CHAPTER 21

CHAPTER 21

Ingrid’s alarm went off at five-thirty. While the guest room at the palace was more than comfortable, Ingrid hadn’t slept well. She’d been worried about Elin all night. She’d thought about checking on her but didn’t think it was appropriate, so she’d just called her sister, relayed the events of the evening that she could divulge, and then tried to get some sleep. Now, she had to get out of bed and get downstairs to her office to see if there was anything she could do to help.

She still had a couple of weeks before her last day at the palace, though she hadn’t thought they’d enforce her notice. Steven had said as much when she’d turned it in. Ingrid wouldn’t leave without at least saying goodbye to Elin, though, so she’d set her alarm early to get dressed in the clothes she’d worn last night and get some wrap-up work done until the Queen woke up. After that, she’d say goodbye and head home.

When the knock on her door came, she stood up groggily and walked to it, wondering who would be knocking on her door this early.

“Good morning,” Elin greeted when Ingrid opened the door.

“Your Majesty,” Ingrid replied, surprised to see her standing there fully dressed, with her perfect hair, fresh face, and those stunning blue eyes.

“I wasn’t going to wake you, but I heard your alarm going off through the wall, so I thought you might want this.”

Elin held out a hot cup of coffee, which Ingrid took.

“Thank you,” Ingrid replied. “What are you doing up this early?”

“I wanted to make sure my mom had what she needed. They’re driving her to the hospital now. I’m going to join them in a couple of hours, but we have some work to do first. I called the hospital to check on my father, and they said he slept through the night fine and that they’re going to schedule him for surgery on his leg and then his hip.”

“Is there anything I can do to help? I still technically work at the palace until my notice is up,” Ingrid replied.

“Markus’s press release leaves a lot to be desired. I was hoping you could work with me to craft something better. I want it to sound more personal, less medical.”

“Of course,” Ingrid said. “Just let me put on some real clothes.”

Elin looked down, seemingly noticing for the first time that Ingrid was wearing a pair of sleep shorts provided to her by the attendant last night and a plain white undershirt. Elin met Ingrid’s eyes, and there was something in them Ingrid hadn’t seen before.

“I’ll just meet you in my room then. I mean, my room.” Elin shook her head. “I mean, my office. In the office that’s next to my bedroom. It’s my office, obviously. I’ll meet you there.”

Ingrid smiled a half-smile, finding the Queen the perfect combination of adorable and sexy in this moment. Then, she dropped the smile because she should not be thinking about the Queen as adorable or sexy.

“I’ll be right there; in your room.” Ingrid internally rolled her eyes at herself. “Your office. I’ll be there, Ma’am.”

“Okay,” Elin said.

Ingrid closed the door and could not believe she’d just sounded nervous in front of the Queen.

“What is wrong with me?” she asked herself. “Pull yourself together, Olson.”

Ingrid put on her jeans and the sweater she’d worn yesterday before she went to the bathroom to brush her teeth and hair. She did the best she could to make herself look more presentable and headed into the Queen’s office, bringing her coffee with her. She took a drink of it just after entering the room.

“What’s that face?” Elin asked.

“What?”

“Did I make it wrong? I used the machine in the kitchen just how you told me,” Elin said.

“The coffee? No, it’s fine. I just brushed my teeth, and I didn’t think before taking a drink, so…”

“Oh,” Elin uttered, smiling up at her from her seat on her small sofa. “I made a pot of it, and I brought sugar in.” She pointed to a small coffee pot and sugar dish on a tray next to a teapot and her cup of tea.

“You brought it up?”

“Yes, Ingrid.” The woman laughed a little. “The kitchen staff stared at me the whole time, but I carried it all the way up here myself.”

“You are the very definition of a modern Queen,” Ingrid teased, sitting down next to her. “Apologies for my clothes. It’s not how I prefer to dress for work.”

“You look great,” Elin said, not looking up at her as she filled her teacup to the brim. Then, she stopped. “I just meant that you weren’t exactly expecting to stay the night.” The teapot clanged against the tray as Elin attempted to place it back down. “Another coffee?”

“I’ve taken two sips of this one,” Ingrid replied.

“Right. So, no,” Elin stated. “The press release, then?”

“Yes,” Ingrid said, setting her cup down on the table. “Do you have it?”

“I printed out what they want to go out.” Elin picked up a piece of paper and a red pen. “Here.”

Ingrid leaned over, took the pen and paper, and Elin settled back against the sofa a little closer than she had been a second before. She smelled divine, like the tea she was drinking and roses somehow.

“Is it just me, or is it too clinical?” Elin asked.

Ingrid read it and said, “Yes, it’s a little too much about the injuries and not enough about his recovery.”

“So, I’m not crazy?” Elin asked.

Ingrid turned her head, and Elin was right there, looking back at her. They were centimeters apart. Ingrid swallowed. Then, her mouth opened a bit. Her eyes bore into Elin’s blue ones, and she had a very dangerous thought as her stomach turned over pleasantly, indicating that she’d definitely been right about her feelings for the Queen.

“You’re not crazy,” Ingrid replied softly.

“I should… I should probably… I need to just finish this and then…” Elin stood but managed to trip over the shoe she’d left between the sofa and the table and promptly fell back against the sofa.

“Are you okay?” Ingrid asked, trying not to laugh at her.

