Chapter Twenty-one

"Your Majesty, we have all watched with shock and awe over the past seven months as the private affairs of your family—of the royal family—have been exposed in a way that the country has never seen before."

"It's been devastating. Not just the emotional turmoil, but also that it's played out in such a terribly public way."

"It all started, didn't it, with the arrival of Evangeline Bright?"

"No. That marks the time when the public finally found out, but this particular storm has been brewing for longer than anyone knows."

"When would you say it all began?"

"During His Majesty's first year at Oxford, I suppose. That's when he met Laura Bright."

"They knew each other at university?"

"Oh, yes. My husband likes to call it love at first sight, and they were together quite a while—years, really. They were even engaged at one point, in the months before Alexander ascended the throne."

"Yet the public never knew?"

"It was easier in those days to keep secrets, before the invention of smartphones and social media. There were paparazzi, of course, but the intense focus on the family that exists now simply wasn't there in the nineties and early aughts."

"One might argue that that intensity exists because of you and your incomparable popularity after your marriage to His Majesty in 2003."

"Yes, so I've been told. But before Edward IX died so tragically and at such a young age, the royal gears turned rather like clockwork. The media didn't scrutinize the family's every move, and Alexander and Laura took advantage. She was even a guest at Sandringham the Christmas before Edward IX passed—as Alexander's fiancée."

"Yet the public was never told that the then-heir to the throne, the Prince of Wales, was set to be married?"

"No. I believe his intention was to quietly remove himself from the line of succession before the marriage took place."

[pause] "His Majesty wished to abdicate?"

"Laura had no desire to be queen—it's a job that comes with a great many responsibilities, after all, and they both anticipated pushback from an American assuming the role. Which I always thought was a rather silly excuse, considering Mary of Teck, who became queen in 1910, was the first royal consort to be born in England since Henry VIII's sixth wife, Catherine Parr."

"You don't believe that was the real reason His Majesty planned to give up his birthright?"

"It played a part, no doubt, but he never wanted the crown in the first place—it was only the tragedy of his father's death that made him set aside his own desires and accept the throne. He was never happy about it, though. He made that clear when we were discussing the possibility of becoming engaged. Alexander had a particular need to make sure I was willing to take on the duties that he so strongly resented—duties that, by then, had lost him the woman he called the love of his life."

"Did you know about Laura during your engagement?"

"In a sense. I knew he'd been in a relationship when his father died, and I knew that relationship had fallen apart because of it. He was forthcoming about that much, and I've known the royal family for my entire life—our mothers were close friends, after all, and I've been privy to a great many secrets over the years. I was aware he'd been away in America with a girlfriend, even though I didn't know the details."

"Would you have married him if you'd known he was still in love with her?"

[pause] "No. Looking back on it, I was very much hoodwinked, though I had no idea until more than a year into our marriage."

"When did you find out that they had rekindled their relationship?"

"The day I discovered I was pregnant. It was a tragedy, really, the way it played out—for all of us. I was over the moon about the baby, of course—Alexander and I had been trying for an heir since our wedding, and by then, I was starting to worry that perhaps something was wrong with me. He'd grown a bit distant, and I thought it was my fault. He had a great deal of pressure on him, after all, being King at such a young age, and my inability to give him an heir…well, I was convinced I was only making things worse."

"What happened that day?"

"I was pleased and relieved—and frightened, admittedly. We were still young, but I loved him so very much. All I wanted was to make him happy." [pause] "I took the test that morning, and it was that evening that he…he asked to speak with me alone. He'd been out all day—working, I thought—but…that was when he told me he was still in love with her. With Laura. And that they'd been seeing each other again for months by that point, and she…" [pause] "She was pregnant. And he wanted to abdicate to be with her and their child. It was the most devastating moment of my life."

"And that was when you told him about Princess Mary?"

