Null & Void_a Royal States Novel

by RJ Blain

  The only clothes littering the floor would be mine, an extra clue something had changed if he woke up in a daze due to the sedatives. Ideally, I’d wake before him and have the chance to tease him awake and surprise him.

  I crawled into bed, burrowed beneath the blankets, and stretched out beside him, sighing my contentment.

  “Daddy!” Mireya sang, and the bed bounced as our daughter decided we were her personal playground.

  Some mornings, I hated children, especially mine.

  “Mireya? What is it, baby?” William groaned, and I clamped my lips together so I wouldn’t giggle at his sleepy voice. “It’s too early.”

  “It’s ten, and Mom needs her medicine.”

  I learned two important facts. First, the mention of my medicine jolted William to full consciousness with stunning speed, and second, he made a delightful yip when he fell off the bed. Clutching the blanket to my chest, I rolled over, yawned, and looked over the side of the bed.

  “Baby, just like I told you yesterday, the day before, and the day before that, and every morning before that for at least a month, the doctors know what they’re doing. They’re going to take care of your mom.”

  My wicked little daughter winked at me, pounced her father, and tangled her hands in his shirt, tugging. “No. Mom needs her medicine. It’s late. Dr. Glaskow told me so.” Releasing him with one hand, she pulled a prescription pill bottle out of her pocket and gave it a good shake. “See? It’s right here. It has Mom’s name on it, and she’s supposed to take it first thing in the morning.”

  William blinked at the bottle, his expression one of pure confusion.

  “I can’t say she’s wrong,” I added with a grin. “Mireya, put that in the kitchen, please, and go terrorize Pat and Jessica for a while. I need to talk to your father.”

  Mireya bolted for the door and vanished down the hallway. Jessica’s laughter rang out, and my daughter declared, “Mom and Dad need to talk.”

  William’s eyes widened and his mouth dropped open. He spluttered and pointed at me. “Mackenzie?”

  “I think you should close the bedroom door so we can talk.”

  Even in a suit rumpled from sleep, he was as perfect as I remembered, and he obeyed. When he turned to face me, his worry showed on his face.

  “I escaped prison last night, but I have a confession to make.”

  “I was told at least another month—maybe two. How are you here?” His fear reflected in his voice.

  I couldn’t help it; my smile refused to be smothered. “You can thank Geoff and that trio of torturers. They figured out how to get around my talent. They spent hours inflicting hell on me so I could surprise you this morning.”

  William stepped to me, knelt beside the bed, and cupped my face in his hands. “I’m surprised,” he choked out.

  “I really do have a confession.”

  “What?”

  “I assaulted a princess with an IV stand, and then Geoff pulled my hair so I’d stop, so I bit him. I’m pretty sure assaulting a princess will land me in prison for life.”

  William rose to his feet, bent over, and dropped a kiss on my lips, then he headed to the door, opened it, and yelled, “Alfred! Did Mackenzie actually assault a princess?”

  “Yes, Your Majesty,” the head of his detail replied from the sitting room.

  “And she really bit Geoff?”

  “I deserved it, Your Majesty,” the head of my detail replied.

  “Good morning, William,” Jessica chirped. “Pat and I are going to steal your daughter and take her on a ride. We’ll bring her back this afternoon. We’re also taking Geoff and Alfred, so you’re going to have to stay in the castle while your other agents fret. Bye!”

  Geoff yelped, my daughter squealed, and what sounded like a herd of elephants departed before the suite fell quiet.

  “I’m going to get you your medicine and something for you to drink.” William stalked out of the bedroom, returning with a mug of coffee and several pill bottles, setting the mug on the night stand while he read the labels. He fished out five pills from three bottles, holding them out for me.

  As I had no doubt he’d pin me and shove them down my throat, I knocked them back and chased them down with a swig of coffee. “I know the two were allergy medications. What were the other three?”

  “Two painkillers, one antibiotic. You’re on the antibiotic for a week, and I decided you’re having the painkillers because you have a huge bruise and several cuts on your forehead. What happened? I had left you in the hospital without bruises and cuts on your forehead.”

  “I broke Princess Ambrose’s nose with my head. I learned I shouldn’t try what I see in movies in real life.” I set my coffee aside, reached up, and touched where I’d bashed the princess. “I beat her with my IV stand when she confessed she had tried to kill me. Geoff pulled my hair so I wouldn’t actually kill her.” I grimaced. “I was angry enough I might’ve if he hadn’t stopped me.”

