Page 27 of The Prodigal Prince

Was there more to it than he knew? “Did he...” He couldn’t even say the words.

Esme shook her head. “He was never physical with her, if that’s what you’re getting at. Not as far as I’ve ever heard, anyway. There’s no love lost between the staff and security and the former prince consort. If there had been anything like that, I would know by now. For as long as I remember, they simply ignored each other as much as possible.” She raised an eyebrow at him. “I’ve always believed there’s a reason for our age gap, you know.”

He didn’t reply, but now he knew she didn’t know he was adopted. Given her limited knowledge, he understood why she came to that conclusion.

“Best not to dwell on him. He’s presumably happy, living on a boat somewhere in the Mediterranean with whoever he’s married to now. If they’re still married. I wouldn’t be surprised if he’s moved on several times since Mum’s passing.”

Mac nodded his agreement.

Esme picked up a folder and held it out. “But that’s a discussion for another time - or not at all. This is what I called you here to talk about.”

Cautiously, Mac took the folder from her and opened it.

As he’d suspected, his life was about to change.

A lot.

* * *

Dinner would be a fancy affair,at least compared to what they usually did at home.

Fiona would be fine, but she hoped Gray would behave appropriately. He’d been to nice restaurants on several occasions and done just fine, but this took things to a different level.

One of the queen’s assistants had shown them to another suite of rooms. They weren’t as nice as the queen’s apartment, but still worthy of a palace. She did notice that very few breakable things were present and those were out of reach of little hands.

Clothes waited for both of them. A third bedroom waited for Tinsley to arrive later in the day. She hadn’t tried the other door in her room. It had been closed when they arrived. The others had all been opened. Something inside told her it would be as well if she were meant to use it.

“Mama, is it time?” Gray wiggled in his chair.

“Almost.” She stood and held out her hand. “Come here.”

With her little boy’s hand snug in hers, she walked to the window. “Let’s see what we can find.” She helped him onto a chair. “I spy...” Fiona scanned the city outside the glass. “I spy something green.”

Gray looked intently out the window. “The tree?”

“Which one? There are many trees outside.”

He pointed to a large tree in the middle of the garden below. “That one.”

A grin crossed Fiona’s face. “That’s right. Do you want a turn?”

“You find somethin’, Mama.”

She looked around again. “I spy something blue.”

“The ocean?! Is it the ocean, Mama?” He looked up at her, a wide smile on his face. “It’s the ocean!”

“It is.” Fiona wrapped her arms around him as they looked out the window.

“Is that the same ocean where we played?”

She rested her cheek on the side of his head. “It is. Just the other side of it.”

They stood silently for a moment, watching the world outside.

“Mama, am I a prince? Tinsley said if her daddy was a prince, then she’d be a princess. My daddy is a prince.”

Sometimes his leaps of logic astounded Fiona. They’d been interrupted when he asked earlier in the day.

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