Page 69 of Rags to Royals

“So?” Ruby nudges my calf with her foot. “What did you talk about?”

“I told him about… my past. With Dad and everything.”

She’s quiet for a moment. This is a painful part ofourpast too. “Oh,” she finally says.

“He asked about why things are so weird with Leah and Hannah and I thought it would help him to understand why I’m against being with someone with a lot of money and power.”

Ruby blows out a breath. “Come on, Cian isnotlike Dad.”

“His money makes me uncomfortable,” I say. “I can’t help it.”

I look over at her. My eyes have adjusted to the faint light coming in through the window and I can make out most of her face. Of course, her face is like looking in a mirror.

“I’m worried hecouldbe like dad,” I tell her. “He’s abillionaire, for fuck’s sake. He has nearly endless resources. He could be doing so many amazing things. So much good. But he’s…not. He’s jetting around the world going on…vacation.” I don’t know how else to describe it.

The podcast talks about how he and Henry show up in various places for parties with celebrities, how they attend things like the World Cup and big international music festivals,how they skydive and deep-sea dive and mountain climb. Cian is not well-known in the US, somehow. But the podcast from Cara keeps track of him.

“He lives in a tiny town in Louisiana where he just…” I really don’t know. “Hangs out, I guess.” If he’s doing much more than that, the podcast that makes it very much their business to know the business of the royal family—and somehow finds out some pretty amazing details—doesn’t know it. “When we were together in New Orleans he describedhimselfas the sidekick to Fiona and Torin.” I take a breath and stare up at the ceiling. “And his family alsoliterallyrules over other people. They don’t even get voted into their positions. They’re justthere. In charge, running the entire show.”

“But they’regoodat it,” Ruby says. “You’ve read about them. And Henry’s told me about them. Cian’s family is beloved. Their grandfather truly loves his people. Their country sounds like a damned nirvana. And his brother, the one that’s going to be king?—”

“Torin,” I fill in.

“Right. He’s the one who’s been against a full monarchy and wants a more representative government. He’s the reason he, their sister, and Cian all abdicated. I mean, they’re aware of the whole ‘ruling other people’ thing being problematic.”

“I know,” I say softly. I’ve read the full history of Cara and the O’Grady family. I couldn’t resist. Torin, Fiona, and Cian abdicated and came to the US in protest to their grandfather not agreeing to transition Cara’s government to a democracy.

“And they didn’t take the country over from someone else through war or anything. There was no colonization or anything like so many countries,” Ruby goes on. “Their great-something grandfather wasgiventhe island because he saved the King of Denmark’s life.”

I also know this. It was Cian’s great-great-great grandfather. He’d been an Irish sailor who had been on the ship with the King of Denmark on their way to the Faroe Islands when pirates attacked. Tadhg pulled King Frederick VII out of the ocean and to shore on the island that the King would give to Tadhg as a thank you and that Tadhg would name Cara, the Irish word for ‘friend’.

Yeah, I could pass an exam or write an essay on Cian’s family history and the history of his home country. So what? It’s interesting. Especially considering most people didn’t even know the tiny island south of the Faroe Islands even existed as its own country.

“Dad has money and power,” I say. “He kind of rules over people. People follow him, but they do it because he makes them afraid. Of him, of other people, of the world, of eternal life spent in hell.” I sigh. “And he’s an unhappy dickhead who tries to keep people who don’t agree with him in their place and punishes people who do things he doesn’t like.” I look at my sister. “Brian didn’t have money or power. He didn’t have any followers. He lived a simple, honest life, and he helped anyone who came to him. People listened to him because theylikedand trusted him. And he was happy.”

Ruby nods. “I know. I get it. I understand why you want to be like Brian and not like Dad. And I agree with you that, in general, we should eat the rich.”

I chuckle.

“But,” Ruby goes on. “I think there are exceptions. I think therearepeople who lead because they care about people, and I think good people with money can dogoodthings. Cian’s family is an example of that.”

“So why isn’tCiandoing good things?”

“Maybe he’s still trying to figure out what to do.”

That niggles at me. He was so excited about the project we’d dreamed up in New Orleans and he’d mentioned it to me again already.

“So you’re Team Cian?” I ask grumpily. This had all seemed pretty clear cut to me—Cian and I couldn’t be together for numerous very solid reasons, and I just needed to show him that so he’d leave me alone.

Now I’m questioning everything.

“Yes,” Ruby says simply.

“Why?”

“Because I like him.”

“You don’t know him,” I point out. “He’s charming and easy to get along with. I’ll admit that. But Dad is charming and easy to get along with too. As long as you’re on his side. But Dad also has money, that he never uses for anyone else. He says thathimbeing financially stable makes his followers feel secure. He claims the money means that he will always be there and will be able to fully focus on the church and his ministry. That, supposedly, makes his followers feel good.”

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