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EIGHT

“We’re teaching my sister to steal my grape juice along with my jerky?”

With minimal encouragement from Dr. Stanton, Madelyn dove into organizing my life with amusing enthusiasm. After we ate breakfast, which consisted of honeyed salmon, rice, and a salad, we returned to the palace. In the questionable comfort of a conference room, the woman prioritized my life around food while the royal physician watched on with open approval.

Someone must have warned Madelyn about my family’s tendency to skip meals or forget about eating. She stared at her clipboard with intriguing intensity. Something on the page either bothered her or flummoxed her, and I couldn’t tell which. After a few minutes, I asked, “What’s wrong?”

With startling ferocity, she stabbed the paper with the tip of her pen. “They want you to go to a vineyard tomorrow.”

Ah. “Ethan’s family loves wine, and Rachel can’t handle going to vineyards. She starts to cry. The bottles are so pretty, and if she buys a bottle, she’ll try something from the bottle, she’ll end up sick, but she can’t waste the bottle. She’ll try to drink down an entire bottle of wine because she has issues about wasting food. She forgets Ethan is happy to drink the wine for her. She’s probably undergoing therapy so she can go to the vineyard without trying to drink any of the wine she buys. I look at bottles of wine and wait for a private moment to gag over having to be in the same room with them. But I can listen to the excited vineyard employees go over their offerings, and they respect my intolerance for alcohol. They’ll bring a variety of grape juices made from their vines, and I get to do the kid’s version of a tasting. And they’ll bottle my favorite juices for me to take home.”

Madelyn’s eyes widened. “Really?”

I nodded. “The second time my mother brought me to the vineyard, the staff clued in I can’t have alcohol, so they started the grape juice thing. My mother saw I was drinking something the color of wine and didn’t care. My father just didn’t care. The staff would run off to bottle my favorite of the lot so I maintained appearances.”

“Your parents made you drink wine?”

I shrugged. “Half the time, my parents were drinking before noon, and they didn’t understand how they could possibly produce two children who ‘didn’t like’ alcohol. They didn’t accept the intolerance issue once it was discovered, and the only time Rachel or I got respite was when the kitchen staff realized they were feeding us, too. We were stuck if we had to eat out.”

“So, the vineyard will provide grape juice for you?”

I nodded. “It’s not an issue, and I enjoy visiting the vineyards. It’s a pleasant outing. They’ll make lunch for us, too, and it’ll be everything that partners well with wine without having wine, so you won’t have to deal with the consequences of alcohol exposure. If you want to try the grape juice flight, I’m sure they’ll humor you. But you can try the wine flight if you want.”

“I don’t drink,” she admitted.

“Then you can join me at the kids’ table and have a grape juice flight. We’ll ask one of the RPS agents to warn them that there will be two grape juice flight drinkers.” To my amusement, one of the nearby agents raised his hand in an acknowledgment of my request, and I matched the gesture before giving Madelyn my full attention again. “We’ll get a list of all the Californians and their wine preferences, and everyone will get two bottles. I’ll probably go home with an entire case of grape juice, as I absolutely will down an entire bottle without hesitation.”

Dr. Stanton, who was saddled with making sure I didn’t do something we’d regret and had been assigned to babysit me for the remainder of the day, heaved a sigh. “Please do not give yourself diabetes drinking grape juice.”

“I’ll limit it to one bottle a day,” I promised. “It’s really good stuff. You should try it.”

After casting a forlorn glance at the RPS agent who’d assigned himself as the vineyard organizer, she said, “Please ask the vineyard to prepare several extra cases. I suspect the queen will want to partake and is dealing with her typical pride issues again.”

“We’re teaching my sister to steal my grape juice along with my jerky? That’s mean, Dr. Stanton.”

The woman laughed. “Honestly, I hadn’t thought to just substitute the wine for grape juice, but that would let the queen have dinners without feeling embarrassed. She’s been trying really hard to keep from asking for milkshakes to go with her dinner. It’s bad enough she’s getting them for breakfast. At least I can claim the grape juice has some questionable health benefits, where the milkshake is really just fatty calories she can make disappear in five minutes flat if she feels someone is going to take it from her.”

