Page 70 of Her Royal Highness
“So it’s in the main office?” I say, and Flora gives me that smug smile.
“Is it?”
Groaning, I get off the bed as my phone beeps again, clearly coming from the top drawer of my desk.
“I just thought you’d want yours, too,” Flora says, pushing herself up on her elbows, and I open the drawer.
“Thank you for including me in your life of crime,” I say, but Flora is, not surprisingly, completely unapologetic.
I see now that the chimes are from my email, the personal one I still keep, not the one the school gave me, and they’re both from Lee.
Guilt hits me a little at that. I haven’t talked to Lee in a couple of weeks now, even though I’d been meaning to. It’s just things had gotten so—
And then I see the subject lines of the emails.
The first one: WHAT THE ACTUAL HELL MILLIE
And the second: YOU ARE DATING A PRINCESS WHAT
Opening the first email, I see Lee has left me a link to some blog calledOff with Their Heads. Charming.
It’s got a picture from our “Thanksgiving”—guess Flora was right about the guy having taken it with his phone—but also, there’s my name.
My name right there.
And the second email has another blog post, this time with Lee adding his own commentary.
Millie, you have been HOLDING OUT. I knew you had a crush, BUT ON A PRINCESS? WHO IS YOUR ROOMMATE???? What is going on? Email me immediately. Email me YESTERDAY.
“Who’s Lee?”
I turn to see Flora right behind me, surprising me.
“My best friend,” I say, distracted as I mess with my hair. “How do people already know this stuff?”
Flora lifts one shoulder, heading back to my bed. “They always do,” she says before settling back down with her laptop. “And honestly, I’m glad this time. Maybe now Mummy will understand that I’m gay, not ‘going through a phase.’”
I look over at her, wondering if I can explain how weird this makes me feel, seeing my name on some random blog. I’m... nobody. I’ve never been mentioned on the internet in my life except for that time I came in second in my district’s geography bee in seventh grade.
But of course Flora wouldn’t get that at all since she’s been in the public eye since before she was born. Literally. There was a whole part in that tribute magazine full of pictures of a pregnant Queen Clara.
And I get what she means, about this maybe finally forcing the issue of her being publicly out.
So I just put my phone back in the desk drawer, promising myself I’ll email Lee later.
I sit back on my bed, pulling my computer over, and Flora turns to look at me.
“Okay?” she asks, and I nod.
“Yeah,” I say. “It’s just... weird.”
Flora doesn’t say anything for a minute, then she sits up, placing both of her feet on the floor, her hands braced on the edge of the mattress.
“Do you want to come home with me this weekend?”
“What, to Edinburgh?” I ask, and when she nods, I add, “To thepalace?”
“That is my home, yes. My mom’s throwing this little party for Alexander and his fiancée, and I just think... well, once you spend a little more time with my family, things like that”—she gestures to my phone—“might not seem so odd. We’re all frightfully boring, after all.”
