Thirty-Four: Prince Cadoc
1026 Words
Chapter Thirty-Four
Prince Cadoc
When I got to the palace, I went past a worried looking Arwen. Then into the study, where my father was waiting for me. Father sat behind his desk. It seemed strange that only months ago I’d been there fighting on Pen’s behalf to get her to come to New Years. Now, I was there again, in darker circumstances.
“Well,” said the King, “it seems that your little scholarship girl has caused quite some trouble. She eviscerated us in that article, you know.” He placed the school paper on the desk. In the middle of everything, I’d forgotten about the article.
But with the attack on Blue Friday, Penelope’s article on the measures taken at the parliament session that day had made the rounds. It was the shot heard around the world, one that had made the royalists talk about her like she was Mata hari.
“She didn’t know this was going to happen,” I said.
“Are you sure?” My father asked. “Naïve little girl comes to Hollow Hills, catches your eye, and then all hell breaks loose. It’s the perfect set up, and to add insult to injury she’s neighbors of the fallen King and Queen of Coleum.”
“She didn’t plan this, father,” I said, “if she had, her Mother would still be alive.”
He sighed. “I should put her in the tower until she’s eighteen.”
“She’s the woman I love,” I insisted, “the woman that I intend to marry.”
“Then,” he said, “you think we’re right, letting Crowe adopt her? She’ll become sixth in line to inherit through his family line, and one of the richest women in Wales. A duchess. The world will know what your intentions are with this girl the moment we announce it.”
“Crowe’s the only one I trust with her,” I said.
“Oh?” said my father, looking startled. “Why is that?”
“He has nothing to lose, and everything to gain. With a man like that, of course he’ll take care of her. Addington, if his son gets involved, has everything to lose.”
“Suppose you’re right,” he said, “fine, then I’ll contact Lord Crowe, and make the announcement in parliament. From this moment forward, Penelope Peters will be Duchess Penelope Crowe. A ward of the royal family of house Crowe.”
I sighed. “I never should have looked at her.”
My father looked me up and down.
“You don’t have to save this girl, you know. She made her bed when she wrote that article criticizing parliament. All we have to do is lock her in the tower, and this all goes away.”
“She didn’t intend for her Mother to be in a bombing. And voicing your opinion is not a terrorist action. Especially when it criticizes those in power.”
“No, but she’s a threat, Cadoc. Anyone that can use your power is.”
“I’m not saving her,” I said, “she’s saving me.”
He smiled, and it was the first time I saw my father with a genuine smile. “If it weren’t for your mother, I would not have become the King that I am today. I understand. If this girl is what you need to be a good king, then we will do everything that we can to keep her safe. Lord Crowe will adopt her.”
He paused and stared at me for a long while. “Do you think you can win her heart?”
I laughed. “I already have it. Keeping her....Pen is an extraordinary soul. I’m not the first one to fall for her, and I won’t be the last.”
“You’d better do what you can, son. The fate of the nation rests on that girls shoulders now. Unless, of course, you too are interested in marrying one of the Tsars children….”
I shook my head. “No. That’s not for me.”
I should have talked to him then about my sister. About Alexi, the man that he was planning on marrying her off to. About my concerns. But in that moment, all I could think of was Penelope.
“Father,” I said, “I want Penelope to spend the summer here. With us. I want to expose her to the world as much as we possibly can. To prepare her.”
“Smart,” he said, “I’ll talk to Lord Crowe. I’m certain will be able to arrange something.”
“Can I return to school? To tell her?”
“I’ll bring the girl here,” he said. "Besides, she’s going to have to be kept in the tower until her mother’s funeral, and Crowe’s adoption is final.”
“One other thing,” I said.
“Yes?”
“I want her to have a formal coming out. An introduction to society. So that no one can question her place. We’ll bring back The Courting Season.”
“That’ll cause a stir. It hasn’t been done since the eighteen hundreds, and you know that Crowe can always decide that someone else is better than you. Another royal, even.”
“I don’t care,” I said, “she’s turning seventeen this summer. People will start coming in with offers, and I want to be able to declare my interest publicly so that no one gets any ideas.”
“Alright,” he said, “Jasper can escort her.”
“No,” I said, “I will.”
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