Page 34 of Throne Off Course

Emilia rolled her eyes, setting her stack of notes down on the table. “Flawless leadership andhumble, too.”

He gave a slight shrug. “It’s a gift.”

She slid into the chair across from him, eyes flicking over the records he was studying. “What’s tonight’s topic? Another painstakingly edited biography of a ‘great’ ruler who was actually a disaster?”

Alexander gave a half-hearted shrug. “Pretty much. It seems that most of my illustrious ancestors were either tyrants, philanderers, or hopelessly incompetent. Occasionally all three.”

“Sounds exhausting.”

“Try being related to them.”

Emilia grinned. “Any new favorites?”

Alexander flipped through a record, a gleam of amusement in his eyes as he glanced up at Emilia. “You’ll like this one. My ancestor, King Edmund I, once lost his crown in a card game.”

Emilia blinked. “His actual crown?”

“His actual crown.” Alexander leaned back, clearly enjoying himself. “He was playing cards with a group of visiting sailors, got overconfident, and wagered the most valuable thing in the room. The sailor won, put the crown on his head, and walked right out of the palace with it.”

Emilia covered her mouth, eyes wide with delight. “Tell me he didn’t get executed for it.”

“Surprisingly, no.” Alexander chuckled. “The sailor kept it for a full day before trading it back for a royal pardon and a generous pension.”

Emilia shook her head, grinning. “Your family history is absolutely unhinged.”

Alexander sighed dramatically. “True, and somehow, I’m theone expected to uphold the family legacy.”

“Try not to lose anything important in a poker game, Your Highness,” Emilia teased.

Alexander arched a brow. “No promises.”

An unexpected smile tugged at Alexander’s lips as he set the record aside. “Speaking of unhinged histories, I’ve been meaning to tell you—I listened to your podcast the other day.”

Emilia froze. “You what?”

“Your podcast. The Past Imperfect?” Alexander’s smile widened at her obvious surprise. “The episode about Queen Mathilde’s ‘mysterious illness’ that was actually mercury poisoning from her beauty treatments was particularly good.”

Emilia stared at him, momentarily speechless. The idea of the crown prince listening to her dissect royal scandals was… surreal. “You actually listened to that?”

“Several episodes, in fact.” Alexander shrugged, looking almost self-conscious. “It’s refreshing to hear someone talk about history without the usual reverence. You have a talent for telling a story.”

“I—thank you,” Emilia said, genuinely caught off guard. “I didn’t think it would be your kind of thing, considering half the episodes involve pointing out how terrible monarchies have been historically.”

Alexander laughed. “Which makes it all the more entertaining. Besides, I can hardly dispute the facts, can I?” He gestured to the documents spread across the table. “I’m sitting here discovering the same unflattering truths myself.”

A thought suddenly occurred to Emilia—an impulsive, probably ill-advised thought, but she couldn’t stop herself. “Would you want to be on an episode?”

Alexander’s eyebrows shot up. “Me? On your podcast?”

“Why not?” Emilia leaned forward, warming to the idea. “An episode with the actual crown prince discussing the unfiltered truth about royal history? It would be incredible.”

Alexander considered this for a moment, tapping his fingers thoughtfully on the table. “You know, I think I’d actually enjoy that.” Then he grimaced slightly. “Though palace PR would have a collective aneurysm if I didn’t run it by them first.”

“Of course,” Emilia nodded quickly. “They’d have to sign off. But imagine what we could do—bringing these stories to life with someone who’s actually living with the consequences of all this history.”

“It’s tempting,” Alexander admitted, a spark of genuine interest in his eyes. “An opportunity to show people that the monarchy isn’t entirely stuck in the past.” He paused, then added with a smirk, “Though I should probably avoid mentioning Great-Uncle Leopold’s… unconventional hobbies.”

Emilia laughed. “Probably for the best. But seriously, think about it?”