Page 16 of Marrying a Prince

Leo let out a breath as he collapsed on the couch. He leaned his head back and closed his eyes. Not sure what to do, Marianna sat on the same couch, leaving a few feet between them.

"Do you think it worked?" Leo asked.

Marianna studied her hands. "I think so. They definitely believe that you are not in your right mind." Those words stung a bit. Like, the only reason a person would propose to her was because they'd gone insane. It didn't do much for her self-esteem.

He opened his eyes and glanced over at her. "Good. That's what I wanted. Hopefully, this buys me some time." He sighed and straightened, rubbing his hands on his thighs. "Where are you staying?"

She swallowed. She definitely wasn’t staying here. "Um, I was going to head back to my apartment."

Leo studied her and then shook his head. "Is that a good idea? I mean, things are going to start moving pretty fast for us. I'm sure there will be more things to do tomorrow as we prepare to leave for Caro."

Marianna swallowed. It hadn't been until right now that she realized just what she'd agreed to. A month-long trip with a prince. Was she crazy? This wasn't her—at all. "It's okay. I have to get my dishes done and pack. I'll be back in the morning."

Leo studied her. "Okay. Go enjoy your last night here. Tomorrow, everything starts."

Marianna nodded as she stood and headed toward the front door. "I'll be back in the morning." She didn't wait for him to respond. Instead, she shut the door behind her and headed toward the elevator.

Twenty minutes later, she slipped out of her dress and crawled into bed. The weight of what was about to happen rested around her. She was going to have to fake a relationship with the prince. What had she done? She couldn't even keep a guy that sort-of liked her around. What would it say about her if she messed up a fake one?

Before she let herself delve into those thoughts, she closed her eyes and forced herself to sleep. She’d worry about this tomorrow.

* * *

Marianna woke up the next morning to her phone ringing. She groaned and reached out, grabbing it. The screen lit up against the darkness.

Mom.

Worry flitted around in her mind. She pressed talk and brought the phone up to her ear.

"Hey, Mom. Dad okay?"

"Mari? Is that you? What's going on? Why is it that we find out through the internet that you are engaged?"

"Susan, ask her if it's true." Marianna heard her father in the background.

"Ted, that's what I'm doing."

"Mom, I'm sorry. It happened so fast last night, and I was so tired. I was definitely not trying to keep you out of the loop."

Her mom sniffled on the other end. "Are you embarrassed by us? Don't think we are good enough to meet a king and queen?"

Marianna's heart hurt. That was definitely not the case. "No, Mom. It's not like that at all. I was going to call you this morning to tell you."

Her mom grew quiet. "You were?"

"Of course," Marianna said as she sat up and pulled the covers off. "You were going to be the first to know. It's just that cameras were there and it happened so fast."

"Are you…pregnant?"

Great. Her parents thought this was a shotgun wedding. "What? No. Of course not. It's just…" How much could she tell them? The truth was probably the best bet. Well, part of the truth. "The prince came into the hospital a day ago with a head injury. He's struggling with remembering certain things. I guess he thought that I was the person he was supposed to propose to. Instead of shocking him into remembering, they asked if I would go along with it." She hesitated. Hopefully, that would be enough to appease them.

"Oh, that poor man. Of course. That makes sense. Well, good for you honey."

Marianna pinched her lips together. That made sense? Like a prince wouldn't want to marry her? And then she scolded herself. This was a fake marriage. What did it matter if people couldn't see the two of them together? They weren't.

"Thanks, Mom."

"So, when are you bringing him around so we can meet him. You know, everyone at church will be asking us. If you're supposed to go along with it, then it only makes sense for you to visit us. You know, so we can validate your story."

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