Reluctantly Royal

by Nichole Chase

  The mess in the hallway had been cleaned up and the door shut. I climbed the stairs quickly and went straight to Marty’s room. Charles was standing just outside the door, his arms crossed and his face neutral.

  Marty was sitting on his bed with a backpack while his mother shoved clothes into a small suitcase shaped like a car.

  “Can I help?” I stopped in the doorway.

  “I think you’ve helped enough for today.” Meredith looked up at me and blew some of the hair out of her face.

  “Have you packed?” I looked around the room wondering what else the kid might need. “Did you get his toothbrush?”

  “His toothbrush?” She looked at me like I was crazy. “No. I haven’t gotten his toothbrush yet.”

  “I’ll get it.” I ducked into the boy’s bathroom and found the toothbrush. I handed it to her and she tucked it into the front pocket before standing up.

  “I’m going to change and pack.” She ran her fingers through her hair. “Can you stay here with Marty?”

  “Of course.”

  “I’ll hurry.” She took off down the hallway with quick steps, her hair floating behind her.

  I met Charles’s eyes and jerked my head in her direction. He nodded once before moving down the hall toward her door.

  “Why are we leaving?” Marty looked at me with sleepy eyes.

  “What did your mom say?” I cleared my throat.

  “Just that we were going to go stay with you.” He rubbed at one eye. “She looked mad.”

  “Yeah, she’s a little angry with me.” I sat down next to him.

  “What’d you do?” He looked up at me with big eyes.

  “That’s a long story.” I sighed.

  “Do you have a pond at your house?”

  “We have a lake.” I smiled when he grinned.

  “A big lake or a little lake?” He narrowed his eyes. “Are there fish?”

  “It’s pretty big and I hear the fishing is great.” I bumped his arm with mine. “Maybe you’ll have time to go down there.”

  “Awesome.”

  “Brought you some food for the ride.” I handed him the bag of pastries.

  “Thanks.” He took the bag and smashed it into his backpack.

  Neither of us said anything else, just sat there in a comfortable silence while we waited on his mother. When she finally showed back up, she’d changed into a pair of jeans, boots, and sweater. Her hair hung around her face and while she looked annoyed, she couldn’t be any more beautiful.

  “Ready?” I stood up and helped Marty off the bed.

  “Yep!” He hitched his straps up higher on his shoulders.

  I looked back over at Meredith and tried to not frown. Knowing she was angry with me was like a kick to the balls. But I wouldn’t change my mind. I couldn’t.

  “As ready as I’m going to be.” She turned and held out her hand. “C’mon, Marty.”

  I sighed as I followed them down the stairs. How the hell had I gotten involved in all of this? And why the hell couldn’t I seem to leave it alone?

  “If you leave with him, don’t bother coming back!” her father hollered from the sitting room door. “I’m not going to take care of you if you go get yourself knocked up again. We don’t need any more bastards running around.”

  Meredith tensed but tucked Marty’s head against her side and kept walking. I, on the other hand, stopped dead in my tracks and looked at the man.

  “Do not speak to them again.” I said the words quietly.

  “I’ll say what I want to my daughter and her bastard—”

  I moved without thinking, covering the distance between us in the space of a heartbeat.

  “Max!” Meredith’s worried voice snaked through my fury-riddled brain.

  I stared at Arthur and took another step forward so that there was barely any space between our noses. The thick smell of alcohol on his breath made me wrinkle my nose.

  “Please, Max.” Meredith’s small hand touched my shoulder.

  “We will be back for the reading of the will.” I didn’t want him to think that he had banned Meredith from her home. You should always be able to go home.

  Meredith grabbed my hand and tugged me backward. I let her lead me out of the house, her hand shaking in mine as we put distance between us and her father.

  My SUV and Charles’s car stood idling in the curved driveway. Marty was standing at the door where Meredith must have left him his little face covered in fear, and I felt like I had been kicked in the gut. Had I done that? Had I made him scared?

