As his mother was brought into the main part of the abbey, the bells of the church sounded and he sensed the crowd inside quiet. When Corrado gave the signal to the Sergeant Major, they began to call commands for the royal procession. Gabriel took a deep breath and stepped forward at their command, Genevieve falling in step beside him as an orchestra began to play.
They entered the abbey near the altar. Gabriel, Genevieve, and his siblings stepped forward, first bowing or curtsying to the coffin, then they took a knee, a very old tradition that was rarely ever used but which they’d all agreed to do. The coffin which was draped with the Vallerian flag, a large floral display on one end. Embedded in the flowers were small notes—one from him, Genevieve, and each of his siblings, and one collective note from all his children. He hadn’t read any but his own and didn’t care to; his message had been a very personal goodbye, so theirs may have been too.
Kneeling on the cold, stone floor of the abbey, it suddenly occurred to him that he would never bow to his mother again. It was such a silly thought. Only royal children were forced to bow or curtsyto their parents in public, and he, nor his parents, ever wanted that same formality in private. But his mother’s death now hit him in a different way.
This was his mother’s final ‘public’ appearance, andhisfinal public appearance with his mother. He sniffled and was glad of his mustache in moments like this, as it helped hide his true feelings.
After a minute’s silence, they moved away to stand at their seats. He wanted to reach for Genevieve’s hand beside him, but couldn’t while they remained standing. So he instead focused on his children and their loves, and watched them file in and around the casket, Alexander and Rebecca in front, while the others filed in on either side. His sons hadn’t needed to wear uniforms but had wanted to, while his daughters all wore various black outfits in lieu of their ceremonial uniforms. They bowed and curtsied and took their own minute of silence before heading to their seats.
Later on, he wished he could say he remembered every moment of the funeral, but the entire event was hazy in his mind. He stood when he needed to, sat when he needed to, sang when he needed to, and did everything exactly correct, but it was as if his body was handling everything automatically. Maybe he simply wasn’t meant to remember one of the hardest days of his life.
He wouldn’t forget, however, seeing his mother lifeless before they’d placed her in the coffin days ago. She’d looked peaceful, smiling a little even, but pale and cold. He’d held her hand to his cheek all the same, wanting to feel his mother’s touch one last time. Then he’d kissed her hand and said his goodbye. Now, as main the funeral service ended and the final procession began, he still didn’t feel ready to let her go.
He'd learned after his father’s death that grief never disappeared, but it did become easier or more comfortable to live with. With his mother’s death, however, he didn’t have his work to distract him in the same way. He’d need to take things day by day—or even moment by moment—to help him navigate life without his Mama.
As his children and their spouses and partners began to followthe casket out of the abbey, Gabriel and his siblings and their spouses waited and exited through the side. The doctor and Alexander wouldn’t agree to him taking part in a walking procession, but were okay if he was riding a horse, so he and his siblings would follow on horseback instead. Genevieve and the other spouses would be escorted by car.
The procession took half an hour, through the winding streets of the capital, Valentia, from the abbey to the palace grounds and vault where she would be buried. Thousands lined the streets for a final glimpse of their former queen. She’d been a much beloved queen who’d lost her husband and her position on the same day. Stricken with grief, she’d still curtsied to Gabriel and said, her voice clear and composed, “My King.” Even on this bright, clear day, with the crowds and sounds of the procession, he could still hear her voice saying those words.
It seemed only minutes later that the procession approached the palace gates. Overhead, Valleria’s flag flew at half-mast and would remain that way for thirty more days. Yet, he wouldn’t be able to grieve as he wanted to in the days and weeks ahead.
So many heads of state had flown in for the funeral and, though Alexander had met with some of them, others insisted on Gabriel’s presence in meetings too. Then there were the abdication and coronation details to sort out.
Sitting on one of his favorite horses, riding behind his mother’s casket, his heart ailing and grieving, he admitted to himself that he was glad he was abdicating. He was ready to put aside this part of his life and let his son lead.
The final part of the funeral—the interment—was private and for the family only. Only when she was placed beside his father did he finally feel ready to start letting her go. His father would take care of her from here.
And now it was also time for Gabriel to take care of himself.
seven
REBECCA
Rebecca took a deep breath and made the call back she’d been dreading. “Hello, Dr. Safar?”
“Yes, hello, Rebecca. Thank you for returning my call. Let me pull up your file.”
Rebecca twirled her engagement and wedding rings around her finger while she paced in her bedroom, nerves getting the better of her. She’d have to rush to her next meeting back at her offices, but she didn’t want to risk anyone overhearing. She also wanted space, just in case the news was bad…
“All right,” Dr. Safar started. “The recent blood tests, mixed with the worsening symptoms you’ve had recently, leads me to believe you have a few things going on.”
Oh hell. What now?“Okay.”
“I think you first have polycystic ovarian syndrome, or PCOS. We’d talked about this as a possibility a while ago, but the hormone levels from the blood test make me feel confident about it. I’d say it’s a pretty advanced case.”
A name! Shefinallyhad a name for the way she’d been feeling. The awful periods and clots and cramping, the constant headaches and migraines, the hair on her face and body that was such a pain to deal with, the exhaustion, and the weight gain…all of which made it harder to get through the day, much less be a princess in the public eye. “You said there were a few things?”
“In addition to that chronic illness, however, I also believe you have another: endometriosis. This can be genetic and, given the symptoms your mother and you share, and the pain you have throughout your entire cycle and not just around your period, I believe you do have it. We can do a surgical test to confirm.”
Another name! “Oh. Wow.”
“Lastly, the very sharp pains you’ve been having are related to a polyp in your uterus. You saw it on the last ultrasound, and I know you were concerned. Polyps don’t always cause issues, but I think we should go in and remove it. I’ll also have it tested, just in case, but I’m not expecting anything abnormal.”
“So more surgery?”
“We can remove it and do the endometriosis test at the same time. It should be straightforward. You’ll be in and out the same day and shouldn’t need to stay overnight unless there’s a complication. However, I do these kinds of procedures every week and they’re very routine, so while I am prepared for complications, I don’t expect them.”
“Oh my God.” She let out a staggered breath. “I just…I can’t believe we finally have a diagnosis. All these years in pain…” A sob broke free, she couldn’t help it. “I tried to get people to listen to me for years—years!—before you finally listened to me and took me seriously.”
