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Chapter Text

Ámbar sat alone at the breakfast table out in the garden. Luna had overslept and had time to grab a piece of toast before rushing off to school. Not that she minded too much; it meant she got to enjoy some quiet and plan out her week.

Or not. “Matteo, why are you just standing there, staring at me?” she asked with a sigh, looking up from her papers.

“Sorry,” he said. “I’ve only been here two seconds. It’s just weird seeing you sitting out here rather than in school at this hour.”

“I could say the same to you.”

“I feel weird about it too. Haven't gotten used to it yet.”

She gestured to the now empty seat. “You might as well join me since Luna couldn’t,” she said. “Have you eaten breakfast yet?”

“Nope.” He sat down and took a piece of toast. “What are you up to?”

Ámbar gestured to the papers around her. “Planning my week. I’m trying to figure out what Luna should study next since she just finished up learning about all the political tensions in the country. Plus I have to make sure I have time for all my classes.”

“You know, I’ve been wondering,” Matteo started, “why the change of heart?”

Ámbar frowned. “About what?”

“Luna. I mean, you’ve hated her since you met her but now you two get along great,” Matteo said. “Not that I’m complaining, obviously. But I am curious.”

“We’re cousins, why wouldn’t we learn to get along?”

“Not convinced at all,” Matteo said. “If anything, I honestly thought you’d hate her more for all this.”

Ámbar raised an eyebrow at him. “You really think I’m that terrible a person?” she asked.

“I never thought you were a bad person, Ámbar,” he denied. “I’m sorry that I acted like I did.”

“You already apologized a million times, it’s fine,” Ámbar told him, shrugging. “You’re right, though. I did hate her more at first after it came out that she was Sol Benson because, come on, really? It just had to be her of all people?”

“What changed?”

Ámbar sighed. “I was pretty terrible to her at first. Not openly seeing as I was on extremely thin ice with everyone because of the whole thing with Sharon and she was, at the time, the future Queen of Argentina. But I still found a way and not once did she call me on it. I said and implied some horrible things. She let it slide to the point where it actually made me angrier at her. And by the way you’re looking at me, she didn’t tell anyone either.”

Matteo shook his head. “Not a word,” he said. “So what happened?”

Ámbar hesitated. “I’ll tell you but only if you promise not to tell Luna that I did,” she said.

Matteo gave her a confused look but nodded. “Okay, I won’t tell her.”

Ámbar took a breath. “I found her crying in her room,” she said. “Sobbing is a better word, actually. I was going to her room to, I don’t know, torture her more or whatever was running through my head. She has a bad habit of not closing her door completely and I saw her curled at the foot of her bed just crying her heart out. And in that second, I don’t know Matteo, all the fight just left me.

“I couldn’t justify it anymore. I couldn’t tell myself she was the happy one or the lucky one or anything, it wasn’t believable anymore. I mean, she smiled at everyone and kept up her annoyingly positive attitude and acted like nothing was wrong right after finding out that her biological parents were killed in a fire started by her own aunt. Who kept her from her story, her home, her throne for basically her entire life. All the while trying to learn everything she needed to become queen in record time. Seeing her broken down like that just snapped something in me and I didn’t have it in me to keep taking my anger out on her.

“And once I stopped, she actually came to me. She asked me to help her with something and then that turned into two, three, five, seventeen, until I kind of became her go to. She even asked me at some point why I had stopped bullying her.”

Matteo sat back in his chair, slightly stunned. “And did you tell her?”

Ámbar nodded. “I did. And then she actually told me why she had been crying like that.” She didn’t tell him they were the same reasons she cried too.

“Why was she crying? What did she tell you?” Matteo prompted.

“Uh uh,” Ámbar said, shaking her head. “That part stays between me and her. But from then on I decided I would support her instead. Like an actual cousin would. And the rest is history, I guess.”

“Wow.” Matteo folded his arms across his chest. “And then from there she asked you to take charge of her political education?”

“Oh. No, I kind of put myself in charge of that,” Ámbar said.

Matteo snorted. “You put yourself in charge of the then future queen’s education just like that? Why?”

“First of all, yes I did. What was she going to do? Say no?” Ámbar scoffed. “And second, it was because the tutors she had then were setting her up to fail. I walked in on her working once, took one look at what they had her learning, and lost it. I was pretty sure they were in Sharon’s pocket. So we looked into them and surprise, surprise, I was right.”

Matteo’s eyes widened. “She even had tutors in her pocket?” Ámbar nodded. “So what did you do next?”

Ámbar shrugged. “I had them fired. Well, technically, Luna had them fired but it was because of me. She refused to have them arrested because Sharon had been blackmailing them,” she said. “Then I hired new tutors and put myself in charge of both the tutors and creating her lesson plans so that way I know she’s learning what she actually needs to.

“She asked you to hire the new tutors?” Matteo asked. “And take care of the other stuff?”

“No, I just found them and told her to hire them and she listened because she knows what’s good for her. Same for everything else. She’s my cousin, I’m not about to let her crash and burn and much less because of some incompetent tutor. Plus, if she crashes, so does all of Argentina.” Ámbar shot him a dirty look as he put his hand to his head and laughed. “What are you laughing about?”

“Nothing, I just missed this Ámbar,” Matteo chuckled affectionately.

“What are you talking about?” Ámbar asked.

“This Ámbar, the one that puts her energy into doing what’s best for herself but for others too and knows she’s the best at everything anyway,” he said. “The Ámbar I first got to know.”

Ámbar stared at him for a moment. “I have no idea what you’re talking about,” she said jokingly.

Matteo laughed. “Oh, so you don’t remember taking pity on me and teaching me all the slang you could when I first moved here?” he asked lightly. “Or skating with Delfi for hours and hours because she was trying to learn a move? Or that time you forced Jazmín to buckle down and study so much for that math exam because her parents weren’t happy with her grades that she got one of the highest scores in the class? Or any of the stories Delfi and Jazmín told me about the three of you when you were younger?”

Ámbar rolled her eyes. “Fine, fine, I remember all of that,” she conceded. “I guess at some point, I got so caught up in everything Sharon told me that I started worrying about keeping myself on top at all costs.”

“Maybe but it doesn’t matter,” Matteo said. “I’m just glad you’re back. And so is everyone who knows you.”

Ámbar gave him a small smile. “It’s nice to be back,” she admitted. “It feels better like this. Not being so full of resentment and anger all the time. I mean, I’m still angry but I’m not taking it out in the wrong places anymore. If you tell anyone any of this though, you die. Got it?”

