39. A Little Prince
39
A LITTLE PRINCE
WYATT
O dette was under the weather the following day. I gave her the number of my massage therapist. Post-appointment, she thought things were better but still wasn’t up to going out. I was sad that the first free night without a nanny disaster was a bust. I finally found a woman I could see myself spending time with—only for a car accident to upend it. And even thinking about that made me sick to my stomach. My focus remained on putting fewer cars on the god damn road.
“Papa,” Theo whined, throwing the book at my feet. “Read my book.”
“Please?” I instructed. “Can you say please and be polite?”
He grimaced, took the book back, and returned to his corner, where he had a stack of building supplies a mile high. He’d been working on a castle all day—per him. I could not see the castle, but he had a powerful imagination.
“I’m off then,” Mom said. “Are you sure you want me to go?”
Mom was headed out to a trivia night hosted by the American Embassy. It didn’t sound all that entertaining, but she had some friends she’d met in her lap swimming group. I hugged her.
“It’s good. Go. Have a good time,” I said .
Theo ran over and hugged her leg before running back to his castle.
My phone buzzed. Odette was calling. I worried something terrible had happened.
“Hello?”
“Yeah, sorry. I didn’t mean to bother you. Uh, Astrid came to town for wedding stuff on a lark. We’re having a big dinner. Alex wanted me to ask if you wanted to join. I’m still a wreck, but I’m up for dinner.”
I watched Theo play quietly, wishing like hell I could say yes. However, I couldn’t call the nanny back on duty to see Odette.
“Sorry. My mom went out, and I don’t have a nanny until tomorrow.”
“Oh, that’s okay,” Odette said.
“Another time?”
“I meant that you’re welcome to bring Theo—only if you want to. He can play with the niblings.”
“Oh, I couldn’t?—”
“No, seriously. They would love him. I bet he would get on great with Karolina. They’re about the same age.”
“The kids are going to be there?”
I assumed royals ate separately from their picky children. Perhaps I didn’t understand these people at all.
“They have to eat. It’s not a late dinner,” Odette said.
Not by Neandian standards . Only old people ate before eight.
“Oh… well… he’s already eaten.”
“If he’s like Karolina and Christophe, he will snack more,” Odette said. “I mean it. I’d love it if you would come and break up the couple monotony with me. I feel like a total fifth wheel. And Rick likes you. You’ll get on with Parker, I’d bet.”
Theo pointed at my phone. “Who is that?”
“Odette,” I answered.
He reached for my phone. “Let me talk to her.”
“No, bud, I’m talking to her right now.”
“Oh, is that Theo? Tell him hello,” Odette said in the sweetest voice.
How could I say no?
“Sure. I don’t know how long I will stay. It depends on him. ”
“Of course,” Odette said, sounding happy. “But we’d love to see you.”
“Sure,” I agreed. “Give me about fifteen, and I’ll be over.”
I began to pack up, doubting everything, when I realised I wasn’t dressed for this. I panicked and called back.
“So, like… what are we supposed to wear?”
Odette giggled. “Clothes, Wyatt. Clothes are good. It’s not a formal dinner. No one is dressed up. We’re not like that. Rick wouldn’t put up with it.”
“Oh, okay. Because my kid is wearing paint stains.”
“He will fit right in with Kari. She’s never clean.”
That satisfied my curiosity and calmed my worries. I packed my child, an extra change of clothes, and snacks in case things got hairy. Then, I drove to the gates, unsure how they would know it was me. Somehow, they waved me through without question. This was all so strange.
The palace was opulent, cavernous, and dark. I didn’t understand why you’d choose to live in this sort of museum, but what did I know? I did my best to ensure my son didn’t break a priceless artefact. A man in a crisp black suit took Theo and me to “The Family Dining Room”. Two other men in even more ridiculous outfits opened doors as we entered.
“Your Majesty, Your Royal Highness, and Your Grace, Mr Wyatt Worthington and Master Theodore Worthington,” the first guy announced.
It was all so silly and archaic. I did a little bow. I was sure it was fucked, but I had no idea what to do. How did you greet a queen and her court?
The Queen stood. “Mr Worthington and dear little Theo, thank you for coming. We are ready to begin with dinner, Lucien.”
“Ouais, madame.” The man bowed and left.
Odette slowly rose and approached us. Theo rushed to her, beamed up despite his shyness, and immediately made eye contact.
