His father shook his head but said, “Your mother, of course, but no one else. I wanted to discuss with you first.”
Alex took a deep breath, then another. “Okay. Okay. I, er, I’ll…I need to tell Rebecca.”
“Let me know once you have. Your mother will inform your siblings, then I’ll get Corrado involved to get things moving. You and Rebecca should also inform her parents, and your own chiefs of staff.”
“The extended family?”
“My family will find out just before the public announcement. This will change their statuses and some of them will be less than happy about it. Saying they’re the ‘King’s brother’ or ‘King’s sister’ has a more powerful connotation than ‘King’s uncle or aunt’, if you catch my meaning. And you should also keep your distance from some of your cousins who are the same.”
Alex knew exactly who he was talking about. “And Mama’s family?”
“We may tell Diana ahead of time as we will my family, but the rest can find out with the public. They only ever approved of our power, my son, they never approved of me or even you or Rebecca.”
Alex still remembered how some of his family had treated Rebecca right before their wedding. He hadn’t forgiven them for it and perhaps never would. If they hadn’t approved of his choices and decision to marry her then, he certainly wouldn’t keep them close now.
Fuck. Becoming king meant also becoming the de facto head of the family. He would decide who was ‘in’ and who was ‘out’. Unless…
His father seemed to read his thoughts. “Sorry, my son, but you’ll have to deal with family squabbles now. I’m too old and too tired.”
“You’re not old.” He was barely in his seventies.
“I am. I also understand your reticence to take over the family as well as the country. I felt the same when my time came. But if I’m not king, my power to moderate those bullshit disputes in our family is gone.”
His parents deserved a break from it all, even if Alex wished differently. “How is Mama handling this?”
“She knows it’s time, even if she would prefer to stay queen a little longer. Her status is what kept her mother at bay for so long.”
Alex nodded. His maternal grandmother craved power and had to settle for her daughter getting it instead of her. “So many changes. I doubt we’ll all handle them well, Papa.”
His father squeezed his hand. “I know. Take things one step at a time, and you’ll get through.”
“Yes. I’ll…I’ll go find Rebecca then. She’s the first step.” She would always be the first—the first one he told things to, the first one he leaned on, the first one to call him on his bullshit, the first woman he’d ever loved, and his forever love.
Rebecca was his first andforever.
ALEXANDER
Alex lefthis father to travel the secret corridors back to his and Rebecca’s apartments in another part of the Royal Wing. As he exited the corridor into their foyer, he heard her muffled voice in one of the rooms. Despite being smaller than his parents’ apartments, theirs were still fairly large and included sitting rooms, a small kitchen and dining area, offices, gym, guest rooms, and their master bedroom.
He stopped suddenly as he realized they wouldn’t be living here anymore. Once his parents left, they’d have to take over their apartments. Glancing around, all he could see were his and Rebecca’s memories. The moment when she moved in and her lavender scent became a permanent fixture he loved. When she’d put her wedding dress in one of the guest rooms and he wasn’t allowed to see it until their public wedding. When his father’d had his first heart ‘episode’ and she’d soothed him with sex and surprise lingerie. When they’d made love or fucked hard against walls or floors or furniture and, of course, in their bed.
When they’d miscarried and he’d held her for seemingly days afterwards. The two of them, clinging to each other, grieving together, comforting each other.
These were merely rooms. Moving wouldn’t change the memories or inhibit the creation of new ones in different rooms. Yet, he couldn’t help feeling anxious about another change tacked on to the list with all the others.
He took a deep breath, then started walking again towards the sound of her voice, eventually finding her in her closet. He crossed his arms and leaned against the doorjamb, content to simply watch her for a minute before he changed her life with the news.
She was barefoot, her heels discarded nearby but not put away, so he knew she must have another meeting to go to today. His wife was fairly tidy—so was he, actually—and they rarely left clothes out unless they needed cleaning or pressing or polishing. She was talkingon the phone to someone, he couldn’t tell who but guessed Mara. With her handsfree earbuds in, Rebecca easily moved back and forth between the racks and drawers and storage in her massive closet, carrying different outfits and accessories each time. She’d hang up an entire outfit, take a picture and put it on a special board she used to track what she wore each week, and then put the outfit on a special rack.
He could wear the same suit with a different tie every day and hardly anyone gave a fuck. If she wore the same dress more than once or even repeated it too close together, some got upset. For all the talk of wanting the monarchy to be more frugal, in practice some people didn’t seem to want the same thing.
She smiled softly when she finally saw him. “All right. Yes. No, I think I’m set for now, thanks. Let me take care of a few things and I’ll see you in an hour. Bye.”
Alex loved that smile; it was one she saved for him. “I’m something to take care of, am I?”
“Always.” She took out her earbuds and stepped to him, then leaned up on her toes and kissed him.
He wrapped his arms around her and took a deep breath, inhaling her scent and feeling her warmth and curves pressed against him.
