Chapter 179

They walked into the dining room. A long mahogany table was set with crystal and china. Chandeliers hung from the high ceiling, casting a warm light. The Bourbons were already seated at the table. Philip stood up. He gestured toward the place opposite him at the other end of the table.

“Louis, everyone. Welcome. Please, sit.”

Louis sat at the head of the table. Angelique took the seat to his right. The others sat around them. A servant poured wine into their glasses.

“Thank you for having us,” Louis said.

“It’s our pleasure,” Maria said. “We are honored to have you all here.”

“Not as honored as we are,” Donya said. “This is a beautiful home.”

“It was a wise investment,” Philip said. “And a good place to raise a family.”

The servants brought in the first course. A clear chicken consommé with morels. Louis sipped the soup. It was rich and flavorful.

“So,” Philip said, looking at Louis. “I heard you had a busy day.”

“Very,” Louis said. “But it was productive.”

“I’m glad to hear that,” Philip said. “I heard you used a missile.”

“Just a bluff,” Louis said. “But it worked.”

“You have your father’s talent for intimidation,” Philip said. “And for improvisation.”

“I learned from the best,” Louis said.

“I see,” Philip said. “And what’s your next move? If you don’t mind me asking.”

“A vacation,” Louis said. “In the Central Union.”

Philip raised an eyebrow. “A vacation? In the Central Union? Now?”

“Just a little road trip to Yellowstone,” Louis said. “To see the geysers. And an investigation of the Mormon connection to the Common Roots Foundation.”

“Ah,” Philip said. “A working vacation.”

“Something like that,” Louis said. “What do you know about the Kingdom of Utah? And their spies?”

Philip put down his spoon. “Besides the fact they are isolationist theocrats who practice polygamy and are not our allies? I know they have tense relations with the Central Union over the Mormon communities there. They consider them heretics and try to influence them.”

“Do you know about the underground LDS Church?” Willa asked.

“Yes, I do,” Philip said. “They are only underground in the Dominion because we consider them to be a terrorist group. But they are quite public in the Central Union. Especially in the area around Idaho.”

“Why do we consider them a terrorist group?” Donya asked.

“Because they refused to comply with our religious affairs regulations,” Philip said. “And they have a history of trying to convert our citizens to their ways. They consider our society to be decadent and sinful. And they are not shy about expressing it.”

“Sounds familiar,” Gladice said.

“Indeed,” Philip said. “But unlike Dixie, Utah is not territorially expansionist. They do not want to conquer their neighbors. Religious influence is another matter.”

“So they are not a threat?” Cherish asked.

“I did not say that,” Philip said. “They are facing a population crisis. Their population has been declining for years. They need more followers. More wives. More children. And they are willing to do whatever it takes to get them.”

“Like data mining and sex trafficking?” Savannah asked.

“It’s possible,” Philip said. “Desperate people do desperate things. And their Prophet King Joseph Taylor is known to be ambitious.”

“So we might be dealing with a state-sponsored operation?” Willa asked.

“Or a rogue faction,” Philip said. “It’s hard to say. Utah is not exactly transparent. They are very secretive. And very loyal to their Prophet King.”

The servants cleared the plates and brought in the second course: wild Chinook salmon with a dill sauce and roasted asparagus.

“This is good,” Savannah said after taking a bite. “Where did y’all get the fish?”

“From the Columbia River,” Maria said. “It’s a local delicacy. And very healthy.”

“It’s very fresh too,” Cherish said. “I like it.”

“I hope you will save some room for dessert,” Maria said. “It’s a surprise.”

“I’m always ready for dessert,” Gladice said. “Especially a surprise.”

“I’m sure you are,” Maria said, smiling.

“Forgive me for changing the subject,” Willa said to Philip. “But I’m curious about your past. About your life in Navarre. And your decision to join the Dominion.”

Philip put down his fork. He looked at Angelique, who gave him a small nod.

