Tina smiled at us, lifting the ring out of the box and sliding it onto her left ring finger where it sat snugly above the tri-color band from before.
“It looks perfect, doesn’t it?” she murmured. “Like the two rings were made to fit together.”
“Likewewere made to fit together,” growled Kato from the other side of the bed. “All four of us, together.”
We smiled at each other then, secure in our love, knowing that we had an exciting future together, filled with ups and downs, unexpected happenings, bizarre family relations, and best of us, our baby girls. Because nothing’s turned out as expected. For one, I’m no longer a prince. I gave all that up to establish myself as a citizen. Maybe I’m a high-profile citizen, but I’m still a commoner.
But it’s a good life because Karl, Kato, and I work as mercenaries for various defense contractors: Karl and Kato as traditional soldiers of fortune, and me as a geopolitical guru / intelligence consultant of sorts. I shrugged. It suits my talents and uses the skills I’d developed as Crown Prince: the negotiation tactics, the intimate knowledge I had of various regimes across the Middle East and Europe, not to mention the personal alliances I’d developed with VIPs around the region.
Meanwhile, St. Venetia? Well, the Crown is still scrambling to find an heir. It’s ironic because there are three descendants of the blood alive, and yet all three male heirs have spurned the throne. We want nothing to do with St. Venetian problems and politics because enough is enough. It’s their problem and not ours any longer.
But never underestimate the power of the Crown, or at least the shadow powers operating behind it. Because we’d received word recently that the King and Queen wanted to visit, along with particular Rothschild family members, forming an entire entourage. I think they want to patch things up with Karl, Kato and I, yes, but I also think that they want to take a look at Corie and Carlie as potential heirs to the Kingdom.
And as for Tina? Well, our best girl is the light of our lives, and the center of our worlds. Staying in Cambodia, letting her pursue her dreams, supporting her as she develops and matures, recognizing her as a full-fledged member of our quartet with thoughts, feelings, input and sway has made all the difference. Our relationship is on sure footing now. She’s secure and we’re secure in what we’ve created together. Yes, we have our differences, and yes, we live in a changing world with shifting dynamics, but the four of us will hang together and face what comes next as a team. Because that’s what family’s about right? We’ll stick together no matter what, come thick or thin, hell or high water. And our decision to stay in Cambodia, to remain by Tina’s side as we take various jobs on a consulting basis has helped pave the way for a secure future. After all, we may not be royalty per se anymore … but we’ll always be Tina’s Triple Princes.
THE END