CHAPTER 31
T he Christmas lights on the castle twinkled like diamonds under the moonlight, creating a peaceful, serene setting. But there was nothing peaceful about what was going on inside the castle.
Ava paced around the Drawing Room, rubbing her throbbing temples. She was bubbling over with anger and felt sick to her stomach. She was beyond furious with her mother as she battled to control her spiraling emotions.
Her mother sat in a chair, petting Stormy, as they both watched Ava.
Justin stood by the fire, looking uncomfortable as his gaze shifted from Ava to the queen and then back to Ava again.
When Ava finally spoke, Stormy’s head perked up.
“Mother, I don’t understand any of this,” Ava said, exasperated. “Why did you have Lydia take Stormy and hide him at her house, pretending he was missing?”
“I told you. I did it for you,” her mother said, sounding proud.
Ava gave her mother an incredulous look. “That’s what I don’t understand. How can you sit there and say you did this for me? Why would you want to waste my time and send me on a wild goose chase to find a dog that wasn’t really missing, worrying me, and Justin, and everyone else?”
The queen smiled and glanced at Justin.
Ava’s eyes widened. “Justin, were you in on this, too?!”
“What? No!” Justin exclaimed. “I have no idea what’s going on. This sounds like a private family matter, between the two of you. I should go—”
The queen stood up. “Justin, please don’t go. Stay.”
Ava marched up to her mother. “Why would he want to stay after what you’ve done? You have no idea what you’ve put us through, and for what, I still don’t know! What else aren’t you telling us? Were you even really in Paris?”
“Yes,” her mother said, offering her most dazzling smile. “I went to get you a gift.” Like an excited child, her mother hurried over to the Christmas tree, picked up a beautifully wrapped small present, and handed it to Ava. “Open it.”
Ava tried to hand it back to her mother. “I don’t want this. I want answers.”
“Ava, please,” her mother pleaded. Her eyes were filled with hope.
Frustrated, Ava ripped the bow and wrapping paper off and found a jewelry box. She impatiently opened the box and saw the stunning diamond-and-sapphire watch inside. “What is this?” she asked, angry. “Why would you give me a watch ?”
Her mother smiled brightly. “Because I know how you like to stay on schedule, and I wanted something special for you. It was designed just for you. Read the inscription on the back—”
“No,” Ava said impatiently as she gave the watch back to her mother. “I don’t want this. I have a watch, Father’s watch, and that’s the only one I need. I don’t know why you’d get me this.”
All the hope disappeared from her mother’s eyes as she took the watch back.
The tense moment was interrupted when Justin’s phone rang.
He checked his phone and cringed. “I’m sorry, but I really need to get this.” He headed for the door.
“Hurry back,” the queen called out as he disappeared.
“If he was smart, he’d run and never come back again,” Ava said to her mother. “Do you know how worried he’s been about Stormy and about letting you down? He hasn’t slept. He’s been looking for Stormy around the clock—”
“I knew you’d like him,” her mother said with a smug smile.
Ava blinked several times. “What are you talking about?”
“Justin,” her mother said, grinning back at her. “He’s a good, smart, caring man. Someone you could build a life with. I’ve seen the way you two look at each other. I knew you’d hit it off if you just had some time together.”
Ava’s eyes grew huge as her mother’s words hit her like a freight train. She backed away from her, stunned.
“Oh. My. God! That’s what this is all about!” Ava exclaimed. “You did this whole Stormy charade to try and set me up with Justin!”
Her mother’s victorious smile said it all. “And it worked, right?”
Ava was so furious that for a second, she couldn’t even find her words. She locked eyes with her mother. “I need you to listen to me and hear me. Your crazy little scheme did not work. I couldn’t care less about Justin.”
Her mother’s smile faded.
“I’m with Henry, remember him?” Ava said, seething. “The duke you matched me up with years ago. The person I’m supposed to marry!”
Her mother didn’t blink. “Your father planned your marriage to Henry, not me.”
“But you obviously never stopped him, because me marrying Henry has always been the plan. It’s the only plan I’ve ever known, and you know this! So, I don’t understand how you could do something like this to me.”
“I did it because I love you,” her mother said passionately as she stood up and faced her daughter. “And I don’t want you making the same mistakes I did, being in a marriage where there is no love—” Her mother stopped talking abruptly, looking like she regretted what she’d just said.
Ava felt like the room was spinning. “Are you saying you didn’t love my father?”
Her mother hesitated for a moment, then she looked into her daughter’s eyes. “I didn’t love him in a romantic way. I’ve only had that kind of love once, and it wasn’t with your father.”
“What?” Ava gasped, backing away from her mother. She couldn’t believe everything she was hearing.
“It was before we met,” her mother quickly added.
Ava shook her head, stunned. “But I thought you had a great marriage.”
Her mother took a deep breath. “What we had was a…partnership, more of a business relationship. We both knew the roles we were expected to play. I was only twenty when I took over the monarchy and got married. I worked very hard to uphold my father’s legacy.
