Page 6 of Royal Secret

“Grandma never talked about her life there.” A pang of regret threads through my voice, the sorrow of missed stories and unasked questions. “I don’t even know why she left or what her life was like before coming here.”

“Maybe you could find out,” Ginny suggests gently, returning the photo to me. “Have you ever thought about going there? Seeing if you can find anything out about her family?”

I nod, tracing the outline of the stone building behind Grandma’s figure. It feels like a signpost, pointing toward a path I’ve yet to explore.

“Actually, that might be just what I need,” I confess, the idea unfurling like a bloom within me. “To go there, to Bergovia. I mean, I’ve already taken time off for the funeral, and I haven’t used any vacation days this year…”

“Then it’s settled!” Ginny declares, her enthusiasm infectious. “You should definitely go. Discover your grandmother’s secrets, walk where she walked. Who knows what you might find out?”

“Who knows indeed,” I echo, a mixture of excitement and nervousness bubbling up inside me. Bergovia, a place that had been no more than a name, suddenly feels like a beacon calling me forward.

“Maybe that necklace holds the key,” I muse, half-jokingly, but the thought lingers, heavy with possibility.

“Perhaps.” She grins. “And you’ll never know unless you go.”

“Unless I go,” I repeat, the decision crystallizing.

I slide the lid back onto the shoebox, photographs and memories safe within, my heart pounding with the thrill of spontaneous adventure. “Hey, why don’t you come with me?”

The invitation hangs between us, buoyed by hope.

Ginny’s eyes widen, flattered and surprised, but then she shakes her head. “Oh, Courtney, I’d love to, but…” She sighs, her voice trailing off as she glances towards the door that leads to the rest of her life waiting outside the room. “I’ve got the shop, and those two foster dogs, remember? Benji’s still recovering from surgery, and Luna is so skittish; they need someone familiar right now.”

“Of course,” I nod, understanding completely. “Your dog-grooming empire can’t run without its queen.”

A laugh escapes me, softening the sting of disappointment. Ginny’s dedication to her work and the animals she cares for has always been something I admire about her.

Her smile is encouraging as she nudges me gently. “But you, my dear, are free as a bird. You need this. For your grandma. For yourself.”

“Thanks, Gin. I think… I’m gonna get tickets right now.”

If I don’t, I’ll lose my nerve. I’ve never taken a vacation alone, and I need to strike while the iron is hot, before I come up with excuses to not go.

“Do it,” Ginny says.

Without another word, I open the browser on my phone and do a search for plane tickets. Adrenaline courses through my veins as I select the dates, choose a flight, and fill in my details.

And then, with a final click, it’s done. I exhale a shaky breath — my ticket to Bergovia is booked.

“I’m leaving in two days,” I announce.

I’m really doing this. Alone.

A mixture of pride and trepidation pulses through me. I offer up a silent promise to Grandma Anna:I’m coming to find your story, to walk the streets you walked, to breathe the air you breathed.

Ginny claps her hands in excitement.

“Here I come, Bergovia,” I murmur, a smile touching my lips, my heart already en route to the land of sapphire secrets.

CHAPTER 4

JAKOB

I’m hunched over a stack of security reports in my office, the hum of soft conversations in the hallway drifting in through the cracked door. My thoughts are far from the present, replaying last week’s family dinner like an old film stuck on a loop. Like usual, everyone but Oliver had paraded their accomplishments before our parents, vying for the crown with the grace of seasoned courtiers. And there I was, Jakob, the prince who played it safe, the one with no grand trophies to present.

No new ones, anyway.

Because, clearly, my job isn’t impressive enough.

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