It took another two days, but finally, Rupert had five pieces of paper in front of him. Everything about the state of the kingdom, summarized in five pages.

They were rich. Seven kingdoms owed them a debt. Education could use some work. Health care was too expensive for the working class. They sucked at sports, but they’d patented more inventions than all the other kingdoms combined. More importantly, their relationship with Alenia was sensitive - as Aurora’s father had probably killed the previous King. As Ferren and Alenia were the two principle kingdoms of Europa, it meant the continent was at the brink of war. Again.

Basically, nothing had changed as much as his bathroom.

“How did you leave things with Daniel De Luz?” he asked Rory, forcing himself to sound casual.

Truth was, he wanted to throw her onto his shoulder and thump his chest every time he thought or spoke of either of her previous fiancés.

Aurora winced. “Not well. He had reason to think that my father might be responsible for his father’s death and I didn’t want to believe it.”

“Any other frictions?”

He really didn’t want to know about their frictions.

“No, not really.”

“Good. We’ll invite them for dinner, privately, without anyone else. Unofficially. I need to get a read on him. See if we’re dealing with a man or a bloodthirsty boy.”

She came to his defense and Rupert himself felt a little more on the bloodthirsty side of the scale. “Dane isn’t a fool. He would have attacked years ago, if he’d wished to. But let’s have dinner, if we must.”

And alas, they must.

“Would it pain you to see him with his wife?”

She shook her pretty head. “Trust me when I say I have no feelings for Dane. And I’ll be pleased to have a chance at apologizing for the way we parted ways.”

“Good.” Then, remembering their eerie resemblance, he added, “How are you related to Ella De Luz, exactly? I don’t want to seem like an opportunist, but if you’ve been close, our meeting is more likely to be successful.”

Rory frowned. “We aren’t related at all.”

A second passed, and another one.

He felt some tension from the beautiful woman at his side. She found the subject sensitive, obviously, however much she professed to be indifferent.

In another life, he would insist. Ask her to explain what was happening in her conflicted heart. Really work out whether he ought to make her face her ex like this.

But he needed to meet Daniel De Luz, and he needed Aurora Stephenson by his side, so Rupert tried his best to smile.

“Then it’s settled. I’ll call.”

Things were starting to make more sense now. He’d worked with local governors to set up electronic elections. The palace was once again fully staffed.

Still, it felt too easy. There had been no public defamation, no attacks coming from the nobles he’d demoted wordlessly. Rupert wasn’t so naive as to think they could have simply moved on quietly. They were scheming. And this certainly did make him sound paranoid.

Paranoid kings lived.

“Any news from your father?” he asked Rory.

She always looked a little sad when he mentioned him.

“He’s tried to call every day. I haven’t picked up yet. Call me a chicken if you must.”

He smiled, glad of it, for no doubt, the man intended to be difficult to her. He’d seen his look before he’d left the Council. Rupert felt incredibly protective of his Rory, wishing to plant himself between her and any sorrow.

So, he did just that.

“We’ll also see him for dinner. I’ll get an invitation sent out. And pacify him as best we can. I don’t want him back amongst my advisors,” he wasn’t budging there, “but there’s a principality up north, not far from his home. He may like to be a Prince of the realm.”

“He’d like that, no doubt.”

She left it at that.

“But it won’t be enough.”

“No, it won’t.” She explained, “My father has always been severe and honor was very important to him. My aunts do say that it has a lot to do with my mother running out on us. That I could…” she gulped, “betray him like this won’t be easily forgotten.”

“He betrayed me,” Rupert said. “His king. The only reason I make any effort towards him is because I happen to like his child.”

“Yes, well, I doubt he’ll see it that way.”

Rupert doubted it too. One of the reasons why he couldn’t say he was particularly surprised when, four hours later, when he got out of his bathroom ready for bed, his Regent, the old Hand’s grandson, appeared armed and flanked by a dozen men.

He’d expected it, sooner or later. Now it was show time.

Rupert smirked. He didn’t attempt to fight. Not when what he needed right now was to show them exactly how pointless their little rebellion was.

“Rupert Evermore, King of Old, for the good of this Kingdom, we relieve you of your duties.”

He smiled. “Of course you do.”

He’d expected exactly this, and it was the only reason why he hadn’t publicly made his intentions towards Rory known. She wouldn’t be involved now.

“Take him away,” Stephenson ordered.

Someone covered his eyes, but he knew just where he was led: left, then downstairs, then left again, and at the very end of a corridor, before going up for eight flights of stairs. To his dungeons.

Good. They weren’t getting out of the castle. Stupid of them, but good. It made things much easier for him.

He heard heavy metal bars open and close. Then, they removed the useless piece of cloth over his eyes.

Stephenson stood before him. His resemblance to Rory was so faint. Just the eyes. But it was enough for Rupert to hesitate. Could he - should he - destroy this man?

“Now, let’s get straight to the point. You don’t know this Kingdom like we do. You can’t hope to be a good ruler just because of the blood in your veins. When things got tough, you ran last time. You let your people die of the plague and saved yourself.”

Wrong, and wrong again.

He’d heard about the theory that he’d been frozen to escape a plague - Rory had told him. But it hadn’t happened when he’d left; he’d sent plenty of physicians across the land to cure the ailment a good year before the event that had unfolded because of his stupid wife and a goddamn silver plate.