AudreyWe were immediately met with camera flashes, but this time I was a bit more prepared. There were more guests than expected, certainly more than 200. So many, I was unable to spot my family.Roman cleared his throat, grabbing everyone’s attention. “Thank you all for coming to our yearly banquet.” He addressed the guests. “This year is quite different. This year I would like to introduce you all to my fiancée, Audrey and our son, Mars.”He glanced over at me with a smile before continuing, "I am grateful to have Mars in my life, and I am proud to introduce him as the future crown prince. He has been learning the Penevian culture and traditions, and I hope you will all accept him with open arms."Then he looked at me and squeezed my hand. "Audrey is an amazing woman. She is an incredible mother, and I cannot wait to marry her. I love her with all my heart." His words made me feel uncomfortable, knowing those were just part of the act—and I had to play along.I chuckled at Roman, p

AudreyAfter the banquet came to an end, I couldn't help but think that it hadn't been too terrible. Yes, it had its moments, but overall, everything went well after King Abel left.One thing was certain, I would never attend another banquet again. I was grateful for the experience, but it was just not for me.After changing into more comfortable clothes, I settled in Roman's room. This was the second time I'd been here, and I still wasn’t used to the space. How could a room be bigger than my previous apartment?I found it hard to believe that soon, it would be my room as well.Roman stepped out of the bathroom, wearing only sweatpants, and wiped his hair with a towel. Panic washed over me as I was forced to look at his exposed abs.What was he doing?Unfazed, Roman looked at me."Do you need anything?""Yeah, I need you to put on a shirt," I replied with a grin, not resisting the opportunity to crack a joke."Good idea," Roman smirked. "Give me yours."Of course, he would say somethin

RomanI stood at my father's bedside, anxiety weighing heavily on my chest. Dalton and Grayson guarded the outside door, ensuring that no one entered without permission. Other than Dr. Charles, the queen, Lord Crawford, and myself, no one was allowed in—not even Joan and little Leo.“This is all too much.” Father spoke from his bed. “All of this fuss is unnecessary. I feel just fine.” He grumbled.Desperate for answers, I turned to Dr. Charles. "Do you know what caused this?" I never expected something like this to happen to my father; the thought had never crossed my mind.He had always been perfectly healthy for his age. So healthy even the doctors had praised him for it.Dr. Charles, who had been the royal doctor since before I was born, shook his head. "I don't know yet."I felt frustrated, and was in disbelief as to how a royal doctor did not have a clear diagnosis. "Do you even believe you're qualified enough to be our doctor?" I snapped at him."He's the one who helped deliver

AudreyThe last day with my parents had arrived.Kennedy and Ashley would be staying at the palace, but I knew I'd miss my parents a lot. Back home, it wasn’t like I visited them every day—so it was crazy just to think about how much I could miss them.Roman had been incredibly busy taking over the king's duties, which I understood. I had my sister, my best friend and Dalton to keep me company during the day, and Roman to keep me company during the night.Today, Dalton had organized a private city tour for us. After various activities, we were at out final destination, a Penevian museum.The museum showcased different artifacts, but somehow I was more fascinated by the long history of the Penevian royals.I stood with Dalton, while the others wandered off on their own.“Who is this?” My eyes fell upon a painting of an old man, sitting on top of a horse. In his hand was a long silver sword, and through the painting I could see his green eyes which were identical to Roman’s.“That is Ki

AudreyI found myself in the library, engrossed in books about Penevian law, history, and culture. To be honest, it was the events with Dalton that pushed me to learn more about the country I was marrying into.He called me out on my lack of knowledge, and I could not deny the truth. It was indeed sad how little I knew about the Penevian history, despite the classes I had already received.Also, I was bored to death and didn’t have much to do in the palace. While Kennedy and Ashley were free to leave the palace whenever they pleased, I wasn't so lucky.Yesterday had been an exception, and it made me realize how lonely I felt without company, even Roman's.Maybe our late-night encounters meant more to me than I initially thought. It was a time to forget about my worries, and it was nice to have someone around who understood the burden of responsibility and the restrictions of palace life.As I flipped through the pages, I got startled by a sudden hand on my shoulder and let out a yelp.