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“It’s been a lot.”
He chuckles. “I imagine it has. My parents think you’re wonderful.”
“They’re wonderful,” I reply with vehemence. “So welcoming and kind.”
But we can’t keep talking around the topic. I need to know.
“Uncle Nicolas…are you back back? As in, you’re not abdicating?”
Part of me wants him to say yes, that he’s back, it’s all been a horrible mistake because he’s thought about it and he wants to be King. It would mean I could be with Alex and this whole gut-wrenching conundrum will be resolved.
But the other part wants him to tell me he’s leaving, and the Crown is mine.
He surprises me by asking, “What do you want, Maddie?”
It’s a question with which I’ve been grappling for two days now.
He spins me around once more, and when he places his hand on my back, I feel my old friend anxiety spring to life.
“I…I,” I begin, but I can’t find the words to explain that I want two things, and that they’re in total conflict with one another.
He looks into my eyes, his brows pulled together. “That’s unfair of me to ask. Perhaps I should tell you my decision instead?”
All I can manage is a nod, because let’s face it, me and words are clearly in a fight right now.
“I signed the abdication papers this afternoon.”
I come to a crashing halt and stand and stare at him. “You’re going through with it?” I ask as my heart thrashes against my chest like it’s trying to escape.
So, that’s it then. I’m the sole heir. My grandparents’ only hope.
“I’ve seen the way you’ve conducted yourself. Maddie, you were born for this role. You do it so naturally, and so much better than I ever could. You might not know it now, but?—”
“I know,” I say, interrupting. If there’s one thing I’m sure of in all this mess, it’s that I’m living the life I was always meant to live.
His lips lift into a smile. “You’re going to make a wonderful Queen someday.”
I open my mouth to speak, but no words come out. We’re obviously still in a fight.
By now the dance floor is filled with couples.
“Why did you decide to abdicate?” I ask.
“The truth is I lost my spark for the role. I knew I couldn’t do it justice, not like my parents did. Then there was a particularly savage article in the Royal Malveauxian paper, that said because I suffered from bouts of depression, I was unfit to rule.”
“That’s terrible,” I say, aghast.
“It is, but it gave me an out, an out I leapt on. You see, I’ve never really felt as though this should be my life. I know that sounds so terribly odd, but it’s the way I feel.”
I smile, knowing precisely what he means.
“Is your new life a better fit for you?” I ask.
“It’s only just beginning. A work in progress, if you will. But the outlook seems positive.”
The song finishes, and he bows his head. “Thank you for the dance, Princess Madeline. And for everything.”
I watch as though in a daze as he places a kiss on my cheek, and then turns to greet other guests, as if he didn’t just spark a wildfire in my life.
