I closed the window and started to pace the room, making plans in my head for an assassination of sorts. It would be simple, especially since Reg was nobody of high regard. But making sure all the details were set and secure was something that I absolutely had no idea how to do.
I walked over and sat down next to Brat, grabbing a pen and piece of paper. I thought about all the things I would need to do to make Reg disappear, and I started to make a list. If I was going to go down this path, we would have to get started. The clock was already ticking, and it wasn’t going to slow down for anyone. I tapped my pen against my mouth as Brat leaned back and stretched his arms over his head. He looked down at my paper and jumped from his chair, grabbing the notepad from my hands and tossing it into the fireplace.
“What are you thinking man?” Brat sounded shocked and appalled.
“I got to do what I got to do,” I replied, straight-faced.
“Okay, well before you go starting to assassinate people, hear me out,” he replied.
I watched as he walked over and grabbed his notepad off the table, giving me a sideways look as he began to pace the floor. He scanned his finger down the lines and lines of notes on the page. When he had gotten himself back together, he stopped in front of me like he was presenting to a board.
“Here is what we can do,” he explained. “There is legal recourse we can take here. Blackmail is a crime, especially against the Royal Court. Now, if we brought in a few trusted advisors, they could build a legal defense against Reg, barring him from speaking about Adriana, and possibly giving him a good amount of jail time for blackmail.”
“But what advisors could we bring on board that we trusted enough with that kind of information? I couldn’t be sure that it wouldn’t get leaked. And in the end, when all the court proceedings became public, so would her past. Either way, we would be exposing her, one way would just be controlled, while the other would be in Reg’s hands. Man, this seems impossible.”
“It’s not impossible,” Brat said with frustration. “We have to try to deal with this in a way that doesn’t dig an even bigger hole for us.”
I tossed the pen across the table and put my head down in my arms. I was exhausted. I hadn’t slept well in days, and I was so wildly out of it, I had actually considered murdering someone. There had to be away around this that didn’t include destroying my bride and my child in the process. No matter what Adriana said, I knew if the truth came out, she would be mortified, and possibly never forgive me. No matter what understanding we came to, I knew my past actions played a role in our future. I picked my head up as Brat’s phone vibrated against the table. He reached over and pressed the button, looking down at the screen. His eyes grew wide for a moment before he turned toward me. I lifted an eyebrow at his reaction and grabbed his phone from his hands. What could it possibly be now?
“Wait, how do you work this thing?” I tilted the phone back and forth trying to see the video he pulled up.
He grabbed it and set it up in front of us. As the screen popped back up, we watched as Adriana, dressed in a beautiful suit with perfect hair and perfect makeup, sat down on the couch in the Queen’s interview room. My mother was standing behind her and a journalist was to the left. I looked at Brat with panic, and he put his hand on my shoulder. She was getting ready to tell her story, and there was nothing I could do to stop her.
Chapter 29: Adriana
I knew it was a risk, and I knew Milos was probably going to be angry, but after he left the night before, I really thought about everything. When it came down to it, I knew I was right. I knew that if I could tell my story, if I could tell it from my perspective, I would be able to control it. Otherwise, either it was going to get leaked and I was going to humiliate myself, my husband, my child, and the Kingdom, or Milos was going to do something that really put him in danger. I didn’t even want to think about the lengths that man would go to protect me and our family. It was terrifying. So, I made the choice. I went to the Queen’s chambers and told her everything.
I was so nervous, sitting there in front of her, watching and waiting for her disappointed look. I left out the part about the marriage contract, only because it wasn’t important, and I was pretty sure that Reg had no idea that part had happened. When I was done telling my story, she took a deep breath and sat silently, sipping her tea and thinking. It seemed like the longest five minutes of my life, waiting for her to either throw me to the wolves or agree to help me carry out my plan. Finally, she set her tea cup down on the table and leaned forward.
“Adriana,” she began. “I knew all of this.”
“What?” I said, flabbergasted.
“Did you think I wouldn’t do a little research into the next Queen of Silesia?” she responded with a chuckle. “When it came down to it, I saw you for who you were. You are a kind-hearted, strong, intelligent woman that I believe will lead this country even further into greatness. I knew that this situation would come up eventually, and I assumed after watching my son leave in the worst disguise ever, that you would be knocking on my door soon enough.”
“I’m sorry for lying to you,” I responded.
“Water under the bridge my dear,” she said, patting my hand. “Let’s get this all squared away, shall we?”
That is how I ended up here, sitting in the interview room, with clammy hands, too much makeup, and a very respectable skirt suit, waiting for the reporter to get there. I knew this was a dangerous gamble, and neither I, nor the Queen, knew how everyone was going to react. But I couldn’t live the rest of my life in fear, wondering when I was going to turn the corner and see my face on the cover of the tabloids. I also knew that I could not live with the idea of Milos having blood on his hands for “taking care of” the situation. This was the only choice I had, and I knew that no matter the outcome, it was the right one to make.
