It’s … nice. Unexpected.
After protesting a song by Opium on my playlist, Ashton has commandeered my phone to change the music when there’s a knock on the door.
A smiling King Magnus stands in the doorway, with Fenella Carrington at his side.
“Sophie-of-the-broken-toes,” he cries, waving his hands for emphasis. “I’ve been trying to get up here to see you for days.”
Ashton—since he’s met many monarchs and heads of state—gets to his feet in a smooth move, while I’m left scrambling for my crutches.
“Don’t get up,” King Magnus says, coming toward us with his huge strides. Everything about the king displays his Viking ancestry—his height, his build, his hair. He could have been an extra on theVikingsTV show.
Who am I kidding? He would have had the starring role.
“My meeting with Fenella ended early, so I told her we needed to pop up to see how you’re doing,” he continues, leaning over thecouch to drop a kiss on the top of my head. “How are the tender tootsies?”
“Doing okay,” I tell him.
I’ve known King Magnus my entire life. Even when I didn’t see my father, the king made a point of checking up on me, whether it was a surprise drop-in at school, or a scheduled visit to watch the latest student production. When I was older, he would always ask for me when he called in his order at the fish and chip place.
In some ways, during those years that I was estranged from my father, I felt closer to King Magnus.
Which is totally ironic, because my mother would have hated that. She blamed Magnus and the rest of the royal family for everything that was a problem for her.
Now, the king is still a constant in my life, but I’m growing closer to my father again.
“Everything here to your liking?” he asks with another wave of his hand. “You know, you’re good here for as long as you like. I don’t know why you don’t just move in here to make your father happy. I can’t do anything without him, so the least I can do is have his kids under my roof.”
He’s already got two out of three—Stella is already here with Gunnar most of the time, and Spencer has a suite in the castle as well as his apartment downtown.
“Thank you, Your Majesty,” I say. “But I like my own place.”
“Better than still living with your mother,” he mutters. “And how many times have I told you, drop the majesty bit? It’s Magnus. Ashton knows, don’t you, m’boy.” He thrusts his hand at Ashton and claps him on the back as they shake.
“How are you, Magnus?” Ashtondutifully asks.
“I haven’t seen you for dinner the last few nights,” Magnus tells him. “Find something better to do? Hey, when am I getting that ride in Fenella’s car you promised me in the summer? You can drive it like it’s meant to be driven. I know you do a good job with it, Fen but…” Magnus trails off after a glance at Fenella’s face.
Ashton was driving Fenella’s car when he hit me. Whether he was driving it the way it was meant to be driven is debatable, but—
“Maybe we should put a pin in that,” Magnus adds without missing a step.
I laugh, and Magnus grins, wide and gregarious. “Ashton is a very good driver,” I tell him. “He should definitely take you for a ride. But maybe wait until the ice has melted.”
Ashton frowns, like he doesn’t like to be reminded of what happened.
Sorry, Ashton, but I’m reminded of it every time I stand up.
“You’re staying in town for a while longer?” the king asks Ashton.
He shrugs. “Not sure of my plans.”
“If you want to be sure of them, you should let me put you on the payroll with your sister. We could for sure find you something to do around here.”
For a moment, Ashton’s nonchalant expression drops. “You’re offering me a job?”
“I could be.” Magnus drops his grin, transforming from father’s friend Magnus, to head of the government of Laandia in an instant. “I like having my boys on the various committees, and they’re doing a fine job. We’ve got a road project that I want up and running this summer, and I figure you could be good as an advisor on that.”
Ashton looks completely shocked at the offer.
