by Kat Mizera
“I have a favor to ask,” she whispered.
“Anything.”
“Can we go to Greece?”
“When?”
“Now. As soon as the doctor releases me. I need a week, Erik. In my happy place, the place where I realized our lives were forever bound together. We can bring the kids and you can work while we spend time together. You’ve already said you’re not leaving me until I’m better, so what’s the difference if we’re in Greece or here? And Greece is closer to Limaj if you need to get there quickly.”
I smiled. “Done.”
“We have a lot to talk about, don’t we?”
“We do, but it all can wait until you’re up for it.”
“I love you, Prince Tariq al-Hassani.”
“I love you too, Princess Casey.”
She wrinkled her nose. “Am I going to be a princess?”
“If I ascend the throne, you’re going to be a queen.”
“Really?”
I nodded. “If I don’t, then whether or not you have a title is optional. But if I become king, it’s not. You have to be my queen if you’re my wife.”
“Not if, mister—when.”
“When you’re married to a king, you automatically become a queen.”
“Holy fucking shit.”
“Does that scare you?”
“A little, but compared to eleven years without you? Nothing is scarier than that.”
40
Casey
We got to Greece a week later. I was still weak and sore, but I had all the help I needed. Marisol and Sasha wrangled the younger kids, and Liz, Jayson, Nick and Skye were available for almost anything. Sasha, Luke, and the twins were staying at our house, along with Marisol and Sandor. Nick, Skye, their children, Jay, Liz and Leni were at a house they’d rented up the street—the one Erik, Sandor, and I had stayed in all those years ago. Uncle Ben, Aunt Kari, and Elen had escorted General Sarrano back to Limaj in order to support him during the investigation going on. Though all the evidence had been verified, there was still a lot of red tape to sort through and Uncle Ben wanted to make sure there were no snags. His position was an unofficial one, but he was still highly respected, and the hope was that he would pave the way for Erik.
We’d been here for two days when we planned what we called a family meeting. Everyone was going to be there, both kids and adults, and we had to make a plan because the future was going to be busy and complicated. None of us wanted to disrupt the kids’ lives, but it was inevitable and we’d decided it would be best if we gave them some options and choices even though that added a layer of complication to an already chaotic situation.
We sat outside by the pool as the sun started to go down. Ace and Xander were running security, but so far we hadn’t had any trouble. The press had kept their distance, as if they somehow understood what an important time this was for us, and I was pretty relaxed for someone who’d been shot nine days ago. My body hurt like hell, but everything was healing and I was relatively confident I didn’t have brain damage or anything.
“So we need to talk to you about everything going on with our families,” Nick said as we finished dessert and Marisol started cleaning up.
“You guys know that Casey and I are getting divorced,” Jayson continued slowly. “And she and Erik are getting married.”
“And Erik and I are getting divorced,” Liz said, “so Jayson and I can get married. We’re also having a baby.”
They’d told Leni so she was prepared, but the other kids didn’t know and there were a lot of excited questions that derailed the conversation for a while. I finally got it back on track by bringing up school.
“So school starts for most of you in a few weeks, and we have to make some big decisions about where everyone is going to live. Liz is having a baby, and her home, her job, and her doctors are all in Monte Carlo. Which means that’s where Jayson is going to be living.” I looked at the twins. “And that means you have to decide where you want to be. I’m not necessarily going to be in Las Vegas either. Erik is going to be part of the team that rebuilds Limaj, whether he becomes king or just helps as a member of Parliament. However, Jay and I owe the record company one more album, and we have to make up the dates on the tour we missed this summer and last spring when he had laryngitis.”
“What does that mean for us?” Jessie asked, her eyes sad as she looked at me.
“Let’s break things down one piece at a time,” Erik said. “First things first. The coming school year. Casey isn’t going to be doing anything for at least another six to eight weeks, and once she feels better she’ll be going back and forth from Las Vegas to Limaj because she has to check in on the recording studio, the house, and other things related to Pretty Harts. Jayson is mostly going to be in Monte Carlo with Liz, but he has interests with the band as well. Nick and Skye are going home to Las Vegas, but your home bases are going to change so you have to think about all of it. Schools, friends, which parent you want to be with, where you want to spend your vacations. There are a ton of variables.”
I thought it was interesting that Leni spoke first. “Mommy, I love you lots, but you have your hotel job and Jayson and a new baby coming. I think Daddy is going to need me more than you will right now.”
I hated the hurt that flashed in Liz’s eyes, but she hid it well, nodding as she pulled Leni onto her lap. “You can go wherever you think you’ll be happiest, and I’ll see you at least once a month after the baby comes.”
“But remember,” Erik said gently. “There are no private schools in Limaj right now, and you don’t speak Limaji, so if you come with Casey and me, you’re going to have a tutor and be home-schooled until we get the country back on its feet.”
“I want to be with you and Mom too,” Luke said firmly. “I haven’t ever had you in my life and I want to spend time with you before I get really busy with high school and college and stuff.”
Oh lord, I was about to cry, though I tried valiantly not to.
“I want to live with Mom.”
“I want to live with Dad.” Jessie and Joss spoke at the same time and then looked at each other in surprise.
