Princess Ste, weary from her travels and risking her noble father''s wrath, revealed her purpose with a single kiss-


    She hade for Bet, solely to see him.


    A royal princess fleeing the pce for her heart''s desire-what a romantic tale, a pure love story from across the seas.


    But, the Ashbourne family felt the weight of the world on their shoulders!


    "Debby, you''ve whisked away a royal princess, is this really okay?"


    In the room, Suri sped her daughter''s hand, her voiceced with worry, "When you go back, won''t the royal family target you? You and your husband won''t get the short end of the stick, right?"


    "Don''t worry, Mom, we''re on good terms with the royal family."


    Debby''s voice was gentle, soothing, "Do you really think I''d be so foolish to elope with a royal princess? The moment Ste thought she had escaped the pce, I had already informed the queen. The queen knows the princess is with me and is quite at ease. But she also sent royal guards to discreetly protect the princess. They wouldn''t just let her run wild without oversight."


    "Suri, don''t fret."


    Evadne, munching on the famous Helgen pastries Debby had air-shipped, chimed in tofort her, "The Helgen royal family handed over all their power to the presidency twenty years ago. Nowadays, they barely have any real power, serving more as mascots. To put it bluntly, they''re at the mercy of my brother-in-w and the parliament. How could they afford to give Debby and my brother-in-w any trouble?


    But, if we''re talking about the old days, the Helgen royal family was famed as the most terrifying, the most unpredictable, fraught with danger.


    They had legions of guards and secret agents at their disposal, wielding their own justice against those who defied pce or nationalws. Back then, Helgen was rife with corruption and dark politics, with a royal family that was feared for its ruthlessness."


    "That was the past. Thanks to the efforts of generations, it haspletely changed," Debby said, smiling warmly as she poured tea for her sister, wary she might eat too much and get thirsty.


    Suri''s eyes widened in surprise, "Wow, Evadne, did you be a Helgen citizen or something? How do you know all these details?"


    “I love diving into Helgen royal gossip while snacking on popcorn. It''s way more interesting than any TV show or movie!"


    Evadne squinted her almond-shaped eyes, "Just the gossip alone is thrilling. The actual situation back in the day must have been even more shocking and brutal. But Debby, does the royal family know about Bet and the princess. I mean, her showing up at someone else''s wedding to see him, they must be aware, right?"


    At the mention, Debby''s expression becameplex, "How could they not know? The queen herself spoke to me privately twice, asking me to y matchmaker."


    "Pfft-!"


    Evadne spit out her tea in shock, Suri''s pastry dropped to the floor!


    “Does this mean Bet is going to be married a princess?!"


    "Bet is going to be a prince?! My God. Are the Ashbournes going to be rted to royalty? Emeric might as well be a national father-inw?!"


    "The queen isn''t one to spoil her children; she sees Bet''s military rank as a colonel and his status as Skyrim''s wealthiest as beneficial. Plus, Bet''s handsome looks and reputable character as a military man made her approve. Otherwise, Princess Ste would have been confined long ago, not flying across the world to meet Bet. The Helgen royal family is notoriously strict."


    "So, what does Bet think about this?" Suri asked, genuinely concerned. "Bet must fancy the princess, of course."


    Evadne''s eyes sparkled with cunning, "Otherwise, a catch like Bet wouldn''t stand there like a dazed sardine, letting a girl he doesn''t fancy kiss him. There''s only one exnation-they have feelings for each other."


    "Who Bet likes is up to him."


    Debby bit her lip softly, "But if he truly wants a future with the princess, he''ll have to move to Helgen and live in the pce forever. The princess could never marry into the Ashbourne family."


    Evadne and Suri said in unison, "No way! That can''t be!"


    Debby could only offer a wistful smile, "Then this is going to be difficult. The royal family won''t budge on this."


    The three women fell into a thoughtful silence.


    It seemed, the path of love for Bet and the princess wouldn''t be so smooth.


    "Tonight, when Dad saw Ste, his face soured instantly. I wonder if it''s because he dislikes the idea of Bet mingling with royalty." Evadne, sensitive to her family''s feelings, was particrly concerned.


    "Evadne, your mother was from Helgen, remember?" Suri''s gaze darkened momentarily.


    "Mom." A sharp pang tugged at Evadne''s heart as she whispered.


    Suri moved beside her, wrapping her in a warm embrace, "Since your mother passed, your father has never visited Helgen again. He even switches the channel whenever there''s news about Helgen. Seeing people from Helgen this time must have stirred memories of your mother. Evadne, go keep himpanyter. Otherwise, he might start overthinking and have trouble sleeping again."


    Carrying pastries, Evadne headed to her father''s room, only to bump into Elvis Waverley, returning home with the chill of the winter night clinging to him. "Elvis, you''re back!"


    "Evadne." Elvis, with hands in his pockets, walked up with a carefree stride. "Where''ve you been all day? Everyone''s been asking about you."


    Elvis, hesitating with a flicker of his longshes, pulled out a small, exquisitely warm, velvet-red box from his pocket and handed it to Evadne:


    "Evadne, I picked it out myself. What do you think?"


    Evadne, slightly surprised, took it and opened the box-


    Inside was a handmade ne, its pendant a droplet-shaped sapphire surrounded by sparkling diamonds, gleaming even in the dimly lit corridor. "Elvis, is this for Elsie? It''s beautiful!" Evadne asked with a delighted smile.


    "Yeah, Elsie''s got this old ne, so I thought I''d get her a new one. Took me ages to pick, but still feels like it''s missing something."


    Scratching his head, Bet sighed in resignation, "Well, I did my best, that''s my taste for you."


    "The reason it''s missing something is that you didn''t ask me to help!"


    Evadne pouted, "Have you forgotten? I''m Alexa, a top-notch jewelry designer. I could have made something way better than this!"


    "Evadne..."


    "Because it''s for Ms. Archer, you were too shy to ask for my help, weren''t you?" cing her hands on his shoulders, Evadne gave him a firm squeeze and shook him vigorously, "Do you see me as an outsider, or is it Ms. Archer you''re treating as one?


    If you''ve decided on her, she''s gonna be my future sister-inw. Not just a ne, I''d take care of her from head to toe without a hitch! Why are you getting cold feet now?"


    "Evadne, I was overthinking it. My bad."


    A hint of bitterness clouded Elvis''s eyes, "I''ve made up my mind about Elsie, but I was worried about what you all might think. I feared bothering you with her


    matters might lead to silent grievances."


    "Elvis, how could you think that?"


    Evadne shook her head with a gentle gaze, "Always trust your family, no matter what happens. We''re here for you, always. Love whom you choose, choose whom you love. Don''t overthink the rest."


    Feeling a warm surge in his heart, Elvis enveloped his sister in a hug.


    After Elvis "snatched" a few pastries from her, Evadne walked into their father''s


    room.


    The living room was empty, and so was the bedroom.


    But from the study came Emeric''s intense voice, clear even through the door:


    "No way! What does it matter if she''s the King''s daughter? My son is just as noble, wealthy, and handsome. What''s so special about a mere title of nobility?!"