Chapter 4

four

ALEXANDER

N o. Not his father. Not now. Not again. Alex grabbed Tavin's arm. "Where is he? What's happened?"

Tavin waved his hands. "It doesn't seem as serious as last time, Sir. That's the good news. He felt an arrythmia which made him unsteady and he fainted. But he was able to get up within minutes, and he insisted on going back to his apartments in the Royal Wing rather than the hospital. He's there now with the doctors."

Fuck! He let go of Tavin's arm and started walking in that direction, the others following. "Who else knows?"

Tavin shook his head. "No one, Sir. It happened in his offices, and only Corrado, Mara, and I were there at the time, other than the agents. He was able to walk back to the Royal Wing with some assistance."

Alex glanced around and, though no ministers were nearby, he couldn't risk running and alarming people. "Why didn't you call as soon as it happened?"

"The king asked me to find you in person, Sir, rather than call. He knew you likely wouldn't have your phone on in the Council chambers."

Alex rubbed a hand over his face and shook his head. "All right. Head back to the office and rearrange what you can. I'll let you know once I'm available again. Do the rest of the royal family know?"

"Mara informed Princess Rebecca, and Corrado informed Her Majesty, Sir. Should I inform everyone else?"

"No, we'll do it. Thank you, Tavin." Alex nodded to his brothers, who took out their phones and started messaging others.

"Sirs." Tavin bowed and left in the direction of their offices.

Shit, what was the saying? That bad things happened in threes? Alex wondered what might happen next, and if his father were truly okay or if he was actually worse than it seemed.

It was a tense several minutes as they made their way from one part of the palace to the other. As soon as they made it inside the Royal Wing, Alex let out a breath and they ran the rest of the way to their parents' apartments. They were let in without having to knock, the agents clearly expecting them.

"The queen?" Alex asked one of the agents.

"She's with the doctor in the sitting room, Sir."

Alex nodded and headed in that direction, and found his mother a moment later. He couldn't help but make comparisons to the time he'd seen her in the hospital after his father's last heart ‘episode'. She didn't seem as worried, though she could be hiding it.

"Mama."

"Boys. He's all right. It seems to be a minor event, but it's still worrying."

Dr. Maggie Wilson, a cardiologist who'd helped treat his father the last time and since, curtsied to them. "Your Highnesses."

He held out a hand and she shook it. "No need for formalities here, Doctor. How is my father?"

"He's doing well. It's only a mild arrythmia, though I'm ordering tests to confirm it's not related to a more serious blockage or condition. For now, though, he's on bed rest for today at least. "

"Only today?"

Dr. Wilson glanced at his mother then back at him. "I understand it's a difficult time, and he'll need to take it easy until the funeral. I'll pop in daily and check on His Majesty, and let you know closer to the funeral if it's feasible for him to attend."

"He'll be attending. Not because I'm demanding it," Alex clarified, "but because he will. If it's truly not serious…"

"No, Your Highness, I don't believe it is."

"…then we'll need to make adjustments to the funeral so it won't tax his energy as much. May I see him?"

His mother nodded. "He's in our bedroom. You should see him first, Alexander."

Alex squeezed his mother's hand, then made his way to his parents' bedroom. He knocked gently and heard his father's solid "Enter".

For the second time in his life, Alex saw his father connected to machines and heard the steady beeps monitoring his heart rhythm. This time, however, his father wasn't in a hospital, but was in his own bed.

Alex moved towards him and sat down carefully near his hips. "How are you, Papa?"

"I'm fine. It's nothing like last time."

"It still sounds serious. You should go to the hospital."

"I will for some tests, but otherwise don't need to, and I'd rather not worry the public." His father gestured to the machines. "They're only a precaution. I'll be up and about tomorrow."

Alex nodded. "And the funeral?"

"I'll walk in the procession."

"Now, Papa?—"

His father held up a hand. "No, my son. I'll not miss my mother's funeral, and I will walk behind her casket."

