by T. S. Ryder
One of the other generals scoffed. "The housekeeper?"
"In the meantime, I want our enemies and allies both to know that we're not going to quail before them," Benjamin continued, ignoring him. "We are a strong kingdom, even if the prince doesn't have a future queen. My mother may be sick, but she is not dead and she is still strong. And I will have none of you doubt that. Understood?"
There were nods around the table. The meeting shifted to what they needed to do to defend the borders should the worst happen, but Benjamin struggled to keep his mind on the task at hand. His mind was filled with Julia. What had she told Maria that she was so frightened to tell him? The memory of her tears made his stomach twist. What could be so horrible to make her cry that much?
Maybe she was pregnant. They had been careful, but even then, accidents happened. But would a pregnancy really make her say the things she had – that he wouldn't care about her once he knew the truth? Unless she had terminated the pregnancy . . . The thought made his stomach clench, but if she had done that, it was because she didn't see an alternative. She would have felt trapped and frightened. Julia would not fight so hard to keep Henry and then give up another child unless she honestly felt there was no other way.
But even that scenario didn't seem like it was the reason for Julia's tears. There was something else going on. Did she just think that he was only with her because he had to marry? His mind turned to his first thoughts. Was she married? He had only ever smelled baby powder on her, so she wasn't with her husband if she was married.
"My lord?" Karl stared at him.
Benjamin focused again. The general had just proposed to send a message to Caitlyn asking to negotiate an end to these hostilities. The prince nodded. "Good. Do it. Is there anything else?"
There was no response, so Benjamin stood, dismissing the meeting. As soon as he was out the door, his thoughts turned back to Julia. What was she hiding from him? There was something at play and he needed to know what it was. His jaw tightened as he headed for her room.
Henry's whimpering had stopped. Benjamin could hear Julia singing softly to her baby. He knocked and entered. She sat on a rocking chair, the baby bundled in her arms. Her eyes widened when she saw him coming in.
Benjamin dropped to one knee beside her. "You have to tell me."
"I know. I just . . . Let me put Henry down and then we can talk."
He nodded. Julia rocked a moment longer before taking the sleeping baby back to the bedroom, then returned to the den of the suite. She perched on the edge of the couch, hands twisting in her lap. For a long moment, she stared down at the carpet, then finally brushed a hand over her face and looked up.
"Before I begin, I need to know. Do you remember a girl who used to work in the palace named Cynthia?"
"Cynthia?" Benjamin scrunched up his face. There had been a time when he only went for girls with names starting with C. He shook his head.
Julia's eyes flared for a moment but her anger was short-lived. She slumped back on the couch and shook her head. "I didn't expect you to."
"Who was she?"
"My best friend. And Henry's mother."
A ball of dread slipped into Benjamin's stomach and his mouth went dry. She couldn’t mean . . .
"Cynthia got a job at the palace. Then she started up a secret affair with someone. She wouldn't tell me who. She got pregnant, quit her job or was bullied out of it, was kicked out of her family and had to go live out in the country in order to afford rent for herself. When she went into labor, I was with her. Our car crashed. Henry was born just before she died and she told me that you were his father."
Benjamin sucked in a deep breath. He sprang to his feet and rushed past her, ignoring her soft gasp. It was only after he threw the door to the bedroom open that he remembered that he needed to be quiet. Creeping up to the bassinet, he gazed at the little one inside. Henry slept peacefully, but he saw the similarities between the baby and himself now. The shape of his nose, the arch of his eyes, even his ears.
His son. Benjamin stroked the downy head with a trembling hand. He had a son. A perfect, beautiful little boy. The prince pulled away from the baby, heart pounding. Why had she kept this from him? Slowly, he moved back to the den, mind whirling. Julia still sat on the couch and he sat down beside her.
"Why didn't you tell me? He's my son and you never said anything."
