Page 13 of The Prodigal Prince

“Was?” Fiona looked between them. “Is he in prison?”

Mac shook his head. “He’s believed to be dead. The last time anyone saw him, he was bleeding profusely and slipped overboard into shark infested waters.”

The king continued. “No remains were ever found, and I wouldn’t put it past him to have some sort of secret submarine that wouldn’t show up on most of our sensors. It’s been long enough most of us believe he’s really dead or he would have resurfaced by now.”

Hiding his smirk at the king’s unintentional pun, Mac looked at Fiona. “I found out he was my biological father about the time my mother died. It had only been a few weeks since he disappeared. You came to talk to me about six months later. His survival was still a very real possibility. I couldn’t risk your safety or that of our baby. You left. Silas and I followed not long afterward. This is the first time I’ve been in contact with anyone else since then.”

Fiona nodded slowly. “I don’t know that I’ve ever heard of him. I’ve vacationed in the Quad Countries, and even Øyanord, but I’ve not followed the royal news. I’ve worked with Pete Barker, and he’s my friend, but we’ve never discussed his in-laws in any detail.”

Sir Peter Barker of Eyjania had married one of the Quatremaine princesses a few years earlier. They had a home in Southwest Missouri. Mac had never run into them while he lived there.

The king started to say something, but Fiona held up a hand.

“So what you’re telling me is that the grandfather of my son may or may not have been eaten by sharks, but either way he’s pure evil?” She picked up the stuffed animal that belonged to her son and held it to her chest. “Did he ever know he had a son?”

Mac looked at the king.

“Isaiah fathered a number of children. Some he knew about. Others he may not have. I don’t believe he knew, or it’s likely he would have tried something a long time ago.” He sighed as he leaned back in his seat. “We know of several younger children, under the age of ten or so. It’s very possible there are other older children as well, but none have ever come to my attention.” He tilted his head toward Mac. “You’re the only one I’m aware of, and only because your mother told me.”

The circumstances surrounding his birth had been a puzzle to Mac. His parents’ marriage had been toxic at best, but he couldn’t imagine his mother in an affair. Despite everything he knew about Isaiah Quatremaine, Mac couldn’t believe he would have forced himself on a crown princess either, though.

“What else did your mother tell you?” The kind look in King Edward’s eyes made Mac feel safe discussing the little he knew.

“Not much.” Mac leaned forward, his forearms resting on his knees with his hands clasped. “She made mention of some paperwork left for me and that my father wasn’t my father.” His vision clouded with tears as he remembered his last moments with his mother. “By then she’d become very weak. She said something about Isaiah Quatremaine, but that’s all I could understand.”

“What did the paperwork tell you?”

Mac shook his head. “I never got it. I left pretty quickly after she died. I haven’t been home since. Not really.”

Fiona and Gray had taken a trip there once, but only Silas had followed them.

“Then what I’m about to tell you will come as news to you. Yes, Isaiah Quatremaine was your biological father, but Carlotta wasn’t your biological mother. You were adopted.”

Of all the things King Edward could have said to him, those were not what Mac expected to hear.

“Could you repeat that?” he asked.

“I’m not aware of the entirety of the situation, but I do know that your biological mother was a young woman employed by the palace. I have no knowledge of her relationship with Isaiah, except that it resulted in a child. Carlotta found out about what happened very early on and quietly removed herself from public life until after you were born. She reemerged with a newborn. No one questioned any of it.”

Mac’s mind swam as he held up a hand. “Wait. You’re telling me that my mother isn’t my mother? My biological father likely forced himself on a staff member who eventually gave me up for adoption to the future queen? So my status as the spare wasn’t reality? I never could have inherited the throne anyway?”

The king nodded. “Precisely.”

* * *

Confusion swirled around Fiona.She couldn’t quite follow the nuances of the conversation about Mac’s parentage, but she didn’t think Mac could either.

From what she could comprehend, neither of his parents were his biological parents, not just his father.

“What would have happened if something happened to Esme before she had kids, then? I’m not eligible. I have no idea who would be next. I don’t have any cousins. Mum’s sister died without any children.”

King Edward shook his head. “I’m not certain. It’s beside the point now, but I believe your mother had a plan of some sort in place.”

It all overwhelmed Fiona, but she needed to get back to the most important part. “How does any of this help us find Gray?”

“I don’t know that it does, not for certain, but it’s very possible that Isaiah or one of his minions who remain on the loose learned the truth. If so, they could have decided that Gray needed to be in their custody. It’s just as likely that he was a target of opportunity - either because someone realized who his mother is or because they assumed his parents had the kind of cash to make it worth taking a child for ransom.” The king checked his phone then stood. “Please come with me.”

Fiona continued to clutch Gray’s small bear. She didn’t know who’d sent it. It arrived about the same time as a number of other gifts from the few friends who knew she’d been expecting, but there hadn’t been a card. At the time, she’d shrugged it off, but maybe she shouldn’t have. Could it have a camera or recording device embedded?

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