Page 64 of Redemption of a Prince

“We should probably set up a rotation,” Zeke said. “Someone should be here with him most of the time. Mum, would you like to be first, or do you want to go home for a while?”

Her shoulders drooped again. “I would like to go rest, but I don’t want to leave him.”

Gideon helped her stand up. “Let us take you home. Zeke can stay with Papa for the first shift. We’ll rotate after a while.”

Mum nodded. “That sounds good. Please let us know if there’s any change.”

“Of course.” He wouldn’t call his mother. He’d call someone else, at least until he’d received word that his mother had gotten some rest.

Everyone gave him a hug. Much better than the bowing and curtsying from earlier.

“I’ll be back in a couple of hours,” Gideon told him quietly. “I feel like we probably need to have a talk.”

“There was some misinformation.” Zeke’s tone matched his brother’s. “The reasons you didn’t know about earlier? They don’t actually exist.”

“So everything’s back to normal?” The shock in his brother’s voice didn’t come close to matching Zeke’s emotions.

“Such as it is, yes.”

“I’m glad to hear that.”

His brother released him and took a step back. Zeke glanced around to see the others were giving them room.

“I don’t know if it will be possible, but I would like to be there when Mum talks to Lydia. I know it may not be, but if there’s a way...”

“Would you like me to stay here instead?” Gideon meant it. Zeke knew that, but he also knew he needed to be the one to stay.

“No. I’ll stay with Papa. I’ll see you in a few hours.”

A moment later, Zeke was alone in the room, except for the two security team members.

He looked at one of them. “Can you see if I can sit with my father? I know he’s not conscious, but I’d like to be with him.”

“I’ll find out, sir.” He went to the door and came back after talking to someone outside. “You can sit with him.”

“Thank you.”

Zeke was escorted to a different, secure part of the building where his father was being watched by a dedicated team.

A nurse had him wash up and put a paper suit of some kind on over his clothes, complete with booties on his shoes, and a cap over his hair. Once the gloves and mask were in place, she ushered him into the room with his father.

Tears sprung to his eyes as he saw his father lying there, tubes and wires all over.

Zeke took a seat in the chair next to him and picked up his father’s hand. It didn’t respond. Didn’t curl around Zeke’s hand.

“I’m here, Papa,” he said quietly. “We’ll have to talk when you wake up. I don’t know if Mum told you, but everything we thought was true isn’t. Everything’s back to the way it was originally.”

Even in here, he had to be circumspect. The medical professionals would have ironclad non-disclosure agreements, but it didn’t matter.

“In a lot of ways, I’m glad,” he went on. “It never felt right for Gideon to take my spot, but it also doesn’t feel right this way, because of what changed.” A tear finally snuck down his cheek. “And I don’t know how to deal with everything I’ve lost today.”

18

After everything that happened, Nikki was fairly certain her job was on the line. She doubted Ezekiel would tell anyone the whole truth, but he would probably tell Gideon and Kari that they needed to find someone else to head up the project.

Knowing how likely that was, she dressed in her favorite work clothes - ones that made her feel good about herself - and called a Yfir to take her to the palace. At least she had her identification with her. It would make getting into the gate easier, though the vehicle wouldn’t be able to accompany her.

Half an hour later, she settled in behind her desk and started to work.

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