Julia leaned forward, hiding her face in her hands. "I blamed you for Cynthia's death. I thought that you must have kicked her out the moment she got pregnant. I was angry, grieving. It's my fault she's dead, but I couldn't handle that, so I pushed all my anger onto you. I came here . . . I came to get close to you. To make you fall in love with me so that I could emotionally destroy you."
"No." Benjamin leaped to his feet. He shook his head wildly. "No. You're not . . . "
"I'm sorry." Her voice was little more than a whisper. "After I realized that you weren't the monster I thought you were, I wanted to stop. I didn't want to hurt you. But then . . . things just continued and it got out of hand. I'm so sorry. Benjamin, if I could go back—"
"You weren't going to tell me I had a son?"
Julia's tear-stained face rose to his. "Even now, do you remember who Cynthia was?"
He didn't. There were too many girls and he had never been with any one of them more than a handful of times. "That's not the point! You lied to me. Used me. You . . . you aren't the person I thought you were. You're nothing more than a con artist."
"Benjamin—"
"I am your prince. You will address me by my title."
She fell back on the couch, sobbing, but Benjamin wasn't about to let her tears soften his heart. He'd never felt so angry, so in pain. His heart twisted every which way and he let out a low growl, smoke seeping from between his teeth. The flames scorched his throat and he wanted to scream and shout and demand why. Why? Why?
But she had already told him why. Because she thought he was a monster.
Benjamin turned on his heel and marched away, unable to look at her for another moment. He wasn't going to stay with a liar and a con-artist . . . Someone who didn't care one iota about him.
Chapter Thirteen – Wake of Destruction
He hated her. He had every right to, but watching him walk away still felt like a shattered mirror driving its broken shards into her heart. She clutched at her chest and would have been unsurprised if it came back bloody.
It wasn't supposed to hurt this much. The truth was supposed to set her free. What a load of bull. She should have just kept her mouth closed. Then she and Benjamin could go their separate ways and she would never have had to see the pain in his eyes as she told him what she had done. The tears continued to roll down her face.
But it was for the best, wasn't it? Getting the truth out there. Letting him know exactly why there could never be anything between them.
He slammed the door shut behind him as he left and Julia jumped to her feet. She couldn’t let it end like this. She chased after him, his name on her lips. She caught up with him just outside her room and reached for his hand. As soon as her skin brushed his he pulled back as though she had burned him.
"I'm sorry," she said. "I can't tell you how sorry I am. I realized what I was doing was wrong and I wanted to tell you. I didn't know how. I never meant for it to get this far."
"You meant for it to end exactly like this."
Julia shook her head. "No. I didn't. I should have ended it long ago, I just . . . I . . . I started to care. I didn't mean to. But I knew you weren't the person I thought you were, I had already changed my mind about destroying you before I started caring. I was just grieving Cynthia and unable to handle my own guilt. I was lashing out."
Benjamin stopped. For a moment her heart rose with hope. Maybe, just maybe, he could forgive her. Those hopes were dashed when he turned. There was no forgiveness, no softness in his eyes. Sheer anger exuded from him and she knew it was useless. He'd never forgive her for what she had intended on doing.
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br /> "How did she die?"
Julia took a deep breath and recounted how it had happened. How Cynthia had suddenly gone into labor in the middle of a storm, and the truck that had caused her to lose control of the car.
Benjamin's shoulders sagged. "But that wasn't your fault. If the truck was in your lane, then how could you have stopped it?"
"I.. I could’ve . . . Maybe . . . "
He reached for her and for a brief moment she thought it meant he was softening, but then he drew back and his expression hardened again. "You still had no right to keep the truth from me. Henry is my son."
"Yes."
"My son," he repeated, stepping a little closer. "Mine. Not yours."
Her blood turned to ice.
"He is going to stay with me in the palace as my son. You . . . you will be dismissed from your duties. As soon as it's safe for you to leave, you will. Do you understand me?"
Julia shook her head. Her heart slammed into her ribs as bile rose in her throat. This was worse than anything she had anticipated. After everything she had done to keep him, to give her baby a good life, the prince thought he could just steal Henry way? Never. Her hands balled into fists and she narrowed her eyes at him.
