Page 26 of Royal Bastard

“No, she had something else entirely. Go now son, before Evie’s heart breaks any more than it already has. The woman is stunning, you know? She truly is, inside and out.”

I ran and didn’t look back. I’d sort out details later. For now, I wanted the woman who’d turned my life sideways long ago. I ran to the car and sped to Evie’s apartment. I’d camp outside of her door if I had to.

I banged on her door once I got there, impatient to end her pain, to tell her it was all a test. A stupid test, but still a test that we’d passed with flying colors. “Evie, open the door, it’s me!”

“Go away, Henry! If he finds out you’re here, I’ll lose my girls!” She sounded desperate to get rid of me.

“It was all a test, Evie. He was just testing us! Please, let me in, princess.” I winced at the endearment. I’d never used it with anyone but her, because she was the only woman worthy of it. Now, I was about to make her a real princess. If she’d still have me after all of this fuckery. My father might have ruined my chances. I’d make sure she got her daughters, either way.

“I don’t believe you, Henry. Go away.” I heard the last word turn into a sob and my heart twisted.

“Evie, baby, please. I swear. Look! Look through your spyhole. This is the ring my family uses as their official engagement ring. It’s for you, Evie. Edwin gave it to me.” I held the ring up, box open, for her to see.

I heard her gasp through the thin door. “That’s not real, Henry! It’s so… gaudy!”

“I know, right? I’ll find you another one, but for now, please open the door, Evie. Let me in, baby.”

“I don’t know…” But the door opened. Her face was streaked with tears again, but I swore it would be the last time those eyes cried from sadness if I could help it.

“Will you marry me?” I’d planned on waiting another week or two, but as soon as I opened my mouth, the words came out.

“My daughters?” She looked so lost. “I want them in my life, Henry. I won’t have them ostracized.”

“I’ll have my father pass a decree. He’s already said they’ll be made princesses.”

“And we won’t be sneered at?”

“I’ll put anybody that does up on a pike.” I groused the words out, but I wouldn’t really.

“And we’ll not have to deal with Aaron or his wife?” I knew she hated the woman who’d taken her place.

“Never.”

“Mommy!” I heard the squeal of little girl voices and turned around.

Two identical blond haired, blue eyed little girls ran down the hall and straight at Evie. Her daughters. I’ve only ever seen them in pictures.

“Where have you been, Mommy? We’ve been worried sick!” Precocious little things, I could see.

“Violet?” she said to the one that had spoken. “Dahlia?”

Evie crushed the girls to her and began to sob. I looked down the hall to see my father turn a corner, a wave of his hand his only acknowledgement or goodbye. He was king. It was good to be king, I could see, as I watched Evie kiss her girls.

“Mommy, who’s that man who looks like the king?” the one called Dahlia asked. I could only tell because she had a purple spot on her nose from ice cream she hadn’t yet cleaned away.

“This is my, um, fiancé girls. He’s going to be your stepfather.” She beamed up at me, the acceptance in her eyes. This was what she’d needed, this was the only way she’d be able to step forward.

“That I am. And if you’d be so kind, girls, I’d like to take you and your Mommy for a ride to my house. Mommy doesn’t live here anymore.”

I saw Evie’s surprise, and then her acceptance. There was no need for us to live separately. “I’ll send for your things later, Evie, if that’s okay?”

“It’s perfect, Henry. It’s all just so, wonderfully, beautifully, perfect.”

“Mommy, where is Aruba? That’s where Daddy’s and other-mommy-bad-lady is going.”

“Other mommy bad lady?” Evie asked, with a laugh of delight.

“That’s what we call her when she can’t hear us. She didn’t want to be our mommy accept for when Daddy was looking. We didn’t like her. Where were you, Mommy?” That was Violet, the one without the purple dot of ice cream. I was going to be so lost when they washed their faces.