7. Vaughn
Vaughn
I wasn’t alone anymore…
Penelope’s statement haunted me just as much as it comforted me.
I wasn’t alone anymore. I wasn’t alone…
There was no fighting it. Nothing was the same.
I’d never been allowed nor took the time to be part of a Holy Night ritual.
I’d only gone so I could watch my Intended.
So I could spend more time with her. Seeing Penelope in the crown, wearing my family’s crest—speaking those painful words that were the foundation of my history…
How could moments completely change everything you knew?
Everything you were? Not an hour before, I thought I was confident who Vaughn Edward Ambrose Masterson VI was.
I was an orphan king. The one who’d lost everyone close to murder, even my uncle, who raised me.
I was the hunted. The threat. But I was the one who’d become king again or die trying.
But then came Penelope…
She’d taught me so much. Her presence also revealed things I didn’t know.
Things I couldn’t remember. Like how my mother had run The Order.
How it was my dad’s job to raise me into being worthy and strong.
How this entire world I knew didn’t begin with just the death of a king…
It began with heartbreak. With the mission of a determined queen.
She’d created The Order… not her son.
She… created—no, forged—the path of our futures.
She…Heleena Charlotte Masterson. Or, Helen, to those closest to her, did this.
Heleena. Helen. Why? Why water down such a beautiful name?
I was suddenly fascinated by her, when I’d always been so focused on the male line of my blood.
I was a fool. Maybe the biggest one in all of the history of Mastersons.
Why was I only appreciating her significance now?
Ego.
Priorities.
Everything was misaligned.
“Sire?”
My eyes lifted from the papers on my desk. The Reeve was half in the door, half out.
“I was knocking. Did you not hear me?”
“I didn’t. Please, come in.”
He eased in the rest of the way, shutting the door behind him.
“I didn’t mean to bother you—”
“No, it’s fine. I was just thinking. Is everything okay?”
There was a pause. Even confusion as he lowered to sit on the chair before me.
“We had a meeting, Sire. You and Ms. Penelope came up with a plan to catch Katia Marchase. You wished to go over the details with me.”
“Of course.” My arm came up as I looked at my watch. Was it already three? “Shit. Right.” I looked back at my watch. “Where is Theodore? He was supposed to be here?”
The Reeve’s brow drew in. “I’m not sure. I can send—”
The door flew open and Theo paused, seeming to catch himself as he quickly knocked.
“I’m not late. Excellent.” He looked to my desk where I usually kept my sweets. His face fell in disappointment. “Great. I’m going to have to call the kitchen. You wouldn’t believe the day I’ve had.”
He shut the door, continuing as if he’d not barged into my study like the devil, himself, were chasing him.
“It all started when—”
“Theodore, hold on.” I gave him a look, knowing this story might go on and on. I picked up my phone, calling the kitchen.
“Unavowed, how may I help you?”
“Bring sweets to my study.” I hung up, turning my attention back to him. “Alright, continue.”
“My day—” My hand lifted, cutting Theodore off again.
“I’ve changed my mind. Tell me after the planning. Once you start, it’ll take you an hour to get to the point.”
“I’m offended. Fine.” Theodore’s face hardened but held a hint of playful defiance. “I guess you don’t want to hear how I spent the day with Penelope instead of at court. That’s fine by me. I didn’t care to tell you anyway.”
“For fuck’s sake. Out with it.”
He smiled.
“It all started with my phone ringing. I was already running late for court. Normally, I wouldn’t answer the phone during such a pressing time, but something just… nagged at me, you know? Like… I needed to answer the phone. It was my private line. It could be important.”
“So, let me guess.” I paused. “You answered it.”
“I did.” His smile got bigger. “And do you know who it was?”
At his face sobering, my head shook. “I don’t know… Penelope?”
“No. I’m the one who called her.”
My lids narrowed. “You what?”
His hand shot up. “I’ll get there. So, I answered the phone, and to my surprise… it was the palace.”
I leaned forward, resting my forearms on the desk. “The palace?”
“That’s right. It would appear King Lawrence wants to meet with me. In a few days, in fact.”
My jaw clenched, and I glance to The Reeve’s hard expression, coming back to Theodore.
“And instead of calling me, you called Penelope.”
It wasn’t a question.
“We had a bet.” His face drew in. “I should have probably called you first.”
“You think?”
He paused. “Well… I won. I told her this would happen. We’ve been on one date and he’s already asking me to come speak with him.
” Theodore paused as knocking sounded. He stood, opening the door and grabbing the tray of sweets.
He sat back down, balancing it at his chest as he popped a mini cake into his mouth, continuing.
“Out of all the countries, why doesn’t he choose someone else?
Why keep it within our own? I hear the Princess of Sweden isn’t half bad.
Denmark, but… no. The king is too vain. There are countless countries.
Penelope isn’t even titled. I mean… she is gorgeous and she has the blood—” He swallowed, lifting a scone.
“Ugh. Fine. They don’t compare. It’s extremely aggravating, isn’t it?
Knowing your Intended was meant to be a queen? The perfect queen, really. I mean—”
“Theodore. Eat. You talk way too much. I need silence.”
I stood, pacing.
“Reeve, humor me, because I’m wondering if I’m overthinking this.”
