The Reckoning

by S. L. Morgan

  Levi nodded and drew his mother’s hand onto his arm. Levi had been scolded many times by his mother, but the last time she had treated him in such a way was when he was a boy.

  They walked into a private sitting room, and his mother turned to close the door. She took his arm and led him over to the sofas. “Sit with me,” she said, her voice now showing more concern than upset.

  “What is this about?” he asked, sitting on the sofa.

  “Levi,” she started as she twisted some to face him. “You will hear all that I have to say. You will not argue any of your nonsensical points with me, and you are not to interrupt me as I am speaking with you.”

  Levi’s brow furrowed, somewhat irritated that his mother was speaking to him in such a way. He knew this had to be about what happened between him and Reece. His mother was the last person he wanted to speak with about his personal life, and he wondered why Reece would go behind his back to involve her.

  “What has Reece told you?” he questioned in a grave tone.

  Lady Allestaine’s eyebrow sharply arched. “As I mentioned, you are not to speak. I shall be the one who asks the questions.”

  “Very well.”

  “First of all, I am greatly disappointed in you. Your conduct with your wife over these past few months has been, to say the least, utterly disagreeable. We all understand you are dealing with a lot, but you are handling it like a spoiled child. It has only been because of Reece’s pleas to your father and I that we have left you alone to find your place as her husband again.” She sighed. “That has turned out to be a very imprudent decision on our part. All it has done is lead you to embarrassing yourself and your entire family.”

  “Mother, please. I have no idea what was said to you; therefore, I am unable to defend my actions.”

  “You will never be able to defend how you so selfishly betrayed Reece.” Lady Allestaine’s eyes bore through him. “What is wrong with you?”

  “Everything!” Levi growled as he gripped his forehead. “I have no idea what is going on with me, and I have no excuse for my actions. I need to find a way to make all of this right again. Do you know of her whereabouts? I will apologize and fix all of this.”

  “Reece has left the palace.”

  “What?”

  “She has gone abroad with your sister and Angeline, and she is thoroughly enjoying her vacation away from the palace.”

  “How could you let her leave?”

  “She has not left the palace indefinitely; although, had I not intercepted her on her way to her carriage, I fear she would have. I was able to convince her that a getaway with Lizzy would be a lovely retreat from the palace, but I wanted to be assured that she was indeed okay before they left. Before they departed, I encouraged Reece to speak with me about what had upset her so greatly. It took nearly an hour to persuade her to tell me what you had done.” She reached for his hand. “And now, I feel it is important that I tell you reasons why you married her and the real reasons why you ended the relationship with Isabelle.”

  Levi remained quiet as his mother went on.

  “From the moment Reece was brought into Pemdas for her safety, you have been a changed man.” She smiled affectionately at him. “I watched as you fought with your emotions of attraction toward her, and to my utmost surprise—and much sooner than I would have ever anticipated—I saw you subtly begin to court her.” She softly laughed.

  Levi stared at his mother in disbelief. “How long did I know her before I chose to court her?”

  “You and Harrison had been guarding her on Earth for close to seven years.” She smiled knowingly at Levi. “I should have realized it much sooner than I did, as you and Harrison were scarcely in Pemdas after being assigned to guard Reece. There were times that I believed you would take up permanent residence on Earth.”

  “To guard The Key is the highest honor we could have received. Of course, we would give her our constant attention.”

  “I suppose you are right, but Samuel had other Guardians to relieve you both. However, you, much more than Harrison, insisted you be the only ones to watch her.” She shifted in her seat. “I never gave it much thought at the time, but as soon as she took up residence with us, it was obvious why. I saw the way you looked at her and the way your demeanor changed when she walked into a room. In all your life, I have never seen you so spellbound by anyone or anything. You were captivated by her.”

  “If that is true, then I courted Reece without her consent? It would seem I had forgotten my proper manners at that time as well,” he grumbled.

