"Change is hard at first, Messy in the middle and gorgeous at the end".
-Robin Sharma
"So how are you feeling after this afternoon any regrets?" Diego ask me
"None", I say truthfully.
"I'm so glad you're here I have the next three weeks free so I'm all yours".
"I would love to go to the beach while I'm here".
"We can do that a friend of mine has a beach house on private land we will be guaranteed privacy while there".
"Sounds good, I would love a sight seeing tour but that's not possible is it without the press finding out about us?"
"I'm sorry unless we do it at night I can't see how it can be done. A year from now I promise to take you sightseeing properly".
"It's a date and there's still fun things for us to do while I'm here and friends for me to make".
"I'm really sorry about the tour Vic".
I touches his arm. "It's okay I get it Diego it's only been five month and it's too soon to tell the media about me".
That night dinner was lovely it was just me and Diego's family. His father was such a funny and sarcastic person.
"I have engagements to do while you're here but luckily nothing overseas."
"That's great Lelia I can't wait to meet some of both yours and Diego's friends".
"They're looking forward to meeting you too. Of course the party mummy is throwing for you will be fun. Some of our friends are coming".
After dinner we all went to the music room, I walk towards the piano.
"You play?" Ask the queen.
"I do".
I sit on the bench and start playing Gershwin Rhapsody In Blue. It was my favourite piece of his to listen to and play for the piano. As my hands glide over the keys on the piano I became lost in the beauty of the piece. I finish playing the piece to rapturous applause.
"My dear that was beautiful you could be a concert pianist", says Camille looking thoroughly impressed.
"Thank you your majesty".
Diego looks very proud as he stares at me, "Darling that was marvellous".
"Thank you".
Not long after Diego and I retired to our room.
"Next week I'm taking you to the beach and we're going to stay at my friend Matteo's summerhouse. I arranged it earlier today".
"I can't wait to go and tomorrow I'm going to be spending a lot of time in the kitchen cooking. The pasta sauce will take hours to make".
"You still haven't told me what you're cooking yet".
"It's a surprise".
The next day I leave Diego sleeping while I have a shower and did my usual bathroom routine. Since I would be cooking most of the morning I chose to wear sweats. I make my way down to the kitchen and greet everyone.
I gather all the ingredients to make a traditional pasta sauce. Then ask the chefs to prep the ingredients for me. While I made different types of bread. Including a traditional Sardinia bread from a recipe I found online.
While the dough was proofing I started on the pasta sauce. While it was simmering I got the lamb out and started trimming the fat off. I added seasoning to it and left it in the fridge to marinade. I politely ask one of the chefs to bring me a glass of ice tea. While I deveined the shrimp and sort the lobster and other seafood out. Lelia comes in the room while I'm rinsing the seafood.
"Damn girl you really know your way around a kitchen".
When I raise my head to look at her I see all the chefs looking at me with admiration.
"So don't get mad at me but while you were playing the piano last night I recorded it. I thought you may like some music while you cook".
"Ok play it".
She presses play and washes her hand then ask me what she can do to help. I told her she could wash the salad ingredients then chop them up. She began helping me as classical music fills the kitchen.
"Diego tells me your mother loves paella so I'm getting the ingredients ready to make it later".
"Mummy will love that Vic that's very considerate of you".
"Your mum is lovely she has become like a second mother to me. It's an honour to cook her favourite meal for her".
It took us till 1p.m to get the majority of the meal cook that could be reheated later. I go up to Diego's and my room and have another shower.
I change into a red skater dress and add nude wedges to my outfit. Then went in search of Diego, I found him and his mother in deep conversation.
"Sorry I'm interrupting I can come back".
"No it's fine", says the queen.
That night everyone enjoyed the meal and later in the week when I met all of Diego's friends we all got on really well.
As I pack to leave I can say I enjoyed every bit of my Sardinian adventure. From the walk on the private beach to meeting Diego's wider family and friends. When I arrive back in Denmark I was excited to start doing my engagements again. I also had a meeting with the king he wanted to know if I enjoyed my visit and did I see the relationship with Diego getting serious.
I told him I enjoyed my time with Diego's family I just wished I could go to public places with him.
"You have to realise he's the next ruler of his country. Any women he's seen with starts the rumour mill asking is she the one. He needs to be very sure you're his forever unfortunately your past is there for all to see and have an opinion on. He's going to get a lot of stick for dating someone with a past drug habit. I'm not saying that to be mean Victoria and the good news is. I think he will fight for you. He needs time to show the world he made the right choice in you. A queen with a past is not unheard of we all have one. You need to rehabilitate your public image even more. The new charity you're setting up for victims of domestic abuse will help. He needs to show his people and the world a changed Princess Victoria".
My uncle was right so that's what I did because Diego was worth it. I started to show the world the real me on engagements. I joked and laughed and muck in with people on engagements as well. Whether it was tree planting or other activities. The newspapers headlines were very favourable towards me now including the newspapers that were my worse critics. When I officially open my new charity for children of domestic abuse the press couldn't praise me enough. I was no longer the wild child princess but a woman who had learnt and grown from her experiences.
Around this time my mother started sending me things at the palace, gifts, letters. In which she told me everything I have is because of her. I read the first letter thinking it was an apology letter I was so very wrong . I told the post people to destroy whatever she sends me from that day forward.
Eighteen months into our relationship Diego and I got engaged. He proposed to me at the cottage we first met. All my family except my mother throw us a surprise engagement party. Diego had to ask my father's permission and he spoke to my siblings telling them he would take care of me. As Antonio was his best friend he along with Debbie knew he would propose to me. Now I know why she was so insistent on me having a pampering session before I met Diego at the cottage. My uncle as the king had to know about the engagement before me as well. The engagement party really made me happy because my last memory of anything to do with a wedding or engagement was so unhappy.
Diego and I had to have photos taken and we did an interview that was release to the press. The thing that I look back on the most when I look at my courtship with Diego. Is our friends didn't say anything to the press. I never had true friends before. You know people who liked me for me not what they can get from me. It took me a while to trust them and if I'm being honest. There were times I expected them to betray me but they didn't.
l've now seen the definition of what good friends should be like not that we didn't have disagreements. It sounds silly but I learnt how to discuss issues. I have argued with another person in my friendship group like an adult for the first time in my life.
The need to say I'm wrong to another person was something I learnt was integral for a friendship to grow and continue.