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“All right. Er, a messenger brought a letter. It doesn’t look like Betty or Natalie’s handwriting.”
“I’ll go look at it, and we’ll eat after, okay?”
“Do you want to wait?”
If it was bad, it might cause some of his feelings to flare up. They weren’t gone, and he wasn’t entirely better yet. But the future might bring other bad letters or days, and he couldn’t always put stuff off.
“I’ll read it before we eat.”
Inky purred and rubbed against Rainier’s legs while he stood by the little side table in their sitting room and opened the packet. It was from Mum, and it wasn’t to apologize.
She said she wanted to come back. If he’d had enough time playing King with his dirty toy, they could forget about the treason, and he could hand back the crown. Technically, that could be done, but it was usually only in cases if the heir became bedridden or had some issue that made them completely incapable and no end was in sight.
Felix would have to go, and since they hadn’t married yet, that would be simple. Rainier scowled at those words. Like he could forget the man who’d stuck by his side even at his worst.
According to Mum, he also needed to grow up and learn some self-control. That nice little insult was coupled with how she did love him, but he’d brought these difficulties down on himself. If he’d learned restraint years ago, it wouldn’t be an issue now, and he wouldn’t have done something as ridiculous as cutting off his own Mother.
If he had trouble keeping off the weight without eating too little, there were herbs and things he could use that would help with regular usage. She’d done her best to raise him and shape him into an acceptable man, but he kept making the wrong choices.
He threw down the letter at that point.
Was that what she did? Take herbs? Nobody had ever said anything, but perhaps she’d had some secret things she consumed to help her stay skinny. He didn’t know of anything like that, and maybe she only thought they worked. After all, she’d come into the pantry that one night, so she must have occasionally snuck a snack now and then.
Dear Elira. If he allowed her back, it’d be the same shit all over again. There was no apology for driving him into this over the years. She hadn’t even said sorry for planning to put Natalie in his place. It was all her, her, her, and if she came back, the prior years would start again. If he dug his heels in on anything, she’d threaten to take away his title and position. Any new weapon she could come up with, she’d use.
Even though he still wasn’t comfortable with his body, he knew he’d made progress. His view was warped, but Felix’s wasn’t, and it was with his help he’d kept drinking the tea for stress and increased what he ate over the months. He was in a different place now because he wouldn’t have dreamed of eating a honey sweet last year. She’d ruin all of that, and how could he trust her around Felix? His future husband didn’t need the stress of her either. This was his home now, and Rainier couldn’t imagine waking up anymore without his Kitten beside him.
He’d never have true self-control which included not hurting himself with Mum controlling him.
Rainier was about to tear the letter in half when Felix came from the bedroom with the mouse on a string. Inky darted over to swat at it.
“I’m guessing it’s not good?”
“No. You can read it.”
Felix tossed the toy for Inky to attack before he took the letter. Rainier went to the writing desk in the corner of their bedroom. If Mum thought she was going to return and take over again, she had another thing coming.
His letter was brief and to the point while he put his foot down with words.
She was to never write to him and discuss anything about his weight. He didn’t want to hear it, and he didn’t need someone’s warped view when he was trying to get better.
Felix wasn’t dirty, and he wasn’t going anywhere either. He’d done nothing but help, and if it wasn’t for him, Rainier wasn’t sure if he would be alive now. Felix was the King too, they were getting married, and there was nothing she could do about it. Rainier wasn’t giving up his crown.
If she ever wanted to come back to visit and have him in her life to any extent, she’d have to make some serious changes in how she interacted with him. He needed to put himself and Felix first, and if she couldn’t understand some basic boundaries and not cross them, they would remain without contact.
He would live life on his terms. Not hers.
He signed it as Felix came in. “Are you all right?”
Rainier set the never-fill quill in its holder. “It hurts, but I will be. Here.”
Felix read the parchment and nodded. “Good. I’m sorry you have to do this.”
“It’s better for both of us in the long run. If she can’t follow my rules, I won’t try to keep contact with her, and she won’t be permitted to visit. After I send this off, we’ll go eat.”
Months ago, the nasty words from Mum probably would have made him want to skip his next meal or barely eat. Now, they made him want to remain out from under her thumb, and to do that, he could have lunch with his future husband.
Epilogue