"And if you get another arrythmia during the service? The public portion that will be steamed live to everyone in Valleria—and others the world over—will last three hours at a minimum from start to finish. We do want you there, Papa, of course we do, and we don't want to keep you from it. But you know as well as I do the consequences if you collapse live on air. If you cut out the procession, and enter the church right before the main service, that will cut things down considerably, and be easier on your body."

His father merely smiled.

"What? This isn't something to smile about."

"I think it is."

"Why?"

"Because you're right. It also means you're ready. I was going to wait until after the funeral, but…my son, it's time."

Alex's heart started beating faster. He couldn't be talking about…no, he couldn't mean that . "Time for what, Papa?"

"For you to take the throne."

Shit. Fuck. Shit . No, he must have heard his father wrong.

He shook his head in disbelief.

His father took a deep breath, then began. "I wouldn't have wanted this for you so soon. I wanted to wait until the anniversary of my reign, as you know, but…" he gestured to his body. "I won't be dying anytime soon, but the country has already lived through my heart issues once. They don't need to nor want to do it again. Valleria needs stability and you can provide it."

Alex had been training, preparing, anticipating this moment his whole life, yet he didn't feel ready. Until now, he'd had his father to lead and to be the safety net when he led. Now, he would be completely on his own.

His father took his hand. "I know exactly what you're feeling, my son. It's the same thing I felt sitting at my father's bedside after he died, and wondering how I would manage things without him. But I'm not dead. I'll still be here for questions and advice, though for perception's sake, your mother and I will likely go to Ilva once I'm better, at least for a while. You're much more ready for this than you think, both you and Rebecca."

God, Rebecca. What would she say when he told her ?

Alex took a deep breath. His father was counting on him and he wouldn't let him down. "Logically, I know you're right, Papa. It doesn't make it any easier or make me feel less terrified. I'll miss you and Mama, we all will. It won't be the same once you leave the palace."

"It shouldn't be the same. You'll wish it was at the start, just as I did once I became king. Yet, you'll soon shift the palace and its energy into something better. I know you have several big and modern ideas. I wasn't comfortable pursuing them, but now you have the chance to change Valleria for the better in new and hopeful ways."

It was true. There were several things he wanted to change, such as making the Council more transparent, making Valleria even more inclusive, welcoming more refugees and immigrants, and overhauling parts of the education system, for a start. Rebecca also had her own ideas as well, with the launch of the new healthcare program being the first on her list. In some ways, she was more ambitious than him, likely because she'd grown up as a commoner and understood things about Valleria that he didn't.

"When? Timing wise…"

His father nodded. "It's a tough time to plan things. Once the mourning period is over, we'll wait another month or so before announcing. We'll want to sort out the details for the handover of power before then. I know some in the Council will see this as a reaction to my mother dying, and maybe it is to a certain degree, but it's more about my health than anything else. We'll announce my recurring heart issues along with the announcement to help ease the way."

"You don't need to share anything you don't want to, Papa. Fuck them and what they think."

"I agree with you, but I'm not easing the way for me to retire, I'm easing the way for you to take my place, so we'll divulge it." His father paused for a moment. "I don't do this lightly, my son."

"I know. "

"If I could have waited longer, and given you and Rebecca more time alone, I would have."

"I know that too. You've been more than fair, Papa, and Rebecca feels that way too. Neither of us— none of us, I should say—want you to risk your health."

"Rebecca will feel this decision the most. She hasn't been raised to expect this as you have."

"She knew what would happen once we married."

"Yes, but knowing something will happen is different to it actually happening. Don't misunderstand—I know she'll do a wonderful job as queen. But don't forget that you'll need to support her as much, maybe even more, than she'll be supporting you."

Becoming a ruler had always seemed an abstract notion. It was something for the future, not for right now . Yet, that wasn't the case any longer, for either of them. And it wouldn't only be the two of their lives that would be forever changed. All his siblings and their roles would shift too.

"Have you told anyone else?"

His father shook his head but said, "Your mother, of course, but no one else. I wanted to discuss with you first."

Alex took a deep breath, then another. "Okay. Okay. I, er, I'll…I need to tell Rebecca."

