Total pages in book: 121
Estimated words: 117920 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 590(@200wpm)___ 472(@250wpm)___ 393(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 117920 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 590(@200wpm)___ 472(@250wpm)___ 393(@300wpm)
She nods, frowning. “Maybe you’re right. But I think you feel that more than I do. Then again, I think any adult probably feels that way. Adulthood is a cage, the restrictions are slowly layered through the years, like bars. Family, jobs, spouses, children, expectations. It all adds up. It all changes us to become people that society wants us to be.”
“Look at us, examining the human condition on a fine Saturday morning.”
She lets out a soft laugh, then her expression fades. She says, “I really should be here for you more often.” Her voice is quiet.
I glance at her. “I should say the same about you.”
She waves at me dismissively. “No. We’re good. Really. Anya loves England and she gets to ride horses all day. She’s living the dream.”
“And you?”
“Me? I get to watch her live the dream,” she says brightly. “Isn’t that what every parent wants?”
I can’t disagree with her. “That’s most likely why I have a pet pig now. My girls are living the dream.”
She laughs. “I can see that.” She then looks me up and down with a discerning gaze. “You’ve looked better, though.”
My brows shoot up. “Ouch.”
“You’re too thin,” she says, poking me in the side.
I move my torso out of the way. “Thin? I’ll have you know I work out in the gym every morning for an hour.”
Stella only grins. “Better make it two hours then.”
“You’re a brat.”
“I’m just teasing. It’s what Mother would say to you. You need to eat more meat.”
“Right. Well the children are vegetarian now so I think we can blame them—and Aurora—for that.”
“It sounds like she’s made some positive changes.”
“The girls love her,” I admit. “And they’re happy. I can’t ask for much more than that.”
I’m surprised at the words coming out of my mouth. Three weeks ago, I doubt I would have said the same thing. I’m not even sure what changed.
“Vegetarians, pigs,” Stella remarks. “It sounds like your new nanny is turning this palace upside down.”
“Tell me about it.”
More like turning my life upside down.
Funny how I’m getting used to it.
Chapter 10
Aksel
Legoland is a Danish institution and a mecca for kids young and old from all around the world who love those irritating blocks of plastic that feel like murder when you step on them.
We haven’t been here since the girls were quite young and when we did go it was always more for publicity than for them. Helena was very conscious about being seen with them often, otherwise she said people would say she was a bad mother. So, when we went, we went during public hours, with a whole entourage of security with us. Helena always said that this would make us look more down to earth but there was no way the kids properly enjoyed it when they were being hounded and photographed all day long.
That was the thing about Helena. She only wanted the public to see us as down-to-earth—making sure they went to a public school, taking the kids to the park with “zero makeup” on, doing things for charity, but inside the walls of our palace, she was obsessed with our position, our status, our blood. She would sometimes drill that into the girls’ heads, which is probably why Clara can be a little snobby sometimes. She was always taught she was better than everyone.
It’s one reason why I thought Aurora could take them to Tivoli and have the security agents in the background. Give the kids a chance to be kids. Let them actually feel what it’s like to be “common,” for lack of a better word.
Didn’t quite work out as I’d thought.
This time, however, we’re taking no chances. Screw looking down to earth. We’re the royal family and I want my daughters to have an amazing time—in private. The park is closed to the public for two days, open only for us, and we’re even staying at the new Lego Castle Hotel next door which won’t officially be open until next year.
Darling Freja had been crying during the entire drive to Legoland, missing her Snarf Snarf whom Maja is stuck with back at the palace, but those tears dried up pretty fast once she saw where we were staying. Walking into the hotel is like walking into a castle … albeit one made out of Lego. It’s a bizarre, gaudy combination of medieval wooden accents and iron, then plastic stone walls and tapestries featuring Lego knights.
The room I got for us was, naturally, “The Princess Room,” with Stella and Anya staying at another Princess Room across the hall. Beside us, Aurora has a whole room to herself. She insisted on staying in a wizard themed one. Our royal guards are staying in a dragon room down the hall.
I wish we’d gotten dragons or wizards because this room is a bit … much. I’m currently perched in a velvet pink chair in the corner of the main bedroom, wishing I had something to drink. I can feel the blank smiling face of the Lego princess on the wall staring at me, perhaps judging me. We had basically been in the park since the moment we arrived, going on ride after ride, and we have another day of it tomorrow, but even so, it wouldn’t hurt to unwind with a glass of something.