Page 7 of Rags to Royals

I nod. “Me either.”

“I really like you,” she says, sincerely. “You’re great.” She gives a soft laugh. “You’re a catch. And we’d have fun. I’m probably stupid for not wanting this.”

I give her a grin. Astrid and I have a lot in common. She’s got a great sense of humor, and she likes to go out, be amongst people, dance, and laugh, and party. Whenever we’re both in Cara, we go down to the pub and hang out and have a great time.

And she’s beautiful. Being close physically to this girl would not be a hardship.

But…not if there’s an agenda.

And not if she’s going to look like she’s been sentenced to the gallows.

And not since I met Scarlett.

“It wouldn’t be so bad,” I say anyway.

Astrid blows out a breath and glances at Miles, then back to me. “I just can’t…it’s not you. It’s me.”

I chuckle. “You don’t have to say that.”

That gets a smile from her. “I mean it. I’m not interested in getting married. At all. To anyone. Ever.”

She looks at Miles again. He’s looking at her with a grim set to his mouth. I wonder if there’s something going on between the two of them. I know I’m not the first one to wonder. They first got close after her injury and Miles became her physical therapist. They’ve been inseparable ever since. The media has certainly speculated on their relationship. But there’s never been any proof, photographic or otherwise, that they’re more thanfriends. And there would be no reason for them to keep that from the family if there was, so we all assume there’s not.

Still, they’re very close and he clearly knows things about her no one else does.

“Please tell me there’s a way out of this,” Astrid says to me.

Her grandfather passed away about two years ago. It’s been hard on everyone. Alfred was one of a kind. And my grandfather has truly seemed lost without his best friend. We always knew that Alfred was the one person King Diarmuid would listen to when it came to policies and big decisions. Truly, the only off-the-wall thing Alfred ever did was this arranged marriage plan. In every other way, he seemed to keep my grandfather reasonable and open-minded.

Unfortunately, Alfred had suffered with dementia and there had been about five years before his death where he’d been fading, and his personality had changed.

My grandfather slowly lost his best friend and confidant, and we all saw the effects. My grandfather grew gruffer, and more stubborn.

I glance in the direction where our families are standing, gathered around the King.

I frown. I don’t see my brother or his new wife at the moment. Or Linnea and Jonah. All of the people who most recently bucked the king’s expectations. We could use some tips. But I watch everyone else.

Fiona is talking with our mother and grandmother. Very likely advocating for them to step in with the king. I’m sure she thinks this is crazy and doesn’t agree with forcing Astrid and me together. Fiona has always taken care of me.

Hell, all of my siblings have in one way or another. I’m the baby. In every way. No one expects much from me and my three siblings have all given me everything from a home to jobs to advice. I’d left Cara because Torin and Fiona were leaving.Torin’s ideas around abdication were grand and passionate and I was easily won over. Of course I was. My older brother is one of my idols. I’d happily settled in with Fiona and helped her with her mission of rescuing animals and running an endangered animal sanctuary and raising her beloved surprise baby.

I never had to worry about finding a place or purpose.

My siblings have given me both.

You could do this, step up and settle this arranged marriage thing once and for all. You could produce this all-important heir. You could finally be the one who did something big.

I ignore the voice in my head. I hate that voice. The one that nags me about being aimless and a little too carefree.

As I watch Fiona talking with my mother, I wonder briefly if Fiona could have married and produced an O’Grady-Olsen heir with Alex. Probably. Now that we know that a child is the ultimate goal rather than an Olsen sitting on the throne, it seems plausible that Diarmuid and Alfred would have accepted any combination. But Fiona is happily married. So she’s not a possibility either.

That’s what Astrid or I need to do.

The realization hits me right in the face.

Of course. It’s obvious. All we have to do is be in love with and married to someone else.

That would put us out of contention just like Fiona, Torin, and Linnea are.

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