  “Levi, you were most definitely a proper gentleman, and you consistently went out of your way to ensure she was comfortable amongst us. Your generosity and concern for her are what I believe sparked Simone’s hatred of her.”

  “Can you not see? I should have never fallen in love with such an important individual.” He shook his head in remorse. “Was I so blinded that I could not see that my attentions toward such a woman could cause betrayal in our land—or worse, leverage for someone to use against us? Are those the actions of a man who is to be emperor?”

  “You are speaking absolute nonsense. Michael Visor was determined to have Reece delivered to the Ciatron to take control over your father and Pemdas long before Simone grew jealous of Reece.”

  He certainly never fails to disappoint, he thought, relieved.

  “So why did you and Father approve of Reece? How did you feel about my ending the relationship with Isabelle Hamilton?”

  “When you first ended the relationship with Isabelle, I told you that your father and I never wanted you to marry out of duty to your position in this world. We wanted you to marry for love, as your father and I did, and you were not in love with Isabelle. Regarding our approving of Reece, we absolutely adored her for the dynamic and kindhearted woman that she is. She brought out the absolute best in you, son. There was never any question about whether you two belonged together because when you were together, your love for each other was palpable.” She challenged him with her smile. “And now it is up to you to find a way back into that extraordinary woman’s heart.”

  “Where are they staying?”

  Allestaine stood. “She will be home within the next few days. You should take this time to find the proper words of apology and figure out how you will win her heart again.” She stared at him with authority in her eyes. “And trust me, you will have your work cut out for you.”

  After Levi and his mother had parted ways, Levi went directly to his room, deep in thought about how he would handle matters once he saw Reece again. What he truly needed now was the opportunity to talk this out with her. The time spent on Earth was long enough for him to search for the proper words to apologize.

  On his way down to the stables, he encountered Harrison walking purposefully toward the back exit of the palace.

  “Harrison?”

  Harrison glanced over his shoulder, yet never stopped or said anything. Agitated, Levi followed his cousin out of the palace. He caught up with him as Harrison entered the stable yard, where Saracen was already saddled and waiting.

  “Where are you going?”

  Harrison stopped and turned back to Levi with a stern expression. “I do not remember having to answer to you.”

  Levi sighed. “Harrison, please. Do not act like a child.”

  “A child?” Harrison returned in a high voice.

  Javian approached with Saracen, and Harrison quickly hoisted himself onto the horse’s back. He gathered the reins tightly in one hand and gazed darkly down at Levi. “It would appear as though your foolish decision is now personally affecting my life.” He turned Saracen to leave. “Now, if you’ll excuse me, I must travel quite a distance to be with my wife who is currently keeping company with the woman you ran off from the palace.”

  “Tell me where they are staying,” Levi returned, but Harrison was already rapidly leaving the palace without glancing back.

  Levi crossed his arms and exhaled in defeat.
>
  “Master Levi, shall I saddle Areion?” Javian questioned.

  “No,” he answered in frustration. Without another word or glance back to Javian, Levi briskly strode back up to the palace.

  Chapter Six

  Harrison walked into the extravagant inn where Angeline, Reece, and Elizabeth were staying. A valet promptly greeted him with a warm smile. “Your Grace, how may we be of service to you?” he politely offered.

  Harrison inclined his head and politely acknowledged the man. “First of all, I would like to reserve one of your finest rooms.”

  “Of course,” the man returned with a pleasant smile. “I will have the attendants sent up to assure the rooms are properly set up for you. Do you have any special requirements where we may be of service to you?”

  Harrison grinned. “The Duchess and I will be occupying these rooms until further notice. My only requirement is that the room is arranged to satisfy her expectations within the hour.”

  The valet bowed. “As Your Grace wishes.”

  “Tell me,” Harrison asked as the man turned to leave, “might you know the whereabouts of the Duchess of Vinsmonth and her lovely princess companions at this hour?”

  “Your Grace, they are taking their breakfast here at the Inn before departing for the day. They arrived in the dining hall twenty minutes before your arrival.”

