Page 67 of Appointing

“What?”

“Markus had no idea where you were, Elin. I had to find out through security who said you were visiting someone’s private home.”

“Mom, I was at Ingrid’s,” she explained.

“Oh, I see,” her mother replied.

“Is he okay?” Elin asked, approaching her father’s hospital bed.

“We were walking down the spiral staircase that leads to your father’s cigar room, and I was right behind him. He was holding on to the railing, and his tremors just took over and he lost his grip, I think. He tumbled down the stairs, and I tried to hold on to him, but I couldn’t, and it was awful, Elin.”

Elin took her father’s other hand and asked, “How bad?”

“He broke his hip, his femur, sprained a wrist, and his right ankle. He’ll be fine, but he’s got a lot of healing ahead of him,” her mother replied.

“Mom, what happened?” Lillian and Mari rushed into the room. “We called Christian. He’s trying to arrange leave so he can get here.”

Her mother repeated the story to Elin’s sisters, who took their spots next to Elin and their mother and stared at their father as the pain medicine helped him sleep.

“Mom, you should take a break; get something to eat,” Elin suggested. “We can stay.”

“I haven’t left your father’s side since the moment we were married. I won’t leave it now.”

“He’s going to be here for a while, Mom. You should at least have something to eat.”

“They can bring it in,” her mom replied.

“Sweetheart, I’m going to be in and out of sleep all night,” their father spoke up.

“Dad,” Mari said, smiling.

“Force your mother to eat something for me,” he said to Mari. “And, Elin, if she doesn’t listen, order her back to the palace to get some real sleep. I’ll be fine here for the night.”

“You don’t know what you’re saying; you’re on pain medication,” their mother replied.

“And they’ll be giving me another dose soon, so I’ll sleep through the night just fine. Please, go home, my love. All of you should go home. Come back tomorrow. I’ll be fine until then.”

He then fell promptly back to sleep. Elin breathed a sigh of relief when she realized her father would be okay. At least for now, he was okay. They argued with their mother for another twenty minutes before she finally agreed to go back to the palace, eat something, and get some sleep. She only acquiesced when she was promised she’d have Steven and Markus personally drive her back to the hospital no later than six in the morning.

“You’re still here?” Elin said when she emerged from the hospital room to find Ingrid sitting in a chair that hadn’t been there before.

“Of course, I’m still here,” Ingrid replied, standing up. “Your Majesty.”

“Your Majesty, the car is ready for you outside.”

“Please take my mother, Princess Lillian, and Princess Mari back to the palace. I’m going to stay a little longer.”

“Yes, Ma’am.” The guard nodded and walked off.

“You’re staying?” Lillian asked after she walked out of the hospital room. “I thought we were all going.”

“Just for a bit,” Elin replied. “I want to talk to the doctor before I go. But take Mom now, or she’ll never leave.”

“Okay. Will you update us?” Mari asked.

“Of course.”

Elin hugged both of her sisters and then her mother when she finally emerged from the room. She watched them walk down the hall, along with their security officers. She was left alone with Markus, Ingrid, and her initial two guards who had accompanied her to Ingrid’s apartment earlier.

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