“Watching everyone.” His voice is quiet. “I had people reporting to me. I knew about the chess games within the first week. The stolen moments in the conservatory. The notes. Midnight escapes.” He shakes his head. “Better than reality television.”
Louis makes a strangled sound beside me. “This whole time, you knew? So, we were your entertainment?”
“In a way, yes. The season finale was chef’s kiss.”
“Then why didn’t you—” Louis stops and shakes his head. “Why did you let Mother do this? The competition, the pressure, the threats. If you knew, why didn’t you stop it?”
“Because I wanted to see what you would do.” The king leans forward. “I was testing to see if you had the courage to fight for what you wanted or if you’d surrender, like—” He stops himself.
“Continue,” Louis says. “Please.”
The king speaks, breaking me from my thoughts. “Like people in this family have always done. Many have chosen duty over love. Many have sacrificed their happiness for the Crown. Convincing themselves that wanting something didn’t mean they deserved it.”
His eyes move back to Louis. “I wanted to know if you’d choose differently if you could.”
He looks at me, and I don’t look away.
“And the courage that must’ve taken.”
He turns back to Davis. “I’ve spent my entire reign surrounded by people who tell me what I want to hear. They make the choice that protects their position and their power. Do you have any idea how rare it is to find someone who will risk everything to do what’s right?”
Davis blinks, clearly not expecting this turn.
“The treason charges are dismissed,” the king says. “Effective immediately.”
Davis’s mouth falls open. “Your Majesty?—”
“You showed more loyalty to my son in one night than most of my advisors have shown me in thirty years.” The king rises and steps toward Davis, who scrambles to his feet. “That kind of loyalty deserves recognition, not punishment.”
“I don’t know what to say, other than thank you.”
“Just continue being the man who makes the right choice instead of the easy one.” The king places a hand on Davis’s shoulder. “Now, if you’ll excuse us, there are family matters I need to discuss with my son and Miss Cross.”
“Yes, Your Majesty.” Davis looks at Louis, who gives him a small nod. Then he moves to the door, pausing at the threshold to glance back at us before stepping into the hallway and pulling the door closed behind him.
The click of the latch seems louder in his absence.
The king returns to his chair. With Davis gone, some of the formality has drained from the room. What’s left is more personal.
“All of this stress and anxiety so you could watch what choice I’d make?” Louis asks, like he’s still working through it.
“Yes.”
“Why didn’t you just stop it? It went too far and?—”
“I was going to intervene, but then you jumped on a plane and disappeared. I still haven’t figured out how you had a jet sent for you. But I’m happy to know that if you ever needed to escape, you have ways of doing so.” The king lifts the teacup to his lips.
“People in this family have always chosen duty over love. They sacrificed their happiness for the Crown and convinced themselves it was noble and necessary. I needed to know if you would surrender your heart when things got hard or if you would fight.” He gestures at my painting on the easel. “And then I saw this. It’s a declaration of love so bold, so reckless that it answered every question I had. What you have is real and not for clout or titles.”
My vision blurs, and I blink hard.
“I’ve watched you transform this summer,” the king continues, focusing on Louis. “I’ve seen you laugh in ways I haven’t heard since you were a boy. I’ve seen you take risks that you never would’ve taken before. You’ve become the man I always hoped you’d be.” He looks at me. “Because of you.”
I stay silent because I don’t trust my voice.
“Do you know what I thought when I first saw that painting?” the king asks.
We both shake our heads.
