This all rang true. Grandpa’s death had hit the family like lightning dropped from a clear blue sky. Farming accidents didn’t happen to experienced farmers, and no one was more experienced with the combine than Grandpa.
Grandma’s illness was the storm that followed. Distraught and heartbroken, Grandma went to bed the night of the accident and woke up the royal heir to the American throne. “Phantoms are like shadows or something?”
Doc nodded. Grandma, without a doubt, had this disease. My thoughts immediately went to my mom and myself. “Will my mom get it? Will I?”
Doc did that sad smile thing which was more lamentable than a moment before. “It skips generations sometimes. If I have anything to do with it, the shadows will never bother you.”
“Does Bollard suffer from them?”
“Ah, that is a question you yourself must pose to him.” Doc checked his pocket watch. “Alas, I must go.”
“Do you have to?” I didn’t want him to leave. The news he’d delivered had been devastating. Not only the incurable nature of the disease, but the fact it was a genetic nightmare that nearly the whole side of the family suffered from.
Doc straightened his bowtie. “I volunteer and work with the poor.”
“But they can’t even get colds.” I needed him more than they did. “Or I could go help. You know I am a princess or something like that. I could help with them.”
Doc gave another sad smile. “Someday, Waverly, but not now.”
After he left, I stayed a little longer. Doc knew the Merrics better than anyone when it came to their health. Every symptom he listed sounded like Grandma. I walked along the pictures of the royal Merric family. If they didn’t have a cure with all the money and power, then there was no cure. Not for her, not for me. My eyes swam with tears. What was I supposed to do? Find the necklace, find the words. I was Grandma’s only hope. Don’t make shadows. Don’t make shadows. And my only hope too.
As I walked the room, I suddenly noticed something I’d missed. All the royals and their spouses had the same death date. Every single one.
Chapter 13
Ice
“Knock-knock.” Manon stood at my door. “I am here to keep you company.”
I was staring blankly at a mountain of food when she came in. It had been a little over a day since Doc’s news about my family and the Tennabris, and how Mom and I, and any future children I had, would be prey to the disease. Not even to mention the weird fact that besides Grandpa, every single family member had the same death day as their spouse. What did that even mean? Was there this terrible tradition in this family that the husband or wife offed themselves as a funeral sacrifice? If not, did they all die of broken hearts? What would happen to my parents? Would I lose both of them on the same day too?
Each question made me feel worse. So, I was happy to see Manon. “You hungry?”
Manon grimaced. “I do not eat breakfast.”
This pile of food could feed a small army. Even though I had asked Enzo to stop giving people my leftovers, I had my suspicions the practice had continued.
Manon sat next to me. “Your name is getting very large among the dignitaries. I heard some demanding Enzo add a ball to your royal schedule. Your Claudette is jealous.”
“Jealous? Of me? Why?” There wasn’t any possible reason my cousin could be jealous.
Manon shrugged her shoulders. “You are the new thing. Virtually as good as a royal wedding. There hasn’t been this much buzz since Bianca’s coronation. No, this is bigger. The people want to meet you, and this is before the Merrics and their PR firm have announced you to the greater public. It is incredible. The gifts you shall receive.” Her eyes widened as she peered past me to my pile of gifts. “My goodness, you still have not opened your gifts. But later. First, you need to get changed. Doctor’s orders; come.”
Manon went to my closet, and I wondered why she was there to help me and not my stylists. I followed Manon into my wardrobe. “What’s going on?”
Manon opened and shut several drawers. No luck. She went to the other side of the closet and opened some more drawers. “You are modest, oui? Yes. So you need your bathing suit.”
I nodded toward the third drawer. I knew precisely where the suit was; I didn’t have to look. I guessed with a hundred percent accuracy the location of every single piece of clothing, which was odd but what wasn’t at that point. “It’s in there, but I don’t really feel like a morning swim.”
“Not for swimming, no. For your treatment. Put this on.” Manon handed me a silver one-piece.
“Treatment? For what?” If there was a treatment that involved me wearing a bathing suit around, I wasn’t so sure I was interested in it.
“You will enjoy it, I promise.”
Manon left me standing alone in the closet. I shimmied into the suit and slipped on a large white robe to cover up. When I joined her out in the room, a very muscular (and hot!) man had joined her. Both were wearing parkas. I had missed something.
“What’s going on?”
The man spoke to Manon in a different language. She nodded and laughed.
“Come.” She took my arm. “Gudvin doesn’t speak English. Anyway, he is here to give you a massage. All Merrics run hot, and this is to keep your temperature down.”
“Uh, I don’t need to be cooled down.” Gudvin opened the door for us. A blast of icy air hit my face, and I shivered. “What’s the temperature?”
Manon took my arm and tugged me forward. “Trust me, you do need this. It’s unhealthy how warm the Merrics can get.”
The Tennabris. This was to cool off my family when they were suffering from the illness.
Gudvin waited for me to get on the massage table. “Can I at least keep on my robe
