“What you are asking is valid, and I will dismiss Gunter and these men from his service immediately. The selling of my son’s images to gossip rags and internet news sites is a gross violation of trust – treason, to put it bluntly.”
“Eric has not spoken to me since the incident. He holds me responsible and I am fine with that, but the next phase of this process is going to be hard – not only for him, but for you. Are you ready to be strong for yourself, your country, and Eric?”
“I am ready. In only a short time, I have seen your methods reveal truths that have been hurting my son; you have shone a light on dishonest people who profited from his downfall. I have every confidence in your abilities.”
“Thank you, Your Majesty. I would ask that you remember that in the coming weeks, because your son is about to become a stranger to you. I assure you, it is for his own good and the good of this nation.”
“Lady Willoughby, what do you intend to do with the information on these phones?”
“I plan to use it to help your son; he is my next appointment.”
“And my daughter, what should I do about her involvement? I knew she was conniving, but this is not what I expected from her.”
Astrid collected the phones and placed them back in the briefcase. “For now, Your Majesty, let’s stay silent and let her believe she is getting away with it. Take nothing you hear about her or my involvement to heart as I try to get to the bottom of this matter. It shouldn’t take too long, and when I’m finished, either Eric will be ready to serve as the next King of Rogandal, or he will retire from public life and no longer embarrass the citizens of this nation. Either way, he is going to have to grow up soon.”
Astrid left the King’s office and walked in the direction of Eric’s private quarters. She knew she had her work cut out for her, that her strength and resolve would be tested – but if she was successful she might save more than a monarchy. She might save the life of a Prince.
Chapter 7
Astrid stood in the hallway, knocking on the door.
“I know it’s you. I can smell the fresh blood you drank, go away,” said a voice on the other side of the gold encrusted, white paneled door.
“Your Highness, I am not your enemy. I just want a quick word with you and then you can continue to hate me to your heart’s content.”
“No. Go. Away.”
“Eric, you are behaving like a three-year-old child. You can open the door and have a quick and painless meeting with me, or we can do this in your father’s office where we will be scrutinized and you won’t enjoy the advantage.”
Astrid leaned closer to the door, where she could hear him breathing on the other side. He was so close, all that separated them was a few inches and a piece of wood.
“Eric, be reasonable. I’m here to help you,” she said.
The tumbler of the lock clicked and the door opened slightly. Eric glared at her, and she rolled her eyes.
“You left my friends in Kyoto! What was that about? You kept me a prisoner of the Japanese government and abandoned my friends. Do you have any idea what can happen to them over there? They still practice punishments that are brutal. Brutal! And you just left them.”
“If you will allow me to meet with you sitting down, face to face, I can answer your questions.”
“I don’t care about your answers. You are a bloodthirsty monster who delights in making my life miserable, and somehow you’ve convinced my father to pay you to do that. What is there to discuss?”
“You should hear yourself. I’ve never met anyone as immature as you.”
“I have never met anyone as vicious as you – you took away my boat, my money and my friends. What is left for you to take, my dignity?”
“Your Highness, you have already done so much to destroy that on your own. I am here to restore it.”
The door slammed shut and Astrid jerked her head back. She looked at her watch and gave the prince exactly one minute to comply. She was not in the habit of playing nursemaid to a thirty-year-old man throwing a temper tantrum. The minute came to an end. She turned to walk away.
The door opened, but Astrid did not turn around, nor did she stop. She was not going to waste any more time playing games. Behind her, she heard the sound of footsteps growing louder, and then she felt a firm hand on her shoulder.
“Look, I’m out here, ready to talk,” Eric said.
Astrid spun around to face him. His blonde hair was disheveled in a devilishly handsome way and he was wearing only lounge pants – no shirt. Trying not to let her eyes wander to his perfect broad shoulders and chiseled abs, Astrid looked into his eyes instead. “We can talk, but you will have to treat me with the respect that I am due.”
The prince looked down at himself and smirked. “What you’re trying to say is put some clothes on, is that it?”
Astrid did not want him to cover his perfect, naked chest, but she couldn’t afford to be distracted by his physical appearance if she hoped to maintain control of the conversation. Regretting the necessity of her answer, she said, “Yes, Your Highness. Put some clothes on.”
“Fine, come in to my sitting room while I get dressed. Order some coffee or tea if you like. I could go for something with a lot of caffeine.”
Astrid followed him to his quarters. Expecting to find the rooms of his suite in a state of disarray, she was surprised that everything was neat and orderly. She wondered if that was due to the army of domestic servants, or his own habits. Ringing for coffee and tea, she settled onto the couch by the fireplace, waiting for Eric to join her.
He came out of his bedroom dressed in a dark blue sweater and jeans. His hair was combed and he looked casual but respectable. The blue of the sweater complemented the blue of his eyes, a fact that Astrid tried determinedly not to notice as she reached into the briefcase at her side.
“Let’s get this over with,” he said. “What is so pressing that you have to talk to me today? I assume that my lack of conversation on the plane was a hint, one that a woman as savvy as you would understand.”
