Crowns & Courtships Compilation Volume 1

by Carol Moncado

  Their mother didn’t say anything, but the sad look on her face tore at Darius. What was that about?

  “I know it’s not about me,” Benjamin started.

  “Do you?” Edward challenged. “Have you congratulated your brother? Even talked to your sister-in-law? This is their weekend and a family Christmas.”

  “Will we be doing more family Christmases?” Benjamin’s tone let them know what he thought about the idea.

  Edward moved closer until he stood in front of Benjamin. He was a little shorter than Darius’s brother, but made up for it in presence. “I don’t know who told you your sweat doesn’t stink, but it’s only the luck of the genetic draw that put you on that throne, and only my good pleasure that kept you there.”

  Darius saw his mother start to say something, but stop as Edward continued.

  “A good king doesn’t look out for himself first. A good king takes care of his people, his family, and seeks first the kingdom of God rather than his own glory. You had an excellent example of a good king in your father, King Alfred the Second, but right now?” He didn’t wait for an answer. “I fear for your people and for your children who won’t have great, or even good, leadership to model after you’re gone. Unless something changes significantly, and fast, you will be the last member of the Quatremaine Dynasty to sit on that throne.”

  His pronouncement finished, Edward turned to leave, but stopped before exiting into the foyer. “One more thing, Ben. Whenever you’re faced with a situation where you have a choice to make, a choice to be a good king or not, ask yourself, ‘What would King Alfred do?’”

  This time Benjamin stopped him. “Which Alfred?”

  Edward shook his head sadly. “First or second. Take your pick. They were both great kings. They were better husbands and fathers. More than that, they were outstanding men.”

  This time when Edward left no one stopped him.

  Esther didn’t know what happened after everyone left breakfast, but Benjamin looked furious. He’d gone to his room and hadn’t left, texting to say he would be working through lunch. She wondered if he’d be at dinner.

  Before lunch even arrived, she was exhausted. She’d had fun playing a dance game with her younger in-laws in the basement. Most of the older females had gone into the movie room and watched a couple of Happily Ever After Television movies, including at least one about a prince and one starring the twin brother of Ravenzario’s prince consort.

  Esther wasn’t interested, so she’d spent time with the younger ones and found she quite liked them. She went back to the main floor and found her father and Queen Eliana talking in the great room. The discussion didn’t seem too serious, which was good.

  She collapsed into one of the other chairs.

  “Tired?” her father asked with a laugh.

  “Exhausted. I think I’m ready for a nap.”

  The Queen Mother reached over to pat her hand. “You probably haven’t slept well the last few nights worried about how all of this is going to go.”

  “Not well at all.”

  “Why don’t you go rest? I don’t think anyone would fault you for it.”

  “Ma’am?”

  They all turned at the voice coming from behind Esther.

  She stifled her urge to sigh. “Yes, Louis?”

  “Before you rest, I have one thing I need to discuss with you. It will only take a moment.”

  Esther put both palms flat on the arms of the chair and levered herself up. “Of course. Then I’m napping.”

  “Wait.” That came from Queen Eliana. “Louis, you worked for my husband.”

  Louis bowed. “Yes, ma’am. It was my honor and my privilege to work for your husband and your son for some time.”

  “I never knew the reason why you left.”

  Louis clasped his hands behind his back. Esther knew him well enough now to know he would equivocate. “I was relieved of my duties, ma’am. It was decided that my services were no longer needed.”

  “Who decided that?” She sounded indignant on his behalf.

  “I’m afraid I couldn’t say. I came to work one day, and my access codes didn’t work. I was escorted off the grounds by security. My sister left the next day.”

  “How did you come to be here?”

  “We heard Darius Quatremaine and his wife were looking for a housekeeper that would involve training a student or two how to do basic cooking and cleaning. Prince Darius recognized me immediately and the rest, as they say, is history. It has been our pleasure and our privilege to look after the prince and princess.” He turned to Esther. “I am afraid this is a bit time-sensitive, ma’am, having to do with lunch.” He bowed again to both of the others in the room. “If you’ll excuse us, please.”

  Esther walked with him to the dining room. “I don’t know who came up with this seating design but it’s genius. I couldn’t think of another way except one long table and there’s not enough room for one big enough.”

  “Thank you, ma’am, but that brings me to the question. You said you wanted to mix up the tables, but I do need some parameters. Do you want the head table to remain the same?”

  “Perhaps rotate the seating, but I think keeping the seven of us at the head table would be all right.”

  “For the others, do you want couples to be split? For instance, should Princess Astrid and her husband always be at the same table?”

  The politics of all of it was enough to make Esther tear her hair out. “Leave the tables as-is for today. Tomorrow, trade them around so the Eyjanians sitting with Astrid and Jordan today are with Kensington and Anabelle tomorrow. Maybe even rotate the tables somehow so it’s not just the Eyjanians moving or just the San Majorians, if that’s possible.” Because it wouldn’t do to make the Eyjanians have new seats while the San Majorians stayed put. “We’ll figure out the day after that later, though we’re only having breakfast before everyone leaves.”

