Freya tossed and turned, running the conversation with her mother through her head. She didn’t understand the abrasive way her mom treated Magnus and her reluctance to allow him to join the family for the holiday. But to say she wasn’t surprised was an understatement. After all, her mother and siblings always felt they were the authority on her life. She supposed she was at fault for that. She allowed them to be for so many years.

When her alarm went off, she immediately jumped to her feet. It had been a while since the alarm had done its job to wake her up. She usually woke up before it and waited for it to sound off. That wasn’t the case this time.

Freya scurried through her closet, taking a glance at the red shoes she wore when she first met Magnus. She’d always remember the shoes, the dress, the night as if it were her very own Cinderella moment. Except they were just friends, and unlike Cinderella, she had a good life.

She heard her phone while she was in the shower. Who would call me this early in the morning? she wondered.

As she got ready, she’d almost forgot about her cell ringing until it rang again. When she leaned over to see who it was, Marissa’s face was on her screen, so she answered.

“Good morning. How are you?”

“You have got to turn on the television. You and Magnus are all over the news! Quick, go look,” Marissa exclaimed.

Panicked, Freya rushed to her living room and turned into one of the local channels. “I see nothing.”

“No! Put it on Howdy America.”

Just the thought of the national morning show covering her and Magnus made her ill.

She quickly checked the guide and found the show.

They were talking about another potential princess in the making, right here in their very own United States. Yup, she would be ill for sure.

“Freya, you there?” Marissa said.

Freya had almost forgotten about her as she saw her face flash on the screen. They’d got photos of her during her days as a ballerina.

“How did they get ahold of those photos? And don’t they have to have my permission to show them?”

“Technically, they are crediting the dance company you were part of. Look closer at the screen.”

She was right. Those were photos that could easily be found online.

“Why are they doing this? I’m not even dating Magnus. We are just friends!”

“The media loves a great love story, and with one of our own already married to a prince and becoming a Duchess, I can see why this is newsworthy. Besides, you wouldn’t just be a princess. You’d be in line to become a queen if you were dating Magnus and you did ever marry him. Unlike the other prince, Magnus is, after all, a Crown Prince and directly in line for the throne.” Marissa said something to Justine who was hollering from the background something about looking out her window.

Freya quickly moved through her apartment and toward the studio. The blinds were closed, but she peeked through one anyway.

“Oh. My. Gosh. What on earth?” she whispered into the receiver as if someone from the outside could hear her.

“Do you need us to come over?” Marissa asked.

“I don’t know what I need at the moment.”

“Well, whatever you do, make sure you are camera ready. They’ll be trying to take your picture. And I don’t think it’s advisable of you to commute on the train this morning.”

“Oh no, my commute!” Freya panicked yet again. “What am I supposed to do? I’m not paying an arm and a leg to park downtown for work. This is all so crazy.”

Justine took the phone from Marissa. “I suspect Gerard already has a strategy. Text your security detail, they’ll tell you exactly how they plan on handling it.”

She was right as that was the whole reason Magnus left them with her.

“I got to go. I’ll text you two later. Thanks for the heads up. Bye,” she blurted, disconnecting the call and checking her messages before she reached out to Gerard. Sure enough, he’d already texted, asking if she could call him which she immediately did.

“Hello, Gerard, this is Freya.”

“Miss Freya, good morning. How are you, other than the frenzy out on your street?”

“I was well until I saw my face plastered on the news. Oh, and not just any news, the national morning show! Gerard, I need to get to work. What am I supposed to do?”

“Miss Freya, I’ve got it all under control. If you look out to the apartment's private entrance, you’ll see that my men have already set up a privacy tent. We have more support here on the ground already, so two men will be with you always. They have a vehicle with heavily tinted windows so no one will see you. You’ll be able to enter and exit the vehicle and your apartment unseen.” He was confident, she thought. He knows what he’s doing. I’ve got no other choice but to trust him.

“How about later when the studio is open, and my students are coming and going? What about then?”

“Your studio is private property. We’ve already notified the local authorities, and they will make rounds. But the other two agents will be on site at all times.” He hesitated and asked, “Miss Freya?”