“It’s a long story,” he said. “Our dynasty has ruled France and Spain for centuries. Navarre itself goes back more than a thousand years. One of my ancestors, Henry of Navarre, inherited the French throne and became Henry IV of France. That was how our family entered Paris.”

He took a sip of wine. “A century later, his descendants placed another Bourbon on the Spanish throne. After that, there were Bourbons in Versailles, Bourbons in Madrid, and Bourbons in Naples.”

“Impressive,” Willa said. “A truly international family.”

“Very much so,” Philip said. “Navarre remained part of the French royal title. Every Bourbon king of France called himself King of France and Navarre. By then, most of the old kingdom had long been divided between France and Spain. And the family was more interested in Paris and Versailles than in a few Pyrenean valleys.”

“So what happened to Navarre?” Donya asked. “And to your branch of the family?”

“The French Revolution happened,” Philip said. “I’m sure you all know the story. King Louis XVI was executed, the monarchy was abolished, and Napoleon came to power. It was a very bloody and chaotic period.”

He paused, taking another sip of wine. “After Napoleon’s defeat, the Congress of Vienna restored the Bourbon monarchy in France. Louis XVIII, the king’s brother, took the throne. He died without children, and another brother, Charles X, became king.”

“Then another revolution happened in 1830,” Angelique continued for him. “Charles X was forced to abdicate. He fled south with his son, Louis Antoine and his grandson, Henri Alphonse, to Navarre.”

“Louis Antoine was the rightful king of France, of course,” Philip said. “But the French chose the Orléans branch, Louis Philippe. We rejected him. He was a usurper. A liberal pretender. We stayed in our ancestral lands, in Navarre. Then in 1833, the King of Spain died, Spain fell into a succession war. Some supported Isabella. Some supported Don Carlos. Others decided to support Charles X. So they proclaimed him king of Navarre once again. And he accepted. But he died in 1836. So, Louis Antoine became Louis II of Navarre. And that was the beginning of our branch.”

Louis glanced at Angelique. He had seen those names in the book she had recommended in Sacramento, but Philip spoke of them without distance. To him, they were not dead kings in a chronology. They were family.

“So you are the direct descendants of Charles X,” Willa said. “The legitimate senior line of the Bourbons.”

“We are,” Philip said. “And we ruled Navarre for nearly two centuries through good times and bad. The two world wars and the Cold War. We stayed neutral by playing both sides against the middle. We were small, but we were proud. And we had our independence.”

“How about you? Did you meet your wife during your reign in Navarre?” Donya asked, looking at Maria.

Philip smiled. “We met in Los Angeles in 1998. She was the princess of Monaco. And I was the prince of Navarre. We were both studying at the University of Southern California. We fell in love. It was a romance of the past, in the most modern city in the world.”

“I was drawn to him because he was a gentleman. A true gentleman. A rare breed,” Maria said. “And I was a princess from another tiny European kingdom. We had a lot in common.”

“What a story,” Donya said, her eyes wide.

“It is,” Philip said. “We married in 2001. Later that year, my father Carlos died. So I became the King of Navarre. And she became my queen. Then came the Revolution of 2003. Gabriel Leclerc, a populist politician, led a mob to storm the palace. He seized power, abolished the monarchy, and proclaimed a republic. We were forced to flee with what we could carry. We decided to come to the United States for safety. We moved to Oregon. We bought this house and waited. We never imagined that the United States would collapse too.”

“It was a blessing in disguise, though,” Maria said. “It led us to the Dominion and to Constantine.”

“Yes,” Philip said. “He was a young revolutionary then. But he was already a legend. We became friends. Allies. And now he is the Supreme President. And I am his Foreign Minister. Life is full of surprises.”

“Indeed,” Louis said. “I’m glad you’re on our side.”

“As am I,” Philip said. “Your father is a great leader. And a generous friend. He helped us rebuild our lives. And he helped us keep our dignity.”

The servants cleared the plates and brought the main course. Roast lamb with rosemary and garlic, served with roasted potatoes and carrots. Louis cut a piece of lamb. It was tender and juicy.

