Page 15

FIFTEEN

New York’s politicians would have kittens upon finding out what I’d done.

Judge Mason legalized my sister’s union with her Californian in fifteen minutes, laying to rest any potential issues with her marriage. He also handled the formal paperwork transferring custody of the two girls to me. My sister and Ethan were put on the form as next in line should anything happen to me.

To my relief, Daphne had volunteered to be the third custodian, so no matter what happened, the girls would have somewhere to call home.

There would be no temporary fostering. The girls were mine, and I’d do my best to set a good example for all other single men caring for children. Some would judge me, but I refused to care about them.

Baby and May would have joyful childhoods, and by the time they grew up, they would know what it meant to be loved, without conditions.

The girls slept the entire time, and when we were scheduled to leave, I handled the toddler while Daphne somehow managed to pick up the older girl without waking her.

Practice likely had something to do with her skill, and I meant to learn the trick of it sooner than later.

“Is the palace going to be ready for two children?” Daphne asked, careful to keep her voice low.

Terry nodded. “I already sent word to the RPS, and I asked them to recruit parents among the aide staff to divide and conquer to get everything they might need. Anything that isn’t used can be donated to charity. I assumed you would want to handle that out of your personal account, Your Royal Highness.”

Until we were out of the courthouse, I expected the RPS agent would title us all. As such, I pretended he had used my name. “That’s right. I made the decision to take custody, so I’ll handle all the bills. Which suites will they be getting?”

“We’ll be placing them next to Madelyn in a pair of connecting suites. We’ll handle the matter of their RPS details once you’re back from California. California will have a team ready to help with security.”

Right. Adoption meant they, like it or not, were officially little princesses, no matter what their birth caste had been. In New York, any child of a king, queen, or heir was a prince or princess, and that was that. With my sister and her husband serving as the secondary custodian, and Montana’s heir and her partner serving as the tertiary custodians, they would always be a short distance from a throne.

New York’s politicians would have kittens upon finding out what I’d done. Their kittens would then have puppies, and everything would descend into madness.

As we had two sleeping children to contend with, the RPS cleared us to use the elevator, which cost twenty minutes as the courthouse needed to make certain all dangerous criminals in the building were contained. While creaky, the elevator failed to eat anybody.

In the time we were upstairs, someone had gotten a car seat for Baby and had installed it in the back of Terry’s SUV. I somehow got her strapped in without waking her, although we lacked such luck with May. Fortunately, I managed to calm her before she began to cry. To keep her amused, I showed her my phone, loaded a game on it, and taught her how to play it.

She handled the device with reverence, and I could only guess that one of her parents had given her a reason to be careful with technology. The puzzle game kept her engaged the entire drive, which went smoothly enough for the area. Upon our arrival at the palace, May gaped at the grounds, and her eyes widened. “It’s so big.”

“You’ll have plenty of time to explore it, and the gardeners would love to tell you about the plants.” I’d been rather astonished to discover the staff would gush over every little flower. On rare occasion, I cornered someone to ask questions. “Tonight, you’ll be meeting with a doctor and watching me and Aunt Rachel play on an obstacle course. Once the doctor says you can use it, you’ll get a chance to play on it, too—but we need to make sure your bruises heal first.”

“Really?”

“Really,” I promised. “There are some parts of the course that are too dangerous for you and your sister, but you’ll get to try the safer sections.”

Since my departure earlier in the day, the horse trailer and truck had been removed, and Dr. Stanton and Melody waited on the steps. While Terry parked, I gestured to the women. “Dr. Stanton is a royal physician from North Dakota, and she’s been helping my sister with some health problems. The other lady is Princess Melody of Maine.”

“She’s a princess ?”

I somehow kept from laughing, aware the little girl might not have pieced together my status as a prince—and that my sister was the queen. “She’s a princess, and one day, she’ll be the Queen of Maine. She’s really nice, and she’ll help you and your sister feel better.”

The skeptical look the girl gave me hurt, mostly because I understood the reason why.

I doubted she had ever felt better.

Bruises hurt for a long time, and it had taken me a while to learn to live life without everything aching all the time.

“You’ll see,” I promised.

Once Terry got out and came around the vehicle to open the door, I helped May unbuckle, well aware of how much the simple task could hurt when covered in bruises. After he helped her out of the vehicle, I went the route of efficiency, unbuckling the car seat and hauling the whole thing, child and all, out so I wouldn’t risk waking Baby.

The toddler remained asleep. As I worried the little girl suffered even more than May, I went straight for Dr. Stanton. “I’m not sure which one of you is better at treating this sort of trauma, but the bruising is extensive, and I’m worried there might be internal injuries for both of the girls.”

Melody eyed May, who held Terry’s hand and regarded the princess with a rather worshipping expression. “I’ll take the older one, Dr. Stanton.”

“What did you tell her, Ian?”

