Page 46 of Appointing

The speech went on for a few more minutes. Elin sat behind the camera, unable to focus on her father’s words but on the tremors in his right hand, which, thankfully, her mother was holding and doing her best to keep in place. Moments after this, her father would officially no longer be King, and Elin would be Queen of a country. Her heart was racing in her chest. Despite preparing for this moment, she still believed it wouldn’t happen. Christian would come to his senses, or her father would change his mind and decide to remain King for at least a few more years, if not longer. Yet, here she was, standing there, watching her father give the hardest speech of his life to his people, while her mother, his rock in all this, held on to his hand to keep the world from noticing his declining health.

“Elin will address the nation in the coming weeks, and there will, of course, be a consecration to celebrate our new Queen. Her mother and I will be there, proudly watching our daughter ascend to the throne, as will her brother and sisters and the rest of the royal family.”

He said something else that Elin didn’t hear, and then, that was it: the news was out.

“Your Royal Highness,” Steven said.

“Yes,” she replied when she realized he was talking to her.

“It’s time, Ma’am. Your father will sign the papers of abdication. You’ll need to stand at his side.”

“Right,” she replied.

Elin turned, looking around the room for Ingrid, needing her to be there and wishing she could stand beside her as they did this, but Ingrid wasn’t there. Today, she would officially become Mari’s secretary, and Markus would take over as Elin’s. She followed her parents, who got up from their matching chairs and moved behind her father’s desk. Her mother stood to his left. Elin stood next to him on his right as he sat down in his chair. Elin looked down at the papers sitting in front of him. She couldn’t read the words from where she was standing, but she knew what they said. Her father picked up his pen, uncapped it, and she watched as her mother placed her hand on his shoulder.

“Your Royal Highness.” Steven nudged her again.

“Sorry,” Elin said, placing her own hand on her father’s other shoulder.

The camera was rolling, and other cameras took pictures of the event as her father signed the document. She tried her best to appear confident and unaffected, as if this was always supposed to happen and she was born to be Queen. Her stomach rumbled inside, and she worried people could hear it, but there wasn’t time for that worry because her father capped his pen. Then, he moved to stand, turned to Elin, which she hadn’t expected, and bowed his head to her.

“Your Majesty,” he said.

Oh, fuck. She wasHer Majestynow. She knew she wasn’t supposed to bow her head back as sovereign, but this was her father, and he was still alive. He’d been the King her entire life. She didn’t know what to do, but her father did. He picked up her hand and kissed it as per the custom for a Queen. He smiled at her and then moved out of the way for her mother to repeat the gesture. She was Queen Mother now, no longer the Queen of Norway.

“Your Majesty,” her mother said softly.

Elin just wanted to say, ‘Mom.’ She held it in, though, and when the cameras finally all turned off, she was able to hug her parents and have a moment alone with them.

“This is your office now,” her father said.

“I don’t want your office,” she replied.

“It’s the sovereign’s office,” he remarked.

“Dad, just give me a little time. We’ll figure out who’s supposed to be in which office later, okay?”

“Of course, Your Majesty,” he said with a smile.

“Dad, no one is here.” She laughed a little.

“If we don’t do it in here, Elin, we’ll not do it right out there. And we can’t have any mistakes right now. Youarethe Queen now, and people must see you in that role. Your mother and I will adhere to all of the protocols to ensure that’s the case. We’re in unfamiliar territory here.”

“I know,” she said.

“Now, when we go down to the party, speak with only Nilson and avoid Oscar.”

“Why?”

“They don’t get along, and Oscar is on his way out as Prime Minister. You’ll want to get Nilson on your side.”

“I heard Oscar is neck and neck with Nilson,” she replied.

“Trust me on this one,” her father said. “And Oscar is going to ask you to do a speech at your alma mater – you’ll want to turn that down. He went to law school there as well and is trying to score some points for the election.”

“What speech?”

“Commencement,” her mother said.

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