“So, what do you think of my family’s history?” Angelique asked, a small smile on her face.

“It’s a lot,” Savannah said. “Y’all are like living legends.”

“That’s one way to put it,” Gladice said. “I’m more impressed by your horse collection.”

“I have a good collection,” Angelique said. “And I’m glad you appreciate it.”

“I do,” Gladice said. “Very much.”

“I would love to see your old palace in Navarre someday,” Donya said. “If that’s possible.”

“It is,” Angelique said. “But not now. The current regime is not friendly to us. They consider us to be enemies of the state.”

Louis thought of the black-and-white photograph in the book Angelique had recommended. Two high-backed chairs stood on a low platform in the old palace. He wondered whether they might sit there one day.

“I’d like to see them refuse entry to the Supreme President of the Dominion and his son’s family,” he said.

“They might make an exception,” Philip said. “But it would be a diplomatic risk. I wouldn’t recommend it.”

Cherish looked at Angelique. “Do you miss it? Your old home?”

“I’ve never been there,” Angelique said. “I was born in 2009, several years after the revolution. This is the only home I’ve ever known. But I miss what it represents. The history. The continuity.”

“Maybe you’ll get it back someday,” Cherish said. “The palace.”

“I doubt it,” Angelique said. “But I’m not giving up hope. A Bourbon never does.”

“I like that,” Maeve said. “Never give up.”

“We’ve all learned that lesson the hard way,” Savannah said.

Philip looked at Louis. “So, have you spoken to your father about your plan to go to the Central Union?”

“Of course,” Louis said. “He’s on board. He’s arranging security.”

“Good,” Philip said. “The Central Union is not as chaotic as Dixie or West Virginia. But it’s not the Dominion either. Be careful. Especially when you are dealing with the Mormons.”

“We will,” Louis said.

“Do you have any idea where to start your investigation?” Philip asked.

“I think the best place to start is Idaho Falls,” Willa said. “That’s where the largest LDS community in the Central Union is. We will pass there anyway if we drive from Portland to Yellowstone.”

“I agree,” Louis said. “It’s a good place to start.”

“And a good place to be a tourist,” Angelique said. “There are a lot of historical sites and natural wonders there.”

“And a lot of Mormons,” Gladice said. “Just what we need.”

“They are not all bad,” Donya said. “I had a Mormon friend in high school. She was very kind and very smart.”

“She probably left the church,” Willa said. “Because she was smart.”

“You don’t have to leave a church to be smart,” Donya said.

“Maybe not,” Willa said. “But it helps.”

“Let’s not judge them before we meet them,” Cherish said. “They might be nice.”

“I hope so,” Donya said. “I’d like to believe that.”

“So, how long will this vacation be?” Maria asked. “A week? Two weeks?”

“However long it takes,” Louis said. “We have all the time in the world.”

The servants cleared the plates and brought in the dessert: a chocolate lava cake with a scoop of vanilla ice cream on top.

“This is amazing,” Savannah said. “I’m gonna have to work out extra hard after this.”

“You won’t be alone,” Gladice said.

“I’m glad you like it,” Maria said. “The chef is very proud of it.”

“He should be,” Cherish said. “It’s the best cake I’ve ever had.”

“It is,” Donya said. “I’m glad I saved room for it.”

“So are we,” Louis said. “This is a wonderful dinner and a wonderful evening.”

“I’m glad you’re enjoying it,” Philip said. “You’re always welcome here. All of you. This is your home too.”

“Thank you,” Willa said. “We appreciate that.”

“We are a family,” Angelique said. “And we should stick together.”

“Indeed,” Philip said. He raised his glass. “To family.”

“To family,” they all said, raising their glasses.

Louis drank the rest of his wine and looked around the table. Angelique sat beside him. The others sat among her parents and brothers, welcomed without hesitation. He had once imagined finding a place for himself beside Angelique. Now Philip had given all of them one.