“Yes, Gerard?”

“Do you mind if we install cameras on the outer perimeter of your property?”

She had to think about that for a moment. She’d been thinking about getting cameras anyway because it made good sense from a business standpoint. She never imagined it would be under these circumstances.

“No, I don’t mind. Just the outer perimeter, correct?”

“Yes, just the outer perimeter. Thank you.”

“Okay, I need to finish getting ready. The car is out there, right?” she said, walking back to her apartment to check the private entrance to confirm for herself.

“All you need to worry about is getting into the car.”

“Gerard?”

“Yes?”

“I can’t pay for all of this.”

“Miss Freya. Do not worry about that. His Royal Highness has all this covered. I’ll talk to you later, Miss Freya. But please, do not hesitate to reach out to me if we need to change the protocol. Have a great day.”

He hung up before she could reply.

Freya looked at the time. Crap! she thought as she hurried back to her room to finish getting ready.

 

 

It had been another long night for Magnus, and his day was about to get longer as he worked with Bernard to do his best to control the ensuing frenzy.

“I’m sorry, Bernard, but I think you will have to fly out here. Why don’t you bring the family with you?” Magnus offered.

“Prince Magnus, I appreciate the offer. I’ll ready things on my end, but I’m afraid my family will not be traveling with me. This is business. You know well I do not mix the two. Besides, we have a lot to work on. There will be some late nights. I know it is not what you expect, but to have you ready for the vote, we need to make sure you are as familiar with the issues as possible.”

“Okay, Bernard. Have it your way. When should I expect you?” Magnus inquired.

“I’ll have the palace ready a charter. I suspect we need to bring a few more security detail for you and the young lady, Miss Sinclair.”

“Ahh. I see you’ve been in contact with Gerard. Well then. I’ll be expecting you. And Bernard? Please let my father know. I want none of this catching him by surprise.”

“Your Royal Highness, your father is one step ahead of us,” Bernard said before saying goodbye.

What did that mean? he wondered.

Exhausted, he drifted off to sleep.

 

 

When Freya reached the twenty-fifth floor to her office, she found Julie, the receptionist, in a complete frenzy, rolling her eyes at her when Freya tried to greet her.

“Steve wants to see you. Now,” was all Julie said.

Although Freya suspected why, she didn’t appreciate Julie’s tone with her.

“Please let him know I’ll be there in a few.”

Freya asserted her authority.

She allowed herself to settle in for a few minutes before she walked over to her boss’s office. He was on the phone, so she gently tapped on the door, to make her presence known.

Steve smiled and waved her in. “Thanks, Bob. I’ve got to let you go. I’ll follow in an email later today when I have that information you are looking for.”

“Good morning! I guess you were busy this weekend.” He smiled as he walked towards the door to close it.

When Steve closed the door, it meant one of two things. The topic was so confidential that no one else should hear or you were in trouble. Based on Julie’s reception, Freya suspected the latter.

“Well, it wasn’t something I’d planned, that is for sure. And I suspect it will only get worse for me out there.”

“Yeah, we’ve had several calls to the switchboard. Reporters wanting to know if you work here, what you do. You know, snooping. But I’ve asked Julie to under no circumstances give out any information. No comment always works for everyone else, why not here?” He laughed.

“I’m sorry, Steve. I didn’t mean to create trouble for the office.”

“Are you kidding? I’m sure this will be good PR.” He winked. “Besides, it’s good for Julie to be busy. With all this automation, I often wonder why exactly I need a receptionist around here.” He laughed. “Anyway, I wanted to touch on that, but we have an issue at one of our locations. It’s up to you if you want to head out there or you want to send someone from your staff. I’ll support you either way, but someone needs to get out to Spokane as soon as possible.” Steve said, “Not sure what is going on, but it sounds like it’s been an ongoing issue for a few months, and the warehouse manager neglected to report it.”

“I’ll call over there as soon as I get back to my office and go from there.” Freya stood to leave. “And Steve? Thank you. I really appreciate the support. I can’t promise this will die down soon. But if you feel like it is too much chaos around here, let me know. Please. I’ll do what is needed. My job is too important,” she said.

