章節 455: Chapter 455
"Might I have a word with you, Erik." Christian said the next morning.
"Yes. Of course." He said. He was meeting Pearl in the lobby in an hour to go and see her mother and was feeling the anxiety from that already.
"Sit down." Christian said.
His demeanor was off, Erik thought. Something was wrong.
"I'm relieving you of your duties as the royal solicitor." Christian said.
"Wait. I'm sorry. I don't understand. Are you firing me?" He asked.
"Yes. You're fired." Christian said.
Erik nodded slowly. "Alright. Did I do something wrong?"
"You can't be employed by the crown when you are family of the crown. It's against the law. You will have to work with the trust and the parliamentary annuity. We will have to make you a lord so that you will have access to property of the royals. I could make you a duke but I'm not sure how the public would react, not that I care…"
"Wait. Sorry to interrupt. I'm absolutely confused." Erik said.
"I'm giving you a title so that you can be with my mother comfortably." Christian said. Erik shifted in his chair.
"Your majesty.."
Christian held up his hand.
"For the first year of my life, you were my father. Even though I was raised, for 7 years that followed by my biological father, that still is important to me. Maybe not my siblings, of course. But it is to me. My father is dead. Dylan is dead. I didn't know my father well because he died when I was a small child. Dylan wasn't a king. He was a good man, and he was there for us, but you….You were a prince. You were born to be king and you were my father. I know that bond was created, I can feel it still. I sought you out. I wanted you here. And seeing the selfless love you have for my mother and for me, still, after everything, makes me have hope. Hope for people who are struggling with things they can't control. Hope for rehabilitation. Hope for my county. And hope for my own love and happiness. You have come here to help and you've helped more than you know. This is your home. It always was. And my mother and I are your family. Just like Augustus. Alex and Isla, too. Yes, Erik. You are fired. But you are also getting a chance to fill another role. The father I never had and the one you wanted to be. And grandfather as Nora is expecting. People say I'm too emotional to be a king. They say I'm soft. But I'm empathic and I understand people. I see people. I saw you, the day I reached out. I saw your pain and remorse and the absolute pride crushing risk you took to come here and help me. It must have been so painful for you. You wanted to help me. And you love my mother. You always have. I'm giving you a royal pardon for the crimes you were convicted of even after the acquittal just to make it clear the crown sees no wrong committed after your rehabilitation and I'm making you a lord."
Erik fell to his knees. "I kneel in front of you and see a man. A king. A man I once held in my arms as an infant and wished for a better life for him than I had ever known. And it is my one wish that came true." He looked up at Christian.
"And it came true because your mother held me accountable and made me leave your life. I didn't fail you because I left you. You were better off without me. I don't deserve this. Any of this. I want you to know I know that."
Christian nodded.
"There are truths to that. You had much healing and work to do. It happened for a reason. Now he is gone and here you are. Erik, it's time you hear something and I think it's important you hear it from me. Your past has not defined you, destroyed you, deterred you, or defeated you. It has only strengthened you and made you the stand up man you are now.
Failure doesn't define you. It's what you do after you fail that shows your character. Perfect people don't exist. It's time to live your life. And if that means being with my mother, I support it and will not back down when and if the press attacks. I applaud your dignity and your ability to admit failure. Erik, you have surprised me and went far above any expectation I had. I look forward to our future endeavors and I want you here, beside myself and Auggie, making this country the best it can be. My mentor." Erik couldn't help it. He grabbed Christian and pulled him into his arms and hugged him tightly. He remembered the little child in his arms, so full of light. How his heart broke when he found out he wasn't his father and how it broke even more when he knew it was better that he wasn't. Bittersweet.
"I love you, Christian. And I'm so incredibly proud of you. I've been waiting to say that for many, many years. I would do anything for you. And I won't let anything happen to you as long as I live. Thank you for forgiving me." Erik said, his eyes reddened.
Christian smiled and wiped his own reddened eyes.
"We are quite the family aren't we?" Christian said.
"Christian, we would be so boring otherwise." Erik said with a laugh.
"Your mother is going to want to speak to you about a couple of things. Do free up some time for her. It's hers to tell you so I won't disclose much, just be prepared." Erik said. Christian looked at him, puzzled, but nodded.
"Alright then. Chat soon?"
"Yes. And I'm still your attorney." Erik said with a bow as Christian nodded and smiled watching Erik leave his office.
"I have my true father back." He whispered to himself as he smiled and wiped another tear. He looked over at the large picture of Sebastian hanging on the wall.
"You raised me, and I appreciate that. I miss you all the time. But Erik was my first father. I'm sorry, Sebastian. If I could do it all over again, I would have chosen him. I know all about your deceit, too. Only you were able to parade around as a saint and savior while Erik was the evil scapegoat, groveling for forgiveness. I know about your plotting to take my mother from him. And even worse, I know about what you put in her drink that night. I found your letter." Christian held up his glass to the portrait.
"Now, now I have finished this." He said. "The rightful man is here, running your country with me."
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