"You are not taking Henry from me."
"You're the one that stole him. He should have come to me from the start. If Cynthia was alive, she'd live in the palace in a place of honor, but you are not his mother."
Julia's hand flew before she could stop herself. Her fist collided with the Dragon's jaw. He grunted, backing up a step, but otherwise seemed unaffected.
"I am his mother! You can't take him from me. There are assassins after me because I slept with you. I'm not going to put him in danger too. We're on the brink of war—"
"And having a child, an heir will strengthen my position. He'll strengthen the kingdom and that war you're so worried about? It will be avoided."
"You aren't using my boy as a pawn in your politics," Julia spat back. "He's a tiny, innocent, helpless baby and deserves a proper chance at a normal life. Not to be taken in because you want to spit in my face or to parade him around like a trophy. He's my son—"
"He's my son!"
Julia shook her head. She breathed in deeply, attempting to calm herself even though it was difficult. Cynthia's parents had put her through this as well, and she wasn’t going to just give up. "He's my son. I will fight you with everything I have. I won't let you take him away."
Benjamin barked out a laugh. He dragged his hand through his hair, then shook his head. A brief look of pain flashed across his face but it hardened again quickly. "If you want to stay his guardian, his mother, then I guess you'll just have to marry me."
"What?"
Was he serious? After this huge fight they were having, he still said something like that? Was he trying to back off, to let Henry go without a fuss? Or – her eyes narrowed again – was it just because of his position? He needed a queen to strengthen his rule. Was this the only way he was going to get one?
"And why would you want me to marry you?" she asked him coldly.
He was just as cold as he replied. "Because a public fight over custody would only further weaken the kingdom and marry you would give me the queen that everybody thinks I should have. It's too late to start trying to court a woman, so I've got to get somebody I don't care about anyway. At least with you, I'd know exactly what I'm getting into."
"If you think I'm going to let you use me—"
"Oh, you mean like how you were using me?"
She couldn't reply to that. Her heart was somewhere down near her toes, all her limbs feeling heavy. "You're not seriously thinking that I would actually marry you."
"I suppose not. After all, a liar and a con as the queen? I'm surprised that being queen doesn't appeal more to you. Or is it that you want to destroy the kingdom?"
Julia stared into Benjamin's angry eyes and said nothing. She struggled to keep a lid on her own anger, though her blood rushed in her ears and her hands trembled with the desire to claw out the prince's eyes. He was hurt like she had been. He was lashing out as she had. Once he calmed down, maybe they would have a chance to talk this over. Maybe he would regret the things he said. Maybe. Or maybe she should have just kept her mouth shut, instead just disappearing from Benjamin's life.
"What? Nothing more to say?"
"I love Henry," she whispered. "More than anything."
Benjamin's nostrils flared. "Yeah. But I'm his father. I'm a prince. You're a servant. Who do you think the courts will give him to?"
"I didn't have to tell you. I didn't have to tell you anything."
"Yeah? Well, it's too late to change your mind now."
He walked away without another word, leaving Julia behind. A sob ripped up her throat and she turned back to her room. Henry started to cry and she went to get him, all the while wondering what she would do if Benjamin made good on his threats.
She couldn’t give Henry up. She had to find a way to soften Benjamin . . . somehow.
Chapter Fourteen – Heavy Hangs the Head
By the time he got to Maria's bedside, Benjamin's anger had melted away into something else. Despair. It wasn't bad enough that the other kingdoms were rising against him, but now the woman he had been falling in love with revealed that she was not the person he thought she was. Everything between them was a lie. It hurt far more than he cared to admit and even though he wanted to still be angry with her, all he could feel was a pain.
His mother was sleeping when he sat beside her. She was still hooked to a ventilator most of the time. Allergies didn't hit Dragons the same way as humans, and in her condition, the effects were lingering. A burst of anger towards Natalie filled him, but it was quickly overshadowed by guilt. If he had stepped up to his responsibilities, then she wouldn't have thought she had to take action. In her own twisted way, she thought she was being a patriot.
