Page 53 of Royal Reluctance

Hettie takes my hand.

19

Hettie

We spend half anhour with the king, with him giving Tema most of his attention. Even when Duncan, Spencer’s father and the right hand of the king, shows up to tell King Magnus of his next meeting, we don’t leave.

Duncan postpones the meeting for an hour and stays with us, talking to me and Bo as the king plays a game of Tema-checkers with my daughter.

Tema made up the game last year while I was doing my best to teach her how to play chess. It’s a combination of the two, and she made up so many rules that it’s impossible to figure it out, but the king does his best.

There’s a lot of laughter.

But finally, the king—he told me to call him Magnus—stands and announces that he really needs to get some work done.

“But you’re the king,” Tema points out. “No one should tell you to go to work.”

“I work for the people, like your mom. Like Lord Laz here, and Bo. They might not always tell me to get back to work when I’m goofing off, but I have a responsibility to them.”

“Do you like to goof off?” she asks.

He winks at her. “It’s my favourite thing to do. And I’d really like you to come back tomorrow and teach me more of that game. Does that sound like fun?”

“Yes.” And then Tema leaps into the arms of the king of Laandia.

I clutch Bo’s wrist so tight that he must feel the imprint of my nails. But the king only folds Tema into his arms and hangs on tight for a long moment.

With a sigh, he finally sets her down. “Will you do me a big favour?” he asks her.

“Of course.”

“Will you go with your—with Bo there, and go to the kitchen and see if you can convince the cook to make me a sandwich?”

“I can make you one!”

“I’d like that a lot, but the cook might not. You can him tell what to put in it, though.”

“I’ll do that.” Tema runs to Bo and grabs his hand. “Let’s go, Bo Daddy.”

I think Bo’s heart melts at her words, at the ease of her touch. I know I do. Seeing them together…

And then there’s that guilt.

“Hettie, if you wouldn’t mind hanging back for a moment,” the king says in a low voice.

“Of course, Your Majesty.” I watch, wide-eyed, as Tema pulls Bo from the room. Duncan nods and follows them, leaving me alone with the king.

Magnus smiles at me as he leans against his desk. “Magnus,” he reminds me. “I am still your father-in-law.”

I laugh nervously.

“She’s a little firecracker,” he adds. “We haven’t had that kind of energy in here for a long time.”

“She is. But she’s a good girl. Smart and funny…”

“You’ve done a great job with her. On your own.” There might be a hint of reproach in his voice, or I may be imagining it.

“About that…” I begin.

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