"Let me know once you have. Your mother will inform your siblings, then I'll get Corrado involved to get things moving. You and Rebecca should also inform her parents, and your own chiefs of staff."

"The extended family?"

"My family will find out just before the public announcement. This will change their statuses and some of them will be less than happy about it. Saying they're the ‘King's brother' or ‘King's sister' has a more powerful connotation than ‘King's uncle or aunt', if you catch my meaning. And you should also keep your distance from some of your cousins who are the same."

Alex knew exactly who he was talking about. "And Mama's family? "

"We may tell Diana ahead of time as we will my family, but the rest can find out with the public. They only ever approved of our power, my son, they never approved of me or even you or Rebecca."

Alex still remembered how some of his family had treated Rebecca right before their wedding. He hadn't forgiven them for it and perhaps never would. If they hadn't approved of his choices and decision to marry her then, he certainly wouldn't keep them close now.

Fuck. Becoming king meant also becoming the de facto head of the family. He would decide who was ‘in' and who was ‘out'. Unless…

His father seemed to read his thoughts. "Sorry, my son, but you'll have to deal with family squabbles now. I'm too old and too tired."

"You're not old." He was barely in his seventies.

"I am. I also understand your reticence to take over the family as well as the country. I felt the same when my time came. But if I'm not king, my power to moderate those bullshit disputes in our family is gone."

His parents deserved a break from it all, even if Alex wished differently. "How is Mama handling this?"

"She knows it's time, even if she would prefer to stay queen a little longer. Her status is what kept her mother at bay for so long."

Alex nodded. His maternal grandmother craved power and had to settle for her daughter getting it instead of her. "So many changes. I doubt we'll all handle them well, Papa."

His father squeezed his hand. "I know. Take things one step at a time, and you'll get through."

"Yes. I'll…I'll go find Rebecca then. She's the first step." She would always be the first—the first one he told things to, the first one he leaned on, the first one to call him on his bullshit, the first woman he'd ever loved, and his forever love.

Rebecca was his first and forever.

ALEXANDER

Alex left his father to travel the secret corridors back to his and Rebecca's apartments in another part of the Royal Wing. As he exited the corridor into their foyer, he heard her muffled voice in one of the rooms. Despite being smaller than his parents' apartments, theirs were still fairly large and included sitting rooms, a small kitchen and dining area, offices, gym, guest rooms, and their master bedroom.

He stopped suddenly as he realized they wouldn't be living here anymore. Once his parents left, they'd have to take over their apartments. Glancing around, all he could see were his and Rebecca's memories. The moment when she moved in and her lavender scent became a permanent fixture he loved. When she'd put her wedding dress in one of the guest rooms and he wasn't allowed to see it until their public wedding. When his father'd had his first heart ‘episode' and she'd soothed him with sex and surprise lingerie. When they'd made love or fucked hard against walls or floors or furniture and, of course, in their bed.

When they'd miscarried and he'd held her for seemingly days afterwards. The two of them, clinging to each other, grieving together, comforting each other.

These were merely rooms. Moving wouldn't change the memories or inhibit the creation of new ones in different rooms. Yet, he couldn't help feeling anxious about another change tacked on to the list with all the others.

He took a deep breath, then started walking again towards the sound of her voice, eventually finding her in her closet. He crossed his arms and leaned against the doorjamb, content to simply watch her for a minute before he changed her life with the news.

She was barefoot, her heels discarded nearby but not put away, so he knew she must have another meeting to go to today. His wife was fairly tidy—so was he, actually—and they rarely left clothes out unless they needed cleaning or pressing or polishing. She was talking on the phone to someone, he couldn't tell who but guessed Mara. With her handsfree earbuds in, Rebecca easily moved back and forth between the racks and drawers and storage in her massive closet, carrying different outfits and accessories each time. She'd hang up an entire outfit, take a picture and put it on a special board she used to track what she wore each week, and then put the outfit on a special rack.

