She sighs, but doesn’t immediately dismiss the idea, glancing over at my father instead. “Robert?”

My father looks over at me, his face serious. “I don’t know if I can make this happen, Vivienne. But if this is what you really want, I’ll call a few people and see if it’s a possibility.”

“It is, Papa,” I assure him, trying to tamp down the hope that is rapidly blossoming. “Thank you.”

My father nods, and the three of us resume eating dinner.

I don’t dare to bring up the topic of attending university outside the country again. I’m both afraid of pushing my parents too far on the idea and reluctant to lose the small speck of hope I left our last conversation with.

My father is the one who raises the subject a couple days later during our nightly chess match in his study. Following his diagnosis, I quizzed the doctors on every possible way to help preserve his brain. Chess was suggested as a way to exercise his memory and mental acuity, and our matches have become my favorite part of the day.

“I made those calls,” he states, and then moves a knight across the board.

I lean forward slightly in anticipation of what his next words might be.

“I think we can make it happen—”

That’s as far as he gets before I leap out of my seat, almost upsetting the entire board, and dash around the table to throw my arms around him.

He laughs and pats my back gently. “I know you are having a tough time with things right now, Vivvi,” he acknowledges. “You more than deserve a chance to enjoy yourself without having to worry about all this for a while. Just promise me no more evening outings without security. Deal?”

“Deal,” I reply sheepishly. Apparently, Richard has a big mouth.

“And it can only be for one semester, not a full year,” he continues. “There are some events in the spring the Royal Council needs you to be home for.”

I nod, my excitement not the least bit dimmed. I hardly expected this to happen at all. Four months sound like an eternity.

“What about security?” I ask anxiously.

“Richard agreed it’s safe enough, as long as the school is located far enough away, the chances of any students being familiar with Marcedenia or its royal family are slim. He thinks the best option will be to follow your suggestion and not acknowledge your royal status. I gathered that is your preference.”

I nod in vigorous agreement.

“We’ll still need to take some security precautions, of course. There are a few ideas Richard has for obscuring your appearance, and you will have several agents there with you. Some undercover, and then some additional agents nearby who could quickly intervene if necessary.”

“So… I’ll be able to act completely normal?” I’m shocked. This is more than I dared hope for.

“That was the idea, right?” my father replies, looking amused by my obvious surprise. “Just promise me you’ll be careful. I couldn’t stand it if anything happened to you.”