Page 18 of Royal Resistance

“Doesn’t matter.” Magnus shrugs. “I’ll have a new partner before you can get very far.”

He would. The women here are hungry tonight. With that crown on his head, Magnus Erickson just became the most eligible bachelor in the world.

That is not why I don’t walk away. I take a deep breath. “We could start again.”

“Great idea. No feeling sorry for ourselves.”

“You feel sorry for yourself?”

Magnus snorts. “My father just died, I broke up my band, and something attached to this crown is sticking into my head. I want to be anywhere else than at this party.”

“You don’t want to be king.” How can that be possible? Magnus Erickson has had everything given to him. He is the king of Laandia. Why isn’t he happy about that?

Magnus looks straight at me. His blue eyes are stunning. Even shadowed by lack of sleep and sadness, the shade of blue is like nothing I’ve ever seen before. How could I have thought they looked like a cold ocean? The colour is that of the night sky, just before the first star appears.

“Would you?” he counters. His shoulders seem to take up most of the ballroom, narrowing my focus to him rather than the other dancers.

The ceremonial uniform he wears is hideous, but he wears it well.

Enough about thinking of his physical appearance. “Yes,” I admit, my voice strong and steady. “I waited my entire life to become queen of Avelaine. But now that my father has abdicated, the throne has gone to a distant cousin who knows nothing about ruling.”

“Like me. I don’t know anything,” he scoffs.

“I’m sure you can learn. Julian…” I shake my head. “I’m afraid for my country. And I apologize for saying what I did about yours. That wasn’t fair. I… this isn’t as easy as I thought it would be,” I admit.

I have no idea why I say that. Being so forthcoming is unusual in my position.

Former position.

But Magnus is being honest, so I feel like I should do the same.

“I can’t imagine it would ever be easy,” he says in a voice that surprises me with its gentleness. His hand is warm on my back and leads me to a quieter part of the dance floor, his steps slowing as we talk. “Your life just got turned upside down, and there’s nothing you can do about it.”

No one has ever been sympathetic to my situation. Courtney knows how I feel, and my father tries to understand, but he’s in love, and he wanted this.

I did not.

I take a deep breath, but it trembles on the way in. “It’s no matter,” I say, pushing down the emotions deep enough that they can’t be seen.

Magnus frowns. “What if I say it does matter? I am the king, now, you know.”

I laugh. I’m not sure who’s more surprised, Magnus or I. I haven’t laughed in a while. A true laugh because I actually think something is funny, and not because a humourous reaction is expected.

I like the way Magnus smiles at the sound, as though my laughter delights him. “The same thing happened to you,” I point out. “Your life got turned upside down.”

“It did. We really have no control.”

“Duty,” I say ruefully.

“Family responsibility.”

“Societal expectations.”

“History. I was never one for school, and I can’t believe that now I’m going to be in those history books. The third in the line of Laandian kings.” He grins. It’s different than his smile, more… intimate. “They’re pretty short books, mind you.”

I laugh again, which leads to another delighted smile.

It helps take away the sting that comes with the realization that I will never be part of Avelaine’s history books.