He could wear the same suit with a different tie every day and hardly anyone gave a fuck. If she wore the same dress more than once or even repeated it too close together, some got upset. For all the talk of wanting the monarchy to be more frugal, in practice some people didn't seem to want the same thing.

She smiled softly when she finally saw him. "All right. Yes. No, I think I'm set for now, thanks. Let me take care of a few things and I'll see you in an hour. Bye."

Alex loved that smile; it was one she saved for him. "I'm something to take care of, am I?"

"Always." She took out her earbuds and stepped to him, then leaned up on her toes and kissed him.

He wrapped his arms around her and took a deep breath, inhaling her scent and feeling her warmth and curves pressed against him.

After a minute, she murmured, "How are you?"

"Okay. I saw my father."

When he didn't respond further, she gently prodded him. "And? How is he? I messaged your mother, but I haven't heard back yet."

"I'm not surprised." He inhaled deeply once more. "We need to talk."

Her face turned to shock. "Your father hasn't…he's not…"

"No! No, he's fine. I'm sorry. I didn't mean to worry you about that. I do have news to share with you, but it's not that."

She sagged in relief against his chest. "Oh. That's good. I'm so glad he'll be all right."

"Come, darling. Have you eaten anything today? "

"A snack, but I'm not hungry. Oh, but I'll eat with you if you'd like something."

He shook his head. "No, I'm not hungry either. Maybe at family dinner tonight. Let's make some tea at least before we talk."

"That serious?"

"Yes."

She nodded, then moved to her heels and slipped them on again.

He grasped her hand and led her out of their bedroom. Her heels clicked softly against the floor as they made their way to their kitchen.

"Why don't I make it?" she asked, and it was so like her. She was always ready to help or lend a hand where she could.

"I'll do it. The routine of it will help me right now. Meet me in our sitting room."

She nodded and rubbed a hand down his arm in comfort before leaving.

His wife was picky about her tea, and he was proud to say he could finally make it just as she liked it. Oh, she'd drink anything if someone else made it, but she was always precise when making it for herself and it needed to have the right tea-to-milk ratio. After making a pot and adding it to a tray with all the cups and accoutrements, he added a few pastries, just in case, and picked up the tray.

He headed down the hall to the cozy room they spent time in nearly every night. It was the smallest of their sitting rooms, but he loved it. There was just enough space for a few very comfortable chairs, a plush sofa, and a tv and entertainment system. He found her in her ‘spot' on the sofa, leaning back and checking her phone.

She smiled again—his smile—when he down the tray on the massive ottoman that doubled as a table sometimes. "I'll pour."

He wanted to serve her a perfect cuppa, but let her take the lead. She was wearing a sleeveless, knee-length black dress, the matching jacket discarded on a chair nearby. He watched as she leaned over to pour and gently rubbed a hand down her back while she did, needing the connection. As she handed him a cup, he wondered how to start the conversation .

They sat, slowly and silently sipping, for a few minutes before he began. "My father…he's decided to retire sooner than expected."

It took her a second to realize that ‘retire' meant abdicate, which meant Alex would become king, which also meant that she would become queen. He saw when she made the connection and the cup started slipping in her hand.

He reached over to grab it and set it on the tray. "Darling?"

Her mouth was open slightly and she was staring into the distance but not focused on anything in particular.

"Darling? I know it's a lot to take in."

She turned to face him. "I'm…I'm going to become queen? Are you sure?"

He couldn't help but smile. "You already are a queen— my queen. Now you'll be the country's too."

"Holy shit."

He let out a bark of laughter. Is this how he'd looked and acted to his father earlier? "My sentiments exactly."

She took his hand. "I'm sorry. I was so focused on my life changing I forgot yours is changing too. I should have first asked how you were feeling about all this."

He lifted their joined hands and kissed the back of hers. "Not at all. Trust me, you recovered much more quickly than I did to the news."

"I knew this day would come, but it's different now that it's actually going to happen."

"My father said you'd feel that way. He was right. As usual."