My parents knew I needed someone like your father to help me rule.
They believed his levelheadedness and sense of duty balanced out my more passionate, untraditional personality.
Over the years, I honestly hoped we would grow to love each other.
I tried, Ava. I really did, and I’m not saying it was his fault.
He never promised to love me. He promised me security and that he would always stand by my side and support me. He did that. He kept his promise.”
Ava’s hand shook as she twisted her watch around and around on her wrist. She felt betrayed by both her parents. She felt like everything she had believed was wrong. “Why are you telling me all this now?”
“Because I don’t believe you love Henry or that he loves you,” her mother said. “Do you know he called me when I was in Paris—”
“What?” Ava asked, shocked. As far as she knew Henry had never called her mother.
“After he saw you in the village.”
“Oh, that,” Ava said. “I know he was worried about me—”
“No,” her mother interrupted. “That’s my point. He wasn’t worried about you . He was worried about how it would look if anyone saw you in the village with another man. You were with Justin, right?”
Ava nodded.
“And that’s all he cared about,” her mother said firmly.
“I wished he had called because he was worried about your well-being, but the only thing he talked about was how your”—she held up her hands and made air quotes—“‘reckless actions’ would reflect poorly on the monarchy if anyone saw you or if there was gossip. Not once did he mention being worried about you or your safety.”
Ava refused to let her mother know how much hearing this upset her. “You know Henry—he’s just like father. He’s worried about appearances—”
“Exactly!” her mother jumped in, adamant. “All Henry cares about is your title and image. He doesn’t love you. He loves that you’re a princess and the heir to the throne. That doesn’t make a good life partner.”
Ava got out her phone. “I’m going to call him right now and clear this up.”
“What are you going to ask him?” the queen asked. “Do you really love me or just my title?”
“No, of course not,” Ava said as she called Henry.
“Actually, you should ask Henry that question,” her mother said. “Because I’d love to know how he’d answer it. Give me the phone. I’ll ask him.”
When her mother reached for the phone, Ava backed away. “Are you crazy?”
“No crazier than you marrying someone you don’t love,” her mother shot back.
Ava was speechless and grateful that Henry never answered the call. She didn’t want her mother shouting out something inappropriate. She sent him a text instead.
Please call me ASAP it’s important.
She knew Henry would get right back to her. She’d never asked for him to contact her ASAP, so she figured this would get him responding right away.
She waited for a text back.
Nothing.
She frowned.
“Problems?” her mother asked.
“With Henry? No,” Ava said. “But with you, Mother? Yes. I have a lot of problems with what you’ve done.”
“I’m not going to apologize for trying to help you,” her mother said. “I know you’re an adult and you make your own decisions. I know when you take over as queen, you’ll want to be and do the best for our people—”
“Of course,” Ava interrupted.
“But to do that, you have to be the best version of yourself. I haven’t been, and I’ve struggled. I’ve done all this because we need to stop this destructive cycle of marrying people we don’t love because we think it’s our duty and—”
But before her mother could finish, a loud crashing sound echoed from the hallway.
“What was that?!” her mother asked.
Ava looked around. “Where’s Stormy?”
? ? ?
Ava, the queen, and Justin were speechless as they stood in the Grand Hall, staring at Stormy as he sat next to the once stunning twenty-foot Christmas tree that was now toppled over, laying on the ground. Tangled lights and broken ornaments were scattered everywhere.
“Whoa!” Justin was the first to speak.
“Oh my God!” the queen exclaimed.
Ava rushed up to Stormy. “Stormy, are you okay?!”
Stormy was trying to pull one of the angel ornaments off a broken branch. He was covered with Douglas fir needles.
As Ava struggled to pick him up, Stormy wouldn’t let go of the angel ornament.
“Stormy, let go of the angel,” Justin ordered.
Stormy let go of the ornament and barked, wagging his tail. He wiggled around in Ava’s arms and tried to lick her face.
“I think he’s okay,” Ava said, breathing a sigh of relief.
“But this room isn’t,” her mother said, looking stunned as she glanced around, taking it all in.
When the giant Christmas tree had fallen, it had also taken out all the life-size vintage nutcrackers, Ava’s special twirling wreath display, and dozens of smaller Christmas trees and poinsettias.
The more Stormy squirmed around, the harder it was for Ava to hold him.
Justin rushed over to help, taking Stormy from her. “I got him.”
“Thanks,” Ava said. “Can you check him out and make sure he’s okay?”
“Yes, of course,” Justin answered.
Her mother gave her a surprised look. “Have you looked around? I can’t believe you’re not more upset about this room. It’s a complete disaster. I know how hard you’ve worked to make everything perfect for the party.”
“Uh-huh,” Ava said as she checked Stormy’s paws, not really paying attention to her mother. “I can deal with that later. Right now, we need to make sure Stormy is okay.”