Page 35 of Learning to Rule

“I think we have.” I sigh, also needing to get out from behind my desk.

After my meeting with Clement, he had a lot of briefings sent over for me to read, to help me understand the current position of the country. It doesn’t make for the best reading. If anything, it just makes me angrier and even more disgusted with my father. Several times I’ve been at the point of wanting to dig up his dead body and kill him again. But I need to let the past die with him. I’ll let the worms and bugs inflict the torture to his body now.

“Have you thought anymore about what you want to do for our wedding? When do you want to get married?” I question.

Ever since I proposed to Elodie, I’ve thought about making her my wife. I want her tied to me forever. I know she’s not going to leave me again, but I want her to bear my name so we can start living together officially. When anyone calls her Miss Nash, I find myself flinching. I don’t see her as someone separate to me. She’s mine, through and through.

“I suppose we can’t run away and get married, just the two of us, in a drive-thru chapel wedding in Las Vegas?”

“I think the people of Janastria would have a fit at that. I also think your yoga class in Florida would never speak to me again for denying them the chance to see you get married. I had a letter from Maria yesterday telling me to hurry up and set a date. She says she’s already started packing to come here.”

Elodie throws her head back in laughter, and the feminine line of her jaw entices me in. I take her hand, and swinging her around, I bring her flush against my body.

“There’s a summerhouse just behind those trees. Fancy visiting it with me?” I wink at her.

“You’re insatiable. You only had me an hour ago.”

“That was an hour ago. I’ve rested, and now I want you again.”

“Let’s go.” Elodie pulls on my hand and starts to run in the direction of the summerhouse.

As we make our way through the trees, I see my childhood friend Marianne, wrapped up warm against the cold, standing in front of the building.

“Marianne?” I call out as we approach. “What are you doing here?”

She quickly falls into a curtsy. “Your Majesty. Miss Nash.”

“Please dispense with all that crap, you’re one of my oldest friends. Are you all right?”

She looks nervously back to the summerhouse and the truth dawns on me.

“Your lover is inside?” I ask.

Elodie steps closer to me. “I’ll make my way back to the palace and leave you both to talk.”

“No, you stay with me.” I can hear the terse note in my voice, even if I don’t mean it to be there.

“Dalton, please. She is in there.” I can hear the worry in Marianne’s voice. She’s trembling, and I need to placate her. She has nothing to fear from me. She’s my friend.

“Please don’t worry. I’ve already told you I’ve no concerns about your relationship. If need be, I’ll fight against your father so you can be with your lover. The one thing I want most is for the monarchy to be modern in its attitudes. Elodie and I are going to be changing all the rules, and you can help.” I let go of Elodie and take Marianne’s hand in mine. “I mean it.”

She looks up at me with tearful eyes. “You say that now, but you don’t know who is behind that door. When you do, you’ll worry too much and put a stop to me seeing them. I love her, Dalton. I see you and Elodie so happy together. Laughing and joking. Always touching. I want that with the woman I love. I don’t want to hide away anymore. I want to show the world who I really am and maybe give hope to others in our country who love someone of the same sex or even both.”

“Is there not a big LGBTQ community in Janastria?” Elodie queries, and I shake my head.

“No, not really. Up until very recently, there were laws in place deeming partnerships between people of the same sex as immoral. In some cases, it resulted in prison sentences.” I have to admit my country is very far behind most others in this matter. My father fought against allowing freedom of sexuality for a long time.

“Wow!” Elodie is shocked and rightly so. “So you stopped chopping peoples’ heads off but still sent them to prison for being gay. Are there any other ways in which Janastria is behind the rest of the world? Are women allowed to vote?”

I let out a snort of laughter. “No, women can vote. LGBTQ rights is the only thing we’re behind in…and maybe a couple of property laws—but we don’t own our people or anything like that.”

“Phew.” Elodie swipes her hand over her forehead.

“I asked her to marry me, and she said yes,” Marianne blurts out, interrupting Elodie and I as we go off the main topic of Marianne and her lover.

“That’s fabulous news.” I pull Marianne into a big embrace. “You know I’ll support this marriage. I’m guessing your father will say no, but my permission will outweigh his. I’ll be at your side when you marry the woman you love if you want.” When I step back, I see the tears streaming down her cheeks.

“I wish you meant that. I fear you won’t, though.”

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