Page 30 of Appointing

CHAPTER 10

“Yet another party?” Mari asked. “Didn’t we just have one?”

“That was for your return and for Christian, who is supposed to be leaving,” Lillian returned.

“Iamleaving,” Christian argued. “I was supposed to be gone already, but Dad insisted I stay until after the announcement. Trust me, my bags are packed,” he added.

“Well, tonight, we’re telling royal families from Northern Europe, so there’s no going back now,” Lillian replied.

“I’m leaving, Lil. God, act like you’ll miss me a little,” he huffed.

“How can I miss you? You’re still here,” Lillian teased, punching her older brother in the shoulder in jest.

“Erik will be here, Elin,” Christian said.

“Shut up,” Elin replied.

“What? Mom likes him for you,” he said.

“We’ve been over this,” Lillian reminded. “He’s a Prince, and he’ll be King someday. Elin needs someone without the high and mighty title. I’d even suggest someone without a title altogether.”

“Without a title? Why?” Christian asked.

“Whynot?” Lillian asked.

“I’m not saying it’s abadthing… I don’t care about titles.”

“That’s a good thing; you’re about not to have one,” Mari teased her brother this time.

Elin had to smile at that.

“So, about tonight?” Lillian changed the subject. “We’re supposed to present a united front.”

“Why can’t Dad just do this?” Mari asked. “Or Mom? Or both of them? He hasn’t retired yet.”

“Because we’re the new guard,” Lillian replied. “And so are our guests. We’re all basically the only hope that the constitutional monarchy will still be a thing for the next hundred years. We’re to smile and shake hands, kiss babies, and make it known that Norway is in good hands.”

“Fine,” Mari replied, shaking her head. “Does it have to require formal wear?”

“It’s a few hours,” Elin said. “You can stand to be dressed up for a few hours.”

“Says you –youchose pants. I’m in this dress, which is straight out ofCinderella,” Mari argued. “Who picked this thing out anyway?”

“You could have had a hand in choosing your dress, but you said you didn’t care,” Christian reminded her.

“Let’s just go,” Mari stated. “The sooner this dinner thing starts, the faster it ends.”

It had been two weeks since the party where they’d announced to their extended family about the changes to the order of succession. Elin had been working like crazy ever since then. Her father had been trying to pound every single lesson about being sovereign into her head. She knew he wasn’t dying, but he seemed worried that his mind wasn’t what it once was and that any day he could lose everything, so Elin paid attention; if not for herself then for her father.

Her mother walked her through what it meant to be Queen. Despite being one by marriage and not by blood, and even though Elin would be the sovereign – so, a different kind of Queen – her mother’s lessons still applied. Elin would be a female ruler, and her father had no idea what that meant. Her mother understood at least the female part, and her father had the ruler part down, so she’d made many, many notes and then attempted to combine them into something that could make sense when she took over.

Now, they were hosting a party for the next generation of royals. The Prince and Princess of Sweden had arrived the previous day. They were siblings, and Gretel was the next in line for the throne while her brother, Hugo, was two years younger. The Prince of Denmark had just arrived, and Erik would be King someday. Of course, they’d also invited Elizabeth and Palmer. Even though Sophia and Leif were technically the future of St. Rais, Elizabeth and Palmer were close to her age, currently held the crown of St. Rais, and were also gay, so Elin felt a special closeness to Elizabeth these days now that she’d been thrust into the spotlight as Elizabeth had been years ago.

“Howareyou?” Elizabeth asked her.

Elin had sat Elizabeth next to her at the table with Palmer on Elizabeth’s other side. Lillian was on Elin’s other side, and it was a strange feeling because Elin was sitting at the head of the table per her father’s instruction. He’d wanted people to start seeing her as monarch, which meant taking his seat in his absence, like her mother had done several times before and Christian, as well, when both of their parents were away and the occasion had called for it.

“I’m okay. How areyou?”

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