Chapter 24
NATASHA
The words hit me like a physical slap as we stood in the quietness of the underground lab. My heart hammered against my ribs as the fallout of what this meant raced through my mind.
I’d just had another nasty run-in with my brother. At least our choice of lab location had made it easy to pretend we were there on hospital business. As members of the royal family, we sat on the hospital’s board, giving us every reason to be here on a regular basis.
But all of that seemed so minor compared to this setback.
Months? We couldn’t wait months. My brother was moving forward at a rapid pace with his plans to strip the crown from me.
I thought we’d have this settled but it didn’t seem like we would now.
Nadia’s words rang in my mind. “We have a major problem.”
I twisted to face my sister, my features pinching with concern. My lips parted as I tried to come up with some solution, but I couldn’t.
Instead, I spun back to Kyle, searching his face for any signs of a different answer. “Are you certain? There’s nothing you can do to speed the process?”
He swallowed hard, a slight pout forming on his lips. With a shrug, he crossed his arms, rubbing his chin. “Well, maybe. I mean, if I had help.”
“Impossible,” Nadia said from behind me. “You are a stretch to trust, doctor. Do you really believe we would bring more staff here?”
Kyle eyed her for a moment before he shifted his gaze back to me. “I just meant like Alex and Ava. I mean, he’s a genius, and she’s pretty darn close to one, too. They may be able to help expedite this process.”
I nodded, my mind vetting through the risks and rewards of this plan. I’d considered Alex as a viable option for this role as well. He didn’t have the medical degree, but he did have a special ability with technology.
Perhaps combining their skill sets would help push us forward to the ending we wanted.
My sister stalked closer, her heels echoing off the thick walls of the office. “And with Alex Stone and his wife’s help, would that push the timeline up into our requirement?”
Kyle’s eyebrows raised as she spoke, his features turning a little surprised. “Uhh, you mean like in the next day or two?”
“Seventy-two hours, doctor. Can you and your compatriots pull this off in the next three days?”
Kyle fluttered his eyelashes, his gaze flicking to me before his jaw flexed. “Uhh, I don’t think so, no. Even with Alex and Ava’s help, I think we’re still looking at weeks.”
Nadia scoffed, her eyes sliding closed. From the tension in her posture, I knew her mind was vetting the next steps we’d need to take to avoid a disaster.
“Nattie, I’m sorry. I wish I had a better answer. But…this is your dad we’re talking about. One slip, one mistake, one wrong setting, and we could lose him. I don’t want to take that chance.”
His voice sounded pleading as he grabbed my hand, squeezing it.
“I understand, darling. No one wants that to happen.”
“Unfortunately,” Nadia said, “this leaves us in a bad position. We need to discuss options while the good doctor works on Papa’s resurrection.”
My heart sank. I knew what had to be done. We hadn’t let on earlier when we’d seen Nikolai that we knew his plan. We had only three days before we petitioned for my father’s death to be declared, then used the marriage clause to force them to crown him instead of me.
We could still fix this, but not in any way that I was happy with.
“Doctor, I will have your fellow Americans brought to the lab. I do expect you to work diligently to complete this as quickly as you can. Is that understood?” Nadia said.
“Yeah,” Kyle answered with a bob of his head. “I mean, I’ll do my best. I’ll work night and day–“
“Please,” I said, laying a hand gently on his forearm, “you need rest, too. No one expects you to push that hard.”
He cupped my face in his hands, making my heart break a little more. “I will push that hard, Nattie. This is important to you. I want to be the one who gives you your father back.”
I bit into my lower lip. What was coming was only going to be made harder by his zeal to help me.
“Come, Natasha, we need to discuss the next steps for you.”
“Wait,” Kyle said, his hands closing around mine.”
“I told you, doctor, I will have your friends brought to you. When you would like to leave, tell one of the guards, and they will arrange it.”
Kyle’s features pinched. “Are we allowed to leave?”
Nadia arched an eyebrow. “Normally, I’d say no. This lab has living quarters, yes—but…”
She flicked her gaze to me. “Since you have a special connection, I’ll make an exception.”
“Gee, thanks,” Kyle said dryly.
I wondered how much more he’d take from my sister. The constant secrecy that would be expected of him may be too much for him to bear.
Although, he was already slipping away from me.
“I guess that means a steady supply of knock-out drugs, huh?”
Nadia’s stared at him, her features unimpressed. “You could stay here and avoid it.”
“I’m not…look, it’s just not going to be great to constantly put my system or Alex and Ava’s through that, but…I guess I’m not going to change your mind.”
“You are not.” Nadia’s voice turned sharp.
“Easy,” I said, stepping between the two of them.
Kyle shook his head. “Have I really not proven myself to you at all by agreeing to do this?”
Nadia took a threatening step forward, her features pointed. “No, you haven’t, doctor, and the way you’re pushing to know the location of this lab makes me all the more suspicious.”
“I’m not pushing–“ He threw his hands in the air, shaking his head. “I’m not pushing to know the location, just for a…gentler method of moving to and from it.”
“I think we can arrange that, can’t we, Nadia?” I asked. I didn’t want to see Kyle harmed or his friends either.
“I will consider it. Until then, the current method stands. You will stay here while your friends are brought to you. You can explain to them. Natasha has pressing business.”
