Page 9 of Royal Resistance

I don’t think a bottle of champagne would be enough for me tonight. I need something much stronger to rid the sense of being in the wrong place at the wrong time.

Or maybe in the wrong body.

I feel very wrong, and have since they told me my father was dead.

“All good?” Duncan asks as he joins me where I stand at the end of the receiving line. It’s not really much of a receiving line, just me.

My brother refused to welcome anyone.

Dante may not offer any support to me in my new role, but Duncan has never left my side.

Not only since my father passed, but for the past six months.

When I told the band I needed to quit, the decision to end things was unanimous. Kräftig would be the five of us, or not at all.

The boys followed me to Laandia. Luciano stayed only for a few weeks before leaving for France to study at the Cordon Bleu. He wants to be a chef. At the castle.

He wants to work for me.

Big, brawly Etienne has taken over as head of my security.

Quiet Benny, the one who always made sure the band got to the right place at the right time, became my equerry.

And Duncan has become my chief advisor since Johanne Crow resigned hours after my father’s death.

It’s clear Johanne would have preferred my brother as king. He said as much in his resignation letter. Not a surprise, but never nice to hear.

I don’t know if the country feels the same way.

I would have replaced Johanne with Duncan eventually, but he made it easier for me by leaving. It’s not so easy for Duncan, but he’s been learning the ropes along with me for the past few months.

He’s left to do a few modelling assignments, but has settled into the castle in Battle Harbour like he was born here.

“Yeah,” I say heavily before giving myself a shake. “All good.” I manage a smile.

Duncan gives me a long look. We’ve been friends too long for him to know that’s not the case, that I’m not okay. “You’ve got this,” he says with a reassuring smile.

The man is too good-looking for his own good, even when he’s pitying me.

Not that anyone should be pitying me. I’m a king. I can do anything I want, go anywhere I want.

We all know that’s not the case, though.

“I know,” I tell Duncan. I have no choice but to get this. And get it right now, because the doors are about to open, and this place is going to get really busy, really fast.

Five hundred guests had been invited, and nearly every one of them accepted. The world knows a coronation is the invitation of a lifetime.

Kings and queens, presidents and prime ministers. Olympic champions, Oscar winners, industry leaders, and some of the world’s most influential people.

I added plenty of musicians to the guest list. Touring the world has introduced me to some incredible people, and many have become genuine friends over the years.

But this night isn’t reserved for the famous.

Scattered among the dignitaries and celebrities are ordinary Laandians who have quietly shaped my life: my parents’ oldest friends, neighbours who’ve watched me grow up, former teachers who’d endured my teenage years, the coach who taught me discipline, and the people who offered support and encouragement when I needed it most.

My father once told me a king may wear the crown alone, but no one reaches the throne without the kindness of others, and I took it to heart.

Diandra Laz appears between us, with two wine glasses. She has been one of the people who have always been there for me, mainly because of her closeness to her brother. Dee has always taken the “love my brother, love his best friend” motto to heart.