Page 6 of Royal Caleva: Luis

“I believe Quinn will be happy to have a valid reason to avoid some of the more tedious meetings,” Mikel said. “But even if the DNA is authenticated, it does not prove that this particular woman, this Grace Howard, is your daughter. The DNA could have come from some other child.”

Luis ran one hand over his face. “As I am aware. But if it is authenticated, it means that somewhere in the world, I have a child. DNA does not lie.”

The hope he had been quelling with an iron control flickered to life again.

“I understand that family is of the utmost importance to you, Señor, but we must go slowly. If nothing else, there is the succession to consider, given that this child is illegitimate.”

“Fortunately, my ancestors were not respectable citizens, so they made provisions for heirs born out of wedlock,” Luis said. “I can acknowledge her as mine, and she will be a princess.”

“And next in line for the throne after Raul, a role she has no training for and may not wish to fulfill,” Mikel pointed out.

“I understand the complications,” Luis snapped.

Mikel merely nodded. “Please tell me everything that Odette said.”

Luis repeated the conversation almost verbatim, a useful memory skill he had honed over his many years of being king. “Only five people should know of this. Outside this car, that includes Raul, Quinn, and Gabriel,” Luis said. “Odette must be kept in solitary, with no visitors allowed, until we get ahead of this situation. I don’t want her releasing any information to the media.”

Mikel nodded before he said, “Remember that we are limited in how long we can keep a prisoner in solitary confinement without offering a valid reason.”

“And she will know that, of course,” Luis said with a snarl of anger.

“Indeed.” Mikel’s tone turned reflective. “One wonders why Odette chose this particular time to share such a bombshell with you.”

“It is impossible to know what goes on in a mind that twisted,” Luis said.

His hatred of Odette had intensified to the point where he wanted to return to the medieval way of punishment. He wanted to seize her with his own hands, hurl her off the highest point of Acantilado Alto, and watch her body smash onto the rocks below. He wanted her to survive, as legend said two others had, so that her broken, agonized body could be dragged back up to the pinnacle, where he could fling her off again. Then he would stand atop the high cliff and smile as the waves battered her body against the boulders until the sea sucked her under forever.

Since civilized kings no longer had that option, he would have to be satisfied with prolonging her miserable captivity.

An unpleasant thought struck Luis. “Grace may wish to meet her birth mother.”

“It might be better if she didn’t. Odette is not a mother to be proud of,” Mikel said, his harsh tone surprising from a man so controlled.

“I believe it is important to know where you came from,” Luis said. If Grace was truly who Odette said she was, his daughter should have the opportunity to make her own choice.

Mikel shook his head. “With respect, I disagree. There are times when the past should be buried as deeply as possible.”

Luis wondered again where Mikel had come from—he’d arrived in Caleva with his young daughter eight years ago—but he refused to pry. Mikel would tell him when he was ready. Or when it became necessary.

“Mikel, my friend, today proves that the past refuses to stay buried, no matter how much dirt we heap on top of it.”

“What did Odette want?” Raul started to stand as Luis entered his private office, but Luis waved him back to his seat in one of the armchairs. Raul’s uniform jacket was tossed over the chair’s arm, so he wore only a black cotton T-shirt with his dress trousers. A glass of water dangled from his fingers.

“First, how did the speech go?” Luis unfastened the high collar of his own jacket before he sat in the chair nearest to his son.

“I’m sure Francisco already reported to you about it,” Raul said, but he grinned. “I was nervous as hell walking down the aisle to the podium, but once I got there and spotted some of the assholes who tried to grab the lily fields, I got pissed off. I enjoyed rubbing their noses in the fact that we defeated them. The speech just poured out of me after that.”

“Anger can be useful if channeled in the right direction. I am proud of you, hijo mío. I am also grateful that you were there to step in for me.”

“It was an honor to be entrusted with such an important job,” Raul said, the grin gone as his tone turned formal. “Thank you for your confidence in me.”

“Be careful,” Luis warned. “You may find yourself shouldering my responsibilities more often.”

“Pater, I am here anytime you need me. You know that,” Raul said. “But the consejeros might not be so happy about the substitution.”

“I already have half a dozen requests for private meetings,” Luis acknowledged. “I will definitely drop some of those on you.”

Raul nodded with a mischievous glint in his eye. “That will annoy them even more.” Then he sobered. “Was what Odette had to say explosive enough to be worth missing the address?”

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