Sovalon Royals: The Complete Series Read online

At that moment, Kyra and Clementine, his brothers’ wives, strolled around the corner, Kyra holding hers and Marcus’s daughter in her arms. The two women were laughing over something as they followed the guys into the boardroom. Aldon couldn’t help but imagine Piper with them, laughing along, making the duo into a trio. Seeing his brothers with their partners only increased Aldon’s longing to have a love of his own, one that fit him as well as his brothers’ loves fit them. Kyra approached Marcus, and Marcus kissed her, just as Clem and Edward put their heads together, engaged in a tête-à-tête. Seeing them all together really hammered home to Aldon what he’d just lost.

  “So, Aldon,” Clem said from her seat beside Edward. “The rumor mill around here has been pretty out of control.” She turned to Edward with wide eyes.

  Rumor mill? Aldon stared at his brothers and their wives.

  “Is it true you were having a fling with the caretaker of your castle down in Thistledown Valley?” Marcus asked with a grin on his face.

  Aldon sighed. Of course they knew. Nothing was secret around here. He might as well spill.

  “I didn’t mean to,” he began, and Marcus laughed.

  “I didn’t either,” he joked, patting his baby daughter’s head. Kyra playfully punched him.

  “No, I mean…” His sentence trailed into silence. How could he put into words the magic that had blossomed between him and Piper in a few short days?

  “When I first met Piper, I was kind of stunned by how beautiful she was,” he said. “Even so, I wasn’t planning on making any moves. I went to Thistledown Castle to get away from a broken relationship, not to find a new one.”

  Silence was thick in the boardroom. Edward, Marcus, and their wives waited for Aldon to elaborate.

  “But, the more I got to know her and the more time we spent together, the fonder I grew of her. She’s not only gorgeous on the outside,” Aldon said, “she’s got this huge beautiful heart.”

  Aldon felt the red on his face. He hadn’t meant to go into all of it, but once he started describing Piper, he’d gotten excited and couldn’t stop talking.

  “You sound positively smitten, brother,” Marcus said. “When do we get to meet this Piper?”

  Aldon brushed away Marcus’s question. “You don’t,” he said. “Everything fell apart completely. It just wasn’t meant to be, obviously.”

  Aldon gave his brothers, Clem, and Kyra the brief version of what had happened in Thistledown, including the town’s problems and their father’s orders for him to leave.

  “Aldon,” Edward said and placed a hand firmly on his shoulder, “if you have real feelings for this woman, you should go after her.”

  “Definitely,” Clem said. “I’ve never seen you like this. You really feel something for her, don’t you?”

  Aldon’s heart squeezed. He imagined Piper’s face, watching him as he’d listened to the townspeople at the restaurant in Thistledown Valley, then later in bed next to him, as satisfied as he was with their lovemaking.

  “Yes, I do,” he admitted. “My feelings for Piper surprised me. I’d just broken things off with Carrie, and it didn’t make sense that I’d fall for someone else so soon, but I did.”

  “Have you heard from Carrie?” Kyra asked. “Your father seems to think you two are going to patch things up.”

  “We’re not,” Aldon said. His father could talk that lie up until kingdom come, and it would never happen. “That relationship needed to end. I’m glad it’s over,” he said.

  Clementine piped up then. “You know, Aldon, my father taught me that everything happens for a reason. Maybe the reason you broke up with Carrie was so you would go to Thistledown and meet Piper. Maybe it was meant to be.”

  Aldon once again shook his head. Just because he and Carrie were not meant for each other didn’t mean he and Piper were. With the way things had turned out, he’d clearly proven that he could never be the man Piper and Willa needed in their lives.

  “I’m going to head up to bed,” he said. “You all should get some rest too. Thanks for bringing these documents, guys.”

  Later in his room, Aldon dug through his bags searching for one of his titles on global trade. He pulled book after book from the bag until his eyes fell on a big purple splotch on one of the books—the one Willa had spilled juice on.

