Page 91 of The Royal in Room 3

“But I have a criminal record,” I rushed in to say. “Your country even denied me an ETA to travel there so I could apologize to Soren and ask him to take another chance on me.”

“So that is why you wanted to reach someone in the palace,” he observed aloud. “Which means my visit here has not been in vain. You can rest assured that I will personally have your travel documents verified for visiting Belvaria and potentially becoming one of us.”

“What about my prison record?”

“Soren explained it all to me. Everyone has a past, Jude. The important thing is to learn from our mistakes. As far as I am concerned, you have been an upstanding citizen for a decade, and that is what counts.”

My throat thickened with emotion, and I had to look away. After everything I had convinced myself of over the past month, I hadn’t expected Soren’s father to sit in my living room and speak to me as if I had worth. I had expected suspicion. Disapproval. Maybe even a polite warning to stay away from his son.

Not this.

“This is why you came?” I asked. “To see me?”

“Yes. My stubborn son has decided that he will return to California to persuade you that you belong together,” he said with a chuckle. “And he seems adamant enough that I fear he may give up the throne to stay here with you. I want my son to be happy, and I also want Belvaria to have a future leader who will rule well. I decided to meet with you first and do my part to convince you that I will support your union if Soren sets his heart on you.”

“That’s—I don’t know what to say.”

“You can assure me that when my son comes in a couple of months to see you, you will say yes to him.”

I shook my head slowly. “I can’t do that.”

“Jude, don’t be absurd,” Vale said for the first time since we started talking. “You know you’re just as crazy about Soren as he is about you. Why torture both of you?”

“What I meant is that I don’t want him to come here and ask me to be with him,” I explained. “This is the mess that I created. I rejected him the first time, and I want to be the one to go to him and apologize and beg his forgiveness.”

“Are you certain this is what you want?” the king of Belvaria asked. “Being a royal is not easy for those who are already born into the family. You will have a lot to learn if you wish to stand by Soren’s side.”

I smiled, feeling so fucking ecstatic about the day. “I once taught Soren how to make toast and scramble the perfect eggs. How to budget his money and make a bed. If you help me get to Belvaria, I’ll learn how to bow properly, address foreign dignitaries, survive state dinners, stand beside him at official events, smile for cameras without looking like I’m being held hostage, and punch anyone from the press who says mean things about him.”

Azari threw his head back and laughed hard. “Actually, that last one is exactly what you are not to do, though I understand. I have been tempted more than once to do so myself.”

The man rose to his feet and held a hand out to me. I jumped to mine and clasped his hand. His handshake was firm and full of approval.

“Jude, it was a pleasure to meet you, and I look forward to seeing you again soon. My flight back to Belvaria is tonight, but I will reach out to you and help you make the trip to my country. It is a beautiful place, and I hope you love it.”

“Thank you, sir. I appreciate you doing this for me, and I promise you that I will take good fucking care of your son.”

Only hours after they left did I realize I had sworn in front of a king, and I could never let my mother find out about it.

29

SOREN

I’d done it.

Entering the state ballroom of the palace, I paused just inside the doors, feeling pride as I took in the people moving about the room. Tall floral arrangements stood between the long tables, and banners bearing the crest of the new royal outreach initiative, A Place to Belong, hung beneath the chandeliers. Along one side of the room, representatives from shelters, youth organizations, counseling services, and medical clinics had set up information tables. On the other side, donors and members of the court mingled with ministers, advocates, and volunteers.

I felt excited that I’d gotten some very important people to walk through the doors, but I didn’t dare feel too accomplished. There was way too much need to be pleased with the current situation in our country.

This was only the beginning.

One charity function would not fix all the problems. It would not create enough beds, counselors, safe houses, or trained staff. But for the first time since returning to Belvaria, I felt as though I had taken something painful from my life and turned it into action.

My time spent away from home and family would not have been in vain.

I hadn’t realized how limited LGBTQ services were here until I came home and started asking questions. Belvaria had always felt safe to me because my father openly loved me and had supported my coming out to the public. He had never made me feel ashamed of who I was, and because of that, I had taken it for granted that the rest of the country was kinder than it truly was.

I had been wrong.