Chapter Ten
Sophaya
“Out of everyone in this family, you are the last one I expected to bring scandal to our name.”
I don’t respond to my mother’s insults. I simply lean back in my chair and sip my water.
We’re in the private family room off the gardens, a large square room with a fireplace, antique sofas and huge chairs you can sink into.
She’s delivered plenty of stinging speeches in this room over the years.
Once upon a time, her words would have hurt, especially in my earlier years when I still craved her attention and affection.
Now the words bounce off my shield. Unimportant and insignificant.
“Well?”
I glance up. My mother is the spitting image of me, the same delicate features and long dark hair.
Except for the eyes. Mine are the same deep blue as my father’s, whereas my mother and brother’s are piercing green.
Maybe that’s why my mother gravitated toward my brother more than me.
Hard to look your child in the face when you see the spouse you loathe staring back at you.
“Well, what?”
Mother’s finely crafted eyebrows arch up. “Did you not hear a word I said?”
“I did.”
“And?”
“I didn’t hear a question.”
Her eyes narrow. “An acknowledgment that you heard me would be polite.”
“Lay off her,” my father snaps from the other side of the room.
Mother whips around. “You’re only defending her because she’s acting just like you.”
I sink deeper into my chair. Dominic has guarded some of the most well-known people on the planet, busted down doors and laid down mines to protect fellow soldiers in the field. Battlefields he might prefer to go back to when he enters the war zone that is the de Marivela household.
I can’t remember a time my parents didn’t fight.
When I was little, I used to glimpse children in the streets, at parades and various functions, their parents hugging them, kissing each other.
Laughing, smiling. Things my parents only did when the public eye or a camera was trained on them.
In private, Mother was always cool and distant.
She’s dedicated to the roles she serves in, I’ll give her that.
Duty always comes first, whether it’s overseeing various committees, supporting small business owners or attending meetings.
But duty first meant family last. Always.
Father was more fun but selfish. The age gap between my brother and I, as well as Charles’s rigid schedule fixed around preparing him for the eventual duty of taking on the crown, kept us apart, except when we were scheduled to be together to satisfy public interest in the prince and princess of Sarivelle.
At least I had my grandparents. Twelve years of being loved and cherished that I wouldn’t have had otherwise until cancer claimed first one, then the other. My parents didn’t care about me until I became heir.
My fingers tighten on my mug. Carmen said I probably wouldn’t feel the baby move for another couple of months.
But my child is never far from my thoughts.
One moment I want to savor the pregnancy, the sensation of carrying life.
The next I want the birth to be here, to meet my son or daughter and hold them in my arms. I love this child so much already, and I will never let a single day go by without letting them know.
I glance over at my phone. Dominic’s plane left New York late last night. He should be here any minute. I’m not sure what to think about him. I certainly didn’t expect his insistence on being involved, nor his threat of blackmail to ensure I married him.
But as irritated as I was, there was a part of me that was relieved.
I won’t have to wonder if the man I married is capable of accepting the child as his own.
And the way Dominic looked at the ultrasound picture…
I can almost believe that, even if he and I aren’t a love match, we’ll still be able to salvage some semblance of a relationship out of this mess.
“As if you didn’t have your own lovers,” my father snaps, yanking me out of my inner musings and back into the heat of the same argument they’ve been having for decades. “I told you from the beginning, Sylvie, I married for duty, not love. You knew what you were getting into.”
Usually my father looks polished, suave.
Dark silver hair combed back from a broad forehead and a huge smile that makes his blue eyes crinkle.
His daily horseback rides and swims in the lap pool have left him with a slim, toned physique, one shown off by his custom suits made by our own talented tailors in Villeluz.
The people love him. It doesn’t hurt that he looks much like my grandfather did at that age, reinforcing the reign of the de Marivelas.
If people could see him now, though, they might wonder if he was fit to rule.
A vein is bulging in his neck, his tanned skin turning red as he and my mother lob insults at each other.
It’s hard to believe a man who has had numerous affairs over the years has managed to hide his misdeeds and portray himself as a decent leader.
