“Me. Our brothers.” Odin heaves a sigh. “Spencer.”
“This is none of Spencer’s concern,” I say quickly, with enough chilliness in my own tone to cool this entire bottle of wine. “Or anyone else’s.”
“Technically, it might be your father’s,” Camille, who lived under her father’s iron rule for far too long, says tactfully. “If he has a concern.”
“Does he?” I ask Odin politely. “Because I’m sure you told him as soon as you found out.”
Not that I’m completely irresponsible—I did speak to my father and the right hand of the king, Duncan, before I signed the contract. Neither of them thought there would be any problems, and Dad even told me to go easy on the guys. I told them there was a privacy issue, and the show wanted to keep it confidential until the reveal, so they couldn’t say anything to my brothers.
So I may have fibbed a little to Kate—I did mention it to my family, but notallof them.
Because—this. Odin’s reaction is expected. I’m sure Kalle and Bo have their reservations as well. Gunnar likes the spotlight as much as I do, so I know he won’t have an issue—but they’ve let Odin have at it. Have atme, to try and change my mind.
Silly boys.
Silly, silly brothers.
“Does our father have a problem with this?” I reiterate.
“He… doesn’t,” Odin admits with more reluctance than Bo has being a prince. “Have a concern with it.”
“Which is exactly what he said to me when I told him. So what’s the problem?”
Odin stares, some unsaid accusation in his gaze. This is the closest I’ve seen Odin to losing his temper in a long time. “He lets you do anything.”
“At least I told him,” I say smugly. “He’ll be ready when my old love stories come out. No offense,” I add to Camille since she had been part of Odin’s old love story.
Camille met Odin when she was eighteen, they shared a perfect night together, and fell in love. At least Camille did; Odin had been twenty and lacked the brain-power of a normal man in the midst of a good woman. After sharing hopes and dreams through letters, which I think is the most romantic thing ever, Odin ghosted Camille and left her with a broken heart.
Which is not romantic at all.
Fast forward ten years later, and Odin surprised us all by showing up on The Suitorette. On his date, in his attempt to be vulnerable and relatable, he told the world about his night with Camille, and how she was the one who got away.
This was news to Camille, and she was understandably furious. In an attempt to stem societal backlash that smacked him for letting such an amazing woman get away, Odin proposed an arrangement between him and Camile. I’m sure Camille would have preferred to see the slow and methodic torture of my brother, but unfortunately, she needed a husband more than she needed revenge—some archaic law states prefects must be married to govern Saint Pierre—and she agreed to marry him.
Fortunate for us.
Thankfully, what began as an arranged marriage ended in a love match when they fell for each other all over again.
Happily ever after for Odin.
Which started a bit of a trend for my brothers. Kalle, Gunnar, and even Bo have gotten their own happily ever after since then.
I love my brothers, but, c’mon.
I’m supposed to be the princess in the fairy tale, and there is no Prince Charming in sight.
The only one left in the family who hasn’t found their person.
I’ve never handled being last very well.
“Look, Odin—” I put the emphasis on the second syllable of his name. “I’m going to assume you’re fussing about this because you care, not because of some grudge you might have against the show. If that is the case, need I remind you—” I gesture to Camille impatiently. “You got the girl. And I’d appreciate if you take your huffing and puffing and step aside and let me find my boy. If he’s out there. If not, I get six weeks of fun with a bunch of really cute men, and you get six weeks of my company. Everyone’s a winner.” I give him my big-eyed, imploring stare that I perfected when I was about three and which has gotten me out of too many messes to count. “Can you do that for me? Please? Because all I want is what all my brothers have already got. True love.” Blink blink, widening my blue eyes.
And it works, because Odin gives a huff. “Fine. I just don’t want to see you hurt. Or… I don’t know… made fun of?”
I laugh like Nikki Glaser is roasting my last ex. “I’d like to see them try.”
“Lyra…”
