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One weekter…
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? 32
55 vouchers
Keira flopped down on the bed in her suite, exhaustion seeping into every muscle. The ribbon–cutting ceremony at the nursing home had been her third public appearance of the day, and her face hurt from smiling. She kicked off her heels, not caring where theynded, and pressed her palms against her eyes.
The week after their engagement announcement had been a whirlwind of charity events, public appearances, and endless photo opportunities. Each one carefully orchestrated to present her as the perfect future princess, worthy of Alexei and Wystovia.
But despite Tanya’s meticulous PR strategy, the press continued their assault on her as Alexei’s chosen bride. Every appearance was dissected, every outfit criticized, every gesture analyzed for signs that she was “faking it” or “not royal material.” The tabloids remained relentless, their headlines growing more vicious by the day.
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“Keira Warner Looking for Approval: Using Charities to Win Over Skeptical Public”
“Pce Insiders im Warner Girl Struggling with Royal Protocol”
“Is Prince Alexei Already Regretting His Hasty Engagement?”
Keira reached for her phone, then thought better of it. She’d promised herself she wouldn’t check the news coverage anymore. It only fueled her anxiety and made her doubt herself, which was exactly what they wanted.
Instead, she pulled up her contacts and started a video call with both her sisters. They answered almost immediately, their familiar faces appearing on split–screen.
“There’s our royal sister!” ir greeted, her smile warm. “How was the nursing home opening?”
“It’s all exhausting,” Keira admitted, adjusting her position to lie morefortably. She thought everything she was doing was important and loved some of the things Tanya had been getting her to do. But the ongoing stress of worrying whether she was doing the wrong thing was getting to her. “I’ve smiled so much today my face might be permanently stuck this way.”
“Poor baby,” Sutton teased, but her eyes held understanding. “The press still giving you hell we see. Do you want me to put a virus in their systems?”
They allughed because Sutton could and would if needed.
“No.” Keira sighed. “My approval rating with the Wystovian people is at an all–time low. Apparently, I’m ‘trying too hard‘ or ‘not trying hard enough‘ and ‘too interested in the media coverage.”
ir’s expression hardened. “That’s ridiculous. You’re doing amazingly well considering you were thrown into this with zero preparation.”
Keira reached up with her free hand and started pulling pins out of her hair. “Everything I do is wrong. If I smile too much, I’m fake. If I don’t smile enough, I’m cold and unapproachable.”
“Sounds like a no–win situation,” Sutton observed.
:
No one, not even Alexei, could change the public opinion.
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“Pretty much.” Keira shifted topics, needing a break from her own problems. “How are the wedding preparations going? I need updates since we’ll be flying in at the end of next week.” It would give her a much- needed break away from here.
Sutton brightened. “Almost everything’s finalized! The flowers arrived for a test arrangement yesterday, and they’re perfect. The venue is set, catering confirmed, really everything is going great.”
“And the dress?” Keira asked.
“Ours are all ready to go. Still needs your final fitting, but we’ve scheduled that for the day after you arrive.” Sutton paused, “Are you sure you and Alexei can make it? I know how tight your schedule is with all these appearances.”
“Nothing is more important right now than being at your wedding,” Keira assured her. “We’ll be there a week before the wedding, so if you need anything else done, I’m all yours.” She stood up and went <i>to </i>lock the balcony doors. “I want to talk to you guys about something… give me a second.”
ir frowned. “What? Why?”
“I just locked the balcony doors, and I need to lock the suite doors,” Keira added, ignoring ir’s question.
“Keira,” Sutton said slowly, “what aren’t you telling us?”
Keira took a deep breath. After locking the suite door, she moved into the middle of the room so no one could hear her. Even if the chances were slim, she didn’t want to risk it. “I need to talk to you both about something. Something serious.”
Her sisters‘ expressions immediately grew concerned.
“What is it?” ir asked, leaning closer to her screen.
“I’m thinking about leaving Alexei.”
The words hung in the air, heavy and shocking. Both sisters stared at her in stunned silence.
“What?” Sutton finally managed. “You seemed so happy when we spokest week!”
“I know, I know.” Keira pressed her palms against her eyes again. “And I do love him. So much. But this life… I don’t think I can do it. The constant scrutiny, the criticism, the fact that nothing I do is ever good enough. It’s hurting Alexei and the pce. I don’t think it’s ever going to stop. Is love enough?”
“Keira,” ir said gently, “If it’s just the press-”
“It’s more than that.” Keira’s voice cracked slightly. “I don’t belong here. Everyone knows it. I’m not cut out to be a princess or whatever I’m supposed to be. I’m ruining his reputation, his standing with his people. I wouldn’t care if it was just the press, but the people hate me.”
