Page 65 of A Royal Obligation

“Prince Liam, you are in the clear. Your test results came back negative.”

“Nothing I didn’t already know. Nothing would be able to touch all of this.” He raised his eyebrows suggestively, flourishing his hand along the length of his body.

Barrett actually snickered at that one, but he immediately sobered seeing the look on Doctor West’s face as his gaze fell upon him.

“Prince Barrett, I wish I had better news for you.” Doctor West rubbed his hand along the side of his face. “Unfortunately, you have Sarcoidosis as well.”

A million thoughts swirled in Barrett’s mind, but he couldn’t quite muster up the strength to speak. He slumped back in his chair and ran his hand through his hair.

“Is there anything you all can do for him since you found it this early?” his father asked.

“We’ll run a few tests to check his lung nodules and to see how enlarged his spleen is.” Doctor West turned towards Barrett. “For now, you will want to avoid high-intensity exercise or anything that could lead to physical injury. If your spleen is enlarged, those things could lead to it rupturing. We may also want to put you on steroids or low-dose chemo injections that you can receive outside of the hospital. I know chemo is a buzzword, but it’s commonly used in immune disorders like this and is very well tolerated.”

“I’m so sorry, Barrett. I can’t help but feel like it’s my fault, passing it on to you.”

“You can’t take that upon yourself, Your Majesty,” Doctor West said.

Liam eyed Barrett cautiously and set a hand on his shoulder. “I’m here for you, bro.”

Barrett’s eyes stayed on the floor as he said, “It’s no one’s fault, but I need some time to process this on my own. May I go now?”

“Of course. Take all the time you need. We will talk soon.” His father excused him.

Barrett quickly exited the room and ran to the pavilion in the gardens.

His heart immediately felt more settled once he sat on the bench inside it. He breathed in the smell of the oak structure and the cold air burned his lungs.

He bit back the emotion in his throat and tried to think clearly. “What am I going to do, Mom? I wish you were here. You always knew what to say,” he whispered into the wind.

Barrett didn’t know how long he had been sitting outside by himself when he heard footsteps approaching. He lifted his head from his hands only when he heard someone stop in front of him. Wadsworth stood there with a thick plaid blanket and a to-go cup in his hands.

He handed the blanket to him and then gave him the cup. Barrett raised it up in question.

“Earl grey tea. It’s cold out and I know you’ve been gone for a while so I thought you might want a few things to warm you up.” Wadsworth sat down beside him and laid his arm around him in a fatherly gesture. “I’m so sorry, Barrett. The king informed me of your test results. How are you feeling?”

He simply shrugged his shoulders in response.

“I can imagine as much. The majority of this year has been crazy for you between your father pressuring you to marry and Charlotte being here. Not to mention your father’s illness and all his declining health means for you. It seems unimaginable for one person to be juggling so many things.” He glanced over at him and added, “And then there’s everything with Jules.”

Barrett shot to the side, out of Wadsworth’s reach, so that he could face him. “How did you—”

“You forget that the staff knows everything, Your Highness.” Wadsworth grinned. “I’ve known since the moment I saw you look at her. What did you think was the cause of your little run-in in the kitchen?”

Barrett’s eyes filled with recognition. “You sent her to the kitchen for tea after seeing me down there. You don’t even like tea.” Barrett groaned and set his forehead in his palm. “How did I not see it then?”

“Because you didn’t want to. You were clouded by your feelings for her. If I may share my opinion, I believe she is a remarkable person. I think your mother would think so, too.” He reached inside his jacket pocket and pulled out a familiar yellowed envelope with his mother’s handwriting etched on it. He handed it to Barrett who gladly took it.

“For my dearest Barrett, when you have found the one.”

“I figured you could use her words right about now.”

“Thank you, Wadsworth. You have always given me these at the perfect time. I know I don’t say it often enough, but I really value the fatherly role you’ve played in my life. I wouldn’t be where I am without you.”

Wadsworth’s eyes turned misty as he squeezed Barrett’s shoulder. “Working for your family has been my greatest honor. And getting to watch you and Liam grow up has been the most joyful thing I have experienced. Like I am watching my own children grow up before my eyes.” He wiped his eyes. “I also came across this the other day when I was delivering something to you. You had left it on your desk.”

Barrett looked at the paper Wadsworth had in his hands. The list of his ideal woman.

“If you found a woman who had all the qualities on this list, they would make the perfect queen,” Wadsworth said. “Well, I will leave you to it. Please ring me if you need anything. You are not alone in this.”

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