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“What did you do? How did you cope with the responsibility and grief?”
“I governed,” he answered flatly. “Meanwhile, my father?
?s advisors surrounded me. Sutcliffe, he’s left over from the old days. I’ve replaced most of them. Kenley and Ayla are new additions. They suit my style better.”
I wondered if it also helped that they were smart beautiful women who had a way of spinning negative situations into positive ones.
“I didn’t realize your mother was still living.”
“She left the Freychon palace after he died. She lives on the coast in one of the summer homes. She converted it into a residence meant for a dowager queen. She wanted to be out of the spotlight. No one blamed her.”
“Do you see her often?”
He shook his head. “Isabel visits the most. Dominic is too engrossed in his own problems. The rest of us have heavy schedules.”
I was sad for her. Sad for all of them. It seemed as if Damon’s father’s death had a rippling effect on the security of the family.
“Maybe I’ll plan a trip after I get through the next round of cabinet votes.”
I nodded. Mothers liked that kind of thing. I knew mine did. She worried if I didn’t call every week. She loved getting cards and small things I could send home. Video calls were our lifeline to each other.
“What happened to your father? Is it ok if I ask?” It seemed like a crucial piece to the puzzle. “Am I prying? I am. Aren’t I?”
“Molly, you can ask. I brought it up. The cause of death was inconclusive. My mother swears it was the stress of running the country.”
“No one knows?”
He shook his head. “He dropped dead after a morning swim in the pool. He was rushed to the hospital, but they were never able to revive him.”
“Oh my God, that’s terrible. I’m so sorry.”
“Thank you. It was the worst day of my life, but the day that has defined me as a man.”
“And that’s how you became king?”
“It is. I was sworn in that afternoon and coronated a month later. I started running the country at twenty-seven and didn’t have a fucking clue what I was doing.”
“Galona is an incredible country, Damon. Your family must be proud. The circumstances that led to your ascension make it even more impressive.” I was awed by him. I was twenty-seven and didn’t know the first thing about running a country. What would I have done in his position? Could Isabel have ruled the same way? What about his other brothers?
He waved me off. “My reign has been about finding a balance between the antiquated way my father did things and the reality of living in a modern society. I’m done with royal shackles. If I want my girlfriend to move in, she should be able to move in. I don’t care about Sutcliffe’s list of rules. That’s the part of the crown I despise.”
“So I’m a political statement against the old ways and customs?”
“In some ways, yes. You are. And even that pisses me off.”
“But on the ship, we can do whatever we want? No rules. No politics.”
He nodded. “Everything we want.”
“Can we go back to the room?” I asked.
“I’ll have them bring us dessert.”
I smiled as he led me away from the table. “But you had your dessert before dinner.”
He chuckled. “I think I’m going to have some more.”
27
