Jonathan and Esme had gotten along quite well a few weekends before. He’d easily adapted to calling her Esme, but now referred to his new friend as “the queen.”
A sign of how things changed.
“I will let her know.”
“If there’s anything else we can do for you, please let us know. Kenzie said she’d offer to make you dinner one night, but figured you probably had that under control.”
That gave Gabe his first chuckle in over a week. “The staff is taking very good care of us but thank Kenzie for the thought.”
“How’s she doing?”
Gabe knew he could be honest with Jonathan. “I’m not sure. She had business to attend to all night last night. I only saw her for a moment this morning. Lots of paperwork to be done and decisions to be officially made with the changeover.”
They talked for another minute then hung up. Staff members were in and out of his office, packing things up. The consort’s office was empty and ready for use. Esme’s father had never used it. Gabe took some of his important personal paperwork and walked over there. He wouldn’t be able to work out of his old office long anyway.
His assistant let the switchboard know he’d moved. For the time being, calls directly to either office would be routed to his new office. No sooner had he set the papers down than his phone rang again, though this time it was his assistant.
“Yes?”
“Duke Alexander of Ravenzario on the line for you, sir.”
“Thank you.” Gabe reached for the base and pressed a button. “Good morning, sir, or is it already afternoon there?”
Alexander chuckled. “I’m in the States at the moment. It’s still morning.”
“Then good morning it is. What can I do for you?”
“My wife will be calling yours to extend our official condolences and offer our prayers if she hasn’t already.”
“Thank you, we appreciate it.”
“I wanted to call you and see how you’re doing. Going from prince and husband to having a queen for a wife isn’t an easy transition to make.”
“Christiana was already queen when you married her,” Gabe pointed out.
“True, but she’d been under her uncle’s thumb for such a long time, she was still struggling to figure out what it meant to be queen, to rule in her own right. I couldn’t help her do that, but I could be her safe place to land as she did.”
What exactly did that mean?
“Esme’s job is now to be queen of her people, and that includes you. Your job is to be her husband. To love her as Christ loved the church. To be her buffer, her protector. To block the slings and arrows whenever you can. To give her someone who trusts her and believes in her no matter what happens. Who stands up for her when the criticisms come, and they will come.”
Gabe felt like he should be writing this lesson down. Alexander and Christiana had only been married a couple of years, but he knew their first year hadn’t been easy.
“It’s not an easy transition for you either,” Alexander went on. “I went from being the head of a company to my adopted country’s second, and not even second in command. You’ve always held that second spot, but, at least for a brief period, you were the first in Esme’s life. And now it’s a different kind of second than when you were third in line for the Auverignonian throne.”
But that didn’t make it any easier.
“You’re going to have to figure out the new normal. Figure out how to be head of your household while she’s queen of her country. It won’t be easy or fast, but I promise it will be worth it.”
Gabe thanked Alexander for his advice. He spun his chair until he could stare out the window. Staff members came and went, changing the office around him. Most of the furniture remained, but the pictures, the accessories, those changed.
Much like the rest of his world.
He stayed still while everything else moved on, grew, changed. Except for making the major change in his life a few years earlier, everything else happened around him, to him.
How did he do what Alexander said? Be the head of the household when he was married to a queen, be her soft space to land, block her from the barbs and comments and criticisms sure to come?
She’d have to let him in, but he’d have to be willing to accept his spot as second. To find peace in it.
And he wasn’t sure he could do that.
19
Phone call after phone call came into Esme’s office, and she knew she was only getting the ones from VIPs. Most likely the switchboard was being inundated from ordinary men and women who wanted to express their sympathy. Those messages would be taken and passed along to Esme.
She might read them.
She wanted to read them.
When she was up to it.
She needed to spend a few minutes with her brother, too, but she didn’t even know where he was.
The phone rang again. She reached for it, knowing the call wouldn’t have been put through if it was one she could ignore.
“Esmeralda.”
“Good afternoon, Your Majesty.” Undertones of snark filled the line.
The instant message from Judy was the only reason Esme knew it was her father-in-law. “Good afternoon, sir.”
“I wanted to formally extend the sympathies and prayers of Auverignon.”
“On behalf of the people of Islas del Sargasso, thank you.”
“Carlotta and I were finalizing our new treaty that reflects my role as monarch and confirms the fulfillment of the treaty with regards to your marriage to Gabriel.”
Each new monarch required an official new treaty between the two countries, but it couldn’t be officially negotiated until the new monarch actually came to power.
“I must say, I’m quite disappointed your mother didn’t inform me of her failing health herself. There was no point to the negotiations with her end so imminent.”
Esme bristled at the inconsiderate nature of his comments. “I’m afraid I can’t tell you why my mother decided to keep the news from you. However, we are now in need of a new treaty. I will not be able to read over what you discussed with my mother until at least next week. I will be sure to let you know my thoughts and any changes that need to be made when I do.”
