CHAPTER 24

CHAPTER 24

“It’s really been that bad?” Christian asked.

“It’s just hard, with Dad still around. I realize I’m lucky that my father is still alive, but the King is, too; you know?”

“Do you want me to talk to him?”

“You? No way,” Elin replied, laughing at her twin. “Christian, the man is still mad at you for leaving.”

“He is not. He said–”

“To the world, he’s a proud father with three daughters fully capable of leading the monarchy. To the family, he’s still upset that his oldest and his one and only son threw the crown on the ground and stepped on it.”

“I think that’s a bit of an exaggeration,” Christian replied.

“No, it’s not,” Lillian stated as she sat down across from them. “Dad’s still angry with you. He probably always will be, though.”

“Yeah, he basically spent thirty years raising you to take over one day, and in one conversation, you took that entire vision he had away from him,” Mari added. “Also, hi. Happy you’re back.”

“Are you?” Christian asked, laughing.

“We are. Dad might not be,” Lillian said. “So, where is she?”

“She’s in the bathroom,” Christian replied. “And, please, be nice.”

“To your new girlfriend? We wouldn’t dream of being mean.” Lillian winked.

“She’s lying,” Mari said, but she scrunched up her nose at Christian to indicate that she was teasing.

“What’s her name again?” Lillian asked.

“Amalie,” Christian replied. “You know that already.”

“I did, yeah,” Lillian said, laughing.

“So, where’s Erik?” Christian asked Mari.

“He’s talking to Dad right now. He’ll be out soon.”

“He’s talking to Dad?” Elin asked.

“Don’t go there, Elin… Dad knows Erik’s father, obviously. They’re just catching up.”

“A boyfriend doesn’t just go and talk to your father; especially, when your father is a King,” Lillian commented.

“Was,” Christian and Elin said at the same time.

“Gross. Are you two going to do that lame twin thing the whole time?” Lillian asked.

“Maybe,” they said at the same time again.

“Anyway… Mari, he’s a Prince, and he’s heir to the throne – he needs to start thinking about settling down. He’s already a little behind.”

“We haven’t been together that long,” Mari replied, looking a little worried now.

“But you love the guy, right?” Christian checked, taking a drink.

“I do.” She blushed. “He’s sweet and smart.”

“And Danish, unfortunately,” Lillian teased, playfully punching Mari in the shoulder. “I’m sure Dad wishes you’d marry a Norwegian.”

“I’m sure Dad wishes Elin would just get married to anyone,” Mari replied.

“Hey, how did this turn around on me? I’m just sitting here,” Elin said.

“She’s coming,” Christian said quickly. “Be nice.” He stood up from his chair and smiled wide.

Elin recognized that look on her brother – he was happy. Christian was very happy. He kissed his girlfriend on the cheek and placed his hand on the small of her back.

“Elin, Lil, and Mari, this is Amalie.”

“Your Majesty,” Amalie spoke, giving a polite curtsy.

“She’s just his sister; you don’t have to be extra formal with her,” Lillian said. “Hi, I’m Lillian.” She held out her hand for Amalie to shake.

“Your Highness,” Amalie said, shaking it.

“Christian…” Lillian looked at him.

“Babe, you can just call them by their names.”

“You told me to be formal tonight,” she replied, looking at him.

“You did, did you?” Elin asked.

“Well, you never know with us. I thought it would be good for her to greet Mom and Dad formally, but I don’t care about you three.”

Mari laughed and said, “Hi, I’m Mari.”

“Amalie,” the woman replied.

Amalie had reddish blonde hair, brown eyes, a smattering of freckles over her nose, and a wide smile. She looked happy, too. Elin smiled, thinking about it. Then, she thought of Ingrid and how much she missed the woman. Ingrid still hadn’t gotten back to her, and Elin was beginning to think she might never do. Of course, it hadn’t been all that long. Ingrid could be working things out at her new job, or she could just be thinking it over still. She might also be talking it over with her boyfriend and asking him his opinion on her career.

“Elin?”

“What?” she asked.

“You’re squeezing your wineglass so hard; it looks like you’re going to break it,” Mari told her.

“What? Oh,” Elin said, relaxing her grip. “So, where did you two meet?”

“A little restaurant off-base,” Christian spoke. “Amalie was working, and I went in for a burger.”

“You eat burgers now?” Lillian asked.

“I’ve always eaten burgers,” he replied.

“It was a veggie burger,” Amalie said.

“No, it–”

“What?! You’re a vegetarian now?”

“I am not a vegetarian now,” Christian said. “I just like the taste.”

“He put bacon on top of it,” Amalie noted.

“Bacon on top of a veggie burger?” Elin asked her brother.

“What other stupid stuff does our brother do?” Lillian asked Amalie.

“He sleeps with wet socks on, which is a little annoying.”

“What?” Mari laughed.

“It helps you not get sick. I’m on duty and–”

“Wet socks, Christian?” Elin asked.

“Are we ready for dinner?”

Elin heard her father’s voice from down the hall. She looked to see Erik pushing him in his wheelchair. The man looked a little worse for wear. When he met her eyes, he gave her a nod toward the foyer. She wasn’t sure what he meant by that, but she didn’t get a second to ask because her mother came around the corner, and they were all moving to the table for dinner.

◆◆◆

“Your Majesty, may I talk to you?” Erik asked later, after they’d left the table for after-dinner drinks in the salon.

“Of course,” she said.

They left the salon and made their way into her father’s new office. His old desk had been moved here along with some of the furniture recently, leaving his office back at the palace empty and ready for the remodel.

“I spoke with your father earlier, but I wanted to talk to you as well,” Erik began the moment they both sat down.