“I wouldn’t dream of it,” Matteo assured her. “My lips are sealed.”

“Good. Now help me decide what your girlfriend should learn next,” she said, showing him the papers. “I’m debating between criminal law or economics part two.”

“Economics part two?”

“I split it all up so it wouldn’t be too much all at once,” Ámbar explained. “Criminal law is important but econ might be more so. But it’ll also drive her crazier than criminal law.”

Matteo hummed. “If it’s important then maybe economics? Just take it easy on her.”

“I will not, she can handle it,” Ámbar said. She looked through the two lesson plans and grinned. “Economics it is.”

Chapter Text

Luna vibrated with nerves as she stood in the hallway near the stairs, waiting for her grandfather’s cue. He had insisted on holding a party to introduce her as the princess and true heir to the throne, never mind that technically, Sharon had already introduced her to the public before she disappeared. It simply wasn’t enough, according to Alfredo. They had to have a party.

“Are you ready?”

Luna gave Alfredo her best smile and nodded. “Ready as I’ll ever be,” she said. “Is all this really necessary, though?”

“Of course it is,” Alfredo said. “You are the princess, you deserve to be introduced in a grand way. Anything else wouldn’t do.”

Luna didn’t want to disagree with him so she gave him a small smile instead. “Is it time?”

Alfredo nodded, beaming. “My beautiful granddaughter, everything will be perfect.”

Luna watched as he walked away and followed slowly behind him. She waited for him to quiet the party and announce her. She swallowed hard as he introduced her as Sol Benson but she responded to it anyway, walking down the steps. She nearly froze at the sight of so many people staring at her.

“My granddaughter, Sol, and Princess of Argentina has returned to her rightful place!” Alfredo said and she stopped next to him. He held up her hand. “All hail Princess Sol.”

Luna did her best to hide the panic on her face as everyone bowed. She let it sit for a moment, as Ámbar had told her to, before speaking. “Thank you all for coming, it is my honor to host you all,” she said, her voice loud and clear. “Now please, enjoy the party!”

And with that, the music started back up and everyone returned to their conversations. Luna started to breathe a sigh of relief until she and her grandfather were swarmed with people and he began introducing them to her individually. Her head spun as she tried to keep track of all the names.

After what felt like years of greeting individual nobles, Luna excused herself, grabbed a drink, and hid in a corner. She sipped slowly, scanning the room, looking for Simón or Nina. She knew they were here, along with most of her friends who had been invited on account of their nobility. She had made sure to extend a personal invitation to everyone anyway.

She couldn’t find them but she did find Ámbar. She frowned as she saw that she was talking to Benicio. Or rather, Benicio was talking to her. Luna knew for a fact that they were no longer friends, nor even on good terms. She set her drink down and headed for the two of them, building up her nerve.

“I’m going to have to ask you to leave my cousin alone,” she said sharply, stepping slightly in front of Ámbar.

Benicio scoffed at her. “On account of what, exactly?”

Luna raised her eyebrows at him. “On account of I’m the princess and future queen and I don’t want you bothering my cousin,” she shot back. “She doesn’t want to talk to you. Leave her alone.”

Benicio huffed but turned and left.

“I didn’t ask you to intervene,” Ámbar said behind her.

Luna turned to look at her, the bravado fading quickly. “I know but you looked uncomfortable,” she said, almost nervous. Her relationship with Ámbar wasn’t as bad as it used to be but there was still some tension between them and Luna didn’t want to push them backwards.

“Thank you,” Ámbar said after a moment of silence. “That guy can’t take a hint.”

Luna tried not to beam. “No, he really can’t,” she agreed. “I can get him kicked out, if you want.”

Ámbar snorted. “I wouldn’t mind, but it wouldn’t be the best move,” she said. “You’d have to kick out both him and Emilia and it’s not worth the trouble.”

Luna frowned and immediately started looking around. “Emilia’s here?”

“You didn’t know?”

“No.” Luna’s frown deepened as she spotted her. Anger bubbled up in her as she saw she was talking to Matteo. “Who invited her?”

Ámbar shrugged. “She’s Mexican nobility, of course she was invited.” She turned to see what Luna was glaring at and sighed. “Go.”

Luna looked back to her. “What?”

“I can tell you want to go over there and interrupt,” Ámbar told her. “So go. But don’t be too rude, you’re the princess now.”

“Thank you,” Luna said, squeezing her hands slightly before heading for Matteo. After what Emilia had done, Luna didn’t want to see her anywhere near Matteo and she doubted Matteo wanted to see her either.

“Excuse me,” she said as politely as she could, hooking her arm through Matteo’s. “Sorry, but I need to talk to Matteo.”

Emilia fixed her with a glare. “Can’t you see we’re in the middle of a conversation?” she asked. “Or didn’t anyone teach you manners? Oh, right, sorry, you weren’t raised a princess. You were raised as a street rat.”

Luna lifted her chin, refusing to show that the jab hurt. “And yet I can tell when someone doesn’t want anything to do with me better than you can,” she said. “Now, if you’ll excuse us, it’s important.” She stayed in her spot, making it clear that Emilia would have to leave.

Luna turned to look at Matteo once Emilia left. She found him watching her with a barely contained smile. “Sorry, I just saw her and you and- why are you looking at me like that?”

Matteo’s smile grew. “That was quite the show you put on, Your Highness,” he said, his eyes sparkling. “Seems like this time, you’re the one saving me.”

Luna flushed slightly. “I thought you might be uncomfortable after…well, you know.” Even mentioning it made Luna angry. She couldn’t believe Emilia had the nerve to even talk to Matteo after kissing him against his will despite his numerous rejections of her. It boiled her blood.

“How can I ever thank you?” Matteo asked dramatically.

Luna was drawn out her thoughts by his voice and she giggled. “You don’t have to thank me. That’s what frien…” she trailed off. She didn’t want to call them friends. Not when she wanted something else.

Matteo didn’t comment on her unfinished sentence. Instead, he continued with his theatrics. “But you must let me thank you somehow,” he said. As if on cue, a new song started up. Matteo grinned and offered her his hand. “I know the perfect way to thank you. May I have this dance?”

Luna stared at his hand. She wanted to say yes, desperately, but with her feelings the way they were, she didn’t know if she would survive a dance with him.

“Come on, chica delivery,” Matteo urged her, sensing her hesitation. “I might be leaving for Italy soon and you won’t do me the honor of accepting even a single dance with me?”

