Page 11 of The Billionaire's Royal Crown

“Does it say second-born sons should be shipped to another country? Oh, please, I hope so,” Alexander said.

“Alexander,” Queen Sophia warned, her features pinching with sternness though failing to mask her amusement with the statement.

“Let’s allow him to finish what he clearly finds so important,” King Frederick said.

Alexander flung an arm in the air as he flicked his gaze back to his brother with a sigh. Elena shifted in her seat, her gaze going between Julian and Eric. The latter wore an amused grin as he perched on the edge of his seat.

“It appears,” Julian continued, “that centuries ago, a monarch made the rules for heirs ascending to the throne of Eldoria very, very clear.”

King Frederick sucked in a breath, his eyebrow arching. “Allow me to stop you there, Julian. If this is going to detail that the line of succession only recognizes males, please know that decree is outdated. That has been updated to allow women to ascend to the throne well before my time as king.”

Julian inched forward in his seat with a shake of his head. “No, Uncle, I fully understand that women may ascent to the throne in this day and age. Of course, I recall that very well. Even an unwed woman may become Queen of Eldoria.”

King Frederick bobbed his head. “That is correct. Though that will not be an issue with Elena, it seems, so the point is rather moot. Now, if we may turn the subject–”

“Actually, Uncle, that is not the point,” Julian answered with a shake of his head. “I am well aware that Elena, as a woman, wed or not, could ascend to the throne, though thereisan issue, particularly if she does carry on with her current plans.”

Elena narrowed her eyes at him. “What is this supposed issue?”

“Apparently, the decree states something rather curious. And I have found nothing that has repealed it in any way, therefore, it will affect you.”

“What is it?” King Frederick asked.

“Apparently, the decree states that for an heir to ascend tothe throne of Eldoria, their spouse must hold a noble title or be from a specific lineage deemed appropriate by the royal court. A list of such lineages existed as an appendix to the document.”

“What?” Elena cried, her features twisting.

Julian offered a fleeting smirk. “American biotech billionaires were not on the list. Sorry, Elena. But if you continue forward with your plans to wed Mr. Nathan Kingsley, you will give up your claim on the throne.”

Julian shifted his gaze to his brother. “And with your whining about not marrying Lady Margaret who just passes muster, neither will you, brother. Therefore, the throne would go to me. And be certain, I will marry royal blood.”

“Of course, you will, Julian. You are far too snobby for anything else. Father, must we tolerate much more of this nonsense?”

“It is not nonsense. And I have already brought it to the attention of the legislature. They agree with my assessment.”

King Frederick pressed his lips together as Elena shot him a glance. “Thank you for bringing this to our attention, Julian. I will issue a royal decree in the morning to repeal that one.”

“I’m afraid it won’t be that simple, Uncle,” Julian answered. “You see, there is a mechanism to stop you from unilaterally issuing a new royal decree. You will need the vote of a super majority of the legislature to replace the decree. So, it seems the line of succession shall need to be rethought…if Elena plans to continue with her current path.”

Heat rose in Elena’s cheeks as she glared at her cousin. “How dare you?”

“Elena, please,” King Frederick said, placing a hand on her knee.

“I still don’t understand what you are doing here, Eric?”Alexander said. “Surely, matters of Eldorian law hardly concern you.”

“Well, it does. You see, I had expected to announce my engagement to Elena before Nathan Kingsley burst into the room and ruined it. But with this…wrinkle, I had hoped Elena would rethink her choice. What do you say, my dear Elena? Would you like to rethink your choice to marry Nathan Kingsley now that you know you will lose the throne for him?”

The question struck Elena like a cold wave, her heart pounding against her ribs. She hadn’t expected to make this choice, and when Nate had thrust it upon her, she’d balked. But here it was again. How important was her country to her?

CHAPTER 4

NATE

Nate slumped into his chair, releasing a deep, weary sigh that seemed to echo in the quiet of his office. His gaze drifted to the darkened monitor, where the ghost of his reflection stared back–lines of fatigue deeply around his eyes, a silent testament to the day’s trials.

With a shake of his head, he grabbed his phone, ready to text Elena. His shaky thumb hovered over the virtual keyboard, but he didn’t know what to type.

The wedding planning was starting off with a bang. His choice of best man had already declined and threatened to ruin the wedding.

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