Page 100 of Royally Rivalled

“No, I was just following! This was your bloody idea, Prickard!”

“Stop, stop!” Alexandra boomed.

The baby twitched awake, then fell back to sleep.

“It’s fine. I’ll live. Can we slow down?”

“If you get me sick, I swear!” Ingrid held her fingers like a cross.

“It’s not catching,” Alexandra said.

“Unless you drink the water,” Astrid said.

“Water? What? Are we all going to be sick?” Odette panicked.

“No, it’s fine,” Rick confirmed. “You were fine this morning?—”

“Fine this morning doesn’t mean fine. I’m exhausted, Rikard. That’s all I am saying.”

“I’ll walk with you and take it slow,” Astrid offered. “Everyone will slow down.”

“Astrid, I can?—”

She cut me off. “Stay with Rick and the girls. Alex and I need a minute.”

“Got it,” I agreed.

We picked back up, me trying to keep up with Rick’s pace. The teens followed far behind, giggling about something.

“Are they alright?” I asked.

“Oh, Alexandra is angry with me. And Astrid has dug in to defend her. I thought we’d smoothed it all over. This is just one more thing.”

“What about?”

“Alexandra is pregnant again,” Rick said.

Dumbfounded, I was speechless.

“Look, Lex agreed we could try again with the baby this age. And then… boom. She’s been fine. She wanted to get out of the house with the baby. Now, she’s exhausted. I probably could have slowed down.”

In more ways than one, mate!

“Well, cheers?” I thought that was the proper thing to say.

“Thanks. Only Astrid knows. So, it’s fair you do. No one else, please.”

“Certainly.”

“I’m excited. I’ve wanted a second. Besides, it’s justpractical. I am certain you get the same sort of pressure.”

“Of course. Not that it does any good. I am in no rush to marry and have children.”

“Which probably suits Astrid, no doubt.”

I contemplated Alexandra was Astrid’s age when she wed Rick in front of millions watching at home—a spectacle for the ages, from what any continental royal watcher could tell you. She was barely older now, had one child, and one on the way. It seemed so fast, but I knew that the line of succession rested on Alexandra’s shoulders.

“My sister is Astrid’s age and engaged,” I said. “No doubt desperately broody. They couldn’t be more different, however.”

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