Luna felt like a bucket of cold water had been dumped over her head. She quickly took his hand and let him lead her onto the dance floor. “Of course I’ll dance with you,” she said, trying not to let the sadness that had flooded her show. “You…you haven’t decided yet? If you’re going?”

Matteo shook his head. “Not yet,” he said. “It would be easier to just listen to my dad this time but there are things here I don’t want to leave behind.” His gaze bore into her. “People I don’t want to leave behind.”

Luna quickly looked away from him. “Sounds like a hard decision,” she said, her voice tight.

Matteo’s arm tightened around her slightly. “Luna, like I said, if you ask me to stay…”

Luna inhaled sharply. He had said the same thing when he first told her that his father wanted him to go back to Italy. Everything in her had wanted to ask him to stay but instead, she told him to do whatever made him happy. “I want you to do what’ll make you happy,” she said quietly. She couldn’t get the words she wanted to say out. “You’ll tell me when you decide?”

Disappointment flashed across Matteo’s face for just a second. “You’ll be the first to know,” he said.

Luna nodded. She looked back at him to find him watching her with something she couldn’t quite place but made her breath hitch regardless. She looked away again, opting to take in the room instead.

They had been in this weird place, dancing around each other ever since everything with Emilia happened. Matteo had been desperate to explain what happened to her and Luna hadn’t wanted to listen, but Nina and Simón convinced her. Once everything had been cleared up, they decided to be friends again. But Luna couldn’t stop asking herself why Matteo needed to explain to her nor could she stop herself from getting nervous around him. And Matteo’s flirting had only gotten bolder. Yet, neither of them made a clear move.

“Why are you so nervous, chica delivery?” Matteo asked, breaking into Luna’s thoughts.

She looked at him, eyes widening for just a second. “I’m not nervous, why would I be nervous?” she denied. She looked away again.

Her head snapped back to him as he suddenly pulled her closer to him, much closer than needed for a dance.

“Someone was about to bump into you,” he said by way of explanation, nodding behind her. He didn’t loosen his grip and Luna didn’t try to move away. “So? Why so nervous?”

Luna’s heart beat wildly in her chest. How was she supposed to speak when he was so close? “I-I’m not nervous,” she repeated.

“No? Not even a little nervous?”

“Yes. I mean, no. I mean-” She groaned. She had to come up with something. “I mean, yes, I’m a little nervous but it’s because of this party,” she finally said, glancing around. “It just feels so weird that this is all…for me.”

Matteo nodded. “Right. So it’s all because of the party?” he asked. “Nothing to do with your very handsome Italian dance partner?”

Luna wished the floor would just open up and swallow her as heat flooded her cheeks. “No! Of course not, why would I be nervous because of you? No, chico fresa, that makes no sense. No, obviously not.” Even Luna didn’t believe herself.

Matteo raised an eyebrow at her, clearly amused. “Really? Because it sounds like you’re lying.”

His smile told her he knew the effect he was having on her. Why did he ask her questions he already knew the answers to? “I’m not lying,” she insisted anyway.

Matteo pulled her closer still and Luna was worried he could hear her heart trying to beat out of her chest. “Are you sure?” he asked, his voice low.

Luna opened her mouth just as the music ended. “Would you look at that, the song is over,” she rushed to point out. They stopped dancing but Matteo didn’t let her go.

“May I have this next dance too?” he asked.

Luna was sure that something in her would give if she spent any more time with him. “I would love to but I promised Simón a dance and I should really go find him,” she said. It wasn’t a lie, at least. “I haven’t seen him yet and I really want to check in with him.”

Matteo finally let her go. He took her hand and held it up, bowing slightly to her. “It was a pleasure dancing with you, Your Highness,” he said cheekily.

Luna couldn’t help her small giggle and she gave him a tiny curtsy. “The pleasure was all mine, my lord.”

She pulled her hand gently out of his and left quickly before she could get too caught up in the moment. She threw him one last glance before she headed off to find Simón.

She found him standing by one of the dessert tables, looking just as out of place as she felt. She snuck up behind him. “Simón.”

He jolted slightly. “Luna,” he said with a laugh. “Wow, look at you.”

Luna smiled and spun in place. “It feels straight out of a fairytale, doesn’t it?”

Simón nodded, looking around. “It’s incredible.”

“May I have this dance?” she asked him, holding out her hand. “And you can tell me what you’ve been doing?”

Simón grinned and took her hand. “Of course. But I’m more curious about what you’ve been doing,” he said as they made their way to the dance floor. “I saw you dancing with Matteo.”

Luna frowned at him. “And?”

“Luna, what do you mean ‘and’?” Simón asked in disbelief. “The two of you have been dancing around each other forever. Did you finally tell him you want him to stay?”

“What? No, Simón, I’m not telling him that!” Luna said. “I can’t possibly tell him that.”

Simón stared at her. “What do you mean you can’t tell him? Come on, Luna,” he told her. “What if he leaves, Luna, what then?”

Luna could swear her heart cracked a little. “Have you talked to Ámbar?” she asked. She couldn’t keep talking about this.

Simón frowned at her. “Why would I talk to Ámbar?”

“Are you joking?” It was Luna’s turn to be in disbelief. “Did you forget that you’re in love with her?”

“Obviously not,” Simón answered. “But there’s nothing I can do, the two of us can’t work. After everything she did? No, Luna, I can’t.”

Luna worried her bottom lip. “I don’t think Ámbar is the same as she was before,” she said slowly. “She’s changed, Simón. I think you should give her a chance. At the very least, you should mend your relationship.”

“We thought she changed before, remember?” Simón reminded her. “Why would it be any different this time?”

Luna shrugged. “I think with everything that’s happened…it’s changed something,” she told him. “I mean, she even helped me get ready for this party.”

Simón blinked in surprise. “She helped you get ready?”

“Yeah. Or did you think I managed to get ready all by myself?” she laughed. “We both know I wouldn’t have been able to manage that.” She smiled as Simón stayed silent, speechless. “See, I told you. You really should talk to her, Simón. There’s no point in breaking your own heart.”

Simón nodded. “Maybe I will talk to her,” he said, sounding slightly dazed. He narrowed his eyes at her. “Shouldn’t you take your own advice?”

“No idea what you’re talking about,” she said quickly. “Let’s talk about something else, yeah? Have you decided if you and the band will stay in the Mansion?

“Luna, I already told you we’re leaving,” he told her gently. “We already found a couple good places.”

Luna’s face fell. “Can’t I convince you to stay?”

