Chapter 3 #2
If that was the case, it was no wonder Catherine had a hard time letting people in, letting them see the truth of her.
Had it been an actual betrayal or did the two of them get together after he and the queen ended their relationship?
If the former, Jake wondered if it was the first time someone had betrayed her like that?
It didn't seem likely.
A better supposition would be that she'd been hurt multiple times by someone she cared about but who cared more about her title than they did about who she was as a person.
Leaning back in his seat, Jake tried to study his own motives honestly.
Did he want to get to know Catherine - Kinsey, even - or was he just enthralled by her royal status?
While he hadn't realized she was the queen right away - something he would likely never stop beating himself up over - he had known all along that she was a member of the queen's family.
He didn't think it had played a role in wanting to get to know her. Once he'd made her laugh the first time, he'd found himself wanting to do so again. That had nothing to do with her job title.
His phone buzzed. Digging it out of his back pocket, Jake couldn't contain his smirk.
Catherine
I'm texting you myself. Would you care to join us for dinner tomorrow evening?
Jacob
Not exactly the contact I had in mind. ;-) I thought we discussed something closer to a phone call than a text message.
He tried to contain his smile as he watched the dots indicate an incoming message being composed.
Catherine
This is the best I can do this evening. Would you care to join us?
He could almost hear the armor in her voice, trying to project an air of indifference. Attempting to protect herself from potential hurt because someone refused her invitation or insisting that she call, trying to force her hand.
Jacob
Just let me know when and where. I'll be in the archives for a while tomorrow, but I'm not certain what time I'll be done yet.
Catherine
I'll make sure you know tomorrow.
Jacob
Sleep well.
Jake set his phone down, suspecting that was also a test. If he'd insisted on knowing right now, it would have been counted as a mark against him. He didn't need to know until midday at the earliest, especially not since he'd be in the palace most of the day anyway.
He would need to make certain he took a change of clothes with him. If he'd known he'd be having dinner with anyone - much less the royal family - he would have done the same thing today.
A knock on his door, caused him to turn and tell whoever it was to come in.
It didn't surprise him when his grandmother popped her head around the open door. "Will you be home for dinner tomorrow, Jakey?"
Living with his grandparents meant he was subjected to some of his childhood nicknames on a regular basis.
He smiled at her. "I don't think so. I have tentative plans, but I wouldn't plan on me being here.
" Given their conversation a minute ago, it wouldn't surprise him if Catherine canceled at the last minute, or nearly so, just to see his reaction.
In some ways, it was a childish game. In others, he completely understood her reticence.
"You're already back in touch with some of your old friends? That's wonderful."
Jake shook his head. "Not really. I did run into a couple of people I met years ago, and they've asked me to possibly join them for dinner, but they have something that may or may not prevent it.
" He shrugged. "I'll know tomorrow afternoon.
If I'm planning to be here, I'll let you know as soon as I do. "
His gran smiled at him. "I'm glad you have people besides us to talk to."
"I would be privileged to spend every evening eating dinner with you and Poppy. You're two of my very favorite people in the whole wide world."
She rolled her eyes at him, though Jake knew she loved that he would say so, even if he had said it in jest, but he hadn’t. After wishing him good night, she closed the door, leaving him alone again.
He stared at the screensaver on his laptop then snapped the lid closed.
Anything else he needed to know, he'd learn from the queen herself.
The next to last thing Catherine wanted to do was play games with Jacob.
The last thing she wanted to do was get hurt again, possibly worse than before.
Probably worse.
From the moment she'd run into Jacob the day before she'd been intrigued by him, attracted to him, much more than anyone she'd dated or contemplated dating before.
She'd sent a text inviting him to dinner but she wasn't ready to call him and talk on the phone like he'd mentioned during their conversation. Her response had been a bit defiant and maybe a little snarky. She should have just told him where and when to meet her, but...
In part, she wasn't quite certain what her day was going to be like.
And in part, she wanted to see how he handled it.
If things weren't going to go well, then she wanted to know early, before she got too attached.
The morning was spent in her office - the monarch's office. Her father had never officially used it, except for certain meetings. He’d never worked there regularly.
Before she turned eighteen, Catherine had worked with palace decorators and conservators to redo the office in a way she wanted it to be.
At eighteen, she'd officially moved in and started to work in there. She did schoolwork and Eastern Novigradian work at the same desk, right next to each other. With her degree in business management and international relations complete, she now focused solely on the business of her country.
She had meetings with her father, the Prime Minister, a couple of Council members, and a group of school children who had won a contest at their school.
As usual she took her lunch in her office at the conference table so she could keep working and keep busy so she wouldn't obsess over the possibility of spending time with Jacob.