Astrid smiled. “Your Highness, only a fool would have missed the meaning of your silence. You locked yourself in your quarters and pouted like a petulant child all the way back from Kyoto. Was that the impression you hoped I would receive?”
“Yes, something to that effect. Did you ring for coffee?”
“I did. It should be arriving any minute now.”
“I refuse to discuss business until I’ve had a cup of coffee,” said the prince, sitting back on the couch opposite Astrid.
“As you wish, Your Highness,” she answered, and immediately powered on her phone. Scrolling for messages and news headlines, she became aware that she was the subject of scrutiny. Glancing up from her phone, she caught Eric staring at her.
“Your Highness, what seems to be the trouble?”
“You, if you must know – it’s you. You seem to be the trouble. It’s a pity that you are so cruel and difficult to get along with, you would be very attractive if it wasn’t for your attitude problem. In fact, your name means ‘divine beauty’ in Norse.”
“And your name means ‘king forever’ in Norse. What a joke that is, would you not agree, Your Highness?”
“Touché,” said the prince, as three servants entered the room carrying trays of coffee, tea, sandwiches, and cake. The prince requested coffee for himself, and Astrid asked for tea and sandwiches. The prince downed his first cup of coffee in two quick gulps, and then held out his cup for a refill from the footman. He dismissed the servants, and sat back.
“That’s better. I feel like I can concentrate on your next act of villainy.”
Astrid powered off her phone without reacting to his insult. It was obvious that he was trying to get to her, to draw a reaction from her, but she was not going to give him that satisfaction. She retrieved the cell phones of his friends, and powering each one on, punched in the passcodes.
“Your Highness, I don’t have any idea why taking responsibili
ty for your actions and the actions of your friends is proving to be so difficult for you. At no time in Kyoto, did I behave in any way that would embarrass the crown, your family, this nation or, most importantly, myself. You cannot say the same thing. You have behaved horribly, you embarrassed yourself in the eyes of the world, and now your friends will pay the price.”
“I haven’t done anything wrong. We were just having fun, is that so bad?”
“I will not debate this with you. I can only see your behavior as the result of a rebellious nature, a character flaw, or a temper tantrum.”
“Or it could be that I don’t care to be forced to go on state visits for this country. Now, what about my friends?”
“What about them? They sold you out. In those phones, confiscated by the Japanese police at the time of their incarceration, there is proof that at least two of them profited by selling stories about you to the press. How do you feel about your friends, now?”
“I don’t believe you. This is just some fabrication you have devised to torture me.”
Reaching for Ben’s phone, she quickly located the damaging evidence and thrust the phone into Eric’s hand. As her hand grazed his, she felt a jolt, like electricity. He felt it too, because his gaze met hers. Temporarily staring into each other’s eyes, Astrid was overcome with a sudden desire to kiss him, this man she loathed. Blushing, she quickly looked away, hoping he had not noticed.
“What would you have me do with this?” he asked.
“Look at it. Here, let me show you.”
Sitting beside Eric, she scrolled through pictures and texts for him to see. Their sides touched, and his masculine scent was intoxicating as she tried to concentrate on the evidence she was presenting. “Your Highness,” she whispered, before regaining her composure. “Ben sold pictures and stories about you to Planet.”
Eric turned to face her. She was now close enough to kiss him if she chose. He frowned. “You said friends, plural. Who else profited from me?”
Astrid reached for the other phone, Gunter’s. She located the cryptic texts and files, but she didn’t tell Eric that it was Eirinia who was behind this leak. Instead, she tried to resist the urge to touch his perfectly formed cheekbones, or to kiss his neck and then pull his sweater over the top of his head...
Her face flushing from embarrassment, Astrid quickly stood and returned to her side of the room. She could feel his eyes on her as she feigned interest in her own phone and tried to be convincing as checked for new messages.
Eric’s face was serious as he looked through Gunter’s phone. “Is this all?” he asked, finally.
“I think you understand the point I was trying to convey, do you?”
Eric handed Gunter’s phone to Astrid, and touched her hand. With a sad but disarming smile, he said, “Yes, I understand. My friends were not really my friends, but were hanging around me to make a profit.”
“Exactly. If you think about the last decade, you will find that you were not surrounded by true friends, but people who were getting a paycheck with every embarrassing situation they managed to convince you was a good idea.”
“I’m still not happy that you abandoned them in Japan. You don’t know everything about them. That was harsh, even for you.”
Astrid made an impatient sound. “You’ve seen the evidence; can you tell me why I would feel sympathetic to those traitors? You don’t honestly think that the only person they hurt was you, do you? With every picture they sold and every exclusive story they profited from, the reputation of your people and your family was damaged. Eric, whether you like it or not, whether you want to admit it or not, your face and name are one of the only recognizable exports Rogandal has to the rest of the world. You have a responsibility to the people of this nation who take pride in their heritage, even if you don’t.”
“Can you lighten up? Why are you so serious all the time?”
“Because this is serious business. With the exile of your friends from the court, I am confident that we have successfully plugged most of the leaks to the press.”
