the talking points for the kingdom that you gave me. I really don’t think I’m going to suck.”

Bishop started walking without me. “And if notsucking,” I could practically taste his disgust over my word choice, “was thegoal, then you would be golden, but you not only have to be good, you have to be better than the othersandshow that you are royal material despite yourAmericanbirth.”

“You say that like it’s a bad thing…”

“Explain how it’s a good thing,” he quipped back. Immediately, he brought himself into check. “Sorry, I have a quarrel with an individual in America, not the whole country. She’s been recently unearthed in my memories and it’s all too fresh.” Bishop flitted his hand through the air as he pulled ahead with his longer legs. “As you were.”

I jogged in my kitten heels to catch up with him. “Wait, that sounds like a story. Spill the tea.”

“What tea?” He shot me an alarmed look. “And why in heaven’s name would I spill perfectly good tea? Really. You Americans, so wasteful.”

“American slang. It meants tell me what happened, dummy.” I finally caught up to him. “I think we’ve stumbled upon your villain origin story.”

“One man’s villain is another man’s scorned and charred heart.” He took the final turn. “Oh dear, look at that.” He waved to the doors that led to the king’s chambers where the interview would be held. “Looks like we’re all out of time today for intrusive questions, perhaps another day, dearie.”

I rolled my eyes. “You aren’t even going to wish me luck?” The heavy doors loomed like a portal to another world full of dragons and ghouls. Since Fitz’s parents were on the other side waiting for me, the idea didn’t feel far off.

“Luck? No. But I shall wish you all the best and give you my faith that you are the superior choice.” He took my shoulders and faced me with a solemnity I didn’t expect from him. “Not only for him, but for the whole country.” Before I could speak, his grip spun me to face the doors again and with a gentle shove, he sent me forward. “Go on then, earn your crown, m’lady.”

Michaela

Iwas the last to arrive, but that only meant I didn’t have to wait for the production team to fit me with my microphone pack and give last-minute directions. As I listened, I familiarized myself with the room. Unlike other rooms in the palace, this one was divided into three sections. First, the seating area near the window in the gable of the room, banked in by towering bookcases and a single window. Then, the production zone behind me where cameras, crew, and lighting fixtures lurked behind the lenses. And finally, the massive chamber doors I assumed led to the king and queen’s bedroom. Which left me dead center of it all, feeling as breathless as a fish out of water.

Like every other room in the palace, I noted the beauty thatsurrounded me. High walls painted in a deep burgundy shade created a luxe atmosphere, while accents of gold adorned both antiquities and architecture.

The chairs were arranged around a large settee where the king already waited. The production crew swelled around me, but no one offered help. My chest tightened as I felt the press of anxiety. Sadie and Esmerey were locked in a deep conversation with the king, but I still felt uneasy approaching while he was seated. There had to be some kind of protocol I didn’t know, and I’d promised Bishop I wouldn’t screw the whole thing up. I noted the queen’s absence, surprised that she would stay away from this event. Bodies moved in close behind me, pushing me forward without meaning to. I glanced left, then right. Panic rose like a surging tide. A hand curved around my waist as one of the crew drew close to me in the surge.

---