  Meredith grabbed Marty’s hand with her free one and let me lead them to my car. I watched as she buckled Marty into the backseat and pulled out a coloring book and crayons for him. I opened her door before going around to the other side to drive.

  “All ready?” I looked in my rearview mirror at Marty. He nodded his head, and some of the fear had started to fade away. I looked over at Meredith and she jerked her head once.

  As we drove to D’Lynsal no one talked. I tried the radio, but gave up and turned it off. Meredith stared out the window, much like she did the day I showed up to tell her about her grandfather. I didn’t know what she was thinking. Would she stay at D’Lynsal? Or would she fight to go somewhere else?

  She could go back to England. There was nothing saying that she had to be at her grandfather’s funeral. Maybe I could find a way to make sure she got a scholarship. Something that would set her and Marty up if the will left her with nothing.

  I pulled up to D’Lynsal and waited for the guard to open the gate. Landscapers worked around the front gardens, trimming and cutting. I pulled around to the back and parked next to Alex’s car.

  “I didn’t know you lived in a castle.” Marty stared at the stone walls of D’Lynsal.

  I ruffled his hair and helped him put his backpack on. Meredith walked around to the back and opened the rear door. I hurried around to grab the bags so she wouldn’t have to carry them.

  “I can carry my bag.” She shook her head.

  “I know that.” I offered her a small smile. “But I wanted to carry them anyway.”

  Cathy met us at the back door with a big smile. “Hi!”

  My little sister stepped forward and hugged Meredith before looking at Marty. “How’s my favorite dancer?”

  Marty’s cheeks turned pink and he giggled.

  “Come in!” Cathy held the door open and I followed Meredith and Marty inside.

  A butler took their bags from me. “I’ve readied rooms on the family wing, sir.”

  “Thank you, Lawrence.”

  “Should I take the young man’s backpack?”

  “I think he’s fine.”

  I half listened as Cathy chatted with Meredith. She had pulled herself together and looked completely comfortable as she walked through the house. When we passed the suits of armor near a large picture window, Marty grabbed her hand excitedly.

  “Look! Look! Real armor.” He stopped in his tracks and looked up at the armor in awe.

  “Those were used in a war a long time ago.” I pointed out some of the dents and scratches that hadn’t been buffed out.

  “Whoa.” He leaned forward. “Is there any blood?”

  “Marty.” Meredith laughed.

  “There probably was some a long time ago, but not anymore.” I winked at him.

  “Max and Alex got in big trouble for trying to use the swords when we were little,” Cathy whispered.

  “Don’t even think about it, buddy.” Meredith poked Marty in the shoulder.

  “That is so cool.” Marty looked up at me. “What else is there?”

  I laughed. “Well, there’s the lake, the stables, the birds.”

  “Birds?” He grimaced. “Like parakeets?”

  “Like the ones that would eat parakeets.”

  “Oh man.” He whispered the words and I laughed.

  “I figured you guys didn’t have time to eat, so I had the cook make something for you.” Cathy opened the door t
o the dining room. “We weren’t sure what you liked, so we made a little bit of everything.”

  Samantha stood up from her seat at the table and smiled. “Hey guys!”

  “Ah, no wonder you made so much food. The pregnant woman is eating with us.” I pulled a chair out for Marty and then Meredith.

  “Shut it, dork.” Sam sat back down and mock-glared at me.

  “I’m glad to see you too.” I smiled at my sister-in-law. Some of the tension that had gripped me for days melted away. It was good to be home.

  “Thank you for having us over on such short notice.” Meredith unfolded her napkin and placed it in her lap. “I hope we’re not causing any trouble.”

  “Not at all.” Cathy sat down next to Sam. “We’re glad you’re here.”

  “Well, it’s very kind of you.”

  I snorted and Meredith glared at me.

  “What?” Sam looked between me and Meredith.

  “I didn’t really give them much choice.” I shrugged. “It was either here or the palace.”

  “Didn’t give her a choice?” Sam stared at us. “You kidnapped them?”

  “I didn’t kidnap them!” I sat up straight. “Let’s talk about this later.”

