My grandmother sweeps into the room, looking prim and proper in a white skirt suit and sensible stockings. “Hello, darling.”
I raise my brow, pushing up out of my seat. “Momse. What brings you here?”
She glances behind her, to where the footman still stands. “Get the door on your way out, please. I would like to talk to my grandson in private.”
“Your highness,” he responds, bowing and seeing himself out.
As the door closes, my grandmother gestures to the love seat and chair set up by the fireplace. “Join me, Stellan.”
She perches on the edge of the loveseat, crossing her ankles. I walk over and plop myself into the overstuffed leather chair, tilting my head. “To what do I owe the pleasure? I mean, it’s always nice to see you,Momse. But I assume that you are here for a reason.”
She gives me a small smile. “I don’t know if you know this, but I believe I have spent more time with you than I have with any other grandchild of mine.”
That gives me pause. “Perhaps.”
Her lips quirk. “No, not perhaps. Definitely. I’ve always been here for you. Your father hasn’t…” She pauses, thoughtful. “He has been quite busy, running the kingdom of Denmark. He and your mother both are always on a world tour. I’ve made sure to be here at your beck and call. I wanted to make sure that you were growing up with the right ideals.”
I narrow my gaze at Ida. “Yes, all right.”
“In addition to that, I think you know that you are my favorite.” She gives me another small smile. “You look very much like my own father, after all.”
What is she getting at? I squint at her, trying to puzzle out what she is trying to say to me. “Yes, Momse.”
She folds her hands in her lap. “I want you to consider that when I tell you what I came here to tell you.”
A sinking feeling in the pit of my stomach tells me thather announcement is not going to be good news. I frown. “You’re killing me. Just tell me already.”
Her brow creases. “I know it’s been a while since you’ve seen your parents.”
“Yes. They’ve been on a tour of Australia and Africa for almost two months.”
There is hesitation on Ida’s face, which is unusual. She usually just says what she has to say, feelings be damned.
“Your father… your father’s health has not been good over the past year.”
My heart falters. “What?”
She inclines her head. “The king has been ill several times in the past twelve months. It’s enough to make me worry, honestly. And when I start to worry, I start thinking of what I can do to prepare our country for any future… changes.”
My eyebrows rise. “You think that I will have to take over?”
Her lips press into a firm line. “I think that it is not outside the realm of possibility. In my opinion, it is time to start preparing you to take the crown.”
For several moments, I’m too shocked to respond.
“But…” I shake my head. “No. I’m only twenty six. I shouldn’t even be thinking about the line of succession.”
My grandmother stops me by leaning over and putting her hand on my knee. “I’m sorry, Stellan. But I’m afraid that you will have to begin preparing for something catastrophic to happen. And the very first step is finding a wife.”
I draw myself back, frowning and shaking my head. “What? No. That should be the last thing I have to worry about right now.”
Ida raises her hands, trying to calm me down. “Findinga wife now will make everything much easier. If you have to step up suddenly?— “
I cut her off. “No.”
Her eyes narrow. “It’s not just me saying this, Stellan.”
It takes everything I’ve got to keep my words civil. “Let me guess. You have Prime Minister Finley on your side?”
