She comes to a stop, facing the door, and sighs. “Of course she feels trapped and controlled,” she says. “She is trapped and controlled. That’s her whole thing, and it’s always going to be. As long as she’s the princess, or the queen, who she is as a person comes second.”

It’s interesting, to hear her put it like that. Whenever Rose and I have talked about her responsibilities, it’s been that I can’t matter as much as her duties. Or that her friends can’t matter, or that a potential career path can’t matter.

It’s the first time that I’ve really understood that she can’t matter, either.

“Don’t you think that’s sad?” I ask.

“Yeah, it is,” Molly says, still looking at the door. “But I don’t see it ever changing.”

And that’s the worst part, isn’t it? Rose is doing everything she can to save me. But the thing she needs saving from is the one thing nobody can help her with. Does anyone else, other than Molly and me, even notice how long she’s been treading water? And how hard it’s becoming for her to keep her head above the surface?

And even if she does manage to wrench me out of this sea, who’s going to keep her from going under?

FORTY-FIVE ROSE

I would do anything to see Danni right now, but I can’t risk it getting back to the palace. Not when they’ve promised to send William in tomorrow. So, we do our best not to look at each other as we leave dinner and retreat to our rooms.

To distract myself, I message Alfie the details of the dilemma. Well, most of the details—the ones regarding Danni’s predicament. I leave out the crucial point regarding my promise to get engaged to him, though.

A feeling of dread washes over me. Engaged to him. Am I really going to do this? Can I commit to spending the rest of my life married to someone I’ll never even be attracted to, let alone love? Yes, I knew this would happen eventually. But I don’t think I’m ready yet.

Although is one ever ready for something like that?

And what will Danni say when she learns of my promise? Will she see my efforts for what they were: a last-ditch effort to save her? Or will she consider it the ultimate betrayal? The final confirmation that I will never publicly admit she means a thing to me?

Alfie responds fifteen minutes later, and I feel a rush of relief. Don’t worry. Mum will speak to the headmaster tomorrow. I’m coming, too, to make sure. We’ll fix this.