AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“Always,” James agreed.
“Always,” echoed Theodore. As he stood between the beds of his brother and sister-in-law, the gravity of the situation pressed upon him with an almost physical force.
“Your courage gives us strength,” Amanda said, reaching out to place her hand atop theirs. “I believe the baby feels it, too.”
Her pregnancy hadn’t even been announced to the public yet. It was still so new. They’d known for only a few weeks themselves.
Theodore nodded, his heart swelling with a mixture of love and apprehension. He was acutely aware of the delicate balance of life and duty, of the responsibility he bore not just to his family, but to the nation that looked to them for stability in times of crisis.
When he returned to the waiting room, he sat beside Nicole, quietly filling her in on what James had told him.
Eloise hurried toward them. “Theo,” she said, her voice a soft whisper that carried the weight of a kingdom’s fears. “How is he?”
“Stable,” Theodore replied. He briefly told Eloise what James and Amanda had said. He watched as Eloise’s gaze drifted to Nicole, standing slightly behind him—a pillar of quiet support amidst the tumult.
“Nicole, isn’t it?” Eloise asked. Yet there was something more, a flicker of secrecy that danced momentarily before being tucked away behind a practiced smile. Theodore caught it, an unspoken understanding passing between siblings, but neither addressed it openly.
“Yes,” Nicole answered with a polite nod. “And you are Princess Eloise.”
“Please, call me Eloise,” she insisted. Theodore admired his sister’s ability to maintain decorum even when her heart was surely racing with fear.
At the end of the hall, his parents returned. His mother didn’t do well in unfamiliar places, so they had taken a walk around the grounds to calm her.
“Mother, Father,” Theodore greeted. “James is holding on.”
“Thank God for that,” King Albert murmured. The Queen’s hand sought her husband’s, a silent exchange of mutual support.
“Your Majesty,” Nicole curtsied, the formality unfamiliar yet necessary.
Theodore’s mind was a mess of worry, waves of duty and desire clashing against each other. Should he distance himself to keep her safe?
A while later, Nicole had excused herself for a moment and his parents were visiting with James and Amanda. He and Eloise were alone in the waiting room. “Theo,” she began, “we need to talk about what this means for us all.”
Theodore nodded, a silent invitation for her to continue.
“James’s attempt...the implications are frightening. The security breach alone will have the council in an uproar. Father is talking about tightening the security—more restrictions, more watchful eyes,” Eloise confided.
“Security measures we cannot avoid,” Theodore replied. “But there is more at stake than just our freedom.”
“Nicole,” she said, her gaze piercing into him, reading his thoughts as only a sibling could. “You cannot seriously be considering—”
“I know what must be done,” he interjected, his jaw clenching. “I cannot—I will not—put her in danger.”
Eloise reached out, placing a hand on his arm. “She’s strong, Theo. Stronger than you give her credit for.”
“Strength isn’t the shield I wish to give her,” he said softly. “This isn’t a life I can ask her to lead, not with shadows lurking around every corner.”
“Then what will you do?”
He felt the weight of his next words, each syllable a stone adding to the fortress he would build around his heart. “I will end it before it truly begins. I have to keep her safe.”
“Theo—” Eloise started, but he raised a hand to stop her.
“Please, don’t make this harder than it already is,” Theodore implored.
“Very well,” Eloise conceded. She understood duty, but her dream was to share the responsibilities of duty with someone she cared about. Now Theodore was giving up the ability to do the same.
Theodore squared his shoulders, knowing the talk with Nicole must happen—and soon.
