Legacy & Song: Royalty & Romance, #3

By J.L. Meyrick

The treaty relied on marriage. At least, that had been the plan until now.

 

More involved with the war than they ever planned, Grace and Freddie must pull two kingdoms together to fight side by side.

 

Separated for the first time since they met, Grace must convince the Ablunoran King to sign the new treaty while Freddie is re-immersed in her family following the deaths of the King and Crown Prince. 

 

Grace needs to handle being thrown together with Rowan, her one-night stand, for longer than either of them had planned. Freddie considers her possibilities with Tiffany, alongside her growing relationship with Grace. 

 

Can they pull this off? Or will all be lost?

—

Legacy & Song is a FF & MF poly romance full of danger, monsters, and interfering family. Follow Grace and Freddie in this epic conclusion of the Royalty & Romance series. 

• Language: English
• Publisher: J.L. Meyrick
• Release date: Dec 30, 2023
• ISBN: 9798215188446

Book preview

Chapter One

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Freddie

Two months. That’s how long she had escaped for. Two blissful months where she had complete freedom.

Yet here she was, back in the palace, staring at the same walls and gardens that were her childhood prison. The bright colours splashed across the palace gardens did nothing to settle the quiver in her stomach. Would she be able to leave again?

In those two months she’d explored the ocean, met people she never would have known before, fallen in love, and battled fearsome foes. Instead of heading back out on the Sea Dragon with Grace, she was staying behind. To bury half of her family.

A mysterious creature of a man revealed himself to be the driving force behind the King and Prince’s deaths before disappearing once more. Leaving Freddie behind to deal with the broken pieces of her former family. The funeral was coming up quick, the rules of royalty dictating the proper procession of these kinds of events.

Standing on a balcony, looking out across the gardens, she ached to run and stay all at the same time. Her newfound sense of freedom warring with familial loyalty, or rather, what remained of it.

Miss Winifred? a voice jolted her out of her internal dialogue. A voice she hadn’t heard for some time. Freddie turned to see a familiar woman, frozen mid-step, holding a stack of linen.

Mandy? Freddie replied. It’s good to see you.

Her former handmaiden dropped the linen as soon as Freddie opened her mouth. A sharp breath was all the warning she had before Mandy rushed her, wrapping her arms around her waist in a tight hug.

Oh Miss Winifred, I was so worried about you. But you’re here, safe and sound. Mandy rambled, not letting go of her waist.

Yes, I’m safe. Freddie replied, not sure how to respond. Mandy had never hugged her before, yet another rule of royalty. The same thought appeared to strike Mandy as she squeaked, jumping back as if she had been shocked.

I’m sorry, your highness, I shouldn’t have done that. Mandy said, her eyes wide with shock at her own actions.

Don’t worry about it. Freddie waved her hand. How are you?

Me? Mandy asked, eyes widening at Freddie’s friendliness. I’m just fine. I’m so happy to see you back here. We were all so worried when you disappeared.

Freddie could see the questions in Mandy’s eyes, just waiting to be set loose. She’d already tried to explain everything to her mother and Chauncey. She couldn’t go through it all again.

Yes, well, I am back for the funeral. Freddie replied, knowing that her words would just lead to more questions. As expected, Mandy tilted her head and narrowed her eyes at Freddie’s choice of words. She appeared to be on the brink of asking questions, but held herself back at the mention of the funeral.

I am sorry for your loss, Miss Winifred. To lose a father and a brother in one thoughtless attack — tragic. Mandy dipped her head as she spoke.

Thank you, Mandy. Freddie replied quietly, suddenly uncomfortable talking about her family. I mustn’t keep you from your duties any longer. It was good to see you again.

Freddie tried to give her a friendly smile before she walked off, leaving Mandy to collect the linen still strewn across the marble floor. The obscenely gigantic walls of the palace were pressing in on her mind. The more people realised she was back, the harder it was going to be to leave again. She could almost feel the hooks from her mother digging into her back. As soon as Grace was back, Freddie planned to lock herself away on the Sea Dragon and not look back. She couldn’t be trapped here again. She refused.

Grace. The thought of that woman helped calm her mind a little. Even though she was sailing away from Freddie at that very moment, she felt the warmth of her companionship in her heart. Grace was the first person she met who she felt she could trust completely. Something she never expected to have. Now she refused to let it go. Grace had taken her in almost immediately after finding Freddie hiding away in her cabin on the Dragon that fateful night. She’d really lucked out, choosing the Dragon amongst the many ships in the harbour that night. Anyone else would have delivered her back to her family for a rich reward. Or kept her captive for ransom. Neither prospect was welcome.

Now she’d found her home, her people. On the Dragon and on the island, people who either didn’t know or didn’t care about her history. Welcoming her into their community with open arms, happy to live alongside her. A stark difference to her life in the palace. Her family ignored her, only approaching her when they needed something. The staff, except for Mandy, were too stiff and formal to relax around her. The court was just as bad. She’d made many acquaintances, but no friends.

She didn’t have any idea where she was heading. Her only aim was to escape the difficult conversation with Mandy. Now she was practically storming through the palace without an end goal in sight. Walking down the east gallery, her footsteps echoing off the eclectic collection of artworks spread across the walls.