  William sat on the bed, ran his fingers over the bruise, and sighed. “How did she get near you?”

  “I escaped down a stairwell looking for scissors so Geoff couldn’t pull my hair again. She found me there. She made me so mad I used the stand like a bat and beat her with it. Geoff got between us and broke up the fight. Also, never get kicked by Geoff. He punted her into next week.”

  “That is his job, Mackenzie. Damn it, the hospital should have been safe.”

  “It’s over. She’s not going to bother us again.” I smiled at him, scooted over, and patted the bed beside me. “I explored when I got in. I see you stole my kitchen, and I appreciate that you relocated my stash of emergency wine. That said, you get to have an equal say in the kitchen.”

  He laughed. “Until a month ago, I didn’t even have a kitchen in here. I had our suite renovated while I was in Texas with you so you’d feel at home.”

  One day, I hoped I could show him how much his effort meant to me. Words would never be enough. “I do.”

  “I know I’m asking a lot of you, but I really hope you’ll stay. I want to marry you, and I want all our children to be as loved and cherished as Mireya. Whatever you want of me, I’ll give it to you, just please stay.”

  “I certainly didn’t go through the hassle of making poor Geoff move here if I didn’t mean to. You also relocated my kitchen, although I’m questioning where the rest of my condo is.”

  “In storage. I had everything brought here. The kitchen was the easiest, since I didn’t have one. I thought we’d go through everything we both have and pick what we liked. I also imposed, as I wasn’t comfortable sending you back to Dallas after what happened. Pat and Jessica understood; they helped make the arrangements. Apparently, I’m overprotective and need to take a chill pill.”

  “They’re not wrong,” I murmured, and I smiled at him. “I’m not going anywhere, William. I’ve waited a long time for you. If I have to become a queen to keep you, so be it. I’ll warn you now, Mr. William Dylan Niell, this queen takes prisoners. Prepare to be conquered.”

  He arched a brow. “And what do you plan to do with your prisoner, Mackenzie Little?”

  I smiled, slipped out from beneath the covers, and prowled closer. “First, he’ll be required to plan an appropriate engagement, officially declaring his surrender. Then he’ll finalize his surrender in a lavish ceremony I absolutely refuse to plan. I’ll be plundering your kingdom for the money to pay for it, because let’s face it, this queen’s a pauper.”

  William looked me over and licked his lips. “You have my attention.”

  “I’ve never had silk pajamas. Or satin ones. I had flannel once. They were really nice.”

  William flopped onto the bed and propped himself up with an elbow. “My coffers quake in terror over your demands. What else does my conquering queen desire?”

  “A refrigerator with a fancy water dispenser.”

  “You’re killing me here, Mackenzie. Surely you can think of something a little more exotic than a refrigerator.”
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  “I already secured a good prince for our daughter, so I have to grasp for straws here. Also, no, you may not kidnap Adam, nor may you cave when Mireya cries and whines she’s separated from him. They need some independence.”

  “Cruel taskmistress.”

  “Conquering queen,” I corrected.

  “What other demands do you have for me, my queen?”

  “I’m useless without coffee, so you have to bring me coffee every morning for the rest of our lives. I’ll grant you pardons if you have to leave your castle to be a proper king, but I won’t like it. In fact, I’ll indulge in a sulk should you leave the castle without me. I’m a needy queen who requires daily attention.”

  “Since when?” William snorted, reached over, and poked me in the ribs. “You’re the most independent woman I’ve ever met.”

  “Since I decided to conquer your kingdom. Quiet, captive.”

  He chuckled. “I find this development promising.”

  “A nursery for as many miniature humans as I want.”

  “There’s already a nursery, as my family has a tradition of raising entire herds of miniature humans. Anything else, my queen?”

  “You.”

  His lips twitched before turning up in a smile. “Your wish is my command.”

  Want to continue reading about the Royal States? Check out Susan Copperfield’s other novels or join her mailing list.

  Dear reader,

  Underaged marriage is a serious problem within the United States (and other parts of the world,) and Null and Void touches on this current practice. Yes, it's a current practice in the United States.

  When I wrote the book, my intention was to bring this practice to light, taking what is (questionably) the best-case scenario and using it to showcase the issue, which at its base level, is horrific.

