‘Nicky,’ she said.

‘Brother,’ Nicky said importantly and thumped his chest.

‘Brother,’ Christa repeated and thumped her chest.

They giggled.

Just like that, Nikos thought, stunned. It was over, just like that. Yeah, there’d be complications. Yeah, there’d be difficulties. But, for now…it was sorted.

‘Now,’ Athena said in a voice that boded ill.

‘Now?’

‘What about this reception?’

What were they thinking? Talking of social events when she’d casually given him his son? He felt as if all the wind had been sucked from his lungs and he wasn’t the least sure how to get it back.

Nicky and Christa were looking at each other, sizing each other up, still grinning. Occasionally giggling. Having a sister was obviously a big deal for Nicky. Bigger than having a father?

He’d missed out on nine years of having a son. He looked back to Athena and she was looking as dazed as he was.

‘I wanted to tell you,’ she whispered. ‘I didn’t know how.’

‘Like…the phone?’ He couldn’t keep anger from his voice and he got anger in return.

‘You think? So I should have phoned you-and your wife-and thought about the consequences later?’

A host of angry rejoinders crowded his head. None of them could be said in front of the children.

Maybe none could be said at all.

‘The reception,’ she said again flatly, moving on.

‘Seven tonight.’ That, at least, was easy. ‘The Crown Prince and Princess of Sappheiros will be welcoming home the Crown Princess of Argyros. Officially handing over control.’

‘And then what?’ He saw panic flare. ‘Nikos, I can’t do this alone. I can’t do this at all. Run this country? I have no experience. I have nothing to qualify me for such a role. I’ve taken four weeks’ leave. That’s it.’

‘If that’s it, then you’re handing the Crown to Demos.’