“Freya, don’t worry. I know you well. You are a key employee in this company. We’ll get through this with you. Just don’t forget us little people if you go in that direction,” he teased, causing Freya to smile.

“I can assure you, we are just friends.”

“Infamous last words.”

She laughed as she walked away, thankful to have an understanding boss and employer. People like Julie were easy for her to deal with, especially when she had the proper support in place.

Freya spent the morning on the phone with their Spokane location trying to figure out how much the amount of damage caused. It was a case of perceived favoritism turned into allegations of workplace discrimination, the last thing the company needed.

Before Freya had joined them as the young HR Manager, the company was involved in a Department of Labor investigation which included visits from the state’s EEOC, also known as the Equal Opportunity Commission. It had become a big deal. Heck, Freya had been in a seminar just the year before, and her employer was one example of what not to do, as it related to workplace discrimination specific to gender. Her name tag, which identified her employer, suddenly felt heavy on her chest.

Freya had only been with her employer for a year when promoted to the director position. She still remembered how nervous and excited she was, but mostly, how prepared she’d been to fill the role. Sure, there’d be much to learn, but if anyone could do it, it was her. Of this, she had been certain.

“Julie, will you please ask Tran to see me when she gets back from lunch?”

“Yup,” Julie replied.

Technically, the receptionist reported to the Office Manager, but that person could care less about her responsibility for the front desk, often leaving Freya and the Controller to manage Julie who should have left the company far before Freya had arrived. At least, that was her opinion.

There had been no time for a lunch break as she worked through compiling the interview packets her HR Generalist, Tran, would need.

Freya worked well with Tran. She was an eager go-getter, never leaving a stone unturned. She considered Tran her right-hand person as it related to the department, and Tran loved having to travel for work. It made her feel like more of a key player within the company.

Freya finally chanced a glance at her cell phone. She had many missed calls, including a few from her mother. She wasn’t ready to address her, so she scrolled on by.

Her visual voicemail showed she had many attempts from various news stations trying to reach her for comment. She was glad of her pressing amount of work to distract her as she switched over to review her text messages.

There were a few messages from people she hadn’t spoken to in quite some time, suddenly wanted to connect. Sure, they did, she thought. Then a message from Marissa and Justine, one each, checking in. Media had contacted them, but they’d declined to accept any offers.

Offers? she thought. Were they offered money? To talk about me?

Freya was a tad worried. If there was media out there willing to pay a few hundred bucks to get any scoop on her, she was not putting up with it.

Then there was a message from Magnus. She stopped to look at his name before she opened the message. It made her happy to know he was texting her. The notion was silly, but it wasn’t causing anyone any harm.

How are you holding up? I caught up with Gerard. What a crazy morning. I’m sorry. Just know, anything you need, it’s yours. Also, I caught up with Santiago as I was typing this text. He’d love to join us for our Thanksgiving feast. Catch up soon. Magnus.

Freya daydreamingly pushed her phone aside. The thought of having Magnus cooking with her in her kitchen seemed like a special bonding moment. She was excited but worried all at the same time. She didn’t want to cross the line of friendship. After all, wasn’t that what he wanted? Wasn’t that what they’d agreed upon?

“Freya? Frey...a?”

“I’m sorry, Tran. I was lost in thought. How are you? Please, close the door.”

The petite middle-aged woman practically slammed the door, not realizing how much strength she’d put behind her push. “Sorry,” she said. “Julie said you wanted to see me?”

One thing she absolutely appreciated about Tran? She was all business. The building next door could be up in flames. But unless it put them under an evacuation order, she’d be hard at work.

“It seems we have a complaint out of the Spokane warehouse that needs investigating. Here are my detailed notes, and I’ve already gotten investigation packets ready for you. Check on flights and let me know which works best. I need you to set up interviews and stay out there until completed. Is that okay?”

Freya knew Tran wouldn’t decline or have any reasons not to travel. She was single and still lived at home with her parents. The fact was, Tran had begged for assignments like these. Anything to allow her to experience freedom from her overbearing parents, she’d said to Freya. So, Freya, being Freya, and knowing her limitations with the studio, did as much as she could to get Tran out in the field. Besides, someone needed to oversee site visits, and Tran was always eager to be the one.

