A/N: hello readers!
Two things. 1st, sorry it's been a MONTH since I've updated. School, work, and all my other activities are currrently kicking my ass :) 2nd, I had to make this chapter a little more family friendly, but I love this chapter with all of my heart. Hopefully you all love it as well.
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Okay, I'll stop now. Enjoy chapter 37!
"There you two are!" Marlee announces as we walk into the dining hall and to our seats.
"My apologies, Lady Woodwork. I got distracted while getting ready and King Maxon didn't have the heart to tell me to hurry up."
"Wow. A wholesome excuse for once. You guys are fine. I'm just glad you guys are wearing actual clothes."
"Trust me. I'm glad to also be wearing clothes. I don't know how much more I can take of Maxon staring at my ass."
He chuckles. "You know you like it."
"Let me stop you guys before you even start." Marlee says before another word can be said between us. Maxon serves us both the meal while she talks, allowing us some time to eat. "You guys have a lot to do today. Silvia and her new assistant, Levi- who is supposed to be catering just to Maxon to allow Silvia to focus on America- gave me a list for both of you with things that need done and reminders for you to. Let's start with King Maxon. Levi has asked me to remind you about your first of many weekly updates with all twenty of your advisors tomorrow. Per request of your advisors, you need to bring all of the work in and they will help make sure you are on the right path and starting out on the right path. Tomorrow morning you have a scheduled phone call with King Alfonso and Queen Bianca to discuss visiting Italy to really solidify Illea's alliance with them. America, of course, would also go to bond with Queen Bianca and Princess Nicoletta while you talked with King Alfonso. You have a meeting around lunchtime tomorrow with America to discuss your options or your plans together post-phone call. Silvia told me to remind you that during meetings, it is strictly work related topics and no fooling around. She understands you guys just got married and all that but she doesn't want to see either of you naked when she comes to check in. Maxon, you have one other meeting after dinner tonight with Mr. Harrison Croswell about an arising situation that he wants to inform you of. Other than that, your schedule should be mostly normal."
"I haven't heard from Mr. Croswell in a while. America, Mr. Croswell was my father's royal advisor when I was growing up. He was to my father what Marlee is to you, but maybe not as close. Anyway, after my father died, Mr. Croswell decided it would be best to take his leave and allow Mr. Beestred, my new royal advisor who Harrison trained, to take over. Marlee, did he say much about this situation or not much?"
"Levi said it was relatively important, but not many specific details. He advised that it should be told to you and Queen America as soon as possible. I told him that it would be best to tell Mr. Croswell that after would be best for the Royal Family and Levi let him know."
"Very well then. Continue with the agenda." Maxon urges.
"Alrighty. America, you have a more busy schedule. Silvia needs your second draft of service forms before dinner so both of us can review them before the next thing on our agenda which is the weekly advisor meeting tomorrow. I'll be able to help you with those as needed after lunch today. Silvia told me to tell you that you are pitching your first few drafts of your first service acts to Maxon and his advisors for discussion during his weekly meeting tomorrow. If things are approved over sixty percent between the twenty of them, with Maxon being the tie-breaker if it's 50/50, then you move into phase two which she told me she would personally discuss with you if things went well. You, also, have that same meeting with Mr. Croswell tonight. I forgot to mention but Mr. Croswell would like you guys to bring one trusted friend or palace staff member. I just assumed it would be me since I have been witness to you guys for, basically, your entire relationship. America, tomorrow you have a meeting following the weekly meeting to discuss the trip to Italy with Maxon at noon. Sounds good?"
"Busy, but good. Thank you Marlee. You are a lifesaver."
"It's what I do best. You two enjoy the rest of your lunch. Work resumes as soon as you can manage, America. I'll be there to help whenever you send for me."
"Understood. Thank you."
Carter and Marlee stand up and exit the dining hall. I sigh and take a bite of the salad the chef's were serving as a side for lunch, the main course being angel hair pasta in a sweet vegan white sauce with mini breadsticks for us.
Maxon had only picked at his food a little bit. He barely even picked through his pasta and his salad is not even a fourth of the way gone. "Maxon, babe, are you okay? You've barely even touched your lunch."
