Page 2 of The Prince and the Double Shot
I descended the grand stairway and turned to the right, where I knew my mother was sitting in her favorite room of the palace. Mother liked to read, and if she didn’t have any duties, the library was where she’d normally be. I could already see her as I knew I’d find her – curled up in her favorite chair in front of the fireplace with a large tome in her lap. It was her own form of escapism. Every royal needed one.
I walked down the long hallway where the tapestries of my family’s past hung on large wrought iron rods from the stone walls. The doors were open, and two of her ladies-in-waiting stood at the entry.
“He’s here, Your Highness,” I heard her whisper into the room.
“Ladies.” I nodded as I entered the room between them. They shut the large oaken doors behind me. I stood there as Mother held up a finger. I knew what that meant. I waited for her to finish her paragraph and slide her bookmark in to keep her place.
She cleared her throat and closed the book, which she placed on her small table beside the chair. “Phillipe.” She waved her fingers in the air, motioning for me to come closer. “Sit, Phillipe. I think that we need to have a chat, don’t you?”
“Does it matter what I think, Mother?” I sighed as I lumbered over and sat down in the hard chair that needed to be re-upholstered. It was pre-Victorian and had seen better days. A spring stuck me in my ass.
“Your father and I have been trying hard to be patient, Phillipe. We do understand that you’ve been in a dark place. Petra was special to you, and what you went through, my dear… We tried to give you space so that you could heal. We allowed you to shirk your duties and take care of him yourself. Then, after he passed, we continued to give you that space so you could heal.”
“I have appreciated that.”
“It’s time for you to step back into your role. The people miss you, and your father and I are getting tired. We can’t keep up the pace of ruling any longer without your assistance. Not to mention, Phillipe, that it is time for you to finally let your father retire. He’s been waiting for you to be ready, but I’m afraid that the time is never going to come. You have to steel your courage, my son. It is time for you to become king and time for us to advise and retire.”
“That’s a lot to…”
“It’s your duty, Phillipe. We’ve stayed in power long enough. Your poor father is starting to actually look his age. The duties of a king are hard and arduous. They are taking their toll on both of us.”
“I’m aware.”
“Phili… Son, being king is a lonely place. You will need someone by your side. I want you to have a love match like your father and me. But if it’s only a marriage of convenience to help you through the years, I would be happy to help arrange it for you. We once had an idea for you to marry the Prince of…” she sighed. “But only if that’s what you want.”
“That is not what I…” I mumbled and scoffed my brightly shined leather shoe against the floor.
“You need someone by your side, even if it’s only a friend, Phillipe. When I met your father, I knew what my duty was. I would become Princess of Grandir and, eventually, the queen. It was what was expected of me, even if I might have wished for something else at the time. Duty is our calling, son. You have no choice but to take your place as monarch to the Tranquilles, and you will lead this kingdom towards the future.”
“Why now, Your Highness?”
“Oh, that tone. I know it too well.”
“You never approved of…” I started to spit out my venom at her. This conversation was turning me into a petulant child.
“Stop right there. We welcomed that man into the castle with open arms. But the decree of your forefathers made your future with him cloudy and vague, Phillipe. Petra was a magnificent human being – honestly, he was a much better man than any of us. He made you so happy, and we could see how much you loved him. However, there could never have been a marriage. He could never have ruled by your side and only stayed on the sidelines. It would have ruined you both. But for him to… I hated seeing him so sick. I hated how you hurt. I hated the pain he was in. I loved Petra, Son, and I mourned him too. He was a bright light, but his light is no more, my love.”
“You didn’t always act like you loved him.”
“No… I didn’t. A queen can have regrets, too. I was only worried about your future, you know. I wanted you to marry and to… You were in love, and I should have supported you more. That was the past, Phillipe. We both have to move forward. I’ll forgive you for not understanding a mother’s worry, and you can forgive me for Petra. I do regret it. Life is… too short.”
“So, what do we do now. I don’t want you to find me a match, mother. I want to… Do you think I don’t want to stop feeling so lost? Of course I do.”
“I know the perfect place. Do you trust me?”
“Of course not.”
“That’s why you will be a great king. I think you can skip the ribbon-cutting today. I’ll take your place.” She pulled out a folded envelope and, with a flourish, handed it to me.
“What is this?”
“A chance for a future, Phillipe. Inside that envelope is a ticket that will take you someplace far away. My hope is that there you can find yourself again.”
“I don’t need to go to a spa.”
She laughed. “It’s not a spa. Though I know they have one. I think that you need a chance to put all of this behind you for a bit. The crown… Your future… Your title. I think you need to just be a person for a little while. I have a… let’s call her a friend, though I doubt she’d say the same, but she owns a hotel in America. There you can… be you.”
“I’m supposed to pretend to be a commoner. Is that what you’re saying?”
