23. Luca

CHAPTER 23

LUCA

I stare at the list of names before me, the words blurring together as I try to focus. There are so many details to attend to before the coronation, and the guest list is just one more thing on an ever-growing pile of responsibilities.

A knock at the door startles me from my thoughts. “Enter,” I call out, massaging my temples.

The door creaks open, and Hailey steps inside. Her face is drawn, her eyes shadowed with exhaustion. “Luca, can we talk?”

I gesture to the chair across from me. “Of course. Is everything all right?”

She sinks into the seat, her hands fidgeting in her lap. “No, not really.”

Her voice wavers, and she takes a deep breath before continuing. “I know we’re not a couple, but we’re going to be parents together. I just… I feel like we’re not spending any time together, like we’re not building any sort of bond before the baby comes.”

Her words shake me, because they’re true. I’ve been so consumed with the preparations for the coronation that I haven’t stopped to consider how Hailey might be feeling. The realization that she’s been hurting, that I’ve been neglecting her, makes my chest ache.

“I’m so sorry,” I say softly, reaching across the desk to take her hand. “I’ve been so caught up in everything that I haven’t been there for you. That’s unacceptable.”

She looks up at me, her eyes shimmering with unshed tears. “I’m scared, Luca. This is all so overwhelming, and I feel like I’m going through it alone.”

I squeeze her hand, my heart clenching at the pain in her voice. “You’re not alone. I’m here, and I promise I’m going to do better. We’re in this together, and I want our child to have parents who have a strong relationship, even if it’s not a… romantic one.”

Hailey nods, a tiny smile tugging at the corners of her mouth. “Thank you. I needed to hear that.”

I clear my throat, my mind a swirl of thoughts and emotions competing for my attention. It’s been hard, but I’ve been doing everything I can to remind myself that things must stay platonic between us — no matter that it would be extremely easy to slip into a heated, passionate romance.

She’s living in the palace, her room just a wing away from mine… and we’re already having a child together…. Plus she’s absolutely amazing, everything I could ever want in a woman.

So, why not ? the little devil on my shoulder asks.

Because it would create more problems than peace , the angel on my other shoulder reminds me.

Everyone would find out about us soon enough, and it would be chaos. If we’re not together, then people will assume that Hailey’s child is another man’s.

Another man’s.

The thought sends hot jealousy racing through me, which is ridiculous, I know. One day, Hailey will surely move on and date. It will probably be better that way — a great cover for what has transpired between the two of us.

Yet that doesn’t change the fact that thinking about her with another man makes my hands curl into fists.

“I should let you get back to work,” she says, gesturing to the papers scattered across my desk.

I shake my head. “The work can wait. Let’s take a break, just the two of us.”

Her eyebrows rise. “Really?”

“Yes.” I fold my hands on my lap, keeping them as far as possible from my work. “What would you like us to do together?”

Her gaze drifts to the window. “Well, I would love to go to the beach…”

I suck in a sharp breath. “Hailey…”

“But I know that you don’t want me leaving the palace grounds. Not now, anyway.”

I feel my lips purse. It doesn’t give me any pleasure to keep her contained here. “It’s only a matter of precaution. An important one.”

She doesn’t react to that, and I wonder if she really doesn’t care or if she’s tired of hating me. Maybe she should hate me. I’m the man who got her pregnant, who is demanding that she change everything in her life to fit my unusual circumstances.

“How about a picnic?” she says. “In the gardens. It’s a beautiful day.”

The suggestion eases some of the tension in my belly. Now, a picnic in the gardens is perfectly manageable. Welcome, too. I’ve been far too long in this stuffy office.

I quickly make some arrangements, clearing my schedule for the rest of the afternoon. Within the hour, a picnic basket is delivered to my office, filled with an assortment of finger sandwiches, fresh fruit, and sparkling lemonade.

I lead Hailey out to the palace gardens, the warm sun filtering through the trees. We walk in comfortable silence until we reach a secluded nook surrounded by fragrant blooms and the gentle babbling of a nearby fountain.

I spread out a blanket on the soft grass and wait until she makes herself comfortable before settling in beside her. As I unpack the picnic basket, my attention catches on the way the dappled sunlight dances across her skin, illuminating the rich undertones in her chestnut hair. Even in her simple sundress, she takes my breath away.

If only one thing was different. If only I weren’t royalty, where would we be now? Back in New York, preparing a nursery for the upcoming baby?

Or would we be somewhere else entirely different? A farm somewhere? A little cottage on a beach?

The location is so unimportant. All that would matter to me is that we’re together.

I clear my throat and get busy arranging our picnic. Strange. I almost got fully lost in a fantasy there. It’s so unlike me.

“What’s this?” Hailey picks up a pastry with fluffy layers of dough and a strawberry paste inside.

“It’s a Werdenfelden treat. They were my mother’s favorites.”

Her face softens. “How do you know that?”

I look down. “Oh. Ah, most of the staff who are in the palace now worked here when she was here. They love to share stories about her.”

Her lips twitch into a smile. “They must have loved her very much.”

“Some people say that she was most adored queen Werdenfeld ever had.”

A silence falls between us as we take time to enjoy our food, the peace of the gardens, and each other’s company. It’s a tranquility that I rarely get to experience, especially these days. And I find myself not wanting it to end.

Hailey finishes her strawberry pastry, humming in satisfaction. The sound goes straight to my heart.

“I can see why your mother liked these.” She licks the remnants of the strawberry paste off her fingers, and the sight does something strange to my heartbeat.

“I’m glad you like it,” I manage to say without losing my composure.

The sun is high in the sky now, its brilliance dappled through the trees overhead. A soft breeze shifts through the leaves, and the heat is begging me to strip off my shirt and lead Hailey to the outdoor swimming pool, the sister pool of the one where I almost got myself in trouble again.

But of course I stay right where I am, all of my clothing firmly on.

“How are you feeling?” I ask, turning my gaze towards her, eager to find something to distract me.

She smiles faintly. “Better.” Her eyes meet mine, brown reflecting warmth in the sunlight. “Thank you for this.”

“Of course,” I reply softly, heart pounding. “I should have done it sooner.”

Her lips twist like she wants to agree, but she ends up not saying anything and instead taking a long drink of lemonade. The guilt simmers in my chest, though. I’m doing everything I can to be a good king, and I hate that it means I can’t be a great man for her.

After a while, she daintily clears her throat. “Your father was beloved, too. I did a lot of research on him before my interview with you, and Werdenfeld clearly loved him as much as they did your mother.”

I nod, swallowing the lump in my throat. “He was a good man, a great king.”

“And you are following in his footsteps,” she says, her eyes softening.

I grimace at that. How can I tell her that I’ve been feeling like I am not capable of being half the king my father was?

Instead, I deflect with humor. “My feet are definitely bigger than his, though.”

She chuckles, and the sound fills me with warmth. “That’s not what I meant, and you know it.”

I shrug, looking out towards the gardens. She’s amazing. So smart. She sees right through me. “I’m trying,” is all I say.

“I know.” She reaches out, touching my arm lightly, and my skin tingles under her touch. I suppress a shiver and instead turn to look at her, caught in her steady gaze.

We remain silent for a moment, sharing a deep understanding. The connection feels so strong. It’s a tether, linking us in the midst of this chaotic life. I wish we were just two normal people, capable of normal lives. But we’re not.

“You know,” I say softly, my gaze fixed on a puffy white cloud as it drifts lazily across the sky. “I gave my dad a lot of grief over the years. Always pushing for more responsibility, more of a say in the running of the kingdom.”

“That’s natural. You wanted to prove yourself, to show that you were ready.”

I nod, feeling a lump form in my throat. “Yeah. But now… now I realize he was just trying to protect me. To shield me from the stress and pressure for as long as he could.” I swallow hard, blinking back the sudden sting of tears. “He was always so busy with his duties, he rarely had time to just be a dad. I was mostly raised by the palace staff.”

Hailey reaches out, her hand finding mine and giving it a gentle squeeze. “I can relate,” she says softly. “Growing up without a father… it’s tough. You always wonder what it would have been like, to have that relationship.”

I lace my fingers through hers, drawing strength from her touch. “I promise you, Hailey, our child will never have to wonder. I will always be there, no matter what.”

She smiles at that, but I can see the flicker of uncertainty in her eyes. “And the public? When will we tell them about the baby?”

I sigh, the weight of my responsibilities settling on my shoulders once more. “We will figure that out after the coronation,” I assure her. “I just need to get through that first. But I promise, we will go public when the time is right. I won’t let you go through this alone.”

She nods, and for a moment, with her by my side and the promise of our child’s future stretching before us, I allow myself to believe that everything will work out. That somehow, we’ll find a way to balance duty and personal matters, to build the family we both crave.

I know it won’t be easy. The road ahead is filled with obstacles, with the constant scrutiny of the public eye and the heavy mantle of the crown.

I only hope I have the strength to face it all, to be the king my people need and the father our child deserves.