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Home / Romance / The Heir's Secret Child: A Royal Scandal / Chapter 21 - Chapter 30

All Chapters of The Heir's Secret Child: A Royal Scandal: Chapter 21 - Chapter 30

52 Chapters

Chapter 21

The morning after a royal event was usually slow. Not today.Mrs Harrow’s voice cut through the hum of the lower hall like a knife. “Again,” she snapped. “If I have to call your names twice, I’ll assume you’ve died and assign your duties to someone more grateful.”The maids stood in a ragged line, some blinking blearily, while others tried not to show their exhaustion. The smell of stale wine and smoke still clung to the airMrs. Harrow held the roll in one hand, her finger traveling down the list. “Isla.”“Here,” Isla said, stepping forward slightly.“Lucy.”A half-strangled “here” from somewhere near the back, followed by a suppressed groan.“Catherine.”Silence.Heads turned, small flickers of curiosity running along the line. Mrs. Harrow frowned, looked up. “Where is she?” she demanded. “Did she collapse in a broom cupboard? Someone go fetch her.”A girl near the end shifted. “She’s not in her bed, Mrs Harrow,” she said. “I checked on my way this morning. Neither is Mrs Elizabeth.

Last Updated : 2026-01-19

Chapter 22

Not long after Ms. Harrow and Isla left, Lord Gainsley stood in the King’s audience chamber. Queen Charlotte was sitting beside her husband, holding a cup of spiced tea.“Two maids, Your Majesties,” Gainsley said. “Ms Elizabeth and her daughter, Catherine.”Charlotte’s hand tightened around the cup on hearing Catherine’s name. For the briefest moment, something almost like relief flickered in her face. No more wondering when the girl’s existence would destroy her son’s life.“And you are certain no one moved them?” she asked.“Yes, Your Majesty,” Gainsley said. “I checked with Mrs Harrow, and she’s adamant that they would not go anywhere without notice.”King Arthur snorted softly. “This shouldn’t be a problem,” he said. “They’re maids. Perhaps they decided they had had enough of hard floors and hard looks and took their chances elsewhere.”Charlotte looked at her husband. “This is Elizabeth we are talking about. More than 18 years of service, and you think they just took another job

Last Updated : 2026-01-20

Chapter 23

Katarina watched her father glare at her dresses. They lay half-folded across the bed and chairs. A maid moved briskly between them, folding, smoothing, and tucking shoes into the corners of the trunks.Katarina sat by the window while Alden stood near the door. Outside, the courtyard was a clatter of hooves and shouted orders as Edward’s entourage was getting ready to leave.“It should have been simple,” King Edward said. “Wine, warmth, a few soft words. Instead, your prince nursed water like a monk.”“We could not force him,” Alden said. “It would have made it suspicious.”“And yet here, we are,” Edward snapped. He rubbed at the bridge of his nose, then exhaled.No one said anything for a while.“We still have the recording,” Katarina said. “We can still use that to get what we want. We can—”“No,” Edward said immediately. “Arthur sits with his council today to decide the prospect of a marriage between you and George. I am to be given the verdict before I leave. We will wait for tha

Last Updated : 2026-01-20

Chapter 24

Myrkon smelled different from Eldoria. Catherine felt it as soon as she stepped off the ship. The air was thick with spices and fish and something sweet she couldn’t name. The dock was a chaos of crates and shouts and gulls, all of it in a language that was different from the one she knew.“It’s not Greece,” she said.“No,” Elizabeth replied. “But ships go there from here. And people eat here, which means they need hands.” She looked at her daughter.“Stay close. Pickpockets like people who stare up.”“I’m not staring,” Catherine said, even though she was.They followed the flow of bodies to the edge of the harbor, where the cobbles broadened into a square. Stalls crowded the edges, bright with cloth and fruit and trinkets. Men in robes she had never seen before haggled over barrels. Women with scarves tied high over their hair laughed as they counted coins.Catherine’s head spun. Everything was so new and… overwhelming.“First a roof,” Elizabeth said. “Then a person. Then a plan.”Th

Last Updated : 2026-01-21

Chapter 25

**MYRKON**The steam in the laundry house clung to Catherine’s skin like another layer of clothing. Heat rose from the great copper vats, turning the air thick. Women moved around them with practiced efficiency, sleeves rolled, arms slick with water as they plunged cloth into the suds and hauled it out again.She and her mother had just started at the new job Alina told them about.“Catherine, take this.”Mira, the woman in charge, shoved a brimming tub toward her with a nod at the rinsing trough. Mira was broad-shouldered, her gray-shot hair tied in a knot at the nape of her neck. Her forearms looked strong enough to wring a blanket in two. And she never missed anything.“Yes, ma’am,” Catherine said.She took the handles. The weight dragged on her arms immediately. Her back twinged as she heaved it toward the trough, her feet slipping a little on the damp floor. She bit down on the instinct to complain. Everyone here worked. No one had time for a girl whose hands were soft from palac

