Chapter 12

12

ADRIAN

We return to Zyetastic Weddings to update Zye and Miles. I volunteer to stay with Simon in the reception area so Isaac can speak freely to his friends. I didn't expect the emu to still be there.

"Her name is Justine," Simon says, giving her a piece of his bun. Isaac stopped at Burger King in town—not the one at the mall. Apparently, they are everywhere. I'm not complaining. I mention becoming addicted to American fast food, and Reginald glowers at me. I ignore him and focus on my food.

I almost stop Simon from giving his bun to the bird—they are birds, right?—but it's not really my place. I stuff more fries in my mouth. Heavenly. It's the salt, I think. I swallow my food and peer into the emu's eyes. "Hello, Justine. How are you today?"

"She can't talk."

A laugh bursts out of me, and Simon gives me a look. "Yes, of course. You are very wise, Simon."

Reginald coughs, and I suspect he's trying not to laugh so he doesn't get that same look. And for someone who is against fast food, Reginald is tearing into that Whopper.

"Zye has chickens, and he lets me play with them sometimes. Do you have chickens?"

Do I? I check with Reginald, and he nods. Huh. Royal chickens. Who knew? "The Queen enjoys fresh eggs."

"The Queen?" Simon asks. "Is that your wife?"

Reginald doesn't hold in the laugh this time.

"No, Simon. That's my mom. I'm not married."

"'Cause you ran away?"

I have no words. "Um. Well, Simon, you see…" I glance at Reginald, and he raises his brows. No help there.

"You can marry my dad. Uncle Zye was helping him find a prince. But now you're here."

A loud cough has us both looking at Reginald. His face is red. Did he choke on his food? He extends his hand and nods. Then he takes another drink of his iced tea. "I'm fine. Carry on."

I stuff my hamburger in my mouth, having no idea how to answer the boy. Maybe he'll forget. But after a few minutes of him staring at me, his head tilted, I sigh. He's not giving up. "We just met. It's best to get to know someone before you marry them."

Simon nods like this is a solid plan.

I try to change the subject. "So, what are you and your dad doing tonight?"

"Tonight?"

"Are you doing anything special?" And can I come along? I don't dare ask.

"Daddy said we're going to the park. It's lots of fun. The slide is so big. But I can go down it by myself."

"That's amazing."

He nods. "I was afraid at first, but Daddy helped me."

"What's the plan for dinner?"

He shrugs. "I dunno. But my dad is the best cook in the world."

I dip my chip in ketchup and eat it. "What's your favorite?"

He tilts his head to the side, tapping his chin with his finger. "It's all good except tuna casserole. Yuk. My favorite is tater tot casserole."

I'm almost afraid to ask. "What's tater tot casserole?"

His mouth drops open. "You don't know what tater tot casserole is?"

"I've never had it." I hold back my grin, trying to look as serious as possible. "Reginald, please make a note to ask the cook to make tater tot casserole."

"Yes, Your Highness." He even types something into his mobile phone.

But Simon shakes his head like I'm making a big mistake.

"What did I do wrong?"

"You have to try it first," he says, waving his hands around. "There's lots of things I don't like. Daddy says to at least try everything once." He takes another bite of his burger. Then his eyes go wide. "You should come over. Daddy can make it for dinner. And Reggie can come too." He grins at my steward, and I notice Reginald doesn't correct his name. The man is a big softie.

But I don't want to promise anything. "We'll see."

Simon grins from ear to ear, and Reginald shakes his head. "Have you learned nothing, sir?"

Even Justine squawks at me, and I laugh. I'd give Simon anything he wanted if I could. Who's the softie now?

Reginald laughs, and Simon starts singing a song. I hope Isaac is okay with this because, apparently, it's happening.

The door swings open and Isaac steps out, eyeing us all suspiciously. Which cracks me up for some reason. Isaac turns to Zye. "They're having a party."

"I'll get the tiaras!"

"No, Zye, that's not—" Isaac starts, but Zye is already in the storage room. Sounds of boxes being thrown around, and then he's back, holding the tiaras in the air.

"Prince Adrian needs a crown," Simon says. "Do you still have crowns?"

"Shoot. I'm all out."

"I have crowns at home. I've always wanted a tiara," I say, giving Simon a wink.

His smile widens as Zye passes out the tiaras. He hesitates when he gets to Reginald, but Reginald holds out his hand. This is the power of children. My stuffy steward wears a tiara on his almost bald head, and he can't keep the smile off his face. I put on mine and stand next to Isaac. "Do I look all right?"

He messes with it, running his fingers through my hair, and I wonder if my need to touch him is reciprocated. "Perfect," he says in a low voice, and then his cheeks go pink as he bites his lip.

He's so sweet and adorable. I want to kiss him. He pushes my face away. "Stop."

And then we're singing and dancing and having a royal parade. And I have to admit. This is more fun than any royal event I've been to. More fun than I've had in a while.