"I can't stop thinking about Mr. Croswell." He confesses with a sigh. "What could he need to tell me, to tell the both of us? There is nothing I could even think of him needing to share. But of course if it relates to my father, then who knows what it could be? My father was a secretive man. He let me see the very minimum of his work before I started actual training when I was sixteen. He was always like that, but that man would have burst if he didn't tell someone everything. What if that person was Harrison? If he was, and I am correct in my thinking, there could be many things that Harrison could say if it is true and it does in fact pertain to my father and the things he hid from everyone. Which, speaking of that devil of a man, what could he have hidden so well that it is coming out months after he death by an old advisor who has been gone from the palace the same amount of time? There is not a single thing I can even begin to think of that would warrant an urgent meeting for even just me, but the both of us? Not a single thing comes to mind."
"Maxon, I think you might be overthinking it a little bit. I bet you are just paranoid because it might be connected to your father. What if he's coming to discuss what is happening on the streets since the first merge began just a few weekends ago and while we were in Carolina? He could be trying to provide insight for you about the next steps, especially sincere has been away for so long. Don't think about it too much. Besides, I need you to eat. I'm not allowed to go hungry, neither are you."
He sighs, "You make a good case. I could just be overthinking it. What if it has something to do with him? Or a choice he made?"
"Then we deal with it as a team. Mr. Croswell must think that one of us can't handle it alone. So, whatever it is, we figure it out, and we make it work, like we always do. Now, eat. Please. You're making me anxious by not putting food in your mouth."
"I'd hate to do that to you."
"I know, so please eat."
He chuckles and takes a big bite of his pasta. He saw me smile at him and smiled back at me, nodding to me that he was calmed down now and that I could eat as well.
Maxon and I meet in the foyer of the palace after dinner with Marlee. Maxon's anxiety was radiating off of him, and was starting to bug me. He seemed to calm down a little when a short and stocky man with a gray moustache dressed in a black suit came in. He bows when he notices us standing and waiting for him. "Your Majesties! I don't believe we've officially met before, my Queen. Mr. Harrison P. Croswell: Advisor to the late King Clarkson up until his final moments. I definitely remember seeing you buzz around the corridors during the Selection, though."
"I feel as if you might be right. It's a pleasure to meet you."
"And King Maxon!" He opens his arms for Maxon, which Maxon happily joins him in a brotherly hug. "What a fine lad you've become in the few months I've been gone. The wife seems to have done you some good!"
"Harrison. What a charmer you are! You've always been like this, my friend. Harrison, this is Lady Marlee Woodwork. America's royal advisor and good friend."
"It's a pleasure to finally meet you, Lady Woodwork. Levi and Silvia talk good about you through our correspondence and it's a pleasure to actually make your acquaintance tonight."
"The pleasure is all mine, Mr. Croswell."
"So, what can we do for you, Harrison? It's not like you to request an urgent meeting just for a visit."
"It baffles me that you can read right through me. Just like your father in that regard. Clarkson used to do that, too. Granted we spent many years side by side and grew to know each other fairly well. Alas, I have some news about an arising situation that I feel you and the Queen might want insight on."
"Whatever we can do." I tell him honestly.
"It's great to hear you say that. I really do hope that is the case. Before I begin, are we in good company? No reporters or unwanted listeners?"
"We can step into a parlor, just the three of us. Marlee would mind giving us a minute with Mr. Harrison?" Maxon asks.
"Not a problem. I'll be waiting here."
"Of course. Thank you." Maxon tells her. He grabs my hand and leads the three of us into the first parler by the foyer. It's a smaller parler, only filled with a love seat, matching armchair, and glass coffee table. Harrison sits on the arm of the chair, leaving Maxon and I the loveseat. Maxon let's go to rub his hands on his pants, but once he's finished I grab his hand with both of my to layer them.
"Maxon, you are aware that your father wasn't always faithful to the late Queen Amberly, correct?"
"Unfortunately, I am aware of this." He admits, stretching his back out.
"Well, it was brought to my attention that one of the women from his… relations had become pregnant."
"Is she recent or older?" Maxon questions.
"Older. Almost eight years ago to be exact. The child from the woman is here. The mother had been passed out for at least an hour when we found her. We assume a drug overdose."
"Bring the child in, please."
Harrison stands up quickly to retrieve the child. Maxon lets his guard down for a moment as Mr. Croswell goes to retrieve the child for us. When he does, I can see Maxon's frustration towards his father, but also care for a half-sibling that he's never even met. I lean into him, hoping that reminding him of my presence will help calm some of his overwhelming emotions, but it most likely won't do much. I kiss his cheek, "We'll get through this. Remember? We can do this. We will make this all work out. We always do. We are rather good at making things work."