“I’ll grab what I need from the office and head home to pack a bag and make those calls. How about you put me on a flight for the evening and book me in the hotel I usually stay at? It works best because they have a shuttle, plus I need not rent a car since it is within walking distance of the warehouse.”

“Just remember, they already have snow over there. So, dress accordingly, especially if you will be walking.”

“Sure thing. And thanks again for considering me for this assignment.” She smiled. “Just email the details or any further instructions. I will grab what I need and head out if this is okay with you?”

“Sounds good.” Freya warmly smiled. “Be careful and let me know what comes up.” That was all she got in as Tran quickly exited her office. And just in time, it seemed, as her cell lit up with her dad’s photo on it. She took a deep breath and answered as she went to close the door, yet again.

“Hey, Dad! How’s it going?” She attempted a casual tone, but she knew her father wasn’t about the BS.

“I’m good, darling. How are you?”

His voice was always a soothing calm.

“As good as expected.”

“Well, you know I’m not one to beat around the bush. Our phone has been ringing off the hook. Everyone and their dog want to know what on earth is going on between you and this so-called prince? And let’s not forget your mother. She is having none of it. She’s recruited your sister Claire and your brother Will to her side. Why there have to be sides is beyond me. Tristan is traveling, but I imagine he won’t care either way. You know Tristan?” He tried to joke.

“I’m sorry it is come to this. I tried to explain to her Magnus and I are only friends. Friends! That’s it. No more. No less. But she wasn’t having it.” Freya took a deep calming breath. “Look. The last thing I want to do is create drama in the family. I’m sorry I’m not going over for Thanksgiving. Please apologize to my siblings for me. But I can’t do it, Dad. I can’t. I’m not willing to subject myself to further scrutiny, especially not from my family. Besides, I would’ve had to dis-invite Magnus. Do you know how embarrassing that would’ve been? Prince or not, he too has feelings, and I have manners.”

She caught herself getting worked up. But she attempted her best to get control of her emotions.

“Freya, honey, it’s all right. You do what you believe is best. I’ll deal with your mother. This is all unfamiliar territory for her. For any of us. But your mother is already overprotective as it is. I wanted to call and check in on you. Find out how you are doing? And let you know if you need anything, anything at all, remember you have your father. If I must jump in my car at two o’clock in the morning, I will. Okay? Don’t forget that you are not navigating through this world alone.”

His words were encouraging. She realized she needed to hear from someone who knew her. He didn’t call to prod her with questions about the prince. Nope. That wasn’t her father. He was a father genuinely concerned with his daughter's wellbeing, rather what it all looked like on the surface, unlike her mother.

“Thank you, Dad. I really appreciate it. I’m sorry I must cut the call short, but I’m at work, and I have a few urgent matters I need to tend to immediately. Love you,” she said, catching his reply as she hung up.

 

 

“Good evening, Your Majesty,” the concierge said when he answered Magnus’ call.

“Actually, His Majesty is my father. You may call me Prince Magnus, Your Highness, Your Royal Highness, or Magnus, which I prefer.” He laughed.

“I apologize, Your Highness. I should have known this. How may I be of service?”

“I would like to order dinner in for me and my security detail from The Metropolitan Grill. Is it possible to do so through you? Or should I be calling someone else?”

“I’m more than happy to take care of that for you. I’ll get a menu to you straight away,” the concierge said enthusiastically.

“There is no need, I can see it online. One of us will be in touch shortly to have the order placed, and you can have it brought up to my room as soon as it arrives,” Magnus said.

He’d given Gerard instructions for him and his men to join him in his suite so they could go over the details of Bernard’s arrival along with the additional items. With the frenzy that’d ensued surrounding Freya, they needed a solid game plan to ensure the press left Freya alone.

Magnus looked over the menu. He knew he wanted a good steak, and the Porterhouse seemed like a good option. He sent a message to Gerard, who was already knocking at his door.

“Good evening, Your Highness.”

