Crowns & Courtships Compilation Volume 1

by Carol Moncado

  “Where’d she go?” Astrid asked, scared, though she already knew the outcome. She looked over at her father to see his ashen face.

  “There’s a tunnel there.” His strangled whisper tore at Astrid’s heart. “I forgot all about it. I knew it was there, but I never explored it. If you had asked me if there was one in that apartment, I’m not sure I would have remembered.”

  “Which is basically what you told us in your interview.” The investigator clicked the button and the video on the screen changed to the hallway near the door to the beach. “The other end of the tunnel is right...” One of several tapestries on the walls moved and out came Sofia. “...there.”

  From there the video was unnecessary. Sofia walked out the door, was caught going down the stairs, but the color of her outfits and the shadows meant she was difficult to see. The camera didn’t catch the actual incident, and for that, Astrid was grateful.

  And then Jordan, with Dare hot on his heels, barreled through the door. If she didn’t know better, Jordan had to have gone down the stairs four at a time. She’d never been able to go down even two at a time, but he certainly seemed to be skipping some.

  The rest of the family hurried after them, though not as fast since they were trying not to trip over each other and had no idea what was going on.

  Jordan and Dare disappeared off the side of the screen only to reappear thirty seconds or so later with Sofia in Jordan’s arms.

  The real Jordan’s hand tightened around hers. When she looked at him, she noticed tears flowing down his cheeks while the Dare on the screen began CPR.

  A flash of white appeared in front of her, and with her free hand, Astrid took the handkerchief her father offered.

  “The conclusion we’ve reached is that, though nearly tragic, there was no negligence or criminal liability in the matter of the near-drowning.”

  Relief flooded over Astrid and the palpable tension in the room began to dissipate.

  He nodded toward her father. “Leaving the door open, though against palace protocol, doesn’t meet the legal definition. Our understanding is that the person who propped the door open is no longer an employee?”

  “Correct. He is no longer employed at the palace. When he realized what he’d done, he was mortified and offered his resignation immediately. He has otherwise been an exemplary employee for many years and has taken a demotion and relocation to another home that seldom has the family in residence. When the family is in residence, he will be given unpaid leave until such a time as it is determined that he has paid his debt to the family.” The tone of his voice told Astrid her father doubted that would ever happen.

  “I think I know what happened,” Jordan told them. “On the beach. We were out there earlier and a rogue wave came in. Not very big by an objective standard, but compared to most of the ones we get here it was. I think it probably caught her off-guard and knocked her over.”

  The lead investigator nodded his agreement. “That’s the conclusion we came to as well.”

  The discussion moved on to the press conference that would be held the following day. What video or stills would be released to the public and which ones wouldn’t. Though her father hadn’t been seen in public much, his black eye had definitely been noticed.

  This meeting with the press would be different. Several of them, including the police inspector, her father, Jordan, and herself would be seated at a table and would take question after question.

  Finally, the meeting ended. Everyone left the room except Astrid and Jordan. She sank into his arms. “It’s over,” she whispered.

  “And the outcome was what we knew it should be. You’re not a bad mother or neglectful mother. Anyone with half a brain knows that.”

  “My head knows that, but...”

  “Your heart’s a different matter.”

  “Exactly.”

  She wanted to avoid the press conference, go on vacation somewhere far away from cameras that followed them everywhere, from speculation that would never quite go away, all of that.

  But no matter how much she wished she could avoid it, the press conference came anyway.

  As she followed her father into the room, the press acted very different than the last time, likely because they knew they would all be here quite a while and most of their questions would be answered.

  The investigator started off, giving the same rundown as he’d given the family but with fewer visuals, saying that many of them were classified.

  Because the outside of the palace wasn’t classified, the video of Jordan and Dare coming out of the door was shown, stopping as Kensington and Harrison emerged after them.

  The investigator concluded with the statement absolving them of criminal liability and that the person who’d left the door propped open had immediately offered his resignation. He didn’t include the further details.

  “And now, the panel will take your questions.”

  Jordan wasn’t sure how this would go, but could feel the tension radiating off his wife.

  The investigator called on the first reporter.

  “How is Princess Sofia? What is her long-term prognosis?”

  “She’s doing well,” Astrid answered. “She had nightmares for a few days, but those seem to be behind us. The doctors say there’s no reason to expect anything more than the most minor cognitive impairment at worst. They emphasized that given the amount of time she was in the water, the rapidity with which CPR was administered, that she never lost her pulse, and how long she went without breathing there is every reason to expect no impairment or delays at all.”

  “If there is impairment,” the reporter continued, “would that affect her ability to be queen someday?”

  The king answered. “Fortunately, that day is a long time off. I don’t intend for my daughter to take over for some time and my granddaughter far longer. However, given that we have every expectation that there will be no impairment, that is a discussion not currently worth having.”

  The reporters all raised their hands. The king chose one.

  “Prince Jordan, what made you and your brother-in-law realize something was wrong?”

  Jordan leaned slightly forward and explained what he’d seen.