[nods] "As I said, it was a tragedy for us all. He finally had a chance at the happiness he so desperately wanted with Laura, but when I told him I was pregnant, too…well, that changed things, didn't it? He couldn't leave me then, not when it also meant leaving his heir. And I couldn't let him go. We'll both have to live with that moment for the rest of our lives, and I don't think either of us will ever fully recover."

"Did you love His Majesty when you married him?"

"Yes. I think so. As much as I could, given we didn't know each other very well."

"And did he love you?"

"He was fond of me, and I truly believe that he very much wanted to love me and had convinced himself that he would, in time. I was so certain that our love would grow, too, and it did—for me. I spent the best years of my life loving him. But now that I know the real truth of it, I know it was all a lie. Not just for me, though. Alexander also lied to himself, and we've both had to live with the consequences."

"And what were those consequences?"

"For him, a double life—a mirror life he could never truly have. A child—a daughter, Evangeline—he could only watch from a distance. They did meet a number of times when she was very young. Alexander and Laura spent some holidays together, playing family, but in the end, he always came home to me and Mary. And I could see it eating away at him, bit by bit, right before my eyes."

"And for you?"

"Well, that's rather obvious, isn't it? I had the love of the people, the love of my country, but never the love of my husband. And it's a very difficult thing, not being loved by the person who ought to love you most."

"Do you resent him?"

"No. How could I? Even to this day, I still love him—and in a way, he does love me, but it's not the kind of love I needed, then or now. It wasn't his fault, though. His father died, and everything rather snowballed from there."

"Do you believe that your lives would've been different if Edward IX had lived longer?"

"Certainly. If he had, Nicholas would've been old enough to take the throne instead. That was what Alexander was waiting for—time to prepare his brother, the spare, for the role of the heir instead. Alexander has made many mistakes, but he's always put his family first. He would've never walked away without being certain that Nicholas was ready to lead the institution—the country and Commonwealth—without him."

"During the time after Princess Mary was born, when you knew Alexander was leading a double life…did that draw you and the Duke of York closer together?"

"No. By then, he had his own wife and son, and he was far too busy with his military career to bother with me. Don't get me wrong—he was considerate, of course. He checked in on me occasionally, as did all members of the family who knew about Laura and Evangeline. But we didn't grow closer until recently."

"When Evangeline joined the family?"

"Yes. By then, my marriage was over—had been over for years. Alexander and I are still friends. We'll always be friends, and we both take our duties to our country very seriously. But we decided many years ago that when our daughter turned eighteen, we would quietly separate. And we did."

"And is that when you and the Duke of York started seeing one another?"

"Yes. The stress of having Evangeline at Windsor Castle…well, it's no secret she struggled for several weeks after she arrived, between her identity being leaked and all that the Cunningham boy did to her. As a family, we were there for her, of course, but…it was difficult for us all, facing our new reality while the public sifted through the intimate details of our lives."

"How did your relationship with Prince Nicholas begin?"

"Innocently. Reluctantly. We both love Alexander, and neither of us wanted to hurt him. But he's known from the beginning, and he's been very supportive of us—very supportive of our happiness, as Nicholas and I've been supportive of his renewed relationship with Laura."

"The rumours are true, then?"

"Of Alexander and Laura being together again? Yes, I'd say so. She joined us at Sandringham for Christmas, and in truth, I've never seen Alexander happier. It's as if the weight of the past twenty years has gone."

"Do you resent her?"

[soft laughter] "Well…no, not really, though I've certainly had some difficult days. I think she made some poor choices, as did Alexander—choices that are ultimately inexcusable. But she's also faced a great deal of hardship in her life, and in the end, I'm truly happy to see her overcome it all. I'm truly happy for them both."

"Do you believe that one day, you and His Majesty will divorce?"

"No. As I've said, we've always taken our duties seriously, and in this family…in this institution, happiness always comes second to the crown. Sometimes third or fourth, and occasionally it isn't a consideration at all. We both know that, and we've both accepted it. And I expect—I hope, rather—that we've both found the relationships that will see us to our graves, but our friendship and partnership haven't diminished."