She pressed a hand to his cheek and he nuzzled it. "Your father isn't always right. I know you're worried about stepping into his place, about people comparing you to him and not favorably, and about a million other things right now, even if I don't know what they all are."

"Psychic are you?"

"No," she said softly. "I simply know you, and I'm incredibly in love with you, which means I see things about you that you don't."

He tugged her onto his lap, wrapped his arms around her, and rested his forehead against hers. "I feel the same about you, darling. And I know you're anxious about becoming queen, maybe even more than I am about becoming king."

"Maybe. Probably." A pause. "Okay, definitely."

He chuckled. "You'll be brilliant."

"I'll probably make mistakes."

"So will I. We're only human, darling."

"I wasn't raised to be a queen. I wouldn't want to embarrass?—"

He kissed the rest of her sentence from her lips. "None of that. You'd never embarrass me. Ever."

She bit her lip for a moment, then nodded.

"None of this defeatist self-talk for either of us; I know I'm just as liable to say similar things too."

She nodded again and took a deep breath. "Okay." Another deep breath. "Okay. Who else knows?"

"Only my parents. We should tell yours next, then Mara and Tavin. My parents will take care of telling my siblings, though maybe they'll wait until dinner tonight and announce it then. We won't announce anything to the public until well after the funeral."

"Coronations can take a year or more to plan."

"Other countries may need a year, but I doubt we'll do it the same as them. We don't need to be spending so much money on the ceremony with the economy how it is, so it will be much less grand than my father's. I'd like it done by year end, if possible. I don't want Papa to wait or to be overly stressed. He needs rest."

She smiled. "You're already thinking like a king."

Fuck. He was, wasn't he?

He pulled her closer and nuzzled her neck for a moment, inhaling her lavender scent. "I can't wait to see you on a throne beside me." He kissed down her neck to her shoulder. "I can't wait to fuck you when you're finally Queen Rebecca."

She tilted her head back and sighed. "Does that mean you don't want Princess Rebecca anymore?"

He smiled against her skin, then dropped a kiss to the top of her cleavage. "Hardly. I plan to fuck my princess a lot before she becomes queen. Any problems with that?"

She shook her head, her long chestnut hair shifting with her. "Never, though you can't start now. I've got a meeting. Probably ten meetings once I tell Mara what's going on."

His hands had shifted to her legs and under the hem of her dress. She wasn't wearing stockings today and, while he loved her in them with garters, he loved her just as much out of them.

As he slid his fingers higher on her thigh, she shivered. "Alex…"

"You'll be late for your meeting. They'll understand when you tell them why."

"I'm not telling them you tried to get sex after dropping bombshell news."

He flipped them and she was under him in a second. "Who said I'd merely ‘try', darling?"

She shook her head and laughed. "I really do need to go, even if I would rather be here with you." She weaved her hands into his hair and brought his head down for several long kisses.

He was panting when they finally pulled apart. "I needed that."

"You needed more, but we're both out of time today."

He nodded and lay down over her, his head resting on her chest. He heard the steady beat of her heart and it soothed him. Would it be like this once he took the throne? Stolen moments with her instead of the dedicated time they'd had so far? With the funeral and everything else, it was likely the circumstances keeping them apart, but he needed her the most now. He vowed that once he became king, and even in the lead up to it, he wouldn't settle for simple stolen moments. He'd demand more.

"Alex?" she prodded gently. "Do you want to be with me when I tell my parents? I can go after my next meeting, but I know your schedule must be hectic today."

He sighed and raised his head. "I would like to go with you, but you're right, I don't have time. "

She brushed a hand over his hair. "It's all right. You know my parents will understand. I could delay telling them but…"

"That will delay everything else, too. No, go ahead and let them know." He kissed her hard. "I love you."

Slightly breathless, she smiled. "I love you, too. Always."

He could imagine how Rebecca's parents—who lived on the palace grounds, as her father was Head Groundskeeper—might react. He wasn't sure how everyone else, especially his siblings, would take the news. If he wasn't expecting to become king so soon, none of them would have expected it either.

How would their relationships change with this shift in family dynamics? Only one way to find out.