Olivia Sparks

Sui Estate—The Highlands

Up in Sui Estate, a string of footfalls echoed in the hallway that led to the formal dining room.

Tonight was a special night for the Suis, for it was a celebration of the late king's passing. 

While the rest knew Sebastian died in the crash, people in the Highlands knew the truth: It took him a week before he expired. He was brain dead when medics found him and it didn't take long for his heart to give up too.

Year after year, the Suis would gather for dinner and celebrate the gift of life—the one thing they knew they had in borrowed time.

"Good evening, Your Majesty. Please pardon me for my tardiness," Maxen curtsied instead of bowing, earning him a fit of giggles from his mother and sister, Queen Isla and Princess Maya, respectively.

He cheek kissed the ladies first before finding his seat to the right side of the king.

"And to whom do we owe your tardiness, Prince Maxen?" King Alistair, displeased, c.o.c.ked an eyebrow at his son who was fluffing his napkin.

"To myself? I insisted on dropping off Auntie Amelia at the Lins, then I have to drop Olivia home because… you've read the reports."

"Yes, I've read all of them and we have to talk about it later."

Across from Maxen, Queen Isla placed her spoon and fork on her plate. "So she finally got what she wanted. She's been nagging me for days, looking for her husband. I already told Olivia to find a doctor for her mother, has she?" She picked up her fork and murdered her salad, upset over her beshy's condition.

"Is that why you stopped your daily visit at Notios?" King Alistair confirmed, surprise written all over his face at the queen's revelation. 

"So you weren't listening to what I was telling you every night, darling?" Queen Isla raised an eyebrow at the King, who cleared his throat to clear his conscience.

"I do, darling. It's just that I have a lot on my plate lately that it slipped off my mind."

The queen huffed, dismayed at the king. "Explain yourself in the precinct, Alistair."

Maxen curiously eyed her mother. He wanted to ask her something, but he knew King Alistair wasn't a big fan of talking about other people at the dinner table so he just shrugged and started digging in his food.

Everyone was busy filling themselves with the smorgasbord of a curated menu from the royal kitchen when Queen Isla started sniffing. "Who's that?" she scanned the room, accusing every soul that her eyes laid onto.

"Who's what?"

"Is it you, Maxen? You smell…" Queen Isla didn't finish her words and took out her atomizer, spritzing perfume on her son.

"Mom! Stop it!" Maxen spat out the perfume that he inhaled in his mouth. "Olivia hated perfumes."

"Oh," Queen Isla clutched the perfume to her c.h.e.s.t. She felt her heart somersault at the mention of Olivia hating scents. "Heol. Is she pregnant?"

"What?! She's pregnant?!" King Alistair and Maxen cried in unison, much to Princesses Maya's amus.e.m.e.nt who was rubbing her belly.

"My, my. Look at Daddy. For a second I was jealous because he looked more excited compared to when I told him I was pregnant." Princess Maya tweeted.

"Who's excited? Me? No, no. They're not married yet, so babies are out of the question." King Alistair scoffed, training his eyes on his plate to hide the truth that was painted on his face.

"Sus! Look who's talking. It's time that our children know the truth. Maxen, Maya," Queen Isla held Maya's hand beside her and held her chin up high. "The truth was… we conceived Maxen a month before our wedding."

"Everyone knows that, Mommy. You gave birth eight months after your wedding so the numbers didn't add up." 

"What? I didn't know that," Maxen's jaw dropped. "Wait, how do you count the months, Maya?"

"Don't bother about the month's, Maxenboo. What you should be bothered about was where we conceived you." Queen Amelia scanned the room, wiggling her eyes to every soul as if urging them to go ahead and press her to tattletale.

Sitting on the head of the table, King Alistair tightened his grip on his fork and knife. He knew. He knew that nothing would stop his darling tonight. She'd been keeping that secret for thirty years and it's starting to put a weight in her heart. And tonight was the perfect night to let it off her c.h.e.s.t.

"Maxen… do you know why you love horses so much? Hmm?" Queen Isla raised a brow over Maxen's way.

