Vicious Prince (Royal Elite 5)

“Indeed.” I keep my attention on my father.

“I’m busy, so your uncle will take care of the London branch from now on.”

“Busy with what?” I ask before I can stop myself. “Your touristic trips or dragging Mother all around the globe?”

“I will not be questioned by you.” He levels me with a glare.

When I was younger, Earl Astor’s glare meant I needed to shut the fuck up and do as he’d told me.

I always did.

Until one of his glares changed my life for fucking good.

“Eduard, let’s have some tea.” Father smiles at his brother, motioning downstairs. “Lars has your favourite ready.”

“Lars. How lovely. I forgot you always have him around.” Eduard squeezes my shoulder one last time. “We have so much catching up to do, nephew. I’m looking forward to it.”

“Not sure you’ll have any time for me, Uncle. My father doesn’t mess around with business.” I stare at said parent. “I’m going to Mother since you’re busy as usual.”

He opens his mouth to say something, but I’m already striding down the hall to my parents’ bedroom.

Eduard’s voice echoes behind me as he soothes my father, telling him I’m at that age and he should be patient with me.

Fuck them both.

Fuck their names and titles and business.

I stop in front of my parents’ bedroom and take a deep breath. Mum can’t see me at my worst, or she’ll sense it.

She always does. Since I was a boy, she’ll stop and stare at me and say, “Dit moi tous, mon chou.”

I don’t know when I stopped doing that, telling her everything that’s on my mind, I mean, or being son chou. No, that’s a lie — I know the exact moment; I just never wanted to associate it with my mum.

She’s light. That moment is darkness.

I suck in a deep breath and knock on the door. There’s no response. I knock again, and when there’s nothing, my heart races.

She can’t possibly have fainted like the other time…right?

“Mother?”

No response.

“I’m coming in.”

I push on the door and go inside, but there’s no sign of her in her room. I check the bathroom, but she’s not there either.

Fuck. Where did she go?

Mum rarely leaves her room, if ever, and whenever she does, it’s for the adjoining office she uses to answer emails and such.

She doesn’t have friends to speak of either. Dad and I are her entire world, as she once said.

I’m about to check the office when I pass by the closed door of the balcony. Sure enough, Mum is standing in the sun, her blonde curls falling to her shoulders as she laughs. I haven’t seen her laugh like that in…years.

And the reason behind the laugh is none other than the tiny girl who’s crazier and prettier than I ever thought.

Teal fixes a ribbon on Mum’s dress and says something that makes her laugh again. The rare English sun shines down on both of them, making Mum’s hair and eyes shine and giving a glint to Teal’s black gaze.