Page 53 of Iron Unicorn

I timed him on my watch, and at the five minute mark, I said, “Your Majesty.”

The cursing ceased. “Thank you for indulging me, Terry.”

“You’re welcome, Your Majesty.”

“Can I get you to call me Will for the sake of this conversation?”

At the rate the royals were going, they’d have me trained to use their names before I left Texas. “Of course, Will.”

“All right. I knew there were potential issues with her nose, but every time I asked her, she said it was fine. I did express that she shouldn’t get any operations just to please others. The royal physicians did not indicate there were underlying deformities of her nasal passages.”

I nodded, and satisfied with the answer, I said, “The Texans hoodwinked you, Will. They kidnapped me specifically to bring Olivia to Texas to address the problem. She was operated on in Houston. There were no complications. I was with her the entire time, routed into Texas with my queen’s blessing, although she didn’t give her blessing until after the hit on her palace. It turns out I needed more medical care than your sister did. I’d failed to eat something correctly, coming down with pneumonia as a result of stress. Initially, everything went well, but she has spiraled into a breakdown. I suspect she’s stressed because she believes you will be upset with her.”

“All right. I can see how this situation came to be. First, thank you for taking care of my sister.”

“You’re welcome.”

“Where is she?”

As the king remained calm, I tested the waters for his reaction. “She’s sleeping in our hotel room.”

“Do I need to come rescue you, Terry?”

“I am not in need of rescue unless you decide you’re going to have a problem. I have promised Olivia that I would roll you in the mud.”

Montana’s king laughed. “If that makes her happy, we’ll put on a show, but I won’t promise you won’t get a bloodied nose out of it. It’s a matter of familial pride. If we’re going to be fighting over my sister, we’re going to have a proper fight.”

I could work with that. “Regular suppressors on for both of us. They used maximum security suppressors on me for the phobia exposure incident, and I managed to knock myself out twice with them.”

“You’ve been having a few rough weeks. Are you sure you don’t need a vacation?”

“Well, we were trying to have something like a vacation. If you tilt your head to the side and squint, it might be mistaken for a vacation. His Royal Majesty of Texas gave us some of his Akhal-Tekes. If she wasn’t so stressed over how you’ll think of her, she’d be overjoyed. Her dysphoria is quite severe at the moment. I’ve done what I can, but I’m a poor person for this task.”

“You’ve always felt she’s beautiful.”

“That’s correct, Your Majesty.” I cleared my throat. “Sorry, Will.”

“I expect to be titled when someone is confessing he is attracted to my sister. She is a princess, after all. And she’smysister.”

“I have been informed about our status as bonded.” I checked on Olivia, determined she still slept, and sighed. “And I do want what’s best for her—and that’s her understanding that the operation changes nothing between us. What she needs right now is reassurance from you.”

“And your thoughts on your situation?”

I stepped out of the bedroom and mulled over the situation. “Texas wants to reevaluate my talent, as they’re confident it is of royal ranking. In part to give me a raise for working in New York, one part to put me on equal footing with Olivia. The raise would definitely let me establish a proper home in New York. While I have no doubt Olivia would take a stab at apartment life, I’d rather have a house.”

“It was something you provided for Sabina, and it’s something you want to provide for Olivia. Not just a house, but a home where it’sherspace, not just a place you rent to sleep in.”

I appreciated that the king understood the problem. “That’s correct.”

“Even if you don’t get the raise and you decide to remain as an elite talent, I’ll help you with the house situation. I’ve been scolded quite thoroughly over your adventures throughout the Royal States safeguarding Rachel. You were grossly underpaid. Now, I don’t thinkyouthink you were grossly underpaid. If you felt you were underpaid, you would have said something. But the difficulty, stress, and inability to have your own life for several years is a serious consideration, and you deserve to be compensated. As I value my life and my ability to share a bed with my wife, I will be dealing with that issue promptly.”

Ah. Queen Mackenzie had issued an ultimatum. “Understood, Will.”

“Thank you for having mercy on my soul. My wife certainly doesn’t.”

“I take it she’s not present?”

“Fortunately for the sake of my pride, I am in one of the palace offices in Dallas, and I happen to be alone. She’s in Montana holding down the fort with the kids. My agents are in the hallway, likely conspiring with some Texans.”

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