“Okay.”

“I’m in love with Princess Mari,” he blurted out and looked incredibly nervous.

“That’s a good thing, right?”

“I know she didn’t plan to live in the public eye, but I can’t change the fact that I’ll be King one day.”

“My brother did,” she joked.

Erik didn’t laugh, but he did give her an awkward smile.

“I don’t plan on a life in the military, or one in religion, and those are the only acceptable excuses for abdication. Besides, I want to be King.” His eyes went wide. “I don’t mean that in a power-hungry way. I don’t need the crown to feel like–”

“Erik, it’s fine. I’ve known you forever; I know you don’t mean that.”

“Okay. Good. It’s important to me that you know that,” he said.

“Why is that?”

“Because I plan on asking Mari to marry me one day.”

“Marriage?” she asked.

“Yes. I spoke with your father because… he’s her father, you know? But you’re the Queen. Technically, she needs your permission.”

“She doesn’t, but go on,” Elin said.

“I’d like it to remain a secret until I ask her, if that’s okay.”

“When will that be?”

“Not tomorrow. I know we haven’t been together long, but I think sometime soon. We have a lot to talk about first. Her move to Denmark, for example.”

“She’s moving there?”

“We’ve had a couple of talks about it. She seems okay with the idea.”

“Mari wants to go to business school,” Elin countered.

“I know. We have great programs in Denmark, and I’d love it if she went back to school. I know it would make her happy. The wedding could wait until after she graduated.”

“You’d be all right with that?”

“Of course, I would. I love her. I want her to have whatever she wants.”

“Well, if you ask and she says yes, you’ll get no argument from me. Did you get one from my father?”

“Not exactly,” Erik said, looking sheepish.

“What happened?”

“Nothing.”

“Erik?”

“He just asked me if I’d spent any time with you.”

“He didn’t,” she said.

“You know he’s always thought it should be you and me. We’re about the same age.”

“We’re closer in age, so we’re meant to be together? By that definition, you could marry Christian, too.”

He laughed and replied, “I think his new girlfriend might have a problem with that.”

Elin rolled her eyes, thinking about her father, and said, “Let’s get back out there. Mari’s going to know something is up if we stay in here any longer, and I have something I need to say to my father.”

“Oh. Please don’t get me in trouble with him… He barely gave me his permission to marry Mari.”

She stood up and marched out of the room, leaving Erik to decide whether or not to follow her out. She made it to the salon in record time, noticed her entire family sitting there, along with Amalie, and decided it was now or never.

“I’d like to make an announcement,” she said loud enough for all of them to hear.

Everyone turned their attention to her. Erik walked past her and stood next to Mari’s chair.

“Amalie and Erik, we’re so happy to have you here with us tonight,” Elin began. “I have something to say that I should have said a long time ago, but I’m saying it now, and I guess that’s what matters.” She looked at her mother, who smiled and nodded at her. Then, Elin turned to look directly at her father and said, “I’m gay. I’m a lesbian. Whenever I do find someone to settle down with, Dad, it will be a woman, not a man. So, there it is.”

“You’re…” Christian tried to say something but couldn’t seem to complete his sentence.

“Yes.”

“Why didn’t you tell me?”

“I’m telling you now.”

“Elin, I’m your twin; we tell each other everything.”

“You’re eating veggie burgers and wearing wet socks to bed, Christian. I don’t think we tell each other everything.”

“This isn’t wet socks,” he argued.

“Christian, leave your sister alone,” her mother said. “This isn’t about you right now.”

“You’re gay, Elin?” Mari asked.

“Yes.”

“Well, that explains a lot,” Mari replied.

“What are you talking about?”

“Hey, Elin?” Lillian said, smiling at her. “I’m proud of you, big sister.” She walked up and wrapped her arms around Elin’s shoulders, pulling her in for a hug.

“You’re planning on telling everyone?”

Elin let go of Lillian when she heard her father’s voice.

“Yes, Dad. I plan on marrying one day, so I plan to tell everyone.”

“You’ll marry a woman?” he asked.

“Dad, she’s gay – of course, she’ll marry a woman,” Christian said, surprising Elin.

“I see.” He nodded.

“I think that’s enough big news for the night, don’t you?” her mother asked her father.

“What about children?”

“Dad, we’ve talked about this…” Elin warned.

“You might change your mind one day. I understand that you might not, but if you do – would you have them, or would she? It’s important, Elin. This hasn’t happened before.”

“Dad, Elizabeth and Palmer–”

“Mari, Elizabeth was Queen by blood, and she gave birth to their children,” he interrupted his youngest daughter.

“She doesn’t even have a girlfriend, Dad. I think we can talk kids later,” Christian spoke.

“Before she has a girlfriend, she’d have to actually date. Are you dating, and we just don’t know?” Mari asked.

“What? No,” Elin replied. She then looked skyward for a second and added, “But I am madly in love with Ingrid Olson.”

“Ingrid?” Christian asked.

“Ingrid, your old secretary?” Mari asked.

“Yes, I’m in love with her. I have been since we met. And I know I need to tell her because I need to find out if there’s even a remote possibility that she could feel the same way, but it’s the scariest thing I will probably ever do.”

“You just became Queen of a country,” Lillian said, smiling at her.

“And telling Ingrid I want to be with her like that is scarier, but I have to do it. I’m preparing myself for when she says she doesn’t feel the same way, but when that happens, it’s going to take a long time for me to get over it and try to move on, so I wouldn’t expect any girlfriends anytime soon.”

She looked at her father, who seemed deep in thought.

“I like Ingrid,” he said after a while.