"Bastards!" I cried, breaking a long silence that had fallen after the end of the video.

"My thoughts exactly," Drake growled, hands balled into tight red fists.

"I can't believe anyone would do something so horrible," Hana added, shaking her head sadly.

Liam remained silent. After a few more seconds, Mara and Bastien arrived, along with Madeleine, who explained that we would be taking a detour to Applewood before going to Kiara's estate.

"For security's sake," Bastien added, "We'll change our mode of transportation and go by train today. If you're all ready, we'd like to leave as soon as possible."

Liam nodded, and soon several servants were helping us carry bags to cars which then took us to the train station. It wasn't until Liam and I were alone on a train car with Bastien and Mara that he finally spoke up.

"I want to know who did this," he said, glaring at Bastien as if he were the one under investigation. "Who burned down Applewood orchard?"

Bastien's face was stern, but his voice was calm. "My King," he said, "We are doing everything we can to find those responsible. Right now, we're pursuing leads in both the Liberation Core and the Sons of Earth. Duchess Olivia has been very cooperative with questioning, though we haven't been able to locate her aunt. I will let you know as soon as we have any new information."

Liam sighed heavily, and then nodded, dismissing our security guards. Once they were gone, he sank into a cushioned bench, letting his head fall into his hands. I sat next to him, sitting stiffly, unsure what to do or say.

"Maybe I should have abdicated," Liam said, his voice small, muffled by his hands.

I tugged his sleeve, forcing him to look at me, and placed a steadying hand on his cheek. "This is not your fault," I said. "You have done nothing wrong."

He stared into my eyes deeply, then I noticed his gaze flick quickly to my lips and back. I was just about to close the gap between our lips, when the car door flew open and Madeleine strode in. Liam and I jumped apart, and I stood to greet Madeleine before realizing she was on the phone.

She held a finger up to me as if to say hold on, so I did, and she finished her conversation. "Yes, you heard me," she ordered, "I want this on the front page, or else I'll personally ensure that you're demoted to covering pet parades for the rest of your journalistic career." There was a pause, then, "Perfect. Thank you," and she hung up, turning her attention to me. "Alright," she told me, "That was the last call. Every news outlet in Cordonia will be in attendance when we arrive at Applewood."

Liam stood and joined us, looking and sounding more like himself as he thanked Madeleine. "We can't personally visit every Cordonian, but this news coverage will at least let us reassure them from afar."

"And even more than that," Madeleine continued, "We have to control the story. The apple orchard was chosen specifically to undermine King Liam and the stability of the Crown."

"We have to show everyone that the orchard isn't the only symbol of the Crown's power," I said, earning a nod from Madeleine.

"I'm going to call my advisors and start planning a way to help the farmers who depend on the orchard," Liam said. "I'll leave you two to work out the details of the press conference."

With a bow, he left me alone with Madeleine, who ushered me to a table and brought out a binder from her large bag. I shook my head, thinking that Madeleine must be a sorceress to create these binders so quickly, though I soon realized that most of it was just blank paper. She got out a pen and started making a list as she spoke.

"Our priorities for the event are to establish order, and to show our enemies that we won't be intimidated," she told me. "I'm sure Liam can manage a brief statement to help accomplish that. Then, you'll end the conference on a note of hope by planting a baby apple tree. Even you can't fumble that too badly."

"Thanks," I said with a sneer.

"Now," she continued, not looking up from her binder, "I have a few final preparations to make for the press coverage. Can I trust you to find something suitable to wear? You know what, why don't you find Maxwell and Hana and have them help."

I rolled my eyes and left to find my baggage, hoping there was something in there that would do, since there wouldn't be time to stop for a shopping trip. Even though I was offended by the suggestion that I needed help dressing myself, I did run my outfit by Hana before we arrived.

"Is this too casual?" I asked. I was wearing a blue button-up blouse tucked into dark red skinny jeans.

Hana eyed me carefully, then said, "No, I think it'll be good. But maybe..." she looked through my bags and picked out some jewelry, then stepped back for a final appraisal. "Yes, there. Just the right finishing touch."