  “Yes, let’s.” Meredith narrowed her eyes at me and I realized I was in trouble. The weird part was that I kind of enjoyed knowing she was going to let down her guard and rip into me.

  ELEVEN

  BREAKFAST. OR WOULD it be brunch? Brunch with the royal family. Not exactly what I had planned for the day.

  I tried to focus on the conversation, but I kept going over what had happened with my father. I knew that he was going to be upset about the will, but I had underestimated his reaction. I had thought he would be more understanding this morning, having slept off the alcohol from the night before.

  And then Max! Telling me that I had to leave, dismissing the staff. I’d never seen someone stand up to my father in that fashion, but it went exactly the way I would have expected. Horribly.

  Then again, we were out of the house, and for once I didn’t feel guilty about it.

  “Do you have any Pop-Tarts?” Marty’s voice pulled my attention back to the present.

  “Marty,” I admonished. “Look at all of this great stuff that they have for us.” I grabbed a bowl of fresh fruit and picked out some of his favorite pieces.

  “Sorry, I just thought I’d ask.” Marty looked down at the table.

  “I like those!” Cathy smiled at my son and his cheeks turned pink. Lord help me, the boy was already noticing pretty girls.

  “Would you like an apple turnover?” Samantha held out the tray. “I’ve been craving these for the last month.”

  “You’ll like that.” I picked one off of the tray and set it on his plate.

  “Is Alex here?” Max asked. His deep voice made my heart speed up. Whether it was from anger or what, I wasn’t sure.

  The truth was that while I was angry with him, I was also a little grateful. He had taken me out of the house and away from my father’s abuse. And while normally I would not have stayed, I felt trapped by Granddad’s passing. It seemed like I had to stay to try and keep things from going haywire. And honestly, I hadn’t been doing such a good job.

  “He’ll be back this afternoon,” Sam replied. “He had a meeting today at the palace. Some of the ambassadors from the Future Bird Trust are in town.”

  “Fun.” Max was busily filling his plate with food. “Better him than me.”

  “What is the Future Bird Trust?” Marty asked around a mouthful of food.

  “We are a group that educates people about birds.” Sam smiled at him. “We have classes that work with children. You should come out sometime. One of our centers isn’t that far from here.”

  “Will I get to hold a bird?” Marty sat up in his seat.

  “You might be able to work up to that.” Sam leaned forward. “It takes a lot of training to learn how to hold a bird.”

  “Cool.”

  Brunch with the royal family was far more normal than I had thought it would be. They talked about work, about family, and teased one another. It wasn’t long before I could feel myself relaxing for real, no longer playing a role.

  “Are you going to sing tomorrow?” Cathy smiled at me. “I’ve heard that you have a beautiful voice.”

  “Yes, I’ll be singing.”

  Max looked up at me sharply. “You’re going to sing tomorrow?”

  “Yes.” I felt my eyebrows pull together. It would be my final tribute to my granddad. Of course I was going to sing.

  “It won’t be too . . . difficult?”

  “I’m a performer.” I shrugged. “I can keep it together for one song.”

  His eyes took on a worried cast and I wasn’t sure if I wanted to smile or smack him. Why did he seem to think I couldn’t take care of myself?

  “I’m sure it will be beautiful.” Cathy reached out and touched my hand. “It’s so hard to lose someone.”

  I nodded my head, not really trusting myself to speak. If there was one thing I knew about the royal family, it was that they knew about personal loss. When King Joseph died, it had been splashed across the headlines. I hadn’t paid much attention because I’d been young and dealing with things that life had thrown my way.

  “What do you have planned for today, Meredith?” Samantha asked.

  “I’m not sure.” I shot a look at Max. “I need to call and let Rachel know that I won’t be at Thysmer.”

  “Do you have an assistant?” Cathy cocked her head to the side. “I’m sure they could take care of that for you.”

  “No, I don’t have an assistant.” I pulled my phone from my pocket and quickly sent a text to Rachel. As savvy as she had seemed, I figured a text would work. “I really didn’t need one in England.”