"Daddy, Adrian's having dinner with us and wants tater tot casserole."

The dancing stops as everyone looks at me. "To be fair, I said, ‘We'll see.'"

Everyone groans. "That's a yes," Miles says, shaking his head.

"And the appropriate response?" I keep my voice low.

"Ask your dad," Isaac says sternly, but his eyes sparkle, so I think we're fine. "Simple. Direct. To the point."

"Right. Got it." I nod as seriously as I can manage. "I've been told you are the best cook in the world. Alonso is very good, but he doesn't know how to make tater tot casserole. Which, according to some, is fantastic."

"Please, Daddy?" Simon has perfected the puppy-dog eyes, and Isaac sighs.

"I'm outnumbered."

"Can Miles and Zye come too? And Justine?"

"I'm sorry, sweetie. Miles and I are busy."

"We are—oof." Miles rubs his stomach where Zye jabbed him. "Yup. Busy. Even though Isaac's tater tot casserole is the best."

With the most important decisions made, Reginald and I return to the hotel to take care of business. We arrange to meet at Isaac's later that evening. My entire body vibrates with excitement at the thought of having dinner with Isaac and Simon, so I distract myself by calling my brother.

At least it's not midnight at home. Although it is still late. I go to my room and stretch out on my bed. I'm exhausted, and it's still early. My eyes close briefly to just…I don't know. Feel my feelings.

My head jerks me awake, and I glance at my mobile phone. My nap lasted ten minutes. Maybe after talking to my brother, I can take a real nap. I place the call, jumping to my feet and pacing the room as it rings.

"How did it go?" Phillipe asks, sounding out of breath. "Was Weiss a complete ass?"

"Hello to you too, Phillipe."

"Hello, hello. Now tell me everything."

So I do. He seems to particularly like me offering Weiss a job in the royal stables.

"As if Mother would let that man work for us. But the thought is amusing."

"Focus, Phillipe. Do you think he will honor our agreement? We didn't put anything in writing."

"Difficult to say. How did he seem? Smug as ever?"

I sit on the bed, thinking about the meeting. "Actually, he was pale toward the end. I was worried he'd be sick and Christy would ban us from the restaurant."

"Strange. Would she do that?"

"She?" Is he referring to Jane? Oh. "Christy is a man. A grumpy Irishman. He owns the restaurant."

"Interesting town."

"It is, actually. Can you check in with Weiss? Make sure he's not running with this story?"

"My pleasure."

I shake my head, wondering for the umpteenth time what the deal is with Phillipe and Weiss. There's a story there that I never got, yet I've told him everything. Well, not everything.

"Are you leaving tonight?"

"Um. No, actually." I try to keep it to myself. But in the end, I can't. "Isaac is making dinner and…" I stop because I'm not sure how much to say.

"Romantic."

I laugh. "Hardly. Simon invited me. We're having tater tot casserole."

"Is that an actual thing? Or did he make it up?"

"It's an actual thing. Believe it or not."

"And Simon is five, right?"

Warmth spreads through me. My brother listens. As distracted as he is, most of the time, he's paying attention. "Yes. Six at the end of the month."

"You know a lot about this little family."

I sigh. Here it comes. "Simon made me put the date in my mobile so I wouldn't forget."

"I like this kid. You should bring them for a visit."

My mind had started to wander to what I should wear to this dinner, but his suggestion stops me. "What?"

"Bring them. You'll have to have them vetted, of course, but that shouldn't be a problem."

"I don't think so."

"Oh, I'm sorry. I thought you were serious about this guy. My mistake."

"I am. I—" Phillipe is right. If I'm serious about Isaac, it's better to expose him to the palace life sooner rather than later. "I'll think about it."

Phillipe agrees to keep me informed about Weiss. And I promise to update him on the dinner and tater tot casserole.

Reginald is unusually quiet as he drives me to Isaac's house. The reason becomes clear when I open the door to exit the car.

"Your Highness, as curious as I am about this casserole dish, I'm not coming in."

"Why?" I think over the possible reasons. Reginald goes everywhere with me.

He clears his throat. "I like this family. And if this is going anywhere, you'll need time with them. To make sure this is what you want." His eyes meet mine in the mirror. And I get it. He doesn't want to see them hurt. I don't have the best record for sticking around.

"So you're going to sit in the car all night?"

The neighborhood is fine. But a luxury SUV outside Isaac's home all night might be suspicious.

"Will you be here all night?"

I open my mouth, but words escape me. Being with Isaac. Holding him all night. I want that more than I can say. But I'm also sure it isn't an option. "I don't know, actually."

He nods. "I'll be at the hotel. Call me when you're ready to be picked up. If you decide to stay the night, please let me know."

He says the words calmly, like we aren't breaking every protocol set by my family.

"Are you sure?"

"Is there a reason I shouldn't be? Honestly, Adrian, you've been running from me for so long, I thought you'd be thrilled to have this chance."

