Page 104 of Royal Caleva: Luis

“If I drink anything alcoholic, I will fall over asleep,” Grace said. “Just water, please.”

Eve pulled three bottles of water from the fridge and brought them back to the seating area. The three of them sipped their water, too keyed up and exhausted to chitchat as they waited for news from Dr. Ibarra. Every once in a while, Mikel’s voice would penetrate the closed door of the conference room, too muffled to distinguish any words but snapping with authority, impatience, or anger.

Eve tilted her head to rest against the back of the armchair, her eyelids drifting closed. Instead of her invented picture of Luis fully dressed and walking, she saw him lying in the hospital room, still as death. She jerked her head up to banish the image.

The door from the hospital corridor swung open, and Dr. Ibarra came through. All three of them jumped to their feet. Raul met the doctor halfway across the room. “What did your examination show?”

“We are very encouraged,” Dr. Ibarra began. “Su Majestad’s vital signs are moving back toward normal.”

Eve had to grab the back of her chair to keep her knees from buckling in relief.

“He still needs rest, but we are confident he will make a full recovery,” Dr. Ibarra continued.

“Oh, thank God!” Grace said, her voice half a sob.

Raul ran his hand over his face, his shoulders sagging inward before he straightened again. “What would you guess the time frame will be?” he asked. “I do not wish my father to return to work until you say he is ready, but we must decide what and when to tell the media.”

Of course. Now that Luis was out of the woods, the fact that he was the head of the country became a pressing concern. Eve looked at Raul with respect.

The doctor grimaced. “Su Majestad wishes Señores Sanz and Vargas to come to the hospital later today. I advised against it, but…” Her shrug said that one could not override the king’s commands.

Raul made a wordless sound of frustration. “One moment,” he said to the doctor before going to the conference room door to knock and then open it. “Mikel, the doctor and I need your assistance.”

Mikel emerged from the conference room immediately. “How may I help?”

“Dr. Ibarra, would you please repeat what you told me about my father’s condition?” Raul asked.

As the doctor went through her report again, Eve saw a mixture of profound relief and searing guilt on Mikel’s normally inscrutable face. The man must be exhausted to let so much emotion show. When Dr. Ibarra mentioned Luis’s requested visitors, Mikel’s mouth tightened into a grim line.

“You have to help me convince Pater to rest another day,” Raul said to Mikel.

Mikel nodded but swung his gaze to Eve. “Perhaps you would add your voice to our efforts,” he said. “His Majesty might give your words more weight.”

Mikel did not elaborate on why, but Eve felt a warm flush climbing her cheeks. He didn’t know that her relationship with Luis was over, but that didn’t stop her from wanting Luis to give himself time to recover.

“I’ll try,” she said before turning to the doctor. “Is he still awake?”

“He was when I left him,” she said.

Eve raised her eyebrows in a query to Raul. The prince nodded. “We’ll see him now, Doctor.”

Eve started to beckon for Grace to join them, when Raul—bless him!—said, “Grace, perhaps the newest member of our family can talk some sense into Pater.”

All four of them trooped into Luis’s room together. He opened his eyes as they approached his bed. “Ah, my favorite people have returned. I fear I won’t be good company since the doctor tells me I should sleep.”

“Exactly,” Raul said. “Which is why Bruno and Francisco should not come to the hospital later today. It’s Sunday. You have no official meetings scheduled. You must give yourself time to heal.”

“Ay, hijo mío, we have arrangements to make for introducing Grace to Caleva,” Luis said, his voice stronger than before.

“How do you think I will feel if you make yourself worse because of me?” Grace asked, her voice fierce. “I know I’m your daughter. That’s all that matters right now.”

“You are ganging up on me, I see,” Luis said with a ghost of a smile. “Well, Mikel, what is your argument for keeping me away from my advisors?”

Mikel did not smile. “If you die, I will never forgive myself.”

His words sliced the air with their stark truth. He was responsible for the king’s security, so he blamed himself for not preventing Luis from being poisoned. Eve wanted to tell him not to be so hard on himself.

“That is blackmail, mi amigo,” Luis said, his faint smile vanishing. “You will not shoulder the blame for this.” He swept his gaze around the monitors surrounding him. “No one could have anticipated rat poison in the pages of a book.”

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