  Aldon ran his fingers over the patch of brightness, thinking about how Piper and Willa had brought color and joy to his life. Now they were gone for good. Tears gathered in his eyes, blurring his vision until everything around him looked to be a drab shade of gray.

  13

  When Piper slipped through the front door into her mother’s house a few hours later, she noticed the light on in the living room. Maeve was still awake, watching the late show and quite possibly anticipating Piper’s arrival. Her mom always seemed to be able to anticipate Piper’s next move, and Piper wouldn’t be surprised if Maeve had predicted that she would fly to her mother’s home and her arms for comfort during this confusing time.

  The tree farm just outside of Thistledown Valley, where her mother and her Aunt Lina lived and worked together, was the haven where Piper had been raised to appreciate the things she still loved most—nature and family. The farm was tucked away from the hustle and bustle of town, on a ten-acre stretch of land where Maeve and Lina nursed several different species of trees from coniferous pines to leafy ficus trees. As a child, Piper had followed the two women all over the grounds, learning by watching, then later by doing. Nature was as much a part of Piper’s family as her mother and aunt were. Being here at the farm made Piper feel less anxious and all-at-once at home.

  Piper laid her overnight bags down in the hallway and headed into the living room.

  “Hey, Mom,” Piper said and leaned down to plant a kiss on Maeve’s soft cheek. “Is Aunt Lina awake too?”

  “No.” Her mother put down the magazine she’d been flipping through while she watched TV. “Your aunt goes to bed when the sun goes down. You know that.”

  “True,” Piper said. She sat down cross-legged at her mother’s feet and leaned into Maeve’s legs.

  “Tell me, sweetheart,” Maeve said, running a hand over Piper’s hair gently, “what’s eating at you?”

  “I just can’t stay at the castle anymore, Mom,” Piper said. Tears grew in her eyes. “I told the prince that I quit. I brought over a few bags. Can I stay with you until we figure something else out?”

  “Oh, Piper, of course you can.” Maeve stood and pulled Piper to her feet then hugged her. “Why don’t we have some tea and a chat,” she said. Piper followed her to the kitchen and sat at the round oak table.

  “How’s Willa?” Piper asked.

  “Oh, you know Willa,” her mother said. “Always happy to be at Grandma’s house. We took a nice walk and picked some wildflowers then came back here and baked some chocolate chip cookies. Would you like one?”

  “No thanks. I can’t eat anything. My stomach is in knots.”

  “I’m sorry, sweetie,” Maeve said and placed a steaming cup of tea in front of Piper, black just as Piper took it. “You’ll be glad to know that Willa is sound asleep now. I think all the fresh air made her tired.”

  “I’m dreading telling her everything,” Piper said and put her head in her hands.

  “Piper, can you tell me exactly what happened? It’s all a bit unclear to me.”

  Piper faced her mother and wiped her eyes with a napkin. She pushed out a long breath and thought back to just a few days ago when Aldon arrived at Thistledown Castle. She’d been attracted to him right away.

  “I should have kept my guard up,” she said. “Especially once I realized he was uncomfortable with Willa. But then he came around and really seemed to enjoy her. And she certainly loves him. She’s going to be heartbroken that he left without saying goodbye.”

  Maeve put a hand over Piper’s. “Kids are resilient.”

  “I know,” Piper said. “But I shouldn’t have put her in that position to get attached to him. I was so dra
wn in by him and by the possibility of a future together. I thought he cared about us and about Thistledown Valley. You should have seen him talking to the townspeople. They actually had hope, for once.”

  Piper had invested her own hope in Aldon.

  And he’d let her down.

  “Turns out Aldon’s just like every other guy. Just like Dad, just like Willa’s father.” Piper shook her head and let out a sardonic snicker. “It doesn’t matter who it is—all men run when things get tough.”

  Maeve sat across from Piper. She didn’t say anything for a time, but Piper knew her mother was formulating a lecture of some sort.

  “It makes me sad that you’re so jaded, Piper,” Maeve said. “It’s true you’ve had bad experiences with men in your life, but not all men leave.”

  Piper shrugged. “Well, Aldon did.”

