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Sebastian and I returned to the palace and said our goodbyes near the terrace. He headed inside, while I paused outside for a brief moment, taking a deep breath and hoping the rest of the day would be drama-free.
Then someone called my name.
Prince Theodore approached with an awkward shuffle, his hands fidgeting nervously. It had been a while since our last encounter, one fraught with tension over the tiara incident. I hoped this interaction would be different, perhaps more positive.
“I’ve been meaning to talk to you,” Prince Theodore began, his voice wavering slightly, most likely from guilt, as he could scarcely look me in the eyes.
Before he could say anything else, Veronica joined us. “You have some nerve, Theo.”
Prince Theodore visibly stiffened, well aware of Veronica’s resentment, considering it was her tiara he had taken.
“Perfect timing,” he said. “I was just about to apologize to Grace for my foolishness, but I owe you an apology as well.”
Veronica’s eyes narrowed, and she crossed her arms, waiting . . .
He sighed. “I’m sorry for taking the tiara and for?—”
“Why did you do it?” Veronica asked, sounding like she would not make it so easy to forgive him. “What could have possibly possessed you to do such a thing?”
Theodore glanced around nervously, then leaned in and confessed, “Because I am one-hundred percent against your marriage.”
Veronica and I glanced at each other, each taken aback.
What on earth could he have against her?
Did he think she wasn’t good enough for Oliver or his family?
Impossible. It must have been something else.
Veronica asked, “Not that we need your approval, but why don’t you want us to marry?”
Prince Theodore hesitated, choosing his words carefully. “Multiple reasons, actually. For one, I don’t believe in arranged marriages. I think they are absolutely ridiculous. People should only marry for love.”
“Well, I agree with you there,” I said. “But what does taking the tiara have to do with that?”
Prince Theodore sighed. “Mother is superstitious, and I thought if I created some problems, she would consider it an omen and call off the wedding. I was trying to help my brother.”
I tilted my head. “What else have you done?”
Prince Theodore blinked. “Pardon me?”
“You specifically said you wanted to create some problems,” I said, using air quotes. “What else have you done besides steal the tiara?”
Prince Theodore opened his mouth and closed it.
“Theo?” Veronica said. “There’s something else, isn’t there? Tell us. Immediately.”
Prince Theodore ran his hand through his hair and tapped his foot on the cement before he finally confessed. “I created a fake back-up list of guests, then put them in Grace’s file, knowing she would start inviting them whenever someone sent back an RSVP that said they could not attend. They were people I knew Mother didn’t want to be there.”
I just stared at him.
“I also swapped the doves for peacocks,” Prince Theodore said.
Now, I wasn’t blinking at all.
My muscles were completely frozen.
“Then I changed the candle order for the wedding ceremony from lavender to black licorice,” he added.
