Page 30 of His Runaway Princess

There had been no contact between the two of them since she entered the building with Nicklaus and Yvette.

Finding herself quite restless, Amalia left her quarters and wandered through the corridors of the palace, barely noticing anyone else or where her feet were taking her.

“Your Royal Highness? Princess Johan… Princess Amalia?”

A voice finally cut through the fog.

Amalia blinked and looked up. “Zoey.” Her assistant? In the middle of...

She looked around. The executive suite of offices holding the offices of her parents and grandparents.

Amalia would never have an office here.

Not with Ginny still taking her spot as heir.

To be fair, Ginny had never actually said she wouldn’t step down, just that she wouldn’t make an official decision until more time had passed.

Leaving Amalia in limbo.

“Princess Amalia?”

Right. Her assistant. “Yes, Zoey?”

“The king would like to meet with you at your earliest convenience - as soon as someone could find you.” Through the slight censure in her voice, Zoey looked relieved to have passed on the message.

“Thank you.”

She was only a few steps from her grandfather’s outer office. Once inside, his assistant waved her on.

Giving a nod of thanks, Amalia pushed open the ornate door.

Her grandfather stood behind his desk as she dipped into a curtsy. “Good morning, Grandfather.”

He chuckled as he moved out into the open area and reached an arm for her. “It’s afternoon, love.”

She blinked. “It is?”

“Barely. Where have you been?”

Wincing at the reprimand he didn’t have to spell out, Amalia accepted his hug. “Then good afternoon.”

With his arm still around her, they walked toward the seating area next to the windows overlooking the city. “I spoke with Mr. Drasil this morning.”

“I heard. How is he?”

“He looked well. If it is legal in his country, we will give him all of the accolades we can, given his service to the crown.”

They both took a seat. “That seems like a good idea.” Amalia wasn’t quite certain how she should respond. “He saved my life. I’m certain of it.”

“Maybe not your life, but saved you from something nefarious, I’m certain.” Her grandfather poured from his favorite tea kettle into his favorite tea cup, giving her his second favorite. “At minimum, we would like to knight him as a member of the Order of the Dragon.”

Amalia nodded as she accepted the cup of tea. The Order of the Dragon was the highest honor Øyanord could bestow on someone who was not a member of the Øyanordian military.

“It’s possible we’ll offer some other honors as well. Certainly, there will be no restrictions on his visits to Øyanord. Benjamin has his people looking into the legalities.” He took a sip of his tea. “How are you doing?”

“I’m doing well. I’ve been resting most of the time, but I couldn’t sit still any longer. I went for a walk and wound up just outside your office when Zoey caught up with me.”

“When will you be ready to resume your schedule?” From the way he stared out the window, Amalia knew he had more on his mind.

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