“That Melody is a princess. May seems to be rather infatuated with princesses, and she does not yet realize she was just adopted by a prince. I was titled in the courtroom, but I suspect that she was under so much stress that she didn’t compute what the titles mean. She’s had a chance to have a nap and relax, so I’m not surprised she’s fixating on something magical to her. She loves flowers. We’ll have issues with Baby, though. I don’t know if her mother just addressed her as ‘the baby’ or maybe ‘your baby sister,’ but she thinks her name is Baby. According to her birth certificate, her name is Danielle. For now, I’m calling her Baby because that’s what she knows. Where do you want me to take her, Dr. Stanton?”

“We’ll use their suites for the examination. We just finished setting them up. His Royal Majesty of Montana is on the way. He heard about the girls, and he wants to handle the questioning personally. His Royal Majesty of Alaska is also on the way.” Dr. Stanton grimaced. “I tried to discourage them, but once Daphne informed her cousin about the situation, it was out of my hands. He’s been riled up, and he will not be deterred. In good news, the monarchs are going to be bringing the horse plane for your horse, and the girls will also have ponies to ride for physical therapy. California asked for a week; they’re adding an extension to their stable, but it isn’t ready yet.”

A week would give us a chance to settle the children before going on an adventure across the continent. “If it works for everyone, it works for me.”

“Eddie will be here tomorrow,” Dr. Stanton warned.

Well, I wouldn’t be worried about the kids with Eddie around. “Eddie’s perfect. Maybe he can teach me to cook.”

“Unless we can deter them somehow, their Royal Majesties of Texas will be accompanying him.”

My eyes crossed at the thought of monarchs from around the Royal States invading the palace because I’d taken the initiative on a child abuse case. “Please tell me I’m qualified to care for two kids, Dr. Stanton.”

“Oh, Ian. You’re one of the first men I think of when asked who should help raise two little girls. I know what you did for your sister, and I have no doubt you’ll do everything you can to give these children a happy childhood. Yes, you have a lot to learn about being a father, but between everyone in the palace, you’ll be fine. You already know everything you need to know about treating children right.”

My parents had, in their cruel way, taught me what not to do, leaving me with a list of everything I wish had been done for me. “My sister will owe me a horse if I graduate from therapy first.”

Dr. Stanton laughed and gestured for me to follow her. “Car seats with children aren’t light. Ask me how I know.”

After Dr. Stanton had become the royal physician for North Dakota, life had gone sideways on the woman, who had expected a slow and long decline in her marriage with her bonded partner. Instead, they’d gotten the therapy they needed, and it wouldn’t surprise me if there was yet another Stanton child on the way sooner than later.

Much like the North Dakotan monarchs, Dr. Stanton proved resilient against menopause, and with the revitalization of her relationship with her spouse, I hoped she got her heart’s fill of happiness with children underfoot.

I was willing to bet Mr. Stanton was somewhere around the palace with their growing brood preparing for the pair of newly minted princesses. “I feel like working my yard has prepared me for this task.”

“Having seen the pile they brought in for you to melt down tonight, I agree with you. Normally, as the parent in charge, I’d have you stay for this examination, but considering the level of abuse we’re contending with, I’m going to kick you out to go melt metal. Once I’m done, I’ll brief you, and then you’ll work your nerves out on the mud run. I’m even going to allow you and your sister to work the course at the same time, although there will be no shoving of siblings into the walls. Yes, Terry notified the palace that you were promised a chance at the mud run with the children. There’s at least one obstacle that the children can do even with substantial bruising, and I’m sure I can recruit some RPS agents to play with them. Until I can review their vaccination records, we won’t have the kids intermingling.”

Until we had a better understanding of their health and their vaccination history, I understood Dr. Stanton’s concerns. Children spread germs with the intensity of a wildfire, and chances were, her children were far more likely to make mine ill than the other way around.

As promised, the girls had been given the suites on the other side of Madelyn’s, which put them in close proximity to me. I suspected the family wing would be expanded to include all three suites rather than figure out how to move them closer without disrupting the palace plans for the rest of the wing. Dr. Stanton opened the door to a child’s paradise filled with toys, several crafting stations meant for little ones, and several bookcases filled with storybooks.

The room contained everything I’d been denied growing up as a New York royal, and I wondered how I’d balance keeping the children humble and kind while surrounded with everything they might ever want.

“It’s easier than you think,” Dr. Stanton informed me, and she offered a smile. “And yes, I know that look well enough. I’ve endured it every single time we’ve welcomed a new child into our home. You can give your kids all the joy in the world and still raise them to be good people. Some, like your bastard parents, go the easy route and use abuse, not caring that most abused kids go on to continue the cycle of abuse. Some, like me, try to be as kind as possible while maintaining limits, boundaries, and discipline. Having access to all of this won’t make them spoiled. How you handle the acquisition of what they want is what will determine if they’re spoiled. I recommend chores to earn their new things. Chores teach them how to be self-sufficient adults later while giving them a way to earn what they want.”

I could handle that, assuming I kept a grasp on my sanity while adapting to playing the role of a father. “I’ll give that a whirl and see how terribly I do at it. I’m sure I can recruit one of the actual parents into helping me figure things out as I go. Where do you want me to put her?”

