Lola watched as Doug left, his shoulders straight and his head held high. She took a deep breath, steeling herself for whatever lay ahead. The king's words echoed in her mind as she turned back to face him. "I'm ready to learn," she said firmly, her voice steady despite the nervousness bubbling up inside her.

The rest of the day passed in a blur of lessons and discussions. Lola learned about diplomacy, strategy, and the intricacies of ruling a kingdom. But the most common subject of her lessons were on the workings of presentation and etiquette.

As the sun set, Lola entered the grand dining hall alongside the king, making her way to the seat next to him at the head table. She smoothed her gown one last time, trying to ignore the butterflies in her stomach. Doug was already seated, looking devastatingly handsome in his formal attire.

"Good evening, daughter-in-law," the king said, his expression stern yet approving. "I trust your first day of instruction has been enlightening?"

Lola nodded, smiling politely. "Indeed, Your Majesty. I have much to absorb, but I am eager to learn."

Lola pulled away slightly, her breath coming in ragged gasps as she tried to regain control of herself. "Yes," she managed to say finally, her voice barely a whisper. "We should." She took a step back, straightening her cloak and smoothing down her dress before turning to walk toward the door leading out of Doug's chamber.

As they walked side by side toward the throne room, Lola couldn't help but glance at Doug out of the corner of her eye. He looked so handsome in his royal attire...

She glanced over at Doug as he asked the question, a small smile tugging at the corners of her mouth. "Why did I say yes?" she repeated, considering his words carefully. "Well... because you're kind and brave, and you make me laugh... but mostly because when I looked into your eyes, I saw someone who was as lonely as I am."

He glanced away uncomfortably at that, and she reached out to take his hand in hers. "But now we have each other," she continued softly, "

Lola's heart skipped a beat as Doug took her hand in his. The touch sent a shiver through her, making the air between them crackle with an electricity that was almost palpable. "You... you think so?" she asked, her voice barely above a whisper.

"I know so." He smiled gently down at her before leading her over to the bed, sitting down on its edge and pulling her onto his lap. She fit perfectly against him, their bodies pressed tightly together from chest to thigh. "

Lola felt herself melting into Doug's embrace, feeling more alive than she ever had before. This was it... this was what she had been waiting for all along. She wrapped her arms around him, holding him close as if she never wanted to let go. And yet, even as they sat there together, she couldn't shake off the sense of responsibility that had come with being part of the royal family. There would be expectations, rules and protocols... things that she knew little about.

Lola stiffened in his embrace at first, unsure if she should trust this stranger enough to accept comfort. But as the warmth of his arms and the steady beat of his heart against her skin registered through the haze of fear and grief, something inside her began to uncoil. Slowly, she relaxed into Doug's embrace, sobbing brokenly onto his shoulder as she finally let go of the pain and anger that had been weighing her down for so long.

"

"O-okay... What is it?" Lola sniffled, wiping her nose on her sleeve before looking up at Doug with curious, tear-stained eyes. She held her breath, wondering what sort of secret this mysterious man could possibly share with her.