“I’m proud she’s having it. Our parents would have beaten her if she’d asked for one.” When growing up, I’d jumped on every sword I could, making sure Rachel witnessed my punishments for things she might ask for.

As such, I’d endured the bruises and she had not.

She’d been smart enough to learn from my ‘mistakes,’ and I still went out of my way to make certain my sister failed to realize I’d repeated more than a few of them so she wouldn’t have to endure the same level of suffering.

After Ethan and Rachel had secured their happiness together, I’d returned to my ratty apartment, alone as always, and allowed myself to weep from a mixture of relief and grief. The worry our parents were out there somewhere bothered me—and if rumor spread of them being out there, I would take it upon myself to make certain they stayed gone.

I’d spent a lot of my life pretending Rachel had the stronger talent, hoping that her perceived power would offer her protection. I’d strived to stay a step behind her.

In reality, I’d been trying to light my showers on fire since I’d turned six, refining my talent until I had complete control over my magic down to the degree. If Dr. Stanton looked closer at what I did in my junkyard, she might expose the truth. Tricking Carrie took work, but I’d been doing it for so long she didn’t worry me.

Dr. Stanton liked to cheat, and she used her empathy with dedicated ruthlessness when it came to those in her care.

Madelyn relaxed and returned to investigating my schedule. “All right. As that isn’t actually an issue, on Sunday, they want to take you to your workplace and your apartment to gather anything you might need. Terry, Monty, and a few Californian RPS agents will be accompanying you. I will be accompanying the queen on a shopping venture and to the courthouse to acquire paperwork. You will meet us at the courthouse to finalize some documentation. Monday, we will be taking an early morning flight to California, where we will be met at the royal airstrip by your Californian RPS team and the Californian Royal Family. They will be hosting a dinner, which has been promised to be alcohol free, much to the dismay of all in attendance except us.”

I laughed at that. “Her Royal Majesty just doesn’t want to end up in the men’s room again. It was accidental contamination to the point I hadn’t even noticed the taste of the alcohol. I was fine until I wasn’t. She realized what had happened, and she spent the rest of the night and the next day apologizing profusely. Fortunately, I fell on that sword, so when Rachel ended up in California, there were no mishaps.”

“Are there any preparations I should do for the trip?”

“When we’re doing the courthouse thing, make plans to go to a stationery store and possibly a bag store. I’ll teach you how to effectively pack a bag for these trips for your personal hardware, entertainment, and so on. If you don’t have a hobby, we’re going to a hobby store, and you’ll pick a starter kit for learning something.”

“I paint,” Madelyn admitted.

“Oil, water, acrylic, or other?” I considered the complications transporting a drying painting would create, decided the RPS could earn its keep, and would enable her however she needed.

“Watercolor.”

That would simplify things. “We’ll go to the art store anyway, and we’ll pick a travel kit for you. There’s going to be a lot of downtime, and it’s better if we prepare the aides for this sort of thing. Since you haven’t done this sort of work before, I’d rather you not learn the hard way. I’ll be picking a hobby, too.” Outside of my work, I hadn’t bothered with anything that might count as an enrichment activity. “Dr. Stanton? Do you have any recommendations for me?”

“I would like you to take up horseback riding while you are there. The Californians have reopened their palace stables, and there will be a horse available for your use. I’ve already made arrangements for an instructor, and as your sister will be riding often, you need a refresher course. For an artistic craft, I think I’ll inquire on if it’s possible to find a woodcarving instructor for you. I want you working with your hands, and I don’t want you using your talent much. Woodcarving, outside of heat tempering the wood, should meet my requirements.”

I raised a brow at the thought of working with a knife. “While woodcarving is a rather manly hobby, I’m not sure I want to be doing an activity that might result in the loss of a finger. Or fingers. With my luck, I would end up cutting off my own nose. How about I start with clay sculpting? That sounds safer. The blades are dulled. I think.”

“If you want to play with clay, I’ll allow it, and you can even use your talent to fire the clay. It’s a good way to practice usage and prevent spontaneous combustion.”

Madelyn narrowed her eyes and regarded Dr. Stanton with a rather displeased expression. “What do you mean by spontaneous combustion?”

