Page 30 of A True King

“I understand,” Mia answers. “Is there any other footage? Is this from a video?”

“It is,” Jack answers.

“Can I see the footage?”

There’s silence on the other line and a moment later another link appears. I click on it, and Mia leans in again watching it. It’s the same man. The footage is just a few seconds. He walks by the camera, disappears, and then returns in the same direction he came from.

“There, stop it,” Mia says. I press pause and she zooms in again and points.

“What?”

“There. Do you see it?” she asks excitedly.

I shake my head until she points again. It’s a small mark on the man’s neck.

“The birthmark?” I ask.

She nods. “It’s him, Jack. It’s definitely him.”

I lean in next to her, examining the small mark that looks almost diamond-shaped. “Are you sure?”

“Yes. That spot, his hair color, the shape of his profile, and his walk. He has this gait when he walks that is a little odd to me. I can never put my finger on it though. Maybe an old injury. I’m not sure. It’s subtle but recognizable in this video.”

“Great. This is very helpful, Mia. I’m sorry I don’t have more information. And yes, Christian, before you ask, we are looking into Mia’s family. But right now, I want to know who this man is and why he wanted to specifically know about your schedule. There are many moving pieces. I will be in Norddale in about a week. I’ll share more intel with you as I get it.”

“What about our staff at the palace?”

“I have an entire team working on it. I don’t have anything conclusive yet, but I do have several leads. I’ll touch base with you later this week on that effort. I’m not quite ready to share that information yet. I want more details before we talk.” Jack is always forthcoming with me when it matters and that I appreciate. He pulls the wool over my eyes. He’s a spy first and foremost, but he’s also a great communicator, which is an odd combination. He reveals what he thinks you need to know only when he thinks you need to know it.

“Very well,” I say as I disconnect and look over at Mia who is still staring at the screen.

“We’ll figure this out,” I assure her as I reach for her hand and squeeze it.

She sighs as she sits down on my lap and turns to me. “Do you think Tessa would make her famous lobster mac and cheese?”

I smile as I give her a quick kiss. “Of course, she’d make anything for you, she loves you.”

I watch the blush creep across her face. I take her chin in one hand and force her to look at me. “Mia, you are worthy of love. Stop thinking like that. I need my queen to be strong.”

She shivers at my words, and I wonder if she doesn’t like that idea, the idea of marrying me. We’ve never truly discussed it. But it’s been there, in the back of my mind for the past three years. And now that I know she’s a royal, it all seems so much more possible. A future that I can see happening.

“I’ll try,” she answers after a beat. Her eyes look into mine. There are no more secrets between us now. If only I can help her see that she’s so much stronger than she thinks she is. What she did showed strength, not weakness. She took on an enemy single-handed, risking her own life to protect the ones she loved, including me. Now, it’s my turn to protect her. I just wish I knew who or what I was protecting her from because right now, our enemy could be anyone.

Chapter Seventeen

Mia

After a delicious dinner, Christian and I are lounging on the back terrace when his phone pings. I watch as he glances down at the screen and sighs.

“What?”

“Suzy Q,” he mutters. I giggle at his sister’s childhood nickname. He taps his phone and holds it to his ear. “Yes? … Can you be a little more specific? … I see. Fine.” He ends the call and stands up, holding out a hand for me.

“What was that about?” I ask as I take his offered hand. He pulls me to my feet and kisses my forehead.

“Anna found some…things. She wants to chat with us,” he explains as we walk back toward the office. It’s been strange being here today. It’s so quiet with no other family members here. The normal hustle and bustle of the main palace seems like stadium noise compared to the seemingly silent echoing hallways here.

Settling back on the two chairs we sat at earlier, Christian clicks on a secured connection, and Anna’s face pops up on the screen. I can see Montelandia in the background. Her cheeks look like she’s seen some sun.

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