Chapter Thirty-Six

Once more, as she did every Sunday, Ruth sat in the back of the car as Tom drove her out to the countryside to Leister Palace. It was only about a half hour each way. Sometimes she brought things to work on in the car, like in the leadup to the wedding when Catherine had given her reams of pages to review and approve, but usually Ruth just liked to be alone with her thoughts in the quiet. Watching the scenery go by was a privilege, she felt. The roads and trees and hills and little houses of her country were all so beautiful. She was proud than she could say that this land was her home. She had always felt that she belonged here, but in the times she'd spent with Grandfather and hearing his views on the monarchy, Ruth had also developed a sense of responsibility to her country as well. And on these Sunday trips out to Leister, she took the opportunity to appreciate it.

Dad was not in treatment today, so they were able to have lunch in the dining room and have a nice chat. He was in a funny sort of mood. Contemplative in a way Ruth had not often seen him.

"How do you think Edmund is doing?" he asked.

Ruth thought before she answered. "Well, I think," she replied. "He had rather big shoes to fill, and he knows it. He seems to have let go a lot of the arrogance I've seen in him before. Which I think is surprising. I don't know how many men in his position would actually gain more power and actually learn humility from the experience."

Dad smiled. "My dad was the same, actually. He became king when Edmund and I were about Graham and Catherine's ages. A bit younger. But even that young, we both knew our father was a bit of a prick."

She laughed in surprise at her father's words. But Dad was like that. Surprising in his candor.

"But I think you're right," he said. "Edmund seems to be doing alright. It's a difficult job that I don't think either of us envy in the least. He's finding his way, though. The first year must be the hardest, but it's been almost a whole year since the coronation, so I have no doubt he'll be just fine."

Ruth agreed with that. "And how are you doing with everything? The new division of duties and your treatments and such?"

"Oh I'm fine," he answered, waving off her concern. "You know I don't do too much. Edmund's good about leaving me be. And having a queen to do things is quite a help. Keeps you and me from having to do too much, since Edmund and Juliet are so eager."

"And the treatments?"

"Just fine, dear," he assured her. "I'll never be cured, of course. And I will certainly have a less than average life expectancy. But I'm not in any more discomfort that I've been in the last two years. Things aren't getting worse. Everything is just fine."

Ruth nodded. "Good, I'm glad. I worry, sometimes, not just with the cancer but just with you being out here all by yourself all the time."

He chuckled and took her hand, kissing the back of it. "You don't need to be concerned about me, dear. I get to see you every week, which I love. And when I'm in the capital, I can come by and see you and Harry and the children. Besides, it's not as though I am alone. There's a house full of cooks and maids and nurses and gardeners and guards. And since it's just me they work for, I get to spend a bit more time with them. There's a few of the maids who I invite to join me for dinner on occasion. One of the gardeners plays a very good game of chess. And I trade book recommendations with the head housekeeper. Many of them have families of their own, I know, but they're good friends to me while they're here."

"That's wonderful, Dad. I'm happy to hear it."

"Sometime when you're here, I should introduce you to some of them. Since they'll be working for you one of these days."

She was taken aback by that. "What? What do you mean?"

"Well, by birthright, you are the Princess of Leister. You'll inherit this palace," Dad explained.

Ruth's eyes went wide. She knew that, of course. She understood how the inheritance and the monarchy worked. She knew her own title and all that it entailed. But when she'd left home all those years ago—more than a decade ago, in fact—she had never really expected to return. That palace was her childhood home but it wasn't home any longer. The Pearce manor, that was her home now. Harry's house with his children. Her family lived there.

"You don't have to live here," Dad said, seeing how visibly discomfited she was. "You can always just leave it as a vacation home or close it up or even open it for public tours. Other countries do that with their royal residences, I understand."

That was an even worse idea to Ruth's mind. The idea of strangers inside her home? Unacceptable. "I don't…I don't know," she stammered. "I honestly hadn't thought about it. And I suppose I just hate the idea of you not being here."

"Well, that's a long way off, dear, I promise," he assured her with a smile.

Ruth rested her hand on his arm and gave it a small squeeze. "Good."

"Now, tell me about how Catherine's exams went," Dad prompted.

She smiled. Catherine had just finished school and would be attending university in the fall. She had been admitted into the same prestigious school that both Ruth and Harry had gone too. Ruth was actually the first royal to have a proper university degree, a benefit of being a lesser royal and therefore not required to have private tutors. And now Catherine would get to have the same wonderful experience learning from some of the best renowned scholars in the country and the whole world.

But before she could go to university, Catherine had to pass all her final exams. She was a bright girl and a hard worker; Graham had more natural intellect than his sister but tended to be a bit lazy at times, particularly as he grew. Catherine was an absolute star, though. She was dedicated to her work, whatever it was. And she'd been quite serious about her studying these last few months. Ruth had often showed up at Leister Palace for Sunday lunch with stories of Catherine being a little nightmare tyrant all through the house, screaming at anyone who interrupted her or was too loud when she was trying to study. Ruth had been glad to escape the house during all that. Harry had even gone with her to see Dad a time or two, just to be out of Catherine's line of fire. Thankfully it was all over now.

"She did brilliantly," Ruth said proudly. "She's still waiting on results for a couple of them, but she got perfect marks on her civics exam."

Dad chuckled, "Is that maybe because she lives a civics lesson with her stepmother every day?"

Ruth blushed slightly. "Well, I did help her study for that one."

"Well, good on her. When she gets all her grades back, we should have a little celebration for her here. If you think she would like that."

"I think Catherine would really like that. Thank you, Dad."

A swift knock on the door to the parlor where they were sitting interrupted them. Dad bid entry to whoever was there. The woman who came in was one of the housekeepers, though Ruth was sad to say she did not know her name. She was beautiful, though. Probably just slightly older than Ruth. Short dark hair and olive skin and exquisite features. Though those features were somewhat contorted into a very upset expression.

"What is it, Fiona?" Dad asked.

"I have a message for you, sir," she said with a slight hitch in her voice.

Dad frowned and gave Ruth a look. "I'll be back," he told her.

She watched as he went out to speak with Fiona. There was hushed but fervent conversation. Fiona then bowed and hurried off and Dad returned to the parlor. He was pale and looked to be in some kind of shock. "Dad?" Ruth asked worriedly. "What's happened?"

"You…you'll be living here sooner than expected, dear," he said in a somewhat strangled voice.

"What?"

"I…I'll have…I'll have to move to the capital…" He was blinking rapidly, holding off tears. He swallowed hard and then looked right at Ruth. "Edmund died."

Ruth gasped sharply. "What!? How?!"

"They don't…they don't know. He complained of a headache and went to lie down and Juliet found him and…"

There would be a lot for them to think about later and plenty more for Ruth to worry about, but she knew what this meant. She knew what had happened. She stood up and crossed to her father and bowed in the manner she'd always been taught. "Long live the king, Your Majesty," she said, trying not to cry.

Dad gave a strangled sound between a laugh and a sob. He lifted Ruth from her bow and pulled her into his arms. The both of them began to weep.