Karl As I walk up to the small, discreet cafe on the city block, I take a deep, shuddering breath. The phone call that I finally made a few days ago after weeks of dragging my feet has finally led me here—to speak with Reginald, the strangely familiar king. I still don’t know why he wants to mee
My eyes widen slightly. For a moment, I guess I had some sort of hope that I would not only regain a father, but a mother as well. But she’s gone, and I never even got to know her. “As the king, I had no choice but to remarry,” he continues. “For political purposes, I married a princess of a for
Abby When Karl finishes telling me about the amazing revelations that he had with Reginald—his father, as I’ve now learned—over coffee, I’m too stunned to speak for a long time. “So,” he says, “I think I’m going to go to his estate. And I’d like you to come.” I blink in surprise, swallow, and
I feel as if I’ve stepped into a fairytale set somewhere in rural southern Italy. In fact, the personal vineyard flanking the front lawn only adds to that feeling. Reginald gives us a brief tour through the enormous foyer, which is sunlit in a golden glow through the large open-air windows. The ma
Abby The large dining room feels surprisingly warm and intimate as the plates are cleared away. I lean back in my chair, letting out a small, satisfied sigh. “I take it that the food was to your liking, Chef Abby,” Reginald says with a smile. I can’t help but grin. The flavor of fresh salmon,
Abby Karl and I step into Reginald’s study, and the faint scent of incense mixed with herbal tea fills my nostrils. The room is large with high ceilings and more open-air windows, but it has an even cozier feel now that the sun has mostly gone down. A large oak desk sits against the far wall, wi
It’s set to our pack’s timezone back in the north. “I always kept it set to your time,” he says. “So I could always feel a little closer to you.” There’s a long silence after that. I can feel Karl stiffen beside me, and then… And then he rushes forward and hugs his father tightly. Tears burst
Abby I step out of the fragrant bath, tendrils of hot steam curling up around me. My skin is flushed pink from the hot water, but I feel more relaxed than I have in a long time. Except, there’s the fact that Reginald’s proposal is still whirling around my head. Karl rises up out of the water a