"What would you say to those who might feel…uncomfortable with knowing that the head of the Church of England is living such an…unconventional lifestyle?"

"I would say to them that we have both—that we have all made the best of what has been an unbearable and suffocating situation for the past two decades, and that I hope a loving and compassionate God would understand. And that the good people of the United Kingdom will, too. Our past mistakes, and what we do now in our private lives, will never affect our love and our devotion to this country."

"And Princess Mary? How do you believe this will affect her?"

"We've never lied to her about the situation, and I rather think she's relieved. While it may seem like we're setting a poor example for her in the present, I believe the poor example was set during those first eighteen years of her life. She's only now had the opportunity to see both her parents truly content, and that, I feel, will only make her a better queen when the time comes for her to take the throne."

"Do you have any regrets?"

[pause] "I regret it all. But time only goes one way, and no matter who we are or what lives we lead, the only thing we can really hope for is the chance to find our happiness any way we can."

—Excerpt from Katharine O'Donnell's interview with Her Majesty Queen Helene, 11 January 2024

AS THE HOUR-LONG INTERVIEW ENDS, the lights in the Windsor Castle conference room go up, and every single one of my father's advisers looks utterly shell-shocked.

None of it was new information to me, or at least nothing so significant that I'm speechless. But the fact that Helene has said it—openly, willingly, and in front of the entire world—is jaw-dropping. Alexander is completely still at the head of the table, while my mom, who sits to his right and my left, has tears in her eyes. Maisie's on his other side, so pale that she seems ill, and Kit's hand is on my good shoulder, gently massaging the tension from my neck.

"How did we not know about this?" says Alexander as the screen that descended from the ceiling slowly retracts with a faint whir. He's holding my mother's hand beneath the table, and Jenkins, who stands behind us, silently offers her a tissue.

Doyle, the royal press secretary, clears his throat. "It seems that part of Her Majesty's agreement with the BBC included keeping us in the dark until the day the interview aired," he admits. "Sir, if I may, we'll need to issue a statement—"

"More than a statement," says the dark-haired woman sitting beside him. Yara, whose title I still don't actually know, but she's the only person who ever challenges Doyle. "The claims Her Majesty has made could be extraordinarily damaging to the monarchy, and the sooner we refute them—"

"The problem is," says Alexander, "they're all true."

Silence. Several advisers glance between one another, clearly not knowing what to say, while Doyle sputters indignantly. But I shake my head.

"They're not, though," I say, looking at Alexander. "The timeline's wrong. Her affair with Nicholas started before—"

"A trivial detail," says Alexander quietly. "And if we go after her for it, it will come off as a personal attack when, arguably, Helene went out of her way to make it clear that no single one of us is at fault for what happened."

"Your Majesty," says Yara carefully, "if we're able to point out one inconsistency, then that would throw her entire interview into question—"

"And how do we prove that the timeline is wrong?" says Alexander. "More photographs? Personal testimony from the staff? Whispers from courtiers? I will not wage a war in the media against Her Majesty. Not when there's nothing to be gained from it, and so very much that we could lose."

"Sir, if we do nothing to contain the situation, we already stand to lose a great deal," argues Doyle. "The people expect the royal family to uphold the values of the Church, to offer consistency and stability when the country is in turmoil—"

"We certainly haven't been living up to our side of the bargain lately, have we?" says Alexander wearily. "But perhaps this is the moment we need to get back on track. Ripping off the plaster, so to speak."

"Sir," says Doyle, appalled. "You cannot possibly suggest that this could be good for the country."

"No," says Alexander, a hint of steel in his voice now. "I expect we're in for a rather bumpy ride. But the fact remains that Helene's spoken the truth—in far more detail than we would've liked, admittedly, but it is still the truth. She did not demonize me, she did not demonize Laura, and in the end, all she was trying to do was exonerate herself from the claims that the media has been making against her—and I certainly can't blame her for that."

The throng of advisers and senior staff members exchange yet another round of baffled glances, and for a long moment, no one seems to know what to say.

