A Royally Beautiful Mess

by Carol Moncado

  “Just put it in the closet. I’ll handle it from there. Thank you.”

  Brittany pushed it through the room and into the closet. “It’s good to see you.”

  Esther gave her a small smile. “You, too. Thank you.”

  As she left, Brittany closed the door behind her.

  “Who was that?” Darius’s sleepy voice made her smile.

  “My former assistant bringing the suitcase.”

  “Then I guess it’s time to get up and ready to face the inquisition.”

  Esther laid back down and rolled onto her side. “We have a few minutes, but not many. And it won’t be that bad.”

  “It could be that bad.” He still hadn’t opened his eyes.

  A small laugh escaped. “It might not be a lot of fun, but it won’t be that bad.”

  They laid there for a few more minutes before Esther had to go to the bathroom. By the time she made it back to the closet, Darius had lifted the suitcase onto the dresser/island in the middle and opened it. Esther chose a pair of leggings with a flowing tunic to wear over the top.

  She stood in front of the mirror and turned sideways. “Can you tell?”

  Darius stopped buttoning his shirt to look her up and down. “I feel like I can see it, but I also know it’s there, and I want to see it. I don’t think anyone else would notice.”

  “Good.”

  She decided on sandals, but it took her a few minutes to pick the right pair, and by the time she had them fastened, Darius was ready to go.

  “How’s your ankle?” she asked as they walked toward the hallway.

  “Feels better, but I should take it easy today.”

  “I’m thinking breakfast with my family followed by a movie marathon in bed sounds like the perfect day.”

  Darius grinned. “But could we agree on movies?”

  “We can alternate, but we can also veto anything we truly detest.”

  “Sounds good.”

  Blessedly, the hallway was empty. She chose the fastest way to her parents’ apartment rather than the formal, official way. The dining room where they were eating was closer to the small staircase anyway.

  “Are you ready for this?” she whispered as they approached the door.

  “As ready as I’ll ever be.” It sounded like he was trying to force his voice to remain light.

  She opened the door and could hear the laughter coming from her family just a bit down the hall.

  It stopped when she and Darius walked in.

  “There you are!” Her mother’s exclamation sounded genuinely happy. Maybe it would rub off on the rest of them.

  “Here we are.” Esther gave her mother a hug before turning to curtsy to her father then accept his kiss on her cheek along with a small hug.

  She turned in time to see Darius bowing slightly to her father. “Good morning, sir.”

  Her father acknowledged him with a nod. “Esther, would you like to introduce everyone?”

  “Prince Darius?” Anabelle took care of it for her, though her confusion seemed to be even greater than everyone else’s, maybe because she knew who the mystery man was?

  Esther turned back to the room at large. “Yes. Everyone, this is Prince Darius of the Quatremaine Dynasty in Eyjania.” She took a deep breath. “And my husband.”

  Stunned silence met her pronouncement.

  “Oh please!” Her mother’s explanation. “Jordan and Anabelle’s response can be excused, but I know I taught my children that there are much better ways to react to any announcement than stunned silence. Assess the situation quickly, decide the appropriate response, and make it.” She glared at the rest of those assembled. “Why don’t you try it? Esther, would you share your wonderful news again?”

  Esther had never seen her mother like this when she wasn’t on the receiving end. It was kind of nice to see it directed at someone else. At least until her mother gave her the side-eye. She took a deep breath. “Everyone, this is my husband, Prince Darius of Eyjania.”

  This time congratulations came from around the room, though most of them sounded forced.

  Harrison didn’t join, but glared at her. “Is this why you didn’t show up for my school graduation last May?”

  Esther sighed. “There’s a lot more to it than that, Harrison, but yes, in part. We aren’t going to go into all the details, but let’s just say there were reasons for this to be kept quiet for the moment. An agreement between Father and King Benjamin that included many other facets that not even Darius and I are completely privy too.”

  Kensington crossed his arms in front of him. “This is how you got Isaiah off our backs when I married Anabelle, isn’t it? You offered Esther as a sacrificial lamb?”

  “It wasn’t like that,” Esther protested. “The timing might be right, but that wasn’t why I married Darius.”

  “Then why...”

  “Enough.” Her father’s command was enough to make Kensington stop. “The agreement between myself and Benjamin is not up for debate. I won’t pretend to understand Benjamin’s reasoning for anything he does, but my decisions regarding my family are made with my children’s interest in mind first and foremost, and my country’s second. Most of the time those interests line up. Occasionally, they don’t. What happens then varies on a case by case basis.”

  He stared down Kensington. “In this particular case, someone forced my hand by making a decision without consulting me first. However, even without that, this marriage still would have happened, though the timing might have been different. If you would like to call into question my decisions, I recommend you do so in another time and place without an audience of any kind. Do I make myself clear?”

  Kensington wasn’t happy with the rant directed at him, but nodded anyway. “Perfectly.”

  Darius didn’t want to be responsible for strife in the family, but could have guessed the response would be something along these lines.

  The king motioned for everyone to have a seat. Staff members emerged from nowhere to fill the table with breakfast foods. If Darius had to, he would bet they were Esther’s favorites.

