Page 57 of Gotta Have Mistletoe
“I think you’re right,” I admit reluctantly.
Olav marches toward us, his feet clicking against the floorboards. “I suggest you visit the conference room, Your Majesty.”
I turn to Glen. “I’m sorry. International matters can happen quickly.”
“Both of you,” Olav says.
“Then this isn’t a crisis?”
“Oh, it is.” With that, Olav drags me and Glen from the ballroom.
I feel the gazes of confused guests on me, and the music is suddenly crisp and clear.
No one speaks, no one laughs, no one even shuffles their feet over the dancefloor.
I’ve pondered over the years what it would be like to date a man. Olav was right to push me about it. Is this the consequence of that? Are people quiet and shocked because Glen and I were dancing? Were they fine in theory, and not in practice?
Or did something else happen?
Because I know the Solbergian people. They wouldn’t suddenly have abandoned me. They might have been surprised... but not cruel.
Which means...
By Solberg, that means something else happened. My nerves skitter.
“Where’s Anders?” I swing my gaze around.
“Anders is fine,” Olav says quickly. “I took the precaution of ushering Max and him out of the ballroom.”
“Oh.” Anders won’t like that. He was on his date with Tina.
“Did something... global happen?” I ask.
“In a sense.”
My eyes widen.
Solberg is small. Did Norway finally invade? No, surely not. That hasn’t been a serious concern for at least a century. But perhaps somebody in one of our embassies overseas was harmed?
Olav leads us to a conference room, and Glen and I sit down.
“What’s this about?” Thousands of potential scenarios fling themselves into my mind.
Olav presses a button, and the large screen flicks on. A video plays.
Lena Haugeland appears, and a queasy feeling settles in my gut.
Her eyes are bright and intelligent. She’s got a scoop, and she knows it.
“Good evening,” Lena says. “This is Lena Haugeland from Solberg Chronicles reporting live. We have received exclusive footage, and it is shocking.”
The screen cuts to cellphone coverage of Glen crashing through the airport wall on his tree.
“One can only wonder,” Lena says, “If King Erik met Glen Garland on the king’s first day in Nevada, how could they have been secretly dating?” Her face sobers. “They couldn’t have been. The king has been lying to everyone.”
Olav shuts off the video. King Erik and Glen stare at the screen, shocked.
“Understandably, this video has not thrilled the public,” Olav says.