"What would Your Majesty prefer we do, then?" says Jenkins at last, as cool and levelheaded as always. "If you do not wish to speak out against Her Majesty or condemn the interview, then it will be accepted by the public as fact. Which will come with consequences we cannot predict."

"I am aware," says Alexander. "But they are consequences we must live with regardless."

"And the consequences that will be directed toward Ms. Bright and Evangeline?" says Jenkins, and only now does Alexander's resolve seem to waver.

My mother sits up a little straighter, still holding his hand. "I've known the risks from the start," she says. "I knew it would be bad if we were caught, and we were—when Evangeline's identity was revealed. What Helene's interview gives us is context. It lets the world know that Alexander and I have been together for a very long time, and that Evangeline isn't…"

"The bastard product of a one-night stand?" I supply, and amidst the soft gasps from around the room, my mother's lips thin.

"Helene has cleared the air around a lot of things that Alexander and I were never going to be able to address on our own. Things I know have been bothering you," she adds as she looks at my father.

He nods, his throat working for a moment. "Yes," he finally manages. "Helene did not have to be kind or compassionate, but she was. And in the process, she offered us an opportunity—one I would very much like to take."

"And what opportunity is that, sir?" says Yara, unable—or maybe unwilling—to hide her skepticism.

"The opportunity for us all to have what we want," he says. "Myself, Helene, Laura—even my brother. We will continue to serve the country as we always have, without feeding into this situation or making it worse. I will speak with Her Majesty, and we will find a way to put forth a united front."

My fingers curl around the cuff of my sweater. I know what a united front means, and I don't like it. "It doesn't exactly sound like she's willing to play nice right now," I mutter.

"Perhaps when she knows there will be no retaliation, she may be more open to having that discussion," says Alexander, but even he doesn't sound convinced.

Doyle scowls. "Sir, with all due respect, burying our heads in the sand won't stop the media—and the people, for that matter—from turning this into a circus. We'll be lucky if it doesn't start a riot—"

"We will let it play out as it will," he says. "If it gets out of hand, then we'll reassess our strategy. But as it stands, there is nothing in the interview to refute, and Laura is right. It offers the people context that she and I would never have been able to publicly divulge. Perhaps this will, in the end, be a blessing to us all."

That doesn't seem likely, and as I glance around at the averted gazes and shuffling papers, it's clear no one else agrees with Alexander, either.

"We should, at the very least, cancel your upcoming appearances," says Yara, turning to what must be Alexander's schedule. "The Modern Music Museum opening tomorrow, the veterans' lunch next week—"

"No," says Alexander softly, though his voice still carries around the table. "Business as usual, Yara. I insist."

Her mouth opens and shuts several times. "Sir, we are on the precipice of a crisis—"

"We have been in crisis for months," he points out. "This is merely another chapter. Should there be security concerns, then I will certainly reconsider the matter. But unless there are any valid objections, I will continue my public duties."

Jenkins grimaces. "Sir, I understand the desire to maintain status quo in the face of something that we are all still…processing. But without any official rebuttal, I must very strongly advise against it, at least until we have a better idea of what the fallout will be."

"And you know I value your opinion greatly, Jenkins," says my father. "But I will not hide from my people. Or my past."

"Can't we have it both ways?" I say before I even realize the thought's formed in my head. All eyes turn toward me, and I try to keep my expression neutral. "I mean—Alexander can stick to his duties, but we can also find a way to send a message to the public, too."

"What sort of message?" says Alexander, and I shrug.

"That we support you, I guess. That's what this is about, right? Who has more support? It wouldn't mean much coming from me, all things considered, but—"

"It would mean something coming from me," says Maisie. They're the first words she's spoken since the interview aired, and even though her hands are clasped together, I notice a slight tremor.

"It might mean something from me, too," says Kit quietly from behind me.

Faint amusement flickers across the deep shadows on Maisie's face. "Mummy may be your aunt, Kit, but we all know where your loyalties lie," she says, glancing suggestively at me.

