The Vindication Gents

Chapter 1.17

Kathleen Remes’ POV

I narrowed my eyes at my father as he gestured to us to take a seat in front of him. Kai took his seat before I did, as I wanted my father to explain what the hell was going on.

“Leave us,” he instructed his guards, and they went outside of the room as they locked the door as well.

“What do you mean acting as King and Queen?” I asked him. He looked at me before sighing.

“I thought you wanted to make Katherine the Queen of Finland. So, why the change of heart?” I asked him as I arched my eyebrows at him. He was looking out the window before he stared at both of us.

“Do you know about the tradition of our country, daughter?” He asked me. I scoffed at him. I can answer that in my sleep.

“Of course, father. I was the Crown Princess once. But I guess that lesson never escaped me if I wanted it or not. The princess that married first will be the one that—“ I stopped as I just realized that was the whole plan after all. People thought that the second-born princess was the one that would be crowned to stop assassinations in the past. It has been working for generations.

“So, do you realize what you have become before knowing the truth?” He asked me. I gritted my teeth. My father has tricked me. He had tricked Kai. Damn these royals’ traditions.

“Yes, father. I just realized that you have played us for fools.” I said through my teeth. He chuckled before he looked at Kai.

“So, Kai Virtanen, will you accept the duty of acting as King of Finland and perhaps help Kathleen to be the Queen of Finland that she was supposed to be?” My father asked him. I rolled my eyes at him before Kai cleared his throat.

“If my King asked me to—“

“No, I want to know it from your heart. I want an honest answer, possibly from you, Kai,” my father said to his son-in-law. Kai turned to me before he squeezed my hands. My heart warmed at that gesture.

“Yes, my king,” he said firmly. “I will do anything that I can to help Kathleen to be the Queen that Finland needs,” he said with authority. I drew a sharp breath. He did talk like a king even before he was one. Maybe after this, he will be.

“Very well, I think that settles it. Now, shall we have some brunch?” he said as he stood up. Kai stood up as well as my father was walking toward the door. I stood up a couple of minutes later when the door closed and it was only us in the room.

“Are you sure about this, Kai? I mean, that old man has been playing us—“

“That old man is your father. Even though he is old, don’t you think he should retire now? Your mother—“ he stopped when I turned sharply at him. Oh no, he did not use that wild card!

“My mother what?” I asked him darkly. Kai sighed before rubbing his temples.

“Look, I know you don’t want the responsibility, Kathleen, but you are the firstborn and it is your duty to act as such. Please, my love, spare your old man another thing to think about, not without the support of your mother,” he said as he caressed my cheeks. I leaned into his touch as it was burning slowly for my skin to ignite. I turned to look at his sea-green eyes. Damn those magnetic eyes. I sighed.

“Fine, I do it. Not because of my father, but because of you. You persuaded me,” I said as I snaked my arms around his neck. Kai smirked.

“I told you you were the perfect match for each other,” he whispered before the door had just opened again. I cursed silently at the intruder and it was none other than my sister and her fiancé, Kai’s cousin, Chris.

“Ugh, get a room, Kathleen. Some of us wanted to spare our sight from your intimacy with each other,” my sister said with pouted lips. Kai stiffened. I looked at him in the peripheral view and a pang of jealousy was running through my veins at the very moment.

“Cousin,” Chris’ voice boomed all over the room.

“Cousin,” Kai said firmly.

“So, what’s the occasion? Why are you guys here?” Chris asked us. I took a step closer to my sister as Kai followed me from behind.

“Father asked us to brunch with him. Did he ask you to join him as well?” I asked them. They nodded.

“Excellent! Shall we, sister?” I asked my sister before taking Kai’s arm and linking it with my hands and walked out of my father’s study before I smiled at Kai with a knowing meaning. They have no idea what they just walked into.

The brunch was held in the Rose Garden, which was my mother and father's favorite spot. Perhaps he wanted to relive the moment when my mother was alive. I took a sip of my coffee as I was more of a coffee lover and my sister was a tea lover. Today, she took Earl Grey with lemon.

“So, what do you want to talk to us about, father?” My sister asked him. He was sipping his tea as Chris was looking outside the garden and Kai was eating his cheesecake. My father put down his tea.

“Well, I have an announcement to make to all of you,” he said. I drew a sharp breath silently. nothing there goes.

“I will be retiring soon. So, I’m wondering which one of you will be the perfect candidate for my succession to the throne,” he said. Kai and I looked at each other. He tried to play it cool with my sister. Katherine put down the tea and dapped her mouth with the napkin. I rolled my eyes at her perfect etiquette.

“Oh, and how will it be done, father?” Katherine asked him. My father looked at my sister before he looked at me, a little longer than my sister, before he cleared his throat.

“That part will be for me to know and for you, my beautiful daughters, to figure it out. Now, if you excuse me, I want to take a nap,” he said as he stood up. Chris and Kai immediately stood up, as well as Katherine. Only I was the only one that was sitting still.

“Kathleen,” Kai whispered to me as he pulled me up from my seat. I rolled my eyes before I stood up as well.

“No, no, no, please. Enjoy it. I will just be short,” he said as he went out of the garden with his guards to watch over his back. I sat back and leaned on the chair after all that tension. I looked at my sister and Chris, who had been staring at me for quite a moment.

“So, do you know anything about it, sister?” Katherine asked me. I scoffed at her.

“Why should I? I was not the Crown Princess anymore, you know. It is your job,” I said smugly at her before she was trying to control her anger in check.

“Right, of course. I forget that you forgot to be stripped of that title before you went to prison. Oops sorry, I mean serving time,” she said as she took a sip of her tea as I narrowed my eyes at her. I was clenching my fist before Kai took it into his hand.

“I think we had better go, Kathleen. John told me that you have an appointment with someone,” Kai said as he took my hand and pulled me up. I intertwined his hand with mine and smiled at him.

“Yes, of course. How can I forget? Well, sister, if you excuse me then,” I said as I curtsied sarcastically at her, we walked out of the garden and went to the waiting car before the valet closed the door and drove off to the Summer Estate, the place that I have forever called my home.

“Do you have to encourage her like that? She might be onto us and I don’t trust Chris either,” Kai said after we had been silent for quite some time in the car. I turned to look at him as I was arching my eyebrows at him.

“You don’t trust your cousin?” I asked him, bemused. He sighed as he closed his eyes.

“Yes, I don’t. Besides, he has every intention of taking my inheritance from me as well,” he said as he looked out of the window. I smirked at him and before he realized it, I straddled his lap as he turned sharply at me. He looked at my position as I snaked my arms around his neck.

“What are you doing?” Kai asked darkly. I smirked at him as I was fiddling with the buttons of his suit.

“Well, I think you might have persuaded me but I want something in return for my obedience in the study room, don’t you agree?” I said as I closed the divider of the limousine so that the driver would not be aware of our tryst at the back of the car.

“Kathleen, I don’t think—“ he said as he was gulping.

“Shh, don’t talk then. If you can’t think, just feel, my love,” I whispered to him as I pulled him closer and connected his mouth with mine in a searing, passionate kiss until we stopped in front of our estate.