I want a princess

as always, it concerned a woman. No matter what he liked to think, he was clearly doing something wrong in that department. Hans settled in beside him, spearing him with a glare that would f

shit with all the grace of a machine-gun-toting toddler. And everything will be a million times worse. “Right,” Ruben said grimly and fished out his phone. He took a second to collect himself before he answered the call. He’d probably still fuck up, though. His brother had that effect. Resigned, he brought the phone to his ear and said, “Ambjørn.” “You do that purely to irritate me. It’s pathetic.” The voice was a deep baritone, the kind that should’ve been soothing. It went through Ruben like nails on a chalkboard. “Believe it or not, brother, not everything about me is designed solely to disappoint you.” “If that’s true, why do you insist on calling me brother?” The King of Helgmøre sneered the word. “Provincial to the end. If bonds matter so very much, then please, use the correct term.” Ruben bit down on the inside of his cheek. “Half-brother? Bit of a mouthful.” “Then I suggest you stick to Your Majesty.” King Harald’s words were whip-sharp. So sharp, Ruben thought he felt theghost of his brother’s switch against his calves. Even servants were pressed, charmingly, to call the king Harald—though of course, they never would. But Ruben wasn’t a servant. In his brother’s eyes, he wasn’t a person at all. “Your Majesty,” he gritted out.

Ruben held his tongue, it was the mighty king who broke first. “Well,” Harald said finally. “At least this one’s cleverer than the last.” Ruben swallowed, his own rage souring his throat. “What do you mean?” “Unlike Kathryn, this one actually managed to trap you. Lydia is most concerned.” Ruben ignored the reference to Lydia, his sweet sister-in-law, doubtless designed to keep him off-balance. Harald didn’t value his wife highly enough to mention her without an ulterior motive. “Cherry

over again. He couldn’t tell his brother. He couldn’t tell anyone. He couldn’t go through another fucking scandal. They’d eat him alive. “I will bring her,” he choked into the phone. “Okay? I’ll bring her. Soon. At some point. I’m going now.” “I beg your pardon? Ruben—“ “I have to go!” He put the phone down and threw it into the car’s footwell. Then he stared down at it, that innocuous little rectangle of glass and metal, with which he’d just dug himself into an even deeper hole. Fuck. He looked over at Hans, searching for some kind of reassurance. Instead, he was faced with the sight of his bodyguard and lifelong companion wide-eyed and openmouthed, looking at Ruben like he’d just grown another head. Out of his arse. “What the fuck did I just do?” Ruben rasped. “I don’t know. Shit. I don’t know. What the fuck were you thinking?” “I… I realised that if I take this back, it could start all over again. Just like before. And I can’t do that again. I can’t.” Memories rampaged through his mind, blurring together like a countryside viewed from a speeding train. The headlines, the articles, the fucking documentary, all th

aves you, yes? And you are a tragic figure. Everyone feels sorry for you. It blows over. Understand?” Ruben tapped his fingers against his thighs as he mulled that plan over. “I don’t know. It’s kind of ridiculous.” “You have a better idea?” “It’s extremely ridiculous.” “Okay. Give me an alternative. Another way to extricate yourself from this situation without a repeat of the last eight months.” Ruben clamped his teeth together. “I don’t know. She’d never agree to that.” “She mi

seconds crept into minutes. Then, finally,