have known better that to get involved. Now he will have to suffer the consequences for that.”
Marisol hung her head. She’d messed up badly, spreading a trail of destruction from Dalaysia to America. And the worst of it was she’d hurt the people she loved in the process.
***
After the physician left, Marisol found her father on the sofa in her suite, pinching the bridge of his nose. It was something she rarely saw, but when she did, it meant he was deeply troubled.
“Father?” she said. Trepidation was in her voice.
“Marisol,” he sighed. “Did I not raise you better? Where have I failed you?”
Immediately, Marisol went to him and threw her arm around his neck.
“You have not failed me ever,” she said.
“I must have. The physician…”
Marisol’s blood ran cold. The doctor was kindly but thorough. He’d also promised he won’t report to her father her intimate details.
“Understand it wasn’t what he said. It was what he didn’t say. Marisol, I’m not a stupid man. Was it this Ryan you keep speaking about?”
“Yes,” she said softly.
“Why? It is a sin. A mortal sin, Marisol.” Instead of being angry, he was sad and resigned, like he had failed in some way.
Marisol hated to see her father so distressed, but could what she had to say make things any better? She didn’t think it would, but maybe it was some time for some truth. If there was one thing Marisol had learned in the past few days, it was that living a lie only hurt.
“Why?” she said. “Because I love him.”
“How do you know that?” her father demanded. There was some anger in his voice now.
Marisol kneeled on the floor in front of him and looked into his eyes.
“Because, Father, I feel it in my heart. Mother once told me she loved you the moment she met you. Didn’t you feel the same? Didn’t you know? How could it be any different for me? Why aren’t my feelings as genuine as yours were for Mother?”
Marisol had never seen her father cry, except at her mother’s funeral, but now her father’s eyes filled with them.
“Oh, Marisol. Of all the words that you could have spoken, those are the hardest.”
“Father.”
“No, hush. I’m a selfish man. I have sinned too, sinned against you for my selfishness. I knew you could never love Tristan, and in the meanest part of my heart, I gave you to him because I know you would have returned to me.”
Marisol stared at her father, shocked at his confession. Never in her life had he done anything but show her love. The incident with Tristan was an aberration, something she couldn’t understand. Now she did, and all she wanted to do was burrow her head intp his shoulder.
The king swallowed hard. “Now you tell me you love a man, and I face what I fear the most, losing the only other person I love. Can you forgive me for being so selfish, for loving you so much I couldn’t bear to let you go?”
“Oh, Father, you cannot lose me. Not ever, but I will be very angry with you if you don’t make things right with Ryan. That is the least we can do for all the trouble we have given him.”
The king wiped his eyes with his hand and gave Marisol a little smile.
“Get dressed, daughter. We will go find your Ryan and make things right with him.”
CHAPTER THIRTEEN
The King To The Rescue
“ Are we ready?” King Francois said to Gustav.
Marisol stood behind her father, dressed in a proper suit of royal blue crepe, and a felt wide-brimmed hat of the same color. Her secretary, Countess Guerin, stood behind her, attired in a black wool suit. Pressed all around were Gustav’s security team in black suits. It was all properly royal.
“Yes, your Grace.”
“And damage control.”
Gustav gave a sly smile and handed a tablet to her father. He looked at it and chuckled.
“The print edition, Gustav?”
“No. Not yet, your Grace.”
“Too bad. I should like to have had a copy of it under my arm when we go to the courthouse.”
“What is it,
Marisol hung her head. She’d messed up badly, spreading a trail of destruction from Dalaysia to America. And the worst of it was she’d hurt the people she loved in the process.
***
After the physician left, Marisol found her father on the sofa in her suite, pinching the bridge of his nose. It was something she rarely saw, but when she did, it meant he was deeply troubled.
“Father?” she said. Trepidation was in her voice.
“Marisol,” he sighed. “Did I not raise you better? Where have I failed you?”
Immediately, Marisol went to him and threw her arm around his neck.
“You have not failed me ever,” she said.
“I must have. The physician…”
Marisol’s blood ran cold. The doctor was kindly but thorough. He’d also promised he won’t report to her father her intimate details.
“Understand it wasn’t what he said. It was what he didn’t say. Marisol, I’m not a stupid man. Was it this Ryan you keep speaking about?”
“Yes,” she said softly.
“Why? It is a sin. A mortal sin, Marisol.” Instead of being angry, he was sad and resigned, like he had failed in some way.
Marisol hated to see her father so distressed, but could what she had to say make things any better? She didn’t think it would, but maybe it was some time for some truth. If there was one thing Marisol had learned in the past few days, it was that living a lie only hurt.
“Why?” she said. “Because I love him.”
“How do you know that?” her father demanded. There was some anger in his voice now.
Marisol kneeled on the floor in front of him and looked into his eyes.
“Because, Father, I feel it in my heart. Mother once told me she loved you the moment she met you. Didn’t you feel the same? Didn’t you know? How could it be any different for me? Why aren’t my feelings as genuine as yours were for Mother?”
Marisol had never seen her father cry, except at her mother’s funeral, but now her father’s eyes filled with them.
“Oh, Marisol. Of all the words that you could have spoken, those are the hardest.”
“Father.”
“No, hush. I’m a selfish man. I have sinned too, sinned against you for my selfishness. I knew you could never love Tristan, and in the meanest part of my heart, I gave you to him because I know you would have returned to me.”
Marisol stared at her father, shocked at his confession. Never in her life had he done anything but show her love. The incident with Tristan was an aberration, something she couldn’t understand. Now she did, and all she wanted to do was burrow her head intp his shoulder.
The king swallowed hard. “Now you tell me you love a man, and I face what I fear the most, losing the only other person I love. Can you forgive me for being so selfish, for loving you so much I couldn’t bear to let you go?”
“Oh, Father, you cannot lose me. Not ever, but I will be very angry with you if you don’t make things right with Ryan. That is the least we can do for all the trouble we have given him.”
The king wiped his eyes with his hand and gave Marisol a little smile.
“Get dressed, daughter. We will go find your Ryan and make things right with him.”
CHAPTER THIRTEEN
The King To The Rescue
“ Are we ready?” King Francois said to Gustav.
Marisol stood behind her father, dressed in a proper suit of royal blue crepe, and a felt wide-brimmed hat of the same color. Her secretary, Countess Guerin, stood behind her, attired in a black wool suit. Pressed all around were Gustav’s security team in black suits. It was all properly royal.
“Yes, your Grace.”
“And damage control.”
Gustav gave a sly smile and handed a tablet to her father. He looked at it and chuckled.
“The print edition, Gustav?”
“No. Not yet, your Grace.”
“Too bad. I should like to have had a copy of it under my arm when we go to the courthouse.”
“What is it,
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