-Josie-

Kaden takes my hand as we step out of the plane and walk across the runway to the waiting car and the leiu of guards. One of them holds the backdoor open for me and Kaden lets go of my hand so that he can get in from the other side.

The drive to the palace takes us through markets and streets that Shannon and I often roamed before my engagement to Kaden and now as an official member of the royal family, I'm sure I won't get an opportunity to step out with my friends alone.

I look to my side to find Kaden already watching me. Just his gaze makes my cheeks feel warm. We may have spent the last two weeks honeymooning on a remote island that we had all to ourselves, but I'll never get enough of him.

There is a maid waiting by the door to take my coat. I shrug out of it and hand it to her before asking Kaden, "Should we go meet your parents?"

"Let's check the Women's Room." He says and holds his hand out to me which I take.

I'm about to push open the Women's Room door when someone runs squealing down the hall and wraps her little arms around one of Kaden's legs.

"Hello Kerttu." He smiles at her as he kneels down in front of her and pulls her into a hug.

"Hello Uncle Kaden." She mumbles into his shoulder before turning to me, "Hello Aunty Josie."

My heart melts at the words. We left for our honeymoon only a few days after the whirlwind of wedding festivities calmed down and I never really got a chance to have a conversation with Kerttu.

"Hi." I smile at her as I bend down and give her a hug.

"You naughty child!" I hear someone bellow. I look behind me to find Kerttu's nanny hurrying down the hallway. She stops in her tracks when she sees Kaden and me and curtsies, "Your highness, I'm under strict orders from the Queen to put the princess to bed for her afternoon nap."

"Go on, Kerttu." Kaden says, looking down at his niece. Our niece.

"No!" She wails and holds on tighter to Kaden's leg.

"What is all this commotion?" I hear Lady America ask as she steps out of the Women's Room but her eyes widen when she takes in the scene, "You two are back!"

"Hi mom." Kaden says, hugging her.

"Josie." She holds out her arms to me and I step into her motherly embrace.

"Your mother has been pestering me with questions about where you two were so that she could call and check on you. I barely managed to keep her distracted." We all laugh at this, "You should go see her."

I nod, "I'll go find her."

I leave Kaden to negotiate a deal with Kerttu about her nap while Miss America returns to the Women's Room since she has holding a meeting there.

I make my way to the third floor and head for mom's room. I knock on her door and when I hear a 'come in' I walk inside.

"Josie!" Mom exclaims, when she sees me and in a flash she's out of the armchair.

"Hey." I whisper as she hugs me.

"When did you get back?" She asks, holding me at arm's length.

"Just now. Lady America told me to come see you." I relay the conversation from earlier to her.

Mom shakes her head as she sits back down in the armchair and I perch on the sofa next to her chair.

"America is definitely exaggerating my insistence on knowing where you were." Mom's eye roll reminds me of just how much her friendship with Lady America means to her. "But it was strange not having either of my children around."

I reach out and a place a hand over hers'. "I'm back now."

"I am glad!" She smiles and then asks, "It's almost time for lunch. Do you need to change before heading downstairs?"

"I was thinking of freshening up." I admit.

"Hurry along then." Mom pats my hand and picks up the file she was reading when I walked in.

I leave mom's room and head for my own. Kaden's is right next to mine and we didn't get to work out an arrangement before the honeymoon. We were so exhausted from the wedding festivities that we just slept in our own rooms the few nights that we were here after the wedding.

When I push my door open, I'm surprised to find a maid inside, changing the bed sheet.

"Your highness." She falls into a curtsy.

"Hi." I say as she rises.

"I'm Amarna, your highness. Your maid." She introduces herself.

"Nice to meet you Amarna. And you can just call me Josie." I tell her as she bows her head in acknowledgement.

I didn't have a maid before my wedding but since I'm a royal now, I get more of the lifestyle that the royal family, my new family lives. Amarna is swift with her work and in record time she has touched up my makeup and hair.

It's during this time that I notice a new addition to my room. A door has been added to the wall which separates my room from my husband's. This brings a smile to my face but I don't comment about it to Amarna.

A knock sounds on that door just as I'm slipping on my heels again. Amarna answers the door to reveal Kaden. He's standing with his hands in his pants' pockets, back in a suit, the polo shirt he was wearing earlier nowhere in sight.

"You're excused Amarna." I tell and she hurriedly curtsies before leaving.

"I'm sorry about this door, I should've asked you before having it put in." Kaden says, leaning against the door frame, half in my room and half in his.

I walk over to him and grip the collar of his shirt as I kiss him, "All the same I'm glad you had it done."