“We can’t be apart,” Jessie whispered.
“I don’t want to live in Limaj and be home-schooled,” Joss said, wrinkling her nose. “That sounds horrible.”
“I don’t want to live in Monte Carlo with a new baby,” Jessie said.
I’d had a feeling the twins would be the complicated ones.
“I think short-term, at least for the upcoming school year, you two should stay in Las Vegas with Marisol and your grandparents while Jayson and I go back and forth. We have to get the studio set up to run without us there regularly and we have another album to record, so we’ll be in Vegas enough to give you a year to decide.” I looked at Luke. “And if you decide to stay with Erik, I won’t be there the whole time because of our commitment to the record company and recording a new album.”
“This is so complicated!” Jessie, my sensitive child, burst into tears.
“I’m sorry, baby.” I held out my arms to her and she came to me, though I couldn’t hold her the way I wanted to because I was too sore.
“I’m going to want to be with Liz in Monte Carlo when it’s time for the baby to come,” Jayson said, “but until then, your mom and I will make it work for this school year so you can stay put. How does that sound?”
Jessie nodded, but she was still sniffling and I felt a moment of guilt, hating what we were doing to the kids.
“I’m not going back to USC,” Sasha said quietly. “I’m transferring to UNLV and I can stay at the house with the kids. I’ll be helping Toli and Tessa here and there, but not full-time. I have to focus on school and what our family needs.”
I really loved my oldest child. Now more than ever.
“And since Skye and I aren’t going anywhere,” Nick spoke up, “we can help too. We’re all family, you guys, so we’re going to make this work.”
“Then ma
ybe I’ll stay in Las Vegas for one more year too,” Luke said cautiously, eyeing Erik. “I mean, if the twins and Sasha are going to be there anyway…”
“But then I’ll be alone in Limaj,” Leni protested. She glanced at her father. “Daddy?”
“Princess, you can come with me, but this first year is going to be tricky.” He reached for her and pulled her onto his lap. “I think you’ll be happier with your mom and Jay in Monte Carlo, with your friends and all your stuff. Next summer, after we’ve all had time to settle into our new arrangements, we can reassess.”
“But I’ll see you, right?”
“Listen up,” I said quickly. “No matter who lives where, whether it’s permanent or just for this school year, everyone is going to see everyone. We can and will travel back and forth. We’ll all be together for the holidays, no matter what, and next summer we’ll have a better idea where we’ll be living and what the situation is.”
There was a lot more back and forth, but in the end, Sasha, Luke and the twins were going home to Las Vegas and Leni was staying in Monte Carlo. It hadn’t gone as well as I’d hoped, but it hadn’t gone badly either. I hadn’t taken into account the lack of good schools in Limaj and having to put out another Pretty Harts album delayed our timeline to a degree. Not to mention Liz giving birth and Erik not knowing exactly what he was going to do. We hoped he would get the vote from Parliament to be king, but until it happened, we couldn’t count on anything.
“I’m exhausted,” I admitted that night in bed.
“All things considered, the kids handled everything pretty well.”
“You think? Luke was disappointed, Leni was resigned, Joss was pissed, and Jessie was sad.”
“Yeah, but they weren’t upset with the general situation, and when you throw divorce and new babies and new stepparents into the mix, I think we’re doing okay.”
“I’m sorry this is so complicated.”
“Why are you sorry? I’m the one who faked my death and left you alone all these years. All I care about now is fixing everything I ruined with us.”
“You’re here now. That’s all that matters.”
41
Erik
The next few months were frustrating. I didn’t see much of Casey or Luke, Leni was mad at me, my divorce had taken forever to finalize because of the laws in Monte Carlo, and Parliament had me ready to pull out the hair on my head that had finally started growing in. It seemed like they were investigating every single person in the government, from General Sarrano down to the mayor of Hiskale. While I understood the need to be thorough after everything our government had gone through, the people needed relief right now, not a year from now, and no matter what Daniil tried to do, he was woefully inept at running the country. It wasn’t entirely his fault, but he had no government experience and even with me trying to guide him behind the scenes, nothing was going according to plan.
The good news was that I had a ton of support with the members of Parliament and as soon as they finished what they were calling a mandatory and comprehensive investigation of the corruption of the last decade, I would probably get the vote to start the process of making me king.
Most days I was too busy to breathe, but I tried to call Leni at bedtime, even when she didn’t want to talk to me, and I spoke with Luke every Sunday. Casey and I spoke and texted all day long, of course, but the separation was wearing on both of us. She and the band had finished the new album last night and the whole group of us were planning to meet in Monte Carlo for the holidays, including all the grandparents and extended family members.
Jesper had brought his children to Limaj and was living in the palace with me, Sandor, Xander, Elen and Daniil. It was awkward for Daniil and Jesper since they were also in the middle of a divorce, but it was better for their children and for all of us professionally. Sandor had fallen back into his role as my bodyguard and Elen was actually like a secretary to me, but it was all temporary. Until Parliament made up their minds, we were in a bit of a holding pattern. I’d been spending my days touring the country and visiting with the people. I needed to know what was happening, how bad things had gotten outside of Hiskale and the port towns, which had limped along simply because of proximity.