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“That’s not true,” Sutton insisted. “The thing with the press will die down eventually.”
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“Will it?” Keira asked, unable to keep the bitterness from her voice. “Because from where I’m sitting… well, standing, it seems like it’s only getting worse. Yesterday, a woman at the children’s hospital actually asked me why Prince Alexei would choose ‘someone like me‘ when there were so many suitable royal matches
avable.”
ir’s eyes shed with anger. “What did you say to her?”
“Nothing.” Keiraughed hollowly. “What could I say? There are a dozen women with royal blood who would be better at this than I am.”
“That’s bullshit,” ir said firmly. “Alexei chose you because he loves you, not because you can curtsy properly…”
“But like I said maybe love isn’t enough. Not for this life. Not for Alexei.” Keira looked down at her engagement ring, the sapphire catching the light. “Maybe I’m being selfish by staying when I’m so clearly wrong for him.”
Sutton leaned forward, her expression fierce. “Keira Warner, listen to me. This isn’t you. The Keira we know, and love wouldn’t be talking like this.”
Keira felt the tears sliding down her cheeks, the dam finally breaking after days of holding herself together for the cameras, the pce staff, and, most importantly, for Alexei.
“I just don’t know if I can do this,” she whispered, her voice thick with emotion. “The kidnapping changed me. It’s the only thing I can put it down to.”
“What do you mean?” ir asked gently.
Keira wiped at her tears, trying to gather her scattered thoughts. “When someone puts a gun in your face and locks you up, your choices are taken away from you. I felt thrown back to when I was eight and our parents died, and everything was taken away from us then too… our voice, our rights, our wants and needs. But more than that, our parents.”
She took a shuddering breath. “I’ve spent my whole life building this wall around my heart to protect myself. And during the kidnapping, Alexei somehow smashed that wall down.”
Sutton’s expression softened. “That sounds like a good thing, Keira.”
“Is it?” Keiraughed bitterly. “My smartebacks and rudeness were protecting me from loss. And now I’m terrified all the time. Terrified of failing him, of embarrassing him, of not being enough.”
“Have you talked to Alexei about any of this?” ir asked.
Keira shook her head. “God, how can I? He’s been so supportive, so patient. He keeps telling me it will get better, that the people wille around. But what if they don’t? What if I’m just dragging him down?”
“That’s not your decision to make,” Sutton said firmly. “Alexei is a grown man who chose you. You are one of the strongest people we know. You will get through this.”
“Will I? I realized something else during the kidnapping,” Keira admitted quietly. “I’m not always in control of my own fate. None of us are. And that terrifies me more than anything. Because in the end, if you love someone, you might just have to let them go. Not to protect myself but to protect him.”
<b>32 </b>
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She twisted the engagement ring on her finger, watching the sapphire catch the light. “I love him so much it physically hurts. But I don’t think I’m any good for him.”
“Bullshit.” ir said bluntly. “This isn’t about being good for Alexei. This is about you being scared.”
“Of course I’m scared! God, I can’t believe that’s so easy for me to say now.” Keira shot back. “I’m scared of failing. I’m scared of making him regret choosing me. I’m scared love isn’t enough.”
“Keira,” Sutton’s voice cut through her spiraling thoughts, “has Alexei ever made you feel like you’re not enough?”
The question stopped her short. “No,” she admitted after a moment. “Never.”
“Then this is alling from inside you,” ir pointed out gently. “Not from him.”
Keira was silent, letting her sisters‘ words sink in. “I’m not denying that. This is me, and what I think is best for Alexei and his country.”
The irony of this conversation wasn’t lost on Keira. Her sisters wanted her to talk to Alexei like she had told Amelia to talk to Niko.
Keira could feel the weight of her sisters‘ concern through the screen.
“I promise I’ll think about it more,” she said finally.
“That’s all we’re asking, don’t do anything you might not be able to take back,” ir said gently.
Keira smiled weakly. “Okay. Thank you for being there.”
“That’s what sisters are for,” Sutton replied with a small grin.
“I should go,” Keira said, ncing at the time. “It’s gettingte here, and I need to sort through my thoughts before Alexeies by.”
After a round of “I love you’s” and promises to call tomorrow, Keira hung up.
She stood and moved to unlock the balcony doors but stopped short, her mouth falling open.
Alexei was leaning against the doorframe, arms crossed, a distinctly unhappy expression on his face. The doors had been locked… how had he gotten in?
“Alexei!” she gasped, her hand flying to her throat. “How did you…?”
But the question died on her lips as she took in his thunderous expression. Her stomach dropped as the realization hit her… he had heard her conversation. Just how much had he heard?
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