“Gerard, Jean Paul, Eros, come on in.” He stepped aside to welcome them. “I called the concierge. We can place our order from The Metropolitan Grill with him. Just look up the menu online, and we’ll call to order our food. I’m not in the mood to go out. This entire trip is turning into a fiasco.” He thought about that for a moment. No, it wasn’t all a fiasco. There was Freya, and he was happy to have met her. It was all worth it.

They moved about getting situated for a strategy meeting.

That was one thing about Magnus, he was hands-on and treated his staff like family. It was important to him that each person who worked directly with him was comfortable enough to be honest with Magnus when the moment called for it.

 

 

Freya, Justine, and Marissa didn’t have much time to chat before classes started. But Justine had taken the liberty, with Freya’s approval, to notify the parents that under no circumstances were they to speak to the media. Besides, they’d all signed confidentiality agreements when they’d enrolled their children. It was a good business practice, and the lawyer who’d set up her business had insisted on her having these contracts in place, just in case.

Well, I guess we’ll see how strong those contracts were, she thought to herself, hoping, really, that she didn’t have to exercise her right to enforce any.

A few parents had questions, legitimate concerns regarding the security of the studio which Freya could put to rest when she shared that the entire outer perimeter officially had cameras. Others were curious about how she was holding up with all the attention. She shared little and only politely said she was okay.

Her older students were excited. A prince! A few would say. So swoon-worthy, some would fan over. But they all got to work as soon as she cut the topic short.

“Okay, we are all locked up,” Justine announced.

“And I’m famished!” Marissa said.

“You are! When aren’t you would be the real mystery?” Freya joked. “Come on, I have stuff we can cook up in my kitchen if you two are not in a hurry.”

Marissa looked over to Justine, sending Freya mixed signals.

“Come on, you two. What’s going on?” she asked.

“Well, Justine thinks it’s a good idea for us to stay here. And I agree.”

Freya wasn’t sure how to respond, but Justine didn’t give her a chance.

“Look, we will do our best to stay out of your way. Heck, we will even pitch in to buy food and clean up. But I don’t like you being here by yourself. I know Magnus has security out there and fancy cameras and all. But you need to know you have someone here just in case. Plus, it would make me, us, feel better,” she said.

Freya couldn’t argue her points. And the company would be nice.

“You can stay! I think it’ll be good for us all. This isn’t a normal circumstance. Is it?”

“Not at all!” Marissa said. “Besides, I don’t feel comfortable at our place either. I swear to Bob, someone was lurking about our townhouse. I’d rather be here with your security guys.” She laughed, causing Justine to smirk and roll her eyes and Freya to giggle.

“Well then, it's decided. The two of you will share the guest room. I haven’t had time to do the sheets, but I don’t think you’ll mind. After all, you are the last ones to have slept there.”

“Are you sure?” Marissa teased.

“Marissa! Come on. You both know Magnus and I are only friends.”

“I’m just kidding. Geez. No need to get all uptight about it.”

“Enough about Magnus. Let’s go figure out what we will eat. I haven’t had a bite all day.”

“Freya, you can’t do that to yourself. Remember, all of those talks you have with the girls about proper nutrition? Yeah, I think you need a reminder,” Justine said with a worried look.

“I’m fine. It was just an unusual day at work. Lots going on, and I needed to handle it right away. Anyway, let’s figure out what to eat. Capiche?”

The three-women laughed in unison.

“In that case, do you have any pasta? I’m really craving pasta,” Marissa said as they made their way to the apartment.

Freya smiled. She was happy to have friends and colleagues like Justine and Marissa.

The women got washed up and moved quickly into the kitchen. Marissa found her way there first, not surprising Freya in the least.

“So, I’ve got different pasta. What are you thinking, Marissa?”

“Anything, really. If you have any jars of pre-made sauces, we can build on these. I’m good at building on a base sauce. It’s making it completely from scratch where I struggle.”

Just then, Justine joined in. “We don’t really have to have pasta, you know this, right Freya?” She continued towel drying her hair. “Marissa will eat anything. We can prepare something light and easy. No need to make a mess cooking.”

“Who’s asking you to cook anyway?” Marissa complained.

“Speaking of! I almost forgot. Are you two here for Thanksgiving?” Freya asked.

