The Wicked Prince

Chapter Twenty-Seven

Aramis

Adeline was the only thing between me and Joslyn tonight. First, she’d asked me to walk to the main house with her. Then, she’d poured me and Elias some whiskey. Then, she made us finish putting up the Christmas decorations in the library, as if anyone ever walked in here. Forget the fact that the entire palace looked like St. Nicholas’s workshop and all of our staff had done a marvelous job decorating it. Adeline wanted us to do some of the work. Something we’d never done in . . . ever. I blamed it on her American upbringing. She’d spent entirely too much time over there. First with the football love and now with the desire to make us do all of this work as a way to spend time with us. As if we didn’t spend enough time together already. Still, no one says no to the Queen, especially not while she’s pregnant and moody. I wasn’t sure if she was doing this because she knew that once the baby arrived things would change or if she was doing it so I wouldn’t show up on Joslyn’s doorstep tonight. She told her something. I saw the two of them whispering back and forth before Joss got in a car by herself and headed back over. The most words I’d gotten out of her today were in an email, letting me know we had a televised interview scheduled for tomorrow night.

She’d also already told one of the wardrobe people on our staff to make sure Esmée and Oscar looked impeccable for the interview. Esmée was mostly fine now, aside from the cast on her leg and the brace on her arm. Her face was unmarred and the bandage on her head had been removed. It was something we’d bonded over, the accidents. Her fall had left her questioning everything, including her ability to be a single mother, something I assured her she’d done a great job with. It was more than that. Anything that made you face your mortality head-on like that changed you in too many ways to count. It was something Esmée understood as well as I did. It was the reason she’d sent Oscar to me in the first place. She knew my mother never told me about him and didn’t feel comfortable hiding any of it anymore.

“You’re lost in thought.” That was Adeline. I blinked and met her eyes. “It’s your move.”

I moved a pawn forward on the chessboard between us.

“Are you nervous about the interview tomorrow?” She moved the horse she had left.

“Not really. I feel like I’ve been ready to talk about him to the world since I met him.” I smiled at that.

“You’re a proud father,” Elias said from across the room. He was reading a book and sipping on whiskey. “As you should be. He’s a great kid.”

“Soon enough he’ll have a cousin to play with,” I said, continuing the game even though I knew Adeline would beat me. She always did. “Do you think you’ll make it to full-term?”

“Full-term is December 24th. That’s next week. I’m not sure, but then again, I didn’t think I’d make it to this week.” She sighed heavily. “I’m so uncomfortable. My back hurts. My ribs hurt. I can’t sleep. I need to use the toilet every five seconds.”

“She’s miserable,” Elias added loudly. “We’re all miserable. The little prince needs to hurry up and get here already.”

“You look great.” I shrugged a shoulder. “And the fact that you’re still making appearances is impressive.”

“She looks and acts the way a Queen is supposed to.” We all turned to see my mother walking into the library.

“Mother,” I said.

“Mother,” Elias said.

“Madame,” Adeline added with a smile. “Care to join us?”

“Have you already beat him?” my mother asked.

“Not yet. I’m taking it easy on him tonight. He seems distracted.”

My mother sat down in the chair beside us. I was surprised to see her dressed down, in wide white pants and a light purple sweater. She wasn’t even wearing heels tonight and her hair was swept into a low bun. She was dressed very similar to Addie tonight.

“It’s too bad we can’t share a bottle of wine,” my mother said.

“Soon. Hopefully soon.” Addie groaned. “I’m ready to have this baby already.”

“Have you settled on Louis?”

“I think so.” Addie smiled. “Prince Louis has a nice ring to it.”

“It’s a good homage to the French,” Mother said.

“Prince Louis Amadeo,” Addie said.

Mother gasped, setting a hand on her chest. “Really?”

“Really.” Addie smiled.

“It does have a nice ring to it, doesn’t it?” Elias asked, walking over to us. He set a hand on his wife’s shoulder.

“It’s beautiful.” My mother smiled, her eyes glazing. “My father, may he rest in peace, would be so happy. So happy.”

“It’s a good homage to the French and Spanish,” I said. “Dammit.”