Page 46 of Royal Rising

Kate puts her elbow on the bar and slowly sips. “Tell me about your reasoning for staying just friends with Kalle,” she invites. “So I can get behind you and Mathias.”

Lyra makes a face. “It’ll have to be a pretty good reason for me.”

I down my shot, the half-ounce of cranberry juice lessening the heat of the vodka, melon liqueur and amaretto, but not much. “We don’t like Mathias?” I ask Lyra, checking the door to make sure he’s not walking in.

“Wedon’t have a say in it,” Kate answers before her friend. “Weare your friend and want you to be happy. Are we friends?” she asks with a shy smile. “I mean, we got along really well at the wedding. At least, I thought we did.”

Lyra looks at me expectantly, replacing her usual blasé with a wistful gaze.

Princess Lyra wants to be my friend. Andaww…

“I don’t make Killer Kool-aid for just anyone,” I tell them, pouring another round. I also don’t normally drink while on duty, but it’s been a strange day. Besides, with another wave of the storm rolling in later tonight, a few drinks under my belt might help me sleep with the thunder.

“Mathias is perfect,” Lyra says. “And boring. So what happened with you and Kalle?”

“Nothing,” I admit.

“Is that the problem? Haven’t you ever?”

“Theremayhave been a few times over the years that I… I thought about it,” I confess, stacking the shot glasses.

“Why didn’t you?” Kate wants to know. “More than think about it?”

“Yeah, you could have just walked up and kissed him,” Lyra echoes and Kate makes a face at her friend.

“It’s not that easy,” I say. “My father worked for his father. Your father. The king.”

“He doesn’t work for him anymore,” Lyra points out. “Besides, half the town works for my father.”

“It felt… weird,” I admit, wondering if the alcohol is making me open up like a video of a flower blooming in time release. “Like it was crossing a line that shouldn’t be crossed.”

“This isn’t the time of Jane Austen,” Kate points out.

“So get over that,” Lyra adds.

“Says the princess in the castle.”

“It would be the same thing for you and Spencer.” Kate nudges Lyra. “Haven’t you thought of that?”

“I do my best not to think of Spencer Laz andthatin the same thought. And no one brought him into the conversation.”

“I brought him in,” Kate says proudly.

“Take him out. You want to know about Edie and Kalle, so focus on that.” Lyra’s tone has the authority of her father when she wants to, which is just one more reason why she has followers all over the world. Not just social media followers but actual people who would follow her into a pool at midnight or onto a plane across the world to watch a football game. Lyra has everything going for her—beauty, charm, social status. Loving family.

She reminds me of Fenella Carrington.

“I’m going to add my two cents before you ask,” Lyra continues.

“I don’t think she’s going to ask,” Kate whispers.

“I think you’d make an amazing queen.”

I down another shot quickly, closing my eyes against the flame licking my stomach. “That’s what he said,” I mutter.

“Well, what’s the problem?” Kate demands.

“We’re not together,” I say. “And won’t ever be.”

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