“What?” Edward shot out of his seat. “You better start explaining.”
Benjamin must be a better actor than Darius ever thought, or nothing actually affected him. “The marriage isn’t legal.”
Edward looked both furious and confused. “Why not? You issued the license. I performed the ceremony. We all signed it. It was filed in your safe until a later date. How is it not legal?”
“First, the license has gone missing. Until it’s filed, legally, it didn’t really happen. Once filed, it’s retroactive to the date of the ceremony or any date chosen thereafter. Any documents signed as a couple, for instance, are still legal. Any child conceived isn’t a bastard.”
Edward loomed over the younger king. “You better choose your next words very carefully, Benjamin. What happened to that license?”
Benjamin shrugged. “I honestly have no idea, but without it, there’s no way to make the marriage retroactively legal.”
“Then we get another license and date it the day of the wedding.” Esther pointed at Benjamin. “You’re a king. You should be a little more careful about what happens to the contents of your safe and who you give access to it.”
“Who has access?” Edward took a deep breath as though trying to calm himself down.
“I do.”
“Who else?”
“Isaiah.” Everyone turned to look at their mother. “Isaiah has access.”
“No, he doesn’t,” Benjamin replied. “No one else has access.”
“You may not want him to, but he does. I’ve seen him getting something out of it.”
Benjamin leaned forward and stared at her. “When?”
She stared back. “Any number of times. He’s your second-in-command, Benjamin. You’ve given him access to everything else, why not your safe?”
“Because it’s illegal for me to give him access. The items in that safe are for the monarch’s eyes only.”
Mother didn’t back down. “And you don’t think he’s managed to get a hold of it some other way? Have some pretty girl seduce it out of you because she wouldn’t have access to the safe, so why not give her the combination?”
Benjamin didn’t respond, but the look on his face told Darius what he thought of that accusation.
“Reissue it. That happens all the time when someone loses paperwork.” Miriam finally entered the conversation. “Fill out a new one, sign it, and date it that day. Call it a reissuance, not a new license.”
“It’s illegal for me to do that with the special license.”
Edward put both hands on the arms of Benjamin’s chair and leaned closer. “It’s probably illegal for me to punch you, too, but don’t think I won’t.”
“Edward.” Miriam’s soft voice caused her husband to back off.
“I’ll double check when we get back,” Benjamin promised, softening just a bit. “But I’m certain it’s not there.”
“Then we go public.” Esther finally sat down. “We tell them the license was filled out properly, but, it went missing. You’re looking into who dropped the ball, but you just don’t know. We have a small, but public ceremony, fast before I’m showing too much, and throw ourselves on the mercy of the court of public opinion. We have two kings who can vouch for the timing of the ceremony. We don’t mention the previous pregnancy, and simply tell everyone we chose to live our first couple of years very quietly and privately and ask them to respect that.”
Benjamin shook his head again. “That won’t work. It’s a good idea, but it won’t work.”
“Why not?” At least three people, including Darius and his wife, said it at the same time.
“Because Parliament passed a new resolution a few weeks ago. No one in the top twenty names on the lines of succession can marry someone in the top twenty in another line of succession.”
“But I’m not marrying her.” Darius had never really considered hitting his brother until now. “I’m legalizing something that should have already been legal. I’ll do it somewhere besides Eyjania if I have to.”
Benjamin looked remorseful before speaking again. “Then I’m required by law to exile you.”
Esther wanted to cry or scream or hit something and never stop. Benjamin had effectively just ruined her first Christmas as a wife and mother-to-be.
Darius had stormed out of his mother’s sitting room, leaving her behind with their parents and his brother.
She turned to Benjamin. “You would really exile your brother over something that’s your fault?”
He wasn’t fazed. “How is this my fault?”
“You were the one responsible for the license. It disappeared while under your care. That makes it your fault.”
His expression didn’t change. “I believe it’s actually your fault. You seduced my brother, claimed to be pregnant to trap him, and forced him into marrying you.”
Hadn’t she already had this discussion once? Had Benjamin been present for that conversation? If so, had he paid attention? “I didn’t seduce your brother.”
“Are you saying he seduced you?”
“I didn’t say that. We were attracted to each other, and we slept together. Together. Neither one of us seduced the other in order to get me pregnant. I was pregnant. I have paperwork from the doctor saying so. I had a miscarriage, something I hope you never have to walk through with your wife.”
Benjamin just sat there. If he didn’t develop a personality, he’d never get married in the first place.
Esther tilted her head as she observed him. “Who made you like this?”
“Like what?”
“Cold. I remember your father. He was a good man. Your mother is an amazing woman. Your aunt, the one who was your regent, has a reputation for being stern, but fair, and loving toward her family. How did you end up with no feelings whatsoever?”
Rather than answering, he stood. “I have better things to do with my time than have my brother’s paramour insult me.”
This time Queen Eliana stood. “Benjamin, you may be king, but I am your mother. You will respect me. You will respect Edward as your father’s friend and a man you could learn a lot from. You will respect both your brother and your brother’s wife, whose marriage you witnessed, regardless of the paperwork.”
