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Well, fuck that.
“Fuck you,” I tell Rex.
“What?” Rex’s eyes pop open so wide I’m a little surprised they didn’t explode.
“Fuck. You.” I enunciate my words and poke Rex in the chest as I speak. “I don’t know who the fuck you think you are, coming to Sapphira and causing trouble, but I don’t like it.”
Rex straightens up, steeling himself. “Why, I am the second-born prince of Orchid, heir to the throne.”
“Yeah,” I say dryly. “I got that bit, and I also got the part where Gaz told you he isn’t interested in the throne, so fuck off.”
I turn to Gaz and give him a hug.
“Are you okay?” I whisper in his ear, and he nods.
“That was incredible,” he says, pressing a kiss to my forehead.
“I knew it!” Izzie shouts from her spot by the reception desk. “I knew you two were going to hook up! I called it.”
“Yes, yes,” Gaz waves a hand toward her. “Happy endings for everyone, I know.”
“Not for you,” Rex says, stepping forward. “Mother has demanded your presence.”
“Why?” Gaz says. Suddenly, he seems a little bit stronger, a little bit darker, and I wonder what he’s going to say to his brother. Rex seems like a weasel. He’s not exactly the type of person I’d want to be around.
He’s also nothing like my own brothers, who are kind and gentle and good.
Now Rex is the one who seems uncomfortable.
“Why would Mother, after all of this time, want me to come back to Orchid?” Gaz’s eyes narrow. “I stepped away from the crown, brother. I left that world, and it was made very clear I was no longer welcome on Orchid.”
“Well, she…”
“She what?” Gaz says, and then his gaze deepens. “Or is this not about mother at all? Is this about you? Have you finally realized what she expects from the crown prince?”
Rex looks suddenly nervous, anxious. He looks around, like he’s trying to find a way to escape.
“That’s it, isn’t it?” Gaz says, shaking his head, as if he can’t quite believe it. “We both know if I step foot on Orchid, I’ll be either arrested or forced to take the crown. That’s the whole point, though, isn’t it? You no longer want it.”
Rex shakes his head.
“You don’t understand,” he begins.
“No, brother, it is you who doesn’t understand.” Gaz steps forward and his eyes grow gentle as he looks at his younger brother. How many wonderful adventures did these two have together growing up? How many times did they play together before they realized the politics of the world? How many times did they find themselves isolated and alone with only the other for comfort?
Gaz looks at his brother with nothing but love and compassion.
That’s the Gaz I know.
That’s the Gaz I love.
“I left Orchid because I wanted a better life. Orchid has problems that cannot be solved overnight, issues that cannot be resolved in this lifetime.”
Rex suddenly looks defeated. His shoulders slump forward and he nods.
“May we speak alone?” He asks, jerking his head toward the Orchidian police, and suddenly I wonder whether they’re actually here to escort Rex around safely or if they’re simply here to escort him.
Maybe they’re supposed to make sure he actually leaves Sapphira and returns to Orchid.
