Total pages in book: 121
Estimated words: 117920 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 590(@200wpm)___ 472(@250wpm)___ 393(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 117920 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 590(@200wpm)___ 472(@250wpm)___ 393(@300wpm)
“Aksel?” I call after him, thinking I might get flack for not addressing him as a king.
He stops and looks at me curiously.
“About the girls,” I say cautiously. “The reason why Clara was having problems. It’s because the last time they were at Tivoli, you were there as a family. It was awkward with just the three of us, with rides and everything. Anyway … I know it’s my habit to step on your toes and everything, but if I can make a suggestion?” He looks at me expectantly, to keep going. “I think they want to feel like a family again. Maybe there’s an outing we can do, the four of us. Maja too, if you want. And before you say anything, I know I’m not Helena, I’m the nanny. I am so very aware of that. I just think it would be good for them.”
He seems to consider that. “Okay. I’ll see what I can do.”
I can’t help the grin on my face, knowing how happy the girls are going to be.
It fades quickly when a very loud squeal sounds out from the hallway, followed by shouts and a stampede of both human and pig feet.
“What the hell was that?” Aksel cries out wildly.
Oh right. Snarf Snarf.
I give him a sheepish smile. “Okay, promise me you won’t get mad…”
Chapter 9
Aksel
“Her Royal Highness, Princess Stella, is here,” Agnes announces from the doorway to my office.
I glance up at her from my desk, putting my paperwork aside. “You can just call her my sister, you know.”
Agnes does not look amused. “Regardless, she’s here.” Then she turns and leaves.
I sigh. Seems like Aurora’s no respect for authority attitude is infectious among the staff.
I get up and start to head down the stairs to the first floor where the greeting room is when I run into Aurora herself on the staircase, who seems to be in a hurry, taking the steps two at a time.
Is it sad that I’ve really taken a shine to that uniform of hers? Lord help me if she ever finds out.
“Where are you going?” I ask her, grabbing her lightly by the arm.
“Aren’t we leaving now?” she says with those big eyes of hers. “I think your sister is here, I need to get the girls’ things.”
“Let Agnes or Johan do that,” I tell her, pulling her back down. “Come with me, you need to meet Stella and Anya.”
Aurora seems to hesitate, and then lets me lead her down the stairs. I don’t let go of her arm until I’m confident she won’t run away. Plus, her skin is horribly soft and silky. Distracting.
“I hope you warned your sister about Snarf Snarf,” she says.
“I didn’t. But that’s half the fun, isn’t it?”
The corner of her mouth quirks up. “You know how to have fun? Wow.”
I’m still in disbelief that this Snarf Snarf has been part of our family for three weeks now. When I first discovered that the girls had a goddamn pig in the house, it came right on the heels of the tabloid article of them at Tivoli. I think I about had a heart attack and lost my temper at Aurora, again.
For once, though, she was on my side and wanted the pig gone, back to the farm it was unscrupulously taken from. I just didn’t plan for the tears and guilt trip from Clara and Freja, who seemed to have a whole performance and speech planned out for that very instant. In fact, I’m starting to think their whole idea to go to the farm after Tivoli was part of some elaborate pig heist.
They talked about how they never had a pet even though they’d always asked for dogs and kittens and ponies (it was actually Helena that was adamant there be no animals in the house), that they had a void they needed filled, that they had all this love to give, that it would teach them responsibility and be a learning experience for them. They went full out. Then it was topped off with, “And we’re princesses. A princess should be able to have a pig if she wants.”
Maybe it was because of Clara’s public meltdown and the realization that the girls aren’t as strong as I thought, maybe it was because Aurora looked at me differently when I started to cave in. Either way, I said they could keep the pig on two conditions. One, that I never smell it. Two, that I never see it. If either of those conditions were to be broken, that pig would end up on the plate at Christmas dinner and, yes, I would force the girls to eat him.
Naturally, both those conditions have already been broken because, have you ever had a pig in your house? Damn impossible to ignore.
Aurora has been walking by my side as she usually does but just before I go through the doors into the greeting room, she hangs back, as if remembering proper protocol. I glance at her over my shoulder in surprise and she just gives me a meek smile, keeping her head down.