Tears had begun to streak down the former queen’s cheeks. “I hope, I pray, that one day, you’ll be able to respect yourself. That you’ll be a worthy descendant of the Quatremaine name and your father’s throne. However, today isn’t that day. Until you can play nice and help your brother and sister-in-law find a way out of this, I would suggest you remain out of my way.”
Benjamin started to say something, but instead his shoulders dropped as he turned and walked out of the room.
Esther hugged herself again, her arms wrapped around her middle and the children she and Darius had created together. “Thank you, Queen Eliana. I appreciate your words.”
“Please. Call me Eliana, darling.” She came to stand next to Esther, wrapping an arm around her shoulders. “I wish I knew what happened to my son. I wish I knew how to fix it, but I’m starting to fear that won’t happen in my lifetime.”
“Thank you.” It didn’t actually help, but it was nice of her to say.
Esther’s phone buzzed, but she ignored it. “I think I’m going to go back upstairs and get some rest. I’m worn out.”
“We’ll make sure Darius joins you.” Her father spoke those words, much to her surprise.
“You don’t care that the marriage isn’t legal?”
“As far as I’m concerned, it is. I stood by you as you both took those vows. I signed the license. If it all comes down to it, if Benjamin follows through with his threat and exiles Darius over it, we’ll go public.” He turned partly toward Eliana. “I know how hard it would be on you if we did go to the press. I know it could cost your family the throne and your country its form of government, but I can’t allow your son and his uncle to do this to my family. I can’t allow them to show such callous disregard for marriage and the rule of law wi
thout consequences.”
Eliana nodded. “I understand. I agree even. When I return, I’ll see what I can find. It’s possible Isaiah got his hands on it. If so, I might be able to get it back.”
“How?” Esther asked her.
She laughed. “Sweet girl, you don’t spend fifteen years as the Crown Prince’s wife and later his queen, then over ten more years as the Queen Mother, without picking up a few tricks, and getting to know which security guards you can trust and which ones to be more wary of.” She winked. “Give me a couple of weeks. I’ll see what I can find. It might not even take that long.”
“Thank you.” Esther hugged all three of them then went back to her room. Darius was nowhere to be seen.
Would he even come back to her? Or would he remain convinced that the marriage wasn’t legitimate and stay away? Ironic, given how they spent their first few days together ten months earlier.
She managed to fall into a fitful sleep but when she awoke, he wasn’t in the room and, when she went to the bathroom, she noticed his things were gone. Had he come in while she slept?
Either way, she decided she wouldn’t go downstairs for lunch. The nervousness of the rest of the week couldn’t compare to the nausea that permeated her being.
She texted a couple of people that she wasn’t feeling well, so they’d know they could leave for San Majoria without seeing her again. Darius’s family had likely left as soon as Eliana finished talking to Esther’s parents. She wondered if Darius would show up and act like everything was fine.
Esther found her tablet and opened the Bible app, spending some time in Proverbs before dozing off for a while longer.
This time when she woke up she wasn’t alone in the room. The other side of the bed remained empty, but her mother-in-law sat in the chair where Darius had been when he broke the news to her about their marriage.
“Where is he?” Esther asked, not fully awake. “Why are you still here?”
“I didn’t want you to be alone. My children went back to Eyjania. As did Darius a little while ago. I’m not sure how he managed to charter a plane on Christmas Eve, but he did.”
“He has connections.” Esther managed to sit up. “There’s a local guy we know who helped us get additional staff and security for this weekend. He could help Darius get a plane if he really wanted one.”
“He must have wanted one pretty badly, because he’s gone.”
Esther swiped at a tear she couldn’t stop from leaking onto her cheek. Some first Christmas this was turning out to be.
The look on Eliana’s face was the same as Darius’s most serious look. “I do think it’s time you and I had a chat about a few things that no one else will be straight with me about. Like why Louis was relieved of his duties and how exactly your father threated to take away my son’s throne.”
31
Darius had been in Eyjania for almost a week, but hadn’t returned to the palace. Instead, he’d turned off his phone, bought a cheap replacement and got as much cash as he could.
He knew how to cook and take care of himself now, where he wouldn’t have known before. He had Edward to thank for that.
Once he landed in Eyjania, he took a ferry to Auverignon, a trip that took eight hours. There, he spent Christmas alone, then found a barber who would shave his head for him. It wouldn’t last long, but it would be enough time to do what he wanted to do.
Spy on his family or at least find out what the people in general thought of his family. He spent time at lunch counters, diners, and pubs, listening much, talking a little, and learning. The people missed his father, wanted to love Benjamin but couldn’t, and thought Isaiah had far too much influence, though no one really knew what kind of power Isaiah really had.
He’d done his research into the resolution passed by Parliament that said he was no longer allowed to marry Esther without being exiled. The proposal had been put forth by Benjamin, though Darius would bet his life that his brother hadn’t known what he was signing when he did it. Maybe that’s why he was so adamant that it remain unchallenged. He didn’t want anyone to know exactly how many of his puppet strings were being controlled by Isaiah.
