The Royal Heir - The Valtoria Diaries 2

Look how you've grown

Rick's eyes widened. "Well, that's a mighty big one you have there, Drake."

Drake shook his head and sighed, but his grin was too obvious to conceal. "I mean, I didn't wanna brag.."

"Well, you should! Comparing him to my rather inadequate tiddler just seems completely un-necessary."

The two of them were settled on some decking by a large fishpond situated well back in the palace grounds, their fishing rods placed a little distance apart. Rick was seated, waiting for another tug; Drake was standing now, examining his bounty.

"You keeping him or putting him back?"

"Ah, I'll keep him. It is Friday, after all. He'll taste good with chips tonight."

"I may join you for dinner," Rick said. "I'm sure you can't eat him all by yourself."

Just then, Drake's phone started to ring. He threw the writhing fish in a bucket, then, wiping his hand on his jeans first, retrieved his vibrating handset from his jeans pocket. "Ugh, what does he want this time?" He answered. "Maxwell. This better be good."

Rick smiled fondly, wondering if Drake would ever cotton on to the fact that nobody actually bought his fake annoyance when it came to Maxwell. Especially not Maxwell, whose cheerful intonations he could just about make out from this distance.

"Whoa, whoa, slow down buddy. You want me where....? Right..... Why?"

Rick decided this had to be something to do with Maxwell's upcoming book tour. He knew it was starting up this weekend, because Olivia had recently been asked by Jen if she and Maxwell could stay with her in Lythikos for the first event.

"You..." Drake looked at Rick, and sighed. "Pretty sure that'll be a no.... yes he is actually...... alright, alright." He took a couple of steps in his direction. "He wants to talk to you now."

Rick took the phone. "Maxwell. Is this about the book tour?"

"YES! How did you know? I mean, I know you're all powerful but I didn't know you were all knowing! Anyway, we, as in my publishers and I, just dropped the paperback edition of the bestselling, soon to be a major motion picture, The Royal Romance..."

"Yes, Maxwell, I know, although I have to confess I still haven't got my head around the major motion picture part..."

"You and me either, bud! I never thought my scrapbook slash bullet journal slash diary slash excessive photo documentation of our adventures last summer would pay off quite like this! But success only comes from hard work, and my publishers say the best way to keep the success train rolling is to sign some books and show my beautiful face to my fans! We're heading to Lythikos first, because the sales have been weirdly off the charts there and they think they can shift plenty of paperbacks. Olivia's very kindly agreed to put us up for a few days, and, well, we wondered whether you wanted to come along to the signing and show your beautiful face too?"

He sighed, and shook his head. "That wouldn't be appropriate."

"Awwwww... but you're one of the main characters, remember? The dashing king who lures our heroine to stranger shores with the promise of romance..."

Until the inevitable twist in the tale. As much as Rick was on board with Maxwell's book, which mercifully maintained a dignified silence over the proposal that Jen had rejected, it still gave a very different perspective of a special time of his life. He preferred to cherish his own version of those events.

"You know my presence would give your evening a very different dynamic, Maxwell. And I don't want to overshadow your opportunity to shine. Really. I have matters here that I cannot leave, in any case. But Drake looks very keen to accept your invitation.."