Although that’s more due to my grandfather and his foresight.
Grandfather knew Father’s weaknesses, anticipated them when he made strategic placements in our government just before he turned the crown over to his son.
He once told me he tried not to interfere, especially when it came to Charles.
But there had been plenty of times when he’d wondered if he should step in, saw the troubling signs even if he didn’t want to.
It’s why he’d rearranged positions and roles before his death.
Except now those same people Grandfather put into positions of power have gotten used to doing things their own way.
They may smile and shake hands in public, but they resent my father, and understandably so.
He’s reaped the benefits of royal life while putting in less than half the work my grandfather did.
Leaving me facing down an increasingly hostile government who already think I’m too young and inexperienced to be taking over the throne. If they knew about the baby, life as I know it would implode.
My mother raises her nose in the air. “You did tell me, Roberto, and I listened. You’re not the only one who was forced into a loveless marriage.”
Cold suffuses my skin. Is this what Dominic and I are doomed to become?
No. I won’t demand his fidelity given the circumstances.
But I will require him to be a present father, to treat me with respect.
Judging by how our meeting went in New York, the former won’t be a problem.
And maybe we can find common ground. I wouldn’t mind getting his opinion on some of the issues I’m facing in Siravelle.
Dominic has experience working with diverse communities.
He’s traveled the world, navigated incredibly stressful situations.
I don’t want to hope for too much. I know we won’t have the kind of marriage my grandparents did. But perhaps we can still have a good working relationship, one that will give me a stronger foundation to rule.
Father looks away from Mother, his gaze landing on me. His eyes are empathetic, the anger leaving his face as he gives me a compassionate smile. “Sophie.”
Hearing my childhood nickname stirs old pains and familiar longings.
When I was little, Father paid more attention to me.
He’d ask me how school was when we passed in the halls, take me on a walk down to the beach or on a ride around the palace grounds every week or so.
As I grew older, those times grew few and far between until they disappeared entirely.
But every time he calls me Sophie, I remember.
He clears his throat as he walks toward me. “You know I disagree with your mother.”
The nostalgia disappears as I brace myself. “But?”
“You could have been more discreet.”
I hate that I feel like crying. Hate that his words hurt. As I stare at him, then glance over at Mother, I finally admit that a part of me had hoped the baby might change things.
Stupid. So damn stupid and naive.
“Interesting.”
My head whips around. Dominic walks into the room like he’s the heir to the throne instead of me. Dressed in a charcoal gray suit with a black tie, he radiates elegance even as that ever present darkness hovers around him.
Warmth blooms in my chest. Our last meeting had been shocking, frustrating, confusing. We still have so much to work out. But in this moment, I’m so happy to see him.
Mother stiffens. Father looks unsure. They approved his hiring but left the interviewing to my head of security. They didn’t care to get to know him; they only cared about hiring the most prestigious private security firm in the world.
And now he’s the father of their future grandchild.
Father is the first to recover. He smooths his face into a smile as he approaches Dominic with an outstretched hand. The pleasant, jovial king the people of Siravelle love. “Dominic. Good to see you again.”
Father winces slightly as Dominic shakes his hand. “Thank you, Your Majesty.”
“You’re welcome.” Father lets out a warm, practiced chuckle. “Slightly awkward circumstances, but—”
“Not really.” Dominic glances at Mother and inclines his head. “Your Majesty.”
And then he looks at me. His hard gaze softens a fraction as he crosses the room and sits down next to me.
Mother sniffs as Father glances around with a confused expression on his face. They’re wondering if Dominic is familiar with royal protocol, if he knows he’s supposed to bow.
My lips quirk. He knows the rules like the back of his hand. He just doesn’t give a damn.
“How are you?” he asks quietly.
“Tired, but no surprise there.”
He glances down at my stomach. A shiver works down my spine at the possessiveness in his gaze.
“How was your trip?” My voice comes out slightly breathless.
“Fine.” His eyes come back up to my face and he frowns. “You still look pale. You should be resting.”
“I have an economic council meeting in an hour.”
“Enough time for a half hour nap.”