Chapter 13: Nicholas

Nicholas p.o.v.

When we finally reached the house, it was already dark. I'll not be able to return before dinner, Xenia will going to be worried...and pissed. That's all because of my absurd emotions, I wasted so much time mourning over a thing that happened thirteen years ago but couldn't help myself, going to a place like that rushed back all those emotions which I thought hadn't there anymore. Regret...anger, helplessness and worst; hatred...hate for myself and everyone and everything around me. Every emotion was the same as before as if it's just yesterday, I saw Samara burn alive in front of my eyes while I could do nothing but watch with wide-open eyes.

I took a deep breath, focus, I came here to talk politics, not for grieving. Unmounting from the saddle, I tied Poison with one of the trees, my cassock was still peeking from the pannier which I left on Poison's back. Not wearing my white collar and black cassock, made me feel unusual, incomplete perhaps? Ugh, Just finish this business fast Nicholas and then you could return to your peaceful life with Xenia, I reassured myself, following Lady Annie.

The house wasn't big or fancy, a normal three-floor wooden cottage, with numerous flambeaux lightning our way, making it easier for us to stroll the stairs and reached the second floor.

It wouldn't take me long to recognise the familiar faces sitting around the fireplace, Lady Katerina with her usual wicked smile...an enemy. Ser Mountbatten, English Ambassador, who secretly despised my half-uncle, the British king...another enemy. And one whose presence surprised me the most was Lord Arthur Augustus, cousin of King Aldrich, who was against the treaty between Scotland and France, which means who was against Xenia...another enemy. God, where did I get myself into?

And then, at last, a man standing near the window, smoking the cigar, his face familiar, too familiar that he looked like me...my father.

" Father?", I said hurriedly going towards him, I stared at his face...how many years had passed since I last saw him, last time there weren't these wrinkles on his pale white skin, neither these grey white hairs over his partly bald head.

" What are you doing here?", I asked, still stunned to meet him here.

" Are you not pleased to see me?"

" I am but...", I replied, glancing at others before looking back at him, " This place is not safe for you.", I whispered and he just chuckled at me, " You worry too much Nicholas.", Father scuffed, patting my head lovingly, " These people are trustworthy."

I have no idea, how the hell he managed to trust the most treacherous people of all three countries, but that exactly sounds like my father. He is too innocent...stupid would be a better word for him if I said blatantly.

Sighing, I turned around, nodding back at Ser Mountbatten, I walked towards them, " Lady Katerina, Lord Arthur...", I greeted sitting on the chair in front of them. Lady Annie also crouched beside her mother.

" Nicholas Duke.", Katerina said, giving me her hand to kiss and then laughing at her own humourless joke when I didn't even touch her skin, " Forgive me...I forgot you are a priest now.", she rasped sighing dramatically, "Too young to be a duke...too young to be a priest, such a shame!"

" Not young anymore.", I replied making her smirk at me, " I don't think so...", she countered, her amber eyes moved down towards my torso before they again met mine.

And... she didn't change a bit.

I forgot to mention, I slept with Lady Katerina once..or twice, thrice perhaps? Didn't remember the exact number. It was before her husband died...and yes, adultery, was a sin...is a sin. Another sin, I committed before taking the robe. I didn't remember exactly but perhaps I met Lady Katerina on the king's order to talk to her husband but he was not in the condition to speak...and then, I fucked a dying man's wife in front of his eyes. In my defence, I was nineteen, young and naive and she teased me by saying; too young to be a duke. I worked hard for that title...so that comment angered me and after that, what could I say... Lady Katerina got what she wanted.

In case you are wondering, No, Lady Annie is not my daughter...She might be six or seven when that happened because I remembered meeting her; her kid self was more annoying. And that made me wonder, Xenia might be just four when I was fucking someone else wife. God...I am too old for her, fifteen years is huge. But Xenia did like...stop For god's sake Nicholas.

" So, why we all are here?", I asked, looking between them, the bright light from the fireplace glooming at their faces, making it easier to read their expressionless faces.

" Your uncle died this morning.", Ser Mountbatten said, making me look up at my father, " King is dead...", I breathed, " How?"

" Too much hunt, too much drink.", Father huffed, " Fall from his horse, then a boar came..."

Fuck...I always told him, not to drink too much wine, especially while hunting but he never listened to me or anyone else for that matter.

After all three of his sons died in the war and last year, our queen also died during childbirth with their infant daughter, his condition became worst. I met him in Rome six months ago, and didn't even see his face, nor did I talk to him...still blaming him for Samara's execution. He even called my name, but I just moved past him...as if he didn't even exist. And now, I could do nothing but regret it. I was always close to him...he was the one who spoiled me in the first place. But Samara's death left a deep painful scar on my heart, distancing me from all those people I loved.

I glanced up when Father patted my shoulder; a failed attempt to comfort me, sitting at the chair, he exhaled his cigar, " When I left the castle he was barely alive, I received a raven this morning. They are waiting for my order to act further..."

" Waiting for your order?", I interrupted, confusingly looking at Ser Mountbatten who just sighed at my ignorance. He should have known, I am a priest now, and I didn't spy on people anymore. That's Xenia's work now, in which she is failing miserably. I should scold her for this...punish her perhaps, I had so many ideas of... God Nicholas, stop, your Uncle just died, whom you loved, and hated because of your fiance's death. And here, you were thinking of doing those filthy things with your daughter. Great, I should prepare myself for going to hell.

Ser Mountbatten cleared his throat, getting my attention back on the topic, " Precisely, George Frederick, third of his name...our king, legitimate your father and named him as his successor before dying."

What the...I kept staring at him to see any hint of lying, but he was serious. And I shouldn't be surprised anyway...Father was the half-brother of the king. And they were close too, closer than his other bastard brothers.

So...my Father is the king of England now, who is not even in England anymore, and sitting here, with enemies without any guard..or shield or sword...and in a fucking rival country where people will love to kill him for free. And that realisation made me glare at my stupidly innocent father.

" What? Don't look at me like that.", Father groaned, " I have no idea, he was going to do that as I ran away."

Great...could he be more foolish?

" I suspected that when George will die his bastard brothers will start killing each other to secure the throne for themselves...and I had no intention to take part in that."

" And that's why he made you king; his only decision I am agreeing with.", Ser Mountbatten interrupted Father making me snicker at his wrong assumption.

Uncle didn't make my Father his successor because he thought he is deserving or anything. The only reason was royalty, my other half-uncles were low-born and our king wasn't that open-minded, one of his flaws. My grandmother was the duchess of Normandy, so even though my father was a bastard he held more titles than a normal royal. Ugh, I really hate this game of power and politics. Right now, I just want to go back and eat that delicious vegetable soup, Xenia made for me.

Leaning over the chair, I looked at my father, there is just one thing I still couldn't figure out, " But aren't you..."

" Too old to be a king?", Father completed my question, " I am aware of that.", he said smiling...Why I had this feeling he will tell me something I am not going to like? I peeked at others, who were also looking at me, and I wasn't liking the look on their faces, not a bit.

" That's the reason we all gathered here to meet you."