Page 18 of Redemption of a Prince

“What was their relationship?” He still didn’t turn around.

Nikki closed her eyes and tried to remember her history. “The king of Islas del Sargasso was the governor’s father.”

“So why didn’t the governor become the next king of Islas del Sargasso?”

Oh, boy. This was reaching way back to her New Sargassian Government and Politics 101 class more than a decade earlier. “He was an illegitimate son, right? He was born to the king’s mistress, but was the oldest child. Because he wasn’t born to the king’s wife, he couldn’t be king. Instead, the king sent him to be governor of New Sargasso.”

Prince Ezekiel turned and looked straight at her as she continued.

“During World War I, New Sargasso broke off from Old Sargasso, and the governor became the new king. He’s your great, great grandfather, I think.”

“Yes.”

Nikki stood and walked toward the wall where a series of portrait replicas were hung. The kings of the last century stared straight ahead.

“What does that have to do with anything?” she asked as she stared at King Geoffrey’s likeness.

“He was illegitimate.”

“So?”

Something began to stir at the back of her mind, but Nikki couldn’t quite grasp it well enough to sort out the relevance.

“It affected the founding documents.”

“Does it have something to do with the monarch having legal custody of all heirs? That’s why your brother David had to put his wedding off for so long, right?” She knew all about that proviso.

But then everyone did since the middle prince decided to marry a princess from another country - one who had adopted two little girls. Little girls he wanted to adopt himself, but having the king as their official, legal guardian complicated matters.

“No. That is why the wedding was postponed for so long, but that’s not what I’m talking about.”

Nikki shook her head. “I feel like I should know what you’re talking about, but I honestly have no idea.”

“My great, great grandfather was the illegitimate eldest son of the king of Islas del Sargasso.” He repeated her own words, albeit rearranged a bit.

“Yes.” That tidbit from class tried to push its way to the forefront of her consciousness, but it didn’t quite make it.

“When the founding documents of New Sargasso were written, a clause was added giving the monarch legal custody of all heirs. Technically, we still have male primogeniture rather than absolute primogeniture, though it hasn’t mattered since the country was founded. Every heir has been male, regardless.”

“Yes. I knew that.” And it bothered her on several levels, but it wouldn’t matter unless Ezekiel’s first child was a girl.

The memory exploded from the recesses of her mind. Nikki’s eyes went wide as she stared at Ezekiel, her hands clasped together in front of her stomach.

“If your oldest child is a daughter, she wouldn’t be queen,” Nikki whispered, but that wasn’t all of it.

He simply stared, waiting for her to finish putting the pieces together.

“And an heir who has a child out of wedlock isn’t eligible to take the throne.” This time her whisper was laced with the pain reflected in his eyes.

Prince Ezekiel didn’t move.

Her vision blurred as tears overwhelmed her eyes and began to race down her face. “You’re not eligible to be king, are you?”

He still stood there.

“The whole country doesn’t know, but you’re not eligible to inherit the crown, are you?”

The hot tears flowed unhindered down her cheeks and onto her neck before wetting the collar of her blouse.

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