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“Honey, I’m honored,” she said. “I’m honored that you chose to share your news with me, that you chose my sons to love, that you’re in a relationship with them. And so what if it isn’t traditional? It’d hard to find someone at all these days, much less three men. I mean look at me,” she added wryly. “I’ve been single for decades now, drying up on the vine so to speak.”
And I shook my head, surprised. Violet was a beautiful woman, aging but pretty and vivacious still. Why hadn’t she met someone?
“Maybe you’ll meet someone here on vacation,” I said encouragingly, sitting back and relaxing. The hard part of the conversation was over now, going much better than I’d expected, and I could let down my defensive walls and open up some. “There’s the gala, I bet there are some nice gentlemen there who’d only be too happy to get to know you.”
And at that, Violet smiled before frowning again.
“Oh yes, the gala,” she said faintly. “My sons invited me to St. Venetia to attend the gala,” she said. “They’ll be formally inducted as Legionnaires that night, it’s a big deal. I wouldn’t miss it for the world of course,” she added hastily.
“No of course not,” I said, “Everyone who’s anyone in St. Venetia will be there.” I didn’t add that our mysterious fourth, Prince Kristian, would be there as well.
“And will the King attend?” asked Violet casually, a little too casually.
I nodded.
“I suppose so,” I frowned. “I think King Georg goes every year, and the money benefits charities that he patronizes, so it’d be a little weird if he weren’t there. But it’ll be a good time nonetheless even if the King doesn’t show,” I said. “We’ll see. The important thing is that we’re there for Karl and Kato.”
And Violet was silent, nodding thoughtfully.
“I’ll be there,” she said quietly before pepping up. “Now tell me, where were you from again?”
And before I knew it, I was spilling out my life history, how my family was in a financial bind, how I’d been shipped off to Miss Carroll’s to find a rich husband to revive our flagging fortunes.
And Violet laughed, hearing it all.
“Well I don’t think your mom and dad are going to be too happy hearing about Kato and Karl then,” she said wryly. “I’m so sorry but we were middle class in the U.S., and although my boys are paid well as soldiers of the Crown now, I don’t think it even comes near what your parents are hoping for.”
“Oh don’t apologize,” I said quickly. “Kato and Karl are my everything, they make a good living and enough is enough, you know what I mean? It’s my parents who are running low on options, they bet the house by sending me to Miss Carroll’s, hoping I’d snag a rich man.”
And Violet looked at me thoughtfully.
“You know, I used to be so jealous of girls like you. I’d see you from afar, beautiful, put-together, confident, and think of all the men who wanted to be with you, marry you,” she said wryly. “Little did I realize how much I had.”
I was puzzled. I thought Violet was American, with a career as a flight attendant. When had she ever been in contact with minor European nobility? But I brushed it out of my head.
“But you had the twins, and that’s the best gift of all,” I stated stoutly.
“Tell that to a single mom with babies who won’t stop crying,” she said wryly. “There were times when I hadn’t slept for thirty-six hours, days when I thought to myself, ‘what did I do to deserve this?’”
And again, I was confused. After all, it’s almost a crime to talk about motherhood as anything but rainbows and light, almost sacrilege if you admit that pregnancy and babies weren’t your thing. But Violet continued, more to herself than anyone.
“But I came out of it okay and my sons came out of it okay, and that’s what matters,” she said. “I didn’t want them to be bitter towards their dad, he was such an asshole and wouldn’t give them the time of day, never bothered to acknowledge them. I think I did okay, right?”
I nodded, affirming her question.
“You did more than okay, Violet. The twins are wonderful, upstanding, honorable men, that’s why they were selected for the Legionnaires. But they never talk about their dad, in fact I don’t even know who he is,” I admitted. “It’s the one area that they won’t open up about. I know about their childhood, their life on the farm, their time as merchant mariners, their hopes and dreams, but you’re all they ever mention when it comes to family.”
And Violet gave a small, sad smile then, a flash of understanding crossing her face.
“I was hoping they were better adjusted, that it wasn’t some deep, dark pain inside, but I guess you can only do so much,” she sighed. “Anyways, it explains a lot and I only hope they keep growing, expanding as people, broadening their horizons. And honey,” here she caught my hand, “I think they’ve already started that with you, the new job, moving to St. Venetia, settling down, all these recent changes. I think they’re starting a new phase in life and wanted me to come see just as it blossomed.”
“Of course they wanted you to come,” I said, smiling. “It’s important to support family on a momentous occasion like this. Cheers to Karl and Kato, the loves of our lives!” and with that we clinked glasses and laughed, bonded in our adoration for the men.
But what Violet didn’t realize was the importance of our fourth … Prince Kristian, whom I loved just as much, worshiped with my mind, body, and soul, my heart fluttering around all three men, my deepest recesses growing wet in their presence. When would be the time to come out? Would there ever be a time to reveal our dirty quartet to the world? Sure, Violet was fine with it, but everyone else, the world at large? That was pushing the boundaries and only time would tell.
KRISTIAN
The gala was at full hum, the clinking of champagne glasses and tinny strains of an orchestra filling my ears. The White Ball is an annual event thrown by the Palace to benefit a couple of the Crown’s charities. Of course my dad loved it, he was host, MC and benevolent ruler all in one, the star of the show. Wouldn’t miss it for the world, it had taken triple bypass surgery a couple years back to keep him at home.