I slid my eyes closed as I considered the business ahead of me. I didn’t want to do it. I wanted to throw my arms around Kyle and allow him to wrap me in his arms. I’d found it so comforting earlier, but those days would rapidly come to an end.
I needed to marry, and I needed to do it quickly. I could not thrust this on him. So, I would end up in a loveless marriage with a man vetted by my security team.
“Wait, I have another question,” Kyle said as Nadia grabbed my arm and tugged me toward the door.
Nadia clicked her tongue. “What is it now, doctor?”
He crossed to me, his eyes searching mine. “Nattie, I just don’t understand what the rush is for this. I–I mean, I’ll do this as quickly as I can, but…why the big rush? Is it really so bad if you become queen? Once he’s back, I’m sure it can all go back to normal.”
I fluttered my eyelashes at his innocence. Unfortunately, Belvaria’s problems were not so easily solved. My father’s resurrection would send shockwaves through the kingdom as it was, but we had to protect the crown at all costs prior to that.
“Oh, I’m afraid it’s much more complicated than that,” I said, my voice just above a whisper.
His features pinched. “What do you mean?”
“We don’t have time for this, Natashka. We must discuss our next steps.”
“Please, Nadia, give us a few minutes,” I begged of my sister, my eyes pleading.
Her dark eyes bore into me, disappointment mixed with understanding in them. “Fine. Ten minutes, not a second longer. We have far too much to discuss and deal with and too little time to do it in.”
My stomach twisted at the words, but I nodded in agreement. “I understand.”
My sister stalked to the door, grabbing hold of Stefan’s lapel and dragged him into the hall.
“This door will remain open,” Stefan said from the hall. “If you so much as–“
“I’d never do that,” Kyle protested, his voice strained.
I crossed to the door and pushed it slightly closed. “I will be fine.”
Stefan narrowed his eyes at me, his watchful gaze never left me.
“Nattie, you believe that I’d never hurt you right? I know your sister doesn’t trust me, but I’m not involved with your brother.”
I turned to face him, tears shining in my eyes. “I–“
His features pinched, and he pressed his lips together, his disappointment obvious.
I crossed to him, pressing my hands against his chest. “Oh, Kyle, I do believe you. Things are just so…tricky, right now.”
His expression remained hurt, breaking my heart. “And you can’t tell me any of it, right? State secrets and all of that.”
“I will tell you because I trust you. The reason we were so desperate to revive my father so soon was to protect the throne. My brother…he has a plan to steal it.”
Kyle offered me a confused glance. “What? How? Although, I will confess, I don’t really have any idea how these things work. I thought they always went to the oldest son.”
“Oh, dear, that’s ancient. The oldest, maybe, but my father disinherited Nikolai when he went to New York with my mother. That left me as the next in line for the throne.”
“Is he challenging that? Saying that your father didn’t disinherit him or couldn’t?”
My forehead creased, and I slid my eyes closed, not wanting to face my new life. “No, he…”
I heaved a sigh, threading my fingers through his. This would likely be the last tender moments we shared, and I didn’t want them to end. But he needed to know the truth, needed to know what I faced.
“He has found an outdated but relevant law that states that a female monarch must be married to ascend to the throne.” The words stuck in my throat, feeling bitter on my tongue as I spat them out.
“What?” Kyle asked, his confusion obvious. “Really? He can do that?”
I bit into my lower lip, trying not to cry. “He stands a decent chance as he has several councillorss on his side.
“The vote will come down to the wire. Overturning the law will be difficult. Unless my father returns before week’s end—when the vote is held—I will have no options remaining.”
I stepped back, my heart pulling painfully as I put distance between us. “I must be married in three days to keep my brother from taking control.”
Kyle stared at me, pain and confusion shifting across his face. “So…”
My voice trembled. The weight of it all settled in my chest. “My sister has prepared a list. We are to review it and…”
I couldn’t continue. I couldn’t bear to say the words aloud.
Silence stretched between us, tense and uncomfortable.
“And, uh, I suppose I didn’t make the cut,” Kyle said, his voice defeated.
I snapped my gaze to him. Would he actually consider marrying into this madness?
My lips parted as I stared at him.
Our gaze met, and he titled his head, questioning. “Am I?”
My lower lip bobbed a few times before I managed to form words. “Would it be something you would consider?”
His features turned incredulous, and he rushed toward me. “Nattie, of course. If I was given the opportunity, I’d take it in an instant.”
“I…I hadn’t considered it because I did not want to put this on you. You don’t deserve that.”
“Don’t deserve it? Nattie, I know I don’t deserve you but…I’d at least like the chance to be your everything.”
My heart hammered against my ribs, a warm feeling spreading all over me. “You would marry me? You would do this for me knowing the challenges we would face?”
“I know we haven’t known each other long, but…I can’t imagine a life without you. I have nightmares about it, actually. I’ve never felt a connection like this before. I don’t want to lose it.”
I stood stunned, unable to say a word.
“Nattie, please. I know you may not love me right now, but I think it can happen. I just want the chance to prove myself to you. I don’t want to lose to you this craziness. Give us a chance.”
He sank to one knee, his eyes pleading. “Marry me, Nattie. Let’s tackle this together.”
My chest tightened as I stared down at him. This was everything I’d dreamed of–someone choosing me not because of the crown or the country, but because of me.
And yet, I hesitated. Could I drag him into this world, knowing how much it would demand of him? How it might ruin him–ruin us? Could I take that chance with someone I was starting to…love?