“Where else would we go? It’s not like our families are tripping over to see us,” Justine asserted.

“Well, I had a slight change of plans. So, I’m staying home for the holiday, and Magnus is joining me. We both thought it would be a great idea to host Thanksgiving here, at my place, since he’s never had a Thanksgiving dinner.”

Freya was hoping it didn’t come across as more than just dinner, but Marissa and Justine were too perceptive.

“Magnus and you? The two of you decided? Okay.” Justine smirked. “I’d love to join you. I’ll help cook.”

“WOW, Freya, did you think you would slip that one by us? Come on, admit it. You like Magnus, and not just as a friend,” Marissa teased.

“It’s nothing like that.” She needed to keep the conversation moving and the focus away from any notion of her and Magnus in the sense of anything but friends. “So, you both are coming, right?”

“Count me in,” said Marissa.

“Awesome! Over on the table is the menu we half-haphazardly put together. If you can think of anything else we should add, write it down.”

Tossing the damp towel over a chair, Justine picked up the piece of paper. “How many people are you planning on having over? This is a lot of food.”

“Well, the two of you, Santiago, Magnus, and all the security detail. There is a couple of more coming over.”

“Why does he need more? Security detail, that is,” Justine asked.

“Not exactly sure why.”

Even though Freya had her suspicions, she wasn’t ready to share these with her friends. At least, not yet. But if she were correct, Magnus spending more time with her would draw more media attention to them.

 

 

“You spoke to our daughter, didn’t you?” Doris asked Mark as she settled into her recliner.

“We have two daughters. Which one?” Mark asked, amused.

“Don’t get smart with me. You know well which one I’m referring to! Freya. You spoke to Freya, didn’t you?”

Mark stood to look out the family picture window. A few memories flashed before him. They had converted the back patio to a pseudo dance studio for some time when the kids were younger so Freya could practice. He recalled standing in that spot to observe his little girl pour her heart and soul into something she loved so much.

But her dreams were short-lived in her young life. He’d never forget the look on her face when the surgeons explained why she wouldn’t be able to dance again. At least, not professionally. She was heartbroken. Crushed. She couldn’t see beyond her dreams. No matter how hard he tried to convince her to create new ones, Freya was done with dreaming.

“Are you going to answer me?” his wife pressured.

“Doris, what do you want me to say? Yes, I spoke to her. You know well I dislike leaving matters in a tangle with our children.”

He turned to face his wife. “She’s fine.”

“In a tangle? Yes, you would say something like that. Making me out to be the bad guy. When all I’m trying to do is protect her. I’m her mother, Mark, not her best friend. I love her unconditionally. My issues are not because she is incapable of making good choices, but because she cannot see what she doesn’t understand. Those types of people? There is no room for someone like her in their world. Nothing good can come out of her spending any time with that young man. Then what? Who will be there to pick up the pieces?”

“First off, they are not dating. And if they were, give her a chance to make her own decision and have this experience, whether or not she gets her heart broken. This is all part of life, Doris. Falling in love if that is in the cards for her. So be it. And again, our daughter can fit in with the best. You really need to give her more credit than you do.”

Mark turned back to the window, full of anger that his wife was so unreasonable.

“If you cannot be supportive of her friendship with the prince, then I have nothing to say to you on the subject, anymore,” he sternly said as he left Doris alone.

 

 

“Thanks, Gerard. I guess you have everything covered. I don’t know why I continue insisting on having these meetings when I know well that you are more than capable of handling the detail on your own.”

There was a knock on the door, interrupting Magnus. One man stood to open it. The concierge had come up with one attendant to set up their dinner.

“That smells delicious,” Magnus said.

As soon as they set up the table and exited the room, Magnus and his men sat for a nice meal. The food was delicious, but he would have preferred going to the restaurant.

“The food must be good, you all are quiet,” Magnus joked.

“Your Royal Highness, thank you. Yes, it is delicious,” one man said.

They spent the rest of dinner having a casual conversation, and as soon as they’d finished and helped clean up, they took their leave.

Well, that went well, Magnus thought to himself. Maybe now I’ll get rest. Except, he wouldn’t. His phone rang, it was his father, the King.