  “No bodyguards?” Sam raised an eyebrow. “No one following you around?”

  “No.” I frowned. “Is that weird?”

  “It sounds amazing.” Sam sighed. “Not that I would trade my Chadwick for anything.”

  “Chadwick?”

  “My assistant.” Sam shook her head. “No, he’s more than that. He’s my rock. He takes care of everything. I don’t know how I would have adapted without him.”

  “We had someone that helped us when we first took over Thysmer, but Granddad didn’t keep them around for long. He said it felt weird to have someone following him around when he just wanted to fish.” I smiled, remembering how he would jump whenever Bernard would come up with a question.

  “Do you handle your own events, then?” Sam frowned. “That’s a lot of work, especially if you’re in school.”

  “Actually, I haven’t had any tasks given to me.” I kept my face calm. Did that mean the queen hadn’t trusted my family with anything important? Not that I could really blame her.

  “I believe I overheard my mom telling someone to leave you be while you were in school,” Max spoke up. “They were looking for someone to partner with a food bank. Mom said that while you were in school, you weren’t taking any assignments.”

  “Oh.” I frowned. I hadn’t even realized that I was somehow dodging “royal work.” Not that I was going to complain. The school and rehearsal schedule had been rigorous enough.

  “Lucky.” Cathy leaned back in her chair. “I only escape during the semester. I still get sent on errands during the summer.”

  “Well, I’ve been attending through the summers.” I was trying to finish as quickly as possible. I wasn’t exactly looking for the typical university experience. No clubs or drunken binges. No dates or relationship drama. Just class and singing. And hanging out with my little man.

  “I wish I could do that. I really don’t have a choice.” Cathy frowned. “Not that I don’t love my work with the Liberty Anne Foundation. It’s rewarding in a very different way.”

  “What do you do there?” I sat back in my chair and tapped Marty’s hand when he started fidgeting with the tablecloth.

  “We raise
money for the local schools’ art programs and we also work with children with disabilities.” Her eyes turned thoughtful. “We’ve made some huge steps forward in the last couple of months.”

  “Hey, would you guys like to see where you will be staying?” Max stood up.

  “Sure.” I cocked my eyebrow at him. “Will there be shackles, Your Highness?”

  “That can be arranged.” His eyes took on a dark look and I found myself blushing. Talk about having your words turned around. I guess that’s what I deserved for being snarky.

  “Oh, I like her,” Sam whispered loudly to Cathy as they exchanged a look.

  “I don’t think you’re the only one.” Cathy smirked at her brother, and I wondered if they had forgotten I was sitting there.

  “What are shackles?” Marty asked.

  Everyone at the table turned to look at him.

  “Back in the old days, they were used to keep prisoners from escaping.” Max kept his eyes glued to mine. “Nowadays they are mainly just for show.”

  “Like the suits of armor?” Marty hopped out of his seat.

  “Just like that.” Max smiled. “But if your mom would like I could look to see if we have any that are in good shape.”

  “Thanks, but that’s not necessary.” I stood up and set my napkin on the table.

  “Thanks for the food.” Marty smiled at Samantha and Cathy. Much to my surprise he folded himself in half to perform a little bow.

  “You’re very welcome, sir.” Cathy bowed her head in return.

  We left the dining room and walked through a large sitting room. For being such a big space, it had a homey feel that I appreciated.

  “We put you guys in the family wing. I hope you don’t mind.” Max led us up a flight of stairs.

  “Worried we might sneak away?” I raised an eyebrow and smiled.

  “Everything wakes up Sam nowadays. She’s like our alarm system.” Max smiled back at me, but I could see something worried in his eyes. “I really hope you will stay at D’Lynsal.”

  I didn’t say anything, just kept walking. I might joke about him having kidnapped us, but I knew that he had done what he thought best. It wasn’t like he had forced us into the car with him. If I pushed to go somewhere else, he wouldn’t stop me. And going back to Thysmer was completely out of the question at this point anyway.