  “Yes, he did, but don’t you see that Aldon’s priorities are a bit different? He is a prince after all. That can’t be an easy life—money doesn’t buy freedom from duty,” Maeve said. “Maybe Aldon’s leaving doesn’t reflect on how he feels about you, but how he handles his responsibilities.”

  “Please don’t take his side, Mom.”

  “I’m not! I’m just trying to help you see everything from a broader lens.”

  Piper had to admit her mother had a point. Aldon had been faced with a difficult choice. He was commanded—by the king of their country—to leave for that trip.

  That didn’t change the fact that she felt betrayed.

  “I get what you’re saying, but still I feel stupid, like he tricked me into thinking he was someone he’s not.”

  Patting her daughter’s back, Maeve nodded. “Why don’t you get some sleep, Piper. Everything always seems clearer after a good night’s rest.”

  “You’re right. Thanks, Mom.”

  Piper kissed Maeve goodnight and tiptoed up the stairs to her childhood bedroom where Willa was already fast asleep in one of the twin beds. It wasn’t the first time she’d found herself back in her old room at Mom’s house. Before she’d gotten the job at the castle, she’d stayed here. Willa had been an infant and had slept in a crib that used to stand in the same spot as the second twin bed did today.

  It seemed like yesterday.

  Silently, Piper dug through her overnight bag for her toothbrush and pajamas. Her fingers folded around a slip of paper, and she pulled it out to examine.

  A wistful smile came to her lips as she stared at the list Aldon had made that night at the restaurant as he’d listened intently to all the needs of her neighbors and friends. She’d been so confident that he’d be Thistledown Valley’s advocate. Now she wasn’t confident of anything having to do with him.

  Slipping under the covers, Piper got comfortable and pulled out her phone, opening a social media app. She scrolled through her news feed and found pictures of one of Aldon’s meetings overseas. The caption below the photos read:

  Prince Aldon of Sovalon brings hope to the people of Dolman, sharing learnings and resources that have helped his country to thrive.

  Piper could tell from the photos how grateful the people were to have him there. She could see the weight on his shoulders—the importance of the work he did and why he struggled to prioritize one thing over another.

  Maybe she’d been too hard on Aldon. Maybe Aldon really was trying to do the best he could within the limits of his upbringing and his duty.

  Maybe she’d walked away from him without even trying to understand.

  Maybe he hadn’t abandoned her, the way she’d seen it.

  But none of that changed the fact that he was gone—and that she didn’t expect to ever see him again.

  The next morning, Aldon rose early. He hadn’t slept much. He couldn’t seem to get Piper and Thistledown Valley off his mind no matter how he tried, and neither thought would let him sleep. Finally, he decided he might as well get up and prepare for his flight.

  As he walked to the family’s small, private kitchen—used primarily for snacks and drinks when he or his family wanted something quickly and didn’t want to disturb the staff or interfere with the operations of the main kitchen—he was surprised the see the light already on and hear someone moving around inside. Stepping inside, he found his mother, Queen Therese, clad in an apron, folding blueberries into a batter.

  “Look who’s up,” she said and walked across the kitchen to kiss Aldon’s cheek. “The pot’s full, so help yourself to coffee. I’m making your favorite—blueberry muffins for you to take on the plane.”

  Aldon smiled. Although their staff did all of the cooking at the castle, his mother often could be found here in this private kitchen, whipping up something sweet. She loved to bake—cookies, scones, pies. It was something they’d done together when he was growing up.

  “I thought you could use some comfort this morning,” she said. “You’ve had a lot going on between calling off the wedding and the business in Thistledown.”

  Aldon poured himself a coffee and nodded. “Father told you?”

  The queen waved a hand at Aldon. “You know how everyone talks, Aldon. I’m never sure what to believe and what to dismiss.”

  He took a sip of the steaming black coffee and said nothing. He wasn’t about to offer up information unless she—

  “So? Tell me what to believe.”

  And there it was.