About 3 p.m., she texted him and told him to meet her at the archive in about three hours.
She turned notifications for that chat off. She'd discovered that by turning them off, she didn't obsess over every text notification since they couldn't be from him. Making sure she checked every half hour or so would be plenty.
By the time she wrapped up her work for the day and she checked her phone for the fifth time, there had been no response.
Catherine struggled to keep a sense of disappointment from coursing through her. Maybe he'd gotten absorbed in the project they were working on and forgot to check his phone. It happened to Mumeleine and Issy from time to time.
She stopped in front of the doors to the archive and debated just going in.
Pushing her apprehension back down, she did just that.
The lights were still on, though it was never very well-lit in the portrait area.The paintings themselves were illuminated, but by keeping the rest of the room dim, they were the focus.
Stopping in front of the first Queen Catherine, she looked up at the woman she was partially named for.
Had she been married? Catherine didn't think so, but it had been a while since she'd studied that part of Eastern Novigradian history.
What advice would the first Catherine give her? Their worlds were so very different.
The sound of voices came from the back of the archives then disappeared again. Had someone opened a door? To one of the work rooms perhaps.
Giving Catherine I one last look, she turned and went toward the office and work areas.
The door to the main work room had a windowpane in it.
Through the pane she could see her parents and Issy talking to each other. Whatever it was, they looked incredibly serious.
Her father leaned back against the wall and stared blankly at the floor in front of him with his arms crossed in front of his chest. Mumeleine sat on one of the tall stools, also with her arms crossed, but she stared at something on the table in front of her.
Issy was at the end of the table in a chair. She slumped backward, arms crossed like their parents, but she appeared to be upset, as though she'd absorbed some upsetting information that they were still attempting to assimilate it.
From the other side of the table, Jacob moved into view. He rested his hands on the edge of the table and used them to hold himself up. His head hung as though he was more in line with Issy when it came to absorption of the information.
Should she interrupt? Or turn around and quietly leave? Let them tell her about whatever it might be later?
Before she could make up her mind, her father looked up and spotted her. He straightened and the others in the room turned in unison to look at her.
She walked toward the door, but before she reached it, they all walked out.
"Come here, sweetheart." Her father gave her a big hug.
"You're scaring me, Papa. What is it?" she asked as he held her tightly.
He didn't answer, but neither did anyone else. After a long moment, he released her, but still kept an arm around her shoulders.
"Let's go in here," Mumeleine said softly and turned into the conference room.
They sat around the table, but no one wanted to start the conversation.
"Someone tell me what's going on." Catherine did her best to use the queen voice she'd been attempting to perfect. It hadn't come nearly to the level of her parents’ Dad Voice or Mum Voice, but it was better than it used to be.
Mumeleine linked her fingers together and rested her arms on the table. "We've been doing some research in the History of Eastern Novigradia book."
"The one that let Papa marry you to be my regent?" Catherine confirmed.
With a nod, Mumeleine stared at the table. "We did some cross-checking we'd never done before and found another tidbit that seems to still be in effect."
Catherine looked from one to the other. "What? Patrick is really supposed to be monarch since I'm a girl?"
This time Mumeleine shook her head. "No. You're clear there. So is your father being your regent. This has to do with what happens when a young king or queen fully comes of age."
It started to become a little clearer why they were all anxious.
It was less than a month until she fully came of age.
"What is it? Do I have to commit to being single the rest of my life?
Am I going to be removed because I don't have any children?
Since I'm a woman, do I have to marry and let my husband run things? "
"None of those are exactly right," Papa told her. "But you're on the right track."
She looked at all of them again. None looked directly at her. "What is it?" she demanded again.
"It goes back to King Gilead I. He was underage. Another requirement was added to the restrictions on his reign, but because he died so young, none of it was ever enforced."
Mumeleine sighed deeply. "It appears they wanted to find a way to continue controlling Gilead I. They suspect they were going to make him marry the daughter of Gilead II's best friend."
"So they were going to force him to marry?" She didn't quite understand where they were going with this.
"It appears so," Papa confirmed.
"What does it have to do with me?" Her heart began to constrict.
Her parents shared a look. Issy stared at the table and swiped at her cheeks. Jacob didn't really look anywhere but seemed to stare blankly.
Papa leaned over and covered her hand with his. "If you're not married by the time you turn twenty-five and fully come of age, then your mum's eldest sibling will inherit the throne."
Catherine blinked. "Mum didn’t have any siblings, but she did have a cousin. That means Cousin Mary will be queen if I'm not married in the next month?"
Her parents both nodded.
She looked between the two of them. "And who exactly am I supposed to marry?"
Jacob's answer shocked her. One simple word.
"Me."