  Stilted conversation avoided the topic of his marriage to Esther. Darius observed more than participated. As breakfast went on, they seemed to relax more, though no one really tried to draw him out until they were nearly done.

  “Darius, are you also studying in Serenity Landing?” Jordan’s words caught him off-guard.

  He nodded. “International relations. I had already started at a university in Eyjania, and transferred to Serenity Landing University earlier this year.”

  “Has your brother asked you to be an ambassador in the future?” Astrid asked that question.

  Darius shook his head. “No, but it seemed like a good field for me, and I enjoy it, for the most part.” He covered Esther’s hand with his. “I hadn’t expected to be part of it in quite these circumstances, but it worked out.”

  Everyone just sort of stared at their plates, except Esther who smiled at him.

  “My sister, best friend, and I stayed at Serenity Lake a year and a half ago for the Fourth of July,” Jordan took the focus back off him. “Betsy and Dare got married while we were there.”

  So that was the best friend Esther had mentioned.

  “It’s a great town.” Not that he knew about much of it. He didn’t go many places except school, church, and the store when it was his turn to shop.

  “Do you miss home?” The question came from Anabelle, who, for all he knew, was still technically an Eyjanian citizen.

  “Some. Mostly my family.” And some of them more than others. “I was very glad to hear your sister is all right.” He squeezed Esther’s hand again. “I know Esther wanted to be here for both of you, but was afraid after being absent for so long, her presence would just distract from the mission at hand. We were both praying.”

  He only knew that much because Esther told him.

  “We appreciate those prayers.” Anabelle exchanged a look with Kensington, one Darius coul
dn’t quite read.

  Harrison pointed his fork at their father. “Why didn’t I stay with them when I attended that program this summer then? It was at Serenity Landing University.”

  The king shook his head. “You weren’t to know yet. You stayed at a very nice hotel, and your program wasn’t on campus, so you wouldn’t run into either one of them anyway."

  Before anyone could say anything else, a man walked in and whispered something to the king.

  The king stood. “With that, breakfast is over. Duty calls. Esther, do you have any plans to leave the palace today?”

  Esther shook her head. “I think we’re both just planning to put some pajamas back on and watch movies in bed all day. We’re both feeling better after the accident, but I’m still recovering from the flu, and Darius tweaked his ankle yesterday so it’s bothering him more than it has been.”

  Her father gave a single nod. “Get some rest. You will be informed of a time for dinner in here.” He gave a stern look around the table. “It won’t be dressy.”

  With that, he left the room with his assistant. Everyone else began to stand. Esther’s siblings all gave her quick hugs, but it seemed like they all had plans, so no one lingered.

  Anabelle stopped in front of him. “Do you know what really happened last summer? With Gracie?”

  Darius shook his head. “I know what the papers reported, what little Esther knew beyond that, but nothing more.” Her words implied there was a lot more to the story, and given that she was Eyjanian, his family likely had something to do with it.

  She just stared at him for a moment, then nodded. “I hope you feel better soon.”

  Before he could thank her, she walked away.

  He and Esther walked more slowly than the rest of them, but he held her hand the whole time.

  “What did Anabelle say?”

  After relaying the conversation, he finished with, “I didn’t really understand it. I guess they think someone in my family had something to do with it, maybe?”

  “I could ask my father.”

  Darius shook his head. “I don’t think I want to know just yet. If they think we need to, they’ll tell us.”

  By the time they made it back to Esther’s room and changed into something comfortable, she was ready for a nap. Darius wasn’t about to argue with that plan.

  And that’s how they spent their first day in San Majoria - watching movies and dozing. Dinner was much like breakfast, and breakfast on Thursday didn’t differ until they were leaving the room.

  “You’re not spending all day in bed again.” Jacqueline Grace put her foot down. “We’re going to do something. Spa day if nothing else.”

  Esther grinned. “That sounds fantastic. I haven’t had a pedicure in ages, but I don’t think that sounds like Darius’s idea of fun.”

  “He can hang out with Harrison and play video games or whatever.”

  Darius hadn’t played a video game in years. His uncle had never approved, so not long after his father died, the games they did have disappeared. There had been nothing that portrayed realistic violence or gore, only things his mother would approve of. He suspected Harrison’s were the same way.

  So that’s how he spent the day, playing Nintendo and PlayStation 4 with his brother-in-law. Some Mario Brothers and the latest Star Wars game passed the time. After Harrison got over his annoyance about Esther not being at his graduation earlier in the year, and not seeing her while he was in the States, he didn’t seem to care much one way or the other about his older sister’s relationship with Darius.

  Dinner went a bit better than the last two meals had, but Darius turned down an offer to play some more, this time with Jordan and Kensington as well. Apparently, none of the girls were interested in the games, and they needed him to make it a four-some in the games that allowed that many players.

  Instead, Darius went back to Esther’s apartment. She seemed both rejuvenated and exhausted at the same time.

  When they were alone in her room, she sank to the bed. “Did you know there was a plane crash in Eyjania this week?”

