Page 78 of Once Upon A Royal Christmas
You don’t need to carry the weight of the kingdom entirely on your shoulders, son. Not yet—that’s what I’m here for.
“You know I’m right, don’t you?” Emilie said.
“You’re letting a bunch of Instagram posts go to your head, Em. What Gracie and I had wasn’t a romance,” he said, but it felt like a lie. A whopper, in fact.
“Please tell me you don’t actually believe that.” Emilie shook her head. “No one told you to look at her the way you did, and no one told Gracie to light up every time you were around. Jaron and I were the ones writing the captions, but you and Gracie wrote the story.”
“It’s complicated,” Nick said, but it sounded like little more than a weak excuse.
Emilie shook her head. “I can’t believe this. You’ve been different since Gracie got here, and now you sound like the same old Nick.”
He’d felt different. Getting to know Gracie had made him a better man, a better prince. His dad had been right. She’d taught him how to let go and live in the moment.
And now that moment was over.
“Look, Emilie. You were right about the contest. You were right about all of it. San Glacera and its traditions can change while still honoring the past. I realize that now. Just because Gracie is leaving doesn’t mean I’ve changed my tune about any of that.”
“But do you realize that kingdoms and traditions aren’t the only things that can change? People can change too. Maybe what Gracie really wants is for you to put your heart on the line and make yourself vulnerable as a person, not just a prince.” Emilie’s brows crept all the way to her hairline. “You realize the reason Dad is always trying to get you to relax is because you’re still just a prince, right? You’ve got the rest of your life to be king. The time to make mistakes is now. Be messy. Be real. The throne isn’t going anywhere. Grandpa taught you how to be a monarch, but Dad is doing his best to teach you how to be human.”
His father hadn’t put things quite so brutally, but he’d told Nick pretty much the same thing. As had Jaron. He’d told Nick the reason he and Gracie were so good together was because she made him seem more accessible…more human.
How many times did he need to hear the same sentiment before he believed it?
“I miss him too, you know,” Emilie said quietly. “Grandpa.”
Nick’s chest gave a pang. He’d been so caught up in his own grief for so long that he sometimes forgot Emilie had lost a grandparent too. “I know you do, Em.”
“Did you know he loved ice cream sundaes as much as we do?” She flashed him a cheeky grin.
“Grandpa?” Nick had no recollection of King Noël eating an ice cream sundae. Ever. Sundaes were a secret treat that Nick and Emilie shared on late-night, sneaky trips to the palace kitchen. Nick wasn’t sure his grandfather even knew where the kitchen was located.
“Yep. In fact, he’s the one who first showed me where the chef kept the hot fudge and caramel sauce.” Emilie gave Nick a meaningful head tilt. Caramel sauce had always been his favorite.
“Top back shelf of the walk-in refrigerator, all the way to the right.” Nick let out a low laugh. “Grandpa knew about that?”
“He sure did. He was Grandpa. I’m pretty sure he knew about every single thing that happened in this castle,” Emilie said. Her gaze slid toward Nick, eyes brimming with affection. “He probably still does. I like to think that he’s up in heaven right now, watching over us. And if he could come down here and say just one thing to you, do you know what it would be?”
Nick swallowed hard. He couldn’t begin to imagine what the late, great King Noël would have to say about the most recent mess he’d made of things.
“I’ll tell you,” Emilie said with a firm nod. “Grandpa would say he was proud of you. You were always the apple of his eye, Nick. Nothing you could ever do would change that.”
Maybe that had been true for a while, but once King Noël had gotten sick and Nick’s personal life had become front page news, he doubted that was the case.
Nick shook his head. “But…”
“But nothing. He told me so himself the night before he passed away.” Emilie’s smile went tender, and tears filled her eyes.
Nick just stared at her, not quite believing what he was hearing. He shook his head. “No.”
It couldn’t be true. Could it?
“I snuck into his bedroom to bring him a sundae. We talked late into the night—about all sorts of things. And then in the morning, he was gone.” A tear slipped down Emilie’s cheek, and Mittens let out a quiet whine.
Nick’s sister wiped her face, and the dog curled into a ball in her lap.
“Anyway, he was very clear. He said he didn’t care about Sarah Jane and the scandal she’d whipped up. In fact, he said that dealing with it would one day make you into a better leader. A better king.” The corner of Emilie’s mouth quirked into a smile. “He loved you, Nick. He was so proud of you. Always. He told me so himself, right at the end.”
Nick’s throat closed up tight. He could barely speak.
