378 My sister thought my Navy uniform would ruin her royal wedding. So she erased me from the guest list, smiled for the cameras, and pretended I did not exist. But three hours after she walked into that palace chapel, six royal guards appeared at my front door in Virginia—and the lie she had buried for years began to crack wide open.

By 8:00 a.m. the following morning, the palace’s diplomatic delay had evolved into a full-scale international media storm. The palace press secretary had released a single, brief statement: The marriage between Prince Alexander and Miss Rachel Carter has been canceled by royal decree due to a substantial breach of the Honor Protocols regarding background verification.

I sat in the morning room of the King’s private residence, a silver tray of untouched tea and pastries on the table before me. I hadn't slept. My uniform was still crisp, but the emotional exhaustion of the last twenty-four hours was starting to settle into the small of my back.

The door opened, and Prince Alexander walked in. He wasn't wearing his ceremonial whites anymore; he wore a simple, dark grey suit, his face lined with dark circles. He looked less like a prince and more like a young man who had just survived a catastrophic accident.

"May I?" he asked, gesturing to the chair opposite me.

"Of course, Your Highness," I said, starting to stand.

"Please, Commander, stay seated," he said, sitting down with a heavy sigh. He looked at the silver teapot for a moment before looking up at me. "I wanted to apologize to you personally. The way my guards retrieved you... it was a drastic measure. My father wanted to ensure that no external interference could alter the truth before you arrived."

"I understand military efficiency, Prince Alexander," I replied. "You don't need to apologize for the extraction. I only worry about my parents. If the media traces this back to Columbus, their lives will be turned upside down."

"Marcus Vance has already dispatched a private security firm to your parents' home," Alexander said, his voice softening. "Not to restrict them, but to protect them from the paparazzi. Your father... your father spoke to my adviser on the phone this morning. He was confused. He didn't understand why Rachel told us they were dead."

I looked out the window at the manicured palace gardens. "Rachel always believed that reality was something you could edit, like a magazine layout. She thought if a detail didn't look expensive enough, you could just cut it out of the frame. She didn't realize that in the real world, the lines you cut leave scars."

"She told me you were estranged because you resented her success," Alexander said, a bitter smile touching his lips. "She said your military service was a lifestyle choice meant to distance yourself from her charity network. I was so blind, Emily. I was so captivated by the elegance she presented that I never stopped to look at the foundation."

"Elegance is easy to manufacture, Your Highness," I said, touching the medals on my chest. "Respect is earned in the dark, when no one is holding a camera. My sister wanted the crown, but she didn't want the duty that comes with it."

Captain Vance entered the room, bowing slightly. "Your Highness, Commander. The transport for Miss Carter is ready at the rear gate. She is requesting to see her sister before she departs."