  “And your brother-in-law didn’t realize what was happening?” the reporter pressed.

  “I don’t believe so.”

  “Then why did he, who’s only been married to your sister a few months, charge after you like that?”

  The guy clearly hadn’t done his research. “He’s been my brother-in-law for a few months, but he’s been my best friend since we were five and first wobbled on the ice together in TimBits. We skated together, played hockey together for nearly a decade and a half. We can almost read each other’s minds. When I needed to move fast enough that I knocked the king...” He shook his head. “That I knocked my father-in-law over and gave him a black eye, Dare doesn’t need to know why. He just has my back.”

  “You’re the reason the king has a black eye?”

  Jordan shrugged. “I told them to move. He didn’t get out of the way fast enough. It’s not something I’d normally do, but when the choice became knock him out of the way and get to my daughter faster or waste a few extra seconds, it was a no brainer.”

  “But she’s not your daughter,” another reporter called.

  Jordan glared her direction. “If it was legal for me to adopt her, the paperwork would have been started the day after the wedding.”

  The king stepped in. “We will be working to change that legislation beginning next week. As the law is written, it assumes any heir to the throne is through the paternal line making it illegal for a stepfather to adopt an heir without the heir giving up the line of succession. Clearly that isn’t an issue here since Princess Sofia’s mother is the one in the line of succession. We will also be finding an appropriate way to reward both Prince Jordan and Darren Weaver for their service to the Crown.”

  More questions rained down, but Jordan didn’t have to
answer any of them. Finally, the thing ended, and they all left the room. They all shook hands with the investigator who went on his way. Jordan put his arm around Astrid’s shoulder as they walked to her office and talked to her father.

  “Your answers were perfect,” his father-in-law told him. “That reporter can be kind of obnoxious. He clearly either didn’t do his homework or didn’t care. You answered just right, and it was a great way to bring up the black eye while making sure it wasn’t a big deal.”

  They spoke for a few more minutes, and then the king left to return home.

  “I’m worn out,” Astrid told him, turning so her arms wrapped around his waist. “I think I may go lay down.”

  “You should. I’m going to do some work here.”

  He sat back down at his desk and tried to figure out a way to honor everyone he wanted to at the Women in Medicine banquet. Maybe he’d talk to his father-in-law about it.

  That decided, Jordan went back to editing the pictures of Astrid and Sofia, but the last week caught up with him. He went upstairs and went to bed nearly as early as the rest of his little family.

  34

  Astrid didn’t really want to attend the Women in Medicine fundraiser, but for different reasons than she’d anticipated.

  Life was finally settling back into normal, and she wanted to stay home with her two favorite people.

  Instead, she and Jordan had returned to the palace in Cabo Juan-Eduardo to get ready for the evening. His family joined them and her family was attending as well. She had no idea why unless they wanted to make sure her mind was off what happened the last time she attended.

  Jordan had been talking with her father so she met all of them near the garrison. Several cars were being taken as there were too many of them to be comfortable in one.

  Her parents and Jordan’s climbed in one car and it drove off. Her siblings rode in the next one.

  She gasped when the next car pulled up. “Jordan! It’s yours?”

  He opened the door to his prized car for her. “I had it brought over here. I won’t drive it often and this garage has better climate control.”

  “I don’t know what else is going to happen at this banquet, but I have a feeling your car will be the talk of the town.” She settled into the seat, her stomach suddenly churning. Maybe this wasn’t the best idea. The car she and Andrei had been in was one of the most well protected in the country. If this car were to be hit, they’d all be in trouble.

  No!

  She wasn’t going to dwell there.

  Fifteen minutes later, when they pulled up, she was back to normal. They greeted well-wishers on the sides of the red carpet. She heard a number of them thanking Dare for his role in Sofia’s rescue.

  Inside, they mingled, ate dinner, chatted with family and others seated with them.

  Finally, the head of the organization stood to make her speech of the evening.

  “Your Majesties, Your Royal Highnesses, honored guests, ladies and gentlemen,” she began. “Normally, this is where I give a big speech, but tonight, I’m turning that honor over to someone else. Someone a little surprising given that, well, he’s not a woman. But I think by the time he’s finished, you’ll understand why we’ve chosen to go this route this evening. His Royal Highness, Prince Jordan, Duke of Bevingdale.”

  Only then did Astrid realize Jordan had slipped from his chair.

  The crowd applauded as her husband stepped to the podium. He repeated the doctor’s greeting, then moved on.

  “I asked Dr. Lyttleton to allow me to give the address this evening for several reasons. In fact, she doesn’t know all of them.” He looked at his notes. “Normally, there is an announcement made about a bursary, or scholarship, for a deserving young woman to attend medical school. This year, the bursary is being expanded from a nominal amount for one year, to a full scholarship for four years. It has been renamed the Duchess of Bevingdale Award for Outstanding Future Female Medical Personnel.”

  Astrid managed not to gasp.

