CHAPTER 23

CHAPTER 23

“Taste this,” Sarah Anne said, shoving a spoon into Ingrid’s mouth before Ingrid knew what was happening. “Well?”

“Warn a girl next time,” Ingrid told her, licking her lips. “But yeah, that’s really good.”

“If I warned you before I wanted you to try a new recipe, you’d say no at least half the time.”

“I’m your sister, not a guinea pig, Sarah.”

“Right now, you’re both.” Sarah went back to the stove, where she returned to her stirring. “So, how is it?”

“I told you it was good.”

“No… It’s been a few weeks now, right? How is it working with Dad?”

“Well, I don’t really work with him – I have about three bosses above me before him, so I don’t see him all that often.”

“But is it going okay so far?”

“It’s fine, I guess. It’s not what I thought I’d be doing with my life, but I have a chance to grow here. Plus, I get to work on their non-profit stuff a few hours a week. I enjoy that.”

“My do-gooder sister.” Sarah Anne rolled her eyes at Ingrid. “Here I am, trying to make a name for myself so I can own a popular restaurant one day, make enough money to own two or three more, become a celebrity chef, get a cooking show or something, and then just roll in the dough. You’re, over here, making enough to survive on and working with non-profits. How do we share a mother?”

“Well, we don’t share a father, so maybe it’s his DNA,” Ingrid replied.

“He did start a giant money-making company,” Sarah Anne said of her father.

“He’d give you the money, you know?” Ingrid said.

“What money?”

“Sarah, he’d give you the money for your restaurant. He wouldn’t even loan it to you; he would just give it to you. You could be up and running in probably less than a year.”

Sarah stopped stirring and said, “I want to do it on my own.”

“I know you do. I’m just saying that if you asked, he’d give it to you. If you wanted it to be official, you could tell him to make it a loan and have paperwork drawn up.”

“I don’t want him to finance my restaurant, Ingrid. I want to work my way up, save money, go to a bank, ask for a loan, be turned down two or three times, and then finally get approved. I want to go through all the problems of being a restaurant owner. I want to come in over budget on the kitchen equipment, negotiate prices with suppliers, and hire staff that’ll just turn over in six months. It sounds strange, but I want it all. And if Dad just gives me the money or even loans it to me, I’ll miss out on a lot of that. It won’t matter as much.”

Ingrid thought for a moment about her own situation. She swallowed as she examined her life now. She’d loved her job, working as a private secretary to the royal family. She’d earned it. She’d worked her way up, had the crappy offices, got the coffee and tea, and took the early and, often, late meetings when her superiors went home for the day. She’d earned her promotions, the better offices, and the right to send someone else to get the coffee. Now, she worked at a company she didn’t really care about because her stepdad had given her a job. She wasn’t even sure she was qualified for it. Everyone else seemed to have much more experience and university degrees that matched their professions. Ingrid stared down at the laptop she’d pulled out the moment she got home to respond to her emails and wished they were asking her to approve a press release or work out the Queen’s schedule for an upcoming trip instead.

“Are you expecting someone?” Sarah Anne asked.

“What?”

“The door, Ingrid. Someone’s here.”

“No, I’m not expecting anyone.”

“Well, it could be the new knives I’m expecting. Or, you know, it could be the Queen of Norway again,” Sarah teased.

“I haven’t seen her in weeks, Sarah. It’s probably your knives. You likely have to sign for them, so you can get the door.”

Sarah placed her spoon on the stove and excitedly rushed to the door.

“Um, Ingrid?”

“Yeah?”

“I think it’s for you,” Sarah said, sounding strange.

“I didn’t order anything,” Ingrid replied.

“Are you sure? There’s a Queen at the door. I think you have to sign for her.”

Ingrid sat straight up in her chair. Her eyes went wide. Her throat went dry. She realized she needed to move, so she stood up and tried not to hurry to the door.

“Your Majesty,” Ingrid greeted, seeing Elin standing there.

“Hello, Ingrid,” Elin said.

“Your Majesty,” Sarah Anne finally said and bowed her head.

“Good evening, Sarah Anne,” Elin said, her hands clasped in front of her. “It’s nice to see you again.”

“Yeah, you too.”

“Sarah!”

“You too, Ma’am?”

“Better,” Ingrid replied, smiling at her sister. “Come in,” she said to Elin.

Elin walked in without security. Ingrid went to close the door behind her and checked the hallway.

“Where is security, Ma’am?”

“Down the hall. I asked them to give me a little space this time,” Elin replied.

“Is that wise, Ma’am?”

“Is there anyone in this apartment planning to harm me?” Elin asked.

“Not me,” Sarah Anne replied. “Do you want to try– ”

“Sarah, can you give us a minute, please?” Ingrid interrupted her.

“Oh, right,” Sarah said. “You know, it’ll keep; I can just turn off the stove. We need a few things from the market anyway. I can run out for a bit.”

“You don’t have to leave, Sarah,” Elin told her.

“I actually need vanilla extract and almond milk. I used it all up, and I like them both in my coffee. I know; weird, right?” Sarah said, grabbing her purse off the table. “I’ll be back in twenty minutes?”

“Is that a question?” Ingrid asked her.

“Thirty; I’ll be back in thirty minutes. Actually… Do you just want to text me when I should come back? That might be better.”

“Just come home when you’re done, Sarah,” Ingrid told her, getting impatient.

