Not Part of Your World

Luke

For the entire flight to my childhood home, I sorted through emails on my laptop, desperate to keep the conversation with Father as infrequent as possible.

But as king, he had other duties to attend to. While he locked himself in the suite on the private plane, fielding whatever issues were ailing the country that he ran, I did the same with my work. I wasn’t as productive as I would have been at the office, with the constant turbulence and the staff’s eagerness to cater to my every need, but I did get enough done to feel somewhat accomplished by the time the plane landed.

As the plane touched the ground, I drew in a sharp breath, and a sinking sensation weighed in my gut. The plane slowed, and the moment the “fasten seatbelt sign” turned off, I clicked the buckle open and stood up.

The door to Father’s suite opened a few seconds later, and he strode past me with his staff right behind him.

I hadn’t bothered to change into the more traditional clothes that Father would have prefe