After his meeting with the Crown Prince of the British Empire, Poul returned to his suite and flung himself onto the bed. As he stared blankly at the ceiling, his mind raced with thoughts of the prince's true motives for calling the meeting. Though the official reason given was to reconcile past misunderstandings, Poul couldn't shake off the feeling that there was more to it than that.
The Crown Prince's intense gaze had hinted at deeper scrutiny, one that Poul could ill afford to ignore. To avoid arousing any further suspicion, he decided to cut off all contact with Penelope, his heart heavy with longing.
In the weeks that followed, Poul went about his business as usual, but with a newfound sense of caution. He was certain that the Crown Prince was keeping an eye on him, and he couldn't risk giving him any reason to suspect him further.