Crowning His Convenient Princess

“Yes,” Latika said. “I can see that. But you know, it is about improving the way people look at all of Bjornland. We have essentially put out a call to all the eligible ladies of the world that Prince Gunnar is looking to settle down. The media attention alone demands that you shine above all else. Especially all those eligible ladies. It won’t do to have anyone in attendance be more beautiful than the Queen.”

Astrid laughed. “I imagine there will be a great many women there who are more beautiful. My brother attracts rare beauties like honey attracts bees.”

“Yes,” Latika said. “Pity he is not actually sweet.”

“I don’t think anyone would find him half so compelling if he were.”

Compelling.

That was an appropriate word for the man.

Of course, there were other words too. None of them fit for polite company.

“I think this color washes me out,” Astrid said. She looked over at the rack that was entirely filled with gowns. “And that orange would be hideous on me. It would look lovely on you.”

She gestured to a gown with a long bodice and a full, sheer skirt that gathered at the side, with a close fitted lining beneath. It was orange, with shimmering gold geometric detail over the top of it.

And, Latika knew she would look good in it.

But, she needed stay in the background. Desperately.

“I think I will opt for something black,” she said decisively.

“Well,” Astrid said. “I will not. I would look like a ghost.”

Astrid sighed and then looked over at Latika thoughtfully. “Are you all right?”

“I’m fine,” Latika said.

“You don’t look fine. In fact, you seem very tense. And not simply because you’re planning a party. Usually, you enjoy that.”

“Well, it’s just Gunnar. You know he and I don’t exactly see eye to eye. But it’s normal. Nothing out of the ordinary.” Except the threats to her safety. But she was choosing to handle that herself.

Astrid blinked. “Yes. I do know that the two of you get on like angry ants trapped in a jar. I also don’t think that’s the real problem.”

“Why?” Latika asked.

“Because I know you. Because we’re friends. Latika, don’t you trust me?”

Latika shifted uncomfortably. “Of course I do.”

“Are you upset about Gunnar getting married?”

Latika sputtered. “What?”

“I’m not a fool,” Astrid said. “I know that he irritates you, but I also know that there is something underneath that. I can never tell if the two of you are going to start yelling at each other, or start tearing each other’s clothes off.”

Latika stiffened, her face getting hot. The fact that Astrid had noticed that she carried some sort of shameful…fascination with Gunnar was truly alarming. It was somewhat refreshing to be able to be alarmed about something other than the email she’d received a few days ago, though, she would not have chosen this. “I can honestly say that I am not upset about Gunnar choosing to get married.”

“Then what is it? Please don’t tell me it’s to do with your parents.”

Latika sighed. “Not as such.”

“It’s related to that, though.”

“I… I have reason to believe that my former fiancé knows where I am.”

“Latika, that’s terrible. You should have told me immediately. I will do whatever I have to, to protect you.”

“And I will do whatever I need to, to protect you. You don’t need to worry about me, or the issues that I’m having. The scandals in my life were never meant to touch you.”

“That’s not how friendship works,” Astrid said. “Yes, you have been an employee, but more than that. And you know it. You are the single best friend I’ve ever had. It’s because of you that I found my husband.”

“In fairness,” Latika said, “it was highly unlikely any of that would work, and I feel it was only a stroke of incredible luck that saw it all come together. Or fate, perhaps. But either way, I cannot take credit. And had everything gone awry, I would have been responsible for your most disastrous decision ever. We could have damaged the whole of the country over a one-night stand.”

“But it was meant to be,” Astrid said. “And you trusted me. You trusted me when I said I needed your help, and believe me, the people in my life who have trusted me, who have taken me at my word, have been in short supply. For the most part, people have doubted I know my own mind because I am a woman. Really, only you and Gunnar, and my mother, ever treated me as though I had the head on my shoulders required to run a country. Or, to make any decisions on my own.”

“Yes,” Latika said. “Well.”

It was one of the difficult things about Gunnar. He had always been incredibly supportive of his sister. And though he had been angry over the incident with Mauro, and Latika colluding with Astrid to sneak her into his club so that she might engage his services in the making of an heir, in many ways, Latika couldn’t blame him. And indeed, would possibly respect him less if he’d had no issue with it whatsoever.

Latika had helped Astrid accomplish that for her own reasons, but it certainly wasn’t in the interest of her finding love with Mauro. No. It was only that she understood what it was like to feel that you had no power in your own life.

An ancient law written into the code of the land of Bjornland had stated that the Queen could declare herself the sole parent of her issue. With that goal in mind, Astrid had set out to get pregnant by the most disreputable man on the planet, thinking he would want nothing to do with the child. Of course, he had. And Astrid had not ended up with a child, and no man, but with a husband. One that she loved very dearly. Nothing had gone quite as they planned, but in many ways, it had gone better.

Latika had never seen Astrid so happy.

And that—she had concluded—was what happened when people were allowed to live. To make their own choices.

To make their own mistakes.

Sometimes even a mistake—in the end—was perfectly all right because it led you to where you had always been meant to be.

But choice, that was what Latika wanted. Eventually. A life of her choosing, with a man of her choosing.

She wanted children.

Watching Astrid with Mauro all those desires had only become more pronounced.

She was tired of surviving.

And with Ragnar coming after her those dreams seemed farther away than ever. Dreams other people took for granted.

“What can I do to protect you?” Astrid said. “Your problems are mine. Because we are friends.”

“Honestly, this ball is going to offer me a modicum of protection I would not have access to if it weren’t for my position here. We will, of course have to increase security. Seeing as we are inviting every eligible woman in the world to come and have a chance with Gunnar. And those who haven’t met him will surely jump at the opportunity.”

Astrid erupted into a peal of laughter. “You do protest too much, Latika.”