Page 28 of A Royal Obligation

My royal foot is healing up just fine. Nothing a little ice and rest couldn’t fix. I am no longer, as you said, “slightly limpy.”

To answer your questions, yes, we do have a dungeon deep down in the foundation. It hasn’t been used for centuries though. And the whole “off with their heads” thing is only from a movie … or at least that hasn’t been around for a long time either.

Don’t worry. I like having you around too much to send you to the dungeons or the guillotine. You have my utmost discretion and my word. A prince’s word is his honor, so you are in safe hands.

I have reserved the men’s sitting room for us tomorrow so that we have a private space for you to teach me how to talk to Charlotte. I will meet you there a little bit after breakfast ends. I have already spoken with Rory, and she said your calendar was free then.

I forgot how much I loved written correspondence, so maybe we could keep this up? Strictly as friends, of course. Also, if we’re going to be friends, please call me Barrett.

Most Sincerely,

An Honorable Prince

Jules sighed as she set down the letter. A heavy weight landed upon her shoulders and a sinking feeling sat within her chest. A war waged within her heart.

The mushy side of her told her she should continue the correspondence with Barrett. The other flashed a big, red warning sign saying to get out now and protect her heart while she still could. As much of a risk as it was, the side that believed in love and fairytales won out for now.

She laid her head back on her pillow and wondered how she was going to get through the rest of her time at the palace without falling completely and madly in love with its Crown Prince.

Chapter Twelve

Barrett

SweatformedonBarrett’sbrow as he waited in the men’s sitting room for Jules. His nerves weren’t the normal kind he felt around women, where he was scared to say something embarrassing. Instead, he was nervous that the strong attraction he felt would turn into deeper feelings. Ones that he wouldn’t be able to act on or ever forget.Jules isn’t the kind of girl a man can forget.

A light question of a knock came from the door, and Barrett walked over and invited her in. He quickly leaned his head out of the door and glanced both ways, making sure no one saw her come in, before shutting and locking the door.

“Sorry about that. I feel bad keeping this so secretive, but I don’t want the whole staff to know that I need help talking to Charlotte.”

“Don’t even mention it, Your High—”

He narrowed his eyes at her and raised an eyebrow.

“—Barrett. Sorry, that will take some getting used to. But it is my pleasure to help in any way I can.”

“I don’t want to waste your time, so let’s jump right in.”

“I thought it best that we start with conversation starters,” Jules said as they walked over to the brown leather couch, both taking a seat on opposite ends. She turned sideways so she was facing him.

“The main thing with talking to anyone in general, but specifically a woman, is to ask open-ended questions.”

Barrett pulled out a notepad. He nodded and took notes as she spoke.

“You can ask some shorter questions like what’s your favorite color or what’s your favorite season, but questions like that will typically only produce a one-word answer unless you pry further. That’s why open-ended questions are better if you’re trying to have a longer conversation.”

“What are some examples of good open-ended questions?” Barrett asked, glancing up at her with his pen at the ready.

“You can ask things like where is your happy place, if you could have any job, what would it be, or what brings you the most joy in life.”

“But won’t some of those still result in one-word answers?”

“They might, but since they are more open-ended you can always follow up their answer with a comment and then askwhy. For example, if you asked me what brings me the most joy in life, I would tell you something like seeing a child smile, reading a good book, taking a stroll outside to appreciate nature, and spending time with my loved ones. You then have so much material to follow up on. You could ask me why I love working with kids, what was the last good book I read, or who I’m closest to. You also would then know I like walking outside, being with kids, and reading, so that gives you some ideas for dates or outings you could take me on.”

“You make it all sound so simple.” Barrett closed his mouth when he realized it was agape.

“Starting a conversation isn’t the problem. Some people are harder to converse with than others. But you’ll likely find that if you ask one question and some follow ups, a woman can go on talking for quite a while and leave that conversation satisfied.” She got quiet, and it looked like she was mulling over her next words. “Since you tend to struggle with the wording of things, I would recommend you maybe practice and have some questions in your head going into any event or meal so that you already have an arsenal of them at the ready, prepared for anything.”

Barrett chuckled. “That’s putting it very kindly. Thank you. That gives me more insight into the female mind. I will most definitely come prepared.” He held up his notebook, drawing a laugh from her.

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