The Heir Apparent - a historical why choose, rh, poly, MMF, spicy romance ✅

Chapter Three

Tolliver

There was no time to grieve.

The loss of a king was a great upset to the entire kingdom, but more so to those of us who lived and worked with him side-by-side, day in and day out.

King Veratall was a cunning and diplomatic leader. He had been strategic and intelligent. But he'd also been kind and understanding of the hardships of the lower classes.

He'd been a great man.

Seeing him cut down just a room away from me had felt like losing a father.

It was wrong that we could not mourn his passing.

But after the military got control over the court, once the fires had been doused, we had all realized with a growing sense of dread, that not only was the king dead, but so were all the close heirs to the throne.

We had no one to step up, to go into the city, to reassure the citizens that there was order in the palace.

There was not any.

Because we had no one to rule.

"Toll," Hans, the keeper of the books, called as I rushed through the palace. "We have found the closest heir," he had declared to my growl.

"Who? Where is he? Can we get him here within a few hours?"

"That is the problem, Tolliver," Hans said, sighing. "It is not a he. It is a she. And it will be half a day's ride to retrieve her."

"A she?" I clarified.

It was not unheard of for there to be a woman on the throne. There were many countries that had them. Ours, however, had not had a woman on the throne in five generations.

Even then, she had only been on until her eldest son was old enough to rule.

"Yes, a she. Lady Anevay Veratall."

"I have never heard of her."

"Her father was brother to the king. He died years back."

"Why was the daughter not brought to the court?" I asked. It was the way of things, after all.

"She has been betrothed since birth. The king felt there was no reason to get in the way of that arrangement, so he left her there with a priest, governess, and a house full of servants to keep an eye on her."

"Fuck, Hans, how old is she?" I asked, dread welling up in my system.

"She is ten-and-nine."

"She is a child," I snapped, raking a hand through my hair.

"She is the heir apparent," he said, shrugging.

And that was all he could do, even if he knew it was ridiculous to stick a green girl like that on the throne in a court she had never even visited.

"She is not married yet, then? What?" I asked, watching Hans reach up to rub his neck.

"Her wedding is supposed to take place in the morning."

"Maybe that would be for the best. Who is next in line behind her?"

"Lord Champlain."

"Oh, fuck," I grumbled.

A child on the throne was bad, but a sniveling, selfish, inbred, fool like Lord Champlain was far worse.

"Gather the guard. We must leave at once," I said. "I will need the scrolls, the declarations, to show her, to have her sign."