Last Updated : 2026-01-21

Chapter 26

**ELDORIA**It’s been a week since their first public outing, and Princess Katarina walked side by side with Queen Charlotte within the palace grounds.Today, the morning air was crisp enough that their breath fogged faintly as they walked, their ladies-in-waiting trailing a polite distance behind.“It will do the court good to see you here,” Charlotte said. “They are used to me, their Queen, but you… you are still a story they are deciding whether to like.”Katarina smiled. “Then I am grateful you are willing to be seen with me while they decide, Your Majesty.”Charlotte glanced at her, amused. “Flattery this early morning,” she said. “Your father has trained you well.”“He says the right word costs less than the right army,” Katarina replied. “He prefers to spend words first.”Charlotte nodded. “Wise words, indeed.”They continued walking in companionable silence for a little while. A gardener straightened and bowed as they passed. Somewhere near the fountain, two maids hurried by w

Last Updated : 2026-01-23

Chapter 27

**MYRKON**“Ma.”At first, all Elizabeth saw was her daughter’s white face and the way her hand clutched her tummy. Then, she saw the red liquid trickling down. edge of the tub.The room narrowed.“Sit,” Elizabeth said, running over to her daughter. Her voice cracked even though she sounded firm. “Now.”Catherine’s knees wobbled as Elizabeth got an arm around her waist and steered her to the nearest bench..Just then, Mira appeared at the door, wiping her hands on her apron. “What’s this?” she demanded. “You tear something, girl?”Elizabeth shot her a look. “Please. My daughter needs a doctor.”Mira’s gaze dropped, taking in the way the blood kept coming.“Right,” she said. “Kira! Janna!” When the two women arrived, she gave instructions. “Kira, take her basket. Janna, mind the tubs.”“You,” she jerked her chin at Elizabeth. “There’s a clinic two houses from here. Tell them Mira sent you.”“Thank you.”Elizabeth got Catherine up again. Her daughter felt heavier and lighter at once, as

Last Updated : 2026-01-23

Chapter 28

**ELDORIA**Only a few days in, Isla had learned quickly that being a lady-in-waiting meant standing still far more than running.She stood by the window of the princess’s sitting room, her hands clasped tightly on her dress, watching the light creep across the stone.The room smelled faintly of beeswax, and some Drakonhelm spice Katarina liked burned in a small dish.“Why are you staring at the wall?”Isla turned. Katarina sat at the small table by the hearth, a pile of correspondence in front of her. Her gown today was a soft gray that made her eyes look sharper.“I wasn’t sure where to look,” Isla admitted. “Mrs Harrow always said if we looked comfortable, we looked arrogant.”“Mrs Harrow and I have different definitions of arrogance,” Katarina said dryly. “Come here.”Isla crossed the room, careful to place her feet quietly on the thick rug. Katarina gestured to the chair opposite her.“Sit,” she said.Isla blinked. “Your Highness, I—”“I did not ask you to stand near me so you co

Last Updated : 2026-01-24

Chapter 29

The next morning on campus, students poured out of their afternoon classes, laughing in twos and threes as they parted easily around Aria.Her fingers were too tight around the handle of her bag with each step she took towards the Dean’s office. He had sent for her earlier that day to meet him during one of her free classes.Dean Hargrove glanced up from her file and smiled as soon as she entered, the lines around his eyes deepening. “Ms. Jenkins,” he said. “Thank you for coming by.”“Of course,” she said, trying not to sound as nervous as she felt.He closed the folder, steepling his fingers over it. “I know you’ve had a busy few months,” he said. “I wanted to check in. How are you finding it so far?”“Good,” she said. “Busy, but… good.”“Your grades suggest more than good,” he said. “Excellent, in fact. Top of your cohort in two seminars, strong work in the third. Professor Kline had very complimentary things to say about your last paper.”Warmth flared in her chest. “Thank you.”“A

Last Updated : 2026-01-26

Chapter 30

**ELDORIA**In Eldoria, the carriage wheels ground over cobblestones, a steady rumble beneath the polished wood. George sat in the open landau, the spring air carrying the scent of fresh bread and woodsmoke as it moved into the Westgate district.The banners in the Eldorian blue flag hung from lampposts, alongside the Drakonhelm red flag at the corners, a reminder of the two kingdoms’ alliance. Beside him, Katarina sat poised as always, her gown a deep emerald that caught the light with every sway. King Arthur and Queen Charlotte occupied the facing seat, Arthur’s hand resting lightly on the carriage arm, Charlotte’s smile fixed and flawless.It was the second engagement for their courtship, but this time, the King and Queen joined to signify a united front between the two families.Guards flanked them on horseback, their swords gleaming, but the crowd pressed close enough. They had been riding for nearly an hour, distributing alms and waving to the crowd.People lined the streets, b

Last Updated : 2026-01-27

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