“Thank you for honoring my daughter.”
“It was my pleasure, dear queen.”
He stepped back to where his wife sat with the wet remnants of her tears on her cheeks. She motioned for him to lean downfor a kiss. Their lips lightly pressed together before he tried to stand up, but her firm hand on his shoulder kept him in place.
“Aléx,” she whispered. “You’re going to be a great father.”
From his wife’s mouth to God’s ear. After holding that precious babe in his arms, every fiber of his being wanted her words to be exceedingly true.
Chapter Fifteen
“Your Majesty?”
Aléx turned his head toward his secretary, who was sitting before him, attempting to review his schedule for the day. This was something that happened every day he sat in his office, and yet he couldn’t seem to focus on anything the secretary said.
“I’m sorry, Michael. Could you repeat that, please?”
His focus had been shot to hell since he’d held Princess Shadae in his arms a week ago. He and Regina had spent two days on Nyeusi, celebrating the newborn with her parents and grandparents. It was two days of bliss, where Aléx hadn’t been dogged by the constant ache in his soul that seemed to be a permanent reality of his life.
“The Queen’s Ball is quickly approaching, and I haven’t yet received any notice from the queen or the princess regarding themes and guest lists. The invitations must go out in the next ten days if we expect donors to attend.”
Confusion settled over him. How could this be? The annual charity ball, given in his mother’s honor to supplement the education ministry’s ability to keep postsecondary school free on Obsidian Island, was one of the royal family’s most important events of the year. Without it, so many scholars who didn’t have the benefit of wealthy parents would be left behind. His mother believed that the best minds, regardless of who they were and what tax bracket they were in, should have access to quality education. Obsidian Island would only thrive if its thinkers werediverse and brought different ideas and experiences to help address their nation’s problems.
How had he let this happen?
He knew the answer to that. He’d been so preoccupied with thoughts of the new baby, her smell, the warmth growing inside him when he held her, and how happy it made him seeing Jasiri in his new role.
That last part was what surprised him most. Aléx had never questioned the distance between him and Jasiri, only accepted that it was there and moved on with his life. But now, Jasiri seemed to be trying to breach the chasm that had existed between them for nearly two decades.
“Michael, in light of the queen’s condition and her still learning about all things Obsidian, please contact the princess. I wish for her to partner with my wife to make this year a phenomenal one in both attendance and donations.”
Michael nodded quickly before standing, bowing again before he took his leave.
As soon as his office door closed, Aléx’s mind fell back to his distant cousin and the new heir. Before he could stop himself, he dialed Jasiri’s number, hoping he’d answer and not send his call to voicemail like Aléx had done to his over the years.
“Good morning, Cousin. How fares the king of Obsidian Island on this beautiful day?”
Jasiri’s jubilant tone drew a genuine smile from Aléx, one he was certain Jasiri would be surprised by if he had witnessed such a thing.
“Spoken like a man who is deliriously happy with his new daughter.”
Jasiri chuckled. His deep, rich voice sounded lighter than Aléx had ever heard it.
“You are right on both accounts. I am deliriously happy with my new daughter. I’m also just plain delirious because theprincess has mixed up her days and nights, and Reigna and I aren’t thrilled at the idea of bringing in a nanny.”
“You’re forgoing a nanny?” That wasn’t something he’d ever heard of in royal circles. His parents had certainly raised him, but there was no way they’d been able to keep him and his sister underfoot while his mom was queen of a nation.
“Not exclusively, no. We just want to have these first six weeks or so with Shadae until we feel we’ve all bonded more completely.”
Jasiri’s words resounded in his heart and head. It sounded absolutely terrifying doing all the preliminary work of taking care of a newborn yourself. As much as fear seemed a reasonable response, the thought of hoarding that initial time with his wife and their child sounded like heaven. Could they do it? Would Regina want it? Would their child be the better for it?
“Jasiri, aside from the new-father euphoria, you’re all doing well, aren’t you?”
There was a pause, and Aléx wondered if he’d gone out of bounds by asking something so personal. They weren’t close. Perhaps he didn’t have the right to an answer.
“We’re doing well. It is difficult, especially with so little sleep, but I wouldn’t trade it for anything. My daughter is everything that is good in the world. You’ll see what I mean when your child is born shortly. Everything seems irrelevant but the well-being of that precious life you’ve been charged with caring for. If you’re half the man you believe yourself to be, you’ll do everything within your power to ensure your baby has the best you can offer. I do it for my little one, and I have no doubt you’ll do it for yours when they arrive.”
There it was again, that same tension of hope and fear mixed together that had him wondering if he wanted to cry or laugh or both.