The Queen seemed to know exactly what to do, who to call, and what to tell me to calm my nerves. Though I was pretty sure this exact thing had never happened before, I assumed the Queen was pretty used to putting out fires in the Kingdom, especially with Milos as her son. The journalist was a good friend of the Queen’s and had covered all the major stories in the castle since the Queen was younger. She had a kind smile and a professional air to her. I was reassured that she would do everything she could to make this information get out to the public as easy and gently as possible. I took a deep breath as she sat down across from me, trying to ignore the camera in my face. When we were live, I held my composure and waited for the tough questions.
After introducing me to the viewers, she jumped right into it, pausing for a moment when the Queen entered the frame and sat next to me, grabbing my hand and nodding for her to continue. It was comforting having her by my side, and it was the first real time I had ever felt like I had a mother to support me. The interview itself was difficult to get through, having to reveal my deepest secrets to the world, but the reporter spun them into a positive light every time she had the opportunity. I could hear Milos’s voice on the other side of the door, but the guards were instructed to keep him out until we were finished. The reporter gave me a chance to address the audience, so I turned to the camera, still clutching the Queen’s hand, and took a deep breath.
“As we go through life, we make decisions based on what we truly believe will be best at the time. Sometimes they really do turn out to be what we believe they will be, but sometimes, we look back with regret. I do not regret working hard, supporting myself, and my family, and doing what I needed to do to put food on the table and clothes on my back. What I do regret is not being honest with you, our beautiful patrons of Silesia, from the beginning. I've learned that no matter where you are in life, whether it be sitting next to the Queen, working in a factory, dancing, or farming, always hold truth, pride, and accountability to the highest standards. Thank you for hearing my story.”
When I was finished, the Queen nodded to the reporter who had the cameraman focus in on her. I didn’t realize she w
as going to address the crowd, and I watched nervously as she straightened her crown. She smiled at the camera and cleared her throat.
“When Adriana came to our castle, I couldn’t have been more thrilled. When I learned of this news, it did not diminish that excitement one bit. We love our future Queen with all our hearts, and I know that my husband would have stood by this young lady with pride and love. We here in Silesia will always hold Princess Adriana in the highest regard.”
When she was done, she turned to me and pulled me in for a hug, holding on even after the cameras were shut off. I relaxed and embraced her back, thankful for her love and compassion. As she let go and the cameras rolled away, the doors swung open and Milos entered, holding his hands in front of him, a worried look on his face.
“Why did you do that?” he asked, worry filling his voice. “Adriana, I told you that I would take care of this. Why would you purposely expose yourself like that? I have been doing everything I possibly can to avoid allowing you to feel even a pin drop of pain. I love you, and I have put you through enough, but then you go and inflict this pain upon yourself. I just don’t understand.”
“Milos,” I said kindly, taking his hand. “This was the only viable option. You may have had plans, but if you really looked at what you were planning, you would realize they were worse options than just shouting it from the town square. With the support of your mother, we were able to get ahead of a story that, no matter what you did, would have one day exploded into the media. However, choosing to go this route, I just took the power out of their hands and put it in the Kingdom’s hands. From here, we can only hope that our transparency and love for the people of Silesia will show through, and they will take kindly to my past and look forward to the future.”
“I don’t think that is what you have done,” Milos replied. “I think you have just outed yourself to everyone and let them choose how they see you.”
“They are going to choose how they see me, regardless of where the message comes from,” I replied softly. “But this way, they can see what lies in my heart, not just in my past.”
“I think she might be right,” Brat said as he walked through the doors. “The story is trending on social media. People are loving how their future Queen not only had the courage to come forward with her story, but had a meager beginning just like them.”
“I knew this would work,” the Queen said smiling. “But what does your old, crazy mother know?”
“We should have come to her before,” I said. “She already knew where we met. She was waiting for us to come to her for help.”
“Mother,” Milos said, walking over to her. “You knew, and you didn’t say anything?”
“Sometimes, my job is to let you figure things out on your own,” she said, laughing. “This time, however, I’m glad you had Adriana to take the reins. I can only imagine what you two boys came up with.”
“Hey, I was just along for the support,” Brat replied, putting his hands up in the air and smiling. “But listen to this. The Silesia Times reports, ‘#QueenOfOurHearts is currently trending on all social media channels after Princess Adriana came forward, Queen in tow, to come out about her past as an exotic dancer and her courageous rise to the top. The people of Silesia are applauding the young Princess for her bravery in the face of adversity. They feel she is a true representative of the people, showing even the most meager of peasant can grow and chase their dreams of royalty.’ Wow, Adriana, you really knocked them dead.”
