“That’s great,” Keller says.
“I’ll assist you,” Brimar offers, following Lara into the kitchen.
When they’re out of earshot, Keller takes a seat on the uneven stone floor and says, “It seems like you were talking about something important.”
“Lara asked me if I’ve made a decision about what I’m going to do.”
“Ah,” Keller says, his eyes drifting down as he stretches his legs. I know avoidance when I see it—he’s worried about what I’ll say, so he doesn’t look me in the eyes. I’d probably be doing the same thing if I were in his position. But what he doesn’t realize is that he’s already said some extremely compelling things.
“You matter most, Lilly. Even if you decide you don’t want to be part of the royal life and you go back to Miami, until that time has come... you... matter... most.”
Admittedly, that rocked me. In a good way. I. Matter. Most.Wow.Things were great with my parents, but I’d never felt so championed than in that moment.
And then he told me he had confidence in me with“I think your life is in Miami, but your soul rests among the moss and lava rock. You belong here, Lilly.”Maybe... that’s true.
“Don’t you want to know what it is?”
“Yes,” he says, and I can see the tension in his shoulders rise as the anticipation of my answer hangs in the air.
“I’m not sure what all of this entails, the training, the responsibility, but I feel like if I don’t at least try, then I’m going to regret it.” His eyes pop up to mine, hope resonating in his pupils. “Being here, hearing about my mom, I already feel like I’ve found a piece of me I’ve been missing, and I don’t think I’m ready to give that up. So, I’m going to give this a try. I will give the king two months.”
He controls his smile, never letting it reach his eyes, nor does he allow his excitement to shine, but in the subtle way his chest puffs, to the faint wrinkles in the corner of his eyes, I know my decision has truly brought him joy.
And even though I’m in this to find my soul, like Keller pointed out, I can’t help but feel like bringing Keller joy is something I was meant to do.
ChapterEight
KELLER
“She agreed,” I say quietly into the phone.
Theo coughs on the other end but then follows up with a choked-up, tear-filled response. “Really? Truly she wants to stay?”
“She said she would give you two months.” I’m almost whispering, not wanting my voice to carry. I snuck up to the bathroom for a shower but knew I had to relay the information to Theo as quickly as possible.
“That’s fair.”
“How do you suppose I convince her in two months? I know we said I would train her, but do you actually want me to do that? It’ll be grueling. It might not be the best way to convince her.”
“No, it’s the only way to convince her,” Theo says. “The idea of painting a perfect picture of what her life could be is appealing, but it’s not the reality of the situation. She needs to understand what she is getting herself into. I might be desperate, but I refuse to deceive my own granddaughter.”
And this is exactly why I love Theo. He’s a man of his word, a man with a conscience. He won’t set out to circumvent you, he’ll be truthful and honest.
“You don’t want me to take it easy on her?”
“No, because if she becomes queen, she needs to be mentally fortified in order to take the brutal hardships of the responsibility.”
“Understood. Shall we remain here, at Harrogate?”
“Given the swirl of media and rumors, I believe it’s best.”
“And Katla—does she know?”
“She does,” Theo responds. “I’d like to say she’s happy, but I think she’s more worried than anything. I’m not sure she wants to meet Lilija out of fear she’ll lose her. I’m attempting to convince her otherwise. She’s lost so much, so I understand her apprehension.”
“I see. And what should I expect with your involvement in this?”
“Not much.” His voice comes out breathy right before he falls into a litany of coughs that only makes my chest feel tighter. I know he’s getting better, the doctor has said so, but the cough is still frightening. “We haven’t found the leak and I don’t want anyone bothering her. I need to keep my interactions small.”
