Chapter 3

Recognition dawned on Elliot's face first. "Wait. Elizabeth? Elizabeth Pearson? The quiet one who's always reading in the back corner of the library?"

Buck frowned, trying to place her in his memory. "The girl with the weird books about ancient pack treaties and battle strategies? That's the Princess?"

"She's not weird, she's brilliant," Elliot muttered, then caught himself when both his mother and brother turned to stare at him. He cleared his throat. "I've seen her reading material. It's... advanced."

Phoebe studied her younger son with interest. Elliot had always been the more observant of the twins, but she hadn't realised he'd paid such close attention to the Princess. "Yes, that's her. And you will both treat her with the respect her position deserves, regardless of how you may have interacted at school."

Buck ran a hand through his hair, his mind racing to recall if he'd ever said or done anything that might have offended the Crown Princess. "Does she know? About us, I mean?"

"King Alexander is telling her now," Phoebe replied, moving to the wardrobe to select appropriate attire for her sons. "And I expect you both to make an effort tonight. This will be difficult for all of us, but especially for Elizabeth. She lost her mother young and has been the only child in this palace for years."

Elliot's eyes narrowed slightly. "You mean she's had the King's undivided attention her entire life," he said, a hint of bitterness creeping into his voice. "The sole heir to the throne."

Phoebe turned sharply, her eyes flashing with warning. "Elliot Maddox Talley, you will put aside any jealousy or resentment before we sit down to dinner. The Princess has suffered losses just as we have, and our families are joining, not competing."

Buck, sensing the tension, jumped in with his usual attempt at lightening the mood. "So we're going to be living in the palace? That's... wow. Wait until the guys at school hear about this!"

"They won't," Phoebe said firmly. "Not yet. The official announcement will come next week. Until then, you will maintain absolute discretion."

Back in her chambers, Elizabeth stood before the mirror as Mira secured the delicate silver crescent clips in her hair. The symbols of her mother's lineage were subtle enough not to announce her royal status, but meaningful enough to give her strength.

"There," Mira said, stepping back to admire her work. "Beautiful, but not intimidating. Perfect for a first family dinner."

Elizabeth studied her reflection, wondering what the Talley twins would see when they looked at her tonight. Would they be shocked? Dismayed? Or perhaps, worst of all, would they pretend they had known all along, rewriting their memories to cast themselves as more observant than they had been?

"Thank you, Mira," Elizabeth said, “Now go, I’m sure your mate is waiting for you.”

Mira smiled and gave a small bow before slipping out the door. Elizabeth took a final deep breath, steadying herself for the evening ahead. She had faced diplomatic challenges before, but never one so personally consequential.

In the guest chambers, the Talley twins were still processing their mother's revelation as they changed for dinner.

"I can't believe we didn't know," Buck said, fumbling with his tie. "I mean, how did we miss that the weird quiet girl is literally the Crown Princess?"

Elliot shot his brother a sharp look as he buttoned his dress shirt. "We missed it because we were too self-absorbed to pay attention. And stop calling her weird."

Buck raised his eyebrows at his twin's defensiveness. "Since when do you care what I call anyone? And don't act like you've been her best friend all this time. You've barely spoken two words to her."

Elliot turned away, his jaw tightening. The truth was, he had noticed Elizabeth Pearson far more than he had ever let on. He had observed her careful note-taking in history class as he moved between classes, the way she would sometimes mouth the words as she read, the small smile that appeared when she discovered a particularly interesting passage. But he had kept his distance, interpreting her quietness as a desire to be left alone.