“Your Majesty.” I bent into a curtsy.
“Oh, none of that here,” she said kindly, motioning me up. “Freya, how are you, darling?” Queen Isobel leaned forward to kiss Freya’s cheek. “Freya and I met at a function supporting military spouses a few years ago; I just adore her and her family,” the queen noted to me.
Freya’s face lit with gratitude. “Queen Isobel. It’s wonderful to see you here. We’re doing great.”
“Freya.” The queen gave her a knowing look. “How are you really?”
Freya looked down at her hands, her fingers twined together anxiously. She took a deep breath and let it out slowly, lowering her voice as she answered, “Honestly, my stomach is in constant knots. I haven’t heard from Dante in a few weeks and that always makes me worry. These special missions are always the worst because they’re essentially no contact. I’m not even sure when he’s going to be back, but it isn’t likely to be before Christmas. It’s even harder on the girls because they always have questions and I don’t have answers. And now with the holiday coming up and knowing he’s not going to be home…” She cut off her sentence and looked at her girls, who were busy packing bags of toiletries at the far end of the table. Her eyes misted over as she held back her tears.
Queen Isobel stepped around the table, wrapping Freya in a hug. She whispered something I couldn’t hear. Freya nodded as she withdrew from the hug.
“I know it doesn’t make up for the fact that Dante won’t be here, but I would love to have you to the palace for Christmas Eve dinner.”
“Oh, Your Majesty,” Freya said as a few tears slid down her face. “We can’t intrude, especially on the holiday.”
“You are not an intrusion. You will be a guest. Dante has done so much for this country and my husband. I want to take care of his family in return. Please, come.”
“Mum! You can’t say no to the queen!” Belle’s voice piped up, intruding on their conversation.
“My point exactly.” Queen Isobel winked at her.
“Okay then.” Freya nodded to the queen, gratitude pouring from her face.
“I’ll have my assistant get in contact with you to set up a time and find out what types of foods the girls like.”
“We have to have salted sunflower seeds!” Belleinterjected.
“What? Why?” Freya questioned, her cheeks reddening at her daughter’s odd request.
“That’s Daddy's favorite thing to eat! He eats them all the time when he’s home. And Birdie said when she misses her mom at Christmas, she eats her mom’s favorite food to remember her. So, we have to have sunflower seeds!”
I looked up from the box I was packing. The queen glanced over to me, her eyes full of emotion. It was clear she was grateful that I had tried to help Belle with her dad being gone, but I knew the look of pity just behind the gratitude. It was the look that people gave you when they found out you had lost a parent far too young. I hated it.
“Belle, the only reason Dad eats sunflower seeds when he’s home is because it helps his anxiety to crack them open and not think about the stuff he does. It’s a distraction for him to keep his mind busy.” Sadie rolled her eyes at her little sister.
“Sadie.” Freya's tone was sharp and reprimanding.
“What? It’s true.”
“We’ve talked about this.”
“Sorry.” Sadie rolled her eyes again.Ah, to be a teenager again.
Queen Isobel stooped down to meet Belle’s eyes. “Belle, I will make sure that we have a bowl of salted sunflower seeds so we can all enjoy them and think of your dad.”
Belle smiled from ear to ear. I could only imagine Queen Isobel or Queen Mother Evelyn cracking open sunflower seeds in their formal attire at the palace’s large dining table. It took everything in me not to chuckle at the thought.
Adelaide
SOS, I don’t know what to wear for the Thorne Ball. Who schedules a garden party in the dead of winter?!
Mel
You know how much Sabine loves her garden
Adelaide
Dead. Of. Winter.
