Chapter 18
CHAPTER 18
NATE
N ate rose from his seat, peering over Alexander’s shoulders as he carefully opened the royal decree. Would the missive he’d found tucked away in an Eldorian law book only moments ago help them in anyway or simply be another dead end?
“Have you found something?” Isabelle asked, crossing the room with Stephen in tow.
“Possibly,” Alexander answered. “Nathan discovered this unopened royal decree hidden within a legal tome. I’m trying to wade through the verbiage now, but you know how these things go.”
“Please read it aloud,” Isabelle urged.
“Fine.” Alexander cleared his throat as he read from the parchment. “Let it be known to all subjects of the Kingdom of Eldoria: By the grace and wisdom vested in me, I, King Frederick IX, Sovereign of Eldoria proclaim the following amendment to the Royal Decree of Matrimonial Standards established under the reign of King Edward VII.
“Whereas the prosperity and stability of our beloved kingdom lie in the happiness and wise governance of its rulers and acknowledging that true and faithful counsel can be found beyond the ancient bounds of royal blood.
“It is decreed that henceforth, the requirement for a member of the royal family to contract marriage solely with persons of royal descent is hereby rescinded. Members of the royal family are permitted to enter in matrimony with any individual, of noble or common birth, who is deemed fit and proper by the reigning monarch.”
Nate sucked in a breath, his heart thudding faster against his ribs.
Alexander continued, “This amendment is made in recognition of the evolving nature of our society and the enduring principles of love, respect, and equality that bind our people. May this decree strengthen the bond between the Crown and its subjects, and usher in an era of continued peace and prosperity.”
“When is it signed?” Isabelle asked.
“Given under my hand and seal this fifteenth day of June, in the year of our Lord 1993. And signed by Frederick the ninth.”
“Who is he?” Nate asked.
“Our grandfather,” Alexander answered. “King Frederick’s father.”
Stephen peered at the decree. “Why was it never opened?”
“Grandfather died shortly after this. I’m guessing it got lost in the shuffle. This must have been one of his final decrees,” Isabelle answered.
“Yes, but he still wrote it, right? It still counts?” Nate asked, his voice catching in his throat. “This helps us, right? ”
“It doesn’t hurt,” Alexander answered. “It is a testament to the progressive vision held even decades ago.”
“While this bolsters our case, it does not solve it.” Isabelle set her hands on her hips and shook her head.
Nate’s heart raced, each beat a loud echo of the turmoil swirling inside him. Doubt crept in as their behavior failed to match his hope. “This won’t help?”
“I think it will help,” Alexander answered. “I just don’t think it’s going to reverse the issue immediately.”
“Alexander is correct. According to the way the original royal decree was made, this change would still need to be voted on. Now, this makes it obvious that the royals were leaning this way the entire time, not simply asking for it now in a special circumstance.” Isabelle paced the floor as she spoke.
“Which may help,” Alexander answered.
“We should take this to Uncle Frederick.” Isabelle pulled the royal decree from Alexander’s hands. “He may be able to use it to convince the legislators to vote on this in our way.”
Nate bobbed his head at the words. “Should someone stay here and keep looking for other things that could help?”
“No,” Alexander said with a shake of his head. “If Grandfather wrote this in the nineties, there is nothing else that rescinded it. You would be wasting your time.”
Nate shifted his weight from foot to foot. “But this…it’s still the same thing. We still haven’t found anything that helps.”
Alexander clapped him on the shoulder. “You’ve found something tremendously helpful. Let’s present this to my uncle and allow him to move forward with it.”
Nate followed, each step heavy with the weight of the impending decisions that could alter not just his future but the entire kingdom’s. The frown etching his face reflected a turmoil much deeper than mere disappointment .
The elation he’d felt at the words Alexander read moments ago waned quickly when he realized they were meaningless.
“Smile, Nathan, you’ve done well. Elena will be very proud,” Alexander said with a grin as they stepped into the hall.
A man scurried past them, folders stacked in his arms and sweat beading on his brow. “Oh, Rueben, what luck,” Alexander said as the man passed.
He stopped, bowing slightly without toppling his folders. “Your Highnesses, is there something I can help with?”
“Is my uncle here?”
“Yes, His Majesty is in the royal office.”
“Good, we have something that must be brought to his attention immediately,” Alexander answered.
“Follow me,” Reuben said before spinning on a heel and leading them toward a wide set of marble stairs.
They climbed up to the next level, threading through ornate halls in the whisper quiet building toward a set of double doors. A guard swung one open as they approached, offering a bow to the royals as they passed.
The king, his eyes fixed on a document on his desk, did not look up as they entered. “Have you found them?”
“Yes, Your Majesty,” Reuben answered. “All of them. And Their Highnesses, Prince Alexander and Princess Isabelle are here to see you.”
King Frederick finally glanced up, peering over reading glasses. “Ah, and both Mr. Kingsley’s. Is there something I might do for you?”
