She followed him out his door where he held his hand for her. Bright morning sun shone in her eyes. She squinted but followed him up the steps. At the door that also opened for them, she fixed her pearls. "Introduce me to the staff and they can show me up. Go to yourparents."
He nodded with relief and guided her inside. "I'll find you the second we'redone."
Her eyes adjusted and she took in the white-walled foyer with the red Persian carpets that had hard plastic overlay in case normal people like her walked thisway.
There was something going on to her right that seemed like construction in the next room, but before she could ask, Lucio guided her toward the steps and a young brunette woman, dressed in a designer light blue pantsuit that was clearly made for her body type, complete with perfect makeup, coming down to meetthem.
"Thisway?"
Amy gripped his hand as they climbed the first level of stairs. The woman met them on the level between the floors. Lucio performed the introductions. "Amy, this is Kristin." Amy straightened her spine. This was the new American princess. She blamed not recognizing her at first sight on the lack of caffeine. Lucio, ever the gentleman, continued, "Kristin, this is Amy, my fiancée." Amy held out her hand and clasped Kristin’s. Lucio finished, "Can you show her to my room while I go find myparents?"
Kristin nodded politely and said, "The king and queen are in the war room. I'm happy to show my future sister-in-law around the castle.Go."
Kristin sounded so very sure of herself. Lucio kissed Amy's cheek and released her hand. She watched while he proceeded up to the second floor. She turned her attention fully to the new princess and lowered her head with a slight curtsy. "YourHighness."
Kristin shook her head and linked her arm with hers. She guided her like they were to go up the stairs as well. "Kristin is fine. We're going to be family. I think your parents are around here somewhere. Once we get you to your room, they'll want an audience withyou."
No one ever blocked her parents or formally called a family gathering, an audience. Amy allowed a slight smile and admitted while they went up the next flight of stairs, "I've never had an audience with my parents. This will be interesting, and please call meAmy."
Kristin beamed her acceptance and on the second floor, led her down a long hallway decorated with a few royal family portraits from a hundred years ago and crystal chandeliers. Amy kept pace. "Antonio told me that you knew Lucio in high school back in England. Did you know my husband orMarco?"
Amy nodded, though she wasn't as knowledgeable on Kristin's husband. She kept her voice low, like they shared a secret. "Marco was in my classes. He was always the one with the smart joke that the teacher neverappreciated."
"That sounds like him." Kristin opened a door. Amy followed her inside Lucio’s den. It was sparsely decorated, but light green walls and the dark green bedspread made her immediately thinkman with class,which fit Lucio exactly. She went further into the room and turned around. Yes. This was all Lucio. The lack of furniture or fuss but the stereo in the corner was sohim.
Kristin politely coughed. "Anything you remember aboutAntonio?"
The crown prince was a few years older and hadn't hung out in the library. Her parents had sent them to a prestigious school in order to mingle with the right people, but seniors never really spoke to freshmen. She felt her cheeks heat as no memory other than Antonio always wore a button down shirt came to mind. "Your Antonio seemed the most reserved out of the three Aussa brothers. He dressed the proper prince and never had a hair out ofplace."
Kristin let out a giggle. "Reserved? I'd give that label to Lucio to be honest. He's always been harder toread."
Amy went across the room and opened the balcony doors. Outside was still warm and inviting without being stifling. She turned around as memories of Lucio flooded through her. "Strange. Lucio was into hard rock and some rap and found a way to meet the bands. He was always cutting edge. I was so jealous the night he took my sister to the Foo Fighters. Lucio had slightly longer hair than his brothers then." The man who’d slept beside her was much more proper, but Amy remembered the bit of a rebel as she crossed her arms. "Now he's all militarycut."
Kristin shrugged and grinned. "If you have pictures of any of them at the time, I'd love to seethem."
She had all of high school documented. "I probably do. I’ve been making photo albums by year since I was little. It's a hobby. Give me a day and I'll see what I digup."
"Sounds good. Thank you." Kristin tilted her head. "I'd love to have a cup of tea and get to know youmore."
Her caffeine-starved body agreed. "You're speaking my language. We had no tea in thecar."
Kristin slipped her cell phone from an interior pocket of her suit. "Renee will be upset if we don't invite her. Shall we meet on the balcony in five minutes? I'll get the staff to set everythingup."
"Sounds lovely." Amy saw a servant cleaning a table outside on the balcony as if by telepathy. This life was her parents’ dream come true for her. She turned toward Kristin. "I don't know how to transition to being a princess. I never thought about it so I'd like to pick your brain alittle."
"Sure thing," Kristin answered. "And it's not that bad. I never thought I'd be a princess, but his mother, Anna, makes it so much easier. She tells us what to do and we follow herorders."
A knock sounded at the door as Amy checked her hair in the mirror of the adjoining bathroom. "Who isit?"
Kristin went to open it and called out, "Renee. She wants to hear all about how her husband was the classclown."
Amy left the bathroom and tried not to stare at the dark-haired woman her age. Marco had married a beauty, too. The servants finished with setting up the tea and the three of them went outside. "I didn't say that exactly," Amy said for clarity. "I said Marco was extremely intelligent but slightly sarcastic on subjects that our straight-laced teacher didn’t pick up on or never understood—the rest of uslaughed."
As the three ladies each took a seat and adjusted their napkins on their laps, Renee said, "We should warn you, Amy, that your sister is here and asking a lot ofquestions."
Evie, here? Did her parents think to give her groom to Evie? Her skin zapped as if prodded with an electric wire, but she picked up her tea cup without a giveaway tremble of her fingers. She could pretend to be unaffected, right? She sipped to fortify her nerves. "Evie is herealready?"
Kristin's blush made Amy pause and take in every word. "Yes, with her fiancé. Michael seems to be the only one unaware that your sister is still interested in your Lucio. Now that we’ve met you, we thought it fair to warn you to be onguard."
