YENA

Lucy called me in the morning and asked if I wanted to hang out. Nolan was busy so I invited her over to spend the day with me. We had brunch in the dining room, complete with mimosas and chocolate pastries.

I didn’t really mean to, but I started spilling my guts to Lucy. It started with the Gina thing. It felt really good to see her reaction when I told her about the texts, because she was appalled.

“So you don’t think I’m overreacting?” I asked.

“Not at all,” Lucy said. “I don’t understand why he would be talking to her. Do you think you can… confront him?”

She grimaced, like she knew how unpleasant that would be. She wasn’t really recommending I do it.

“I wish he would bring it up to me,” I admitted. “If I do it, I come across sounding jealous and desperate, or like I tried to spy on him. If there’s really nothing going on with her, I feel like he could just tell me whatever else it’s really about.”

Maybe it was the drinks, the stress of the night before, or both. I told her everything.

About Nolan and Luna both wanting me to get pregnant. Lucy shook her head a lot while I talked.

“Is that something you want?” she asked, very serious.

I told her, “I don’t know,” and realized in that moment that was true. It wasn’t so much that I didn’t want to have kids with Nolan.

I was just scared.

And I told Lucy about wanting to study abroad. That I’d even looked at a couple particular schools in the human world and bookmarked their application pages on the browser on my laptop.

Lucy lit up and said, “That would be so cool!”

“But,” I continued, “they really don’t want me to go. Nolan’s mother, I mean. But I’m sure the King, and lots of other people here, probably think the same.”

“Why not?”

“I have responsibilities here,” I said. I realized a second after I said it, that those were Luna’s exact words I was repeating. That was creepy.

“They should be supporting you,” Lucy said.

“That’s not really what I’m here for, though,” I told her. “When I married Nolan, I agreed to be the princess. It wasn’t until he started being so… nice, and caring, and generous, that I let myself start dreaming again about the things I used to want, back before I signed our marriage contract.”

Lucy considered this quietly.

Then she asked, “Are they really things that you used to want? Or that you still want?”

I didn’t really know the answer to that, either.

NOLAN

Luna’s office got back to Nolan in the afternoon. She would be busy tonight, but available later in the week for a breakfast meeting. He had his secretary confirm the time.

It was for the best that he got a few days to prepare.

They needed to discuss the situation with Yena. And it would be best if Nolan could discuss the situation with Yena, with Yena herself, first.

But there were other matters that he needed to confront his mother about, too.

She must know something about Adan by now. And Nolan needed to know anything there was to know. Whether his mother wanted to tell him or not.

He knew that Luna had a secret. She was a fairly convincing liar, but Nolan knew her tells. And while he had imagined she might be, for whatever reason, a party to Adan’s plots against him…

He had decided to trust his instincts. And his instincts were telling him that his mother was on his side. She was just being very difficult about it.

He expected nothing less from her.

YENA

Tina picked up the phone on the first ring. She was so happy to hear from me.

“I’m sorry I don’t call more often,” I told her.

She scoffed and said, “Don’t apologize. You’re a grown woman, and I’m sure you have a very demanding schedule.”

“I actually called you,” I said, “to ask for some advice.”

“Oh, of course. What’s going on, sweetie?”

I told her about all of it. It felt easier, after I’d been through it once now with Lucy. Now I was calmer and more collected.

“Wow,” Tina said, “that’s a lot to process.”

I waited for the advice. But she was quiet.

“Do you think I should push back about the study abroad thing?” I asked. “I’m not sure it’s something I really have to do, but I feel like I should be able to do it, if I want.”

Tina said, “Hmm.” I could tell she was thinking very carefully about what to say.

“I will miss Nolan so much, though, if I go,” I added.

“Oh, honey,” Tina said. “I think that tells you a lot.”

I wanted her to spell it out for me.

She sighed and said, “You know in your heart what is the right thing for you to do.”

“But I don’t,” I whined. “I don’t know.”

“Well, maybe you need to work on trusting your instincts.”

I rolled my eyes so hard it could have started a small earthquake. It was good that Tina could not see my face.

“I will tell you, though,” she continued, “that your family will support you no matter what you do.”

“Thank you.”

“I mean it, Yena. We are all here for you. Peter, Evan, and me.”

I got tears in my eyes, picturing the three of them, and had to ask. “How are they?”

Tina chuckled. “They miss you, that’s for sure.”

She told me Peter was doing much better, since Nolan paid his debts, and gave him startup capital for a new business, which was off to a good start.

Tina prattled on about some details, while I searched my memory.

Did Nolan give Peter extra money, on top of that debt payoff I negotiated with him in exchange for our marriage? That time all seemed like a blur now. It wasn’t that long ago, but everything had happened so fast.

Before I could ask about Evan, Tina brought him up. With a changed tone of voice.

“You know,” she said, “if you do decide that you would like to study abroad. I’m sure that Evan would be willing to travel with you, to be sure that you are safe there.”

I was not expecting her to say that. It seemed… strange.

“Really?” was all I could say in response.

“I can talk to him to be sure, but yes. Yena, your brother loves you. He misses you every day and would be happy to do anything for you.”

That didn’t sound like the hotheaded, temperamental older brother I’d grown up with. The one that loved me because we were family, but teased me every day for years.

“Thanks Tina,” I said. “I’ll think about that.”

“And I’m sorry,” she said, “that I couldn’t give you better advice today. I wish I could tell you just what to do. But these things are not that simple.”

“I know,” I told her. “It’s okay.”

“You’re at a crossroads in your life, Yena. Only you can really know which way is the right way to go.”