“Oh, you came,” Odette said, “Come, let me introduce you to everyone.”
She smiled back, not completely ignoring me, but focused on getting Theo settled between Crown Princess Linnea and her younger sister Princess Karolina, who was the same age. The children chattered, instantly giggling about something. They were just kids. In a way, it was beautiful. Theo now had kids to talk to in French. To my surprise, this made him oh-so-happy.
“He’s darling as ever,” Odette returned to me. “Come on.”
She led me to a seat across from a man I barely recognised. This had to be Princess Astrid’s British fiancé. He was quiet, not particularly ostentatious, and not what I expected.
“Rick, you know Wyatt. Wyatt, this is Alexandra, my sister. And Wyatt, this is my sister Astrid and her fiancé Parker.”
“You’re the American bloke?” Parker asked. “The one who likes trains?”
I wasn’t sure if that was a neg.
“Uh… yes?”
“Trains are brilliant, aren’t they?” Parker’s face erupted in a smile. “America needs to get on board with trains. Britain needs to invest in better infrastructure, too. I cannot wait to hear more.”
Astrid put her hand on Parker’s arm. “Darling, we are not talking about trains all night. Apologies for him. He’s passionate about transit.”
“Me, too,” I said. “But maybe another time?”
Parker shot her a look as if she cramped his style.
“Wyatt, Theo is darling,” Alexandra said. “The curls.”
“He’s sweet,” Odette said.
“He can be a terror just like any of them, but he has a good heart,” I said. “He’s been building a castle all day. He said he was the king and then gave orders. I am not sure he knows how to win people rather than alienate them.”
Rick chuckled. “Well, now he has seen a palace and can build one—be a little prince in his own palace.”
“Don’t give him any ideas,” I said. “He’s an absolute ruler.”
“Nah,” Rick said. “He’s sharing his roll with Kari.”
“They are bartering! Oh my God, my ovaries! How fucking adorable!” Astrid declared.
I gathered Astrid was the spiciest sister.
Parker groaned, “Asti, for the love of God. ”
“What, it’s adorable. Look at them!”
“I can see with my eyes, love.”
“It’s cute, yes,” Alexandra rubbed her stomach.
“It’s good for him to be around other kids. He attends a day school three times a week, but he could probably use more unstructured time.”
“Bring him around anytime then,” Rick said. “The more of them there are, the better they are at ignoring me.”
“And the more mess they cause,” Alexandra said.
“Mess is nothing. Their little minds need destruction and chaos,” Rick asserted. “Alexandra, my love, you have never picked up after them. What do you care?”
She glared at him. I suspected Rick was right, but such behaviour landed him in the doghouse. I’d learned what hills to die on by now. Sometimes, pedantry did not get you anywhere.
“It would be nice to turn them out in the garden on a nice day,” Alexandra said.
“Oh, they could climb the tree!” Odette said.
I shivered at the thought.
“Odette, that is probably a bit too advanced.”
“At Linny and Kari’s ages, Ingy and I always climbed the tree.”
“And gave us a fright!” Astrid admonished. “No trees.”
“I agree. No trees,” I said. “He needs no more encouragement.”
“Well, he’s adorable. We should like to have him around another time,” Alexandra said. “It’s nice having other children around.”
I could agree with that statement if only the other children weren’t famous, royal children. It wasn’t that I had any beef with Alexandra and Rick. Their kids seemed just as chaotic and troublesome as any. It was just that I couldn’t imagine a world where this was a normal dinner. Suddenly, I pulled back. With Odette, this was what it was. Was I ready for that?
The kicker was when Princess Astrid spoke.
“Wyatt, will you join us as Odette’s plus one for the wedding?”
My look of sheer surprise did me no favours.
“Um… we haven’t discussed it,” I said.
“Asti!” Odette groaned. “Let it go. ”
“I am leaving it out there as an option. We’d love you to join us,” Astrid said.
That would not be happening. I had to end this idea of anything serious before it began. I once had a plan for life—a simple, calm life with the person I loved. It wasn’t meant to be grand, but instead comfortable. This wasn’t it. I panicked. Now, I did not have a plan. I’d been holding the things all this time, unable to look forward. Until Odette’s interest, I’d not even contemplated what prospective thinking could feel like again. And now? Now, I was sure this was headed in the wrong direction.