Page 2 of The Prodigal Prince

Mess wasn’t quite the right word.

Complicated.

His life had been complicated since before his birth. He just hadn’t known the extent of it until his mother’s death.

Even if he opened the sliding door and let the sounds of the ocean in, it would be too quiet. Too alone with his thoughts.

Before he could decide if he wanted to turn the television on to binge one of the MyBingeFlix Originals, the door to the suite opened, letting Silas in.

“You want to do aManagement on Marsmarathon?” Mac called out the open door before Silas could say a word.

Silas set his drink down on the table in the living area. “Nope.”

Mac rolled to the side and picked up the remote. “I’m going to.” Propping himself up with some pillows, he found the right streaming service.Marswas the first thing in his queue. “What do you want for dinner? I’m thinking room service. I don’t want to get back out.”

“You do what you want. I’m going to dinner downstairs.” Silas closed the door to his room behind him. A minute later, Mac could hear the water running in the shower.

All of this was going to come to a head soon. The uneasy feeling that never truly left had become more noticeable in recent months.

Maybe she’d finally see him. She had before, but had never done more than nod politely once or twice when he accidentally let her get too close. The tinted glasses hid his eyes. The beard helped even more. He’d let it grow for over a year, and it still remained longer than the norm - and longer than Mac would prefer, but it obscured his features.

Features she’d known well.

Someday, when this ended, he’d have the barber shave it. Mac could practically feel the hot towel...

Rather than choosing the recently dropped season ofManagement on Mars, Mac went back to the beginning. He’d seen it enough times that he didn’t need to focus on it to understand the story lines, but knew when to pay attention for the laugh.

By the time the second episode began, Silas had left the suite. Halfway through the third episode, Mac ordered room service from his phone. Pausing the show, he took a shower of his own.

Once in a pair of his most comfortable pajama pants - these with the Maryland Heights Crimson Knights logo emblazoned on them - he went onto the balcony and waited for his meal to arrive. Staring over the ocean, he wondered exactly how far away his homeland lay from where he stood. He did know he faced the right direction, but the geography lessons of his childhood were long forgotten.

Mac closed his eyes as his head dropped. He’d lived a privileged childhood very few people could imagine, but it had its challenges. His barely knew his father. Rather, his mother’s husband. He shared no genetic material with the man.

He’d been relieved when he learned that bit of information.

Until his mother told him the rest of the story.

And who his male biological donor had been before his death.

He wouldn’t have thought anyone could be worse than the man he’d grown up believing to be his father.

Until he realized his biological father was the most notorious criminal in the history of a number of royal families.

Mac was a Quatremaine.

* * *

One sure fireway to know you’re not living a fairy tale?

No happily ever after.

Fiona Westgate gave herself a mental shake.

That wasn’t entirely true, though it wasn’t the same kind of ever-afters in her movies for Happily Ever After TV - or even as part of her recurring role onSeating 4 Six.

This happily ever after was different - and definitely not a typical fairy tale.

“Mom!”

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