He shook his head. “No, Luna, we can’t stay,” he said. “We just can’t. You and your family need the privacy. We’ve already stayed too long.”

“It hasn’t even been two weeks, Simón!” Luna argued. “You’ve barely stayed at all.”

“Still.”

Luna deflated. “Okay,” she said dejectedly. “Is…is Matteo moving with you?”

“We don’t know yet,” Simón answered. “He said he’ll let us know once he decides if he’s staying or not.”

Luna nodded, trying not to look too upset. She pulled away from Simón as the song ended. “You should take the chance to go talk to Ámbar.”

“What? Now?”

“Yes!” Luna said, pushing him slightly. “Go talk to her now! Go!”

Luna smiled as she watched him head for Ámbar. Her smile faded as her eyes snagged on Matteo in the crowd. She jumped slightly as someone tapped her shoulder.

“Nina! You scared me.”

“Sorry,” Nina said, hugging her. “Who were you staring at?”

“No one,” Luna said quickly. “Who would I be staring at?”

Nina looked around her, a knowing look making its way onto her face. “I’m assuming you didn’t tell him that you’re still in love with him?”

“Nina! Sh!” Luna shushed her harshly, putting a finger to her lips. Nina shrugged in apology. “Someone could hear you. But no, I didn’t. I can’t.”

“Why not, Luna?” Nina asked her. “You love him, he loves you, all you have to do is tell him. It’s that simple so why not just do it?”

Luna sighed. “Because it’s not that simple, Nina,” she said, her tone defeated. “One, you don’t know that he loves me like that. And two…I’m scared I’ll get hurt again. I don’t know if I can do that again.”

Nina gave her a sympathetic look. “I know you’re scared, Luna, but isn’t it worth the risk?” she asked gently. “Won’t it be worse if he leaves and you didn’t tell him that you feel the same?”

“You don’t know that he feels the same way I do,” Luna said, playing with her fingers.

“You can’t be serious,” Nina said. “Luna, why would he need to explain to you about the whole Emilia thing if he didn’t? Why would he always flirt with you if he didn’t?”

Luna exhaled heavily. “Because the chico fresa is just like that!” she said. “He’s a flirt.”

“You know that’s not true.”

She did. “Maybe, but that doesn’t prove anything.”

“And how about the Emilia thing?” Nina pointed out.

“Because he told me there was nothing between them and he didn’t want me to think he lied to me because we’re friends,” Luna explained half-heartedly. “That’s all, Nina. I’m sure with how many times I’ve told him no, he’s lost interest anyway.”

Nina shook her head. “I think you’re just letting your fear blind you. And I think you know it too.”