“He’s New York’s strongest Royal, and he must do exercises and work with his talent to prevent it from bottling. When we remove his current suppressors, I will have him do some intensive work to mitigate the risk. He’s excellent at managing his risk factor, but it’s always an issue following illness. For your work, you can just check on him in the afternoon and ask if he’s done his exercises for the day. He’s the easiest royal to work with in that regard. He follows his trainer’s recommendations, and he takes safety seriously.”

“But he can spontaneously combust?”

“As can his sister,” Dr. Stanton replied, and she offered Madelyn a gentle smile. “You have nothing to worry about.”

“If you’re sure,” she murmured in a way I recognized to mean she would be worrying about it.

“Remember what I said about melting tungsten?” The question drew the woman’s attention to me, and she nodded. “Doing a tungsten melt means I don’t have to worry about my talent for at least a week. That sort of work is intensive, and while I can continue to use my magic, it uses enough strength and energy that it is no longer a worry for a while. Dr. Stanton probably wants me to go to the junkyard to make certain she doesn’t have to monitor my talent for a few days.”

“He’s not wrong. It also gives him a chance to experience normalcy before he’s thrown into an unfortunate schedule. Terry will bring him back to you rather fatigued, but you’ll be able to handle him,” Dr. Stanton promised. “I’ll be available if there are any issues. As we have time, I’ll go over his general training regime with you until Carrie has a chance to discuss what to look out for. For the most part, Ian is truly easy to manage, and you will likely get him dancing to your tune at the first hint of serious disapproval. He’s a helper, and the helpers get distressed when they’ve made a mess of something. Alas, he’s a New Yorker, so he has to be difficult while helping.”

I sighed. “Couldn’t you have said something nice about me, Dr. Stanton?”

“I did. I told her you won’t be a problem. You even know how to clean up after yourself, do dishes, and handle basic kitchen tasks without complaint. I’ve seen you steal a vacuum from a maid because you felt she shouldn’t have to clean up after you.”

If Madelyn’s brow rose any higher, it would merge with her hairline. “I see. He copes with anxiety through doing useful tasks. And creating extra work for others is a source of anxiety. Anxiety is simple enough to manage when the conditions for its development are known. We will have to work on the cleaning issue. Standard vacuuming can be left to the cleaning staff. They’re required to do it anyway, even if the carpet doesn’t appear to need it. If you spill a bag of chips and the cleaning staff isn’t coming for more than an hour, it is all right to make use of a vacuum. I recommend a portable one with a battery, Dr. Stanton. He can keep it in his suite, do a round if he makes a mess, and then he will leave the cleaning staff alone to do their regular chores or he will have his emotional support vacuum taken away.”

“I’ll acquire one,” the doctor replied. “In fact, I’ll get him an entire cleaning kit, that way he can keep his space cleaned to his standards. As long as he doesn’t develop obsessive compulsive tendencies, it’s a safe outlet. Keep an eye out for his hands becoming red, Madelyn.”

“Easily done. He will not be cleaning while in California unless he has been assigned a horse and must work in the animal’s stall. That will push the limits of everyone’s sanity. Suite cleaning will be limited to your personal suite,” the woman informed me, engaging me in a staring contest. “Will four hours at your junkyard be sufficient to prepare for the trip? There will be staff on hand to help secure and sell any refined metals you might make. There is a note that you should exercise your talent before the flight.”

I rolled my eyes, wondering when someone would realize I did not want to melt any part of a plane I happened to be riding within. “My talent will be fine. I’ll do some light melting on Sunday, but I’ll keep it to two to three days before having to use it again. That gives me full access to my talent in case of an emergency.”

“That leaves the problem of your parents,” Dr. Stanton murmured.

I sighed, well aware neither of their bodies had been found. Worse, I hadn’t been able to find any evidence of either immolating. “You are concerned they might show up.”

“I am. They won’t target Rachel. That would be the equivalent of suicide. There would be nowhere safe for them on this planet. Every RPS agency in the world would be after them with orders to kill on sight. You, however, are their eldest legitimate child—and you are the weapon they had wanted to cultivate. You would be their ultimate target for a live capture. If you see them, and it is safe to eliminate them, I want you to do so with extreme prejudice.” The woman sighed. “The RPS is nervous, and I don’t know why.”

