His father held up a hand. “No, my son. I’ll not miss my mother’s funeral, and I will walk behind her casket.”
“And if you get another arrythmia during the service? The public portion that will be steamed live to everyone in Valleria—and others the world over—will last three hours at a minimum from start tofinish. We do want you there, Papa, of course we do, and we don’t want to keep you from it. But you know as well as I do the consequences if you collapse live on air. If you cut out the procession, and enter the church right before the main service, that will cut things down considerably, and be easier on your body.”
His father merely smiled.
“What? This isn’t something to smile about.”
“I think it is.”
“Why?”
“Because you’re right. It also means you’re ready. I was going to wait until after the funeral, but…my son, it’s time.”
Alex’s heart started beating faster. He couldn’t be talking about…no, he couldn’t meanthat. “Time for what, Papa?”
“For you to take the throne.”
Shit. Fuck.Shit. No, he must have heard his father wrong.
He shook his head in disbelief.
His father took a deep breath, then began. “I wouldn’t have wanted this for you so soon. I wanted to wait until the anniversary of my reign, as you know, but…” he gestured to his body. “I won’t be dying anytime soon, but the country has already lived through my heart issues once. They don’t need to nor want to do it again. Valleria needs stability and you can provide it.”
Alex had been training, preparing, anticipating this moment his whole life, yet he didn’t feel ready. Until now, he’d had his father to lead and to be the safety net when he led. Now, he would be completely on his own.
His father took his hand. “I know exactly what you’re feeling, my son. It’s the same thing I felt sitting at my father’s bedside after he died, and wondering how I would manage things without him. But I’m not dead. I’ll still be here for questions and advice, though for perception’s sake, your mother and I will likely go to Ilva once I’m better, at least for a while. You’re much more ready for this than you think, both you and Rebecca.”
God, Rebecca. What would she say when he told her?
Alex took a deep breath. His father was counting on him and he wouldn’t let him down. “Logically, I know you’re right, Papa. It doesn’t make it any easier or make me feel less terrified. I’ll miss you and Mama, we all will. It won’t be the same once you leave the palace.”
“Itshouldn’tbe the same. You’ll wish it was at the start, just as I did once I became king. Yet, you’ll soon shift the palace and its energy into something better. I know you have several big and modern ideas. I wasn’t comfortable pursuing them, but now you have the chance to change Valleria for the better in new and hopeful ways.”
It was true. There were several things he wanted to change, such as making the Council more transparent, making Valleria even more inclusive, welcoming more refugees and immigrants, and overhauling parts of the education system, for a start. Rebecca also had her own ideas as well, with the launch of the new healthcare program being the first on her list. In some ways, she was more ambitious than him, likely because she’d grown up as a commoner and understood things about Valleria that he didn’t.
“When? Timing wise…”
His father nodded. “It’s a tough time to plan things. Once the mourning period is over, we’ll wait another month or so before announcing. We’ll want to sort out the details for the handover of power before then. I know some in the Council will see this as a reaction to my mother dying, and maybe it is to a certain degree, but it’s more about my health than anything else. We’ll announce my recurring heart issues along with the announcement to help ease the way.”
“You don’t need to share anything you don’t want to, Papa. Fuck them and what they think.”
“I agree with you, but I’m not easing the way for me to retire, I’m easing the way for you to take my place, so we’ll divulge it.” His father paused for a moment. “I don’t do this lightly, my son.”
“I know.”
“If I could have waited longer, and given you and Rebecca more time alone, I would have.”
“I know that too. You’ve been more than fair, Papa, and Rebecca feels that way too. Neither of us—noneof us, I should say—want you to risk your health.”
“Rebecca will feel this decision the most. She hasn’t been raised to expect this as you have.”
“She knew what would happen once we married.”
“Yes, but knowing something will happen is different to it actually happening. Don’t misunderstand—I know she’ll do a wonderful job as queen. But don’t forget that you’ll need to support her as much, maybe even more, than she’ll be supporting you.”
Becoming a ruler had always seemed an abstract notion. It was something for the future, not forright now. Yet, that wasn’t the case any longer, for either of them. And it wouldn’t only be the two of their lives that would be forever changed. All his siblings and their roles would shift too.
“Have you told anyone else?”
