Chapter 17 #2
The knife keeps cutting deeper and deeper, and I want to roar. But I don’t. Instead, I lift my head and look coldly and mercilessly into his face.
“You will abdicate immediately. Mother will govern the kingdom in the name of the Harlington family until Amelia and I are ready to take office.” My voice is hard as steel, and my father goes even paler, avoiding my gaze and swallowing.
“Furthermore, you will sign the divorce papers and turn yourself in. You will be prosecuted, Father. Because you have betrayed your family, your office, and above all, your country. You have the blood of my brother—your own son—on your hands, and almost that of my wife too.You have tainted this family, tainted your country. I… this is the last time you drag us through the dirt. Fuck, I want to punch you.”
I run my hand through my hair, trying to calm down, to control the rage burning hot through my veins. Ced pats me briefly on the shoulder, and my mother lays her hand over mine.
They’re here. They’re my family.
Mother stands and looks down at my father without any emotion, who suddenly looks incredibly old and tired, bowing his head in defeat.
“Sign, Edward. After that, I don’t want to see you again.”
She doesn’t look back at him once as she spins on her heel and walks away, leaving the ministers and lawyer to handle my father.
Ced and I follow her in silence until we reach the salon.
There, she turns to me, and the sight rips open my heart all over again as she finally lets her guard down and breaks into bitter tears.
Ced steps away to check on Lizzy and her preparations for Amelia, while I hold my mother close, trying to hold together the fragile pieces of her that are left.
King Edward the Third abdicated that very day and was soon after escorted out of the castle by the guards.
The days ahead will be difficult for my mom, but I’m here, and somehow we’ll get through this together.
My father has done immense damage. He fostered outdated beliefs that discriminate against and marginalize people in my country. He ensured that gay people felt too afraid to come out or express their love openly, despite being attracted to men himself.
He betrayed his sons—especially Phil—which ultimately cost Phil his life.
He exploited the media to spread lies, nearly destroying my wife, Amelia, in the process. People are often quick to judge, eager to follow the crowd, and willing to believe whatever they’re fed instead of seeking the truth, getting to know someone, or questioning their motives.
We tend to forget how much damage that can cause.
I’m just as much of an idiot. I did exactly the same thing and got taught the hard way.
My father now has to face the consequences of his actions, though that won’t undo the damage.
Richardson was arrested and connected to two other blackmail schemes involving high-ranking politicians. He’ll rot in jail, but it will still take time to undo the damage he caused.
Only that bastard Henry hasn’t resurfaced yet. But I will drag him out of his hole, and then he’ll pay for what he did to Amelia.
The moment I step into our apartment, I know without even looking that she’s here, her scent filling the air.
My heart skips a beat, and I head straight to our bedroom because I’ve missed her.
Every fiber of my being longs to be near her, and when I open the door, I lean against the frame, smiling at the sight before me.
“Shouldn’t you be resting?”
Amelia startles slightly and glances up at me. A smile spreads across her face, and though she still looks quite rough, she can now open one eye and seems much more alert. She’s nestled against a towering pile of pillows, her hair tied up in a messy bun, wearing one of my hoodies as she reads.
“I am. I’m in bed and not moving,” she shrugs, a grin playing on her lips, making my heart leap again. Slowly, I stroll over and sit on the edge of the bed, leaning down to give her a gentle kiss.
“Hmmm, I missed this. Hello, Goldilocks,” I hum against her lips, and again I get that smile that always throws me off balance. The one I never get tired of seeing.
“Did you miss me or my lips? Hello, husband,” she whispers back, and I die a little inside. My chest feels like it will burst with pride and joy. That word.
Fuck.
I never imagined that hearing that word would hit me so hard, and touch me so deeply.
Husband.
It feels good, very good, and I immediately press my lips to hers again.
“Both. How are you?” I ask, pulling back carefully and lying down beside her on the bed. I lift my arm, and she snuggles against my chest right away.
“Now I’m fine. The better question is, how are you?” She looks up at me, and by now it’s so natural that I’m always touching her, my fingers gently brushing her cheek.
“Hmmm, no idea. Better than I should be, I guess? I mean, my father’s an asshole, my brother is dead because of him, and my mother’s suffering.
My wife almost died too, and my best friend really screwed up.
Still, right now in this moment, I feel content.
As for what that says about me, we’ll just ignore it.
” I grin crookedly at her, but she doesn’t return the smile.
Her blue eyes study me seriously and attentively.
“There’s nothing wrong with that, Nicolas. After everything we’ve been through, even small moments like this are allowed to make us happy, even if the world around us is still burning,” she murmurs quietly and lays her head back on my chest.
Maybe she’s right, and I should just enjoy this.