Most days I rolled up my sleeves and got involved in whatever ways possible. I needed the people to know I wasn’t going to be just another figurehead living in a castle, but that I understood them and planned to help. The small towns had fared the worst and those were the places I got my hands dirty. I spent one day helping get a generator going so the local hospital would have electricity, and another helping a farmer birth a breech calf because the nearest veterinarian was over a hundred miles away.
While it was back-breaking work for me, and a logistical nightmare for Sandor, it was also very satisfying. I’d missed the essence of my people, who they were and what we stood for as a country. We had a lot of work to do to get back to where we’d been twenty years ago, but I was determined to bring us back as a thriving, modern society, no matter what I had to do. The only things missing right now were Casey and my children. Once I had them here with me, I was sure I could do anything.
I was packing for Monte Carlo when Daniil came rushing into my suite, his eyes wide. “They’re ready to vote!”
“What?” I looked up in confusion. “It’s December twenty-third. Everyone is getting ready to break for the holidays.”
“And they want to vote before they go so you can take over in January.”
“You’ve got to be kidding me.”
“Nope.”
“Fuck.” I ran for the closet to change into a suit. “Does Sandor know?”
“He’s on his way up.”
I grabbed my phone to call Casey and update her as I changed clothes.
I arrived in Monte Carlo late in the day on Christmas Eve. The vote had been unanimous and had ended with a standing ovation as I got up to address Parliament. My coronation was set for the fifteenth of January and now I had to figure out when and where to marry Casey. I wanted her to be my wife before I became king so her title of queen would be automatic. If we waited until after, there would be another complicated process I was too impatient for.
“Hi.” She was waiting when I got out of the limousine that had been sent to pick us up and I kissed her like I was starving.
“How long until we get naked?” I whispered as we walked into the hotel hand in hand.
“Luke is pacing like a caged animal and Leni’s pouting, so you’re going to have your hands full before the party tonight.”
“There’s a party?”
“It’s Christmas Eve and you were just named king. Did you think there wouldn’t be a party?”
“I was hoping it would just be us, naked in the hot tub.”
“You’re funny.” She squeezed my hand. We got onto the elevator and to my surprise she motioned for my new security detail, including Sandor, to take the next one.
“What’s going on?” I asked her.
She moved into my arms and smiled, her eyes twinkling as she slid her hand into my slacks. “A Christmas Eve quickie with your fiancée.”
“In the elevator?”
“Nope.” The doors opened and I frowned as she pushed me out, her hand still in my pants. She pulled a key card out of her pocket and opened the door to a random hotel room.
“What are we doing?”
“Fucking?”
I snickered. “Did you just ambush a king for a quickie in a hotel room without telling anyone?”
“Well, Liz knows, ‘cause she got me the room. Now, do you want to talk or fuck?”
I laughed, locking the door behind us. “What do you think?”
Twenty minutes later we walked off the elevator on the penthouse floor holding hands. Leni was pacing right outside the doors and she ran to me accusingly.
“Where have you been?” she demanded.
“We ran into some old friends and got delayed a few minutes,” I said, scooping her up. “But I�
�m here now.”
“You missed my holiday concert.”
“I know, princess, but your mom sent me the video. You were amazing.”
“Did you bring me a present?”
“Maybe.” I pulled something out of my coat pocket and wiggled it. “Do you think you deserve a present? How were your grades this term?”
“All A’s, of course.” She held out her hand.
I put the package in it and she tore open the paper. “What is it… Is this a…tiara?” Her eyes widened.
“I thought maybe you’d like to wear that at my coronation. What do you think?”
“Really?” Her eyes were still as wide as saucers. “This is mine?”
“It sure is.”
“I love it!” She threw her arms around me and blew a raspberry on my cheek. “I missed you, Daddy.”
“I missed you too, princess.”
“Hey, Dad.” Luke came around the corner and I thought he’d grown since I’d last seen him. His voice had started to change too, because it cracked a little as he talked. “How was your flight?”
“Wow, aren’t you formal tonight? Come give me a hug.”
He ran to me and I wound up with both him and Leni clinging to me.
“Hey, guys, let’s let your dad get something to eat,” Liz said, coming around the corner. She was glowingly pregnant now, eight months along and bigger than I’d ever seen her. But she looked beautiful and happy, which made me happy too.
“Hey, Liz.” I hugged her next, putting a hand on her belly. “Not much longer, huh?”
“Nope.” She grinned. “It’s killing Jay not to know the sex.”
“I’d be pissed too.”
“You and Casey didn’t find out the sex when she was pregnant with Luke.”
“We did, we just didn’t tell anyone.”
“You’re such a control freak,” she teased.
We walked into the penthouse that had been decorated for the holidays and I was momentarily overwhelmed. Everyone I loved and cared about was in this room tonight and I’d never been with everyone at the same time like this. My parents, my ex-mother-in-law and my future mother-in-law, my children, their siblings, my cousins, Jay and his family, my sister and her husband and children, Jesper and Daniil and their children, Liz, Sandor, Casey, and even Ace, Xander and a new addition to my security team that had come from Joe named Logan.