“Yes, Uncle,” Alexander answered, pulling the decree back from Isabelle and stepping forward with it. “We have something that you should see.”
The king studied him for a moment before he took the parchment, adjusting his reading glasses as he perused it. His features pinched, and he snapped his gaze upward, pulling his glasses from his face. “Where did you get this?”
“Nathan found it in an Eldorian law book, still sealed.”
“Sealed?” The king rose from his desk, handing the paper to his assistant. “Do you have the envelope?”
Alexander bobbed his head as he passed it over.
The king donned his glasses again, studying the broken seal. “Hmm, why was this never delivered?”
“We had the same question,” Alexander said. “But it’s near to Grandfather’s death. Perhaps that explains it.”
“It still should not have been lost,” the king answered with a shake of his head.
“It helps us though, right?” Nate asked.
King Frederick flicked his gaze to Nate. “It doesn’t hurt, Mr. Kingsley. Though the battle is far from won.”
“It should be presented to the legislators. It must be voted upon,” Isabelle said.
King Frederick stalked back and forth in front of his desk. “A vote on the acceptance of a royal decree is tricky, Isabelle. Many legislators are leaning against supporting this sort of change to royal protocol.”
“But this shows that it has been an issue in the past, one that the previous king hoped to overturn. If that legislature would have voted on it, it could be a nonissue now,” Alexander argued.
“Could be, Alexander, not would be. Julian has them whipped into a frenzy with fear over the common folk running amok in the royal palace.”
“That’s hardly the case,” Alexander said with a shake of his head. “Elena has been raised to rule. And she will be an excellent monarch.”
“I quite agree, but the damage is already done,” King Frederick claimed .
Nate frowned, feeling helpless in the face of the Eldorian legal matters.
“The fact remains that this decree must be voted on, whether we like it or not,” Isabelle answered.
“Whose side are you on, sister? If there is even a chance we could lose the vote, the risk is too great.”
“We must chance it,” Isabelle said. “If it comes to light that we were in possession of this and did not take it to a vote, we could all pay a very dear cost. It is treason.”
King Frederick heaved a sigh as he collapsed into his desk chair. “She is correct. But I had hoped for more time.”
“We should go to the legislature now, present the decree, inform them of Grandfather’s intent, and ask that they vote according to his wishes. If they believe monarchs are so bloody special, then show it,” Isabelle retorted, her arms crossed over her chest.
“She is correct,” King Frederick answered. “Reuben, gather the assembly. We must take the decree to them.”
Nate’s stomach twisted into a tight knot, as tension rose in the room, everyone visibly uncomfortable with the sudden shift in strategy. “We’re going now?”
He stared with wide eyes at Alexander.
“Yes,” Alexander answered. “Isabelle is correct in having to take this to the legislature immediately. We can only hope Julian hasn’t done much damage and the legislators agree that the wishes of the former king should be upheld.”
“Shouldn’t we…like consult with an attorney first or something?” Nate glanced between Alexander and the king as the assistant raced from the room.
“Mr. Kingsley, sometimes battles are lost no matter how hard we try,” King Frederick answered.
“No, but…no!” Nate shouted before he slid his eyes closed. “No, you can’t do this. ”
The king flicked his eyebrows up. “Mr. Kingsley, control your temper.”
“I’m not…” He ran a shaky hand through his hair. “I meant to help Ellie, not hurt her.”
“We all did, Nathan,” Alexander said, his voice tempered as he patted his shoulder.
The king rose with a nod. “At times, things do not go the way we planned.”
“But…” Nate groaned, imagining the legislature voting against the decree in droves and his actions leading directly to Elena losing her crown.
“It’s all right, Mr. Kingsley,” King Frederick said, “if you are to be a royal, you must learn to measure your outbursts, no matter the outcome.”
He pressed his lips together, his fingers curling into fists. He’d wanted to surprise Elena with the news that they’d secured her future, but instead he’d doomed her.
What kind of spouse would he be when all he did was make her life worse with every move he made?
“Your Majesty, the assembly is ready,” a winded Reuben said as he pushed into the room again.
King Frederick nodded as he rose from his seat again, buttoning his jacket as he strode toward the door.
Alexander guided Nate forward, though his legs did not want to move. He shot a worried glance at the man.
“Remember, you are entering the legislature. Remain quiet despite what you hear,” Alexander whispered as they followed the king down the stairs and into a large, stadium-like room filled with men and women engaged in hushed conversations.
Alexander pointed to a few seats on the side. Nate swallowed hard as he crossed to them and slid into one. He scanned the faces in the crowd, wondering which of them would agree with him and which wouldn’t .
A gavel banged, startling him and calling his attention to the front. A suited man greeted them. “Good morning, ladies and gentlemen. This session has been called to order with the express intent of securing a vote on a royal decree that has recently been found.”
