The Keys' Prince (The Royal Heirs) (24 page)
Read The Keys' Prince (The Royal Heirs) Online
Authors: D. D. Scott
“Yes, you’re absolutely right, Auntie Elo,” Dario said, smiling at her and then at Stella, marveling at the perfect opening Elo had given him to begin to tell the story of the new royal family of Kristianico.
“We’ve talked about this day for a long, long time. But what we never expected was to be able to tell all of you while also sharing the moment with members of my family that, till just recently, we didn’t know existed,” he said, looking at each member of his family, one-by-one.
“Let me explain,” he said, looking straight into the camera, never more sure of anything in his life other than his love for Stella. “I know how concerned you all are about Stella and me providing you with an heir to Kristianico’s throne.”
Total silence filled the space. Not a single bird flittered about or chirped, and not a single bee buzzed or tree rustled. It was as if Mother Nature made sure that the entire Riviera countryside was silent, giving Dario all the time he needed to tell his family’s story.
Stella reached for his hand.
“It wasn’t until my father’s funeral earlier this week that I had the great fortune to meet Anya and her wonderful children,” he said, pausing while Sam’s crew panned the cameras on all five of them and then came back to him. “Anya, is my real mother, and her children are my brothers and sister. As you can see, there’s no longer any reason for concern regarding succession to Kristianico’s throne.
“Learning this has been so very special to me, and it finally removes the burden on Queen Meredith to keep a secret that, for decades now, was thought to be in the best interest of Kristianico,” Dario said, reaching for the Queen’s hand, who was seated to his left. “I understand, as do Anya and my brothers and sister, why my father felt that, at the time, over forty years ago, it was best to live the double life that he did. Back then, it wasn’t acceptable for a king to marry a woman of no title or royal blood. But that’s not true today.”
“This means that The King, who I’ve always thought of as my son and loved as such, gets the family that I’ve always respected,” Queen Meredith said, looking at Anya with genuine hope and acceptance in her eyes.
“It’s about living with and embracing the truth and loving as a complete family,” Anya added reaching for the Queen’s shaking hand. “A family that we’re all very honored to be part of. And one we’ll build on together.”
“I probably know better than to ask this, but I feel as if we, the people of Kristianico, need to know,” Sam said, carefully choosing his words. “Does the royal family still include your Uncle Carlos?”
“No, I’m sorry to say that, for now, it does not,” Dario said, once again looking straight into the cameras. “I’ve been left no choice, based on his actions, but to banish Carlos from Kristianico. At this very moment, the Palace Guard is helping him relocate. Of course his son, my cousin Alberto, who you know has been and always will be like a brother to me, is still here, along with his lovely bride-to-be, Sophia.”
Alberto smiled at him, but Dario couldn’t miss the hurt in his eyes. He knew him well. Even though he knew that Dario had no choice but to banish his father, and knew his father deserved everything he had coming to him, Carlos was still his father.
Dario understood those kinds of warring feelings. He wasn’t sure that if his own father would have lived long enough for Anya and her children to come to light that he’d have been able to forgive him and move on with what had always been, at best, a very tenuous relationship.
“What does Carlo’s banishment mean then for his new status as Chairman and the largest shareholder of Kristianico’s Economic Development Foundation?” Sam asked, a question he’d brought to Dario as one he’d like permission to ask, but one that, at first, Dario was totally unprepared to answer.
Not until Sam had told him that Carlos had alerted the media to what he’d done with the Foundation’s stock did Dario or his staff know the depth of his uncle’s betrayal.
Thankfully, the good relationship that Dario had with the press had kept them guessing until they’d had a chance, following his father’s funeral, to get the story straight from the palace.
“With the help of my brother David, who’s a brilliant international business attorney, and who we’ll be relying on a great deal for Kristianico’s future business dealings, that is no longer an issue of concern. As your King, I’ve issued new stock for the Foundation, which I then purchased myself. Kristianico’s Economic Development Foundation is now back under my control and shall remain that way.”
Dario looked at David and nodded his approval, wanting to make sure the world saw how much faith he had in his oldest brother, who was now next in line to Kristianico’s throne.
“Sounds like we’re entering a very modern, new era for Kristianico,” Sam said, beginning the wrap up that Dario and his staff had written.
“That we are, my friend,” Dario said. “I’m honored to be leading the way, and I’m honored to be doing so with my family by my side.”
About fifteen minutes of tape was soon on its way to the editing room, before it would be watched by billions of people around the world.
In the meantime, Stella had one last, highly nerve-wracking appointment still to go—her first official photo session.
