Relevant reign, p.1
RELEVANT REIGN, page 1
Book four of the Royal Reflections Series
Aleatha Romig
New York Times, Wall Street Journal, and USA Today bestselling author
COPYRIGHT AND LICENSE INFORMATION
RELEVANT REIGN
Book 4 of the Royal Reflections series
Copyright @ 2023 Romig Works, LLC
Published by Romig Works, LLC
2023 Edition
ISBN: 978-1-956414-50-9
Cover art: Letitia Hasser at RBADesigns/Romantic Book Affairs
Editing: Lisa Aurello
Formatting: Romig Works, LLC
Proofreader: Stacy Zitano Inman
This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents either are the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously, and any resemblance to any actual persons, living or dead, events, or locales is entirely coincidental.
2023 Edition License
This ebook is licensed for your personal enjoyment. This ebook may not be resold or given away to other people. If you would like to share this book with another person, please purchase an additional copy for each recipient. If you’re reading this book and did not purchase it, or it was not purchased for your use only, then please return to the appropriate retailer and purchase your own copy. Thank you for respecting the hard work of this author.
Dedication
The Royal Reflections series is dedicated to my husband’s grandmother, Lucille. (And yes, she’s read my books!) At ninety-seven years of age, she remains a bright and beautiful part of our lives, the lives of our children, and of our grandchildren. She has shown us that blood doesn’t dictate who we love—the heart does that.
Thank you, Grandma Lucy, for the example you’ve shown. You will always be regal and royal in our hearts.
Relevant Reign
“Your greatest threat will always come from the inside. Never forget that.” Omar Navarro, Ozark
Molave’s survival is at stake. The monarchy is faced with betrayal that could end Molave and remove the kingdom from the map. With so much on the line…
What price is too high?
Will the Godfrey monarchy go on?
Don’t miss this dramatic conclusion of the Royal Reflections series as the bonds of family are tested and family itself is reevaluated. The prince and princess must decide if Molave is worth the risk or if returning to America is in their future.
Have you been Aleatha’d?
From New York Times bestselling author Aleatha Romig comes a brand-new contemporary romantic-suspense series, Royal Reflections, set in the world of the royal elite, where things are not as they appear.
*RELEVANT REIGN is the much-anticipated conclusion in the Royal Reflections series. Royal Reflections must be read in order: RUTHLESS REIGN, RESILIENT REIGN, RAVISHING REIGN, and now RELEVANT REIGN.
End of book 3, RAVISHING REIGN
Roman
Leaving the infirmary, I barely spoke to Lord Martin as I rushed to our apartments. Lady Buckingham met me on the grand stairs. “Where is the Princess? Is she upstairs?”
“No, Your Highness. She’s with the queen.”
The queen.
Changing directions, I headed toward the king’s offices. He’d told me not to rule with emotion, but at this moment that felt impossible. The emotions were bubbling within me, reaching a boiling point.
“Sir, what is happening?” Lord Martin asked.
“I need to see Lucille. If I can’t, I must speak to the king.”
“I will call for an appointment.”
“Fuck that,” I growled.
Lord Martin stayed at my side, stride for stride, as we hurried past faceless people in the corridors. Some greeted me and others bowed. I didn’t slow. Pushing my way into the king’s outer office, I said, “I must see the king.”
“Your Highness,” one of his secretaries said, standing. “He isn’t expecting you.”
“Is anyone with him?”
“No, sir, but…”
I didn’t bother waiting for the guard to open the door as I pressed on, pushing open his office door.
“Roman?” King Theodore said, looking up from his desk. “What is this about?” He waved off the guard.
I waited until the door closed. “I just came from the infirmary.”
“The princess is expecting,” the king said with a smile as he stood. “I’m elated.”
“No. Yes.” I shook my head. “Inessa Volkov is hiding from her brother because—”
“She’s pregnant with your child. The guards found the pregnancy test. There’s no need to worry. We have her now.”
“It’s not mine—the baby. I’ve never met her.” The words he’d just spoken registered. “You have her. What does that mean?”
“Son, it means a great day for Molave. You have two heirs on the way.”
The Queen of Molave
In the past
I woke with a start, searching the shadows of my bedchamber for answers.
Is our son all right?
Is he injured?
I ached for any shred of news.
As if designed to keep me in the dark literally as well as figuratively, heavy drapes covering the windows kept what was left of sunlight away—if indeed the sun was still in the sky. Peering around the room through puffy eyes, I took in the opulence hidden beneath the shadows. The finest furniture, made for a queen, created the perfect bedchamber. My temples throbbed as I fell farther and farther down the black hole of sorrow.
Time passed unmarked by anything of substance since we’d received the first call. Minutes crept while hours flew. The numbers on the clock at my bedside either wouldn’t move or spun without reason. Nothing made sense.
Willing myself to move, I managed to scooch up and sit against the pillows and headboard. I turned to my right, seeing beyond the sheer curtains shrouding my bed. The telephone on the bedside stand sat silent.