“Son?”

“Hello, Father. How are you? Is everything all right?”

“Depends on what you consider all right?”

Magnus knew his father wouldn’t call just because. Something significant had to have surfaced.

“Well then, tell me.”

“Son, we’ve unveiled who was behind the story coming out of Spain. And you will not like it. I’m dealing with it, but I don’t want to keep you in the dark. It is better if you think things through while you are over there before you return.”

“You have? That’s good then. So, tell me, who is behind it?”

Magnus would have never expected what he was about to hear.

“Your sister.”

His body froze. He was sure he didn’t hear his father correctly.

“Excuse me? Father, I don’t think I understood what you said. Who exactly?” He needed to hear it again.

“Cossette. Your sister, Magnus. I’m sorry.” The King took a deep breath. “Your mother and I have spoken to her at length. We are dealing with the consequences of her actions. But I wanted you to hear it from me.” He paused. “Magnus?”

“Yes, Father.”

“There is a high probability the media will get a hold of this. It will not be good for your sister. I think it is best you remain in the United States for longer until we can deal with this. I don’t need the extra stress of having you both under the same roof. Not right now. Is this okay?”

Magnus considered what his father was saying. His sister was behind the fabricated story of him and a woman in Spain. But why? And why did his Father not want it to involve him? After all, it was his reputation at stake.

“Father, I’d previously planned to end my trip after the first week of December. I do not plan on changing this. But what I want to know is why you will not allow me to be involved in the discussions with Cossette. Isn’t it my reputation at stake?”

“Magnus, son. This goes much deeper than the rumor she started. Cossette desperately believes you are unfit to rule Martierra. Your mother and I do not believe she is well. There seems to be more going on, and we plan on getting the right professionals involved to understand what she is dealing with psychologically.”

“You are telling me you plan on blaming this on some form of mental breakdown? Please, Father. You of all people must see she is toying with you. Cossette has always wanted to be Queen. She’s been very blatant about it when I’ve vocalized my unhappiness in the past. I’m sorry, I do not believe her, not for one second. This is ludicrous. She’s a spoiled, entitled brat, trying to manipulate the situation to her advantage. But you don’t see it. You are her father. And your reaction is exactly what she was hoping for.”

Magnus paced the room furiously; how could his own sister be so vile? He couldn’t believe it. However, the repercussions could be detrimental to his parents. That was something he needed to consider.

“Your Majesty. I trust you implicitly and will support whatever decision you and Her Majesty make. But do not ask me to pardon your daughter. At least, not now. I ask that you allow me the time I need to process this information.”

“Son, please. It is me, your father, you are speaking to.”

“I’ve invited a guest to spend the Christmas holiday with our family. I expect she will be treated with the utmost kindness and respect we afford all our guests. When Bernard returns from his trip to the United States, he will have with him the information pertinent to my guest’s visit. I must go now, Father. It is getting late, and I’ve had a terrible time sleeping. Good night.”

He hung up, tossing his phone across the room.

Magnus wasn’t typically a hot-tempered man, but there was something about Cossette that always got under his skin.

Perhaps it was her always putting him down in moments where he couldn’t defend himself without causing a scene or undermining him after he’d given a direction. Cossette was brilliant, and she knew it. Playing the political card at the slightest opportunity, establishing her knowledge over their country. Especially since she knew well that Magnus was having difficulty seeing eye to eye with their father.

It was all a game for her. A power trip. Make Magnus look bad in the public eye and force their father’s hand in changing royal decree so she may rule.

Maybe he should be blamed for being so insufferable over the whole issue?

It didn’t matter now; the damage was done. He’d have to face her eventually, and he wouldn’t make it easy on her. Besides, he’d already assumed his proper royal duties. He wasn’t as ill-informed as most thought, including Cossette. He wasn’t interested in sharing his true feelings, specifically because he and the monarchy weren’t necessarily on the same page. But that was an issue he’d have to address later, with his father. For now, he needed to figure out how he would convince Freya to join him for the Christmas holiday.