Luna didn’t get to answer as some young lord asked her to dance. She let him lead her to the dance floor, Nina’s words echoing in her head.

~~~

Luna snuck away to the kitchen, in desperate need of a break. It seemed someone found her, no matter where in the ballroom she hid. She sighed in relief as she found the kitchen completely free of people. The palace’s kitchen was so much larger than the Benson Mansion’s kitchen, but it allowed her a moment of peace just the same. She took her heels off, letting her dress drag on the floor as she walked to the service entrance. She needed fresh air.

She took two steps outside and froze as she saw Matteo standing outside. She relaxed as she realized he didn’t see or hear her and took advantage to simply watch him for a moment. He was staring up at the sky with his hands in his pockets, quieter than she’d ever seen him and she decided she wanted to see this side of him more often. She wanted to see all the sides of him that she hadn’t seen yet. She wanted to see and have it all. She wanted him to stay. She needed him to stay.

“What?”

Luna jolted as Matteo’s head snapped towards her. “What?”

Matteo stared at her, surprise written clearly across his face. “You just said you want me to stay. You…do you want me to stay?”

Luna’s heart stuttered. Had she actually spoken out loud? “I…I didn’t- I meant-”

“Luna,” Matteo cut her off, turning so that he was fully facing her. “Please. Just tell me the truth.”

Luna’s heart raced, Simón and Nina’s words running through her mind. She closed her eyes. It was now or never. “Yes.”

“Yes?”

Luna looked down. “Yes, I want you to stay. I want you to stay more than anything. I can’t imagine not having you here. I want you to stay in Buenos Aires, in the mansion, with-” she cut herself off. With me. She braced herself for him to get upset with her, mad, annoyed, frustrated, something.

“Why?” Matteo asked, his voice barely audible.

Luna’s eyes widened as she looked back up at him. “What?” He was asking her why, of all things?

“Why do you want me to stay?” he asked again.

He had to know if he was asking, Luna realized. She wasn’t subtle, she knew she wasn’t subtle so he had to know. “Why do you ask me questions you know the answers to?” she asked. Tears pricked her eyes for no reason.

“Because I don’t- because I need to hear it, Luna, please,” Matteo said, something in his voice that she couldn’t place.

Luna closed her eyes again. He knew. And if he knew and hadn’t made his own move, then she could only come to one conclusion. This was as good a time as any to finish off breaking her heart, she figured. “Because I’m still in love with you.”

She swore neither of them were breathing and the longer the silence dragged, the more Luna wanted to cry. She couldn’t look at him. “I know it’s probably too late-”

“Luna.”

“-and I’ve told you no so many times that you don’t want anything to do with me anymore.”

“Luna-”

“And I wasn’t going to tell you because I don’t want to make this harder for either of us! But you asked and I can’t keep lying!”

“Lu-”

“But even if it’s just as friends, please stay. In Argentina, in the Mansion, I just want you near me even if you don’t-”

Luna hadn’t realized that Matteo had closed the distance between them until she felt his arm wrap around her waist and felt his lips on her own. Her eyes fell shut and she couldn’t help but melt into him.

Matteo broke the kiss. “Can I talk now?” he asked, eyes shining.

Luna nodded, almost in shock. She didn’t trust her voice enough to speak.

“Luna, I could never want nothing to do with you,” he said. “How could you ever think I don’t love you?”

“You-?” He still loved her? “But you never said anything!”

Matteo burst into laughter and Luna stared at him in confusion. “My god, Luna,” he said, leaning his forehead against hers. “The Emilia thing didn’t tip you off? Telling you that I would stay if you asked? All the flirting? None of that tipped you off? It’s not like I was trying to hide it, Luna.”

Luna didn’t know what to say. “Maybe but I couldn’t just assume!” she finally argued. “Besides you…you knew how I felt.” She looked down for a second. “I know I’m bad at hiding it and I know you knew. But you never did anything about it, what was I supposed to think?”

“And you never said anything explicit,” Matteo shot back. “Not to mention you always ran away whenever I tried to bring it up.”

Luna pursed her lips. She didn’t have a counter for that. Nina was right; she really had let her fear blind her completely. “I’m sorry,” she said quietly.

“Hey, don’t apologize,” Matteo told her gently. “It doesn’t matter why we did or didn’t say or do anything. All that matters is right now. And right now, I just want to know if you accept.”

Luna gave him a confused look. “Accept what?”

Matteo gave her his signature chico fresa smile. “To be my girlfriend, of course.”

Luna’s eyes lit up and the smile broke free before she could stop it. She pretended to consider it for a moment anyway. “Well, if you’re asking then yes,” she said through barely contained giggles. “Of course I accept.”

Matteo grinned wide and Luna laughed as he hugged her, picked her up and spun her around before setting her down and kissing her.

Luna was still laughing as they broke apart and she wrapped her arms around his neck, hugging him tightly. “Does this mean you’re staying?” she asked. She didn’t have to specify where.

“Of course I’m staying.”

Chapter Text

Ámbar jumped at the knock at her door before rolling her eyes at herself. She knew by the knock who was at the door, there was no need to get anxious.

Simón pulled her into his arms as soon as the door shut behind him, holding her tight. “You didn’t come find me.”

“Because I knew you would come find me,” Ámbar told him, wrapping her arms around him. “Besides, me and Luna had a lot to take care of before coming back.”

“Are you okay?” Simón asked into her hair. He pulled back so he could look at her. “You’ve got a cut on your cheek. And on your arms.”

“Glass flying all over the place will do that,” Ámbar said. “I’m fine.”

“And how are you feeling?”

Ámbar furrowed her brows. “How am I feeling? Tired? It’s not fun running all over a palace trying to figure out who knows something and who shouldn’t be there.” She sighed, burrowing back into his chest.

Simón pressed a kiss into her hair. “Good to know, but that’s not what I meant,” he said. “I mean, how are you? Your- Sharon just sent an assassin after you and it isn’t the first time you’ve been through something like this.”

“It wasn’t a real assassination attempt and I wasn’t the target, Luna was.”

“Bonita, please.” Simón pulled away so he could cup her face in his hands. “Talk to me.”

“What do you want me to tell you, Simón?” Ámbar asked. “How glad I am that we’ll have to watch our backs more than ever and we can’t trust anyone? That it’s amazing news that Sharon has the resources to pull off something like this? That I’m delighted Matteo got hurt again? That I’m thrilled my adoptive mother sent someone to try to hurt my cousin and didn’t care if I got caught in the middle? That I love knowing she doesn’t care about me in the slightest?”

Simón wiped a tear from her cheek and Ámbar blinked in surprise; she hadn’t even realized she’d started crying. She held Simón tightly as he bundled her back up into his arms. “God, this is so stupid,” she muttered.

“It’s okay,” he whispered, pressing kisses into her hair. “It’s not stupid at all. It makes sense for you to feel like that, Ámbar. It’s normal.”

“Maybe, but I don’t have to cry about it,” she mumbled. “There’s no point.”

Simón’s arms tightened around her. “Of course there’s a point. It’s impossible to put up a front all the time. You have to let it down from time to time.”

Ámbar shook her head even though she knew he couldn’t see her. “No, I don’t because I’m fine,” she said. “And everyone needs me now more than ever. Luna doesn’t know her way around all this nonsense and I can’t just leave her and her parents to try to deal with all of it by themselves.”

“And it’s great that you want to take care of them, really,” Simón said. “But who’s going to take care of you?”

“Me. Who else?” Ámbar said. “I’ve never had anyone else taking care of me before and I don’t need anyone to take care of me now.”

“Ámbar, everyone needs someone to take care of them,” Simón told her. He pulled away so he could cup her face in his hands. “I know you’re strong, I promise I do, but even you need someone to take care of you. At least sometimes.”

“No I don’t.”

“Yes you do.”

“No I don’t,” Ámbar repeated. “And even if I did, who would?”

“I would,” Simón said. “And Luna and her parents. Ámbar, the people you take care of can take care of you too. Let us take care of you. Let me take care of you.”

Ámbar swallowed hard, hating the tears pricking her eyes. “It’s not that easy, Simón. I don’t know how to just let someone take care of me.”

Simón caressed her cheek with his thumb. “I know. I know it’s not easy for you, bonita. But you can learn,” he said. “You learned to take care of others, didn’t you? Now you just have to learn to let others take care of you.”

“You think so?” she asked, covering his hand on her cheek with her own.

“You’re Ámbar Smith, you can learn anything, can’t you?” Simón challenged jokingly.

“Obviously,” Ámbar said. “There’s nothing I can’t do. So where do I start?”

“Well, first,” Simón started, guiding her over to the bed, “we get comfortable.”

Simón sat down and opened his arms. Ámbar stared at him for a moment before sitting in front of him and adjusting herself so that her back was against his chest. She closed her eyes as he wrapped his arms around her and pressed a kiss to her head. “Now what?” she asked quietly.

“Now, you talk to me. If you want to,” Simón said, his volume matching hers. “Or we can just stay here like this until you feel better.”

