Chapter 12
Sagan
Everything was a mess.
Actually, calling it a mess was kind. It was so far beyond that there weren’t words for the situation I found myself in. My parents weren’t simply broke, they were in massive, massive debt.
Yeah, really.
They’d borrowed money from everyone they could and I didn’t even know how they planned to pull themselves out of this mess. Honestly, if circumstances were even slightly different, I would have started looking into them faking their deaths for a life insurance payout.
Dark? Oh yeah, but they fucking deserved it for what they left for me to clean up. Just in this one area of our family’s finances.
At first I thought we were just broke and that was enough of a mess. I was crushed and didn’t know what to do, deciding to admit I was in over my head and talk about it to Uncle Darren.
That was when I learned my parents had also been borrowing money. He thought I’d approached him to discuss the millions my mother had borrowed the year before.
Luckily, he’d been distracted Sunday, flying out to handle some things and told me not to even worry about it. He’d never even brought it up to her and whatever had happened with the family’s accounts or who had dropped the ball. But to toss whatever IOU I’d found and not think on it again.
I’d barely been able to keep my composure and say goodbye to him normally before I’d raced back to my father’s study. It took me a bit, but after going into the hidden fireproof vault there with family records and De la Rosa secrets, I found the ledger of debts.
And it was a long one.
At least you know all the hidden vaults and they told you something about them and your life now.
So my bitterness and dark attitude were more than valid.
I was so broke and in debt that I honestly didn’t know how I was going to fund the castle until my coronation. Luckily, the government paid for my coronation since it was a state event or we wouldn’t have been able to have one.
How could they have done this to me? How could they have done this to themselves?
And why?
It was all I could think about. I was so distracted it was beyond ridiculous, and the only way it wasn’t noticed more was because the government was closed in mourning. I was supposed to be mourning and grieving the loss of my parents.
Instead, I was cursing them every time I peeled back another layer of the onion. Seriously, I was beyond pissed at that.
Also, it wasn’t simply that they owed money or how much. It was how big of a mess they made doing it… Almost like they planned on never paying it all back. The whole situation screamed of corruption if I looked at it from the eyes of a stranger.
And I practically was one to my parents.
They’d borrowed a million here and a million there from different people. “Small” amounts to lend to the royal family and without any real documentation. Nothing legal or real collateral. A fucking IOU handshake bullshit that would be hard to trace later or be called on.
But if any of these people talked to each other… Everything would fall apart.
Every.
Fucking.
Thing.
How could they have risked this and the family’s reputation? And where had the money all gone?
It was definitely something that would keep me up many, many nights and for years. I wasn’t sure I’d ever find the answers—or ones that would justify any of this—but that would have to wait since I had to fix this mess before people found out.
All it could take was one person calling in their debt thinking they could lose that money and bitching to someone else when I didn’t have it.
And I had to do it fast. Somehow.
I simply couldn’t figure out how. I wasn’t a normal person.
Sell possessions? Nope! Everything was tracked and logged in history. Every dress my mother had worn was documented on social media or—everything about us was known. Jewelry and gems were all tracked and registered. Appraised and recorded.
Tapestries? In history books.
Cars? Yup, those too. Vehicle numbers all recorded.
Paintings? Oh, there were classes on what priceless works hung in our castles.
So make money? Nope!
There were laws against having other interests while running the nation. Of course there were. Of course there should be. I couldn’t invest money or have a company of my own.
Of course not. That would be unethical.
But we were also getting screwed. Big time… I just had to figure out how to outline that all and make changes for the future while handling the situation now without people figuring out I was massively in debt.
Awesome. Fucking awesome.
“Twenty million? No, you’re kidding me,” someone hissed as I walked down the courtyard. “For an underground fight? It’s gotta be a typo.”
“That’s what I heard,” a man whispered back. “That’s the prize.”
“They’re never that big. For one fight?” the first voice responded. “That’s crazy, life-changing money.”
It was and the reason my steps slowed.
“Yeah, but no one can beat this guy,” the second man said.