“They’re probably nervous because they don’t know what happened to them. It’s entirely possible they died in the fire. It’s more likely they escaped. There weren’t many people killed by that fire, and those who were killed match missing person records or were identified. And none of those missing match their description.” I caught myself before glancing at Madelyn.

The last thing I wanted was my parents going anywhere near the woman.

“Madelyn, this warning is as much for you as it is for him. If they approach you, cooperate. Feign relief they are alive and well. Play along with anything they need. You do not have the offensive or defensive abilities to handle them, and they value people of your caste—especially if they are aware you have an amicable relationship with Ian.”

With Dr. Stanton broaching the subject with the woman, I dared to steal a peek.

She blushed, and a few moments later, she stammered, “I’ve always made a point of telling them Ian was the kindest of their sons whenever they asked me.” Her face reddened further. “They did ask me if I thought he was handsome.”

“Madelyn, anyone with a pair of functioning eyes is going to think Ian is handsome. He is genetic perfection for looks,” Dr. Stanton said, and she grinned. “But this is perfect for protecting you. They were both raised to be Royal, and their conditioning is simple. For their legacy to continue, they need a son. They have the perfect son already in Ian. Honestly, I suspect they knew exactly which children were legitimate; the RPS has been going through the kingdom’s records, and a lot changed in how the children were managed after Ian was born. After Rachel was born, other changes were implemented. Ian faced fairly harsh punishments for his transgressions, but he was never pushed quite the same way as the other children. Once Ian started taking the blows, the records of injuries and requirements for the royal physicians lessened significantly.”

I winced. “While I’d been aware my parents had taken swipes at my siblings, I wasn’t aware they’d been injured enough to need a physician.”

“Your temperament was such they understood you couldn’t handle seeing your siblings hurt. Your talent was sufficient for their needs, and you have always had a reputation of working well with the lower castes. Your talent level is one step below unsustainable for life. They would want to have strong flameweavers, but they would be looking to skip a generation for having another family member of your level. Rachel will provide sufficient legacy for their needs in the New York line; she may have changed her name, but they know their blood will continue to rule New York. That leaves you, a proper New York heir to further their plans.” Dr. Stanton wrinkled her nose. “I dislike that I understand their motivations. You are irreplaceable for their plans, so they will take care with how they acquire you. As long as you are close to an agent, you should be safe enough. That’s part of why Terry will be going with you. If they do make a move, they will take you and Terry—and they will underestimate Terry despite knowing he is strong. He’s always presented himself as elite, and while word has surely spread he is the latest addition to Montana, they won’t view him as a threat. They will view him as a prize, however. And both of them have a long history of admiring and appreciating Olivia. They won’t hurt her if there’s no other option.”

I sighed, and I nodded. “You’re correct. My parents have always had much fondness for Olivia.”

“Did you know that Olivia was on the docket of women they were going to push you into marrying?” Dr. Stanton asked, and she gestured to her briefcase. “It was in the RPS records that they were considering a serious offer for Olivia for you.”

I raised a brow at that. “I love Olivia like she’s a sister, but we would try to kill each other within a week, Dr. Stanton. And that’s before knowing Olivia is—and has been—in love with Terry for a long time.”

“But to your parents, Olivia would be the perfect queen for you. Royal, a genuinely good person, and tolerant. Honestly, the proposal for Olivia is a work of heart and quite possibly the only genuine thing those two have done in their entire life.”

That I could believe. “Dare I ask what the offer entailed?”

“Five hundred million, a herd of rare horses, and four properties in New York is the start of it.”

Huh. My parents had valued Olivia far more than any of their children. “If it weren’t for the prince involved, even her brother would think twice about that offer.” I eyed the conference room, which was devoid of RPS agents. “I assume the room is being recorded?”

“It is, but I already cleared with Terry for this to be confidential, so they’re practicing how to keep something like this confidential. They’re aware none of us are getting out of here alive if you take offense to us, Ian.”

I snorted at her joke, which turned the usual RPS concerns on its ear. “Are you a tank pointed at a friend?”