“Exile, what do you mean, exile? They aren’t gone for good, are they?”
“They are.”
“Hold on one minute. I agree that what they did was selfish – that they made money from me – but they are still my friends. They’ve been my friends for ten years.”
“Eric, I know this is hard to understand, but their actions were treasonous. They are not real friends – they are drinking buddies who profited from their connection to you. They’re like parasites! Can you not tell the difference between parasites and friends?”
Eric stood, pacing the floor as he spoke. “Friends, parasites. . .in the palace, how can they be any different? Everyone here is paid to like us, to put up with us, to be our friends. That’s life! They were the only friends I’ve ever known, and not only did you leave them in Japan, but now you’ve had them exiled from my presence? We’ll see about that!”
“Your Highness, you are overwrought.” Astrid said dryly. “We must prepare for your next official state visit.”
Eric walked towards the door and turned around to face her. “I refuse to go on a state visit until I have my friends back. I am tired of this exercise and I demand that it end now. I am going to see my father, and when I get back I expect you to be gone!”
Slamming the door on his way out, he left Astrid alone with a mountain of tea, sandwiches and cake. She ate a cucumber sandwich and wondered why she was so attracted to a man she loathed.
* * *
After the tumultuous meeting with the prince, Astrid returned to her own opulent quarters for a well-deserved break before her appointment with the princess. She lay on the bed thinking of how infuriating she found Eric to be. She could not remember having a charge this old and this determined to rebel against her and his own family.
Astrid rolled over on her side to watch the snow fall outside the window. The sheer difficulty of this assignment was a sign that it was time to get out of this line of work. She had been considering a move to the diplomatic corps for some time, but now she felt confident that it was the right time for a career change. All she had to do was survive this final assignment and she would be free of whiny royals and entitled aristocrats forever.
Her gaze was drawn to the snow falling softly on the world below. The romance of winter in the north was not entirely lost on her. It was only a few minutes ago that she had been sitting on a couch, a handsome Scandinavian prince at her side, the fire burning and the same snow falling outside. It should have been perfect for some cozy snuggling or passionate lovemaking, but neither was meant to be.
Eric was the most handsome man she had ever known – and the most loathsome. If he would only take responsibility and behave as a gentleman, he would be a monarch who would be well received by any government or royal house in the world. He was charismatic and capable of so much more than he could imagine.
As she thought about him, she came to the realization that perhaps he was rebelling because he thought she and everyone around him wanted to change him to be more like his father. She didn’t want to change him; she only wanted Eric to grow up and be the man he should be, not a carbon copy of the king.
She closed her eyes and drifted to sleep, exhausted by the prince and her thoughts of him.
Astrid woke up an hour later and opened her eyes to the soft winter light filtered by the snow. She sat up and stretched. She was due to meet the princess in half an hour, and she was not looking forward to it. If Eric was exhausting, his sister was far worse – she was beautiful, aristocratic, and able to drain the last bit of energy out of Astrid. Astrid could not let her guard down around the woman for even a second without feeling vulnerable and exposed.
After freshening up, Astrid took a deep breath, resigned to her task. Eirinia was responsible for leaking much of her brother’s scandalous behavior to the press, and Astrid knew that she was dealing with a woman who was consumed by jealousy. The princess was willing to sabotage her o
wn family’s reputation to get what she wanted.
Astrid left the safe refuge of her quarters and made her way through the labyrinth of corridors, staircases and rooms until she arrived at the solarium.
A blonde woman was sitting at a table that was covered in lace, with priceless porcelain teacups and plates filled with savory delights and pastries. Palm trees towered overhead, and tropical flowers perfumed the air with their sweet scent. A fountain bubbled in the glass-enclosed room, artificially warmed to a balmy eighty degrees. The setting was surreal compared to the snow-covered garden that could be glimpsed from the windows as Astrid approached the princess.
“You made it; I’m so glad. I was worried you would change your mind,” said the princess.
“Your Highness, I would not miss an opportunity to have tea with you. I regret that I was unable to speak with you this morning.”
“No matter – please sit with me and have tea. I insist you try to the butter scones; they are delicious,” said the princess.
Astrid doubted the princess ever ate butter scones, judging by her tiny waist and model proportions, but she didn’t want to appear rude, so she selected a scone to have with her tea.
“Your sudden interest in me is intriguing. To what do I owe the pleasure?” asked Astrid.
“I will not insult your intelligence by pretending I am not aware you have discovered a source of information close to my brother.”
Astrid was struck once again by a feeling of fatigue. It was impossible to know if she was fishing for information or being genuine. Astrid chose to not volunteer any information. “Well, that is true. I have discovered a source.”
“I’m not surprised. A woman of your considerable talents would not miss a detail like that.” Eirinia straightened a fork by her plate, so it was perfectly parallel to the one next to it. “Astrid, if I may be candid, I believe we have much in common. We were both born to noble families dominated by the patriarchy. I do hope you understand what is at stake here.”
Taming the Rebel Prince: The Royals of Rogandal Page 7
