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“See? Everything’s going to be fine!” Daphne said.
I nodded, wiping my tears away. “I don’t know what I would have done if I’d lost him.”
“Well, you don’t have to worry about that anymore,” Daphne assured me. “Now, call Queen Annabelle and give her an update. She’ll want to hear the good news.”
I had already called August's mother twice—once during the taxi ride to the hospital and then again from the waiting room just after we had arrived. Since August had taken the royal jet for his trip to track me down, the queen had been prepared to charter a jet and fly to Africa if his condition had been life-threatening. Fortunately, I could reassure her that there was no need for her to travel to Africa, and that her son was going to be just fine.
I pulled the phone from my purse and made the call. The phone rang only once before she picked up.
“Veronica?” she answered, her voice understandably laced with concern. “How is he? Tell me what you know.”
“He’s going to be okay, Your Majesty,” I said. “The doctors have just finished evaluating him. He has a slight concussion, a fractured arm, and a few bruises, but nothing life-threatening.”
“Oh, thank goodness—that is a relief,” the queen said with a deep sigh, the relief palpable in her voice. “They said he would be fine then? No damage to his brain?”
“Absolutely. August is strong, and the doctor said he expects a full recovery,” I confirmed. “He’s being moved to a private room now, and they’ll let us see him soon.”
“I need him to call me as soon as he’s able to,” Queen Annabelle said firmly. “I want to hear his voice. Now that there’s nothing to worry about, he needs to know that there are responsibilities waiting, and it was utterly foolish of him to gallivant around Africa at a time like this. I thought he’d gotten that out of his system after his trip to South America. Please tell him from me that once he’s discharged, I expect him back in Verdana immediately.”
“I understand. I’ll tell him,” I replied, my voice calm yet assertive. “We will see you soon.”
There was a slight hesitation on her end. “We? Why would you be coming to Verdana? That is unnecessary.”
“Your Majesty, I won’t be leaving August’s side until he has fully recovered. I’ll be accompanying him back to Verdana. I’m going to be there for him.”
Her tone softened when she said, “Very well, then. Thank you, Veronica.”
We said our goodbyes, then I ended the call. She had no idea what her son had been through lately, and how accident prone he had become, but that story wasn’t mine to tell.
“She didn’t want you to go to Verdana?” Daphne asked.
I shrugged. “It was hard to tell, but queen or not, she does not have a say in the matter.”
Caleb grinned. “That’s my sister right there. Don’t mess with her.”
Luckily, it was less than an hour later when we were informed that August had been transferred to a private room, and that we could finally see him. I don’t think I’ve ever walked so fast to get on an elevator in my entire life. Arriving at the third floor, the doors swung open, and we walked to room 312 and stepped inside.
I did my best to hold it together, even though August looked like a truck had hit him, with his usually vibrant face marred by scratches, his eyes glossy, and his left arm secured in a soft cast. Despite the sight of him in this condition, I couldn’t help smiling through my tears as I approached the bed and reached for his hand.
“You scared me beyond words. How are you feeling?” I asked.
“Not too bad—they gave me something for the pain, and I’m happy to say it is working. I’m just tired and a little drowsy.” August gave a slow nod, then squinted at me for a moment before tilting his head slightly. “And who are you exactly?”
My heart practically stopped.
My mouth fell open.
Images of soap opera amnesia stories flashed through my mind. The doctor had mentioned he had a slight concussion, but had they failed to actually check him for amnesia?
A few seconds later, I saw the corner of August’s mouth twitch upward, and that was when I knew I wanted to kill him for his cruel prank.
“You’re terrible!” I scolded, relief washing over me.
“Sorry—I had to lighten the mood somehow. You all looked like you had just seen a horror movie when you saw me,” he said, his laughter filling the room, joined by Daphne and Caleb. “I’d better not laugh. Everything hurts around my ribs when I do.”
I exhaled, shaking my head while trying to fight the smile creeping onto my face. “You’re in so much trouble,” I said, half-serious. I sat down on the edge of his bed, the warmth of his hand in mine grounding me as I thought about his fall again.
“You okay?” August said, obviously noticing my state change.
