Page 103 of Loyally, Luke
Luke followed his black-suited escort up a narrower stairway and less ornate hallway, still well maintained, but the atmosphere changed from grand to... something else? Luke glanced behind him the way they’d come, trying to remember the direction in case he needed to run for it.
The servant leading the way stopped in front of a large oak door with wood carvings of flowers twining up each side in distracting detail. The leaves looked fragile enough to be real.
Luke didn’t have time to study the designs further because the manservant—did he call him a manservant? Butler?—knocked and a voice within beckoned entry. Unlike the previous and larger rooms, Luke stepped into a space of cozy, pale blue couches and white walls. The chairs looked more comfortable, though it seemed pretty clear that no one had been eating Doritos while watching movies here.
As weird as it sounded to his brain, this place felt more like the middle ground between how he imagined Ellie’s life and what he knew of his own. This was comfy-class. He cringed. Where had that thought come from? He’d only watched HGTV a few times, and those were only during emergency moments involving Izzy andWuthering Heights, Penelope and boy drama, or Josephine and some of her strange diet crashes.
King Aleksander stood from behind a desk by one of the large windows in the room and walked forward, hand extended. “Happy to see you again, Luke.”
“Your Majesty.” Luke gave a small bow before taking the man’s hand. He got a little help from research for that protocol too. “I’m grateful to have a chance to talk with you again.”
“Good. Come sit.” The king waved toward one of the matching chairs and then turned to the two men in the room. “You can leave us, thank you.”
No witnesses. Luke watched them leave. But that also meant no ganging up on Luke. He studied the king. The man looked in good shape, but Luke thought he could take him, if he had to.
The king sat and Luke followed (another tip from the cyberworld).
“You didn’t have to bring a gift.” The king gestured toward the box in Luke’s hand.
Luke looked down at the offering and heat rushed to his face. “I’m sorry, sir, but I actually brought this in hopes you could give it to Ellie—Princess Elliana for me, since I’ve finished my work at Cambric Hall and we don’t plan to see each other in casual circumstances again.”
The king scanned the long, rectangular box with a raised brow.
“It’s a fishing rod.” Luke leaned forward as if someone else might overhear. “PENN Spinfisher.”
The king’s eyes widened. “You bought my daughter a fishing rod?”
“Yes, sir.”
“And you think this is a good choice?” The king’s lips crooked just a little beneath his golden beard.
“I do, in fact, sir. It’s something on her list.”
“Her list?” The king tilted his head, studying Luke with curiosity more than skepticism.
Did her dad not know about her list? Maybe he shouldn’t have mentioned it.
“I beg your pardon, sir, but it’s a private list your daughter has. I imagine she’ll be glad to tell you about it if you ask her, but if you don’t mind, I’d rather not betray her trust about it.”
The king dipped his chin in acceptance and his smile returned. “Well, first I’d like to thank you for your presentation to the Board of the Children’s Trust. We have already begun making contacts in the community to review possible individuals who would be willing to mentor and train any of the children in our children’s homes who are seeking trade work.”
“That was fast.”
The king’s grin widened. “With great power comes expediency.” He raised a brow. “Sometimes.”
“I’m sure a great deal of children will benefit from that choice, sir.”
“I believe you’re right.” The king relaxed back in his chair with a sigh. “But I’m certain you are curious as to why I asked to meet with you. I have a long acquaintance with Gordon and Nessa Frasier. They speak very highly of you, and Gordon praised your work ethic and quality.”
“It’s been a real pleasure working with Gordon.” Luke had attempted to keep his posture straight, but now he noticed that the king had relaxed into his own chair just like a regular guy. So Luke followed suit. “He knows a lot about building, but even more than that, he loves his town and the North Country.”
“Yes, he’s advised Ellie and me on several conservation projects we’ve started within the last year.” He folded his hands on his lap, appearing much more like a regular guy than what Luke knew he actually was, which added a whole different level of weirdness.
Sure, he’d welcomed Luke during dinner a few weeks ago and they’d engaged well, but now they sat in a study in the man’s castle. Was he supposed to be more kingly here? Or could he really be this... semi-normal?
“He took me on a few drives into the forests you all have up there. Fantastic areas. Beautiful too.”
“Yes, which is why I hope to create more wildlife reserves, but also capitalize on what we offer as a country to bring in more tourists and hopefully transplants.” His smile flashed a little, the movement reminding him of Ellie. “Which is one of the reasons I invited you here. Gordon recommended you take a look at a few additional properties I am contemplating for renovation into holiday homes—one may even prove an excellent option for a hotel. But Gordon mentioned you’d worked in... what is it called in your country? Wildlife management?”