“Found from where?” someone called.
“I shall leave the details to His Majesty.”
The man offered the king a nod before stepping aside.
“Good morning,” King Frederick said, his tone even. “As many of you know, we have been discussing changes to a long-standing tradition concerning royal marriages. While I appreciate the candor of all the arguments, the time for voting has come, not because I have written a decree, but because my father has days prior to his death.”
Gasps rang out in the chambers as the king continued. “I have here a decree dated the fifteenth of June, 1993. This decree rescinds the requirement for royals to marry royals. I shall ask that it be read and recorded now.”
The king handed it to another man who read the text aloud to the entire group. Nate shifted in his seat, a lump forming in his throat as he scanned the legislators again.
The king returned to the podium. “Given that this decree was made decades ago and clearly reflect the intention of the monarchy to grant freedom in choice to the royals for their marriages. I would ask that this legislature follow the wishes of the past king in voting to support this decree and overturn the previous one.”
The king stepped away from the podium, giving a nod to the other man. He rose and approached the microphone. “I know this has been debated in the past several days informally, but I would like to open the floor to formal comments now.”
He pointed a finger at one of the hands that raised, and the man rose to speak. “As I have said many times before, if we cannot hold the monarchy to a higher standard, who can we? They govern us. They are a symbol of this country. Decorum is not too much to ask.”
Nate frowned at him. He hardly displayed a lack of decorum. It wasn’t like they’d be holding keg parties at the royal palace.
Another member rose, stating her piece. “I disagree entirely. We all know the vetting process for a spouse. Being of royal blood does not simply make one the epitome of etiquette and decorum. We have seen countless examples of royals behaving badly.”
“And we will see countless more if this turns into a free-for-all with marriages,” another man retorted.
Nate shifted again, concerned that the vote was about to go very badly. The man called on another legislator who rose. “I have less to say about the decree itself and more to say on the sudden appearance of a decree dating to 1993 that has never been brought forth before this assembly.”
The king leaned toward the microphone to comment. “The decree was found only today. It was brought forth immediately.”
“Where? By whom?” the man demanded. Rumblings of agreement echoed in the chamber.
Nate’s stomach twisted into a knot.
“The decree was found by Mr. Nathan Kingsley in the royal archive,” King Frederick explained.
“Then we must hear from Mr. Kingsley.”
All eyes turned to Nate, and heat washed over him as his muscles tensed. The man at the podium waved him over. “Mr. Kinglsey, if you will step forward and be sworn in to these proceedings.”
Alexander offered him a nod. “Answer their questions, no more.”
Nate bobbed his head as he rose on shaky knees. He stepped forward toward the podium, hoping he could hear what was being asked over the pounding of his heart.
After being sworn-in, he approached the podium.
“Mr. Kingsley,” the head legislator asked, “please describe what happened that led to the finding of this decree.”
“Uh, I went to the royal archives with Prince Alexander and Princess Isabelle–“
“For what reason?” someone asked.
He glanced with wide eyes at Alexander, who gave him a reassuring nod.
“We wanted to see if anything post-dated the decree that requires royals to marry royals.”
“Because you hope to overturn it?” someone shouted. “Why would an American care?”
His head swam. What was he supposed to answer? Should he tell the truth? He licked his lips and leaned forward toward the microphone. “I want to marry Elena.”
Gasps rang out in the room again. He shot a frightened glance toward the king who remained expressionless. Had he screwed up?
“What do you mean? Explain!” someone yelled.
“Elena and I met in Sterling City, and we… fell in love. I love her, and I want to marry her, but…I don’t want her to have to give up the life she’s been raised for. It’s not fair.”
“You mean you wish to be king,” someone asked.
Nate shook his head. “No. No, that’s not it at all.”
“Isn’t it? A commoner looking for a title is what it seems.”
“Yes, an American hoping to level up.”
The accusations came swiftly from all corners of the room. He was actively making the situation worse by simply telling the truth. “No, no,” he tried again.
A gavel banged, silencing the murmuring throughout the room. “Order. Mr. Kingsley is providing testimony. Proceed, Mr. Kingsley. ”
“I…No, I don’t want a title. I don’t want to marry Elena for any reason other than I love her. And I just think that she shouldn’t be punished for falling in love with me. She’s spent her entire life learning how to care for and cultivate this country. She’s loyal, and she’s brave, and she’s…well, you’d be foolish to not let her be Queen just because she didn’t marry a royal.”
Gasps rang out again, and the gavel smashed down several times to silence them. Why had he called them stupid? He finished his tale of finding the decree and fielded a few more questions relating to it before they excused him back to his seat.
He wiped at the sweat beading on his brow as he slid into it, sick over how easily he’d collapsed to the pressure.
Alexander patted his arm with a nod.
“The time has come for a vote.”
The words echoed in the quiet space, as Nate’s stomach twisted into a tight knot. Had he just cost Elena her crown?