“I will send over an updated document reflecting your status as the new queen. I would expect the changes to be minimal.”
Something about the way he said it put Esme on guard. “I’ll be certain to give it my full attention as soon as I am able.”
“I would expect nothing less. Have a good day.”
He hung up.
No questions about how she was doing personally. No questions about his son.
Gabe’s father was much more present in his life than Esme’s had been, but she wasn’t sure it was any better.
Before she had time to process it, the phone rang again. She took a deep breath and answered. “Esmeralda.”
“Hello, Your Majesty.” This voice held warmth and compassion. “It’s Edward from San Majoria.”
“Good afternoon, Your Majesty.” Esme didn’t mind returning the courtesy to him when he was that polite to her.
He chuckled. “We’re peers now, Esme. None of that is necessary in an informal setting.”
“Yes, sir.”
“Esme.” The warning in his voice was far more good-natured than she would have expected.
“I’ll do my best, but I make no promises to stop calling you sir.”
“That’s all I ask. Now, how are you?”
She could be honest with him. “Exhausted. Overwhelmed. Uncertain. I’ll figure it out, but it’s going to take time, and until then, it’s so much to take in.”
“You are more than capable, my dear. If you have questions or concerns, I am happy to help how I can. I’ve been mentoring Benjamin for about six months now. His father was my best friend. Your mother was more a professional colleague, but I would consider it an honor to do the same for you if you would like me to.”
“Thank you, Edward. Can I get back to you?”
“Of course. Astrid, Jordan, my wife, and I will be attending the service in a few days. We’ll see you then.”
Esme hesitated then asked her first question. “Do you have any suggestions or recommendations for how to get through this transition? To make it through the first few days, weeks, months even.”
“Don’t be afraid to ask for help. From me, from your in-laws - though I have my doubts about how much help the new king would be - but especially from your husband. Gabe is a good man. Your mother never would have insisted on the marriage otherwise.”
“She already knew she was sick when she told me the wedding was scheduled.” Esme had realized that about halfway through those weeks.
Edward was silent for a moment. “She knew when she sent the Walruses in, didn’t she?”
Being queen meant Esme was now the one who would send WLRS teams into dangerous situations. She hadn’t fully comprehended that until now. If she did yet. “I believe so.”
“I thought something seemed off. More than just being worried about you and the rest.”
“I noticed she looked tired about a month ago, but nothing before that. She and her doctor hid it well.”
“It would seem they did.” There was a noise on the other end of the line. “I do need to go, Esme. Please reach out and let us help you if you need it.”
“Thank you, Edward. I appreciate it.”
“My pleasure. I won’t tell you to have a good day, but do try to get some good rest tonight.”
“I will.”
She hung up the phone. Her papers were spread all over the conference table. She couldn’t bring herself to sit in her mother’s chair, not yet. Probably not even when it had been replaced with her own.
The phone buzzed again, though this time it was the intercom. “Yes?”
“Prince Gabriel is here to see you, ma’am.” Her mother’s assistant refused to take a few days off to grieve. Esme had tried to insist, but to no avail.
“Send him in.”
How odd to have one’s own husband sent in, though she was at work, even if her office was in the same building as her home.
She’d never seen Gabe look so somber. His dress shirt was white, but his suit and tie were black. Appropriate, of course, but not his preferred style.
Esme stood as he walked toward her. At least he didn’t bow this time.
Before either of them said anything, he simply wrapped his arms around her and held on.
She soaked up his strength, his nearness, something she wouldn’t have expected to need even a few weeks earlier.
He kissed the side of her head. “Whatever you need, Esme. I’m here for you. I’m not going anywhere.”
* * *
After finishing the call with Alexander, Gabe tried to focus on his own work, but it wasn’t long before he was driven out of his office and back to the apartment where he discovered the move already in progress.
Something no one had told him about, but really shouldn’t have surprised him.
Hundreds of bouquets had been sent to the palace in all shapes and colors and sizes. They were being held in one of the ballrooms for the moment until Esme gave directions on what to do with them. The cards were being kept elsewhere.
He searched through them until he found one he knew she would love and arranged it in a vase on her side table. A second one was being redone to put in her office, but the way it had been packaged wasn’t conducive to being put in a vase.
Rather than waiting, he’d gone ahead to her office and did what he should have done when he saw her earlier in the day.
Comforted her.
“Thank you for being here,” she whispered.
“There’s nowhere else I’d rather be.”
Eventually, she let go.
He took her hand, led her to the couch, and pulled her close after they sat down. “How’s your day been? I mean, I know it’s busy and stressful and filled with things you’d rather not do, but you know what I mean.”
“The calls have mostly been nice, though it’s weird thinking of men like King Edward as my peers. Benjamin is easier, because he’s only about a year younger than me. Edward isn’t.”
He wasn’t certain he wanted to ask the next question. “And my father?”
