Come on, man! I threw you a lifesaver there with the pants. Take it!
“Is it because you just don’t feel comfortable in your role yet?” Elias asks.
“I don’t,” Keller answers honestly, nearly blowing my skirt right over my head with shock. Well, not sure what he did this morning, but the man is much different from the other day where he was in full-on denial, ready to snap at any second.
“Care to elaborate?”
“I wasn’t supposed to be in this role, so it’s hard for me to accept.”
“It seems like your fiancée is doing a great job accepting her new role.”
“Hey now,” I say, stepping in, not sure why Elias is trying to be so freaking rude. “That’s different.”
Elias crosses one leg over the other. “How is it different? You were living a completely different life in Miami, selling bikinis out of the back of a truck. You knew nothing of this country, yet you’ve been able to step up, learn our traditions, and adapt. And to add to it, you also lost your parents.”
“Not at a young age like Keller,” I say. “And to argue you, I felt like I was missing something in my life. I went searching for a connection, and that’s what this role has brought me. Keller has known one thing his whole life, to serve the palace. He was taught at a very young age to stay out of the spotlight, that palace life wasn’t for him, so he has to retrain his brain to be in this position. We differ because I felt like I was brought home, whereas Keller is being torn away from everything he knows.”
Elias smiles. “Well, I can see that you’re quite right, Princess Lilija. I’m glad that you were able to explain it so well to me.” Elias looks at Keller. “Did she get it right?”
Keller’s jaw works back and forth, his hands curling into fists on his lap. “Yes, she got it right.”
“Wonderful. Understanding each other is a very important aspect of marriage. You could easily derail your journey if you don’t understand each other properly. Which brings me to our next exercise.”
Elias lifts a canvas duffel bag from the floor and sets it on his lap. Curious, I lean forward to get a better look as he unzips the bag and pulls out a phone, headphones, and cards.
What on earth?
He places everything on the coffee table in front of us and then sets his bag back down. “We’re going to work on communication today. Now, communication isn’t just about talking, but listening and reading our partners. The better you can read them, the better you’ll be able to help them when you need them the most. Let’s start with Keller. I’m going to put these noise-canceling headphones on you and play some music while Lilly attempts to read a sentence off one of the cards in my stack. You need to read her expressions and try to convey what she’s saying to you.”
“Oh, Jimmy Fallon plays this game on his show.” When Keller and Elias both look at me with odd expressions, I add, “The late-night talk show host . . . really? You don’t know who Jimmy Fallon is? I would have thought he’s worldwide. Anyway, let’s play.”
Keller and I turn toward each other while Elias helps him with the headphones. When the music is turned on, Keller cringes. “What the hell is this?” He lifts the headphones off his ears, and it’s loud enough that I can hear the distinct sound of yodelers.
“I thought it would be distracting so you won’t hear what she’s saying,” Elias answers.
“It’s very distracting,” Keller says as he puts the headphones back on.
“Can you hear me?” I ask Keller.
“What? Are we starting?” he shouts.
“No,” I say. “Just seeing if you can hear me?”
“Honey tree? Is that what you’re saying?”
“No,” I groan and then lift his headphones. “I was asking if you can hear me.”
“I think we have our answer,” Keller shoots back.
I snap the headphones on his head and receive a murderous look. I just return it with a smile.
Elias hands me a card, and I glance at the sentence I’m supposed to read to Keller.
Okay. This will be easy. All I have to do is enunciate well.
And if anything, Keller and I can read each other’s minds.
He knows exactly what I need in bed, and I know exactly how to reciprocate.