A small smile made its way onto Ámbar’s face. “Just sit here? Didn’t you want me to talk earlier?” she asked.

“Yes and I still do but I also don’t want to push you, Ámbar,” Simón answered. “So, if you want to talk, I’m here. And if you don’t want to talk, well, I’m still here.”

Ámbar nestled further back into him. “Thank you,” she whispered. “That’s all I need. I just need you to be there for me.”

“I’ll always be here for you,” Simón promised. “No matter what.”

“I’ve never had that,” Ámbar said, breaking the silence after a few minutes. “This, I mean. Someone so willing to just be there for whatever I need. Even when I was dating Matteo, I mean, we supported each other but we both had so much going on and we both had it ingrained so deeply into us to only rely on ourselves that we just never leaned on each other. And Sharon…”

Simón shifted behind her, hugging her tighter. As if he knew she needed to be physically held together to get through this. “What about Sharon?” he prompted gently.

Ámbar scoffed. “Hell, what do I even say about Sharon,” she said bitterly. “Honestly, most of the time I can’t even think up a reason for why she adopted me. Even when I was really young, she just never wanted to see me, spend time with me, nothing. Anything I did that she didn’t like, she’d yell at me for but never correct me. Anytime I wanted to talk to her, she’d say she was busy or had a headache or my personal favorite, that she simply didn’t have the time or energy for my petty problems. I practically raised myself for how little attention she gave me. And I did everything, everything I could to try to get her attention, her approval, her love, something. Everything I did was for that and it was all worth nothing. I killed myself trying to be perfect to please her and I didn’t even realize that neither of those things were possible. I was never going to be perfect and I definitely was never going to be enough for her, let alone please her. God, it was all so stupid.”

Simón shook his head. “No, no it’s not stupid, Ámbar. It wasn’t stupid,” he told her. “You wanted her to pay attention to you, that’s normal. None of what she did was your fault.”

“I’d like to believe that. I’d love to, actually, but I can’t. The only thing I can think is why wasn’t I ever enough for her?” She felt the tears slip down her cheeks but didn’t bother moving to wipe them away. “Even now, she didn’t care that I could get hurt. I don’t know if she thought about it and decided it didn’t matter or didn’t even think about it and I don’t know which is worse. And despite all that, despite everything…some part of me still loves her. Like an idiot, I still love her.”

“No, Ámbar, listen to me,” Simón said, nudging her so she would look up at him. “It’s not stupid, you’re not an idiot. Stop trying to make your feelings unimportant because they’re not. I know you feel like they are, but they’re not. It’s not stupid for you to still love her. She adopted you, she raised you, and even if she didn’t treat you the way you deserved to be treated, it doesn’t make you an idiot to love her.”

Ámbar looked away from him, opting to play with her clothes instead. “Mónica told me something similar once too,” she said quietly. “But it’s so hard to change how I think, Simón. It’s been drilled into me that feelings need to be controlled and not felt. That they’re a hindrance. And in times like these…I don’t find myself disagreeing! I just don’t! I mean, if I didn’t feel like this, then it wouldn’t hurt so much and I wouldn’t have to spend time crying or trying to figure out why I was never enough for Sharon because I just wouldn’t care. I want to not care! It’s so tiring! But I can’t! No matter how hard I try, I still care and I hate it!”

Simón drew circles with his fingers on her arms and he rested his head gently on top of hers. It was surprisingly soothing. “I know it’s hard to feel like that,” he said softly. “And I know it feels terrible but those feelings are what make you human. It all makes you you. Even the negative ones. It’s not a bad thing that you care about things, Ámbar. If you didn’t care about anything, you wouldn’t have the relationships you have either. Would you want that?”

“Of course I wouldn’t want that. I’m glad I have the relationships I’ve built,” Ámbar said. “I don’t know what I’d do without you, Luna, Mónica and Miguel, even Matteo now. But feeling like this…it’s almost too much sometimes.”

“I know but that’s why you need someone to take care of you too, isn’t it?” Simón said. “So when you feel like it’s too much, you have people to fall back on. You don’t have to deal with everything alone all the time. We’re all here for you. I promise.”

Ámbar let her eyes fall shut for a moment. “I know. And I like knowing that. But it doesn’t make it any easier to actually ask for help if- when- I need it. So for now, can you just keep doing this?”

“Doing what?”

“This. Being here for me. Reminding me that it’s okay to feel terrible sometimes and it’s okay to let someone else help me through it,” she answered, her voice small. “Because I don’t know if I have it in me yet to actually ask for…well, for anything. So, will you make sure you’re there when I need it? Even if I don’t say anything?”

Simón kissed the top of her head. “I told you I’d always be here, didn’t I?” he reminded her. “Whether you ask for help or not, I’ll be here to help you, Ámbar. Always. You can count on it.”

“I like knowing that.”

“I like that you like knowing that.”

Ámbar giggled slightly before yawning. The exhaustion hit her all at once, mental, physical and emotional. She wasn’t sure how she was even still awake. “I should sleep. I have to be up early tomorrow.”

Simón moved from behind her. “I’ll let you sleep then,” he said.

“Wait, Simón,” Ámbar said, grabbing his arm before he could move too far. “Can you stay? I know we agreed you wouldn’t sleep over but just this time? Please?”

“Are you sure?” Simón asked, sitting back down on the bed. “You said someone comes to check on you in the morning sometimes, didn’t you?”

Ámbar nodded. “Yeah but I can lock my door tonight and use the attack as an excuse,” she said. “Nobody would think it’s weird. Just for tonight. Please. I don’t want to be alone tonight.”

“You don’t have to try to convince me, Ámbar,” Simón said with a smile and a small shake of his head. “I could never say no to you anyway.”

Ámbar lit up. “So you’ll stay?”

“Of course I’ll stay.”

She waited for him to get under the covers before positioning herself so that her back was against his chest and his arms were wrapped around her. “I have to warn you about something,” she said once they were comfortable.

“What is it?”

“I have nightmares sometimes. A lot of the time, actually. And sometimes they wake me up in the middle of the night.”

Simón pressed a kiss to her shoulder. “Well, I’ll be here to chase them away tonight,” he said. “And if they still get to you, I’ll be here for whatever you need when you wake up.”

Ámbar’s heart filled with warmth. “Thank you,” she whispered. “Good night, mi amor.”

“Good night, bonita. Sweet dreams.”

Ámbar let her eyes fall shut. She was too tired to keep them open anyway. Sleep found her quickly for once and she felt, for the first time in a very, very long time, safe.

Chapter Text

Ámbar barely held back an annoyed sigh as she finally pulled herself away from her dance partner. She didn’t want to be here. In fact, the last thing she wanted was to be at this stupid party. The party that should have been hers- no, could have been, not should, she reminded herself. Even if this party was hers, it would all be a lie. And what would be the point in that?

She restrained a growl as she felt someone approach her only for it to melt in her throat as he spoke.

“May I have this dance?” Simón asked softly, holding his hand out to her.

Ámbar stared at him with barely contained surprise. And was that nervousness in his voice? “You may,” she finally said, taking his hand. She tried to keep her face impassive as he pulled her close, watching her with an expression she couldn’t place.

“Enjoying the party?” Simón asked awkwardly, breaking the silence between them.

“That is not the word I’d use,” Ámbar answered with a snort. “You’ll excuse me if I’m not in a particularly jolly mood.”

Simón’s hand tightened for a second on her own before he nodded. “Right, sorry.”

They fell quiet as they danced, the silence between them almost unbearable and the looks they shared almost even more so. Ámbar didn’t know how she felt about it.

“Why did you ask me to dance?” Ámbar blurted as the song wound down. Things between them have been less than friendly and now they were dancing together? She had to know why.

He had been nervous when he asked her to dance, Ámbar realized as he cleared his throat and scratched the back of his head. “I-”

“Ámbar, won’t you come greet my friend here?”

Ámbar closed her eyes in irritation for just a second at the sound of her grandfather’s voice. “Of course, Abuelo,” she replied sweetly anyway. She turned her attention back to Simón. “Thank you for the dance. It was…nice.”

“Ámbar, wait,” Simón said, grabbing her hand before she could go anywhere.

“Wha-” The words died on her lips as he lifted her hand to his lips and pressed a kiss to her knuckles. She felt herself grow warm at his touch and even warmer as he held her gaze, lips on her hand. After what felt like both too little time and too much, he gently let go of her hand and she had to remind herself to bring it to her side rather than leave it floating in front of him. “I-I’ll see you around,” she told him, hoping she didn’t sound as breathless as she felt.

Simón’s only answer was a smile and a nod. She turned and quickly left, needing to put space between herself and him. And even as she slipped into easy conversation with her grandfather’s friends, her hand still tingled where his lips had been and the only thing she could think of was the way he had watched her.

