Page 68 of Trained Royal
“Do you think it will come to that?”
Douglas shrugged. “I really don’t know, but you can see the tension between them already, especially with everything Damon has been doing. Damon’s safety has always been Freddie’s concern, even if he didn’t show it before.”
Mav lay his head down again. “Hopefully, they’ll figure it out so they’re both happy, however that has to be.” He sighed. “As for you, we need a game plan. You can pretend with them, that’s fine, but we still need to figure out the best way to approach this event. Increased security is a must, and youwilllisten to them. No being a hero.”
“Yes, boss.”
Mav slapped his side, and Douglas laughed. Despite the gravity of the situation, they needed to keep themselves upbeat. It was okay to fall apart behind closed doors, but to the general public, they needed to be united and free from tension. Once he’d finished wallowing—this release of anxiety—he would be back to his normal self so he can help everyone else. A united front was a must, and he knew he and his family would do just that.
****
Chapter 21
Patrick
Despite Patrick’s wrist not being better, he needed to purge the music from his body. He sat in front of the piano, hoping it would be less strain on his wrist, and held his fingers over the keys. The moment they touched the cold plastic, his entire body loosened. Kind of like when it did when he was with Kieren. But his boyfriend was meeting with Timothy, and Patrick had nothing else to do.
He closed his eyes and ran through some scales, warming his fingers from having not played in so long. His wrist twinged, but not enough to encourage him to stop. The scales turned into a tune, and he closed his eyes and let his fingers do the talking for him. His head and body moved in concert with the music, and Patrick smiled at the light, wistful sound.
When his wrist started aching too much, he wound down and finished, breathing deeply as his shoulders lowered. A clap made him jump, but he grinned at his father and stood to greet him.
“I wasn’t sure if I should enter, but the music pulled me in. It was beautiful, Patrick.”
“Thanks.” He hugged him. “What are you doing here?” he asked when he pulled back.
“A meeting was cancelled, and I took the opportunity to come home early. I have far too much work to do, but today, I can’t be bothered.”
Patrick laughed. “You’re playing hooky, as they say?”
“I am.” They exited the music room. “How’s your wrist?”
Patrick opened and closed his hand, turning it over and back again. “It aches now that I’ve been playing, but it’s not bad.”
“Do you miss the training?” At Patrick’s raised eyebrows, his father clarified, “The training with Kieren.”
Patrick scrunched his face. “Would it be awful if I said not even a little?”
His father chuckled. “No. Although I don’t know if Kieren would think that.”
“We’re both in the same boat at the minute, although he’s eager to get back to it. His physiotherapist has told him he has to be patient. It didn’t go down well.”
“I can imagine. The man is constantly on the move. Being immobile must be bothersome for him.”
“It truly is. What do you have planned for this afternoon now?”
His father sighed. “To be honest, I have no idea. I’m going to ask your mother what she would like to do.”
They gazed at each other and, in unison, said, “Sit in the garden.” They laughed.
“I think it might be a little cold for that, but maybe the sunroom would be a suitable compromise.” His father patted his shoulder. “Have a good afternoon, son.”
“You, too, Father. Say hello to Mother for me. I’m not sure if we’ll be here for dinner or not.”
Patrick wandered towards Kieren’s room, pausing to knock on the door. As Timothy was there, he wouldn’t just walk in like Kieren had told him he could.
“Come in!”
Patrick entered and smiled at the two men. “Am I too early?”
