Page 30 of Royal Reluctance

“Do I ever joke?”

“You’ve got a point there.” I hear the click of a keyboard. “You’ll need a paternity test. I’ll set it up with the lab and make sure they know—”

“Dude, she looks just like Lyra at that age. It’s obvious she’s mine.”

“Damn.” I can tell Spencer’s lawyer brain is working, frantically trying to catch up to the events. “What do you need?”

“I’m bringing them to the castle. I want them staying there. Abigail too.”

“I’ll meet you there.”

“No. But can you call Mrs. Theissen and ask her to make up a couple of rooms. I don’t know what I’m supposed to tell her. Or anyone.” I grip the back of my neck like holding on can make it all stop spinning.

“Done.”

“And then… I’m texting the others.”

“Odin is in town,” Spencer says, and for the first time today, I feel relief. Odin has a way of looking at things that is almost as good as Spencer’s. “We’ll meet you at Kalle’s place?”

“Yeah. Maybe two hours?”

“Are you just going to dump them there and leave?”

“I don’t know what to do, Spence. This is… this is a lot.” I gasp for a breath. “She shows up out of nowhere, just walks through the trees when I’m splitting wood. Eight years, and she shows up with no warning to tell me she wants a divorce because of this other guy. And then lets it slip that we have a kid. And then the kid—her name is Tema—she looks at me and she’s like ‘You’re Prince Bo. Are you my dad?’ She justknows. What kind of kid does that?”

“Scary kind, but to me, all kids are scary. Did Hettie tell her?”

“No. Just that I’m from some famous family and the kid put it together. She’s really smart. And… cute.” Tema’s heart-shaped face is burned into my mind, and just thinking about her makes me smile.

After all that’s happened today, I’m still smiling.

“And yours?” Spencer prompts.

“I don’t think she’d lie. Plus, wait till you see her. It’s Lyra.”

“Okay. Okay.” I can hear Spencer typing again. “Sent word to Mrs. Theissen and security that you’re coming with guests. I’m going to loop in Kate when I get off because… Bo, this is going to be huge when it gets out.”

“Can it not get out?” I plead.

“Depends what you want to do,” he says, and that’s when I know Spencer will do everything I ask, but it’s up to me to make the decisions about this.

“I don’t know, but she’s my daughter, Spence. She’s mykid.” That hits me as hard as Tema’she’s my dad,and my voice wavers. “I have a kid.”

Spencer exhales noisily. “It’ll be okay, Bo. I’ve got your back. We’ll deal with it, whatever you want to do.”

The thing is, deep down, I already know what I want to do.

11

Hettie

Abigail’s parents live onthe hill on the way to the castle so it’s not that long of a drive.

I wish it was longer.

The trees on either side of the road are still white with snow. Thanks to the proximity to the Arctic Circle, winter is cold in Laandia and lasts long into April.

There were already flowers breaking through the ground in Victoria when we left.

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