  “Very well.” Harrison smiled in return. “Thank you.”

  With that, Harrison strolled excitedly toward the dining hall. His heart beat erratically when he saw Angeline engaged in a lively conversation with Reece and Elizabeth, enjoying their meal on the balcony. He tugged on his waistcoat and crossed the room smartly, ignoring the other guests who instantly took notice of his arrival. When he quietly stepped out onto the balcony, his nerves were calmed by the harmonic sound of Angeline’s voice.

  “I must say, ladies, the food looks delicious,” he said, startling the three women. He cocked an eyebrow at Angeline’s warm smile. “Nonetheless, I believe Pasidian’s staff can offer an even more satisfying breakfast.”

  Angeline started to stand, but he stopped her by gently holding a hand to her shoulder. He brought his lips to her ear, and she raised her hand softly caress the side of his face. “No need to get up. Trust me: you will need your energy an hour or so from now,” he teased.

  Angeline’s face tinted red as she stared at him in disbelief. Harrison ignored her response and took the empty seat at her side and across from Reece and Elizabeth. He draped a napkin over his lap. “Ladies, you all look as ravishing as ever.” He subtly grinned at Reece’s sad expression. “Thank you for saving me a seat.”

  “We are very well, thank you, cousin,” Elizabeth softly returned.

  Before he could say another word, the inn’s staff brought an added place setting for Harrison and poured him a hot cup of tea. Once the staff left after Harrison ordered his food, he took a sip of his tea and glanced around at all three women with a wide grin. “Ah, isn’t this a treat? All of us here together and enjoying a fine breakfast at Loustant Inn?” He buttered a slice of bread and took a quick bite. He swallowed and brought his attention to Reece, who was pointedly ignoring him. “So have the pregnancy cravings led us to leave the palace in want of better food?” He arched an eyebrow at Reece as she cast a confident grin in response.

  “I needed a change of scenery,” Reece answered.

  Harrison could not blame her for leaving. He knew that this was eventually going to happen, given Levi’s new personality and what he had done.

  Glad I managed to ditch Casanova on the way here. I can only imagine what would’ve happened if the fool decided to follow me.

  Angeline reached for his hand. “We believed that visiting the children’s learning centers here would serve as an excellent distraction while you and Levi were away on assignment.”

  “A brilliant idea, indeed.” He reached for the bowl of fruit on the table, plucked a berry, and tossed it into his mouth. He looked at Reece and Elizabeth. “And how is this distraction working out for you, Lady Oxley?” He stared knowingly at Reece.

  Reece lifted her chin and returned his challenging stare. It was a relief to see that she still had her usual humor about her given everything Levi had put her through thus far.

  “It’s certainly keeping us busy,” Reece said.

  “The children are so adorable. It is always delightful to be around such cheerfulness,” Elizabeth said with a giddy smile.

  “Wonderful! I do hope that they are quite entertaining for you and Reece today, as I believe I shall be stealing Angie away for the rest of the afternoon.” He eyed Reece and Elizabeth. “I hope you both will not mind if Angeline skips out on your planned activities?”

  Reece chuckled. “Not at all.” She peeped over at Elizabeth and back to him. “We were just getting ready to leave anyway.”

  Elizabeth rose up the same time Reece did. “We will leave you both to enjoy your breakfast alone.”

  Harrison had stood before the women left. He reached for Reece’s arm, halting her. “Perhaps you and I can discuss my cousin’s behavior later this evening?”

  Reece’s eyes grew cold as she stared fixedly at Harrison. “I’d rather not talk about him at all.”

  “Good thing it’s not up to you.” He smiled. “Besides, you owe me.”

  “I owe you?”

  “Indeed. I shouldn’t have to chase my lovely wife around the countryside to receive a welcome home kiss from her.”

  Reece sighed and smiled warmly at him. “I can’t argue with that. We’ll see you both later tonight.”

  Once Harrison and Angeline finished their breakfast alone, he promptly escorted her to the rooms he had arranged for them to stay in.

