Page 36 of Prince of the Northwest Forest
Since I met him, Kalle and I have been talking about topics that I otherwise only discuss with Daryl. And now he’s going away. A numbness comes over me.
Kalle pinches the bridge of his nose. “There’s apparently a deadline set by the fae that has been looming for a while, but my parents just told me the specifics about it. Regardless, the invitations have already been sent to all the realms. They are anticipating that Mats will stand up and marry Princess Eleanor. But I don’t suppose they’ll notice the difference.”
Narrowing my eyes, I say, “Oh, they’ll notice. I haven’t met him, but you aren’t interchangeable. You can’t be.”
“Perhaps. We do look similar.” A weak smile flickers across his face, there and gone. “The invitations just say the Prince of the Northwest Forest is getting married. It doesn’t say which one.”
Dammit again. “So who all is coming to the wedding?” I aim for a light tone. I’m imagining all Kalle’s buddies in the front row, joshing him for getting married. A group of sad, beautiful women in the back, knowing that he’s off the market and paying their respects. Some school friends or?—
“Dignitaries of the different realms.”
“What about your friends?”
He shakes his head. “No.”
Now that I think about it, he hasn’t mentioned any friends. Maybe it’s lonely being royal. Maybe he doesn’t have many people around him that he’s chosen. I think some of the animals are his friends, but maybe he wants human ones, too.
He pauses to study me. “Would you like to attend?” He tips his head back to look at the treetops. “Probably not, but I don’t want to exclude you. I’d feel better if you were there.”
“I’ll go,” I say hastily.
Kalle’s focus comes back to me, and he looks relieved. I said the right thing. And some masochistic part of me wants toseehim get married. I think it will help me grieve my fantasy of what might have been.
Kalle was never going to be mine. He’s straight and royal and destined to marry for political purposes.
“I’ll make sure you get an invitation,” he says.
Our hike today is over too quickly, and I walk with Kalle back to his room at the hotel. It’s surprisingly spare, but I guess it’s one of the rooms they reserve for runaway princes, not the Art Deco/modern ones they use for paying customers.
He packs up his clothes, toiletries, and a rather salacious-looking book in a satchel and slides it across his shoulders. I want to ask about the novel, but now isn’t the time. He gestures for his fox and elk to go ahead, then looks squarely at me.
“It’s been very special to me to get to know you, Justice,” he says. His voice breaks slightly, and with it, my heart splinters.
I squeeze my eyes shut and nod. “Same.” I clear my throat. “I mean, it’s been very special to me to get to know you, too. I hope you have the most wonderful life with your new bride. If you ever want to come visit, you know where to find me.”
Kalle gives me a sad smile.
A wild part of me wants to jump up and kiss him. To grab him and hide him away with me. To spend our time finding an unknown realm where no one would ever look for us.
But I’m not that selfish. “Go save the Northwest Forest,” I whisper.
He nods. “Goodbye, Justice. I’ll miss you.”
We step forward at the same time, and I rush into his open arms. He gives me one of the tightest hugs I’ve ever received. I grip his strong back, breathing him in.
All too soon, we step apart.
Prince Kalle sweeps past me, cloak swirling behind him as he walks down the hotel corridor and out of my life.
Well, fuck.
I crumple down on the hotel floor and put my face in my hands. I don’t move for a long time.
Not until I know I can keep it together.
When I get home, I make a quick phone call. By the tone of my voice, Daryl can tell something’s wrong, I’m sure. He shows up right away, knocking on my front door and then letting himself in like he usually does.
I’m slouched on my couch in my sweatpants and my oldest T-shirt, digging into a bowl of ice cream.