  In Texas, current laws allow estranged (IE, runaway) children to marry anyone they choose as long as they are 16 years of age or older. In Null and Void, I changed this law to 15 with parental consent, which is a current law in the following states: Hawaii, North Dakota, Utah, West Virginia, Mississippi, Tennessee, Washington.*

  Washington requires a superior court judge waiver.

  Many other states allow 16 with parental consent. There are states with younger than 15. Tennessee has a history of marrying ten year old girls to adult men.

  In the case of pregnancy, the following states have no limitations on the age a girl can be married: Arizona, Arkansas, California, Colorado, Delaware, Florida, Idaho, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maine, Michigan, Mississippi, Missouri, Nevada, New Jersey, New Mexico, Ohio, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Tennessee, Washington, West Virginia, Wyoming, and Massachusetts.

  Georgia, Maryland, and a handful of other states have rulings on pregnant girls being married at 14 or 15+ years of age (with or without parental consent.) The rules vary by state.

  This arc was not a mistake. It was not a glorification of the issue, either.

  It is a social commentary about how current laws can dramatically harm our society. The Royal States world is a post-dystopian society that embraced elements of extremism.

  Before change can happen in the Royal States world, it must be faced.

  In the Captive King, this issue is revisited, and some of the more astute readers will be able to identify the shift against child marriage in the society.

  In A Guiding Light, this issue is faced in blunt clarity, beginning the end of the practice.

  Including this arc was not a decision made lightly.

  For more information on the problem of child marriage in the United States, American Child Bride is a book you may wish to check out of the library or order from your favorite bookstore. It touches on the history of this issue.

  However, you can simply verify the truth on google or with your local government law offices. While I don't typically recommend wikipedia, due to the easy nature of age verifications for marriage, it's a good starting point for those interested in understanding the issues and current laws.

  Thirty-six states permit minors to be married if they meet certain requirements. These requirements vary but may include pregnancy (consensual or otherwise,) parental consent, and common law circumstances.

  Thank you for reading.

  Disclaimer: Laws change on a yearly basis, so these rulings were valid at the time this afterword was written.

  About the Author

  Want to hear more from the author? Sign up for the Sneaky Kitty Critic’s newsletter!

  Susan Copperfield is the royal romance, urban fantasy loving alter ego of award-winning novelist RJ Blain.

  Under the super not-so-secret identity of Susan, the Royal States of America is explored, where the work of sixteen founding royal families preserved the United States from destruction and civil war when magic swept over the world.

  In the Royal States, life, love, and magic always finds a way.

  RJ Blain suffers from a Moleskine journal obsession, a pen fixation, and a terrible tendency to pun without warning.

  When she isn't playing pretend, she likes to think she's a cartographer and a sumi-e painter.

  In her spare time, she daydreams about being a spy. Should that fail, her contingency plan involves tying her best of enemies to spinning wheels and quoting James Bond villains until she is satisfied.

  RJ also writes as Susan Copperfield and Trillian Anderson.

  If you enjoy using bookbub, you can follow RJ and her alter ego Susan there.

  thesneakykittycritic.com

  Also by Susan Copperfield

  Null and Void (2017)

  The Captive King (2018)

  A Guiding Light (2018)

  Huntress (2018)

  Susan writing as RJ Blain - Magical Romantic Comedies (with a body count)

  Playing with Fire

  Hoofin’ It

  Hearth, Home, and Havoc (Novella)

  Serial Killer Princess

  Whatever for Hire

  No Kitten Around (late 2018)

  Saddle Up (2019)

  From RJ Blain’s Witch & Wolf World

  Series: Witch & Wolf

  Inquisitor

  Winter Wolf

  Blood Diamond

  Silver Bullet

  Series: Wolf Hunt

  Wolf Hunt (2018)

  Series: Nature of the Beast

  Pack Justice

  Dual Nature (TBD)

  Series: Balancing the Scales

  Karma

  License to Kill (TBD)

  Standalones

  Beneath a Blood Moon

  Shadowed Flame

  Tales of the Winter Wolf

  (Short Story/Novella Collections)

  Volume One

  Volume Two

  Volume Three

  Volume Four

  Volume Five

  Volume Six (Aftermath to Winter Wolf.)

  Omnibus - Volumes One-Five

  Other Stories by RJ Blain

  Jesse Alexander Novels

  Water Viper

  Steel Heart (late 2018)

  Requiem for the Rift King (Epic Fantasy)

  Storm Without End

  Storm Surge

  The Tides of War (TBD)

  Requiem for the Rift King (TBD)