Page 75 of Talon (Road Rebels MC 2)
Cort smiled. “Ok. That’s what I have to do.”
Just then his phone rang. It was his senior advisor.
“Prince, there are some new developments. I think the Parliament is about to crack under pressure from the people! They might amend that law after all. We have a meeting today at four in Parliament’s Chambers. Don’t be late!”
Markus gave Cort a high five.
CHAPTER 21
Teagan
“Are you going to just continue moping?”
Teagan looked up at Ellie. She wiped her eyes and leaned back against the couch. It had been two days and she wasn’t sure if she had stopped crying once since returning home. She didn’t understand anything anymore.
“I thought I was doing the right thing,” Teagan said.
“Well, I hear where you’re coming from, but you clearly did the wrong thing because now you are completely miserable. I’ve never seen you this bad. I’m starting to get worried,” Ellie said.
“I just want to be with him. I miss him so much, but I know that I can’t be Queen of some other country. I’m American, and this is where I belong. Oh, why couldn’t he have been a normal American guy?”
“You are seriously the most twisted person I know. Do you know how many women would love to trade places with you? You just had a passionate affair with a prince who is about to become king of an entire country. Do you not see how awesome that is?”
Ellie stuffed a big bite of ice cream into her face and then offered Teagan some. She declined.
“I guess it does sound ridiculous, but I don’t care about any of that. I don’t care that he is the prince. I don’t care that he might become King. I just want him. But I know if I am with him that I’m going to become Queen. Queen! Do you get what that means?” Teagan pleaded with Ellie to understand, but Ellie was fantasizing gazing off into thin air.
“Wow, I could have been best friends with the Queen. How sweet would that have been?” Ellie fantasized.
“Ugh! Are you messed up? Being Queen is a lot of work. It’s a lot of responsibility. You are in part responsible for an entire nation of people’s well-being. Does that not compute?” Teagan asked.
Ellie thought a moment. “Yeah, that does kind of suck…”
Teagan couldn't help but laugh. Ellie was so clueless sometimes.
“I never should have left,” Teagan said. “Why am I so torn? I don’t know what to do.”
“I can only tell you what I would do, but this is something you really have to decide for yourself,” Ellie said.
“Ok, what would you do?”
“I’d call him up and say I’m sorry,” Ellie said.
Teagan looked at her. She was serious, and Teagan knew that she was right.
She had to talk to Cort. Otherwise, she was going to regret it for the rest of her life.
CHAPTER 22
Cort
“After much debate and deliberation, based on the feedback we have received the Parliament has agreed to the amendment of the rule of secession.”
Cort could hardly contain his excitement as Maricle delivered the verdict of the new ruling. It was insane how quickly the Parliament had changed its mind after the people took to social media and staged several protests throughout the country. They did not want anyone but Cort to take over as King. They loved his father, and they knew that he would continue many of his father’s beliefs and rulings. He would even progress things farther along, and the country would continue to prosper. This would not happen under the rule of his uncle. The people knew what he was like and they were not about to stand for it.
So, the Parliament had wisely reconsidered.
“I’m glad to hear it,” Cort said.
Miracle ignored his interruption. It was obvious the old geezer hated saying every word that was coming out of his mouth, but it was beautiful, sweet music to Cort’s ears. He could hardly believe that this was happening.
“With the new amendment, the Parliament nominates you, Prince Cort Monreau to secede King Monreau as the new King. Your coronation will be precisely one month from this date.”
Cort thanked them all kindly and left the chambers. Markus and his advisors were all there to greet him. It felt like a huge weight had been lifted off his shoulders. He didn’t know how this had happened. He was in shock, his skin crawling, his body trembling. It was clear now exactly how much stress and strain this had actually caused to his body. He was not sleeping well; he couldn’t concentrate on his duties, his workouts and diet had suffered, he’d been drinking too much, and he’d lost the best thing that had ever happened to him in Teagan.
He had to get her back.
And he had an idea of just how to do it.
CHAPTER 23
Teagan
“That’s it, class. You really want to sink down into your knees and feel that squat position as we shift from Warrior One to Warrior Two. I know it burns, but that is the signs from your body that the muscle is working. You have to give that muscle a test and force it to submit.”
Teagan squatted further into her pose showing the class how it was done, remembering the new things she’d learned from Siri during the retreat. If she could help at least one of her students attain a higher level, then she felt that her job was actually worthwhile.
She was excited to get back to teaching, thankful to be back in her normal life, and back to her regular routine. It had been almost a week since she’d left Cort and come back. She was starting to feel like everything was going to be ok.
Ellie had actually done a great job filling in with the class and adhering to her instructions. Teagan knew she could count on her friend, but even still she’d been nervous. But there was no way she was about to turn down that once in a lifetime opportunity that had proved to be life changing.
But she missed Cort terribly. Every waking moment was spent thinking about him, even when she was doing something else. She kept imagining he was right with her, holding her, talking to her. Oh, she could hear his swee
t, masculine voice whispering in her ear and telling her how much she meant to him.
She’d blown it. Teagan reminded herself constantly that she’d left the best thing that had ever happened to her because she was afraid. She should have realized that as long as she was with Cort then nothing else mattered and there was nothing she couldn’t accomplish.
He’d emailed her a few times, but she’d been too scared, too embarrassed maybe to even write back. It was pathetic behavior, and she felt deep shame about it. What in the world was wrong with her?
“Ok, class. I want to thank you all for your hard work today. I think we made some real progress and I will see you next time.”
Teagan watched her class pack up their things and start to head out. She’d just noticed it was time to wrap things up and it couldn’t have come at a better time. Another couple of minutes of feeling sorry for herself and the whole class might have watched her have a bit of a meltdown.
She hadn’t really thought about Cort that intensely for a few days. She had to speak with him. He had to know how she felt.
Teagan was grabbing her water bottle and her coat off her desk when she saw a figure in the back who was not moving. He was just standing there with a smile on his handsome face and watching her.
She had to do a double take to make sure she wasn’t dreaming. But she wasn’t. It was really him.
Cort was standing in the back of the classroom.
It was like a dream, but he was right there in the flesh. Her last student waved goodbye to her, but Teagan barely registered it. It was just she and Cort standing in the empty classroom now, and she was walking towards him. It felt like she was floating, her legs barely moving.
“Hey, there,” Cort said. “I was in the neighborhood, so I thought I’d drop by.”
