Royal Cocktail by J. Kenner

Chapter Nineteen

Leo spentthe fifteen hours on the jet from Austin to Avelle-am-see trying to sleep so that he would be awake when he saw his father. It was a fitful sleep, though, as his fear that his father would pass away before he made it home tormented Leo.

“He’s not looking good,” Gisele told him when they spoke on the sat phone. “I miss you, little brother.”

“He can’t die,” Leo said. “I’m not ready to have both our parents gone.”

“No one ever is,” Gisele said, understanding that he meant more than just the loss of their parents. He also wasn’t ready to be the king. “But we must all rise to the challenge. You, my brother, will be fine.”

“Only because you’ll be at my side.” He closed his eyes, forcing himself not to say that it should be her who would ascend. They both knew he felt that way, just as they both knew that there was no time to push through any changes. Not unless a miracle befell their father.

“I will be wherever you need me,” Gisele said. “I’ll always have your back.”

“I love you,” he said, speaking the words in English instead of the native tongue they’d been talking in. He didn’t know what possessed him, but the words made him think of Skye. Not that he’d stopped thinking of Skye. He wished she were with him, but he hadn’t been surprised when she’d declined.

“I’m sorry Skye declined to come,” Gisele said, making Leo smile.

“Reading my mind will be an asset since you’ll be my closest advisor.”

“Perhaps you are too easy to read, Your Highness.”

He snorted.

“Truly,” she said more gently. “I only know her through you, but I am sorry, Leo. Love isn’t easy to find, and it’s often harder to keep.”

“Thank you,” he said, wondering if his sister had ever found love. He didn’t think so, and that realization made him sad. Then again, she didn’t have to feel the loss he was now feeling, and he wouldn’t wish that pain on anyone. “She doesn’t understand the strength inside her,” he said. “But I also can’t blame her. She can’t be my wife, and she has no desire for a public life. It’s only in fairy tales that love conquers all. Usually, it’s much more difficult to tame.”

“You sound very wise. Just as a king should. Hurry home, brother. I’m afraid that the throne may be yours before you even arrive.”

They ended the call, and he spent the remainder of the flight praying that he’d see his father one last time. His mother had died in childbirth when he’d been ten, proving to him once and for all that being a royal wasn’t that special after all. How could it be when you could so easily lose the people you loved?

The airfield was twenty minutes from the palace and the royal motorcade rushed through the emptied streets, lights flashing, the nearby mountains seeming to loom in, trapping them in a nightmare. Citizens stood on sidewalks, already wearing mourning badges, and the gate around the palace was littered with flowers.

It was all too real. Too damn real.

Once they were inside the gates, he threw himself out of the car and raced up the steps and past the doormen. His footsteps echoed down the halls, then again as he pounded up the stairs. He sprinted to his father’s wing, then collapsed with relief into his sister’s arms.

“He’s weak, but he’s alive,” she whispered. “Leo, I think he’s waiting for you.”

She pulled out of his embrace, gathering herself. Her hair was a mess, her face streaked with tears, and deep shadows accented her eyes. But she smiled at him, and he smiled back. God, he was so glad to see her.

“I need to go in.”

She nodded, then hung back as he hurried to the doors as the attendants pulled them open. The doctor was at his father’s bedside, and bowed when Leo came in. Leo waved off the formalities. “How is he?”

“Your father is strong,” the doctor said, then lowered his voice. “You have arrived just in time, Your Highness. I am sorry.”

“Leave us.”

The doctor nodded, then left the room, leaving Leo alone with his father. He moved to the bed and sat on the edge.

“My son.” The king’s voice was barely recognizable.

“Don’t try to speak, Father.”

“Why not? It will do no … harm now.”

Leo’s heart clenched. Both at his father’s words and at his cadence that reminded him of Skye. God, how he wished she were at his side.

“Don’t be afraid, son,” his father said. “You are ready. And so am I. Ready to see your mother and brother again.”

“I miss her,” Leo said, fighting tears. “And I will miss you.”

“I love you, Leopold. You and your sister. And I love this … country. Rule it well. It is hard … when the responsibility of that kind of … love rests on your shoulders. But … our small corner of … the world is at a precipice. It is … ready to move forward.”

“I don’t understand.”

“There is … no reason … a woman cannot rule. No reason … we cannot be … a center for science … and technology.”

“Father, I—” He didn’t know what to say. His father had never once spoken of his children’s desire that Gisele succeed their father. If he’d believed his eldest could rule, why hadn’t he set those changes in motion?

“What … ever you choose, know that I … support you. You will wear the crown, my son, though I cannot say for how long. And while you … sit the throne, you will be a great leader. And one day, I hope you find a woman to sit at your side … as queen consort. For love, rather than duty.” He reached out, his grip weak as he took Leo’s hand. He said nothing more, his breathing turning shallow.

Leo sat with him through the long hours, and by morning, his father was dead.

Gisele had come in during the night. Now, tears streamed down her face as she rose and pulled the blanket up over their father’s face.

“The King is dead,” she whispered, her voice thick with tears. She met Leo’s eyes. “Long live the King.”