Before the children can start in again on questioning Lukas about his preferences, I rise from the table and start collecting the empty plates. “Princess, would you like to help me get dessert ready?”
Her face lights up and all talk of kissing is forgotten. Dessert is her favorite meal of the day, after all.
Once the kids are in bed, Lukas and I settle in to watch The Sound of Music. I am still absolutely dumbfounded that he hasn’t seen it already and it’s something that needs to be rectified as soon as possible.
We watch in comfortable silence for a little while, but then I feel Lukas tense up behind me. “What is it?”
“What’s what?”
“What’s got your brow all creased?”
“How could you possibly know my brow’s all creased? You don’t have invisible eyes in the back of your head, do you?”
I let out a small breath of laughter. It’s true, with him stretched out on the sofa and me nestled between his legs, my back to his chest, I can’t be absolutely certain he has that cute furrow in his brow, but I’m pretty sure.
“I can feel you tensing up. Don’t get me wrong, I love the feel of those abs clenching, but I want to know what you’re all tense about.” I shift my position a little so I can crane my neck around to face him. Sure enough, there’s that adorable furrowed brow. “Is it what the kids were asking at dinner? Did it freak you out?”
His expression clears a little and he gives a shake of his head. “No, surprisingly it did not. It’s this song. It’s quite condescending. Just because this boy is a year older than the girl it doesn’t make him wiser. It’s scientifically proven women mature earlier than men.”
I let out another chuckle as I turn my attention back to the TV to watch Liesl and Rolfe dancing around the gazebo. “Well, he’s a Nazi, so of course he’s an idiot.”
“I don’t know what she sees in him.”
I grin and swivel my head back to face him. “Really? You don’t think he’s just a little cute?”
“He’s a child!”
“He couldn’t have been much younger than me when this was filmed.”
Lukas grumbles something under his breath and I turn back to the movie, my smile even wider.
“Why are we watching this again?”
I roll my eyes. “Because it’s a crime that you’ve never seen The Sound of Music. And because we’re basically living this story. I mean, apart from the fact I’m not an outcast nun, and I only have two kids to care for, and you’re a king, not a naval officer, and we don’t need to run from the Nazis—well, at least I hope not anyway…the rest is spot on.”
“Uh huh. Even the part with all the musical numbers?”
“Okay, not that bit either. I could try, but I’m completely tone deaf.”
We watch the movie for a little longer before Lukas murmurs, “I think Katya is shipping us.”
I loose a soft breath of laughter. “Did you just use the word ‘shipping’?”
“Yes. Did I use it correctly?”
I use the remote to pause the movie and shift around so I’m facing him properly. “Yes, you did. And I agree. I think she likes the idea of us together.” The thought that Katya would be rooting for Lukas and me as a couple makes my heart want to explode.
“I’m not sure Tomas feels the same,” Lukas says with a frown.
I let out a thoughtful sigh. “To be honest, I’m not sure the idea has even entered his mind.”
“You heard what he said at dinner.”
“Yes, but I don’t think that was about us,” I venture. At Lukas’s confused expression I continue, “Look, I could be wrong but…Tomas is getting to that age, he’s starting to notice things…”
Lukas’s brows arch up. “You think he might be gay? Or bisexual?”
I shrug. “I don’t want to go making assumptions, I just think it’s something to keep an eye on.”
He offers a soft smile and reaches up to thread a gentle hand through my hair. “Do we have to watch the rest of the movie?”
Pulling my head away from him, I turn back around and restart the movie. “Absolutely. We haven’t even gotten to the best part yet.”
18
LUKAS
“Your Majesty, we need to talk.”
I groan inwardly, noting the serious tone of Veronika’s voice and the concern lining her features. I nod and follow her into her office, taking one of the guest chairs while she slides into her seat behind her desk.
“I know what you’re going to say…” It’s the conversation I’ve been dreading for weeks. As much as Jai and I have tried to keep our relationship secret, we’ve certainly become laxer in recent days. Veronika’s no fool and it’s her job to know everything that goes on in the palace so it doesn’t surprise me that she’s finally taking her moment to speak out.
She arches one of her perfectly manicured brows at me. “I’m not sure you do.” She sits back in her chair, her gaze fixed on mine. “I’m aware you’ve developed a relationship with Mr. Winters, and I also know you’ve been…relatively discrete. As your friend and someone who admires you a great deal, I’d like to say I’m very happy for you—it’s nice to see you smiling again.” She offers a faint smile and I hesitantly smile back, although I’m certain there’s a ‘but’ coming. “However, as the Crown Secretary, I need to tell you this relationship is extremely problematic.”
I nod, letting out a regretful sigh. “That’s everything I thought you’d say.”
Her eyes are full of sympathy as she says, “I’m sorry, Your Majesty, but there’s more to it.” She reaches into her desk and pulls out a heavy tome—the book detailing the laws and customs surrounding the Korovan monarchy. As she flips through the pages, she asks, “Were you aware a Monarchical Act was passed while you were away at Cambridge? It was done very quietly, with very little publicity so it wouldn’t surprise me if you didn’t hear about it.”
I shake my head, my brows drawing together in confusion. Monarchical Acts are laws proposed by the reigning monarch and pertaining to the monarchy. They still need to be ratified by Parliament before they become official law, but it’s extremely rare for Parliament to block the Act. I put forward the last Monarchical Act twelve years ago when Lesia was pregnant with Tomas. We didn’t know he was a boy at the time and I wanted the child to be my heir no matter the gender.
But I have no recollection of my father putting forward an Act while I was away at university…
Veronika opens the book to the relevant page and turns it around to face me. With her manicured fingernail, she directs my gaze to the law in question, and as I read, my stomach churns with a mixture of dread and disgust.
“How could this possibly have passed?” I ask, completely aghast as I stare at the words in front of me. “It was 2002—the twenty-first century, and they’re talking about deviant behavior like it’s the middle ages.”
“Your father was a very difficult man to say no to,” Veronika says with a frown. “You know that better than anyone.”