I thanked her just as we felt the train rumbling to a stop. "Just in time," I said with a smile.

As we arrived at Applewood Manor, everything looked the same as it had a few months ago when we were here last. But there was one noticeable difference - the acrid smell of smoke. I stifled a cough as I breathed in a lungful of the dirty air. As we looked up to the sky, we saw a neon orange sun through the filter of ash. I noticed Drake looking off the the left of the manor with a frown, and followed his gaze to a dense cloud of smoke behind the house.

"I'm not sure I'm ready to see the orchard like that," Maxwell said softly, looking at the haze of smoke with a deep frown.

"One way or another," Madeleine said, "We have to face it. The press is waiting." She led the way, and we followed her around the estate to the back of the manor, where the orchard should have been. She was the first to see it as we rounded the last corner, and she actually stopped in her tracks and gasped, taken aback at the destruction. She quickly shook herself back to reality and started ordering us around, but everyone else was having a hard time listening. We could only stare in awe and horror at the scene before us.

Where there had once been hundreds of full, blooming trees, now there was acre upon acre of black, charred earth. A few hollow trunks remained, and near the path, a handful of apples had rolled away to safety, but other than that, there was nothing.

"Oh my god," I whispered, because this place was too haunted to speak at full volume. I looked at Liam, who was staring, steely eyed, jaw clenched, his mouth fixed in a thin line. "Liam?" I breathed, needing to make sure he was okay.

He didn't look at me, but spoke firmly as he took my hand. "I thought I'd prepared myself to see it, but...my god, it's worse than I'd imagined." Finally, he met my gaze, and his face softened to one of worry - almost, defeat. "How can I reassure everyone that Cordonia is well-protected when I let this happen?" he asked, searching my eyes for an answer.

I didn't know the answer, but I gave him what I could. "I'll be right there with you," I said, squeezing his hand tightly.

He tucked a curl behind my ear and let his thumb linger on my cheek. "That does help," he said softly, though his smile was forced. He looked over my shoulder at the crowd of citizens and reporters that had gathered. "No time to lose," he said, dropping his hand and offering me an arm to lead me to the front of the crowd.

"Just remember," I said softly as we walked, "It's okay to show your emotions."

Calmly, Liam quieted the shouts from the crowd as we approached the hastily constructed "stage." He looked out at the orchard one last time before turning to his people with a genuinely crestfallen expression. "Citizens of Applewood," he said, "My heart is with you in this difficult time. This orchard is as dear to me as to any of you. I grew up playing among the trees which, just yesterday, stood where we stand now."

My eyes welled up. I had totally forgotten how special Applewood was to Liam. He had once told me his happiest childhood memories were of playing here with his brother. I didn't know how he was keeping it together as he continued.

"We will begin replanting the orchard immediately, and will provide for those who are out of work. Your families will not go hungry. As for those responsible for this deplorable attack, know that we will not rest until we find them and bring them to justice."

As he finished his prepared statement, there was a smattering of applause, but the crowd was still visibly tense. One of the reporters asked me if I had anything to add to his statement. I cleared my throat and nodded. I tried to ignore the fact that my voice cracked as I started speaking, wishing I could be as composed as Liam right now. "We know you're all still scared and upset, but honestly? These people have just brought the wrath of the entire country down upon them. They don't stand a chance - we will find them, and we will bring them to justice."

There were a few cheers as Liam ended the press conference, directing attention to a freshly dug hole where we were to plant the baby apple tree. Ana de Luca snapped a photo of Liam and I planting the tree for the cover of her magazine, then I addressed the crowd one last time.

"This may seem like a small gesture," I said, "But this tree symbolizes our anger and our loss becoming strength in the face of our adversaries. They can burn our orchards down, but for every tree lost, we'll plant two more. We will not give up or give in to cowards who seek power by creating fear."

As the crowds dispersed after the press conference, I could feel adrenaline fading, and realized how worked up I had really been. I sighed and held onto Liam for support as Madeleine approached.

"Well," she told me, "You didn't come off as completely incompetent, so...well done, I suppose."

I ignored the half-compliment and asked her what was next. "Back to the train?"