~~~

Ámbar couldn’t help but be relieved that the party was over. She stood in the middle of the now empty ballroom, looking around. The room hadn’t been entirely cleaned up yet and Ámbar could hear echoes of the music if she closed her eyes. She closed them and tipped her head back, exhaustion washing over her all at once.

Her eyes snapped open as she heard someone else enter the room. Her excuses died on her tongue when she saw it was Simón.

They stared at each other silently for what felt like an eternity before they both tried to speak at the same time.

“Simón, I-”

“Listen, I-”

They stopped and couldn’t help but chuckle. Ámbar pursed her lips. “You go first,” she said.

“No, it’s fine,” Simón said. “You go.”

Ámbar shook her head. “Really, you first.”

Simón nodded and shifted before finally saying, “Luna told me you helped her get ready for this party.”

Ámbar blinked, trying not to feel too disappointed. “Oh, yeah I did,” she said, keeping her voice even. “She is my cousin and the future Queen of Argentina, I couldn’t let her crash and burn.”

A smile tugged at Simón’s lips and he nodded. “Of course not.”

Another silence fell between them. Ámbar had never been one to get uncomfortable with silence. It was, after all, a good way to make someone else uncomfortable enough to start babbling and as such, she usually relished in them. Not this one. She couldn’t stand it.

“I-”

“That’s not-”

Ámbar couldn’t help but laugh and shake her head as they tried to speak at the same time again. How ridiculous.

“Ámbar, I-” Simón tried again.

“No, this time let me go first, Simón,” Ámbar interrupted him. She took a deep breath and steeled herself. “I’m sorry. For everything. For lying to you and hiding things. For making you regret the time we spent together. For making you feel like I was only playing with you. Hell, I’m even sorry for everything I did to Luna. But I’m most sorry for making you feel like I never actually felt anything for you. Getting close to you might have been part of a game but being your friend was never a lie. Falling for you was never a lie. I-I loved you. It wasn’t fake. It wasn’t part of a game. It wasn’t a means to an end, it wasn’t a lie. It was true. I may have lied about a lot but that part was never a lie. I know you might not believe me or forgive me and I…well, I’ll find a way to be okay with that but I can’t let you go on thinking that every minute of it was fake because it wasn’t. And I’m sorry I’m the kind of person that would even make you think that.”

She swallowed hard once she finished, looking up to find Simón staring at her, eyes bright. Her breath caught in her throat. “Your turn,” she managed to get out.

“I don’t regret any of it,” Simón said. “I regret maybe that it started out as a cruel game but if that was what it took, then I don’t regret it. And I’m sorry for the things I said to you. I never should have said any of it. I left you when you needed someone most. And I know you’ve changed. That you had before too, even if I said I didn’t believe it. You’re not that kind of person, Ámbar.”

Ámbar shook her head, reeling. She didn’t know what she expected but this wasn’t it. “What’s your point?” she asked, hoping to give herself more time to process.

Simón smiled. “My point is that I love you, Ámbar,” he said simply.

She had forgotten just how much quicker Simón was at getting to a point than her. He didn’t waste time talking in circles and trying to be confusing the way she did; he just said what he meant. “I…what?”

“I’m still in love with you,” Simón repeated, as if it was the easiest thing in the world to admit. “That’s why I danced with you. I wanted to tell you but couldn’t get it out. And that’s why I was looking for you now. Not to tell you what Luna told me but to tell you that.”

Ámbar simply stared up at him, her brain almost flat out refusing to comprehend what he was saying to her (and had Luna nudged him to do it? She filed that away for later). Or rather, that he was just saying it. As if it was nothing. As if she hadn’t done anything to lose that love. She almost asked why. She wanted to demand a reason. She wanted to tell him he was an idiot and he was crazy. She wanted, she realized, something easy to stay angry about. She didn’t know how to not be angry.

But, she also realized, it wouldn’t matter what she said. She could try to sabotage it as much as she wanted and Simón would still feel the same. He might not want a relationship with her, but his feelings wouldn’t change. He wouldn’t play games with her nor would he get roped into any games she tried to play. Why ruin this for herself? Didn’t she deserve something nice after everything?

So instead of demanding reasons or throwing it back in his face or playing a game, Ámbar took a breath and settled on the simple truth instead for once. “I love you too,” she whispered.

Simón breathed out a laugh and stepped closer so he could lean his forehead against hers, a wide smile taking over his face. “I was kind of hoping you did,” he said.

Ámbar couldn’t help but return his smile with one of her own, something akin to giddiness bubbling up in her. “I never stopped loving you,” she admitted, the happiness fueling her. “I wanted to but I couldn’t.”

“Me neither. I don’t think I could stop if I tried,” Simón admitted in turn. “And believe me, I tried.”

They didn’t get the chance to laugh because then she was reaching up to kiss him, wrapping her arms around his neck and melting into him. He responded immediately, pulling her closer and deepening the kiss. They broke apart and Simón pulled her into him, hugging her tightly and whispering how much he loved her into her hair. Ámbar closed her eyes and hugged him back, pinching herself in case it was a dream.

It wasn’t.

Chapter Text

Simón breathed a sigh of relief as he finally found Matteo in one of the million rooms in the palace. He had taken every wrong turn he could before finally finding the room a guard had told him Matteo was in.

“Matteo, you have to go see the doctor,” he said, knocking on the door as he entered.

Matteo started. “Oh, it’s just you.” He waved his hand. “I’m fine, I can wrap it up myself later.”