“I’m fine.” Elin laughed. “I’m tired and worried about my mother and my father and my country because I’m not the one they thought they’d get, and I come with a lot of baggage, and–”

“Baggage?” Ingrid asked.

“Baggage is probably the wrong word,” Elin said.

“What’s the right word?” Ingrid brought her coffee to her lips.

“Gay,” Elin stated.

Ingrid choked and spat out her coffee.

“Oh, my God! I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have just blurted that out like that. Ingrid, I–”

Ingrid coughed a little more, but Elin’s hand rubbing her back helped the cough subside.

“Are you okay? I’m so sorry,” Elin said.

“I’m fine,” Ingrid replied with a scratchy throat.

“I can’t believe I just said that.” Elin laughed some more. “And I made you almost choke, and I’m laughing about it. I’m sorry for that, too.”

Ingrid smiled at her and said, “It’s okay.”

“Is it?” Elin asked before she removed her hand from Ingrid’s back. “Because I’m lucky, I guess. I have Elizabeth and Palmer. And Alex is out, too, so that helps, but I’ll still be the monarch no one wanted, and I’m also gay and don’t plan on having kids, so I’m basically the worst choice in the world for their Queen.”

“Elin, you’re the best choice for Queen. I’ve said that to you before, and I believe it,” Ingrid told her. “The country loved you before you took over for your father, and they still do. I’ve heard that people are planning to line the streets for your consecration. They’ve already made T-shirts, plates, blankets, and other trinkets with your face on them. They’re calling you ‘The Queen that will bring the monarchy into the modern age.’”

“There are T-shirts with my face on them?”

“Yes, I was thinking about buying one, actually,” Ingrid joked.

“Please don’t.” Elin shook her head.

“Okay, but I can’t guarantee my sister won’t buy one.”

“As long as she doesn’t wear it around me – I guess that’s okay.”

“That would imply you’ll be seeing Sarah Anne again.”

Elin’s smile dropped and she said, “Right.”

“She really likes you,” Ingrid added.

“Your sister?” Elin asked.

“Yes, she’s told me before she’s glad I work for you.”

“You don’t anymore,” Elin said.

“I know, Ma’am,” Ingrid replied.

“I just came out to you, Ingrid; I think you can lose the ‘Ma’am.’”

Ingrid gave her what she hoped was a warm smile.

“No one else knows. Well, Lillian and my mom; I told them recently. Palmer and Elizabeth know, but no one else. I hope…”

“I won’t say anything. I’d never do anything to hurt you; you know that, right?”

There was a knock at the door, and Ingrid wished they were alone back in the hot springs of St. Rais so they could have one full conversation without being interrupted.

“Come in,” Elin said.

“Your Majesty, we’re getting requests for an update on–”

“Yes, I have it here,” Elin replied, taking the piece of paper from Ingrid and making a couple of changes. “It’s ready.”

“I’ll send it over to Markus and Steven for their approval, Ma’am.”

Ingrid stood up and said, “The Queen just approved it.”

“Of course,” the staffer replied. “Your Majesty,” he added, bowed, and left.

“I should get going,” Ingrid said. “I need to clean out my desk. Steven told me it would be fine to work from home from now on.”

“You’re leaving?” Elin asked, turning back around and looking disappointed.

“It’s common for people who put in their notice not to come back to the palace. They don’t want to risk us hearing something we shouldn’t have right before we leave,” she replied, winking at the Queen for some reason.

“Ingrid, I–”

“Ma’am, I’m happy to help with anything else you might need from home until my last day, but now might be a good time for you to start working with Markus. He really is good at his job. There’s a reason he’s been at the palace for so long.”

Elin nodded and said, “I wanted to talk to you about something else. It’s why I came to your apartment last night.”

Ingrid stood there wanting to know more than anything what Elin wanted to say to her, but at the same time, she couldn’t know. She needed to go. She needed a fresh start at a new job. She needed to get away from Elin because she couldn’t be falling in love with the Queen. It was bad enough before, when Elin was an impossibility. Now, Ingrid knew Elin was gay. She was a possibility now. Ingrid could come out right back to her, ask her out on a date, and risk her heart, but then again, she really couldn’t because Elin was the fucking Queen of Norway, and Ingrid had been her secretary. She would soon be but a memory to the Queen. They’d lose touch and, likely, never talk again. She’d see Elin on TV one day with a gorgeous, perfect Queen Consort. They’d smile and wave at the crowds, and Ingrid would recall that time when she realized she hadn’t been on a date or had sex since she’d met Princess Elin; her Princess.

“Elin, Lil and I are going to head over to the hospital now. Oh, and Father told Christian not to come, I guess. He’s being stubborn, but he keeps insisting he’s fine,” Mari announced, walking right into the open office door.

“I’ll go with you,” Elin replied, not looking away from Ingrid.

“Mom said they’re moving to Bygdøy permanently now?” Mari asked more than stated.

“Ingrid, thank you,” Elin said.

“Oh. Hi, Ingrid.” Mari greeted, finally noticing her.

“Hello, Your Royal Highness,” Ingrid said to Mari.

“I should go,” Elin said this time.

“Your Majesty.” Ingrid bowed her head. “I–”

She stood there for a moment, waiting for the right words to come out, but nothing did, so she just nodded and walked past Mari out the door and into the hallway. She walked briskly to the guest room, grabbed her things, and asked one of the attendants to order her a car to take her home.