“Not today, but thank you for slagging that tank. I about had a heart attack when I saw those recordings. Still, the instant Adam finds out about this? There are going to be issues. He will want to help.”

“And my parents would hesitate to do anything to him because they like him.”

Dr. Stanton nodded. “That’s honestly something we’re going to take advantage of. If we surround you with people your parents like, it’s less likely anyone gets hurt. And yes, Terry will be going in understanding there’s a high chance of you both being kidnapped by New York’s former monarchs. His job will be to get you both out of the situation alive. And no, I don’t expect you to get out of any situation dealing with your parents mentally sound. That’s what I, and the rest of the medical staff, will be for once you finish eliminating them. And yes, that is the result we expect. You won’t do such a thing if there’s any chance of someone else being hurt, but ultimately, the truth is this: if they aren’t eliminated, they’ll find some way to commit even crueler atrocities. And that’s something that you simply cannot tolerate.”

As she was correct on every count, I nodded. “I won’t claim to like it, but I do agree with you. And when I’m being honest, I don’t think it’s going to be all that difficult to become angry enough to be willing to kill them. If they were to show up in the hallway, and all that would have to be rebuilt was part of the castle, I wouldn’t even bother with snapping my fingers. They’d be annihilated. And they are so confident that their abilities surpass mine that they will try to overwhelm my talent and fail to do so.” I glanced at Madelyn. “And I apologize for how direct I’m being about this.”

“You have nothing to apologize about. I assure you, any illusions I had regarding them have been shattered. I can handle acting as I always have if I must share space with them, however. I’m well practiced.”

I had zero doubt of that. “I’m still sorry. I’d rather nobody be caught up in this mess. If I had an option, I wouldn’t be caught up in it.” Shaking my head, I turned my attention to Dr. Stanton’s briefcase. “My parents were really interested in Olivia?”

“They were. Judging from the nature of the offer, I think they wished to give Olivia a chance for the family they likely knew she wanted. While they were never ideal people, they were capable of understanding things sometimes. You’ve always come across as a family man, and Olivia would have been an optimal match for you. Her age would have also factored. There would not be many royal children born.” The woman bowed her head. “I fear nothing but twins and triplets will plague them. I’m concerned there might even be a set of quadruplets before they’re done.”

“I’m sure Melody can handle anything Olivia throws at her. That will save your sanity for Adam and Veronica.” I wondered if I might convince the Montana royals to at least pretend they weren’t going to add to their herd as soon as biologically possible. “Please tell me Olivia wants some sanity in her life.”

“She does not. She would rather she had quadruplets until menopause comes for her. I’m concerned. Melody is resigned. Terry defers to his wife, as he is a wise man.” Dr. Stanton shrugged. “I’ve accepted I’m surrounded with those who love children just as much as they love their spouses, and that combination tends to lead directly to large and happy families. I’ve taken steps to make certain history doesn’t repeat itself with Adam and Veronica. I don’t foresee any issues with Olivia and Terry.”

“You would have to treat me for shock if either one of them ever abused a child,” I informed her.

“I would need to be treated for shock if that were to happen, Ian. Now that we’ve gossiped about the love lives of other royals, I want you to be careful over the next few days. As long as we can get you to California without incident, you should be safe. Your parents are wise enough to avoid California. Well, I hope. That doesn’t mean there won’t be bounty hunters out for you.”

Great. I could see my parents hiring bounty hunters, assuming they had the backing of someone wealthy.

Their ‘deaths’ had resulted in their wealth being distributed among their surviving children. Rachel and I had opted against taking a share.

She’d received the payout for returning to New York and intended on making it last for as long as possible. I helped as needed, as I’d been independently wealthy long before any sign of an inheritance had shown up. I hoped the money I refused to accept might help my half-siblings start fresh anywhere they wished.

“I’ll play nice,” I promised.

While I hadn’t been able to find other purpose in my life, I could work towards making certain my parents never hurt anyone ever again—or found their way into a position of power where they might continue their reign. If allowed to run unchecked, I feared what atrocities they might commit to regain what they had lost and feed their ambitions.

The trick would be making certain only they suffered for the choices they had made.