  “As I’ve gotten to know my wife over the last months since we met, I’ve also talked with others. I’ve learned something she only hinted at in conversation. If she could be anyone but who she is, she would be a pediatrician. We recently met Dr. Jonah Fontaine, Duke of Parkenham, and husband of Princess Anastasia of Montevaro. He balances his life as a pediatric hospitalist with life as the husband of a princess. I overheard Princess Astrid say something to the effect of she would have loved to be able to do that, but knew from a very young age it wasn’t the path she would take. She decided instead to help other, deserving young women reach that goal. This award is a way to further that goal.” Another look at his notes, and he announced the name Astrid recognized as a candy striper from the hospital a few weeks earlier.

  Cheers were especially loud from one corner of the room. The young lady walked to the stage and accepted a certificate and plaque from Jordan. They posed for a couple of pictures, and she returned to her table. Astrid would make sure to talk with her later.

  “This year, another award is being added to those given by the Women in Medicine Organization. It is my privilege to hand out this first one. The other award we’re announcing tonight is the San Majorian Excellence Award for Women in Medicine. With this award comes a donation to the charity of the recipient’s choice, as well as a monetary prize. Each year, there will be a winner and a runner up. This year, the choice was particularly difficult.”

  “The runner up for the inaugural award is Dr. Marie Chaucer.”

  Applause filled the room as the doctor made her way the stage.

  “My wife and I met Dr. Chaucer a couple of weeks ago after Sofia nearly drowned. She is the neurologist who assured us that, in all likelihood, the long-term effects on our daughter would be minimal and very possibly non-existent. But we needed to delve further into Dr. Chaucer’s history. Though young, Dr. Chaucer is already making her mark.” He read off a list of things Astrid didn’t really understand, but meant the doctor was a leader in her field. Jordan handed her a certificate and plaque. The checks would come later.

  Dr. Chaucer stepped to the podium and gave a few words about how unexpected it was and how glad she was Sofia was doing well. She returned to her seat.

  “As a result of our conversations with Dr. Chaucer, my wife and I are announcing a fund that will provide free water safety courses to the families of all children under the age of six. Details will be available in the near future, but we pray it prevents another situation similar to ours but with more tragic consequences.”

  Astrid watched him shuffle his note cards and take a deep breath. “Before I announce the winner of this award, I have a story to tell.”

  She knew what was coming. They’d talked about an announcement soon, but she hadn’t expected it tonight. Not like this.

  “A little over two years ago, this banquet was held in July. That night, on the way home, Princess Astrid and Prince Andrei were in a car accident that, in the next forty-eight hours, would take his life. It is public knowledge that he gave one last gift to the people of San Majoria. His wife aided him in that gift, and his organs were donated to those in need.”

  Was he about to out Andrei as his donor? Astrid couldn’t breathe.

  He held up a card. “I don’t have names, but there were several people who donated organs in the hospital in the days after that accident, including four from the accident itself. A total of five kidneys were given to a ten-year-old boy, a twenty-year-old woman, two men in their thirties, and a teenage girl. Two are San Majorian. One is American, and one Sargossian. Corneas were donated to a Canadian and a San Majorian.” He continued down the list saving the hearts for last.

  “And one of the hearts went to a Canadian who had been vacationing in San Majoria. A young man in his early twenties, his heart just sort of gave out on him out of nowhere. His friends practically pulled him off his windsurf board and into the emergency department. Once there, he didn’t leave the hospital for months. In the hou
rs after that July banquet, he received the gift of life because someone made the heart-wrenching and gut-wrenching decision to give it to him.”

  Tears escaped Astrid’s eyes. She peeked at her family and Jordan’s at the tables around her. Betsy and her mother weren’t even pretending to hold back.

  “That Canadian would go home, heal, learn to live his life, and eventually windsurf in San Majoria all over again. This time, though, he accidentally stumbled onto a private beach where he met the woman who would become the love of his life. On the most difficult day of her life, she had made the decision to donate her husband’s organs. Someone else, nearby - possibly, or even probably, from the same accident - at nearly the same time, made the same decision. And now, I get to spend the rest of my life loving a woman who could make that selfless decision.”

  He looked straight at her, though Astrid was sure he couldn’t see her through the spotlight.

  “As I’m sure you’ve surmised, I’m the Canadian.” A picture of him windsurfing then one of him in the hospital before surgery came on the screen.

  Astrid couldn’t stop more tears. She’d never seen any of those pictures. Seeing her husband in the hospital bed, swollen from medications and fluids, and so helpless, was nearly too much.

  “I never planned to spend more than a couple of weeks in San Majoria.” The picture changed to one of him walking down the hospital hallway after the transplant, dragging his IV stand behind him. Dare was at his side. “Because of that one choice someone made, I get to spend the rest of my life with someone else who made that same choice.”

  The picture changed again, then again, and again. She’d seen some of the pictures on his computer, but she had no idea he basically stalked her with the camera.

  But she couldn’t be upset.

  The pictures of her with Sofia rocking, playing hockey, on the beach were priceless. The photos of her at her desk in San Minoria, kneeling next to a little girl and accepting flowers, dressed in an evening gown and laughing at something at a fundraiser.