Page 29 of Royal Catch
I stop smiling. “Yes. He has late-stage pancreatic cancer. The doctors say there’s not much time left for him. This competition is not the usual thing for my parents. They’re normally the height of royal decorum. It’s the cancer that brought them to this point, seeking joy in any small way they can.”
“I get that.” She hugs me tight. “I’m so sorry, Gabriel. I know how hard it is. My dad was sent home to die. It’s awful losing someone you love, day by day, and being helpless to do anything about it.”
I hold her close and let out a breath. She understands. Suddenly I don’t feel so alone with my hidden pain.
I find myself sharing more. “My mother refuses to rule without him. That’s why there’s an urgency to securing the line of succession. I must marry a woman ready to step in as queen and produce the next heir to the throne.”
She strokes a hand down my back. “Why is there so much pressure on you? What about Phillip? Don’t you have other siblings too?”
“I have four younger brothers and two younger sisters, but none of them are suitable. They haven’t been groomed for this from birth. My indulgent father let them run wild the way he did as the younger sibling. He had to unexpectedly become king when his older brother married a commoner and abdicated the throne. It was quite a scandal—never been done before in the history of the kingdom—and very hard for my father to adjust from his carefree life to the rigor of being king. He’s always wanted my younger siblings to have the freedom he was denied.”
“Wow. That must’ve been true love for your uncle to give up the throne.”
“I suppose, but not without its consequences. He’s been banned from Villroy, and his family has been cut off. No funds, no privileges. My father calls them the riffraff.”
“Harsh.”
I rest my chin on top of her head. “Sometimes life is.”
She pulls back and speaks fiercely. “This whole thing is unfair to you. Your parents put all the pressure on you to lead. They took away your freedom.”
I love that she rises to my defense, even if it’s unnecessary. I play with a lock of her hair. “They knew I was up to the task. It’s not a hardship. I’ve always been proud of my birthright and know my place.”
“I still don’t think it’s right that your parents didn’t give you the same freedoms as your siblings, or at least make a few of them learn the ropes too. That’s why you’re so grim.”
“I’m not grim.”
She’s stroking me now, her hand skimming over my shoulder and down my back. “Did they lock you in the attic and force you to learn with endless tutors?”
I let out a breath. “I wasn’t locked away, but my education and training were different. My siblings are unprepared to step into the role. Maybe part of me liked being the big brother and shielding them from the rigors of doing one’s duty, though one of my younger sisters has made a few concessions to duty.”
Her fingers trail back to my shoulder and down to my bicep, which she squeezes. “Damn, seven kids. Your parents got busy between the sheets, didn’t they?”
I chuckle. “The two youngest are twins, a boy and a girl. That’s Silvia and Adrian. My mother wanted a daughter so badly after four sons in a row. That’s when she had Emma. And then she wanted Emma to have a sister, so she tried again. And it worked. She just didn’t expect her sixth kid to be six and seven.”
“Talk about a surprise.”
We’re quiet for a few moments, just holding each other in the dark. I’m content, a rare feeling for me.
“Gabriel.”
I love the sound of my name on her lips. “Yes?”
“I came here tonight to say goodbye. It’s clear I won’t be allowed to win the competition, not even a smaller prize like a diamond necklace. You being the grand prize.”
I tighten my arms around her, not ready to say goodbye. “So you admit I’m the big reward?”
She laughs. “You’re on your own plane of greatness, way, way up there, but don’t let it go to your head, Your Highness.” I can hear the good humor in her voice, but then she becomes serious. “I’m sorry, but if there’s nothing for me to take home of value, I have to go and find another way.”
“Tell me why you need the funds. Who is this person you’re helping and why?”
Her fingers flex on my arm. “I’m not supposed to say.”
“You can trust me, Polly. I swear on my life.”
She speaks in a rush of words. “All I can say is she’s in trouble and it’s urgent that I help her. Very time sensitive. She’s important to our kingdom.”
“Why can’t your kingdom help her? I thought your economy was thriving.”