She was about to appear before the royal press pack for the first time in her new, official capacity as a queen-in-waiting.
Dario led her into a small stateroom set-up at the farm just for this kind of occasion. His hand at the small of her back was the exact comfort she needed.
Stella formally introduced herself, using her full name, and she happily held up her ring.
Moving his arm from the small of her back until he protectively held her close to his side, Stella decided to bask in the moment instead of feel as if she were in a lion’s den where each photographer and reporter was ready to pounce.
She was getting good at giving them what they wanted and needed to do their jobs. And if that’s the price she paid for being able to share life with and love the man who’d always had her heart, she’d smile for every camera and answer every question asked of her.
She and Dario had their ever after, and she’d do everything she could, as she knew he would, to make sure it was a happily-ever-after.
The best part? It was no longer just the two of them and her Auntie Elo and the crazy Crock Pot Guild. She and Dario had a real family to rely on, a first for both of them.
What would it be like to have that kind of love and support?
Only time would tell.
But if there was one thing both Stella and Dario were good at, it was staying in it for the long haul.
THE END
I so hope you’ve enjoyed The Keys’ Prince, the first book in my new series—The Royal Heirs.
I’ve planned at least ten books in this series. And yes, each one of King Adonis’ siblings will have his or her own book. In addition, there will be several holiday novellas to tide you over between the full-length novels.
Whether you’re brand new to my books or you keep coming back for more, it’s my goal to create a wonderful story world that provides you with a perfect escape between the pages.
Nothing beats treating you to great books, and I can’t wait to share stories with you that are full of humor and heart for years to come!
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Happy Reading and Thank You for Choosing My Book
I'm D. D. Scott, an International Bestselling Author. With over 300,000 books sold, including 30 titles in 5 genres and chart-topping audio books, I treat my readers to stories with loads of laughs and a bunch of heart. You can get the scoop on me, my books and my adventures as a new, vegetarian (almost vegan) yogi in my new cyber home...
D. D. Scott-ville
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Full Bio:
D. D. Scott’s bestselling books start out a bit Chick Lit, Gone-Country (
The Bootscootin' Books
). Then, they take on a Will and Kate gone-Bond, as in James Bond, twist (
The Cozy Cash Mysteries
). Next up, try Castle and Beckett, Gone-Country, with Bewitched tossed into the mix (
The Stuck with a Series
), followed by The Good Witch meets The Three Stooges and Tinker Hell (
The Belle Bishop Books
). In her latest series (
The Royal Heirs
), she’s taking you behind the palace doors of the royal family of Kristianico, a tiny French Riviera country that, she so wishes was real so she could visit.
She's a four-time Amazon Movers & Shakers List Author (making it all the way to #2 on that prestigious list) and both an Amazon and Barnes & Noble Top 100 Bestselling Author.
Her books have been Top Picks—including one of the Top 10 Books for Mother’s Day 2011—for major reader blogs like Ereader News Today (ENT), Kindle Nation Daily, Cheap e-Reads, Pixel of Ink, The Frugal eReader, Indie Books List, Only Romance, and Bargain eBooks.
She co-founded the one-million-hits-per-month grog
The WG2E
, a writer’s destination site for all-things epublishing. Whatever you want to know and/or cuss and discuss about E-publishing, it’s right there at The WG2E waiting for you as well as in her latest bestselling non-fiction book 10 YEARS AND 24 HOURS TO INDIE EPUBLISHING SUCCESS.
When she’s not writing, she’s busy luuuvin’ on her real-life hero (her DH-Darling Husband) and their beloved shelter-rescued dog Buckley and his new playmate Siggy the Affenpinscher.
She’s a new, vegetarian (almost vegan) yogi who spends tons of time on the beautiful beaches of her new home in Sarasota, Florida. Follow her adventures on her blog in
D. D. Scott-ville
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She’s gotta have her Yoga Mat, Organic Food and Love and Gratitude.
A big thank you to my DH (Darling Husband)—my new cover designer—who brings my story worlds to life.
Also, a special thank you to all of the wonderful people we’ve met in Sarasota, Florida, especially Christine and Don Baer, the new family of our heart.
Welcome to D. D. Scott-ville, where “The First One is On Me!”
In other words, the book that started it all for me is FREE on all ereading platforms (Kindle, Nook, Sony, Kobo, Apple, Smashwords and more)! It’s been downloaded over 600,000 times around the world. I’m over the moon to be able to treat you to this special book.
If you’re like me and enjoy reading a series in order, from the first book to the last, here’s a list of my entire collection, in order: