My father sat back and studied me. “Very well. I hope you will be reasonable on this.”
I refused to let my muscles twitch, and asked, “Define reasonable, please.”
He leaned closer and said, “Your Nicole overshares her life. As royals, we must be reserved and above having opinions on frivolous matters because we’re needed for bigger crises.”
She loved her life. One of the reasons she’d agreed to marry me was to give herself some distance, but still keep her fans waiting for her. My heart beat a little faster. I didn’t want to lose her, but my father had control at this moment. I gripped my seat and said, “She’s authentic, and she’s promoting her belief systems. She’d not consider her opinion on yoga as being frivolous.”
He folded his hands on the table. “No one should have even known about her virginity. It’s not a topic for discussion.”
A scoff came out of my lips and I shook my head. “Yet, you selected her on that basis, and then demanded she be tested. I was ready to walk away from your decree then and marry her.”
His gaze narrowed like he was testing me. “Because you’re in love, and think duty to family and country doesn’t matter?”
Love and duty. I’d been trained since birth that country comes first, but this was the first time the obligation had stung. I blinked and ignored the sensation as I asked, “What state secrets has she divulged?”
This time he didn’t blink, but took out photos from her social media posts, and others of the outside of the palace with red lines drawn on it. “Where you both sleep at night can be triangulated from the angles of her photos.”
“I see,” I said, and my heart sped up. He was going to use this evidence to stop me from getting the life I wanted. A life with Nicole, away from my duties.
My father then showed me another folder with social media commentary and said, “And, your sister shouldn’t be used to promote books and exercise.”
This was nonsense. I closed the folder on my sister, though my skin now had pins and needles. I said, “You knew who Nicole was before I did, and yet you set us up.”
“I don’t understand why this is a hardship for her.” He gave one nod, which was all he’d ever do to acknowledge me. “I figured if you offered this woman a tiara, then she’d stop this sharing.”
“Her name is Nicole, and your own matchmaker said she was perfect for me.” One of the best things about Nicole was that she wasn’t like any other woman I’d ever met. I pressed my ankles together and said, “So I need to be what she wants, and I can’t ask her to give up doing what she loves and believes in. I won’t.”
His eyes widened. “You won’t?”
I stood and didn’t wait for permission. “I will marry her, if she’ll have me.”
He jumped up and said, “Because you’re so in love you can’t see reason? We need to protect our family, and we have a royal duty to our country. You swore to do both.”
“I have done what I can, but let’s be honest now. I haven’t seen much of you since we were told Mom was hospitalized after she collapsed on stage giving a speech. This time, though, I refuse to back down.”
“You must.”
“No. I’ve not been your concern since Mother died.”
He placed his hand on my shoulder. “That’s not true, son.”
For one moment, I didn’t move. I wished we were closer, but we hadn’t spent any alone time since Mom’s pneumonia that had ended her life too soon.
If I had my way, I’d hold on to Nicole. She was the one bright light I had in my life, even if we’d been set up. I reached for the door. “It is. Nicole makes me happy, Father, and I’ve not been that in years. Now, I must go.”
As I opened the door, his secretary bounded toward us, clearly intending to see my father, but my dad said, “Ryder, don’t do this. Don’t walk away from your king.”
I widened the door. It was time. I didn’t fit in here. I stepped into the hall. “I’m walking away from my father.”
He took a few steps, like he’d follow me out. “It’s the same thing.”
“No, it’s not,” I said, and for the first time in my life I showed him my back.
Proper etiquette wasn’t my concern any longer. Soon, I’d find a way to leave this family, forever.
I stormed through the castle and only slowed when I locked eyes with Nicole. She stood with her phone in her hand, though she put it away as she asked, “What happened?”
I reached for her hand and said, “We’ll talk outside of the castle.”
