“Dawson!” Sam greets enthusiastically, slapping Jace’s hand and pounding him on the back. I tune out Jace’s response as I glance around the grassy area we’re standing in. Aside from a few large logs that surround the fire, there’s just a folding table set up with an assortment of liquor spread atop it.

“Vivienne!” I’m distracted by the sound of my name, and glance back over to see Sam smiling broadly at me.

“Hey, Sam. Good to see you.”

“I was expecting a crown this time,” Sam jokes. “Or at least an armed escort.”

“They’re parked outside your house,” I inform him.

Sam glances at Jace for confirmation. “Seriously?”

I laugh. “I’m going to grab a drink.” I stroll toward the flimsy table. The roaring heat from the fire envelops me as I pass the periphery of the stone ring. Most of the alcohol spread across the table is beer, but I spot a bottle of bourbon in the back. I splash some into a red plastic cup, grab a bottle of beer, and turn around to see the one person I was hoping not to run into.

Gretchen looks shocked to see me.

“Vivienne. Hi,” she finally says.

“Hi, Gretchen,” I respond.

Her gaze drops. “I guess congratulations are in order.”

I follow her gaze to the beer bottle I’m clutching in my left hand. The left hand displaying the diamond ring Jace gave me this morning.

“Thank you,” I respond.

“You’re lucky,” Gretchen says softly.

“I know I am.”

She smiles, then passes me to head toward the table I’ve just left. I feel eyes on me as I look around the assembled groups for Jace. He is standing next to the bonfire, talking to Sam. I approach them slowly. Sam spots me first and grins before saying something to Jace and heading toward a group of people. I reach Jace and hold out the plastic cup wordlessly.

He raises an eyebrow. “The beer is for you?”

“Uh-huh.” I take a sip for emphasis and try not to make a face at the malty taste. I’m certain I don’t succeed based on Jace’s smirk.

He tugs me to his chest, and I go willingly, snuggling against the warm fleece. We stand in silence for a few minutes.

“I thought about it, you know,” I tell the flickering flames I’m staring at.

“Thought about what?” Jace asks, playing with a piece of my hair.

“Abdicating.” It’s something I would never admit to anyone else, but Jace deserves to hear it.

I feel him inhale sharply.

“I think I would have. If my father wasn’t sick. If there was time—”

“Viv, you don’t have to justify anything to me, okay? I was able to give things up for us to be together. You couldn’t.”

“I don’t want you to think that I wasn’t willing to, that I don’t know how unfair it was for you to have to make all the sacrifices—”

Jace cuts me off again. “Viv. You came here for Thanksgiving, even though you weren’t supposed to. You told me who you really were, even though you weren’t supposed to. You came to the hospital in South Carolina, even though you weren’t supposed to. Those were all things that put yourself, or the monarchy, at risk. And you did them for me. I knew exactly what I was doing, and what you couldn’t. Okay?”