"I cannot believe the Prince asked you to promenade with him," declared Violet Bridgerton as she walked along the river bank, her arm looped around Diana's. "Well, I can... considering how he looked at you yesterday evening, but still."

Diana chuckled at her mother's excitement. Whilst she did not admit it, she too was delighted at the prospect.

"Viscountess Bridgerton," declared the Prince, announcing his arrival. "You look as lovely as ever," he complimented her.

Violet chuckled and flickered her gaze between the pair.

"Miss Bridgerton, I trust you are enjoying being back in London?" Latching his gaze onto the girl in question Friedrich had to discreetly catch his breath, having briefly lost it at her radiance that morning.

"Very much! And you?"

Violet found herself slowly moving away from the pair and was joined by an almost omniscient Lady Danbury.

"I'm so glad they're back on the marital track again. I've never seen a pair quite so soppy for each other," remarked the woman.

"You mustn't be too loud, I'm determined that nothing will get in the way of their happiness this time," replied the Viscountess before they swiftly departed the scene leaving the pair to themselves.

"I- I- er... well. I heard a gentleman called upon you - er - this morning," remarked Friedrich, cursing himself at his stuttering. He had rehearsed this at least three dozen times this morning and yet still couldn't manage to speak clearly.

"Yes, a Mr Fairfax. Very handsome. Very wealthy. Heir to a rather large estate I do believe."

"Is- is that so?" Question the Prince, a hint of his playful demeanour returning.

"Indeed."

"And - erm - is he a Prince?"

Diana burst out laughing at his complete lack of subtlety. If she were not wiser she might have thought him to be flirting with her.

"No, sadly he is not," she replied through her giggles.

They then fell into silence and, although it was comfortable, Friedrich could not help but curse himself at his inability to speak.

She was only a girl.

'But she is so much more than that,' he thought.

"What happened between you and my brother?" Diana broke their silence, as she found herself unable to hold in the question any longer.

The Prince suddenly stopped walking, perturbed by the question. He took a moment to collect together his words, determined to speak a coherent sentence in explanation.

"The viscount is a loyal man, and an excellent brother," he started, "in truth, he did not much appreciate my treatment of you in the days prior to your departure. He does not think I deserve the honour of courting you, and I think perhaps that he is right."

Temporarily ignoring the fact that the man she had an extraordinarily large crush on had just declared a desire to court her, Diana frowned at his words.

"But you're a Prince," she stated obviously.

"And you're a goddess," he whispered lowly so that she would not hear.

"Pardon?"

"I said that your brother is very stubborn," he replied nonchalantly with a grin.

Diana chuckled at his response, almost certain that that had not been his initial words.

"I can certainly agree with that. But please tell me, what on earth did you do to make him despise you so?"

"Oh, so it is my fault?" Friedrich asked flirtatiously with a smile.

"Yes," she replied decisively.

Before he spoke, Friedrich led her to a bench beside the river and gestured for her to sit down before he joined her, sitting a little closer than her than what the ton might deem respectable.

"You deserve nothing less than the truth, so I will give you it - no matter what you may think of me afterwards."

Diana felt a little unnerved by this opening but nonetheless gave him leave to continue.

"You already know that, when I approached your Queen, I was told it would be in everyone's best interests that I court your sister."

She cringed at that, it felt like a slap in the face. A reminder that she was not and never would be good enough for him.

"I made the mistake of accepting this dictum, because I always knew that I would not have a choice in love. I have your sister that necklace and promenades with her more than once. I allowed news to spread through London of there being an understanding between us."

Here, he broke off and stared down at the grass in front of them, guilt plastered across his expression.

Looking closer, Diana thought she saw a film of water glazing his eyes.

"Your sister became engaged to the Duke of Hastings not long after and I will not conceal my happiness at hearing the news. Believing myself to be free of whatever may have been between us, I departed England in search of - in search of you."

He grabbed her hands in his and held them tightly, as if he feared she might be lost once again should he not hold her close.

"The night that I left your brother paid me a visit. He reminded me that you should never be treated as a second option. He reminded me that I had long since lost any chance of being worthy of you. He reminded me of the one thing that I did not wish to be reminded of-"

There was a pause as the Prince struggled to say the words, they seemed stuck to his tongue.

"That you did not love me."

He glanced at her.

"The viscount reminded me that you did not love me anymore. I think he was blinded by anger, but he told me not to step within ten miles of you. In response I told him that I was setting off to the continent to tell you the truth. He was not particularly happy with that comment."

Diana giggled at his last sentence, although it came out as more of a strangled sob.

"I am so sorry," Friedrich whispered. "I wish I had never listened to them."

The Bridgerton's lip trembled slightly as she took in everything he had said. Good Lord, he had practically proposed to her!

"What happens now?"

Friedrich glanced down at her with such a look of absolute adoration that Diana Bridgerton quite honestly thought she might melt.

It wasn't lust. He looked at her with love.

In response to her question the Prince leaned over the side of the bench and plucked a stray daisy from the grass.

Without a word, he shifted towards her and wove the Daisy into her hair, keeping his hands there a little longer than strictly necessary.

"Now?" He asked her, his face inches away from her's. "Now I am going to court you. I am going to send you every variety of flowers that England has to offer. I am going to surprize you ever day with a new book - and it will be old and worn and will smell of parchment, just how you prefer them to be. And I will write you poetry and perform it on every stage in London and you - you will fall desperately in love with me."

She grinned at him, and his face mirrored hers exactly.

"How does that sound?" Asked the Prince, edging his lips closer to hers.

Diana had never felt such a swirl - no a tempest - of emotions in her life.

She leant in closer and whispered so silently that he nearly missed it.

"I have an affinity for anything Shakespeare, and white roses are my absolute favourite."

Friedrich sighed and laughed darkly.

"I am so in love with you."