Simón shook his head. “No, you need to get that looked at, let’s go.”

“I said I’m fine,” Matteo snapped. “I’m busy.”

“And I said you have to go see the doctor,” Simón shot back. “Luna told me to drag you there if need be so either you come willingly or I force you. Your choice.”

Matteo finally looked up from his phone. “Luna asked you to come check on me?”

Simón rolled his eyes upwards. “How is that surprising to you, Matteo?” he asked. “She almost begged me to find you and make sure you’re okay. Now come on, let’s go so I can tell her you got checked.”

Matteo nodded and followed Simón out of the room, slightly dazed. With the chaos she was surely dealing with, Luna still thought to have someone check on him? “And Luna, how- how is she? Is she okay? Did anything else happen?”

“She’s okay. Shaken but unhurt for the most part. Nina is with her and Ámbar,” Simón reassured him. “Uh, you should probably lead the way because I don’t know where anything is.”

Matteo walked out slightly in front of him. “What do you mean unhurt for the most part? Did she get hurt? What happened? Wha-”

“No, she’s fine, I’m just talking about the cuts from the glass,” Simón cut him off. “Why did you leave when you’re obviously so worried?”

“I would’ve blown our cover if I stayed,” Matteo answered. “I already pushed it. Besides, someone had to call you and her parents. And I had to make a couple other calls.” He stopped in front of a room. “Here we are. Really, I’m fine though.”

“Either you walk in or I shove you.” Matteo shot him a glare with no real heat and walked in. Simón sent a quick text to Luna. “Excuse me, Doctor. Can you take a look at his arm?”

The doctor didn’t even look at him. “Of course. Come take a seat please.” He cut away Matteo’s ripped shirt sleeve. “How did this happen?”

“He pushed Luna out of the way of a knife,” Simón answered for him.

The doctor shot him a glare. “You mean Queen Sol.” He examined Matteo’s arm. “It’s not bad, you won’t need stitches. I will wrap it up for you and you can be on your way.”

Simón frowned as Matteo nodded. “Excuse me, but that looks like it does need stitches,” he said.

“I’m sorry, are you a doctor?” the doctor asked him snappily. “Because if not, I don’t see why you’re contradicting me.”

“It doesn’t hurt much,” Matteo tried to assure him. “It’ll be fine.”

“No, I’m not a doctor but I’ve had and seen my fair sure of injuries and that looks like it needs stitches,” Simón insisted.

The doctor ignored him and wrapped Matteo’s arm. “You’re good to go, My Lord. If it starts hurting more, you can take painkillers.”

“Shouldn’t he come back to see you if it starts hurting more?” Simón chimed in. He suspected Matteo didn’t feel the pain because of the adrenaline coursing through him. Simón was almost certain he would realize he needed stitches later.

“Like I said, it’s not a bad cut,” the doctor repeated, clearly exasperated. He handed Matteo a bottle of painkillers. “If it gets too bad, come back. Otherwise, you’ll be fine, it’ll heal quickly.”

Matteo thanked him and ushered Simón out of the room before he could argue. “What was that about?”

“I don’t trust that guy,” Simón told him, frowning. “I know what a cut that needs stitches looks like and you look like you need stitches.”

“It’s fine,” Matteo insisted. “I’ve been through worse before, this is nothing.”

Simón sighed. “If you say so.” He sent another text to Luna, letting her know what the doctor said. “So who did you have to call other than me and Nina and Luna’s parents?”

Matteo shrugged. “Just some people,” she said vaguely. “It doesn’t matter.”

“Obviously it matters, why are you being suspicious about it?”

Matteo sighed. “I called some…contacts,” he said reluctantly. “I want to see if any of them can find out anything about Sharon. Just don’t tell Luna, okay?”

“And why not? One, she’s my best friend and two, she’s the queen,” Simón said, baffled. “Why on earth shouldn’t I tell her? Hell, why aren’t you going to tell her?”

“Because one, I don’t want her to worry even more about it, which we both know she will if she finds out there are more people that could get hurt searching,” Matteo answered. “And two, I don’t want her to get her hopes up. It’s not likely they’ll find her. And if they do…let’s just say it probably won’t be because they found her.”

“What is that supposed to mean?”

“It means she probably found them.”

Simón stared at him. “Matteo, what kind of contacts are these?”

“Just don’t tell Luna, yeah?” Matteo asked, sidestepping the question.

“Fine,” Simón agreed after a long silence. He checked his phone as it buzzed. “We’re going back to the Benson Mansion.”

Matteo looked at him incredulously. “No, we’re not. Have you lost your mind?” he said. “Luna is still here and I’m not leaving her-”

“She’s the one who told me to take you back.”

Matteo’s protests died on his tongue. “She said to go back?”

Simón held up his phone. “She said she’d feel better knowing we’re safe at the mansion. She asked Nina and her parents to go back too. And to take a guard with us.”

“Are you sure she said both of us?” Matteo asked. “Because I should probably go find her and-”

“Yes, she said both of us, Matteo,” Simón cut him off. “She wants you back at the Mansion where she can be sure you’ll be safe.”

“She said that?”

“No, but it’s what she means.” Simón nodded in the direction of the palace doors. “Now, let’s go or else I’m going to drag you.”

Matteo frowned at him but started walking anyway. “I thought you would want to stay,” he said. “For both Luna and Ámbar.”

Simón shot him a look. “Obviously I want to stay. I didn’t even want to leave them in the first place,” he said. “Luna had to beg me to go find you and I still didn’t leave until Ámbar told me it was okay too. But if my being here is only going to worry them more, then there’s no point in staying even if it’ll set me more at ease.”

“But it’s hard,” Matteo said after a moment. “Just leaving them alone after something like that.”

“I’m not going to disagree or tell you I’m not worried out of my mind,” Simón responded. “But they have each other and we have to remember that they want us safe just as much as we want them safe.”

Matteo let out a long sigh and ran a hand through his hair. “Let’s go back then, I guess,” he gave in. He flagged down a guard and he and Simón followed him to a car. “Will you be staying at the Mansion tonight?”

Simón shrugged slightly. “I want to. And if one of them asks me to, I will. But otherwise…”

“What they want comes first,” Matteo finished for him. He turned to the window and stared at the palace as it faded from view. Simón was right; he had to set aside what every fiber in his being was telling him to do and do whatever Luna asked him to instead. Even if it drove him crazy, if it gave her the tiniest bit of peace, it was worth it.