Page 12 of Royal Daddy


Font Size:  

“Sure.” The corner of his mouth curled slightly, almost imperceptibly. Through it all, I could tell that he was amused.

“Wait, I know what this is!” I sat up. “This is a con! You’re trying to trick me! I mean, I may not know a lot about photoshop or other altering software, but I’m sure it’s not hard to fake something like these pictures.”

“Does that really make sense to you?” he asked. “And what would the point of doing that even be? So I can get access to your crab cake fortune?”

There was that sardonic sense of humor again. Luc was professional, even a bit stiff and serious, but he could crack a dry joke every now and then.

Not to mention the little detail that he had a point. Why the hell would a conman waste their time with someone like me? Sure, business was good, but that didn’t mean I had much in the way of liquid assets.

“I’ll save you the trouble of wondering,” he said. “And tell you that yes, this is all true.” He flipped through the pictures, showing me once more the photo of Mom and my father in the throne room. Luc placed his finger on the throne in which Dad was seated, a regal chair, high-backed and carved in an ornate, beautiful style.

“See this? That’s why I’m here.”

“Huh?”

“That throne? It’syours.”

The surreal nature of the conversation went up another level.

“It’swhat?”

“As I’ve told you already, you’re next in line to the Edorian throne. You’re meant to be officially named in about a month or so, at the Harvest Ball. That’s why I’m here, Ava, to bring you home.”

Officially named? It was all too much to take.

“Your naming ceremony awaits, Ava. You’re to be named heir to the throne of Edoria.”

I was a woman who’d always taken pride in my ability to keep my cool, to not let anything bother me or get under my skin. In those moments, however, that was difficult to do.

I rose. “Fuck that!”

Without another word, I hurried out of the coffee shop and into the cool, rainy day.

* * *

“You’rewhat?”

It was a little before eleven, and Hailey and I were in the crab truck getting it ready for the lunch rush. This time we were in the Central Business District, parked at the corner of Unionand Fourth. Working downtown could be a pain in the ass, but the money we made off hungry businessmen and women more than made up for the hassle. The morning clouds had broken somewhat, a bit of sunlight shining down as we prepped.

“A princess,” I said, the word sounding surreal. “Of this place called Edoria.”

Hailey flashed me a confused look before taking out her phone and typing away.

“Edoria… OK, it’s a real place.” She cleared her throat as she jumped onto the counter to take a seat. “Edoria, officially called the Principality of Edoria, is a French-speaking microstate located in the Alps between Austria and Switzerland. Edoria is a semi-constitutional monarchy headed by King Alaric.”

She went on. “Blah-blah-blah, Edoria is Europe’s fifth smallest country, with an area of just over six hundred and fifty-five square miles and a population of one million, three hundred and fifty-five thousand. Oh, this is interesting. Edoria has one of the highest gross domestic products per person when adjusted for purchasing power, whatever that means.” She continued to read. “It says that the capital of Lausanne is known for its bustling financial district and medieval architecture, while the countryside produces some of the most sought-after meats and cheese in Europe. Oh wow…”

“What’s wow?”

“Just looking at the pictures of the place. Check it out.”

She handed over her phone and I scrolled through the pictures. Edoria was beautiful, like something out of a dream. There were huge lakes with quaint villages clustered around them, rolling green hills where farm animals roamed, and scenic mountains rising above it all. The capital, Lausanne, was both historic and modern at the same time, with cobblestone paths that weaved through market districts that had to have been hundreds of years old, stately townhomes along wide boulevards, and a financial district of towering skyscrapers that would’ve been right at home in Seattle.

Then there was the castle—just as beautiful as in the pictures Luc had shown me. I still couldn’t believe that it was real.

“How the hell did we not know this place existed?” I asked, handing the phone back to her.

“I know, right? I mean, it’s like a real-life Disney kingdom. And not only that but our mom was the queen!” She shook her head in disbelief as she turned her attention to the phone once more. “So, this is King Alaric.”

Source: www.allfreenovel.com
Articles you may like