Twice Upon A Time (Unfinished Fairy Tales #2)(92)

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We have no problem asking Mr. Davenport to defend me. To my surprise, Poppy accompanies Mr. Davenport when we schedule a meeting at my study. She rushes to me and takes my hands, concern written all over her round face. Gratitude fills my heart—she looks exhausted, most likely from taking care of the twins, but she still came to see me. “Kat! How dreadful it is to have this happen to you!”

“How are you able to get away from Sebastian and Little Katriona?”

“They’re fine. My parents and in-laws have arrived, and I’m positive the four of them will take excellent care of the twins.” Poppy spreads out a newspaper on the table. “Oh my God, Kat. You’ll probably need special transportation to get to court, because there certainly is going to be a crowd.”

I had already read the paper in the morning, but the headlines still make me cringe. ‘Who is Princess Katriona?’ ‘Lady Pembroke Accuses the Princess of Identity Theft.’ ‘Stranger Than Fiction: a Royal Scandal of The Woman in Red.’

Edward shows Mr. Davenport to my desk, while Poppy huddles with me on the window seat. The door to our suite is locked, and Edward orders that no one, not even Amelie or Mabel, may enter.

Mr. Davenport pulls out a yellow pad and a fountain pen, along with a few thick leather-bound books on marriage law and royals. “Let’s not waste any time. Katriona, pardon me for asking you this, but you are Katriona Bradshaw?”

I meet Poppy’s eyes, glance at Edward, and take a deep breath. “I’m sorry.”

Mr. Davenport’s eyebrows shoot toward his forehead. “Are you telling me that you are guilty of the charge?”

Poppy hangs her head. “I’m sorry as well, Jonathan. I promised you that there will be no secrets between us, but you see, I couldn’t tell you about something like this.”

Edward folds his arms. “Just tell us the best approach to take.”

Mr. Davenport clears his throat. “In that case, we need to consider if there are any mitigating circumstances. For example, if Katriona—”

“Katherine,” I say. “My real name is Katherine Wilson.”

Mr. Davenport blinks. “Katherine, then. How did this happen to you? Why did you choose to masquerade as Katriona Bradshaw?” He glances at Edward. “Your Highness, did you know about this recently?”

“I have known it for more than a year.”

Mr. Davenport looks astonished. “Your Highness, this is…unheard of.”

Edward looks at me, and his gaze is mixed with love and pain. “There were certain special circumstances, which are too complicated to explain. I beg you, Jonathan, to find a way that will pardon Kat and make her suffer as little as possible. If it helps, shift the blame onto me. As an accomplice, I cannot escape censure either.”

“No,” I say immediately. “Don’t let the people lose their trust in you, Edward. You’re not going to be punished for my sake.”

“It’s mostly my fault. I knew you weren’t Katriona Bradshaw, but I insisted on marrying you. I should have foreseen the possibility that you would be discovered.”

“How could you have predicted this? Edward, you are not going to tell the court that you knew my identity all along.”

Mr. Davenport looks toward Poppy, apparently unsure what to do.

“What happens after Kat gets her identity back?” Poppy asks. “The entire nation still thinks that the princess is called Katriona Bradshaw. All the neighboring countries also have you as Katriona Bradshaw in their records. It’s going to take a lot of effort to change and replace that with your real name.”

“It would take even more than that,” Mr. Davenport says grimly. “I’m assuming that Katherine signed the name of Katriona Bradshaw on the wedding register. It is criminal to use someone’s name, especially in such an important event. Moreover, this would mean that His Highness is lawfully wedded to the other girl, the real Katriona Bradshaw.”

Poppy gasps. “But that’s ridiculous! If we all wrote our names wrong, that would be a complete chaos.”

“I also agree it is a faulty law. In Moryn, such a mistake would only render the marriage null and void,” Mr. Davenport says, regret in his tone. “Originally, it was meant to ensure that the married couple would not regard the ceremony as a farce. But since more than one witness is required during the signing, it is almost impossible that the bride or groom will write the wrong name.”

Edward’s palm lands on the table with a resounding thud. “I will not accept that woman as my wife. No one except Kat.”

“Unfortunately, if Katherine has to admit that she isn’t Katriona Bradshaw, apart from the punishment that she will receive, she will lose her status as princess. Katherine, are you a commoner?”

I nod, feeling like sinking into the ground. “Is that a problem?”

“Unfortunately, the law of Athelia prohibits it. Unless the prince is willing to consent to a morganatic marriage?”

“What’s a morganatic marriage?”

“A situation that is normally considered undesirable, but not unheard of. Your children will not be able to ascend the throne. You will only be known as the spouse, and you will not assume the title of princess.”

Is that all? But even if I don’t mind, what will Edward think?