Page 8 of A Royal Obligation

Halfway through the introduction of all the girls, someone cleared his throat behind them. All three men whipped their heads around to find Wadsworth standing in the doorway. The king quickly paused the show.

“What are you all watching?” Wadsworth tried—but failed—to keep the smile from his face.

“It’s not what it looks like,” Liam stammered.

“I’ve been at the palace since before either of you two were born. There’s very little that goes on that I don’t know about. Did you really think I didn’t know you have watched this show together for years?” Wadsworth chuckled. “I have never understood what it was about though.”

Barrett’s shoulders relaxed as his embarrassment waned. “It’s calledThe Perfect Match. It’s a reality dating show where the bachelor or bachelorette has a group of contestants come on and vie for their heart.”

“All of the contestants have to take extensive tests before they come on regarding their personality, interests, and so on. A group of professional matchmakers hand pick the contestants according to how well they match with the bachelor or bachelorette. Each contestant has a different match percentage indicating how compatible they are with the lead,” Liam explained.

“This season, the bachelor is Reese. This is the first episode and as each girl is announced, they show the viewers at home how much of a match they are with him. Look at that girl.” Barrett pointed at the screen. “They said she is a fifty-two percent match with him based upon the matchmakers’ assessments.”

King Henry hit play and then paused on another girl.

“That one is only a twenty-seven percent match.” Barrett noted. “They’re basically trying to prove if love is actually a science where people have a perfect match out there or if love is about following your heart. Reese won’t know until he makes his final pick how much of a match he is with the woman he chooses.”

Wadsworth’s face sobered. “I remember Queen Margaret watching this show. It was her favorite. I’m guessing that’s why you still watch it?”

“Yes, she made me watch it with her after we married. Once the boys were old enough, she persuaded them to watch it with us, too.” King Henry’s face softened at the mention of his late wife.

“I’m sure she would love that you are keeping with the tradition, even though she’s gone.”

Liam discreetly swiped at his eyes and cleared his throat. “Let’s get this show on the road, Pops. We wouldn’t want you to miss out on your beauty rest.”

Wadsworth took his leave as the king played the show. They finished the episode making their bets along the way about who would make it to the finale and who would be the villain of the season.

“I can already tell Reese isn’t going to be a good lead. He needs more depth, and he needs to learn the art of humor. His jokes are as dry as burnt toast.” Liam huffed.

“What? Do you think you could do any better? Maybe we should sign you up for next season.” Barrett teased.

“I would do a lot better than him. That’s for sure.” Liam straightened his back and smirked at Barrett.

“On that note, I’m going to head to bed. It’s been a long, tiring day.” The king slowly rose from the couch. “Goodnight children, play nicely.”

“No promises,” Liam quipped.

King Henry sighed as he ambled out of the room. Barrett observed that his face was noticeably paler than when they had sat down to watch the show. The worry he felt after the announcement this morning settled deeper within, leaving a pit in his stomach. He took a deep breath as he headed back to his own room, trying to save his worries for tomorrow.

Chapter Four

Jules

Julesletoutalong sigh as she fell back onto her new bed. It still felt strange to think about the fact that she was now employed by a duke’s family. The past two days had flown by like a breeze as Jules packed up her entire little apartment and moved all her things into the Albury Estate. It felt unnatural having a maid employed by the duke help her pack her things. She had drawn the line at allowing anyone to help her unpack. Unpacking helped calm her nerves and gave her time to think. It also allowed her to make this space feel a little bit more like home.

Her room at Charlotte’s estate was modest compared to the rest of the house but still bigger than the living room and kitchen combined in her old apartment.

Jules checked the watch on her wrist and started making her way to her new office. It was only a few minutes until eight in the morning, and Jules didn’t want to be late on her first day. She walked with a pep in her step down the hallway that housed all the offices and recognized the area immediately because of the family portraits hanging on the wall.

Jules paused at her new office door and ran her palms down her legs, smoothing the sides of her navy knit pencil skirt. She adjusted the bow at the top of her blush-pink blouse and tucked one of her long black curls behind her ear.

Charlotte was already sitting in the room waiting for her and smiled at Jules as she entered. “Were you able to get settled in?”

“Yes, the accommodations are amazing. Everything has been perfect. Thank you for arranging all this.”

Charlotte stood and straightened her charcoal-gray sheath dress. “That is great to hear. I wanted to make sure everything was set accordingly for you. I left some items that need to be completed on the agenda on your desk. If you have questions for me that are urgent, please call my cellphone. Otherwise, we will meet at least two or three days a week in the morning to go over any questions. Does that sound okay?”

Jules looked down, running her finger over the page of agenda items as she read them. “Sounds perfect. Let me know if you need anything else.”