Page 2 of Crowned for His Son

‘The news wouldn’t have been any different two hours ago. And he didn’t want me to tell you just yet—’

‘Because his bastard sons aren’t important enough to know?’ Teo grated, his nostrils flaring.

Since he knew what it felt like to be an afterthought, to be the unfortunate cog caught between warring spokes, Azar looked his brother in eye and answered firmly. ‘What he thinks doesn’t matter. I told him I wouldn’t keep it from either of you because you deserved to know.’

He let them digest that for a moment, then breathed in relief when they both nodded. Traces of anger lingered on Teo’s face but he folded his arms, his voice hard and serious when he demanded, ‘Has he sought a second opinion?’

Azar’s mouth twisted. ‘What do you think?’

Valenti grunted. ‘I’m sure he’s seen ten different specialists by now.’

‘Try a clean dozen,’ Azar said. ‘Where do you think we got our trust issues from?’

Teo’s mouth twitched, then he exhaled long and hard. ‘I’m calling him before morning. You know that, right?’

There was the faintest whiff of disquiet within the curt response, also familiar to Azar.

That need for a connection that repeatedly eluded all of them.

He nodded, then twisted his glass between his fingers.

‘There’s more?’ Valenti surmised, his eyes narrowing.

There was a reason Valenti excelled as one of the most sought-after security specialists. He watched. He listened. And he missed nothing.

Except that one essential time.

A time Azar knew had scarred his brother for life, driven him deeper into his silent turmoil.

Azar nodded again, fighting the different emotions attacking him. ‘Sí.He’s stepping down from ruling. I’m to become King in three months.’

Their expressions morphed from sombre to shocked surprise. They didn’t offer immediate congratulations, as members of the soon-to-be-his council had, with their eagerness to switch allegiance and commence with the boot-licking and jostling for power almost nauseating to watch.

Teo spoke first. ‘Are you okay with that?’

Azar debated the tough, exposing question for a minute. It was what he’d been groomed for all his life. All he knew. And despite the odd self-indulgent occasion of wishing for another life, it was all he was destined to be. That unwavering duty had been driven into him from birth.

‘I have to be. For the sake of his health. For the sake of the kingdom.’

Valenti nodded, then a moment later he was offering a one-armed hug. ‘Congrats,hermano. I don’t envy you for a second myself, but you’ve got that kingly crap down to a fine art, so I think you’ll be fine.’

Teo laughed and offered his own hug. Then, ‘I’m guessing lengthy benders are a thing of the past? I’ll take a six-day one, if your kingly duties can swing it.’

‘Any more talk of benders and my first duty as King will be to force you both to use your proper regal titles.’

His brothers reared back, mirrored looks of horror on their faces. ‘Hell, no!’

Azar suspected that their rejection of their titles had something to do with the ugly vitriol with which their mother had fought for them to be titled. His mother had fought for the exact opposite, wanting‘King Alfonso’s bastards’—as she’d so scathingly labelled his half-brothers—not to be given their due titles.

There was a certain stain to using blackmail, subterfuge and downright emotional torture to gain the upper hand in the power and prestige dynamics that left a bitter taste in your mouth. Their mothers had fully engaged in both, often with their father absenting himself and leaving his sons at the mercy of the vitriol. That he had been embroiled in all of it through no desire or fault of his own made Azar understand his brothers’ inclination to distance themselves from the darker side of the throne of Cartana.

‘It’s bad enough that our mother insists on calling us by them in public,’ Teo griped.

‘And that you’ve been labelled the “Playboy Prince of The House of Domene”?’ Valenti added, one mocking brow raised at his twin. ‘A clunky mouthful, if you ask me, but if that what you need to ensure you’re not doing badly on the ladies’ front, then I don’t begrudge you…’

Azar started to smile as his brothers mercilessly ribbed each other. Then movement from the corner of his eye snatched his attention and he stared, the blood roaring in his ears.

It wasn’t.

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