“Okay.” Sarah looked at Elin then. “Your Majesty.”

“Sarah Anne,” Elin said, smiling at how awkward Sarah Anne was being.

After Sarah left the apartment, Ingrid stood in the middle of her living room, not knowing what to say. Elin was standing as well, her hands still clasped in front of her, looking around the room, likely, for some kind of direction.

“Can I get you something to drink, Ma’am?” Ingrid finally asked. “I have tea this time.”

“No, thank you,” Elin replied. “I’m fine.”

“Are you sure? Sarah made butter cookies yesterday, and they go really well with tea.”

Elin smiled at her and said, “You’ve convinced me.”

Ingrid busied herself in the kitchen, preparing the tea and bringing over a plate of cookies. When she turned back around, Elin was still standing.

“Ma’am, you can sit down,” Ingrid offered.

“Oh, sorry,” Elin replied.

Elin moved to the sofa and sat down. Ingrid placed the cookies and tea down on the table and joined her.

“So, how have you been, Ingrid?”

“Well. You, Ma’am?”

“Well,” Elin said.

“That’s good.”

Elin sighed and said, “That’s a lie, actually. I’ve not been doing well.”

“Ma’am?”

“Ingrid, I’m here to talk to you about something. I know you’re going to say no, probably, but I have to at least try. I’m sure you’ve heard that my mother and father have moved to Bygdøy.”

“I did hear that, yes. How is your father?”

“He’s getting better, but he’s still really annoying, actually.” Elin laughed a little.

“Annoying?”

“He’s no longer King but doesn’t quite grasp that.”

“Still?”

“Still,” Elin confirmed.

“I heard he was officially retired.”

“He is.” Elin shrugged a shoulder. “And because of that, I now have both Steven and Markus. They spend more time at Bygdøy than they do at the palace, which tells me they’re conferring with my dad and then making suggestions to me based on those conversations.”

“You can always tell them you’re the Queen, Ma’am; stop them from visiting him.”

“I can’t, though. While they technically work for us, they’re both really good friends with my parents. They have supper together sometimes. He’s known them both forever. I couldn’t keep them from visiting him; especially not now, while he’s recovering. I suppose, I could tell them not to discuss business, but I can’t exactly spy on their conversations to make sure they don’t.”

“I suppose not,” Ingrid replied.

“I’m making a change, Ingrid,” Elin stated.

“A change?”

“I know you have a job already, and I’m sure you’re amazing at it; because, of course, you would be – you’re great at everything…” Elin chuckled nervously. “I just… I have to ask. You can… You can obviously say no; I’d understand. I just have to ask.”

Ingrid swallowed.

“Will you please come back?”

“Back?”

“Work with me,” Elin said. “I know I’ve tried this already, but I have to ask again. Steven is going to retire early. I’ve already talked to him. I made the suggestion, but he took it, and I think it’s good for him. He loved working for my father, and I am not my father. I still have to talk to Markus, but honestly, his performance isn’t good, and I need better. Mari, on the other hand, doesn’t need much, and I’m going to offer Markus that job or any other at the palace that would suit him.”

“Ma’am, you’re–”

“Making changes,” Elin interjected. “I’m the Queen – I’m supposed to move into my dad’s office, make it my own, and work on my vision for the country and the monarchy. And I can’t do that with Markus or Steven.”

“Katrin?”

“Who would keep track of Lillian, then?” Elin teased.

Ingrid laughed and said, “Has she moved out of the palace yet?”

“No, there’s an issue with the crown molding in the formal dining room now. She’s having someone restore it before she moves.”

Ingrid looked away from Elin and said, “Can I think about it, Ma’am?”

“About coming back?”

“Yes.”

“Really? The last time I asked, you said the same thing. Is this bad news, and you just feel sorry for me right now or something?”

“No, Ma’am. I just have a lot to consider.”

Like how Ingrid couldn’t stop staring into Elin’s eyes.

“Of course,” Elin said. “Well, I should let you get to your thinking. And I’m sure Sarah Anne will be back soon to finish whatever she put on hold for me.”

“You haven’t even had a cookie yet.” Ingrid motioned to the plate.

“Oh, right. Sorry,” she said. “I haven’t eaten all day, actually. I’ve been living on coffee these days.”

“You don’t drink coffee.”

“I do now, I guess.”

“I should have offered you coffee, then. I can make you some and drink your tea. How do you take it?” Ingrid asked, reaching for the tea.

“Two sugars,” Elin replied.

Ingrid knocked the cookie plate off the table.

“Oh, sorry,” she said. “Damn it.” She picked the cookies up off the floor and placed them back on the plate. “There are more in the kitchen. I can get you some.”

“It’s okay. Really, Ingrid. I don’t need coffee, either,” Elin told her.

“Look at me, knocking over a plate. I guess I’m turning into you.” Ingrid chuckled nervously.

“The clumsy Queen,” Elin said, smiling back at her.

“So I’ve noticed.”

“Well, you would,” Elin told her.

“Why do you say it like that?”

“Because I’m only clumsy around you,” Elin replied, standing up. “Please don’t get up just because I am. And I’ve left your name with security at the palace, so you are free to stop by in person and let me know your decision. Or, call; either way is fine. I just…” Elin walked toward the door. “I miss you.”

Ingrid watched in shock as the Queen opened the door and closed it behind her.

“I’ve missed you, too,” Ingrid said to herself.