Evelyn's POV

We returned from our honeymoon within two days, most of which we spent exploring the castle and strolling outside. Thankfully, the most physical contact we shared was when he bandaged the scrape on my elbow, which admittedly scabbed over rather quickly. Although Ash and I are on decent terms now, we barely spent any time together after that. Duty calls, after all, now more so than ever before. Coronation preparations consumed a majority of our time, mostly his. We rarely saw each other these days, especially since we reside in separate quarters. It's much too uncomfortable to share a bed, so I decided to avoid such a circumstance at all costs. I, however, relished in the fact that we could merely coexist in such a fashion without disturbing one another's lives or raising suspicion. If life stays this way, I may even enjoy what's to come.

"Evelyn, you seem very distracted recently." Adele interrupted my thoughts.

"I loathe planning for events and you know that." I excused myself.

She stared at me, not entirely convinced.

"What?" I asked, confused.

"You're not daydreaming about my brother, are you?" She suggestively wiggled her eyebrows.

My eyes widened in alarm, "Absolutely not! He's much better suited for my nightmares."

"They say honeymoons change people, in more ways than one." She teased.

I felt my face heat up, "Well, I'm not one of those people. I believe we've already discussed what a disaster that was."

"If that were true, I'm not so sure you would have returned to the castle, much less in the same coach as that imbecile brother of mine. I've seen the furtive smiles that the two of you share over dinner, you can't make a fool of me. I know both of you better than anyone else in these walls."

She wasn't wrong about that.

I shook my head, "We've reached an understanding, that's all."

"An understanding?"

I turned away, pretending to be immersed in a book of dresses.

"This is pretty." I murmured, flipping to a random page.

"Don't ignore me! Does this new understanding mean that I can expect to be an aunt at some point?" She pressed as excitement filled her eyes.

I let out a very unattractive snort.

"We didn't even share the same room, never mind the same bed. Neither do we plan to." I stated matter-of-factly.

"What a waste of a honeymoon!"

"We just recently started being civil with each other. And, b-besides, I can't imagine us getting any closer... especially..." I said, feeling my face heat up.

She let out a cheeky laugh. I, however, turned a bright red just at the thought of the act with Ash. True, he didn't look half-bad, but there's more to a man than his outward appeal. He seemed to be a little too rough on the edges while I preferred more gentle men. It would be a lie to say that in all these years of knowing him, I hadn't had a single improper thought. It would be truth, in fact, to admit that those sparse thoughts were illogical and a product of raging, adolescent changes more than anything else.

"Ev, you'll have to take that step at some point. The lineage needs an heir, that task falls upon you in this generation. Besides, you know every other girl in the kingdom would jump at the chance to share the same bed as Ash." She spoke nothing but the truth, unfortunately.

She was disturbingly amused by this thought. I sincerely loved Adele, but she could be very vain. Although she has many redeeming qualities, her pride over the popularity of both her and her brother could be too much at times. With the attention they've received from birth, I suppose it's only natural to develop a few narcissistic traits along the way.

"Adele, you have a filthy mind. If only your grandmother could hear your inappropriate thoughts, she would banish you from the kingdom." I claimed.

"What do you mean? Is it really bad of me to want a little niece or nephew running around?" She said, faking an innocent pout.

I laughed, rolling my eyes.

"Don't we have a task at hand?" I asked.

"Oh, the dress! Which one caught your fancy?"

I shifted my attention back to the random page that my fingers found. It didn't look too bad; a simple ivory dress sewn with delicate lace and white pearls with minimum ruffles that lacked other distracting material. After the wedding dress nightmare, I wanted something more form-fitting and easier to move in.

"That's perfect!" She squealed, just as she would have for any other dress.

I smiled, returning the freshly marked book to the table.

"What's next on the list?" I asked.

"That was it." She answered.

I gave her a bewildered look.

"That was all we had to do?"

"I never thought it would take such little time." She sighed as she stretched and rose up from the sofa.

I stared at her with my most unimpressed expression.

"Remind me why I trust you again." I wondered.

She simply stuck her tongue out in ridicule, only to resume a proper, mannerly position as a servant walked in, making me laugh. That was why.

The servant bowed before speaking.

"Her Majesty requests the presence of her highness, Princess Evelyn, for the coronation rehearsal." He stated.

I cleared my throat before speaking.

"Of course. I'll be right there." I said, getting up.

A nagging suspicion told me that Ash would skip this one too, just as he had with the wedding. Or perhaps he truly has changed.