“They’re not sure. I’m trying to convince him to do chemo. We have the best doctors at our disposal.” He stares up at the sky. “This is why the council is pushing so hard. This is why my mother is desperate to see me married to a woman who can fill her shoes. It’s not about alliances or tradition. My father wants to see me settled, knowing our legacy will continue before he dies. I’m obligated, but I don’t want to give you this burden.”
I move closer to him and hold him a little tighter.
“He can still beat this and serve our country another twenty years,” Louis continues. “He’s so good at pretending. But I see how tired he is after the events, and I want to make him happy.”
“I’m so sorry,” I whisper. “I can’t imagine how alone you’ve felt.”
“Thank you. I’m only sharing this so you understand how dire things are. The deadline is strict if I want to fulfill my father’s wish.” He turns his head to look at me. “I’m not only fighting the council, Addison. I’m fighting an invisible clock.”
He brushes his thumb across my cheek.
“Louis …”
“I want him to meet you. The real you, not the artist competing for a position.” He pauses. “My father is a good man, and you see people in their rawest form. It’s what makes you such a brilliant artist. And you have a way with words that cuts through bullshit. Maybe you can reach him in a way no one else can.”
“What would you want me to say?”
“Something that makes him want to fight without letting him know that you know.” He exhales. “He’s convinced himself that accepting death is noble. That a king should know when to surrender gracefully. But he’s not just the king; he’s my father. And I’m not ready to lose him yet.”
“Do you feel ready to be king?” I ask.
“I’m ready to serve when needed. But soon is unnecessary. His work isn’t finished yet.”
“Okay. Can you get me some time with him?”
He nods, and I press a kiss to his chest.
“No promises, but I’ll see what I can do.”
We lie there until the constellations shift. I should be exhausted, but I feel more awake than I have in years.
“We should head back,” he says, pressing a kiss to my forehead. “Before someone notices I’m gone.”
“The prince sneaking into his own palace at dawn.” I grin. “Scandalous.”
“You have no idea.”
He pulls me up, and we gather our clothes from the rocks. We walk back through the woods, holding hands, both of us taking our time. The silence is comfortable, full of everything we’ve shared tonight and everything still to come.
When we reach the edge of the gardens, he pulls me behind a hedge and kisses me again. It’s desperate and needy, and I suddenly don’t want the night to end.
“I’ll try to see you as soon as I can,” he says against my lips.
“I’ll be waiting.”
He pulls back and grins. “Oh, and, Addison?”
“Yeah?”
“It’s your turn on the chessboard.”
I smile. “I know.”
“Good.” He steals one more kiss, quick this time. “I’m about to win a favor, so play carefully.”
I force myself to break away, and as I look back, he’s staring at me, wearing a smirk. All I can do is smile as I head toward my cottage.
Before I make it back, I pass Tatiana on the trail. Her face is unreadable in the moonlight, but her voice is ice.