When he mentioned the resolution to the people he met, they all thought it was ridiculous and wondered what the reasoning could be. Speculation included Kensington leaving Anabelle for one of Darius’s oldest sisters and wanting to prevent whichever one it was from being married to someone who hadn’t even made it a year in his first marriage.
It also included Darius and Esther.
They were the only other ones the right age and gender to match up. Neither had been seen in public in almost a year, except Esther when Astrid’s baby was born. Speculation had made the rounds that Prince William’s official wedding to Princess Margaret might have something to do with it, though no one had any idea what.
“You’ve been around a lot lately.” The bartender at the pub Darius had been to most often set a pint in front of him. “You never drink the whole thing, but you strike up the most interesting conversations for someone who’s not a member of the royal family.” He leaned forward, mindful of the other patrons though there weren’t many yet. “Or are you? Prince Darius hasn’t been seen in almost a year. You’re the right age.”
Darius tossed a bill on the bar. “You’ve never talked to me before. Why now?”
The guy shrugged. “Something about you looks familiar. You’ve got your father’s eyes and your mother’s nose.”
Darius didn’t confirm the suspicion, but he didn’t deny it either.
“Here’s what I think. I noticed it last night, so I did a little digging. No one has seen Prince Darius since sometime in March. About the time Prince Kensington married an Eyjanian, actually, though no one knew about that until later. No one has seen Princess Esther except once since the same time period. She was seen entering San Majoria when Crown Princess Astrid had her baby. Now there’s a guy who might, or might not, be Prince Darius asking random people what they think about the resolution that says he couldn’t marry Princess Esther even if he wanted to.”
The bartender leaned even closer. “I think Prince Darius and Princess Esther have been shackin’ up somewhere, maybe in the States or Sargasso or even Athmetis. The rest of the royal family all went on a trip right before Christmas, as did the San Majorian family. Maybe they staged an intervention. Trying to convince Romeo and Juliet to stay apart, while also telling them about this new thing that would see Darius exiled.” He grinned. “What do you think about my theory?”
Darius nodded slowly. “It’s a nice theory. But maybe Prince Darius and Princess Esther met somewhere else altogether. They wanted to get married, but wanted to tell their families first. Maybe King Benjamin gave them a special royal license, and they got married then and there with King Edward performing the ceremony. Maybe they moved to start their lives together in private. Maybe they invited their families for Christmas.”
He took a swig of the beer. “And maybe, while their families were there, they found out the license went missing, and there’s no way for them to legally, retroactively marry and make their forthcoming child completely legitimate without him being exiled from his homeland.”
After two more big gulps of liquid, he set the mug down. “And maybe he’s trying to find out if the people would support him if he went public with all of it.” Darius grinned and shrugged. “Or maybe I’m just a guy who doesn’t have any friends so he buys a pint and shoots the breeze.” He slid off the barstool. “Have a good night.”
“Hey, kid,” the bartender called after him.
Darius stopped and looked back.
“I think Prince Darius would find there are a lot of people pulling for him and the pretty princess.”
He nodded at the man then left. Darius didn’t know what possessed him to tell the bartender the whole story, sort of, but it felt good to tell someone, even a stranger as a theory.
It was good to know the resolution was considered ridiculous.
&nbs
p; He’d bought a round trip via the rental jet, but left the return open ended. He needed to go back to Serenity Landing and talk to Esther. Together they could make a plan then go talk to her parents, maybe get his mother to come to San Majoria and strategize with them.
After calling the airline, he used Yfir to get to the airport. That was a new experience, though he’d seen people use Uber or Lyft before. The man was polite, dropping him off at the private entrance to the airport as requested without making a big deal out of it, though he surely didn’t go there often.
Shortly thereafter, he was back in the air. Seven and a half hours to Springfield then another twenty minutes to their home in Serenity Landing. Eight hours until he could see Esther again, even if he didn’t plan to let himself kiss her. It had been too long, and neither one of them would want to stop with just a kiss, regardless of their legal status.
He slept most of the flight and called another service to pick him up at the airport.
The car drove him to Serenity Landing. The house seemed eerily quiet, though it was quite late at night, or rather very early in the morning. As quietly as he could, he let himself in the house.
He went upstairs to see if Esther might be awake, but the light from the hall that spilled into their room showed the bed still made and completely empty. He checked the other rooms but didn’t find her.
The front door opened. Could that be her?
Instead, it was Louis, who looked much older than he had less than week earlier.
“What is it?” Darius asked. “Is Esther okay?”
Louis shook his head. “She’s not here.”
The sunrise out the window of the jet was almost too bright for Esther, but she’d gotten a decent night’s sleep so she decided not to try to get more rest while on the plane.
A text from Louis had come in the middle of the night, though she hadn’t seen it until morning. Darius had finally returned to Serenity Landing. That fit with her plan to return on New Year’s Eve anyway. She didn’t want to spend the evening with her siblings and their spouses when hers was nowhere to be found.
A Royally Beautiful Mess Page 24