Page 34 of Appointing

“Well, just the past few years.”

“Yeah, they’ve been the best these past few years. In fact,” she reached for the one Ingrid had just coated in coconut.

“Elin!” Ingrid yelled and slapped her hand playfully.

Then, Ingrid’s face went white, and her eyes widened as well.

“Oh, my God! Your Royal Highness, I am so sorry. I–”

“What? Why?” Elin asked, picking up the dessert and holding it in front of Ingrid. “Ingrid, it’s fine. You just baked me my favorite dessert; you can call me Elin and smack my hand when I’m being impatient. But I was grabbing this one foryou. Did you even have one of these tonight?”

Ingrid swallowed and said, “No, but I really should be going, Ma’am.”

“Ingrid, it’s–”

“I’ll wrap these up for you to take with you and head home.”

“What? You don’t have to go,” Elin told her. “I mean, youcango, but you don’t have to go.”

“Sarah Anne will be home soon. She’ll have something from the restaurant for me to eat for dinner.”

“You haven’t had dinner yet? Ingrid, you–” Elin stopped herself. “Take some of these home, at least. Give one to your sister.”

“She’s a chef. Besides, she knows the recipe; it’s our mother’s.”

“All the more reason. These are already made; she doesn’t have to make them herself.”

“I’ll wrap up a couple for us and the rest for you, then,” Ingrid said, sounding like she was just giving in.

“Okay,” Elin replied, also giving in.

“There you are,” Lillian said. “Why are you always in the kitchen? I thought you’d been in the bathroom for, like, an hour.”

“What? No,” Elin said, turning instantly red in the face.

“You’ve been gone forever. You know this is basicallyyourcoming out party, right?”

“What? Coming out? I’m not–”

“Oh my God, Elin – you’re about to be Queen. These people out there are just like us. You should be spending time with them. You’ll need them when you’re on the throne. Erik and Gretel will both rule their countries one day, and Elizabeth and Palmer already do. Why are–” Lillian stopped when she finally noticed Ingrid. “Oh. Hi, Ingrid.”

“Your Highness,” Ingrid said, bowing her head.

“Oh, knock that off,” Lillian told her and turned back to Elin. “You needed a break, didn’t you?”

“Yeah,” Elin admitted to her sister.

Lillian looked back at Ingrid, who was still wearing an apron, and then back at Elin.

“I’ll tell them you weren’t feeling well and needed to get some rest. Just go up the back stairs when you leave here, okay?”

“It’s okay; I’ll go back out there.”

“Elin, take this gift. Once you’re Queen, it’ll be harder. Just give me one of those things before I go; they’re really good.”

She pointed at the Skolebrød. Ingrid smiled at Elin, who smiled back at her, feeling instantly better.

CHAPTER 11

---