"It's not a bad idea, Evangeline," says Jenkins as I narrow my eyes at my sister. "A display of unity, particularly from Her Royal Highness and Lord Clarence, might quell any rumors of a fracture within the family, and perhaps take the teeth out of the worst of Her Majesty's revelations."

"We could go with Alexander to the museum," I offer. "It sounds interesting anyway."

"No," says my father firmly. "You girls need your rest. It was a mistake sending you yesterday, and I won't compromise your safety."

"What happened at the hospital was an accident," I say, exasperated. "And this is important. If you won't issue a statement, then the best thing we can do for you—for the monarchy—is to show a united front."

"Evangeline is right, sir," grunts Doyle from his spot a few seats down, and I'm so surprised that I do a double take. "If she, Her Royal Highness, and Lord Clarence wish to support you publicly, then I can think of no better way for them to do so. It would certainly be the most efficient and effective way to signal the royal family's stability in the face of such…public uncertainty."

But even though Maisie nods in mute agreement, she pales and pulls her hands into her lap. I frown.

"Maybe Maisie shouldn't go," I say. "Not with her wrist wrapped up like that."

"I'm fine," she insists, but nothing about the way she looks or sounds supports this particular claim.

"You were nearly trampled yesterday, and you look like death warmed over," I say. Not to mention the emotional turmoil from her fight—and potential breakup—with Gia. "You really do need to rest."

"I agree," says Alexander before my sister can continue to argue. "It wouldn't do any good to bring you along, darling, not while you're injured. And without Mary, there's little point to Evangeline and Kit joining me—"

"Of course there's still a point," I protest. "I know I'm not Maisie, but I'm still your daughter, and I can support you. And Kit—"

"—is still an Abbott-Montgomery," says Doyle brusquely. "Despite his relationship with Evangeline, the press will expect him to side with Her Majesty. To show the three of you together, perhaps a few friendly moments between you and Lord Clarence…"

Alexander clenches his jaw, clearly unhappy about how this conversation is turning out. But he's the one who wants to carry on like nothing is happening.

"And we can all take a picture together tomorrow at breakfast, before the three of you head out," says Maisie, who sounds considerably more optimistic now that crowds aren't involved on her end. "I'll post it on Instagram with a suitably supportive caption—without mentioning Mummy's interview, of course—and everyone will see that you're wearing the same outfits from your appearance, so they'll all know it was taken that morning."

Our father shakes his head. "I'm afraid I must insist on going alone. The crowds tomorrow—"

"We'll skip the walkabout," I say. "But I am coming. If you don't want me there, then cancel the appearance, but those are your only options."

He scowls. "I am still your king—"

"You're also my dad," I snap. "And I'm not letting you go out there on your own tomorrow. If you do, you'll just be giving Helene and the media exactly what they want, and you know it."

Alexander and I stare at each other for a long moment—too long, probably, considering more than two dozen people are now gawking at us—and it's only when he straightens in his seat, clearly about to issue some kind of command, that I cut him off.

"I'll do it," I say quickly. "That—trip we talked about at breakfast. I'll do it, no argument, for a minimum of three months and a maximum of six. But only if you let me do this for you."

This seems to instantly take the wind out of his sails, and he glances at my mother, as if asking for her opinion. Or maybe her help.

"It's one appearance," she says quietly. "An hour or two at the most, and then Doyle will have his rebuttal, and you'll have your dignity and the public support of your family. And Evangeline…"

She trails off, but I know what she isn't saying. I'll have the break they think I so desperately need. I'll be out of this mess long enough to recover, and maybe, by the time my parents let me come home, this will all be sorted out. Or at least the rancor will have died down.

And maybe, just maybe, someone will finally believe me about Ben.

Alexander exhales. "Very well," he says at last. "One appearance as a family, and then we will carry on as we were before this abominable interview ever happened. Do we have a deal?"

"We have a deal," I say, and even though I'm the one now facing up to six months in purgatory, I still feel like I've won.