Page 44 of Learning to Rule

“We’re supposed to stay until the end.”

“I’m king. I can do what I want.” I shake my head at him. “Besides,” Dalton continues. “I told you before that having the entire wedding party watching the consummation of the wedding went out with the dark ages. But if I don’t get you into a bedroom soon, that’s exactly what is going to happen.”

Epilogue

Dalton

Ten years later

“Daddy!”

My youngest son, Nicholas, runs into my open arms, and I pull him up into my embrace. He’s five years old now, but learning to be a handful already. He’ll be the one who causes me the most mischief when he’s older. He’s definitely more the clown than his older brother, Sebastian. Seb, as we call him, is more serious and already realizing at ten years old he’ll be king one day.

“Be careful you don’t hurt Daddy.” Elodie worries at my side. She’s walking along, holding Seb’s hand as he asks her questions about the yoga session they did earlier today.

“Hey, that’s not fair. You cheated.” Our middle child, Elizabeth, pouts as she reaches us, out of breath. “Daddy, he started running too early.” Elizabeth is eight and the spitting image of Elodie when she was that age. She’s beautiful and spirited, which shows when she loses a race.

“Did you start early?” I question Nicholas.

“No,” he tries to look innocent, but the smirk crossing his face tells me otherwise.

“Why don’t you race again.” I place Nicholas down on the ground. He and Elizabeth line up together. “Seb, why don’t you join them?”

My serious son smirks. “It’ll be so easy to beat them,” he says but joins them anyway, ready to race.

“One, two, three,” I count out loud, and Nicholas takes off too early. “Go.” Elizabeth and Seb start after him.

Elodie and I link arms.

This is a rare day for us where there’s nothing to do. Running a country is hard work, but I always make sure I’m available for our family dinner in the evening and at the children’s bedtimes. Elodie still assists me in running the country, but her public duties have lessened with the increase in number of our children. She wanted to have a hands-on role with them as much as possible. That doesn’t mean I don’t discuss important matters with her. We made a vow to run this country together, and that will not change.

“Did I tell you Clement and Hannah will be coming over tomorrow?” I inform Elodie.

“You did. I can’t believe he’s been elected for a fourth time. He’s doing so well with the country. I think he’ll be prime minister until his death bed.”

“God, I hope so. I don’t think I want to work with anyone else.”

“I’ll make sure the children are available to play with the Woodrows’. You know I think their oldest son has a bit of a crush on Elizabeth,” Elodie teases me, knowing I’m very protective of my little girl.

“He’ll have to wait until she’s at least thirty before he comes courting,” I respond with a chuckle. “Although I can’t think of a better match.”

“No, our children will choose their own partners.” Elodie gives me the eyebrow.

“I know. I won’t stop them from marrying the person they love, no matter their choice”

We both walk along in silence for a few moments, listening to the happy screams and shouts of our children. I can’t believe how far we’ve come in ten years. The country has never been so prosperous. It’s a wonderful place to live.

“Daddy.” Elizabeth comes hurtling toward me. I let go of Elodie and swoop my daughter into my arms. “Can we go and see Grandad?”

“Of course.” I place her down

“You are the best daddy ever,” Elizabeth shouts at me as she and the other children run off back to the palace.

The grandad she speaks of is Hinchbootie. He spent a year away exploring but eventually came back to the palace. On his return, he no longer had an official role, so I created a new one for him as grandad to the royal children. It’s the role he says he loves the most, and they adore him as well. He’s in his seventies now, but he’s still as spritely as he was when I was young. It’s like he’s had a second wind. He’s the only grandparent our children have. My mother never quit drinking, and it killed her eight years ago. No one mourned her passing, and she was quietly buried next to my father.

I pull Elodie close to me as we continue walking in the grounds on this beautiful summer’s evening.

“Did you ever think life would be like this when you were growing up?” I ask Elodie.

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