Years of her childhood were spent staring at these paintings, wondering if she had the talent to recreate any of them. She’d even taken to sketching her favourites for a time. Stopping only when Laurel had found her pages, laughing at her lack of ability. Yet another sour memory of her time here. One now tainted by confusion, her grief taking its place within her memories.

She suddenly fought the urge to take out her frustrations on the artwork, as if it was the source of her pain. After all, her parents had spent more time collecting the artwork than ensuring their daughter had a well-rounded experience of the world she lived in. Freddie stared up at a vast scene, a riverside picnic, gloriously peaceful and hardly a fair representation of the world.

Her sword remained strapped to her hip, almost begging to be used, to slash at the priceless canvas. As if destroying the thing would solve all her problems. Her hand drifted towards the hilt of the blade, her fingers twitching against the worn leather grip. The longer she stared at the canvas, the stronger the temptation built. A small part of her mind begged her to carry through, to break through the canvas and escape the palace once more.

Her fingers wrapped around the hilt and tugged a little, letting a glimmer of steel feel the warmth of the sunlight streaming through a nearby window. The sound of heavy footsteps brought her out of the temptation, before she could take a step forward.

Sister, there you are, Chauncey called out as he strolled down the opposite end of the gallery.

Your Majesty. Freddie bowed her head awkwardly, not sure how to go about addressing her brother anymore. Quickly dropping her hand from her sword, while Chauncey might appear friendly at first glance, the guard following his footsteps looked eager to defend the king with little to no provocation.

Don’t call me that. Chauncey winced at the formality. I’m still getting used to this. I’d rather keep things as they were between us.

Do you mean where you practically ignored me, hiding away in your books, or where I ran away with no idea if I’d ever see you again? Freddie replied before she could stop herself.

Ouch, fair enough. Chauncey replied, clutching at his chest from her bluntness. Perhaps a new beginning, then? Open communication.

Standing only three steps away from Freddie, he raised his arms out to the side as if to emphasise his words.

You can be as friendly as you like. I won’t be influencing Grace for you. Freddie said, seeing through the thinly veiled attempt for what it was. Chauncey took in a slow breath before responding, clearly annoyed that Freddie wasn’t holding back.

Still, I’d like to open a dialogue with you. Our family has been decimated. We should remain close now, if only in conversation, not location. Chauncey said carefully, waiting for Freddie to poke a hole in his words.

She considered his words, running over them in her mind. Her return hadn’t been released to the public, along with the death announcements. Very few people knew she was here, so Chauncey couldn’t have an ulterior motive in wanting to build a relationship. Could he? Finally, she nodded in agreement. Curious to see what a friendly relationship with her isolated brother could look like.

Chapter Two

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Grace

Leaving the capital of Venetia felt so much worse this time. Gone was her stowaway, along with the attempt at a carefree lifestyle. Instead, she felt the pressure of the new deal sitting on her shoulders. Grace hadn’t yet had the chance to explain everything to Hawthorne, having needed to rush the departure.

Captain? We should arrive in Ablunora tomorrow evening, if the tides are with us. As if she had conjured him with her line of thought, Hawthorne joined Grace on the upper deck. She could see the questions simmering behind his eyes. They’d left in a hurry, with Tiffany and Rowan back on board, but without Freddie. Grace could only imagine the rumours bouncing around the crew.

Thank you. The sooner we get there, the sooner we can head back. Grace replied quietly, her hands gripping onto the side of the ship, the wood almost bending beneath her fingers.

Back? Hawthorne asked simply.

Back for Freddie. To finish this. Grace nodded. A quick check around them told her that the crew was hard at work and outside of earshot. A lot happened in the palace.

You’re telling me. Never thought I’d witness the death of a king. Hawthorne rubbed his massive hand on the back of his neck.

No, me neither. Grace replied.

But something else happened afterwards, didn’t it? Hawthorne asked, trying to be subtle with his line of questioning.

You could say that, Grace replied, trying to put off the question for just one more second. It’s safe to say our position in the world is about to change, greatly.

How’s that? Hawthorne asked, confusion replacing his look of curiosity.

I think I might have fucked up on this one. Grace admitted, her shoulders sinking with the weight of her words. Her head dropped as she admitted what she had done, what responsibility she had just placed on their community.

After explaining everything that had happened, the funeral plans, the short-lived marriage idea between Tiffany and King Chauncey, and the revelation of her occupation, silence fell between Grace and Hawthorne.

Okay. Hawthorne said slowly, processing the information dump. So you’ve agreed to change everything, then?

There was no way to ignore the shock in his voice, or the panic flooding his dark brown eyes. This wasn’t helping Grace work through her own doubts. Instead, it was just fuel for the fire.

I fucked it up, didn’t I? Grace asked, feeling her stomach drop through her legs as Hawthorne practically confirmed her worst fears.

No. No, it could work. Hawthorne replied gently, trying his hardest to sound sincere. It was a lost cause. The weight of what she had done pressed her down, almost forcing her knees to buckle beneath her.

Too much is relying on this. The war is relying on this deal to work, Grace forced out through gritted teeth. "It’s too late to