  Aldon gave up and told his mother about Piper, about how taken aback he had been to connect with her and Willa. “I wasn’t looking for anything, Mom,” he said. “The whole thing sort of just happened. Piper is the kindest, loveliest person, and Willa…” He couldn’t help but smile when he thought of the little girl. “She’s really something.”

  “I’m surprised, Aldon,” his mother said, grinning back at him. “You’ve never really been one to like kids.”

  “I know, and at first, I wanted nothing to do with her, but she grew on me,” he said. “And Piper too. Piper really grew on me.”

  His mother looked at him as if she was studying him. “Your feelings for this woman seem totally different from anything else you’ve experienced,” she said. “You, yourself, seem different when you talk about her. You seem… happy.”

  He pondered his mother’s words for a moment and then realized she was right. When he had been with Piper, he had been just that—happy. But just because Piper made him happy, it didn’t mean he was meant to be with her.

  “I was happy with Piper, Mom, but it doesn’t mean anything,” he said. “It’s not like it’s possible for us to be together. Father has made that abundantly clear. He’s expressed his disapproval of Piper. It’s the image that matters, right?”

  Queen Therese rolled her eyes. “Your father can get carried away,” she said. “You’re right, he wants to promote a certain image, but he’s not unable to see reason. You just have to talk to him.”

  “I tried, Mom,” Aldon said and shook his head. “He doesn’t listen to any of us, especially not to me. I’ve been fighting an uphill battle to gain his approval since I was a young boy. I’m tired of it.”

  The queen wore a pained expression. She placed a hand on Aldon’s cheek and looked into his eyes.

  “Aldon, I know your father is challenging, but my advice to you is to follow your heart. What is your heart telling you to do about Piper?”

  Aldon thought quietly about his mother’s question for a moment.

  “My heart says to fight for her.”

  “Then fight,” she said. “Follow your heart, son. Go after Piper and Willa. You won’t regret it.”

  Follow his heart. Did that mean he should stay here in Sovalon? That he shouldn’t get on the plane?

  “What about Father?” he asked.

  “Don’t worry about your father,” she said and patted Aldon’s shoulder. “I’ll take care of him.”

  With his mother’s encouragement coursing through him, there was no doubt in Aldon’s mind what he was going to do next.

  “Hey, Mom,” he said before walking out of the kit
chen.

  “Yes, dear?”

  “Can I take those blueberry muffins for the car ride to Thistledown Valley?”

  His mother grinned widely back at him.

  “Absolutely,” she said. “I’ll make sure to send extra for Piper and Willa.”

  14

  The next morning, Piper awoke to the sound of Willa singing a nursery rhyme. She opened one eye to see the morning sun peeking into the room through gauzy curtains.

  “Willa, you sure are cheerful this morning.” Piper sat up in her bed and stretched her arms to the ceiling. Willa was sitting on her bed, working intently on a page in one of her coloring books. “What are you singing?”

  “The one about the cat who came back, Momma,” she said.

  Piper yawned and turned on her phone. The screen blew up with texts and missed calls. Apparently, the mayor had announced an emergency town hall meeting for this morning.

  But why? Hadn’t they been over all there was to say last night?

  Piper got to her feet and threw on clothes.

  “I have to go into town for a meeting, Willa,” she said. “I’ll be back soon, okay?”

  “Okay, Momma.” Willa didn’t look up when Piper kissed her on the cheek.

  “Willa, don’t forget to brush your teeth,” Piper called as she sailed out the door. “Your morning breath is deadly.”

  Piper said goodbye to her mother and slid into the driver’s seat of her car. When she pulled up to the town hall, there were cars everywhere. The people of Thistledown Valley were united as always. She slammed the driver’s door and hurried into the town hall, where she stopped dead in her tracks.

  On the stage, dressed in jeans and a polo, and looking as gorgeous as always, was Aldon. Their eyes met, and he nodded to her, a serious look on his face.

  What on earth was he doing here? Wasn’t he supposed to be on his way to Hungary?

  “Hello, Piper,” he said into the microphone.

  Her breath caught at his voice, and she felt her cheeks go red.