Page 49 of Royally F*cked

“Then I would ask you if there is another date that you prefer.”

“But you would not tell me why you selected May 21st?” I question. Giving me a choice doesn’t mean nearly as much when he’s still not willing to let me in and explain to me the why behind his choices.

He smiles and shakes his head. “I will tell you. I am afraid the answer may shock you though.”

I raise a brow. “I don’t think there is anything that can shock me at this point.”

“Ah, but this might,” he takes my hand in his and leads me back into his arms but this time I’m straddling his legs.

“Try me.”

“May 21st is the day that I became a Rexford.”

“Your birthday is April 9th,” I say, feeling a little perplexed.

“It is. But on May 21st, 1987, Julius Jr. and Poppy Willow Rexford formally adopted me and it’s on that day that I became the third in line for the throne.”

“You’re adopted?!” I cannot help but wonder how much more there that Jude has kept from me. And if he’s adopted… “If this is true then you can’t actually become king! The heir to the throne must be a blood child of the king.” My mind begins to spin. Has this all been a joke?

Why would he force me to marry him when he cannot become king in the first place?

“Whoa…Hey,” he grabs my arm, refusing to let me move away from him. “Charlie, that very wise brain of yours is already running. I know exactly what you’re thinking, which is why you need to let me explain.”

“Explain? Explain what? That you’ve tricked me into some binding agreement and for what reason Jude? What are you really getting out of this?”

“First of all, you have got to stop always assuming the absolutely worst about me, Charlie. Or assume that I’m lying to you. I know that you trust me, otherwise you wouldn’t be here now. You wouldn’t have stormed into my office and gave yourself to me like that. So, stop letting fear put the wrong ideas in your head. Lean into that trust.”

“None of this makes any sense,” I mutter.

“Because you’re not listening.” He argues.

“Speak. Quickly. Because - fear or not, I am having a hard time processing everything that you’re telling me.”

“My parents were told they could never have children of their own. Back then, it was unheard of to turn to alternative methods to start a family but even though they were young, they wanted a family. And of course my father knew that they would need to have a son at some point if he were to take over the throne. They found me in an orphanage, the very same one that I hold near and dear to my heart. I was just a few days old. Because of my dad’s connections, they were able to expedite the adoption process all while my parents crusaded parliament and fought to change the monarchy rules.”

Talk about making me feel like an ass. “So, you are allowed to take the throne?”

“I am allowed to take the throne. Shall a crown prince or princess elect to legally adopt a child before the child’s age of 3, that child is recognized as an heir to the throne. Same if they pursued fertility treatment with donor sperm or donor eggs. And their order of succession to the throne cannot be overturned by a full blood heir.”

“Wow. Jude. I had no idea. I am terribly sorry.”

“As I said, you’ve got to stop assuming the worst. At least when it comes to me.”

I nod in agreement. He is correct. I do need to learn to trust him fully if this is going to work.

“Does your grandfather know this information? I assume he knows you’re adopted?”

“I assume that he is aware. Otherwise, why would he tell me that it was time for me to step forward?”

“Does the public know that you’re adopted? I don’t believe I’ve ever heard so much as a mumble about it. And what about Willow?”

Jude shakes his head. “Another thing my parents fought hard for was to keep those sorts of records sealed, locked up tight. When they brought me home to the palace, they simply told everyone that they wanted to keep the birth a secret and had been hiding my mum’s pregnancy for months. As far as I know, everyone believed it. Willow…Willow is their biological daughter. A very pleasant and welcomed surprise after several miscarriages over the years.”

“I…I’m…”

“Shocked,” he smirks, and I smile back at him.

“Yeah.”

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