sir. If you give me time, I can round up some from—”
“You are always telling me we are busy, and yet you wish to go waste time, looking for briefs from a year or two ago?”
“True, but sir, what are you going to do?”
“I do not know, Balduin.” I paused as we reached my father’s wing of the palace, shifting to look at the man beside me. “Maybe I will tell him the truth again. Maybe I won’t. Maybe he’ll kick me out of the room and ask for Arthur. I do not know, Balduin. But I’m going to see him nevertheless.”
I took the first folder from the stack of folders he was cradling to his chest like they were his children before walking down the hall to the door. Grabbing the handle, I inhaled deeply, adjusted my shoulders, and knocked.
When the door opened, I saw that my father was dressing in a suit and tie, adjusting his cufflinks as I had done earlier—like he had done a hundred thousand times in the past before getting ready to start his day. He looked so much like he had once looked. So much better that I glanced at the nurse waiting by the door with hope, only for her to shake her head and instantly destroy it. I nodded for her to leave.
“Galahad?” my father called out, surprised as he turned to me. “What are you doing here?”
“I came to see you, Father.”
“Me?” He chuckled, looking back into the mirror to adjust his tie. “What have you done wrong now?”
I frowned, of course. “Do you truly believe I only come to see you when I have made a mess of things?”
“Yes,” he replied without hesitation, turning back to me. “Especially when your face looks like that. What is that matter?”
“Do you have a moment to spare? It looks as if you are going somewhere?”
“A king never has a moment to spare. I am to have lunch with the Duke of...” He paused, trying to remember but unable to. He shook his head and then turned to look back at me. “Never mind. Sit, and let us talk. In fact, call your brother. It may do us all good to have a conversation together for once.”
“Arty is not here,” I whispered, walking across the room to sit in the chair by the window. There was a chess set on the table beside it, a game unfinished.
“Do not touch that. Your brother and I are in the middle of a heated match.”
“Yes, I know.” I frowned. “But we’ve never played together, Father? Why?”
“Have you forgotten?” he asked, now adjusting the buttons on his suit.
“Forgotten what?”
“That you hate chess? How many times did I ask you to join me for a match only for you to refuse?” He laughed.
That was true.
And then he would order me, and I would still decline, which only made him angrier. So, Arthur would play a match with him instead.
“Father. I’m—I’m sorry.”
Silence.
“Honestly, Gale, what is the matter with you? Why do you look so grim? You would think someone had died,” he replied, now frowning.
I hung my head.
“What is that in your hand?”
I froze.
This was a bad idea.
“It looks like a brief folder. Why are you holding it? Galahad, what are you doing?”
“I do not know,” I whispered. “I am trying to be better. To honor you and Arthur, to honor myself and the person I love and—”
“Wait. You are in love?” He chuckled. “You?”
“Is it not possible for me?”
“Ahhh, so it’s a woman that has you so. Now I have to give you my time, for this is a first,” he said, finally taking a seat in the chair beside me. “Do explain. Who this woman? Do not tell me it is—”
“You do not know her well.”
“But, I do know her?” he asked slowly. “Who is it? Gale, you must know, I will not approve—”
“You already approved of her.” I chuckled, looking at the folder in my hand. “In fact, it was because of you I even went to see her. I spent a month with her, and in that month, I fell faster and harder than I ever thought possible. I was nearly slipping downstairs at her voice, laughing as if I would never laugh again. I was happy, and now you and mother and the world...”
I paused, catching myself, forgetting that I was ranting to a man who had no idea what I was talking about. I glanced up at him, expecting him to chastise me