She shook her head. "If you're only here at Applewood for an hour, it will give the impression that you don't think it's as safe as you say. We'll stay the night at the manor, and we'll rejoin with the rest of the court at Kiara's estate tomorrow."

"So you're saying we have the rest of the day free?" This was from Maxwell, who strode casually up to us as Madeleine was speaking. Behind him were Hana and Drake.

"Yes," Madeleine said with a hint of annoyance, "But remember, many eyes are still on you. Be mindful."

I gave Madeleine a silly salute, to which she rolled her eyes, and then our group began making our way back towards the manor. At the edge of the orchard, a dejected looking boy and girl were crouched, running their fingers through the dirt. A soccer ball sat by their feet.

"It's not fair," I heard the girl say.

"What are we supposed to do now?" The boy asked her. "Everyone bailed."

The girl shot him a glare. "There's no point crying about it. Don't be such a baby."

"I'm not a baby!"

As they began bickering, I drifted away from my group and headed towards the kids. "Excuse me," I said, clearing my throat when I drew near to them.

The girl looked up, her jaw dropping as she saw my face. She jumped upright and pulled on the little boy's shirt so he did the same. "Jiro, look! It's Duchess Riley!"

The little boy looked at me with a terrified expression. "Camellia..." he whispered to his friend, "Say something."

I chuckled and crouched down so I was eye-level with the kids. "I don't bite, I promise."

"L-lady Riley," Camellia stuttered, "We're big fans of yours."

"Welcome to the fanclub." I turned to see who was speaking and saw Maxwell right behind me, smiling. The rest of the group was not far off. I shook my head and turned my attention back to the kids.

"I'm honored," I told Camellia, "But, I couldn't help but notice you looking kind of down. Can I ask what's wrong?"

"Oh, it's nothing," Camellia said, hands clasped behind her back, twirling in place a little. "Don't worry about us."

"You're my fellow Cordonians, of course I worry about you."

"It's the orchard," the little boy - Jiro - said. "Us and some of the other kids would come here to play soccer together. But, now the orchard's gone, and nobody wants to join us."

"That's rough," Maxwell said, and I nodded in agreement.

"What if we play with you instead?" I asked.

Jiro's eyebrows shot straight up. "Really?"

"Yeah!" I said, looking over at my group of friends. Liam, Hana, Drake, and Maxwell all nodded their agreement. "The best thing we can do right now is show these bad guys that they can't stop us. That means continuing to do little things, like playing together."

"But," Camellia said, looking around, "Can we still play here? We don't have any goalposts."

Liam offered to open up the Manor courtyard for the game, which seemed like a dream come true to the two little ones. They gaped at the elaborate landscaping as we walked around to the front of the manor and set up boundaries and goals for the game. By the time we were ready to pick teams, any trace of nerves had vanished from the kids. They argued about who would get to have me on their team, so I suggested we all three be on a team.

"But we need one more," Camellia said, "Who should we pick?"

I looked carefully at my four friends, studying them with exaggerated intensity. "Well," I said, "Hana's good at everything, so she's probably a safe choice."

"Who's the worst?" Jiro wanted to know.

I laughed and eyed the group again. "I'd say Drake."

"Hey!" he cried.

"Sorry, but a grumpy loner doesn't make a good teammate. Plus, he just got shot, so he's at a disadvantage."

Drake grumbled, while I laughed.

In the end, the kids decided Liam should be our fourth, and we started playing. After the gravity of the press conference, it felt good to relax and laugh, playing up the competition and helping the kids score goals. In fact, I was having such a good time, I didn't even notice the gathering crowd until our game ended and they broke out in applause.

To the side, Mara nodded at me, letting me know she was in control of the situation, and so I smiled and waved at the crowd, encouraging Camellia and Jiro to do the same.

"Is this what it's like to be Riley?" Jiro asked Camellia.

"I wish people clapped for me all the time," she answered.

As we said goodbye to the kids, Liam told them that he was going to keep the courtyard open for them to play while the orchard was being replanted.

"Everyone's going to want to play with us now!" Jiro said excitedly, "Let's go tell the others!"

I snagged a hug from each kid before they went racing off, and the crowd started slowly dispersing as my friends and I grabbed some water to rehydrate and rest up.

Once the public was gone, Madeleine approached, giving me a slow clap. "I must admit," she said, "Playing with the kids in front of everyone, that was a shrewd ploy. My advice must be rubbing off on you."

It took me a minute to realize what she was talking about, but when it dawned on me, I told her, "Madeleine, not everything's done with an ulterior motive."

"Please," she scoffed. "People give because they want to receive. It's a delusion to think otherwise."

"Well, I continue to think otherwise."

She shook her head as she walked off again, calling over her shoulder, "Be thankful you have me around to cover for your blindness."

I let myself fall backwards into the grass, staring up at the gray sky. "That was a terrible idea," I said aloud. "As if I wasn't sore enough from polo yesterday, after an hour of soccer, I don't think I'll ever move again."

"Not to mention the sweat," Hana said, dabbing at her face with a handkerchief. "I feel like such a mess." I rolled my head to the side to look at her, and stuck out my tongue. She had approximately two hairs out of place, and her face was lightly tinted with a blush of exertion, but otherwise you would never know she had been playing sports.

"Hey!" Maxwell said, jumping up suddenly. "Remember that amazing spa we went to after raising the barn?"

"Oh, that was a really nice place," Hana said, "I'd love to go back!"

"As would I," Liam said, giving me a sidelong grin.

"You may have to carry me there," I said, "But I'm definitely in."

As I stepped out of the changing room at the spa, I looked around the room - the same exact room we had been in last time - and smiled. "It feels like a lifetime ago we were here," I said, reaching a hand out to Liam, who pulled me close.

"Ah, yes," Maxwell said, dangling his feet in the pool. "Back in those days, the pools were filled with water. Now they're filled with...different water."

"Ooh, and look," Hana said, grabbing a bottle that had been left out for us. "We must be very special visitors." She opened the bottle, pouring glasses for each of us. As we all settled in, I took a sip of my drink, savoring the crisp apple cider.

"Oh," Liam said, realizing at the same time as me that it was cider, rather than champagne. "It must be made from..." his voice trailed off. "From the orchard," he finished quietly.

Maxwell shook his head with a frown. "I still can't believe that it's gone."

"I can't even imagine what this must feel like for you guys," I said sadly. "I know how important the orchard is, but it's still hard for me to grasp just how much it meant to everyone."

Drake gave a joyless snort of laughter. "Honestly," he said, "I've lived here most of my life and I'm still a little puzzled by it."

I was sitting in a lounge chair, and Liam moved closer to me, so I moved to let him sit, repositioning myself on his lap. He wrapped his arms around me and held me close as he explained, "The obsession with apples can be a bit much at times, but it's a point of national pride. Cordonia is a small kingdom. We're not the biggest, or the strongest, or the most wealthy..."

"But damned if we can't make a good apple!" Maxwell finished, holding his glass up like he was making a toast.

I smiled, but my face fell as I turned back to Liam. He was looking down, his face serious. "That orchard had been there for a hundred years," he said. "Even if we replant, it'll take a long time for the trees to mature." He looked at me, staring silently into my eyes. I had gotten to know Liam well enough to venture a guess at what he was thinking. Our kids would never have the same summer memories that he had with his brother. I leaned in and gave him a gentle kiss, knowing there was nothing I could say to make things better.

I nestled my head against his chest as our friends continued talking, first about the orchard, then about less serious topics. After a while of sitting in silence, Liam shifted, causing me to look up at him. He leaned in and whispered in my ear, "You know, there's a private sauna just down the hall."

"And you're suggesting we go explore its exfoliating steaminess?" I asked with a grin.

"I'm suggesting it's been a long day with people and not enough time for us."

I bit my lip as I stood, letting Liam lead the way. "We're uh," I said to our friends, "Gonna go...sauna."

Liam stifled a laugh as we rounded the corner. "Smooth," he teased.

As we entered the sauna, Liam locked the door behind us. There were wooden benches along one wall - three levels, like a giant set of stairs. Liam stepped up to the second level and sank onto the warm wooden bench, gesturing for me to sit next to him. We relaxed in silence for a minute, relishing the feel of the steam against our skin.

