You're gonna win, or you're gonna lose…either way the sun's gonna come up the next morning. – Friday Night Lights
"Your Majesty, I have the proof you had asked me for." The king said from behind me. Queen Amberly was walking with me, holding Libby's hand. "Darling, I'm sorry but this is important business between America and I."
Queen Amberly lifted her chin confidently. "It is Queen America to you and any business of yours is safe with me."
He sighed. "Okay. Well, you see, I searched the old texts from Gregory and I found the old law on regency. Let me read it to you." He prompted. I met Queen Amberly's eyes and I could see how hard she was trying to be patient. "It says: In the unfortunate and unanticipated event that the king dies or is otherwise unable to rule and the male heir is not of age, the previous king should rule as regent on the right of the queen. Right here, you can look if you want." He practically shoved the book under my nose.
I recognized it completely. I referenced the book frequently. Maxon had made me all but memorize it. Of course, he told me that I would use it so much that eventually everything would stick. Including the amendments. "I am well aware of the chapter on regency." I told the king.
"Then you must admit that it is incontrovertible; I shall be the Regent." He puffed out his chest slightly and I suppressed the urge to laugh.
I smiled sweetly. "I know that your knowledge of the old texts is extremely versed, but sir, there was an amendment made to that law not too long ago. I believe it was passed by your son."
"Maxon?" he asked, as if he needed clarification. "But I was not aware…" he stopped speaking, his voice more than incredulous.
"Yes, he was quite adamant on getting this law passed before leaving for New Asia. It is in the Book of New Law. I would read it to you, but I do not have the book on me." I spread my hands as if I was at a loss.
He nodded. "Then we shall go find the book and look it up." He turned and started to walk back down the hallway but then stopped dead in his tracks when Maxon stepped out from the secret passage and intercepted him.
"America, if you would allow me," he said, his eyes locking on me as he opened the Book of New Law to the marked page where the amendment could be found. "In the unfortunate and unanticipated event that the king dies or is otherwise unable to rule and the male heir is not of age, the queen shall rule with absolute power and forego the previous law stating that the king would serve as her regent." He stopped and looked at his father with a cocky smile. "Of course, that's all depending on a king that is dead or 'otherwise unable to rule' and I am quite alive. I was never really dead in the first place though, was I father?"
King Clarkson was at an absolute loss for words. "I received the message and it clearly said…" he never finished because Maxon cut him off in a firm voice.
"It clearly said that I was Missing In Action and most presumably taken by rebels of New Asia. Little do you know, however, that I made a deal with New Asia long ago that when you were out of power completely, the war would end." He sighed. "You're caught. This was all a trap. I planned it from the beginning. Now you are to be tried for treason and tyranny – with me overseeing the trial as First Judge – and will be immediately removed from the palace grounds."
"How dare you!" the king shouted at Maxon.
My husband flinched slightly, a miniscule amount of fear showing but he quickly pushed it away and retorted, "I'm sorry I am such a disappointment to you. Sorry I'm not dead, like you were hoping and probably planning to happen eventually. Sorry I'm not the spineless, cowardice son you were hoping for. You've bullied me my whole life and I've sat by and let you do it for far too long. That's enough. I've watched you treat America disrespectfully and I can't believe I let it go on for so long but I'm done. You ever touch me, my wife, or my children and I will send you away from this country and send you to New Asia in a nice gift wrapper. They can sort you out." He spat.
King Clarkson was fuming. He looked to Queen Amberly for reassurance but her expression was just as stony as her son's. "Aren't you going to say something?"
"Yes." She sighed. "Here's what I have to say: I cannot believe that after all we went through just to have one child, and to let it be a male heir, you have abused him like you have. I made a promise to you long ago to always love you but today…I'm not sure I can keep that promise." She was choked up at the end. She put a hand over her mouth and walked away abruptly.
Guards stepped up to King Clarkson and handcuffed him. One apologized to him but Maxon sent him a cutting look and the guard immediately bowed his head. As King Clarkson was led away, he was yelling expletives to Maxon and I, cursing us and our children and the country. Maxon stood tall with a stiff jaw and shoulders squared.
He still looked unhealthy and had not gained back the weight he'd lost in New Asia but once he started eating with me he started to gain some of it back. We walked to find Queen Amberly in the Women's Room. Without even asking if he was allowed in, Maxon went to comfort his mother. "Mom, it's okay. I'm so sorry." He said, crouching down next to her and rubbing a hand over her back.
She cried and hugged him tight, the way only a mother could hug her children. Libby was with me and noticed her father. "Daddy!" she squealed, running up to meet him. He took one arm away from his mother and looped it around Libby and lifted her onto his lap. "Daddy, Mommy said that you had gone to be with Arthur. Did you bring him with you?"
My eyes flicked up to meet his; both reflecting each other's pain. I shrugged. Had I known that he was alive I would have given her a very different reason. Maxon sighed and looked at her with sad eyes. "Arthur is happy where he is. He loves us all very much but he thinks we're better off here without him."
"C'mon, let's get you ready for dinner." I said, putting a hand on her shoulder. I recognized that Maxon needed this time with his mother to sort through their emotions.
Maxon came late to dinner, kissing me on the forehead. "Mother is not joining us tonight. She said that she wanted to have dinner in her room." He explained as he sat and put his napkin in his lap. A butler set the food down in front of him and he quickly started to eat.
"Maxon." I spoke gently, looking at him from across the table. "I'm proud of you."
He smiled and set down his fork to hold my hand across the table. Libby started clapping and laughing and making kissey faces at us. A butler nearby tapped his champagne glass with a butter knife in the universal sign for a kiss. We kissed briefly on the lips and then settled back into our chairs.
We gazed at each other across from the table with lingering smiles on our faces and later that night we slept with our daughter's warm body between us, the very example of our love for each other.
So the next chapter will skip ahead a couple years to when America is 23, Maxon is 25, and Libby is 5. I'll probably have it posted in a couple days. This is kind of the conclusion of Part II, starting from when Libby was 3. There will probably only be 3-4 parts, just to give y'all a scope of how the book will pan out. Please review!