He nods, trying to focus on breathing. Then the door opens again. Our heads both snap to see a thinner and shorter young girl walk. She has dark brown matted hair and she's dressed in rags with no shoes on her small feet.
"Your Majesties, this is Brice Mannor. Brice, this is your half-brother King Maxon."
She hides behind Harrison. Harrison just laughs. Maxon gets off the couch and kneels in front of him, in efforts to coax her out. "Hi Brice. I'm Maxon. This is my wife, America. She's my best friend. She can be your best friend too. You can be my best friend if you want to as well. We just need you to come out so we can see you and talk to you, okay?"
She slowly and cautiously moves around Harrison. She tentatively waves to the two of us. I clear my throat hoping to get Mr. Croswell's attention. "What are our options?"
"Well, you can keep her here. She'd have to be a lower caste until they dissolve, at least. You two would keep her here under your watchful eyes until she is 18, then she would be on her own- just like if she stayed in the burrows of Angeles. The other option is to let her go. That requires trusting the mother to keep quiet and not go about sharing her relations with the late king in efforts to tear the monarchy down."
"There aren't any other options? We can't have her adopted by people in the palace or anything?"
"Unfortunately, no. You guys cannot adopt her due to needing to produce a blood-related heir to ascend to the throne. There are too many hoops to jump through before that is a true option. Anyone in the palace that might be willing to adopt would have to understand the full story and be trusted enough to not share it. I doubt that you would want Clarkson's unfaithfulness during his ruling as king to ruin the reign of you and Maxon. So, that leaves it to killing her- which I didn't even bother to mention because I know how strongly Maxon feels about that stuff and I feel as if he might want to have a relationship with her-, keeping her here for a training sort of thing, or letting her go back to her mother which has its own risks."
"Maxon?"
He looks back to me, now holding the hand of the eight year old. "I can't let her go. I need to watch her and know she's okay. Whether or not I cared for my father or his choices doesn't mean that she's not worth something. She can't go back to the burrows of Angeles. She must stay here."
"Okay. It's whatever you want. It's your sister, so I'm on board with you. We can let Marlee train her as an advisor and watch over her while we work. That way for the next ten years she is under our watch and care and we can make sure she's okay when we can't be with her. Then we let her choose to stay or leave after that decade."
"Okay." He turns back to the girl, "Brice, my dear, do you want to stay here with us for a little bit?"
She nods. Maxon smiles at her, "Good. Harrison, can you grab Marlee for us?"
"Of course, Your Majesties. Give me just a minute."
Maxon turns his attention back to Brice. I watch him with her and I can't help but wish that we had a daughter for him to look at the way he looks at Brice. He looks at her the same way he looks at May and Gerad, with so much love filling each of his chocolate-honey eyes. His smile is brighter when he looks at her. It's not like when he talks to Marlee or Aspen, it's like when he talks to me.
I am torn away from my thoughts as the door opens again. Marlee steps inside with Harrison following in behind her.
"Marlee, meet Brice Mannor, Maxon's younger half sister." I introduce her to the girl Maxon cannot take his eyes off of. "We have a lot to discuss with you and there is no time to waste. Please sit."
She wordlessly moves to sit on the chair across the love seat where I still reside. I wait for a moment so that way Maxon can join me and he begins. "It was brought to our attention by Mr. Croswell that my father had relations outside of my mother during his life. Eight years ago, he had managed to impregnate one of his relations and she kept the baby. That baby is Brice. Brice doesn't know our father, nor will she ever. From what I understand, she knows that we are siblings, but she doesn't understand how. Due to the illegitimacy of her birth, she cannot be part of the royal succession. So our options were to kill her, send her back out into the burrows of Angeles, or keep her here under our care."
"Maxon and I decided that she needed to be surrounded by family, and that in order to protect both the monarchy and her, she will be kept here and trained by you. There isn't much an eight year old can do, but we have faith that she will be a wonderful advisor to Maxon or myself in the future with your training. For now, she will room in the maids quarters until she is 13, then she can begin official training. She will have to help the maids down in their quarters and around the palace. She is specifically assigned to you, though. That way she can be watched by you."
Marlee nods. "I'm not going to pretend to understand everything, but I am honored to watch over Brice. She will make a lovely addition to my team."
"I'm glad." Maxon says.
"You hear that, Brice? You get to stay here for as long as you'd like." I tell her. I watch the little girl's face light up with a big toothy grin. She had the same smile as Maxon.