  His head snapped up. “There was?”

  “A private plane carrying Prince William of Mevendia, his personal staff, and some elderly woman from Mevendia. Last weekend, they were in Serenity Landing of all places for that big yarn show we heard them talking about at church. They’re fine, but I wasn’t sure if you’d heard.”

  “I hadn’t, but I’m glad they’re all right.”

  He hesitated, but had to ask. “What happened to the yarn thing you were working on when we first moved?”

  Esther stared at her hands. “Once I knew the baby stopped developing, I stopped working on it and put it away.”

  That made sense. “But you’re pregnant again.”

  She sighed. “I know, but I think I’m going to wait a little longer before I start working on another baby blanket. That one was blues and greens because of San Majoria, but did seem pretty boy-ish. This time, I’ll wait until we know if we’r having a boy or a girl, then decide what colors to use, or if I’m going to make one at all.”

  He didn’t press any further, but hoped she would create blankets for all of their children.

  Before he could say anything else, she gave him a pensive look. “I know what Anabelle was talking about this morning.”

  Dread filled Darius. “Was it my brother or my uncle?”

  “Uncle.” She explained about Gracie’s adoption by Anabelle’s parents, the discovery that Anabelle’s grandfather had an illegitimate daughter who worked at the palace in Akushla and died not long after giving birth, and the theory that Benjamin was Gracie’s father.

  Darius shook his head. “No way. My brother’s not always the most upstanding man when under my uncle’s influence, but I don’t believe that.”

  “Jacqueline Grace told me they decided Isaiah is probably her biological father, but they don’t know.”

  “We may never know.” They both changed back into pajamas. Someone had brought Darius more so he didn’t have just the one pair.

  “Unless someone related did a DNA test.” She hesitated.

  He had a feeling he knew what she was about to suggest and wasn’t sure how he felt about it.

  “That would make Gracie your cousin.” She didn’t come right out and ask.

  He sank to the bed. “If there’s some compelling reason we need to know Gracie’s biology, I’ll take a test. If it’s curiosity or a vendetta, I’d rather not know.” No matter what he’d told Esther, he wasn’t completely certain Benjamin couldn’t be Gracie’s father, and Darius wasn’t sure he wanted to know.

  22

  The sound of barking reached Esther before she opened the door of the SUV.

  “I think someone missed you.” Darius’s smirk echoed in the garage, even though she couldn’t see him as he climbed out of his side of the car.

  “I don’t know if he missed me. I think he’s just barking at the sound of the garage. He does that you know.”

  Louis laughed as he helped Darius to his feet and handed over the crutches. A slip on the wet tile in their bathroom the night before had tweaked his ankle further. “I think it’s probably both. He’s been depressed since you left, moping around, whining and whimpering for no reason.”

  Esther grabbed her bag and closed the door behind her, but waited for Darius and Louis to make it around the back of the car before hitting the button to close the garage. Raja would take off if it were left open. Once it closed, she went inside, sitting on the bench in the mud room to greet the dog.

  “Did you miss us?” she asked as she scratched both sides of his neck.

  Raja’s front paws rested on her knees and his whole body wiggled as he wagged his tail. Two barks seemed to mean yes.

  She hooked a finger in Raja’s collar as Darius maneuvered his way through the room and into the kitchen. Once he took a seat on a bar stool, she released Raja and stood.

  “You know what we need?” She sat on the barstool next t
o Darius’s.

  “What?”

  “A Christmas tree and ornaments and a house full of decorations.” She’d never decorated her apartment, but this year there would be no Christmas decorations unless they did it themselves.

  Darius swiveled in his chair until he faced her. “We can go shopping one night this week and set it all up on Saturday.” He reached out and brushed a bit of hair behind her ear. “But we probably won’t be here on Christmas morning. It depends on when our families are going to be in town. I think they’re planning to fly home overnight on Christmas Eve so they’re home Christmas morning.”

  Esther shrugged. “So?”

  “Just making sure you realized that.”

  “Do you have a place for all of us to stay yet?” He’d said he’d take care of it. But was there really a house or small complex of houses around here that could accommodate their needs? Two dozen members of two royal families couldn’t exactly just rent out a few rooms at a hotel or sleep on the floor. Security would have to be consulted and approve of any location. Each unmarried person would need his or her own bed. Pull out couches wouldn’t do at all.

  “Jonathan hasn’t heard back from the one guy, but has a couple leads he’s double checking for me. He seemed pretty confident he could find something appropriate.”

  Esther slid off her chair. “I’m going to take a shower and get ready for bed.” Raja stayed close to her heels. With only a week before final exams, she needed to be fresh in the morning.

  The next evening, they stood in front of a wall of ornaments at Serenity Landing Hardware and Home.

  “I don’t even know where to start.” Darius rode in one of the motorized carts. Though he felt much better than he had the day before, after being on it off and on all day, it ached.

  “Me either. I suppose we should decide if we want to go with a color scheme or just pick ones we like here or at the Happily Ever After store on the other side of the lake or whatever. We also haven’t discussed a real tree or a fake one.”