Magnus looked at the digital clock on the nightstand; it was getting late, and he was no longer tired. But he didn’t want to go anywhere. Not now. Not knowing exactly what the media knew.

Darn it! He remembered he’d tossed his phone. Sure enough, the screen cracked, making it difficult for him to read anything on it. After a quick survey of the wall where it had hit, it impressed him. The phone had not damaged the wall.

 

 

“Freya, are you up?” Marissa said as she bounced on her bed next to her. It had been a long time since she had a roommate, and when she did, they were too uptight to do anything remotely close to hanging out in each other’s rooms.

“I am now,” she said with a groggy voice. “What’s up?”

“I couldn’t sleep well last night. I feel bad. Maybe a little selfish,” she said, looking into her hands. “Neither Justine nor I even bothered to pick up the subtle sadness in your voice when you told us you were no longer going to your parents. Freya, please be honest with me. What happened?”

Freya reached for her phone to check the time. She’d finally stopped caring about the number of notifications she had on her text messages, and she’d put her cell phone on ‘do not disturb mode,’ only allowing those in her favorites calls to come through.

It was early. She didn’t have to be up for another forty-five minutes. Gosh, darn it, Marissa! she thought, not mad at her, but she wasn’t sure how she’d deal with opening her feelings this early in the morning. Still, she owed it to her friend.

“Might as well go wake Justine up. I’m not repeating this. And please, hurry because I must get ready for work soon.”

While Marissa rushed to get her counterpart, Freya went to brush her teeth. She could hear Justine complaining to Marissa, which caused her to laugh. It was nice having them over. She needed the excellent company and distraction.

“I’m here. What is so dire that I needed to get up?” Justine dragged a blanket with her as she curled up in an armchair off in a corner.

“The reason I am not joining my family for Thanksgiving is Magnus isn’t welcome there.”

Admitting that out loud was much more difficult than she’d imagined.

“Wait. You invited Magnus to your family’s for the holiday? When did this happen?” Justine perked up.

“Over the weekend. It was a spur-of-the-moment decision. I feel bad because I didn’t tell him why the change of plans. He was so excited about his first Thanksgiving. Well, after he tried to go all PC on me with the controversial blah blah blah,” she joked. “Besides, my mother was rude about it, and I didn’t appreciate it one bit.”

Justine released the blanket from around her shoulders and clapped her hands. “Bravo, Freya. I’m proud of you for doing something for yourself for once. Rather than just going with it to appease your mother.”

“Let me get this straight. You invited Magnus to your parent’s house, and your mother was upset? Shoot, if I called home and told them I was bringing a prince over, they’d forgive all of my transgressions,” Marissa joked.

“My mom isn’t like that. She sees this from an entirely different perspective. She can’t imagine why a prince, of all people, would be interested in me? In her mind, I’m just a distraction to keep the prince happy while he’s vacationing in the area.”

“You’re joking, right?” Justine looked puzzled.

“No, I am not. That’s the gist. There is far more she’d say, but I’m not open to hearing it.”

“She realizes you are a siren, right? You have a killer body, gorgeous, poised, polite, and well, flipping perfect!” Justine wrapped herself up in the blanket again. “You are a self-made businesswoman, intelligent, talented. I mean, what’s not to like about you? Why wouldn’t a prince, in this case, Magnus, be interested in you?”

Freya felt her face flush. To hear her friend describe her like that really was shocking. She never saw herself in that light.

“Thank you, Justine. It doesn’t matter. Magnus and I are just friends. I tried explaining this to her, but she wasn’t having it.”

“Okay, enough of that. We will have the best Thanksgiving dinner ever! I will oversee decorations,” Marissa exclaimed, jumping up and down on all fours, causing Freya to hold on for dear life so she wouldn’t go tumbling off her bed.

“Oh, please, NO! You are not in charge of decorations. It’ll look like an explosion of mismatched Thanksgiving of old, new, and future happened,” Justine scolded. “Besides, you make killer desserts. Why don’t you take the lead on those?”

Marissa pouted, but it was apparent she’d perked up at the suggestion she should handle the desserts.

“You two can figure the whole decorations out on your own. Now get out, I need to get ready for work,” Freya said, tossing pillows at them.