“It’s a proposition from the Ledonian King and Queen,” Papa begins.
“It’s about the trade talks, right?” I look between my parents’ pinched expressions. “Are they not going well?”
“In a manner of speaking,” Papa answers cryptically.
“What your father means,” Mr. Henson says, “is that we’ve received a proposition from the Ledonian King and Queen that directly involvesyou.”
I blink at him in disbelief. “Me? What have I got to do with trade talks?” I ask. “Unless you want to trademe, that is,” I add as a joke.
My parents don’t laugh. Instead, they share a look, and that stab of worry in my chest intensifies.
Seriously, how bad can this be?
“Are they declaring war on Elkevik or something?” I ask, only half joking. This might be the 90s, but these sorts of things have happened in Europe before, let’s face it.
“War? Heaven’s no!” Mama says with a sharp laugh.
“What is it then?”
Papa says, “They’ve suggested a marriage between the Crown Prince Frederic and—” He trails off.
“And who?” I prompt.
“And you,” Mama says simply.
And just like that, I’ve joined my parents’ ranks of shock and bewilderment.
Well, shock and bewilderment and something else. Something I can’t quite put my finger on, though if I’m honest, it feels suspiciously like… well, it feels like excitement. It’s the same feeling I used to get whenever I cracked open that giant atlas, the notion of a world far bigger than mine suddenly opening up before me.
Could Prince Frederic be my atlas?
My eyes are darting between my parents and the Prime Minister. “This is a joke, right? Some kind of late April Fool’s.”
“Not a joke, ma’am,” Mr. Henson says in his monotone.
I twist my mouth. “Prince Frederic wants tomarryme?”My mind races, trying to understand how trade talks with Ledonia could have turned into marriage, my marriage in particular.
“That’s what the King and Queen are proposing, sweetheart,” Mama confirms. “For you to marry the Crown Prince and live in Ledonia.”
I sit back in my seat, exhaling a breath.
My mind flits back to the first time I met the Prince, when I was about eight or nine. My family had gone on one of those European palace visits, this time to visit Malveaux and Ledonia. Frederic must have been about thirteen, and he had absolutely zero interest in engaging with me. He made it abundantly clear that to him, I was just some silly child. He wanted to be with the grown-ups, talking about serious grown-up things.
I couldn’t have cared less about that. I was a kid. I wanted to have fun.
But I do remember him having this kind of presence. A gravitas, I suppose, like he was meant for great things. He might not have cared one jot about me, but he certainly made a lasting impression.
That was the first time we’d met, and I’ll admit, I’ve had a thing for him ever since. Not a bigI can’t stop thinking about him,kind of a thing. More of a small crush, I suppose.
No one could blame me. He was older, taller, becoming a young man. I was a child whose mind was filled with fairy tales of handsome princes in far off lands.
And he is pretty dang hot.
The second time was only last week, when he came to Elkevik to discuss trade and we visited the children’s hospital. He was formal, uncomfortable, as stiff as a flagpole. Perfect posture, perfect hair, perfect dark eyes. Yes, he’s handsome, and yes I have a crush on him. Butmarryhim?
That’s a whole different ballpark.
From what I can tell, the man is almost entirely devoid of personality. In fact, he’s boring. There, I’ve said it. Prince Frederic is really,reallyboring.