“He called,” she confirmed. “I would have hoped the conversation would go more like the one with Edward went, but it is what it is, I suppose.” She sat up a bit and twisted to look at him. “I did get a call from Queen Elizabeth. It shouldn’t have surprised me, I guess, but it did. I’ve never met her, though I likely will the next time there’s a state trip to Great Britain.”
“I met her once, years ago. She was everything you would have expected her to be.”
Esme leaned back against him.
“Tell me about your conversation with Edward.”
“He told me he believed in me, but that he’d be happy to mentor me if I wanted him to. I guess he’s been working with Benjamin for about six months.”
“About the time he finally kicked Isaiah out?”
“Sounded like it.”
“Are you going to take him up on it?”
Esme sighed. “Maybe. Probably. I feel like Edward is on the up-and-up. I don’t think he’d try to take advantage of me. Our treaties remain in effect, unlike Auverignon where I have to renegotiate with your father. He was already negotiating a new one with my mother. I think Edward would give advice without pressuring me. He’d be honest without being condescending.”
“I tend to agree.”
“I don’t know about asking him for a formal mentorship, but something informal, perhaps. Calling for advice when I need it, that kind of thing.”
His thumb rubbed lightly up and down her upper arm. “Jonathan called earlier. He and Kenzie send their love. She offered to make us dinner if we needed it.”
That made Esme laugh, just as he’d wanted her to. “I think the staff has us well taken care of. They’ve gone out of their way to make sure I had everything I need or could want today. I told Jared to take a few days off to grieve, but he refused.”
“That doesn’t surprise me. He was dedicated to the service of your mother and now you.”
Her hand rested on his knee, her finger drawing random designs. “I did get a chance to tell my mother something last night. I would have kept it to myself a little longer until I knew for sure, but I knew it was her last few minutes.”
Gabe’s hand stilled. “What’s that?”
Esme took a deep breath and let it out slowly before responding. “I think we’re going to have a baby.”
He pulled her closer, the hesitation in her voice making it hard for him to truly believe it. “We are?”
“I think so, but I’m not certain yet. I’m a couple of days late, but that could also be attributed to stress. I don’t feel any different or have any symptoms that I’m aware of. I can’t exactly go to the drug store and get a test.”
“We can make sure you get one or have the doctor come by and do a test.”
She nodded against him. “That’s not a bad idea. I think I need to have an official check-up as the new monarch anyway. I believe it’s on the schedule for tomorrow.” Her fingers stopped moving against his leg. “Are you happy about this, Gabe?”
“That you’re having my baby?” Before he knew for sure no one else ever had. “Of course. I’m worried about you because of the timing and the stress you’re already under, but, if you’re right, we’ll make it work. Everyone will chip in to make sure you have everything you need.”
“I know, and I appreciate that. I understand your timing concerns and share them. If, by some chance, I’m not pregnant, I do think we should be more cautious for the foreseeable future.”
He hadn’t thought that far ahead, but she wasn’t wrong. “First, we talk to the doctor and find out for sure. If you are, then we’ll celebrate, and begin talking about baby names.”
Gabe stood and turned, r
eaching both of his hands to her. She put her hands in his, and he pulled her up to him. “Promise me you’ll get some rest. I know you slept in here last night. I know you couldn’t have gotten much rest. You need to take care of yourself.”
“I wouldn’t have been able to sleep last night no matter where I was.”
“Then let’s make sure you get some tonight. Tomorrow, you go to the Tomb of the Kings to lay a wreath. Unfortunately, veils are no longer a thing, so you can’t hide behind one of those. You need to look at least somewhat rested.”
He kissed her. “Which is why the massage therapist is here. When you’re done for the day, she’s going to give you a massage, and we’re going to get you to bed.” They had found a therapist here who was getting approved, but until she was, it was best for a therapist who already knew her and how her system worked.
“I can’t sleep in my mother’s room, Gabe. Not yet.”
“Then we’ll stay in one of the other rooms. There are plenty.” He held her close and kissed the side of her head. “We’ll get through this, Esme. Together.”
20
A half-decent night’s sleep did wonders for Esme and her mental state. Gabe joined her for the trip to the Tomb of the Kings. It wasn’t customary for the spouse of the new monarch to attend, but he refused to let her go alone.
He stayed behind her though, rather than next to her. She supposed it was proper, but she still wished he was closer.
One of the military aides stood behind on her other side. They stood in front of a door. In a moment, it would open, she’d walk out and be seen in public for the first time since her mother’s collapse.
“Are you ready, Your Majesty?” One of the military aides stood at the door, ready to open it.
Esme took a deep breath and nodded.
He pulled the door open. The crowd surrounding the crypt stood quietly. Esme went down the steps, leaving Gabe and the military escort behind. Another member of the military honor guard met her with a wreath. A stand already waited in front of the crypt where her mother’s remains would soon be laid to rest.
Where she would someday be laid to rest, with Gabe beside her.
The Spare and the Heir Page 15