"My, my. He was made in the stables!" Princess Maya exclaimed. "Oh, my gosh! Dexter, are you okay?" she immediately probed when her husband who was sitting beside her accidentally snorted the wine through his nose.

"No, not in the stables. Eww. That's dirty," Queen Amelia gagged. Trailing off, she slowly and painfully revealed the details. "We made Maxen… under the blanket of stars… on top of a haystack. Your father is so romantic, I must say."

Across Queen Isla, the color on Maxen's face drained. His eyes darted between his mother and father, verifying the truth which he need not do because he saw guilt in his father's eyes. 

"That's why our boy here gallops like a horse, and f.u.c.ks like a horse." The king's head was thrown back, his head shaking with delight.

"How could you do that to our mother! You're a nobleman!" Maxen nostrils flared. His respect for his father exhaled out of his body through it.

"Maxen," Queen Isla cooed. "It wasn't like your father planned everything."

"Yes, yes." King Alistair nodded. "It was a magical night, darling."

Tipping her wine glass to Maxen, Queen Isla took a sip before narrating the events in technicolor. "The bonfire that night wasn't that good because it rained that afternoon, so we have to improvise with the heating." Her cheeks blushed at the surge of memories.

"But, mommy! He made that sorry heating on purpose!"

"And I love every bit of it."

The king and queen held hands to show their solidarity, much to Maxen's horror.

Raising his goblet to break the conversation, King Alistair toasted, "To the gift of life." The king beamed. He knew what he would say next would garner him mixed reactions. "And may we not forget to think about our people first."

"To the gift of life," the rest chanted, ignoring the other half of his toast.

After their dinner, King Alistair and Maxen excused themselves and went to the king's office where Secretary Abbott was standing outside, waiting for them.

Inside the office, the air was thin and heavy, yet none of the three gentlemen seemed to be bothered by it.

"I knew you made up your mind about Olivia and there's no way I could change it," King Alistair trailed off, resting his weaved hands on the doc.u.ments on the table.

Scrutinizing the photos one by one, he couldn't help but grind his teeth. 

"But, I have to remind you of the protocols. You know it by heart yet you chose to ignore it every single time." 

King Alistair tapped the photo in the middle. It was a paparazzi shot of Maxen inside the car, securing Olivia in his arms.

"I don't want to leave Olivia in a different car all because people couldn't get their noses away from my private life. It would be safer for her to be at my side at all times."

"I'm tired of arguing with you. Sometimes I think about abdicating so you'll know what it feels like to be in my place." Three lines creased on the king's forehead as King Alistair flipped the photo upside down. He didn't want to look at it nor listen to his son's words. He knew that whatever he would say, Maxen had a ready explanation.

"There are more photos of you and Olivia in the Royal Press. It wouldn't take long before the tabloids would stop receiving payments for their hard work, before we know it, things would have blown out of proportion."

Seeing his father in deep contemplation, Maxen asked, "So what do you suggest we do, Your Majesty?"

The whole car ride home, Maxen spaced out of the window, drinking in the passing silhouettes of trees in the darkness.

Rubbing the skin above his eyebrow, he thought of ways to achieve the king's suggestion. It wasn't bad, but he felt like doing it was too prem.a.t.u.r.e with all the hullabaloo in Olivia's life.

While Maxen was motionless in his seat, in the front passenger seat, a different scene unfolded.

Jack couldn't seem to find the right mold on the seat for his arse. He shifted and slid on his seat, uncomfortable at the text message he received from Yana a few minutes ago. Firing orders after orders through his phone, he didn't realize they already arrived at Rockaway Tower.

"Aren't you going up with me?" Maxen asked when Jack remained rooted outside the elevator.

"No, Your Highness. I have other matters to discuss with the security team."

"Okay. Goodnight, Jack." Maxen tapped his keycard and the elevator doors closed, leaving Jack outside who wiped the sweat in his forehead. He pressed a button in his lapel and fired a question, "Is the penthouse clear?"

"Clear, boss. All systems are off."

Arriving in his penthouse suite, Maxen's heart dropped when a fluffy white robe pooled on the floor.

Looking over her shoulders, Olivia's lips curved into a smile that reached her eyes.

"You're home. Want to join me for a dip, Your Highness?"