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Prologue

17 years ago

"And that's it." Liege Oisin drew the meeting to a close. With a satisfied smile, he walked to the man positioned strategically at the head of the table. "Good?"

Infante Matteo buried his face in his hands and waited for the room to clear out. "I can't do this anymore, Callum," he said. "I can't."

Callum sighed and took the seat to the Infante's right. "It's okay, Seb. It's only been a few months since you got your title, it'll get better."

Sebastian picked up the heavy, green manila folder in his front and threw it across the room. "You're not getting it. I don't want to do this, not now, not next month, not ever." He ran his hands through his dark brown hair.

Callum bit his lip. He had a few choice words for his oldest friend but decided to hold his tongue. "I have to get home to Renata and Tristan." He got to his feet and gave Sebastian a reproving look before exiting the room.

"Infante." Sebastian's assistant, Ray, walked into the room less than a minute later. "You have another meeting at 6, Secretary Hanson promised to keep it under two hours. We have to get you to the building." He noticed the manila folder on the floor and frowned. "And your sister scheduled tea at half past 5 tomorrow morning. She didn't say why."

Sebastian snorted. He didn't think it was possible, but Freya became even more insufferable after being crowned Queen a few months before. She was no doubt inviting him for another "constructive criticism" session.

Sebastian dragged his aching feet out of the room and into an official black car. Beside him was a pile of newspapers.

Now, for the best part of his day.

He picked up the first one and read silently:

Why You Should Always Vote

Six months ago, our beloved King Adolphus VII died. Unlike other children, the royal siblings didn't have time to grieve. Before his coffin could be lowered into the ground, ballots were cast. Our choices were current Queen Freya (Graduated top of her class from Brimstone and broke the record for most wins at Milton's match, seven), and her twin brother, Infante Matteo, a man who the president of Calais called (on a leaked phone call) 'a complete waste of power'.

Council members spent months urging their constituents to vote. They never said it, but we all knew they wanted citizens to vote for the Queen. And thank goodness, we did. Queen Freya has launched her 32-point plan to bring Aldean to a new century. A plan she worked on closely with her mother, till her untimely death just three years ago.

Sebastian stopped reading, he could handle news criticizing him and praising his sister, but he couldn't handle news on his mother. She was killed on a Royal Visit to Charlton in 2002. Her death sparked outrage and finally forced his father to drive Ryppers to Malone, life in Aldean had been relatively peaceful since then.

Sebastian loved his mother, she was the only member of his family who didn't make him feel like a failure. Why didn't his father die in her place three years ago? Not even Freya would have missed him.

"Infante, we're here," Ray called from the front seat. Sebastian didn't move. "Infante?"

"There's something I need to do, I can't go to the meeting," he said.

Ray looked at his clipboard. "There isn't anything else on your schedule."

"It's top secret, you don't know about it." Sebastian didn't know where he was going, all he knew was that he couldn't stay there anymore.