“I owe you an apology,” Milos said, stepping forward and taking my hands. “You are my wife, and as such, you are my partner. I should have listened to you. I was so terrified that you would feel even an ounce of pain or humiliation that I was hell bent on making it all disappear. In the end, your wisdom and courage are not only what made me fall in love with you, but they are what saved us from a lot of negative consequences. I promise from here on out, I will do my best to listen to you and work through these things as partners, instead of fearing the outcome.”
“I love you for loving me so much,” I responded. “But you have to get over what happened early on in our relationship, because I have. That was another time and another man. You have grown and become one of the most honorable and noble men I have ever known, and when you stoop to things like you did today, it takes away from your caring and loving person. You know what the right answer is. You just have to push back those fears and embrace it. I am never going anywhere ever again, and I know that working together, we can create a beautiful life for us, our child, and our kingdom, hand in hand.”
“You are a wise woman,” he said, leaning down and kissing my lips. “And I promise to walk hand in hand with you from now on.”
“Good,” I replied, stepping back and taking in a deep breath. “Now, who wants to send the guard to pick up Reg and throw him in jail?”
Everyone laughed, though it wasn’t really a joke. Milos walked forward and took my hand, kissing the back of it and then bringing me in close for a hug. I missed his touch so much, and I was more than glad the last few days were over with. We could finally take a deep breath and move forward, no fear, no questions, and no worry. I looked down and rubbed my belly as the baby flipped and flopped inside. The baby knew I was finally feeling better, and it could hear its father’s voice, calm and collected like it should always be. I loved my life, and now I could fully live it.
Epilogue: Milos
The amount of people that turned out to greet us at Adriana’s last public appearance before the baby’s due date had to have been a record. I had never seen so many people gathered around the castle at once. They were cheering, chanting, waving roses, and holding signs of well wishes for Adriana and the baby. Even the tabloids had broken from tradition and ran positive stories, lifting her name up and praising her for her courage and strength.
The outpouring of love was almost overwhelming, and even my mother was taken aback by it, and she wasn’t easily surprised. They absolutely adored their future Queen and could not wait until the baby was born, and she could take her place on the throne. I was so relieved, especially now that I was able to step back and really look at the situation, and see that Adriana had followed her instincts and addressed the country as a whole. It had gone better than I could have ever imagined. Even more, with the love they felt for her, came an automatic acceptance and love for our child that was due any day now.
We had decided at the last sonogram to hold out and wait to see what the baby would be. I had my suspicions that it was a boy, and even though Adriana would only reveal that she hoped for a healthy baby, I knew she had a gut feeling of whether it was a little Prince or Princess. Either way, we had finished the nursery and hung up the excessive amount of clothes and baby items that we had picked up over the last few months.
Our mothers finally got to see their hard work come to fruition when the baby shower of the century was thrown in the kingdom’s gardens. They had more flowers than I think I had ever seen in one place, along with games, fireworks, and pretty much every important person in Europe, including the Prince of England and his wife. It was quite the celebration, and it almost eclipsed our extravagant, royal wedding. I was just happy to see Adriana more relaxed than I had ever seen her, and enjoying being free from secrets.
Reg had been apprehended trying to sneak out of Silesia after watching the broadcast of Adriana’s confession. He attempted to play it off, but no one was buying the idea that he just wanted a casino built inside the capital. He was taken to court very quickly, and we are still waiting on the final ruling from the judge. However, from the looks of his cocky and demeaning attitude when he took the stand, it looked like Reg will be staring down the back side of a set of bars for a very long time. Adriana didn’t really like the idea of retribution at first, but after hearing him degrade her on the stand, and watch as the whole country came to her defense, she came to a good place and was pretty happy to watch Reg be shoved into an orange jumpsuit and put to work in the local prison s
ystem.
When the courts seized all his property, Adriana requested that I do her a favor. I granted Sveta, her best friend, the right to run the Caspian while we sorted out the whole mess. Turns out Sveta was quite the business woman, and before long, the place was more than booming. All her girls were properly taken care of and paid. It may still be a strip club, but Sveta was not taking any shit from her clients and always made sure that the dancers were treated like human beings.
As a surprise, I had Sveta flown up for the baby shower. She had handled herself with so much grace and class, no one even realized she was Adriana’s best friend from the strip club, not even my mother. I had a sneaking suspicion that Brat had a crush on her, but he knew convincing his family, though not first-generation royalty, would be harder than convincing the whole of Silesia that it was an honorable upbringing. By the end of the shower, I had promised Sveta that once the assets were fully seized to pay off his debts, I would help her become the full owner of the property. She had big plans to expand, not in Silesia of course, but definitely in other places across Europe.
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