  “Princess Jacqueline Grace informed me she wished to be seated with the youngest members of the family for the duration.”

  That made Esther breathe a sigh of relief. She hadn’t been sure how that would work. The girls could each go with their families, but their parents wouldn’t be able to hold much of an adult conversation the whole time. “That’s very kind of her.”

  “There has been some discussion of an early dinner with cookie making afterward instead of before. Apparently, some of the younger ladies will likely not wake up from their naps until nearly dinner time.” Louis smiled kindly. “We have about an hour before lunch. You should get some rest.”

  She smiled back. “And you should tell Queen Eliana the whole truth.”

  His smile disappeared. “There is no point.”

  “I’m not so sure about that.” She’d let him think about it and bring it up again later. “Thank you for everything, Louis. Darius and I appreciate you.”

  The smile returned. “It is my pleasure, ma’am.”

  She went upstairs and stretched out on the bed she shared with Darius the night before, but she didn’t even kick off her boots, not for a short nap.

  Astrid came to get her an hour later, hugging her and checking out Esther’s baby bump before they went downstairs.

  The afternoon went well, with the two families intermingling. Harrison was in teenage boy heaven with plenty of people to play video games with. She’d even seen him playing foosball, something she knew he had no experience with. Esther decided she needed a proper nap and didn’t awaken until Darius came to get her for dinner. She only hoped her guests understood she wasn’t trying to be rude.

  Dinner went as well as breakfast and lunch had, though Esther noted a lack of conversation between her husband and brother-in-law. Perhaps she should have Louis mix up the seating arrangements at the head table as well.

  “What are you thinking?” Darius leaned close to her, likely so his brother wouldn’t hear.

  “That it’s going better than I hoped, and I wonder what’s going to happen to ruin it before
everyone leaves.”

  His hand rubbed her back. “Don’t borrow trouble. Nothing has to happen to ruin it. Just be happy it’s going well and call it good.”

  Esther nodded as she reached for her drink, but she couldn’t shake the feeling that the other shoe was going to drop before they returned to their Serenity Landing home.

  27

  Darius knew Esther would head for the main kitchen after she finished her conversation with her parents as dinner wrapped up. He also knew he didn’t want to help with cookies. His first foray into painted sugar cookies had been an abysmal failure. He didn’t need to try again. He’d mess it up for everyone else. Esther didn’t need him accidentally ruining anything.

  Instead, he went to the basement to see what was going on down there. He heard a shout coming from the media room.

  Opening the door to peek in, he found Jordan, all alone, standing with his hands in the air. “Yes!”

  With a laugh, Darius closed the door behind him, getting a better look at the screen.

  He should have guessed.

  Esther had told him her brother-in-law was both Canadian and a hockey player. Of course he snuck down for a few minutes of “the big game” - whichever game that might be - without kids.

  “My TimBits coach’s son-in-law is keeper for the St. Louis Blues,” Jordan explained. “I met him a few times when they came for a visit.” His grin widened. “Scored on him, too. Of course, I was ten and he was eight at the time, but it still counts.”

  Darius couldn’t help but smile. “I think it does.”

  “I should see if I can get in touch with him through his uncle about doing a clinic in San Majoria. We have our own kids’ hockey league going into its second year. They think I’m the best ever, but most of them have never seen a real hockey game in person.” He grew more thoughtful. “I wonder if I could get Edward to work some international relations magic for a game in San Majoria. High school or college teams even. It’s not the same watching one on television - even a big screen.”

  “I think it sounds like a great idea. I have no idea how to go about making something like that happen, but it seems like a plan.”

  “I don’t either,” Jordan admitted. “I’m still pretty new at this whole ‘member of the royal family’ thing. International relations are still beyond my expertise.” He sat back down as the game came back on, but he muted the sound.

  “Mine, too, and I was born into it.” Darius took a seat next to Jordan.

  “I don’t know that I’ve met any of your family before yesterday. The only Eyjanians I’ve ever met, that I know of, are Anabelle and her extended family. You might know one of them. As I understand it, Thor works for your family’s security team.”

  Darius nodded. “I know who he is, but I don’t know him personally. We’ve met in passing a few times, but that’s it.”

  “How are things going with you and Esther?” Jordan shifted in his seat, and his expression changed. The different was subtle, but definitely there. It went from open to more guarded. Almost like a big brother?

  “Better than they were a few months ago,” Darius told him. “We’re probably not where we should be yet, but we’re getting there.”

  “You came with her when the baby was born?”

  No one knew that, did they? Except the king and queen, he didn’t think anyone had been told. “Not exactly. I was there, but we didn’t arrive together, and we were careful not to be seen together. We didn’t want to take away from your good news.”

  “You could have said hello to us, at least.”

  “There was enough going on without us adding to it.”

  “You weren’t doing well then, were you?”

  “Not particularly, but things have improved a lot since then. Esther’s pregnant. Gender reveal party is tomorrow night at dinner. We’re both over the moon.”

  “Then why not go public? Why the secrecy?”

  Darius leaned his head against the seatback behind him. “There are a lot of reasons, mostly having to do with things at home.”