Dr. Stanton pointed at a section of floor near the bed, which had been surrounded with cushions and pillows in case Baby fell off. Someone had removed the frame, putting the mattress directly onto the floor to lower its height. “Stay long enough for her to wake up and figure out that she’s safe. I expect, at least for a while, that you’ll be sharing your bed with anxious little girls. They’re going to be skittish. I recommend slow, deliberate motions where they can see your hands. Sudden movements are going to frighten them.”

“I’ll avoid the body language cues,” I promised. “And the new ones, well, I’ll learn those in a hurry based on how they react.”

“You’ll be all right, Ian. If you hadn’t yanked custody, your sister would have upon verification of abuse. As you’re the heir, it’s a lot easier for the politicians to accept the new princesses. With the changes to the system your sister is pursuing, nobody will care; it will be transitioning to merit rather than birth order, so they’ll only be in the running if they have the appropriate skills and tendencies. Try not to worry.”

Damned empaths. “I’m more worried about the abuse issues. If the succession is in such a bad shape the girls are candidates to rule, I’m dead and can’t worry about it.”

The doctor leveled a glare at me, and then she narrowed her eyes. “It disturbs me that you have readily accepted this fact. Frankly, you’re so far ahead of your sister in terms of therapy that I should tell her that she owes you a horse. Maybe if I imply she has no hope of catching up to you, she’ll bust her ass.”

I allowed myself a grin over that. “It’s just the truth. Right now, the succession is shaky, and I know that. The girls being involved will actually be good for the kingdom. Their schooling will be catered to them possibly needing to rule, but it will be done gently. We’ll see what their aptitudes are, and we’ll play to their strengths. We’ll make sure they’re still educated on their weaker subjects, but I’d rather ease them into advanced schooling. I’d rather not accidentally cultivate them to be like my sister.”

“You can’t accidentally do what happened to your sister to these girls, I promise. What your parents did was cruel and deliberate. Let’s see what this little girl’s temperament is like when you wake her up. Be gentle about it. As we don’t know if she’s been shaken or not, start with squeezing her hands and calling her name. Use a soft voice and gradually increase your volume until she stirs. If she’s deeply asleep, I’ll just do the examination while she’s passed out, and that’s fine. You’ll be grateful if she’s one of those kids that can sleep through explosions. In bad news, once you put them down, that’s it. They’re staying asleep. I have one, and it’s as much of a blessing as it is a curse.”

I bet. I crouched in front of the car seat, took Baby’s hands, and followed Dr. Stanton’s instructions. While it took a few minutes, the little girl roused. She yawned, blinked, and stared at me with wide eyes. “Hey, Baby. This is Dr. Stanton, and she’s going to help you feel better, okay?”

“Doctor?” The toddler’s brows furrowed. “Not allowed.”

Dr. Stanton stiffened.

“It’s common with abused children,” I reminded the woman in a gentle tone. “If she is taught she can’t go to the doctor, a doctor can’t spot and report the bruising. I’m betting May was homeschooled, because New York requires that teachers report possible abuse to law enforcement. We don’t get a lot right, but we do have doctors and teachers on the lookout for warning signs.” I smiled at the little girl. “You’re now allowed to see a doctor anytime you feel sick or have boo-boos, okay? If you’re not sure if you should see a doctor, you can ask me, all right? Just tell me if you have a boo-boo or you’re not feeling well. I know you’re probably not feeling well right now, so I asked Dr. Stanton to help you feel better. It’ll take a while, but she can help make the boo-boos disappear.”

Baby held out her arm and eyed it with suspicion. “How?”

How could I explain to a little girl that nobody would be hurting her anymore? “Your mother was cooking bad things downstairs, and it was making her—and others—sick. She wasn’t allowed to do that, so she has to talk to the judge and other people about what she did and face her punishment for doing it. As such, I’m going to be taking the place of your mother and father now. You won’t have any boo-boos from me hitting you or your sister, and you’ll see the doctors whenever you need them. I’m sure you’ll get boo-boos from playing outside, but that’s different.”

“Not allowed to play outside,” Baby whined.

I sighed, accepting I’d be hearing a lot about what she wasn’t allowed to do. “After Dr. Stanton checks on you, we will be playing outside. My sister and I will be giving you and your sister a demonstration of how adults play outside, and then, once Dr. Stanton says you can, we’ll be taking you outside to play. Rules in our household are much different from the rules you used to have to follow, but if you aren’t sure, ask me if it’s okay. All right?”

Baby shoved her fingers in her mouth, and after a moment, she nodded.

“I’ll be in my suite if you need me, Dr. Stanton. Text or call.”

“Will do.” Dr. Stanton waited until I was out of the way before going to work unbuckling Baby from the car seat. “All right, you sweet little angel. I’m Dr. Stanton, and we’re going to become good friends, okay? My first job is to make you healthy so your new daddy doesn’t worry about if you’re feeling unwell. Please ask me any questions, and I’ll answer them the best I can.”

“Okay,” Baby replied, giving the woman her attention. Her smile lit up her face. “You can make the boo-boos go away?”

“Yes, I can. And I will.”