He's only ever used my first name without my title once before. I was running through the maze. My family was wrong. I tried to run away by myself, but Reginald followed me. How he guessed I would run to the maze…well, it was my favorite place to hide. I could hear him calling for me. His voice full of fear. I look at him in the mirror. I've already put him through so much, but he trusts me. How? "I…am. Thank you."

"Please give Master Simon my apologies."

I grin and nod my head. "I'll save you some casserole."

Then I'm out of the car and standing in front of Isaac's house, terrified I'll mess this up completely. Isaac answers the door in jeans and a T-shirt. How does he make that look so sexy? He gives me a crooked smile and scrapes his hand through his hair, leaving it messy.

"Can I come in?"

His eyes widen. "Yes, of course, come in." He holds the door open and stares past me. I turn and watch Reginald drive away. "We're on our own?"

"Yes. It appears so."

A smile lights up his face and then my legs are grabbed. I tousle Simon's hair. "He's been so excited. I couldn't get him to do anything."

"I picked up my toys." Simon glares at his dad.

"Yes, you did. Slowly." He whispers the last part to me. "Very slowly."

My heart is so full I can't keep my happiness locked inside. "Very good job, Simon."

"Thank you." He crosses his little arms and gives me an assessing look. "Did you forget Reggie?"

"No. Reggie sends his apologies to Master Simon. He couldn't make it. But maybe next time."

"Master Simon? Daddy, I have a name too. Prince Adrian and Master Simon." He turns to me, tilting his head. "What's Daddy's name?"

"Oh, I think Daddy fits him just right."

Isaac shakes his head at me, but his eyes are bright and his cheeks red. "Come on, you can help me finish making the salad."

I follow him into the living room. It's small with beige walls, a small couch, a television, and inlay shelves filled with nerdy things. A signed Leonard Nimoy picture, a model of the Enterprise, and Star Trek bobbleheads. Isaac is a geek? I'm not surprised, but it reminds me that I don't really know much about him.

Isn't that what tonight is for? A chance to get to know Isaac and Simon better.

I'm a bit of a geek myself. Although not as much as my brother. He had Funko Pops made of the royal family. I thought Mother would object, but she laughed and said they didn't get her hair quite right.

Simon, already bored with us, is playing with action figures at the coffee table. The furniture looks worn, with scratches on the table, and the couch cushions are dipped where someone has been sitting. The room is lived in. The majority of furniture in the palace isn't used. How many settees are there? Some are antiques and only for display.

But this home is welcoming. Pictures of Isaac and Simon line the wall, but unlike the portraits of my ancestors, these pictures are full of life. Isaac and Simon at the zoo, grinning. Dressed up like superheroes for Halloween. One photo in particular stops me. Isaac and Simon are in the café. I can see the Murphy's Irish Pub sign on the wall behind them. Posing with them are Zye, Christy, Lanie, an older man and woman with a resemblance to Isaac, and another man with dark hair.

"That was Simon's birthday party last year." Isaac is beside me, staring fondly at the image. He chuckles with a shake of his head. "Christy hates getting his photo taken. He and Garrett were arguing right before the picture was taken. Which is no surprise since that's their thing."

"Are those your parents?"

"Yeah. They're on a cruise right now. They'll be back in a few weeks, so you'll probably—" His eyes dart to me and then away. "I can give you the tour after dinner. Although this is pretty much it."

I follow him into the kitchen, but something about the picture bothers me. What is— birthdays are for family . Simon's words from the night we had dinner come back. Is Isaac related to Christy? It seems strange he didn't mention it.

The kitchen could fit into the royal pantry. Only one oven. One refrigerator with cute giraffe magnets holding drawings from Simon. A small island with two stools.

The place is cute and homey, and I feel comfortable here. Not like I have to perform.

Isaac whips around the kitchen preparing dinner. He puts the tater tot casserole in the oven and turns on the timer. "About thirty-five minutes." He pulls vegetables from the refrigerator and grabs a white plastic cutting board.

All the happiness seeps out of me. "I'll check on Simon."

"Nope. If you're eating with us, you're helping."

"Of course." My mouth goes dry, and I feel a little queasy.

"Do you want the cucumbers or tomatoes?" He pushes a knife toward me and stops. "What's wrong?"

"Nothing. I…nothing."

He narrows his eyes, watching me closely, and I feel compelled to tell him everything. What is this power he has over me? It's hot. Or it would be if I wasn't so nervous. "What's wrong, Adrian?"

"I've never handled—touched—a knife. I've fenced. So if you need someone with rapier skills, I'm your man." My attempt at humor falls flat. I sound like an idiot, so I might as well go all in. "I've never…" I swallow the uneasiness trying to climb out of my throat. "I've never prepared my own food." The cucumber mocks me in its simplicity. How difficult can it be, really? But I can't call Reginald because I cut off my fingers and I'm bleeding all over Isaac's floor.