Page 10 of Royal Darling
“Where’s the car you took?”
“I parked it in the servants’ lot. The keys are in the ignition.”
“Well done, you! Who would’ve thought proper Emma could be so sneaky?”
“Well, you never know what you’re capable of in a do-or-die moment.” I smooth my hair. “It was rather rash.”
“Understatement. Listen, I’m one hundred percent behind you. I wasn’t feeling this arranged-marriage thing, but, Emma, the press are camped out here and won’t leave. The reports so far are not good for our family’s reputation. Gabriel is furious that you left us to deal with the fallout, as is your mother, and Abdul’s family refuses to leave until you follow through.”
“I’m so sorry! I panicked!”
“There’s more.”
I grip the phone tighter. “What?”
“Abdul’s family say if you don’t return and marry him, they’ll sue our family for breach of contract. There is signed paperwork. He could’ve married someone else years earlier, but he waited for you to reach twenty-five. He’s fulfilled his end of the bargain. They demand that you fulfill yours. Honestly, I think they just don’t want to face the public humiliation. If we could find some way to make it easier for them to step away…”
“I don’t know what that would be.”
“Me either. We have to think of something. They can’t stay here indefinitely.”
I let out a shaky breath. “I need some time away to think. I almost wish I could do what Polly did, you know? Get a fresh start as someone else.” Anna is a distant cousin of Polly, the princess in hiding, who I’m finding very inspiring at the moment.
“You want to hide for a bit. That’s okay as long as you know eventually you have to face your life.”
“I know. I’m just…” My voice cracks. “I lost Father; I feel like I lost Mother; somewhere along the way I lost myself too. I just need the space to discover who I am away from the palace.”
“Oh, sweetie, I understand. Let me think on it and I’ll get back to you with a plan. I can probably buy you a week. I want you to enjoy some freedom too. You of all people need it the most. You’ve been much too rigid, like the old Gabriel. Maybe you just need to spend some time with someone more like me to loosen you up. Too bad I can’t get away right now with my passion project—”
“Thank you, anyway. I’ll think more on it too.” Anna means well, but she pushes too much. I fear she’d turn me into a version of herself—brash and outspoken. Sometimes she comes off as extremely ill-mannered.
“Listen, I promised your mother I’d let her know when you got in touch. Expect a call from her shortly.”
Heart in my throat, I numbly murmur my goodbye. Then I wait, staring at my phone, my entire body vibrating with tension. Long minutes tick by. My gut knots, my breath accelerating as my mind flashes to worst-case scenarios—she’ll disown me; she’ll exile me from Villroy forever. Just when I think I’ve been given a reprieve, the phone rings and I jump.
I grab it and check the screen. It’s her private line. “Hello, Mother.”
“What were you thinking?” she asks sharply.
“I’m so sorry for running away. I should’ve spoken up before I got to the point of panic, but I was so caught up in doing my duty, forming an alliance for the kingdom, making you proud, that I pushed down all my worries, and then they just erupted at the last moment.”
Silence. I break out into a cold sweat, waiting for the hammer to fall. On my head.
“Mother?”
Her voice is ice. “You embarrassed our family, harmed our alliances not just with Abdul’s kingdom, but with his allies, and, worst of all, you broke your promise. You brought dishonor and shame to the Rourke name. I never thought you of all my children would betray me in this way.”
I suck in air. “It was not a betrayal. I agree it was inappropriate, and I’m so very sorry for the embarrassment.”
“Sometimes apologies are not enough.” The line goes dead.
I swallow hard, my eyes hot. I’ve spent my entire life attempting to meet her high expectations, an exercise in futility. I swipe at an errant tear. Maybe I don’t want to try anymore.
I am no longer my mother’s daughter, no longer a fiancée, no longer a proper princess. It begs the question—
Who is Emma Rourke?
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