Page 4 of Fallen Crown

“King Alexander has approved this?” Tim gazes around the huge empty barn.

No, he hasn’t. Has no idea I’ve even suggested it. Or that I want to be part of the adventure race team. I might have slid the word donation into a conversation the other day. While Alex will ultimately have the final say, finances and facilities are who I’ll have to speak to about my plans. My oldest brother has more than enough to worry about between negotiating the referendum laws, teaching Rory how to be royal, and raising my niece.

“It won’t be a problem,” I say.

Cheryl shifts on her feet. She’s been uncomfortable since she arrived. I invited her because she’s the one most likely to side with Maren in a vote. The less dissention at the table next week, the harder it’ll be for Maren to stick to her disapproval. My skills might not be on par with other team members, but I bring money, influence, and a lot of potential media attention. Normally, that last one is a negative, but I’ll milk that cow if it’s the only advantage they’ll accept.

“What do you think, Cheryl?” I ask.

“You’re being very generous.” She crosses her arms. “But Maren has a lot of experience training teams. She’s raced for years, and if she thinks there isn’t enough time to train you, I can’t, in good conscience, put the other team members in danger to stroke your ego.”

That’s very candid, if inaccurate. I can see why she and Maren get along. “Which I could completely understand if I’d never done any of the adventure race skills. But in Patagonia, I took a wilderness first aid course; in Wales, I paddled extensively through the Snowdonia region; and in Kalymnos, Greece, I’ve rock climbed. While Ms. Tucker would love to paint me as a novice to anyone who’ll listen, it’s far from the truth.” A day or two of all those activities hardly makes me an expert either, but I’m hoping my bravado will steer them away from digging too deeply. I’m capable of mastering those skills even if I haven’t yet.

“You’ve done all that?” Cheryl narrows her shrewd gaze.

“I’ve done all that, and if I took more time, I could probably come up with other relevant skills I’ve acquired. From watching the other seasons of this show, I’d say adaptability coupled with a will to win are the most important character traits. I have both in abundance, and that’s not all I bring to the race table.” I gesture to the space around us.

Cheryl and Tim exchange a glance, and I decide not to press any harder. At least I’ve countered Maren’s amateur narrative, and by the time I’ve finished the tour and alluded to all the money and exposure I could throw behind the event, I’m confident next week’s vote will fall in my favor.

After our tour finishes and as soon as they’re both ensconced in their vehicles, I make a beeline for Alex’s wing of the palace. Since I’ve now promised something I’m not sure I can deliver, I need to secure some support in that area too.

At the door to Alex’s suite of rooms, Kane, my brother’s head of security, holds up his hand.

“Quick chat with Rory,” I say. “Five minutes. Tops.”

Kane checks his watch. “Nap time ends in ten minutes. Come back then.”

“Oh, come on. She’d see me if you told her I was here.”

“King Alexander’s orders. Rory has been very tired. She’s not to be disturbed during Grace’s naptime.”

I turn around to head back to my wing of the palace, and I slide my phone out of my pocket to fire off a quick text to Rory. More than one way to get access to my sister-in-law. As I go through the main foyer, Nick comes from the direction of the kitchen, and he’s eating a scone.

“Have you talked to Alex about the state of the assisted dying law or whatever we’re calling it?” Nick asks.

Like always, Nick’s tone whenever he brings up the law is vaguely disapproving. Although he’s agreed to go along with the referendum outcome, and he’s okay with our father having choices and options, he’s not completely on board.

“Nothing,” I say. Last time I booked a meeting with Alex to discuss it, he said he’d tell me when there was news. The longer it takes for the law to be finalized, the trickier it might be to have our father qualify for it. Unlike Nick, I am fully behind the creation of assisted dying legislation. Already, our father is experiencing a surprising number of memory issues. Makes me wonder if our parents hid the diagnosis even longer than they’ve let on.

“How long are you in Bellerive this time?” I ask.

Nick and Julia have been spending so much time in Tanzania lately that I’m never completely sure when they’re in the country or out of it. Their uniform initiative to help send girls to school is a passion project for them, and Alex has opted to let them run with it rather than forcing them to engage in more outreach here at home.

“A few weeks,” Nick says. “I heard through the Tucker grapevine that you’re trying to get on the Alzheimer’s charity adventure race team? What the hell is that about?”

“That just happened this morning,” I mutter. The Tucker grapevine is extensive with deep roots across the island, and Nick is friends with Maren’s older brother.

His question about why I’m so keen isn’t one I want to dig into. At the moment, I’ve got more time on my hands than I likely should, and I could ask Alex for more Bellerive work. But I need something that’s going to occupy my body and mind. When left to my own devices, I spend far too much time stewing over our father’s diagnosis, his downward spiral, our impending loss. While I might be okay with the concept of assisted dying, and I might even believe it’s an important choice for our father to make, the reality of him making it is hard to consider.

“Have you run this past Alex?” Nick asks.

“Well.” I squint at him. “Rory seemed like the better person to speak to.”

“Still makes the best cream tea.” Nick chuckles and shoves the last bite of his scone in his mouth.

“Seems unbelievable that she bakes while nursing Grace,” I say.

Alex could not have chosen someone more opposite to him, but they work. There’s no doubt our brother, who was once so rigid and hard to read, loves her deeply. As the eldest, he was always the most likely of the three of us to get married, but I never thought he’d marry for love. With Nick and Alex paired off, and already an heir to the throne, the pressure to do any of that is completely off me. I figure I’ve got years to coast before anyone bothers to wonder why I’ve never married.