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His eyes are wet.
"I just wanted you near me, so I could keep some part of my life with Lily. If I had known, I would have put my foot down."
"But at least through her, I got to live here in the palace as one of your sons. Regardless of the reason. And I’ve always felt like yours…Father.”
“Alexis," he says, his voice trembling slightly, and his eyes are spilling tears. "I cannot change the past, I cannot undo the hurt that has been caused. But I am here, asking for your forgiveness. If there's any space in your heart that has the mercy to provide any at all, please forgive me."
A surge of emotions wells up inside. Anger, confusion, and sadness. But also understanding. More than my father knows.
I find myself softening. "Before anything else, I’d just like to spend some time with my father.”
I think that means more to him than any words of forgiveness would have. He knows that time is the one thing that you can’t get back. And I want to spend mine with him, both of us knowing that I’m his son.
His eyes lighten, shining just as blue and intense as mine, and he throws an arm around my shoulder. We spend the rest of the day outside on the grounds, riding horses and enjoying the countryside of the nation we love.
Every day after that, we’re together. I have dinners with the King and my brothers, who after all these years I could finally call that for real.
Before I know it, it’s been a whole month since I last saw Bella. I still think about her every day. Every minute is more accurate. It’s a wonder I can think about anything else.
As much time as I spend with the King, it still feels like I’m on a trip to Solvaria. Like I’m visiting temporarily. And I know exactly why. My heart is far away, in Texas. And I can’t be whole until I’m with her.
After dessert one night, Christian pulls me aside. "I think I've always known, deep down,” he tells me, putting an arm on my shoulder. “Blood or not, you were my brother before, and you will always be my brother."
It’s a wonderful few weeks. I’m fully accepted by my family. And in a sense, I learn that I always was.
And yet the emptiness inside me gnaws at me. The longer I’m without her, the worse the void becomes. And I can't live with it anymore.
I knock on the door to the King's chambers. "Your Majesty, would you have a moment for an audience with me?"
I hear his muffled reply through the door, getting louder as he walks toward it. "Of course, Alexis, please, come in!"
I open the door, and he hugs me tight, then shuffles back to his desk. He’s moving so much better these days.
"It's good that you've come. I have something to show you, actually."
Walking over to the desk, I stop to look out the King's window. Our kingdom looks so peaceful and beautiful from this vantage point.
"Alexis, my son," he says warmly as he gestures to a piece of paper. "Come look at this."
I stare at the document on his desk, then back at him. "Is this what I think it is?"
He nods. "This is my royal decree naming you heir to the throne of Solvaria. If it is delivered to the court, then it becomes official."
He smiles at me.
"You fulfilled your promise. And I'm fulfilling mine."
The pen hovers over the final signature line. I see my entire lonely future laid out ahead. A flatline.
The King puts the pen down. "Unless you have something you want to tell me."
"So, I take it you've heard," I say with a sense of relief.
"I must say, at first we were slightly concerned. Christian heard about your ranch land. Stephan told us about all the possessions you donated to the shops. When a man starts setting his affairs in order, it makes you wonder what he's got planned."
He puts a hand on my shoulder.
"Then the paperwork came through for your name change."
