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Veronica looked like she wanted to remove his head, but opted for poking him in the chest. “I don’t think I have ever been more livid with anyone in my entire life. You’re a cruel human being, Theo.”
“Wait a minute . . . I wasn’t doing it to be cruel,” he stammered. “I was only trying to disrupt things, and it simply got out of hand. I’m not proud of my behavior. I thought they were harmless mishaps, and I certainly did not take into consideration the repercussions that would fall on Grace. For that, I am truly sorry. I hope you both will forgive me. Especially you, Grace.”
It was a lot to take in.
Prince Theo did sound sincere, which helped.
As for Veronica, she wasn’t having it.
“Apology not accepted,” she said. “Please leave.”
Prince Theodore opened his mouth and?—
“Leave!” Veronica said, pointing back to the palace.
With that, Theodore turned and walked away, leaving me and Veronica contemplating his words and actions.
Veronica sighed. “I’m so sorry you had to go through that, Grace. Theo has had a chip on his shoulder for a while now. He’s always been cold to me, especially since our marriage was announced. He just can’t stand being second in line to the throne. It is killing him. Honestly, I feel sorry for the man. I’m going to inform the queen of his behavior, so you are cleared of any wrongdoing. I can’t stand injustice.”
I nodded, watching him go back inside the palace. “I don’t appreciate what he did, at all, but his apology seemed sincere. Also, remind me to never get on your bad side.” I shook my head in amusement.
Veronica let out a laugh and slid her arm through mine, her voice a conspiratorial whisper, “I like to scare men now and then—to let them know who’s in charge. Not like Queen Annabelle, of course. But enough about Theo. I just had a chat with Oliver, and he came up with a brilliant idea for you and me to have a little brainstorming session.”
“Sounds like fun,” I replied with enthusiasm. “What are we brainstorming?”
Veronica grinned mischievously. “How to nix the wedding.”
“Sign me up,” I responded a bit too eagerly, doing my best not to think of Oliver’s kiss in the Tunnel of Love.
“Perfect,” she said. “Oliver mentioned to me that in your past career, you were a strategic business manager and consultant, specializing in profitable collaborations.”
“Yup.” I nodded. “That was me.”
“Well, that’s exactly what we need—a collaboration,” she said. “I have a master’s degree in agricultural science from the University of Copenhagen. Queen Annabelle wants the arranged marriage because Verdana desperately needs the alliance between our two countries to ensure vital grain shipments for the future. Oliver is certain you and I can come up with an even better plan, thus eliminating the need for us to get married.”
I grinned. “Oliver is a genius. We can definitely do this.”
And so, that was exactly what we did for the next ten hours. We collaborated seamlessly, did our research, and generated ideas until we had a solid plan. A dozen phone calls later, we wrapped up, feeling proud of our accomplishment and confident our plan was foolproof. The next step was to present the idea to Queen Annabelle for her approval, then put all the pieces of the puzzle together to make the plan a reality. Hopefully, we could do that the next day.
As for the moment, I was ready to collapse.
I finished my nighttime routine—teeth brushed, face washed, and pajamas on. Just as I snuggled into the warmth of my cozy bed, my phone buzzed, and a familiar name illuminated the screen, spreading a smile across my face.
Oliver: Are you awake?
Me: I’m just settling into bed.
Oliver: Don’t do that.
Me: Why not?
Oliver: Veronica told me you didn’t eat much today.
Oliver: I am preparing something for you.
Me: Seriously?
Oliver: I don’t joke about food.