I watched Liam for a while. His eyes were closed, head back, leaning against the wall. His face looked peaceful; at least, more peaceful than I had seen it all day. I was still watching him when he opened his eyes and caught me staring. He gave me a teasing smile and cocked an eyebrow. "What's going on in that head of yours?" he asked.

"I was thinking about the last time we were here."

"Back when I was on an unwilling engagement tour with Madeleine and we were trying to uncover the plot against you?"

I nodded.

"It's hard to believe it wasn't that long ago," he said, taking my hand and bringing it to his lips.

I sighed, leaning closer to him. "Yet it feels like we've been together forever."

"I can hardly imagine my life without you. Somehow, it feels natural to have found you in New York, during my bachelor party of all things. You're nothing if not surprising." He was tracing his thumb in circles on the back of my hand, staring at my engagement ring. "Then sneaking glances at you during the social season, always hoping you'd win each challenge, so I could pick you. And even when I was engaged to Madeleine..." He looked me in the eyes, bringing his hand to cup my cheek. "I never gave up hope for our love. I always hoped...I always believed that in the end, we would get our happily ever after. And now, it seems we just might."

I shook my head softly. "It's been, what a year, since we met in New York? I can't believe how much we've been through together in so short a time."

"We have faced our share of challenges. But, I like who I am when I'm with you. Even when things get really tough, I'm a better version of myself."

"I happen to think you were pretty great to begin with." We paused a moment, staring into each other's eyes. Finally, I said, "It's moments like this that keep us going."

"Especially after a day like this," he agreed. "I just want to be here with you."

I backed away from Liam's embrace. While he watched, I stepped to the highest level of the wooden benches. I sat behind him, one leg on either side, and made him turn back around so I could massage his shoulders.

"Feeling generous?" he asked as he relaxed into my touch.

"Maybe," I said, kneading the knots in his back with the heel of my palm.

"Ahh," he groaned. "You're rather good at this."

"What can I say? I like taking care of you."

After a few more minutes of massaging up and down Liam's back and across his shoulders, I heard him laugh.

"What's so funny?" I asked.

"Thinking about the last time we were here," he said. "Reminded me that, when I first saw you in a towel, my jaw dropped." I chuckled, and Liam turned in his seat, staring up at me while he placed a hand gently on my knee. "It's utter madness how entirely and completely I find myself in love with you, Lady Riley."

I felt my skin heat up, not just from the steamy sauna. "If it makes you feel better," I told him, "I couldn't get the image of you in a towel out of my mind for...well, never actually." I looked down the length of his body, from his bare chest, to the towel covering his waist, and back up to meet his gaze. "You're too amazing to forget."

Liam kissed my knee, then glanced up at me with a questioning smile. "I'm pretty sure we don't need these towels in here," I said in answer. He tugged on my towel and it slipped open, exposing my naked body to the warm steamy air. Liam continued kissing up my thigh, and then higher.

"Ahh," I gasped, letting my head fall back and my eyes close as I let him work magic with his tongue. "Liam," I panted, "Come here."

I tugged gently on Liam's hair, and he scooped me up, depositing me in his lap. I laughed and undid his towel so I could straddle him properly.

As we moved fervently together, I could hear the sound of our friend's voices in the hallway outside. My eyes widened, and Liam grinned at me. He gripped my hips and increased our tempo, trying to get me to betray us with a moan. I leaned in and buried my head in his shoulder, trying to keep control even as I neared the edge. After a few seconds, the voices faded away back down the hallway, and I let out a long, loud groan.

"You play dirty," I panted, but Liam only kissed me in response as we continued making love.

"Well, this was by far my favorite visit to the spa," Liam said as we cuddled together, after. I laughed into his chest. It was nice hearing him relaxed and happy, especially after the terrible day we had had.

"I think our friends might have abandoned us here," I said.

"I don't think I care."

I gave him a quick kiss, then sat up and tied my towel around myself once more. "Come on," I said, throwing Liam his towel. "We've got a kingdom to save, we'd better get back to Applewood and get some sleep."