"I wish I could get your guidance, Mother," Benjamin whispered. "These days have been all wrong without you here to help me through. I don't know if what I'm doing is helping or making things worse. But I'm going to do the best I can."
He sighed, stroking the back of her hand with his thumb. She didn't stir and he didn't expect her to. The drugs that she'd been given to counteract her allergies were immensely powerful and put her to sleep as soon as they were administered. There were signs of improvement, though, and perhaps there was hope.
"Julia told me everything," he whispered. "It hurts. It really hurts. But hearing it, I've realized there is only one way to ensure that this doesn't end in total war. I'm not angry at her anymore, just . . . just sad. I'm going to marry Caitlyn."
There was no point in dawdling around. His mother used to tell him that when you knew what you had to do, you went ahead and did it. Well, he knew what he had to do. He pressed a kiss to his mother's forehead and left the room with a heavy heart. It felt like going to the gallows, but if it would protect his kingdom, what choice did he have?
He returned to the palace quickly and called Nicolas. His PA blinked blearily when he arrived a few minutes later, yawning. He'd forgotten his time, but being called this late at night would do that. His eyes were questioning as he entered Benjamin's study. Where he and Julia had first been together. The prince allowed himself to indulge in the memory for a moment before shaking it off.
"Send a message to Caitlyn," he said. "If she wants to marry me, then we will have to negotiate the terms of our relationship."
Nicolas's jaw dropped. "You can't be serious!"
"I am. Now draft and send the message. This is getting out of hand, there needs to be an end to it."
His PA hesitated only a moment longer before nodding. Benjamin hunched over his desk, resting his elbows on the smooth, polished wood. Would it work? Did Caitlyn still want the power and glory that would come from being the queen of two kingdoms? With any luck, she would. Although how Benjamin felt at the moment was far from lucky. He had no prospects for a mate now that he knew that Jul
ia never loved him.
Caitlyn had plotted it right. She hadn't engaged in any overt hostilities herself, but the stage was set in her favor. Now he was coming back to her begging and she could do what she wanted. It made Benjamin feel sick, but he had to protect his kingdom. Even if it meant sacrificing himself.
***
No word from Caitlyn. It had been two days and although she had sent back a message saying she would consider his offer, she was leaving him in suspense. Probably to make him even more desperate when she came back with outrageous demands. But that didn't matter. Benjamin didn't really care what demands she had as long as it wasn't one of her children who ended up ruling his kingdom.
Benjamin stepped out of the shower, unhappy to see that the cold water and thinking of Caitlyn hadn't shocked away the effects of the dream he'd had the previous night. Of Julia, her arms and legs around him, a smile on her face and I love you on her lips. He'd woken to find the blankets tented over his lower region and it hadn't yet gone away. Snarling under his breath, he dressed, trying to put Julia from his mind.
His son would be the king after him. Henry.
He needed to start the court proceedings to claim custody of his boy soon. But Julia clearly loved the baby. Benjamin could see it every time she looked at him. He could see utter devotion in her eyes like she'd give up her whole world for him. And she had, in a sense, when she had entered such a massive debt fighting Cynthia's family for him. What right did anybody, even Henry's father, have to take him from such a loving, caring home? Julia gave Henry everything he needed and more.
And what sort of father would he be? More to the point – what sort of step-mother would Caitlyn be? Could he really subject his son to grow up with that harpy as the woman he called mother?
The prince shook his head as he dressed, then went in search of Julia. Like usual, she was in the room he had provided for her, holding Henry close. She shrank back from him when he entered, eyes going wide. Looking at her made his heart clench.
"I've decided something," he started roughly. "You will remain Henry's primary guardian. But he is going to be named my son and heir and I will have partial custody. We won't live under the same roof, but you'll be close by and attend public events as though we are friends."
