The Monarch - m.v.

- 17 -

Max's POV

As I drove through the gates of Beleoil, I saw the girls leaving in their SUV and gave them a courtesy honk to say hello. I wasn't suppose to get here until tomorrow night but I had gotten a text from Alexander and Alice, Sophie's parents to come early. For what? I am not sure. I feel as if it could be about the sponsorship but then again, Christian and others would be here so this was weird.

I didn't tell Sophie just so I could surprise her which I know she loves me doing. When I got to the castle she was still standing outside, her headed tilted to the right and a look of confusion.

"Hey schat." I said through the passenger window before turning the car off and getting out.

"Im so excited to see you but you're here early?" She said as she gave me a huge, tight hug. "I know, I just missed you to much my love." I replied, giving her a kiss on the head. I tried to make sure she wasn't suspicious or worried because I felt like her parents didn't want to talk about the sponsorship but probably something more serious.

"Awe! You're so sweet! Kiss?" She asked, puckering her lips. I leaned down as she was so tiny compared to me and gave her a kiss.

"You look cute still in your pajamas." I put my arm around her waist as she giggled and leaned her head on my arm and walked inside.

"Lucas!" She yelled out as he was trying to drive a go kart inside. I couldn't help but start bursting out laughing and wanting to help him. I remember being his age.

"What the hell are you doing! Oh my Lucas Alexander. Hi Max!" Her mother Alice said to me. I gave a quick wave as I was still trying to not laugh. Sophie faced away from Lucas to try and not laugh as well because it was pretty funny.

We helped her mom and Lucas pry the go kart out of the door way without damaging it and once we were successful, we started to walk back to her room before her dad stopped us. "Oh good you're here! I just needed you here early because we want to start getting you fitted for custom suits. Come on!"

A weight was lifted off my shoulders when he said it was to just get fitted for suits. I was just hoping he wasn't having me come here to break Sophie and I up or something like that.

"You knew he was coming?" She asked her father, he nodded. "I told him." He replied.

"Oh ok! Are you going to get fitted right now?" She asked. "Yeah, shouldn't take to long. It's just for the suit he will wear to the Jordanian Royal Wedding."

"Ahh, got it! Well have fun!" She said with a smile before turning around and walking down the hallway.

"I also just want to have some boys time." Her dad whispered in my ear as we walked off, I chuckled a bit.

"I don't mind that either." I replied. We walked down the hall to the fitting room designated to him and inside were a few seamstresses, mannequins and tons of fabric.

They instructed me where to stand and different poses to make so they could get the most accurate measurements.

"So I wanted to talk to you more about something but not in here. Afterwards we'll go to my office. Don't worry too much though. You're still like a son to me so I'm not breaking you guys up or ending the sponsorship." He told me. "Phew." I exhaled a ton because from the first sentence, I tensed up.

"But it is fairly serious and I don't want Sophie to know yet. I am just preparing you for what's to come and then we will tell her." He said. I furrowed my brows out of confusion and started to worry, once again.

The seamstresses finished taking measurements and let me know they'd make a few different options. Then we walked out of the room and back down the hallway to his office where her mother was as well.

"So," he started off, shutting his office door behind him after all of the assistants left and taking a seat next to Alice behind his desk. I pulled out the chair sitting in front of it and sat down myself. "I didn't have you come here just for the suits, that was happening but it's not the main reason. There's something a bit more serious going on." He added.

I leaned back in my chair, folding my hands together and bringing them to my mouth, "is everything okay? Is Sophie okay or at least going to be okay?" I asked worriedly.

"Well, she is okay...for now." Her mother said to me with a slightly sad face before looking over to Alexander. I swallowed hard and started to shake.

"We don't know how she's going to react. We don't know what's really coming for all of us. We obviously hope-" he was able to say before I interrupted.

"I'm sorry, but please get to it. I'm so worried." I said. My hands were trembling and I was bouncing my leg to cope with the massive anxiety flowing through my veins.

"Yes...Well, um, I have stage 3 throat cancer." He confessed. My heart dropped to my stomach.

"No." Was all I was able to slightly mumble to get out. I honestly wanted to throw up. Alexander had become a dad to me and I didn't want to lose him or for him to have any sort of illness. This is Sophie's father and she loves him dearly.

"Yes...We haven't told Sophie. We are wanting to tell you first because you are her rock. We have never seen her so calm and collected and head over heels in love and we know once we tell her, and you already knew, it'd help her. Also because...god forbid I die, she will become the Queen." He explained. I sat there in silence staring at them both. A million questions ran through my mind.

"We know it seems wrong to tell you before her but we know it's for the better. We don't even want to tell her and stress her out until we know if it's curable or not. The whole reason you guys are going to that royal wedding is so he can attend an appointment to find out the severity and see if it can be slowed down or cured." Her mom went on to explain. I still had a thousand yard stare and trembling like I never have before.

"I-I'm so sorry." I said, trying to hold back tears that rarely came out.

"Don't be. This is life. Most of my family died young which is why there's not many of us. I'm grateful for the life I've been given so far but don't be to worried. There's still potential hope of  it being cured." He said as he looked over to Alice who was staring at the ground, letting silent tears fall.

"What can I do? Anything I can help with? Please tell me."

"There's nothing. We can afford the care, I wish you were a doctor or wizard to cure it but all we ask is to be there for Sophie." Her mother said, quickly wiping her tears.

"I am just so incredibly sorry. I wish I could say and do more, really." I told them. Leaning forward and putting my head in my hands.

"Just love on Sophie. Be her rock. Support her. Uplift her. Everything is going to be alright son." He said, getting up and bending down beside me to give me a hug. A hug my actual father rarely gives me. I hugged him back.

I couldn't lose this man. He'd become more of a father like Christian than my real one ever had in 6-7 months. He's done so much for the sponsorship but he's done so much more emotionally and helped that inner kid in me heal.

"Just don't tell her. We're waiting until after the appointment." He added. Her mother walked out of the office quickly and her father and I got up and took a walk outside to get some fresh air and not hide away together to long. We didn't want Sophie to think of anything.

When we got outside we saw Sophie and Lucas playing soccer together over the hill. They were running around, laughing hysterically and yelling. It was so sweet and she was so happy. It killed me to see her this way knowing what's to come and her not knowing what just happened.

I turned to her father as I had an urge to ask him a very important question, "I know you'll think I'm crazy and this isn't the way I expected it to go but I have a question."

"Yes?" He said turning to me and clearing his throat. The trembling in my hands came around again so I held them behind my back to hide it. I swallowed the ball in my throat caused by my anxiety.

"So." I started off.