  “I’ve heard some not great things about your uncle, but nothing specific to you two.”

  “Since I moved away, I see things differently than I did a year ago. I already knew my uncle wasn’t a great guy, but distance - both physical and time - has put a lot of things in a different light. To my knowledge, he’s never done anything illegal, but that doesn’t make him a good man.”

  “No, it doesn’t.”

  “King Edward told us it needed to stay under wraps for now. That means not visiting home, for either of us, until things are straightened out, whenever that is. It’s a little less of an issue for us to visit San Majoria as long as we’re careful not to be seen for now.”

  “And when the baby’s born? Will you make a public announcement then?”

  Darius shook his head. “I have no idea. I hate the impact this is going to have on my family’s already shaky relationship with the public at home. They missed seeing the wedding, and now likely won’t know about the babies until long after they’re here.”

  “Babies?” Jordan asked with a raised brow.

  Darius winced. “Don’t say anything. That announcement comes tomorrow. We just found out a couple days ago.”

  “No one will hear it from me.”

  “Thanks.”

  “I know I don’t have a ton of royal experience, or even years of marriage behind me, but if you ever need to talk about anything, you know where to find me.”

  Darius nodded and stood. “I think I’ll see if there’s anyone who wants to put up a tree down here. It could be fun.” It had been when he and Esther had done it, though he doubted there would be as much kissing. He really didn’t think it would be left with just lights, like the one in their room, save a single ornament. “Our First Christmas” with the date. She insisted the tree in their room would be filled with one more ornament per family member each year. Next year, obviously, would be two “Baby’s First Christmas” ones.

  Maybe he’d talk to Louis and see if they could procure a tree and ornaments at this late date. Staff members could take it down before vacating the premises the day after Christmas.

  “I wouldn’t recommend doing that while the little girls have to choose between making cookies and putting up the tree.” Jordan settled back in to watch his game. “You don’t want to see the kind of fits they can throw over being slighted at Christmas. Sofia threw a huge one because she didn’t get to help with the official palace trees. All of them. In the Cabo Juan-Eduardo palace. She helped with at least a dozen on San Minoria, where we actually live, but she wanted to help with all of them.”

  Darius chuckled. “Duly noted. Save the tree decorating for tomorrow.” He headed for the stairs to see who else he might find to do something with. If no one else was around, maybe he’d just watch the cookie making and try to sneak a little dough.

  Far more people waited in the kitchen than Esther expected. Every member of Darius’s family, except Darius and Benjamin, were there. Harrison sat next to his new best friend in Josiah. The little girls in her family also waited, along with their mothers/guardians. Had Kensington and Anabelle officially adopted Gracie yet?

  “Oh my,” she whispered to Vesta who stood off to the side. “Do we have enough dough?”

  “Not for sugar cookies, but I have a plan.”

  “Do share.”

  “We’ll start the little girls and maybe a few others, on sugar cookies. The little ones will take forever. You start on some Snickerdoodles with the rest of the group. I’ll have Louis run down to the other kitchen and mix up more sugar cookie dough. By the time the rest of the group is ready to make them, it should be cooled enough for them to work with.”

  Esther breathed a sigh of relief. “That’s perfect. Thank you.”

  Vesta tilted her head toward the kitchen. “Go on. This is your moment. I’ll help either with sugar cookies or Snickerdoodles, whichever one you’d rather not do, but it’s your show.”

/>   She took a deep breath and walked into the kitchen. “I didn’t think so many of you would be here!” Probably not the best way to start. Oh well. “But we’ve got plenty for everyone. We’re going to make sugar cookies and Snickerdoodles and maybe one other kind of candy cane cookie.” She glanced at Vesta, who nodded. Louis could make that dough, too. He may have already.

  “So, first, we’re going to split into two groups. The little girls and their mamas are going to do sugar cookies first. Who else wants to?”

  Queen Eliana spoke up. “The queens are going to. We’ll help the girls and let the mamas have a seat and watch,” she declared.

  Esther’s mother and grandmother gave her a look she knew not to mess with. They’d discussed it beforehand.

  “All right. Mother, Grandmother, and Queen Eliana are going to help the little girls at the table in the nook over there, because you don’t argue with three queens when they tell you they’re going to do something.” She grinned at them as they moved toward the breakfast nook. The table already held rolling pins and cookie cutters. Dough would be taken out of the fridge in a minute. “Vesta is going to help you get started or with anything else you need over there. How many more do you have room for over there right now, Vesta?”

  She looked at the table then the fridge and seemed to be doing some mental calculations. “We could do five or six more right now, I think. Then we’ll trade for candy cane cookies.”

  The boys all decided they wanted to do sugar cookies, practically tripping over each other on their way to the table. Esther almost breathed a sigh of relief. Vesta and the queens could handle five rowdy teen and pre-teen boys.

  That left Esther with the Eyjanian princesses. Darius had tried to tell her how to tell Genevieve and Evangeline apart, but she hadn’t figured it out for herself yet.

  “You didn’t expect all of us, did you?” One of them leaned against the counter, trying to hide a smile. Probably Genevieve based on the personality.