Race for the Throne | Formula One

24. Monza

Once back in Monaco my royal duties kept me very occupied. From interviews to just general appearances, my days were filled and I barely had a moment to text Charles. He was also busy as the teams buckled down for the second half of the season.

I was equally happy and disappointed when I saw the news that Max had won Zandvoort. I always loved it when someone won their home race, however the win put him ahead of Charles in points. The next race was Monza, which I had cleared my schedule for. I had an obligation to attend to in Italy, which made it easier.

I wanted to apologize to the Italian president for running off from the gala, I know I didn't have to as my father had already spoken to him but I wanted to do it personally as well. My meeting with the president was scheduled for Saturday night which allowed Sunday to be fully dedicated to the race.

When I arrived at the home of the Italian president, I cracked my knuckles nervously. I hadn't really thought through what I was going to say other than I'm sorry. The door was opened by a butler who showed me to the study.

The president greeted me. "Princess Kathrine, it is always good to see you."

"Thank you sir," I replied with a smile.

"I know you're here to apologize but it is not necessary. Your father already explained that you received very bad news at the gala and felt the need to get away from everything for a bit."

I made a silent note to thank my father for coming up with that story.

"I know, but I really wanted to apologize in person. Bad news or not, I should have handled it better and not run off until after the gala," I ended with a laugh.

He chuckled. "You're young, these are all things learned through trial and error which is what it seems you're learning now. It is the mark of a leader to be able to understand and accept your failures without letting them define you."

I smiled at his words. "Thank you sir, that means a lot to me."

"Now tell me what you think of Ferrari this year?"

I laughed as we proceeded to discuss formula 1 for a little before I had to leave to return to the hotel.

I was staying in the same hotel as some of the drivers, I hadn't told Charles when I was coming because I wanted to surprise him. Arriving at the hotel in the evening, I checked in. However, instead of heading to my room, I located his and knocked.

At first no one answered and I figured he had already fallen asleep since the race was the next day. A shuffling on the other side of the door alerted me that he was awake.

"Who is it?" his voice was thick with sleep.

I had definitely woken him up.

"Housekeeping," I replied.

The door opened a crack.

He rubbed the sleep from his eyes, hair sticking out all over the place. "Kat?"

"Surprise!"

He opened the door enough to grab my wrist and pull me inside. Wrapping his arms around me, he buried his face in my neck.

"Let's get you back to bed, sleepyhead." I rubbed his back.

His response was muffled but I assumed he agreed. I walked with him back to the bed, his face still pressed to my neck. Once he was back in bed, I grabbed one of his t-shirts and changed into it. Disappearing into the bathroom, I removed my make-up and got ready for bed. I smiled as I got under the covers and cuddled up against him. Still mostly asleep, he wrapped his arm around me and pressed kisses against my shoulder before burying his face in my hair.