Chapter 68

MILA

Although I had enjoyed the banquet once Nadine and Isabella had left, I was still exhausted and ready for it to be done. Felix and I eagerly headed back up to our hotel suite to decompress after the long day.

“You were a sensation,” Felix told me as I flopped down on the bed. “An absolute triumph. The people love you, Mila.”

I blushed. “I just want to be seen as a good match for you.”

“Believe me, you are,” Felix promised. He kissed the back of my hand. “I think you’re going to be an excellent princess.”

“Yeah?” I asked bashfully.

“In fact, I know so,” Felix said, rising to help me unlace the corseted top of my dress. “You are amazing, Mila.”

I closed my eyes and leaned back into his chest, allowing him to gently embrace me. It had been so long since I had relaxed into his arms, and the slight ache in my chest served as a reminder of how much I had missed him.

“I’m sorry if my family embarrassed you,” I said softly.

“They didn’t,” Felix responded. “If anything, their behavior just made me concerned for you and your feelings.”

I exhaled heavily. “I hated how they were acting today. Just using me as some stupid prop to get their fifteen minutes of fame. It’s pathetic.”

“I do have a question,” Felic murmured into my hair.

I opened one eye. “What is it?”

Felix sighed and turned me around to face him. “Do you want them there? At our wedding?”

I paused. “I mean, I… no, not really.”

Felix hesitated. “I know it seems like a huge decision, but you could always just… not invite them.”

I froze for a second as I thought about what he was saying. My family was insane and pretty frequently awful, but did I really want to not invite them to my wedding?

Felix saw my expression and hurriedly said, “It’s absolutely your decision. I was just asking based on how much their behavior seemed to hurt you.”

I knew the answer before I even opened my mouth. “I don’t want to invite them.”

Felix nodded, once, a tiny relief flooding his eyes.

“I don’t want to see you hurt,” he whispered.

I pulled on leggings and a sweatshirt. “I better go break the news to them.”

Felix’s brow furrowed. “You want to do it in person?”

I shrugged. “I don’t owe them anything, but I would like at least to attempt to be respectful.”

Felix kissed my cheek and slipped me a room key. “Good luck.”

I made my way over to the suite my family had somehow schemed their way into, swallowing the lump in my throat. I knew that this news would sever all my ties with them. As terrible as they were, as horribly as they treated me, it still felt like an ending I wasn’t quite prepared for.

My father opened the door after one knock.

“Mila! Honey! C’mon in,” he said, stepping aside to make room for me. I shuffled into the room. “We were just doing research into what we should see in Fresonia when we go there for the wedding. Your mother’s never been to Europe. Will the King and Queen be providing a food stipend as well as accommodations for us?”

“Nadine’s not here, she must still be out partying somewhere,” my mother called out from the couch. She rose and frowned at my outfit. “Mila, that is hardly appropriate attire for a princess. I don’t care that it’s late, sweetie, you need to dress to impress.”

Something on top of their mini-fridge caught my eye, however. It was a plate of chocolate-covered strawberries with a note that read “The parents of the princess are royalty in our eyes!”

That was my final straw.

“I came here to tell you that your behavior since the engagement was announced has been appalling,” I said, in a firm voice. “You have treated me terribly my whole life and it was only after I met a prince that you decided I was worthy of respect. It has been eye-opening to see your switch.”

“I have no idea what you’re talking about,” my mother said innocently.

“We’ve always had strict rules, but nothing you couldn’t handle,” my father said.

“There is a difference between being strict and telling me that I didn’t matter for eighteen years.” To my shock, there were tears forming in my eyes. “Don’t bother to rewrite history.”

“Mila, I–” my mother began, but I cut her off.

It was the first time in my life that I had ever asserted my own voice to my parents. And it felt good.

“You will not be sightseeing in Fresonia because you will not be invited to the wedding,” I declared. “I do not want you there. And frankly, if I wasn’t getting married to a prince, you wouldn’t want to be there either. I hope you both have a nice life that’s much better than the one you provided me.”

With that, I strode out of the room, holding my head higher than I had in months.

FELIX

Mila had just left to speak to her family when there was a knock on the door.

I trotted over to open it. I had strictly instructed the front desk not to give our room number out to anyone, so maybe Joseph needed something.

I was stunned to open the door and see Nadine standing there, wearing one of the fluffy white bathrobes provided by the hotel and a pair of bunny slippers. From my angle, it was impossible to tell what she was wearing underneath.

“Hi, Felix,” she purred. “Good to see you.”

“Nadine.” My voice was flat. “What are you doing here?”

“I was hoping to talk to you,” she said, slipping under my arm and into the hotel room. “I need your advice on something.”

I sighed heavily and closed the door behind her.

“What is it?” I asked. Nadine flopped onto the couch and patted the space next to her.

I made my way over to the couch and made sure to sit as far away from her as possible.

“It’s about Mila,” Nadine said, pouting slightly. “I feel like she’s mad at me and I’m not sure why. I thought you would be a good person to help me with that.”

I narrowed my eyes. This felt like a trap.

“I think you know what you did, Nadine,” I said slowly.

“Maybe we can just figure out a way to put it all behind us,” Nadine purred.

I shifted away from her on the couch.

“I would be more comfortable if you had this conversation with Mila, not with me,” I said finally.

Nadine tilted her head.

“You’re right,” she said, slowly rising to her feet. “I don’t think we should talk anymore.”

Nadine smirked as she dropped her robe to the ground. I gasped in horror to see that she was only wearing skimpy lingerie underneath.

“Nadine!” I said, averting my eyes. “Please, cover yourself! This is highly inappropriate.”

Nadine reached over and pried my hands away from my face, forcing me to look at her.

“Don’t you want to touch me, Felix?” she asked, running her hands over her breasts and down her body. “Do you really want to be with mousy Mila for the rest of your life?”

“Nadine, stop,” I said. I tried to move away towards the door, but she moved herself in the way. She pressed her body against mine and I rushed backwards, realizing too late I was heading in the direction of the bed.

Nadine’s eyes gleamed. “I see what you’re thinking, prince.”

She ran towards me and pushed me onto the bed. I did not want to physically overpower her and remove her from the room, but I was running out of options. We were long past the ability of me handling this diplomatically.

I reached to grab one of her hands to drag her from the room, but Nadine pressed her mouth against my neck. She pinned one of my hands to her ass and the other to her breast.

“Oh, Felix,” she moaned loudly. “Yes, this feels so good. So right.”

“Get off of me!” I yelled, shoving her away with all of my might.“Nadine, stop!”

“What’s going on here?” A voice from behind us asked.

Nadine twisted in my lap to see Mila standing in the doorway, a forlorn look on her face.

My stomach dropped at the sight of her. I could only imagine the horrors that were running through her mind.

She made eye contact with me, her voice small. “Felix?”