Page 38 of The Prince and the Double Shot
“I think you are too worried, Sera. The matchmaker moved fast. It makes me assume that my mother had already put this plan in place well before I left.”
“It has been a couple of months, your… Phil.”
“Has it? It feels like only a couple of weeks.”
“Time is strange when you're in a strange land, even if it is a beautiful place. It’s not home.”
“It’s not. But I have grown to love it here.”
“I was told that when they arrive in a couple of weeks, you should let her know if any of these particular people interest you. These arrangements take time.”
“I’m sure. I promise I will look,” I sighed, glancing down at the small menu in front of me. “I suppose we should order, and you can tell me everything that’s going on back home.”
Her face instantly flushed.
“Ah… There is something that you’re not supposed to tell me, isn’t there?”
“I… I told her that I was the wrong person to come. We practically grew up together in the palace, and you knew me too well. She should have sent Marcus. He is your servant, after all. But… She thought a friendly face would…”
“Tell me.” I reached over and took her small hand in mine. Her large green eyes misted. “I promise that I will not tell her, Sera. I’m also glad it was you. You were the closest thing I had to a sibling.”
“Growing up in the palace was amazing, and your family has always treated me as their own, even if I was just a servant’s daughter.”
“Your father was a Royal Vizier, Sera. He was hardly a servant, and my family always respected his guidance and care. Just as we now do you. You know that he would be very proud of you.”
“I hope so. It’s nice to have a holiday, even if it is a very quick one. I’ll be attending the ball with the king and queen,” she whispered their titles. “Phil? Are you ok?”
“You are giving me whiplash. What is it that you’re not supposed to tell me?”
“Your father has started having fainting spells. The doctor believes that it’s a side effect he’s experiencing whenever he uses his magic. Apparently, your grandmother also had this problem when she got older. The body doesn’t… It gives more than it can take in. It depletes the user when they have this condition and can cause them to pass out, or…”
“Die?” I gasped. I had never heard of this.
“Not quite. But it can lead to a coma if too much energy is expelled. Death is always a possibility with what you can do, you know. If you tried to grow a forest overnight, the energy you would have to expend could leave you a shell, Phil. Even for one such as you, there are limitations.”
“I understand that, but… Father?”
“He’s coping and being careful, but his time of… He will need to stop if he is to live. We need you back home, Phil. Not right now. Your mother is taking care of everything that needs to be done while he rests, but sometime soon, you will need to rise. The Tranquilles, the people of Grandir, need you.”
“That’s… I don’t have to stay. I can get on an overnight flight if I… Well, I would need a day to… I couldn’t just leave without explaining. I need to…”
“You need to stay where you are and finish what you started. Are you ok?”
“I’m… better?” I laughed. “I… Do not tell my mother this, or I will kill you. But I met someone that… I mean, she knows I met him and…”
“You’ve grown to care for someone again?”
“I have.”
“A commoner. You have fallen for a commoner. I wish that you could…”
“I can’t help who I… care for, Sera.”
“That was not what I was saying. You should know better,Phillipe of Grandir,” she whispered my name. “Laws should change with the times, and I’ve always… If you tell your family this, I will murder you, understand? It’s stupid to think that marrying a non-royal would hurt the throne. It should be one of the first things you change when you ascend.”
“It would be too late for me.”
“But what about your son or daughter?”
