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“Of course.” A dry cough follows. “They just left. You were the last one I was waiting to see, my son.”
My heart clenches. “I’m so sorry. I left the banquet hall as soon as I heard what happened to you. How are you feeling? Are you improving?”
“I’ve seen better days,” he quips unsteadily.
At least he still has some sense of humor, despite the troubling circumstances. I sigh, bringing my forehead down to his hand.
“What about you, my son? How have you been doing?”
Lifting up my gaze, my father looks at me with a solemn stare. I swallow hard.
“Well, it’s been going well. My secretary, Vivienne, has helped me stay on track with my work. I don’t know where I’d be without her by my side.”
“That’s good. It would pain me to hear that the son I’ve put in charge of international relations is losing focus.”
I smile weakly. My mind trails back to how Vivienne found me in that bathroom. God, how was I so stupid?
“And have you met a woman that has caught your eye yet?” Father asks. My jaw clenches once more. “A woman who you can imagine a future with?”
“I… I’m not too focused on that right now.”
“You should be. You’re at an age where you need to figure out who you’re going to marry. You’re twenty-eight. You can’t be a bachelor for the rest of your life.”
Where is he going with this? My eyebrows furrow together. Just as I’m about to reply, he beats me to it.
“Don’t give me that look. I’m right, and you know it.”
“I wasn’t going to argue with you on that front, but –”
“Caesar,” he interjects. He pulls his hand away from my grasp. “It’s about time that you started considering your future. For so long, you’ve lived your life without worry and gotten by on charm. You’ve spent years thinking that Christian was going to be the heir to the throne, so you’ve become complacent.”
I’m sure my face registers my confusion. “Of course, Christian is going to be the heir! Why wouldn’t he be?”
At that, my father shakes his head. “It’s about time that I’ve broken this archaic code. I want all of my children to have a fair chance at the throne, but this means you’ll have to fight for your spot. Either you take up my offer and put your name in for contention, or you lose your privileges as the head of Solvaria’s international diplomacy.”
I don’t understand. Why is he doing this? I don’t want to fight for the throne. I’m not the right one to lead Solvaria. The title, the position, the responsibilities, all belong to Christian. Every single one of my brothers is better suited to be King. Not me.
“I don’t want to be King,” I blurt out. “I’m not the right person for the job. Everyone in this palace knows it.”
A deep exhalation from my father follows. “You’ve convinced yourself of that, Caesar, but it’s not true,” he replies. “You’ve become accustomed to living in Christian’s shadow. You’re far more than a spare. Now, this doesn’t mean that I want you to go to war with your brothers over the throne. That would never be my intention.”
“Then what do you want us to do?” It feels like I’m a little kid again, trying to decipher my father’s cryptic words. “I don’t get it.”
“I want you to spread your wings and find your happiness. This takes a lot of courage, I understand, but I hope my current state gives you the motivation you need to do so.”
“What?” At this point, I can’t believe what my father is telling me. “I’m happy! I don’t need to find happiness when I’m perfectly content with where I am in life.”
My father blinks slowly at me. Just like that, I know that he doesn’t believe me. “Are you sure, Caesar?”
“Why wouldn’t I be?” That remark sounded more confident in my head. The moment it comes out of my mouth, my words waver. “I like where I am right now. I don’t see the need to change.”
“Do you think you’re going to be spending your whole life going about those sexcapades you’re used to?”
Damn. I wasn’t expecting that bullet out of my father’s mouth.
“Do you think you’re going to make your future wife happy if you keep bouncing from woman to woman? What about those parties every night? You won’t make it to my age if you keep corrupting your liver like that, boy.”
My father readjusts his position on the bed, but he nearly falls over. Despite the fact that he’s chastened me with his words, I still reach over and keep him upright. Still, it’s difficult to look him directly in the eyes.