“You need an advisor,” Theo said, chewing the scone, already picking up another. “Can I—”
“No. Redmond was my advisor. Perhaps…” I stopped, turning back to The Reeve. “What do you believe will come of the king’s meeting with Theodore?”
“He’s going to offer me my title back.”
My head whipped over, even though I was thinking the exact same thing.
“Did they say that?”
His head reared back as he gave me a look.
“Of course not, but he’ll want to barter.
He wants Penelope, and she keeps turning down his advances.
I’m in the way. He’ll offer less at the beginning, of course.
Maybe money. Property. I’m a barrister. I know how to negotiate.
I will say no and give him my terms—my title.
He will do it. I mean, he’s going to reinstate Penelope’s anyway.
He’ll have to if he plans to marry her. But he’ll do it first to gain the public’s favor.
He needs that more than anything, and society is already fascinated with her.
That’s coming soon. I say within the next few weeks.
” He smiled, his lips dusted with powdered sugar.
“See. Advisor. Mark my words… Was I close to what you were thinking?”
“Pretty spot on.” I turned back to The Reeve. “What are we missing? Is there anything else we may not be considering or seeing?”
Ringing filled the study. I headed over, picking up my phone. My head was already shaking. Maybe because I knew.
“Penelope.”
“… It’s happened.”
“He wants to see you.”
Repeatedly, my jaw flexed as seconds passed. I gripped tightly to my phone continuing to pace.
“It’s worse.”
I jerked to a stop through the territorial possession that had me seeing red. “What do you mean?”
A deep breath left her. “The king invited me to the Highland Hunt at Glenbrae Estate in the Scottish Highlands.” She paused, her tone softening.
“I’ll be there for a few days. I accepted the invitation from the palace, but then he called.
I told him I’d go, but I couldn’t stay the two weeks he wanted.
I agreed to four days. I refuse to miss the Holy Night ritual. Vaughn… you know I couldn’t decline.”
“Two weeks.”
Reaching to the mantle of the fireplace, I closed my lids, trying to get control over the rage that had me wanting to destroy everything around me.
“Don’t be mad at me.”
“…I’m not. Not at you. It’s… he fucking made it impossible for you to reject.
The Highland Hunt? That’s… The hunt is full of the highest elites.
He’s putting you on their level. He’s making you their equal.
” I opened my eyes, feeling my fingers dig into the wood.
“There’s no more pretending that this isn’t happening.
King Lawrence has decided, and he’s chosen you. ”
Silence.
“I don’t want this. I don’t want to go.”
“Don’t. Don’t go.”
“Vaughn. We both know I have to. If I reject his offer, we might as well put a neon sign outside The Order signaling where you are, because dead or not, he will make it his mission to figure this out, and he will find you. Think about it. My rejection would only make him angrier. That puts you in even more risk. I won’t put a bigger target on your back. ”
“What if Theodore can’t be bought. What if he loves you and tells the king—” Coughing had me looking over to Theo as he choked.
“You wish to make your friend a target?”
“Fuck.” I exploded. “Of course not but… Penelope. This goes against everything in me. Against who I am. You don’t understand.”
“We don’t have a choice.”
“We have a million choices. You attending is not one of them. You spending days in Scotland with that bastard, Lawrence Evans, is not a choice I will allow. I can’t. I won’t.”
Silence. And it was drowning me. Penelope was mine. I didn’t want her around that sorry excuse for a king who thought his good looks could get him anyone he wanted. If he flirted with her… If he so much as touched her—"
“Vaughn.”
“I…can’t.”
“If I call back and cancel, he will know something is off. He’s barely buying the Theodore story. We can’t risk it. This isn’t just about you, Vaughn. What about The Order? What about everyone who is depending on you? You are king.”
“And you are my queen.”
“Not yet. Maybe not ever if I alter our path. If I say no—"
“Enough. Stop.”
“I know you’re upset. I don’t want to do this anymore than you want me to.
But we have to think of everyone else. There’s too much risk.
I can’t cancel. Let’s look at this strategically.
Who is going to be there? Do we have any Masters who are attending?
We have options, we just have to utilize them.
We have to make this work best in our favor, not his. ”
I let go of the mantle, running my fingers through my hair, squeezing the curls before I let go.
“When do you leave?”
A sigh. “In nine days.”
I’ll check our connections. We’ll go from there.”
“I think that’s wise.” She paused. “Able is waiting. I have history lessons. I will call you tonight. I love you.”
“I love you, too.”
The line went dead, but still I held to my phone. My head shook. And shook. And shook. Theodore or The Reeve didn’t ask questions. They waited the minutes it took for me to calm enough to speak. I turned to The Reeve, trying to hold the rage from my tone. I failed.
“Find out if any of our Masters will be attending The Highland Hunt. There’s no way in hell I’m allowing Penelope to go to that hunt without protection. She may manage to bring a guard or two, but there’s no way he’s letting her bring a team of them. He’s the king. He has his own damn guard.”
“On it, Sire.”
The Reeve left the study, and I went back to pacing as my mind stormed through the facts.
Penelope had to go.
To decline the initial invitation from the palace would have caused talk.
But then he called… That spoke of his invitation being on more of a personal level.
It spoke of intention, and now it was clear.
He planned on choosing Penelope—unless she could give him reason not to, which had been her intention before.
Maybe this wasn’t such a bad thing.
Or maybe… the king had plans of his own.