Page 89 of The Royal in Room 3

“What about those two men who you said showed up at the police station to get Soren released?”

“What about them?”

“They work for the royal family. If you get in touch with them, they can help you sort out the issue with your ETA. After all, it’s about their crown prince’s happiness.”

“That would be a good idea, except how would I get in touch with them? I don’t know anyone who…”

But I did know someone. Vale. He’d known that Soren was a prince before I did. He was the one who had contacted the palace on Soren’s behalf when Soren was in jail. If anyone could get in touch with the royal family, it would be him.

“Son of a bitch, why didn’t I think of this before?” I asked, feeling lighter than I’d been all month.

“That’s no way for a future queen to speak, honey,” Mom said with a wink. “You’re going to have to work on your swearing so you don’t embarrass Soren.”

Grinning, I kissed Ma hard on the cheek. “You are absolutely right, Ma.”

I’d taught Soren how to live like a regular person, and if I needed to, I would learn how to be a royal without complaint.

As tempted as I was to leave straight away to find Vale, I sent him a message asking him to meet me at home when he was available, then returned to the pantry. Half an hour later, I’d replaced the damaged hinge plate, reinforced the loose section of wood, and rehung the door. After sanding the repaired area smooth, I brushed on a thin coat of stain to match the rest of the cabinet and promised Ma I would return once it had dried to seal it properly.

When I checked my phone, I saw I had a text message from Vale saying he would swing by my place on the hour.

I checked the time and cursed. That barely gave me enough time to get home and change. I’d expected him to give me a little pushback, given he’d been pissed off at me for letting Soren return to his home country alone. The two apparently kept in touch, though I never asked, and whenever we were in the same room, he seemed to drop Soren’s name a lot. It annoyed me, but I didn’t show it. At least I didn’t think so.

I kissed Ma goodbye, reminded her not to touch the cabinet door until the stain dried, and hurried to my truck. The drive home usually took close to forty-five minutes, but I made it in thirty. The moment I parked, I grabbed my tools from the passenger seat and rushed inside.

Without Soren, my house felt too quiet. There was no one dropping things, cursing, apologizing, laughing, or moaning. His meager supply of skincare products occupied one side of the bathroom counter because I couldn’t bear to move them. A sweater he had forgotten remained draped over the chair near the bedroom window. I had washed the sheets several times, but some ridiculous part of me still believed I could smell him whenever I lay down.

I carried my tools to the workshop before heading upstairs to change my shirt. Then I ran back downstairs and waited in the living room while doing what had become a favorite pastime of mine—looking up the latest news in Belvaria, a country I hadn’t cared about four months ago.

Most days, the articles were political reports I barely understood, but sometimes they included shots of Soren wearing clothes that probably cost more than my truck. I read every single article I could find that mentioned him, sometimes more than once.

The newest headline made me sit straighter.

CROWN PRINCE SOREN ASSUMES REGENCY DUTIES DURING KING AZARI’S ILLNESS

My stomach tightened as doubts resurfaced. His father was sick? I’d had cold feet about being with him when he was just a crown prince. If he was assuming the duties of his father…

Fuck.

According to the report, the king had withdrawn from public duties while recovering from a respiratory illness. Nothing life-threatening, the palace insisted, but Soren had temporarily assumed his responsibilities.

The article included a photograph of him seated at the head of a long council table. He wore a dark suit with a silver sash across his chest. His shoulders were straight, his expression calm, and one hand rested against a stack of documents as though he had spent his entire life preparing for that exact moment.

He looked nothing like the boy who’d climbed out of a squad car that night at Halo House. Pride warmed my chest at how confident and regal he looked. His rich brown skin had a smooth luster beneath the light, healthy and glowing. For the first time, I understood why he was always talking about serums, moisturizers, and whatever other skincare products he claimed were essential. Not that he ever wanted to spend his hard-earned money on them. Now I wished I had taken the time to understand more so I could buy them for him.

My little prince.

No. Not my little prince. He was Belvaria’s crown prince, and based on all the articles I’d been reading, he was doing a damn good job of it, too. Here was a young man who was learning to lead a country. The same man who had once stared at a washing machine as though they were at war with each other.

I smiled.

A knock sounded, startling me with its intensity. I exited the article quickly and shoved my phone into my pocket.

“Coming.”

I expected Vale at the door, and he was. But he wasn’t alone. Beside him stood a man I recognized immediately despite never having met him before.

King Azari of Belvaria.