His face remained tight with tension, but he whispered, “No one does.”
“So, how?—?”
“I don’t know,” Landon said, and beside him, Morty shrugged. “Beats me.”
Kingston paced where he stood, one hand covering his mouth as he ran through the new information.
“Max may know more than we do, but getting that truth from him isn’t pressing or something I would consider possible, given his current feelings.” He faced Morty, understandingdawning in his blue-gray eyes. “But that’s why you reclaimed your birthright. And why the plan was for you to follow Merle’s footsteps, eventually take the place as my left hand again, despite what my father had decided with the test.”
“Yep.” His snarky response held an undercurrent of rejection. “With Max’s mother gone, and him the new black sheep of the Dread family, Max became the second son he was always meant to be. Except, a minor problem arose. Before she disappeared, Max’s mother changed the rules of the game.”
I arched a brow. “They let a woman do something like that?”
Landon’s serious expression cracked only briefly, bringing relief I hadn’t known I needed, but when Kingston spoke, his features hardened again. “She was the only remaining member of her family at that point.”
Morty nodded. “Yup. She took the documents, every single one, outlining the agreement sealed by her marriage, so the Camelot Society couldn’t destroy them.”
“What does that mean?”
“It meansLe Redouté Vinis up for grabs to whoever secures a marriage withherfamily line. A high prize in our world, given the way the winery flourished under the Camelot Society’s eye for investments.” Morty smirked at Kingston. “It’s not quite the same as a betrothal to aD’Arthur, but it’s more than just a seat at the table.”
Kingston frowned. “Which makes Max their way to get it.”
“Right you are, ol’ chap.” The derision in Morty’s tone undermined his flippant response, and we all fell silent, thinking over what it all meant.
Landon broke the silence. “So, that’s why Max has been forced to stay at Camelot Court? Forced to attend all the parties, take part in The Quest? Because of some expectation that one day, he’d marry a Camelot Society daughter so they could take control of his inheritance?”
Morty crowed in an obnoxious announcer voice, “Ding! Ding! Ding! And tell him what he’s won!” But then he said seriously, “Their family will claim his inheritance. Why else do you think his name has been proudly shouted throughout our worldin full?”
“It’s a reminder.” Kingston pinched the bridge of his nose.
“Max Dread,” I whispered.
“Yes.” Kingston met my gaze. “So, no one forgets which family he’s tied to as well.”
My heart broke, and I had to look away.
I stared at the house in the direction he’d gone, needing to find him. “But Max won’t—he’s not just going to marry someone to inherit a winery he doesn’t even want.”
“No, of course not.” Morty scoffed. “Hasn’t stopped the Valencourts, though. They’ve been after that union since he and Vivian were young. Max has always refused to cooperate. Mostly, at least. Some things he doesn’t have to resist.”
He winked like a fucking asshole, and I ignored him, turning to Kingston. “Is that why he’s still tied to them?”
“It would make sense. But even if it’s true—” Kingston stepped closer to me, taking my hands that I’d threaded into my hair, wanting to pull it out. “It’s like I told you. I still believe he has stronger ties now.”
I exhaled shakily. “This place is a fucking mess.”
Morty muttered, “Understatement of the century.”
Kingston pulled me into his arms and pressed his lips to the top of my head. “I know, love.”
I wrapped my arms around him. “I need to find Max.”
“Of course. Find him quickly. We don’t have long before the others arrive, and I want you to have enough time to talk to him about everything. It’ll be alright. You’ll see.”
Nodding into his chest, I pressed my cheek against him and met Landon’s gaze.
His expression softened when our eyes met, and he forced a smile to reassure me. But the bruise forming over his left eye and his split lip did the opposite.