I longed for more news.
An accident at university.
As soon as we were told, Theodore flew to Kristiansand. That was hours ago or maybe days.
The last word was that our son, the Prince of Molave and our heir to the Crown, Roman Archibald Godfrey, was alive.
My Roman—my handsome son, the one God gave to me after we lost Teddy. Roman wasn’t our only surviving child. Five years after Roman’s birth, I’d had another successful pregnancy, our only daughter, Isabella. Due to the high number of unsuccessful pregnancies between the births of Roman and Isabella, the royal physicians advised that we stop trying.
And now, nearly twenty years later, I felt the despair I’d felt when I’d been told about Teddy…and the lake. This time it was Roman and the crash of his glider.
My cracked lips and dry throat reminded me of the tears I’d shed.
Throwing back the blankets, I willed myself from the bed. Pushing back the draperies, I stared out at the royal gardens a story below. The dimming sunlight cast shadows from the palace walls. Upward, the sky was filled with a crimson hue, creating a vivid explosion of color reflecting up on the low-lying clouds.
Instead of concentrating on the beauty before me, my thoughts went back nearly two decades. Upon Theodore III’s—Teddy’s—passing, I could have assigned blame to his nanny or to any of the other servants in the vicinity as Teddy waded into the lake. During sleepless nights and joyless days, I’d imagined what my baby had experienced before he was spotted, floating in only decimeters of water. Theodore, my husband and the king of Molave, was livid.
I supposed his rage was enough for the both of us. I couldn’t express mine. It was different. My anger was not for those who were present, but at the one who wasn’t.
Me.
As Teddy’s mother, it was my responsibility to keep him safe. Oh yes, he was supposed to grow and move beyond a mother’s care, but not before his second birthday. The crushing pain of awakening each morning without a child was unbearable.
Our marriage suffered.
I resented my husband, Theodore, for his grief, for his fury, and finally, for trying to see past the pain. In all fairness, it was my self-loathing that carved a hole in our marriage I was certain would never mend. The only shred of happiness that kept me going, kept me eating, drinking, and sleeping was the knowledge that within me was another child.
Perhaps it was wrong of me to wonder if I deserved another chance. For that reason, I kept the news of the pregnancy a secret for as long as I could. One would think that I couldn’t have hidden it from Theodore. The truth was, I could barely stand to look into his dark eyes. Each time I did, I saw the contempt.
He wasn’t told of my condition until I was nearly six months along.
It was nearly half a year after we laid Teddy in his final resting place before my pregnancy could no longer be hidden. My husband and the country were joyous at the news. Three months later, our miracle son was born.
Roman Archibald Godfrey.
The last Archibald to reign Molave was Theodore’s great-grandfather.
With dark hair and deep brown eyes, Roman was in every way our golden child.
The sound of the door to my bedchamber opening pulled me back to the present. Turning, I expected my mistress, Lady Kornhall. Instead, it was my husband.
My body chilled as his gaze met mine. Securing my own hand, I tried in vain to stop the onset of trembling. Without a word, he came closer, his expression stoic, not giving me a clue to his findings. By the time Theo reached me across the room, my entire body shook as sobs bubbled from my throat.
&nbs p; “Is he…?” I couldn’t even say the words.
Theo reached for my shoulders. “He’s alive.”
As my knees gave out, my husband’s arms encircled me. His strong embrace kept me standing. I looked up into his eyes. “I want to see him.”
“He’s injured.”
“He’s alive. That’s all that matters.”
Theodore walked me back to the bed. “I’ve ordered the physician to give you something to help you rest. This is all too much for you.”
As I sat on the bed and lay back, I held tight to Theodore’s hand. “Our son will live.” It wasn’t a question, but at the same time, I needed his reassurance.
“Yes, my love. Roman is too strong to leave us.” He kissed my forehead. “Lady Kornhall will see to your needs. Mr. Davies will be here to give you something to help you relax. Trust me, Anne.”
“I do.”
“Isabella has been sent to Annabella. My mother is with her.”
“Why?” My forehead furrowed. “I should be with our daughter.”
“There’s no need to burden her with news of her brother.”
“But surely, she’ll hear. He’s the prince.”
Theodore shook his head. “I’ve forbidden anyone from giving out information. There is nothing that would come of making this public.” He inhaled. “This is a family matter.”
“Thank you, Theo. I don’t think I could go on with losing another child.”
His Adam’s apple bobbed in his throat. “We will not, not on my watch.”
Nodding, I exhaled.
As Theodore stood, the door of my bedchamber opened, and Lady Kornhall appeared carrying a tray.
“Eat, Anne. And know Roman is safe.”
Roman
Present time
King Theodore’s booming voice issued the order. “Take a seat, Roman.”
Emotions this man told me I shouldn’t feel were surging through me at the speed of light. Failing to obey his command, I paced the confines of his private office as I tried to collect my thoughts. Each notion was but a particle in the swirling cyclone within my mind.
