After dinner, they sat in the pretty, cozy living room—Gabriel’s parents and Jonet having retired to their own bedrooms. But Evelyne paced while Ines rocked Gabri, finding the rhythmic movement and the baby’s warm weight soothing. Ines knew Evelyne was concerned because Gabriel hadn’t sent an update, but no doubt arresting a general took some time and careful doing.
Or he’s leading a successful overthrow and Alex is somewhere hurt and—
She squeezed her eyes shut, trying to shut out the anxiety loop of her own thoughts. It was pointless. There was nothing she could do from here. There’d be nothing she could do at the palace. This was military and such.
This was aking’sduty. Not a man’s.
The fact that she understood that distinction better now than she ever had before was painful. Not only because she understood, but in understanding she had no idea how to get through to him. How to convince him he deserved to be amantoo. Not when so much rested on him being a king.
He thought love a weapon, and his title armor. How could she ever foment her own successful revolution againstthat?
Footsteps sounded quietly in the hall, and then a man appeared in the entryway.
Evelyne stopped her pacing, then in the next moment crossed the room at a jog and flung herself at Gabriel, who caught her and held on tight. They murmured words to each other, too soft for Ines to hear—but it was not a moment for her.
Ines stood—Gabri still in her arms, her heart in her throat.
There was no Alex with Gabriel.
“Everything is well,” Gabriel said loud enough that Ines was able to hear this assurance. “Vinyes has been arrested. Alexandre is currently interviewing and figuring out punishments for those who followed him. Vinyes will remain in jail until his court-martial. With the evidence stacked against him, his punishment will no doubt be swift and just.” Gabriel, still entwined with Evelyne, moved over to peer down at Gabri.
The baby wasn’t asleep yet but was getting there, with drooping eyes. Still, Ines handed Gabri over to his father with a shaky smile. All was well. Alexandre was busy, but safe. Safe. That was all that mattered now.
Gabriel held Gabri close with one arm and Evelyne with the other. Safe. Everything all right.
Except Ines felt very, very alone.
She pressed a hand to her stomach, reminding herself she wasn’t alone. Perhaps her child was not born yet, but the baby still needed her for right now to take care of herself. And soon to hold and nurture andlove.
“We will spend the night here and return to Alis in the morning,” Gabriel said.
“Will Alexandre be all right?” Evelyne managed to ask the question which Ines hadn’t been able to find words for.
Gabriel nodded. “Vinyes did not have as many followers as he would have needed to truly enact his plan. He believed more would follow than did. Many he thought would follow stood with Alex instead.”
Ines felt her knees go weak, but she locked them. Her husbandwasa good king. He deserved such loyalty. If only he could take that on board. His goodness, his strength, all grown in spite of what he’d been given. If only he could see howamazinghe was.
Instead, he hid behind a crown.
Evelyne let go of Gabriel and squeezed Ines tight. “Let’s get some rest. We’ll get up very early and head back home.”
Ines nodded and even managed to keep her smile in place as the small family left to go to their room. Ines found her way to hers. She dressed for bed, then simply lay down in the guest bed, her phone in her hand.
She stared at the screen. She could call him. She could reach out and take that step. She so wanted to, and yet the fear of hearing that clipped, detached tone of his had her staring at the phone in her hand until she fell asleep.
She awoke to the bustle of everyone getting ready to travel back to Alis. Gabriel and Evelyne were cheerful, though baby Gabri was grumpy—which gave Ines something to focus on. She helped Evelyne and Gabriel try to cheer him up in the car and on the plane ride back.
When they returned to the palace, Ines excused herself and went to her rooms immediately. As much as she was desperate to find Alex, to hold on to him as Evelyne had held on to Gabriel last night—just to assure herself he was alive and well—she knew she wasn’t steady enough for any kind of rebuff.
So she settled into a warm bath and tried to wash away all the worry and stress and focus on what came next.
She couldn’tmakeAlexandre believe in love. Perhaps with time she could, but the misery she’d spoken of before they’d left the palace wasn’t something she could stand. She had spent her entire childhood unloved, unwanted. A pawn. Perhaps she’d even thought it her due.
Until this new life had taught her otherwise. But it hadn’t changed her parents. It hadn’t changed anyone.Shecouldn’t. People had to change themselves.
Just as she had made the decision to change herself.
Perhaps she would always be a little miserable Alex could not believe in love, but she could hardly condemn her daughter to the same fate. But what other options were there? She was a queen. Their baby would be a princess. What would Ines do if not this?
