Page 81 of Royal Trouble
His father gave a derisive snort. “I have not asked about the results because I don’t need a bloody test to tell me you’re my son or that I love you. But if it will make you feel better,” he said with a flourish of the hand, “open them up.”
Xander faltered. Did he need a DNA match to know he was a Stanley? All this time, he’d felt separate, but was it possible he was the only one who felt that way?
He’d wasted so much time. He wasn’t going to waste any more. Not when it came to his family and not when it came to Everly. He tore the envelope in half and dropped it on the desk.
His family smiled in approval.
“So where do we go from here?” he asked.
“Your mother and I have discussed this at length,” the king said, looking from Xander to Liam his face an unreadable mask. “We have decided the best thing for the family, and for the country, will be for us to make a joint statement. Your mother and I made many mistakes in our youth, including infidelity in our marriage, but despite our mistakes, we remain devoted to one another, to our children—all three of them—and to the people of Valeria.”
“We may be royal,” his mother said, her tone as regal as ever, “but we are far from perfect, and we will ask the people to allow us to focus on resolving this matter privately.”
It seemed insufficient to him, but he had more pressing concerns than satisfying the curiosity of the masses. He needed to see Everly. To tell her he’d screwed up and to apologize. An apology would change nothing, but he couldn’t let her leave without telling her how he felt about her.
Chapter Twenty-One
Everly tossed her sneakers in the open suitcase on the bed. Why did it always seem like her belongings multiplied for the trip home? It was one of life’s little mysteries, but she didn’t have time to dwell on it.
She had a royal wedding to crash.
Well, maybe crash wasn’t the right word, since technically she was invited. But there was a real possibility her invitation had been revoked. Her familiarity with royal protocol was severely lacking, but she hoped Liam and Lena were too busy to have removed her name from the guest list. How could they not be with last minute wedding preparations and the furor generated by Their Majesties’ public proclamation?
They’d issued a statement addressing their extramarital affairs and irrefutably naming Xander as a legitimate heir. She hoped for his sake the announcement would provide some much-needed peace. It might not quell all the rumors, but perhaps the public declaration could be the bedrock from which he could launch the Blue and Gold Foundation and reform his image in the media, once all of this blew over.
If it blows over.
Everly shut the suitcase and sat on top of it, pressing down with all her weight as she wrestled the zipper closed. She was going to follow her mom’s advice and take her shot, but if Xander rejected her, she’d be on the next plane to New York. And this time, she’d leave Valeria with her head held high, knowing she’d put her heart on the line.
For better or worse.
She turned to the closet, where her new dress hung over the back of the door. It was a beautiful dress, and she’d been excited when she purchased it, imagining a perfect afternoon at the palace with Xander. Now her stomach was twisted tighter than a Philly pretzel, and she feared she might hurl all over the damn thing.
It was now or never. If she didn’t go now, she’d lose her nerve and her chance. She pulled the dress down and stepped into it, the supple fabric sliding over her body like silk. Once she’d zipped it up, she turned to the mirror, studying her reflection. Her hair was tied in a loose chignon at the nape of her neck so as not to compete with the elaborate fascinator, and she’d opted for light, waterproof makeup. If the conversation with Xander didn’t go well, she didn’t want to be making her escape with mascara tracks running down her face.
At least if I crash and burn, I’ll look good doing it.
She did a final sweep of the apartment, checking to make sure she hadn’t forgotten anything. When she returned to the bedroom for her two-ton suitcase, her phone vibrated with an incoming message. She pulled it out and glanced at the screen.
Xander.
Her heart leaped into her throat when she saw his name on the screen, but her excitement was short lived when she realized there was no message, just a link. Unease stirred in her belly. Surely he wouldn’t waste energy sending her links to tabloid articles, not on the day of the wedding?
She drew a steadying breath and tapped the link. Whatever it was, it was better to watch it. Going into the palace unaware would be far worse, especially if he still thought she’d been the one to leak news of the paternity test.
The video came up on the screen, the wordsTHE ROAD SO FARfloating on a black background as the opening notes of “Carry On Wayward Son” drifted from the phone.
What the hell? He’d sent her aSupernaturalclip?
She wrinkled her brow in confusion, but when the screen changed, it wasn’t her two favorite hunters she saw. Nope, it washerface. And Xander’s. The pictures had to be ten years old, and they were both wearing their school uniforms. She laughed when she realized her photo was the one that had been on her school ID. Her hair was bleached blond, and she wore a ton of eyeliner. Not a good look. For his part, Xander looked handsome, although he’d worn his hair long then and it flopped in his eyes, making him look every bit the royal playboy he’d been at Elmhurst.
The image changed quickly, and some of her most salacious RGW headlines flashed on the screen, interspersed with photos from sports and clubs they’d each participated in, before transitioning to their adult lives, hers in New York and his in the military. He must’ve spent hours combing her social media for pictures of the most significant events in her life: her twenty-first birthday, graduation from Columbia, the day she got accepted into the MFA program.
It was all there.
But it wasn’t her own life that interested her, it was Xander’s. She’d seen so many of these pictures before, but it had been like looking at a celebrity. Interesting, but irrelevant. Now that she knew the man behind the arrogant smirk, each image was more meaningful. Each one tugged at her heartstrings, an emotional rollercoaster rising and falling as it barreled toward the end of the ride.
Pride at his graduation from The Royal Military Academy.