Page 9 of Falling for the Queen Mother

Nate waited for his mind to settle down before finding a place to settle himself in his temporary quarters.

His meeting with the king hadn't gone poorly, but it hadn't gone exceptionally well either.

As the Queen Mother had mentioned, King Frederick didn't seem convinced there was anything to be concerned about. He would support the inventory and other measures to ensure that there was no missing artwork or artifacts, but he wouldn't give them the same support they'd received in Dellisole, where it had essentially been all hands on deck to find out what happened.

Maybe if Madeleine had come to present the information, it would have helped. Surely the king would respect the woman who'd helped raise his counterpart in Eastern Novigradia. The king had never heard of Nathaniel, but Madeleine was well known in the royal circles for her expertise in this kind of thing, particularly in some of the smaller countries like those in the Sargasso Sea.

Regardless, Nathaniel would have to make do with the support he had and be thankful they had that much. He'd heard rumors there was even less support in a couple of the countries on the European mainland. Fortunately, he hadn't had to deal with anything quite that bad.

A glance at his watch told him he needed to eat soon if he was going to. He found the information folder in a drawer in the living area. After studying the menu options, he followed the directions to call in an order. Whoever answered the phone was polite and helpful, answering his questions in a cheerful tone. They even laughed with him a couple of times as he fumbled through the pronunciation of one of the local dishes. She promised the order would arrive shortly and they disconnected the call.

He hadn't looked around in depth before his meeting with the king, so Nathaniel took this opportunity to do so. It surprised him to find that he had a balcony overlooking the water. Had the Queen Mother chosen this for him? Had someone else? Or was it simply luck of the draw?

It didn't matter. The balcony came with a couple of chairs and a small table. He leaned against the balustrade while he waited but he'd eat inside. He just didn't care to eat with the wind blowing, but it would be great for reading or even just staring off into space.

The knock at his door came far sooner than he'd expected. Pushing off he turned and went to the door. He didn't bother to check before opening it, so the view on the other side surprised him.

"Your Majesty?" He could hear the puzzled sound to his own voice.

"Hi." She looked like she felt awkward. "I wanted to see how your meeting went and make sure you're settling in okay. May I come in?"

Nathaniel stood to the side and held the door open so she could enter. "I'm settling in just fine, thank you."

He could tell when she realized he'd left the door to the balcony open. Rather than saying anything about it, she simply walked across the room and back to the spot where he'd been a moment earlier.

Leaning on his forearms a few inches from hers, he kept his gaze outward rather than on the woman next to him.

"And your meeting with my son?"

"It could have gone better," he admitted. "But he is giving us his support. Somewhat reluctant support, but support."

"That's about what I expected, but I'd hoped you'd be able to... not convince him necessarily, but that after talking to you, he'd give it a little more credence."

"I think Madeleine might be able to, but unless it's someone he knows and respects already, I don't know that anything will until we find solid proof." He clasped his hands together and stared at them. Could he bring himself to do what he really wanted to do?

Ask her on a date.

The search would allow him to spend more time with her until he could get up the nerve to do so.

Or talk himself out of it completely.

That was the more likely outcome.

He needed to focus on his work then get back to Eastern Novigradia or go on a long trip to see his grandbabies. He missed them.

That reminded him. "Have you spoken with Emilia? How is she?"

"Good. They've moved into guest quarters down the hall from here until something more permanent can be arranged in a few days. She'll start working for me in a few weeks after she's had some time to settle in and recover from childbirth. Even then it'll be light work to start, and she'll be able to bring the baby with her for a while. After that, she'll be able to leave the baby in the palace nursery and see her often."

"That's wonderful." Another knock at the door pulled Nathaniel out of the conversation. "That's my dinner. I'm sorry I didn't order enough for both of us."

The Queen Mother smiled as she turned to walk inside. "I'm not hungry, but thank you for the sentiment. I appreciate it."

She reached the door before he did and opened it to let a young man inside.

His eyes widened in surprise. "Ma'am!" He bowed his head. "My apologies. I wasn't aware you were here."

"It's no trouble. Thank you for the prompt delivery of Mr. Dougherty's meal. It's greatly appreciated." The queen's smile seemed more genuine than anything else since they met.