Baby.
Babies.
Pregnancy test.
They had her—Inessa.
What did that mean?
I thought back, recalling the game of charades I’d played this morning with Francis. A child was coming—a Godfrey. Memories of what happened next consumed my thinking.
As I walked away from Francis’s cell, I returned to Noah’s. Two medical personnel were caring for him. Their eyes opened wide as I burst inside. Noah lay completely nude, the nurses working on the bath I’d demanded.
“Get out,” I shouted.
The two nurses bowed their necks and scurried away, leaving their patient fully exposed.
Without a shred of clothes or modesty, Noah’s dark eyes met mine as he lay prone on the damp sheets. He was the first to speak, “You know.”
“Is it true?” When he only smirked, I went closer. “Is Inessa pregnant with your child?”
His gaze left me, looked down at his exposed body and back to me. “I wasn’t sure I could produce a kid. After all, Lucille…” He shook his head. “Truth is, I never wanted to have a kid, with either of them.”
My molars were in danger of cracking as I applied more and more pressure with each word he spoke. When he finished, I asked one more time. “Is Inessa Volkov pregnant with your child?”
“She said she was.”
“When did she tell you?”
“It was during the Eurasia disaster tour.” He shook his head. “That whole expedition was fucked from the beginning.”
“Do you know if Alek knows?”
“He didn’t then.” Noah’s sinister smile grew. “Seems like it’s your problem now.”
My thoughts were all over the place. “Do you think the princess was hiding from Alek because of the pregnancy? Did you see her at Forthwith? Do you think Alek threatened her? Did she tell him?” I paced back and forth in the small cell. “This is why Aleksander II thinks I took her.”
“He thinks more than that.”
“What the fuck does he think?” I asked, spitting out the question.
“Get me unchained from this bed, and I’ll tell you more.”
I’d already authorized that.
“Tell me first.”
Noah shook his head. “Listen, Roman” —he used the name mockingly— “I have all the time in the world or as much as Theo decides to grant me. You on the other hand…the clock is ticking. Unchain me and get me more of my meds.”
Meds.
They weren’t meds but drugs to feed his addiction.
I ran Noah’s last few statements over in my mind. “Inessa told you during the tour, when you met in Oslo?” I asked. “That was last summer.” It was about the time I’d seen Lucille and him on the television, right after I’d learned of my character’s demise. My thoughts continued to spiral. My demise—that of Lord Divisto…was it the Firm? Had they known they needed me? Were Noah’s days already numbered? “So, she’s what…four or five months?”
“I don’t know. Do the math. I’m done talking.”
“Fuck that. Your bath is done. I’ll command the nurses to drop the temperature in your cell. How long do you think it would be until you suffered from exposure?”
Noah shook his head. “That’s not you talking. You wouldn’t do that. Theodore—yes. You, no. For some reason you give a shit and torturing me isn’t on your agenda.”
“Neither is having a child with a woman I’ve never met.”
He inhaled. “In Oslo, I told her my marriage was over. I promised more than working with Alek—I proposed marriage.”
My stomach dropped as I reached for the end of the bed’s frame. My knuckles on my left hand blanched as the weight of his promise fell heavily on my shoulders. “That’s why she was upset that I—you—never contacted her. But I didn’t know. How was I supposed to know?”
“I left clues.” He shrugged. “I was pissed about the whole thing. If I’d been king…”
“You will never be king.”
“Did you say she was at Forthwith?” His lips pressed together. “Shit, I didn’t know that. I haven’t seen her since Oslo.”
I recalled something King Theodore had said. “Where were you? You were gone for months between when you were supposed to die and when you came back to Forthwith. Where were you?”
“I told you, I went back to Norway, to my life.”
“And you saw your tombstone?”
“Yeah.”
“Someone had to help you.”
“I was on my own. That’s my story. Hell, I’m going to die anyway. I’m not taking anyone who doesn’t deserve it down with me.” He quirked his lips. “Those who do, hell yeah.”
I scanned his naked body and the thinness of his wrist attached to the bed. His hair was wet from being washed, and he was still in need of a shave. “Forgive me if I’m not concerned about your threats.”
“I’m not the one you need to worry about.”
As the knowledge of Inessa’s pregnancy churned my stomach, I centered my energy on the thoughts of one person.
Lucille.
I needed to tell her what was happening.
Turning, I inserted my key and unlocked the door. One last look over my shoulder and I said, “You’re wrong.”
“About?”
“Too many things to discuss. You’re wrong about me. Your care is done for now.” With that, I opened the door and once back in the corridor, I locked the cell. The view through the window dimmed.
“Your Highness,” one of the medical staff said.
“Are these rooms individually temperature controlled?”
The man nodded. “This wing is old. Basically, there is cold and almost warm.”
“Don’t waste heat on this patient. Forget my earlier orders; he remains chained. And leave him as he is. No one enters for any reason until I return.”
“He’s only been given one meal, earlier today.”
