Page 75 of Royal Reluctance

I wake up, still full of emotion. Heck, my cheeks are even wet. There’s love and pride, and so much gratitude, and all I want is to go to them. Go to Hettie and tell her I’ll do whatever she needs me to do.

But I don’t. I give her space, and I take some for myself.

It’s good to know it’s not just me, that there are feelings for both of us going on, but it’s not as easy as it should be.

Eight years apart, and everything that’s gone on in that time makes things complicated.

And because of that, I tell myself not to rush Hettie, for fear of her making the wrong decision. Or one she’ll regret.

After a quick breakfast and a much-needed cup of coffee, I head to the fitness centre to blow off some steam. Years ago, Dad suggested I not take my ax into the forest around the castle in case any environmentalists catch wind and take offense.

It has happened in the past. Actually, I think it might have been Hettie’s uncle who caused a fuss when I was sixteen, penning an editorial for the newspaper announcing how the king and his family don’t care about the land and their carbon footprint. All because someone took a picture of me cutting down a tree.

It was a dead tree, but that was left out of the article, which got picked up by the American press.

I start with weights. When Kalle was ten, he was already big into sports and asked for a set of weights for Christmas. Dad did one better: he took out the large space where the Viking lords used to hold court and made it into a fitness centre for us. There’s a weight room, bikes and treadmills, as well as an empty room for Odin to spar, or Lyra to dance.

It’s one of the few things I miss about living in the castle when I’m in Wabush.

There may be more—like my brothers and Lyra—but the duty of being a prince weighs too heavy on me to give anything else much thought.

Odin finds me when I’m halfway through my second set. “Brother,” he calls, startling me out of my thoughts. “You’re up early.”

“I’m always up early.” I set the bar down and wipe my hands. “I thought you were heading back to Camille today.”

“Not until later. I’ve got a couple of meetings. I wanted to check on how you thought dinner went last night.”

“Other than Kalle going after Hettie?” I snort. “It was great up to then.”

Odin waves away my concern. “You got to give him credit. He’s new to thisI’m the next kingstuff, and for you to show up with a ready-made princess—”

“Is he threatened by a seven-year-old?”

“Maybe. I don’t always know what goes on in Kalle’s head. I do know he has to work on his diplomacy.”

I laugh at that. “Just a little.”

“So do you.”

My laughter stops at the seriousness in Odin’s tone.

“Bo, this is going to be a storm when it comes out, and you can’t go around shouting at everyone who looks sideways at Hettie. I’m sure she’s got her reasons, but the truth is that she left her husband and didn’t tell him about their child. There’s going to be many out there who won’t believe Tema is yours, too.”

My hands fist. “What are you trying to say?”

“That the next few weeks aren’t going to be easy, and you both need to be ready for it. If she’s planning on staying.”

I pick up a dumbbell and start bicep curls. “I don’t know what’s going to happen. She wants me to talk to someone first.”

“I think that’s a great idea.” He nods as I switch hands. “Finish up and come spar with me. It’s been a while.”

If I can’t swing an ax, then a sword is the next best thing. I set down the weight and follow Odin to the training room.

Because Lyra’s dancing days are long past, the space has Odin written all over it. He’s taken a few of his swords to his new place in Saint Pierre—he’d definitely have to fly private for that—but most of his training weapons hang on the wall, from light to heaviest.

We both pick up the big ones.

“Dad set up an appointment for me this morning,” I tell Odin after we picked our swords and agreed on rules. “With a therapist.”

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