Glancing over, I saw two guards with their heads together focused on the second guy’s phone. I didn’t even realize I was moving closer until the first saw me and smacked his friend.
“Oh, um, Princess, we were, um,” the second said as he tried to hide his phone.
I realized how stupid I’d been and hurried to play it off, chuckling and waving for his phone. “It’s fine.”
He swallowed loudly and shared a worried look with his buddy and gave me his phone. “I’m really sorry and—”
“I’m not nearly as out of the loop as people think,” I teased. “The royal family never is. Father knew about them.” I looked at his phone and frowned. “What am I looking at?”
“Please, Princess, we…” the second worried.
“Benson would murder us and then bring us back to murder us again,” the first blurted.
I frowned and glanced between them, not hiding my displeasure.
“I’m actually annoyed you’re worried over him and not me.
The underground fights and gambling are the worst-kept secrets ever.
Especially in the capital. Father knew. I simply wanted to get updated a bit and make sure there still aren’t the more unsavory aspects like drugs and forcing women to—”
“We’ve never seen any of that,” the second guard said firmly. He cleared his throat. “Forgive me for interrupting you, Your Highness, but I promise you. It’s gambling and fights.”
“The drinking is even limited so no other fights break out and people don’t cause problems,” the first added and then moved closer.
“This—it’s a secret app set up like it’s a fantasy sports league game.
This is the current fighter no one can beat and his stats.
There is a list of characters he’s fought before. The odds on him and the reward.”
“It’s all in here?” I muttered as I went back and checked it all out. “Clever. They’ve come far with technology.” I nodded and pulled out my own phone.
“Princess, what are you doing?” the first whispered.
I frowned and then chuckled. “I’m not going to shut it down or snitch. The fights and bets are fine. I’m concerned about things taking a turn into the more unsavory while they think I’m distracted. This will help me stay looped in.” I downloaded it on my phone and gave it back to the second guard.
“You make a good point,” he muttered as he glanced at the first guy. “We should maybe suggest to Benson to actually check out known places now and again and make sure they stay along the lines the king allowed.” He shot me a curious look.
“I think it wise. I know Father wanted to legalize—” I snorted when they both couldn’t hide their surprise.
“That’s taxable income. Profitable taxable income from what you just were discussing.
Didn’t you ever wonder why there are so many and make so much money but not legalized?
When my father was smart and absolutely knew what happened in his kingdom? ”
The first caught on quickly. “Who owns them?”
I tapped my nose and wished them both a pleasant day before continuing on my way as if the conversation was already forgotten.
Far from it. I ducked into Father’s study and immediately learned as much as I could through the app and other information. Twenty million was indeed the prize pot.
I could fund the castle for at least a month with that.
It was probably ridiculous how quickly I decided to do this, but since the fight was that night, I really didn’t have time to hem and haw about it all. Plus… What other choice did I have?
None. Sadly none.
Sneaking out of the castle was easier than it should have been. It wasn’t a situation I was going to shine light on since it was useful, but honestly it was severely disconcerting and maybe for the first time I wondered if Benson should be in charge.
Being unfamiliar with the capital and getting turned around to find the fight’s location shouldn’t have been more difficult than sneaking around the royal family’s home given we were always under constant threat. That honestly was just as ridiculous as what I was going to do.
“You’re finally letting me out and acknowledging me?” Eloise asked in my mind. “How lovely for me. Are you sure you don’t want Iris?”
Guilt swarmed me as it always did, but it also was understandable.
Because there hadn’t ever been someone with two dragons before. It wasn’t supposed to be possible.
And yet, I did.
That was my big secret and the reason my parents sent me away—hid me away from court and the castle. I wasn’t just a fire dragon.
I was also a mystic dragon.
I’m sorry. Please, I need your help.
She chuffed in my mind, but like always, relented, mostly because she would never pass up the rare chance to come out. And it was rare. Even if this wouldn’t be her full dragon form, but our combined third form for an unground fight, she would never pass up the chance.
I thanked her and tapped into her magic, changing my appearance as I moved along the street. The glamour was subtle and slow, so even if someone stared at me, it wouldn’t be instant.