ALEXANDER
Alex should be poring over the reports on his desk, speaking to people on the Royal Council, doing all the political things he should be doing after the morning’s announcement. Yet, all he could do was stare out the window and think about his wife, and the child they’d lost, and the painful days and weeks and months that had followed.
He heard a click behind him and knew that was the door to the secret passage, so he swiveled in his chair. Usually, it was his father, or brothers, or even Rebecca, but today it was his mother.
At the worried look on her face, he stood and braced himself. Everything had been relatively fine when he’d seen her a few hours ago. “Mama, what’s wrong?”
She walked over and took his hand. “I only want to say it once, I don’t think I could manage it more than that. Call all your siblings. I want them all on video chat or in the room. Now. Quickly.”
“Mama.”
“There’s no time. Hurry.”
“What about Papa?”
“He…he already knows.”
“Is he all right?”
“Yes and no. Physically, he’s fine. It’s not that.”
He wanted to ask more questions but could see his mother wasn’t ready to answer them, so he held back. What the fuck had happened?
He quickly messaged everyone who was at the palace and asked them to come to his office quickly and quietly—Rebecca, his brother Nate and his wife Charlie, his twin sister Catharine and her fiancé Eddie, and his brother Marcello and his wife Grace.
Then he sent out a secure video conference link he’d set up to everyone else who wasn’t in the palace—his sister Arianna and her husband Finn in Brazenbourg, his sister Sarah and her fiancé Rio in Italy, his brother Lorenzo and his fiancé Lily in Masillia, his brother Ethan and his love Anda in America, and his sister Carolina who was also in Masillia.
While they waited for everyone to arrive, he tried to comfort his mother, who had started silently crying. She was trying to be strong for them—something she’d done their whole lives—but this time, he gave her his strength instead and hugged her.
She was shorter than him, her dark blonde hair only reaching the middle of his chest, but she’d always seemed taller, if that made sense. She’d always seemed bigger, mightier, and just more. Even now, as a man in his late thirties, she still seemed that way.
As people entered the room—physically and virtually—his mother pulled back and wiped the tears away. She greeted everyone and reiterated she wouldn’t share until everyone was together, though it took a good fifteen minutes and some follow-up calls and messages. Once everyone was there, his mother sat in his chair, Alex standing behind her, and began.
“We…” She took a deep breath. “We got some news today. It’s your Nonna. She’s passed away.”
Stunned disbelief and denial swept the physical and virtualrooms. Alex couldn’t believe it himself. She was gone? That active, vital woman?
“What?”
“Nonna?”
“She’s not!” Sarah exclaimed on screen, while Rio tried to comfort her. “We just saw her last weekend! She was fine!” Sarah turned to Rio. “She’s not really gone, is she?”
Rio whispered in Sarah’s ear and held her closer, while Sarah shook her head.
Alex squeezed his mother’s shoulder, and she gave him a small smile before continuing. “She passed in her sleep, but the servants and her assistant didn’t realize until an hour or so ago. She often slept until very late in the morning or even early afternoon, so no one thought anything was amiss when she didn’t wake at her usual time. Her doctor on the island confirmed it.”
Alex couldn’t help but think of Nonna’s smile, which was a lot like his father’s. She was so often smiling. “How’s Papa doing?”
His mother shook her head. “Not well, as you can imagine. None of you were alive when your grandfather Charles died, but Gabriel pushed through because he had to take the throne. Now, he has the space to grieve the loss of his parent, but there’s still so much to do.”
She reached out a hand to Rebecca, who immediately took it. “I’m so sorry, my dear, but we’ll need to announce it. If it could be avoided doing it on the same day as your announcement?—”
Rebecca shook her head. “Of course it must be announced. Please don’t worry about me. Tell us what you need from us.”
Alex pulled Rebecca close to him and wrapped an arm around her waist, needing her strength. There would be so much to do now, and he knew a lot would fall on him. “Has Corrado already started implementing the funeral plans?” His Nonna had already planned her funeral long ago, as had his parents; it was typical for ruling monarchs and their spouses to do so. Corrado, his father’s chief-of-staff, would be the first to set the plans in motion.
His mother nodded. “He’ll touch base with you as soon as I lethim know that I informed all of you.” She glanced at the screen. “You will all need to come back and be part of the funeral procession and proceedings, which should take place in about nine days.” Nods and agreement echoed through the virtual room.
