Page 15 of Once Upon A Royal Christmas
Dating with a royal title was complicated, at best. Still, he’d never expected Sarah Jane to accept money in exchange for a tell-all interview. Especially when said interview had painted him in a less than flattering light.
Was he really cold and distant? Nick didn’t think so. Not back then, anyway. He’d been careful. Guarded. But that had been necessary. He was a future king who would one day rule San Glacera. He couldn’t simply give his heart away on a whim.
Irony of ironies, being painted as cold had made him even less inclined to let someone get close to him. Yet again, he thought about going back to his igloo on the mountain. At least it had been peaceful there.
Until he’d reemerged looking like a snow monster.
“The nickname will blow over,” Jaron said for the tenth time in as many days. “As soon as the press has something else to talk about, they’ll drop it.”
“You’re right,” Nick said.
He’d just somehow thought that the Sarah Jane mess was behind him. Far behind. He’d never imagined her interview would be front page news a full year later.
“How are things going with the Winter Wonderland contest?” he asked, eager for a change of subject.
“You’re seriously asking me about the contest?” Jaron said with more than a hint of irony sneaking into his tone.
“I’m trying to be a supportive brother, even if Emilie thinks otherwise.”
“Ah, of course.” Jaron’s voice seemed to be coming from the opposite direction, which meant he was pacing. A nervous habit he’d picked up back when Nick and Jaron had been in boarding school together.
This couldn’t be good.
“Don’t tell me there’s a problem with the cartoon princess,” Nick murmured into the towel.
“There’s not. No problem whatsoever.” Jaron cleared his throat. “In fact, I’ve video chatted with her. And she’s a party princess, not a cartoon character.”
“Was she dressed in that over-the-top getup when you video chatted?”
Jaron didn’t answer.
“I’ll take that as a yes,” Nick said.
“She was at an appearance. It was perfectly normal.” Jaron’s tone dropped an octave. “Except for the reindeer.”
“Did you just say…” Nick peeled the towel back from his face so he could look Jaron in the eye. “Reindeer? Like someone dressed up in a plush Rudolph suit?” He could just imagine the woman showing up in San Glacera with a sidekick like that. His grandfather would turn over in his grave.
“A live one,” Jaron said, which somehow didn’t make Nick feel better at all. “Because Santa had a cold. I think that’s what she said.”
Nick arched an eyebrow. Bite your tongue. You’re being supportive now, remember?
“Anyway, the point is that everything’s fine.” Jaron’s gaze darted elsewhere.
“What aren’t you saying?” Nick said.
The barber stood motionless, glancing back and forth between the two men. Mittens shifted into a sit position in Nick’s lap and did the same.
“She hasn’t exactly agreed to come to San Glacera.” Jaron winced. “Not yet, anyway.”
“What?” Nick sat up straighter, and Mittens hopped off his lap to hunt down one of his numerous squeak toys. “Does Emilie know? Do the king and queen?”
Jaron shook his head. “No. No one does. Princess Snowflake’s business manager assures me it’s a go.”
Nick should have been hoping the fake princess would say no. After all, he still wasn’t convinced that bringing her to the kingdom was a good idea. If she didn’t turn up, his family could have a normal holiday without playing tour guide to a glorified storybook character.
But Emilie would be crushed.
Also…who did this so-called princess think she was? The palace was paying her an enormous sum of money to travel to San Glacera. If she didn’t want to come, why had she entered the contest to begin with?
