“They both know I approve, but they think—”
“Approve?” I cry. “Of them? There’s a them?”
The king demolishes the cookie in two bites, leaving crumbs spraying his beard. “I’d say so, wouldn’t you?”
I don’t know what to say. My father… and Mrs. Theissen?
“I’m glad you finally know,” King Magnus says. “I’m tired of keeping your old man’s secrets. Although he keeps mine, too.”
“How can a king have secrets?” I wonder aloud. The press is aware of his every move and social media documents every word.
The delivery of the cats shows how much.
“A king should always have secrets, especially one who’s lived as many lives as I have.” King Magnus winks at me. “Everyone should.”
Maybe that’s why I have no secrets. I haven’t lived much of a life.
“Now, tell me who you’re going to take to the Sea Queen Ball.”
26
Ashton
Igetbacktothecastle late that night. Fenella offers me her guest room, but I want to get back.
Get back to Sophie.
There is still light shining from under the door, but I’m worried that it’s just the fire, and that Sophie has already gone to bed. Still, I knock.
“Come in,” she calls out a moment later.
I push open her door to find her on the couch, feet on the table. Spencer brought a TV when she first moved in, and a movie is playing.
“You look half asleep.”
“You look like you haven’t even been to your room.”
I still wear my jacket, duffle bag thrown over my shoulder. “I wanted to check on you first.”
“My father checks on me twice a day. So does Mrs. Theissen. Stella calls me at least three times a day, and Spencer texts me when he has a spare minute. Everyone thinks they need to check on me.”
I keep my bag slung over my shoulder. “So I shouldn’t?”
“I like that you check up on me.” She smiles. Things shift inside me. Hard becomes soft. Soft becomes liquid.
I set down my bag. “You should go to bed.”
She shakes her head and adjusts the blanket. “Tell me about your trip.”
“We had dinner.” I sit beside her on the couch. I have the strangest urge to sit close enough to share her blanket.
I’ve never been the blanket type.
“You did more than that. Did your mother have a good time? Was she surprised?”
“Surprisingly, yes. Did she have a good time? That’s always hard to tell. We had dinner. Evan was there too.”
Sophie frowns as I mention my older brother. “Do you like your brother?”