  “You reserved these rooms for us?” Angeline laughed.

  “Indeed, I did. You must understand that returning from Earth with the longing to love and worship my wife’s tantalizing body, only to find she is across the countryside, has forced me to take extreme measures.”

  Once inside their suite of rooms, Harrison directly dismissed the staff, and as quickly as the door closed, he swept her up into his arms. Angeline giggled but was silenced as Harrison’s lips consumed hers. Her delicate fingers traced through his hair as she softly moaned in the same desperation that Harrison was currently experiencing. After dealing with Levi’s drama and needing to be in his wife’s arms again, he wasted no time finally fulfilling the aching desire for this moment with her.

  After quite some time of fully indulging themselves in each other’s love, Harrison and Angeline slowly ended another moment of heated passion. Harrison moaned in utter contentment as Angeline softly massaged her fingers into his hair.

  “I don’t ever wish to leave this room.” Angeline sighed.

  “You and me both.” Harrison leisurely brought Angeline into a loving embrace and absorbed the sensations he felt of having her in his arms again. He closed his eyes as her hands slowly traced along his abdomen.

  “I need to ask you something, Harry.”

  Harrison’s eyes snapped open, and he cocked his head to the side. She peered up from under long lashes, her eyes displaying sorrow.

  “Anything,” he gently caressed her cheek. “What is wrong?”

  She exhaled as she rested her face on his chest. “What do you think will become of Levi and Reece?”

  Harrison laughed. “Have you already grown weary of me?”

  Angeline looked up at him, confused. “Weary of you? No. Why would you ask such a thing?”

  “Simple. After what just transpired between us, I am amazed you would wish to speak about others instead of how amazing your husband is.”

  “Harrison, you are incorrigible!” she laughed.

  “I am merely confused as to how you can think of Levi and Reece only moments after I have utterly proven my passion and love for you.” He grinned. “I must be losing my touch.”

  Angeline propped her arm up and rested her head against her hand. “Harrison, please. I need you
to be serious for a moment.”

  Harrison’s eyebrows shot up in disbelief. “I am serious, and I am highly insulted as well.”

  Angeline’s expression remained firm, forcing Harrison to give her his undivided attention. He reached up and clasped both hands behind his head and sunk back into the pillows. “All right, I’m listening. What is it that has you this concerned over my mindless,” he frowned, “literally mindless, cousin’s situation?”

  “It is everything. I believe that Reece will not forgive him for whatever he has done to her.”

  “Has she told you anything about why she was compelled to leave the palace?”

  “She will not speak of it.” She stared past Harrison. “Something must be done. She has no desire to return to the palace…ever.”

  Harrison exhaled in frustration. “Angie, I am quite certain that what I am about to say will not rest easy with you.”

  Angeline stared into Harrison’s eyes. “What do you mean?”

  How do I say this? He tucked a curly lock of her shiny auburn hair behind her ear. “At our celebration, Reece walked up on your sister and Levi sharing a very intimate kiss.”

  Angeline’s eyes grew fierce. “You have got to be kidding me!” She looked away from Harrison and exhaled loudly. “I could strangle my sister for this! She has completely lost her mind.”

  Harrison smirked. “Lovely Angeline, there is no need for violence. I am fairly confident that Reece will put your sister in her place at the time she found them engaged in the act.”

  Angeline melted back into the pillows, staring somberly at the ornate ceiling above them. “My sister was always obsessed with Levi even after he ended their courtship.” She looked over at Harrison. “I should have paid closer attention. She has never seemed that taken with Tomas.” Her eyes widened. “Tomas! Does he know? This is horrible.”

  Harrison ran a hand over Angeline’s head. “I am uncertain if Tomas is aware or not.”

  “I will make certain of it. I will demand that my sister tells her husband of her deceitful actions and how she took advantage of Levi and Reece’s unfortunate situation. My sister disgusts me. She has disgraced herself, her husband, and my entire family.”