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)
So it’s Aksel who gets shit on and speculated on and sometimes I’m thrown into the mix. Mind you, it’s not the Danish media who is unfair to him in that way, but still.
I’m just really lucky that they haven’t been able to dig up any dirt on my end of things.
If they found out the truth about me.
If they discovered who Rory Jameson is, all of this would be over.
I really should come clean to Aksel. I should at least come clean to Amelie and start from there. But revisiting my past and the terrible horrors of who I was doesn’t seem worth it.
Everyone deserves a second chance.
Everyone deserves a fresh start.
Otherwise we’re forever shackled to the people we used to be.
Amelie herself snaps me out of my torrid thoughts.
“Bonjour!” she cries out from the door, shuffling toward me with her arms out.
“Bonjour!” I exclaim, getting out of my seat and going over to her. We embrace, bisous on each cheek.
“You look fantastic,” she says to me, motioning to my plaid skirt. “I like this whole schoolgirl thing. Very, how do you say, kinky?”
I laugh. “That’s probably not a good thing when you’re visiting a client.”
“Ah, but he is a king and you are doing so very well. You should have no trouble getting laid at all.”
I roll my eyes, stifling a guffaw. “Is that seriously why you came here?”
“No,” she says bluntly with a mild shrug. “I also came to spy. This is my first time in a royal palace, I could not pass it up.” She reaches down and tugs at my skirt in the same way that Aksel does. I raise my brow. “Now, tell me you’ll wear this out tonight.”
“If you insist.”
But, of course, before we go anywhere, I give her the informal palace tour, starting with the girl’s and Snarf Snarf, with Maja entertaining them as I enjoy a legitimate day off, then the rest of the rooms in the palace. We even pass by Nicklas in the hall, who gives me a cold nod.
“Who was that? He’s scary,” she whispers to me as he goes around the corner. Then before I have a chance to respond, she goes, “Mon dieu, that was him! The Queen’s butler.”
“He’s Aksel’s secretary now.”
“Oh, so strange. Why would he do that? He killed his wife.”
I shrug and let out a sigh. “Well, it was an accident. But I don’t know. I would say that guy is the only downfall of working here. I’ve asked Aksel more than a few times on why he’s here, but I get what I think is a whole bunch of bullshit instead. Who knows.”
“He’s not creepy to you, though? This butler.”
“Not at all. I mean, I don’t like him, but he stays away from me for the most part.”
Although the few times when Nicklas has approached me and Aksel was nearby, Aksel practically chased him away. This happened even before Aksel and I were together.
And Aksel happens to be our last stop on the tour.
Because it’s Sunday and it’s the evening, I know just where to find him.
He’s in the living room, in his usual chair, drinking brandy. I had told him twice already that Amelie was coming, hence why I was actually using my day off. I normally would just march right over to him, but since I’m supposed to be the mere nanny and he is a King and this is my supervisor of sorts, formality rules.
I clear my throat loud enough for Aksel to hear it.
“Pardon me, sir,” I say, and he turns in his seat to look at me, brows raised. “But I have a guest here to meet you.” I look to Amelie but her cool French façade is cracking and she’s frozen in her tracks. “Amelie, this is His Majesty, King Aksel of Denmark.”
Now, I have to admit, it never stops being fucking cool that I get to introduce him this way, even if I am just one of his staff members.
And it definitely doesn’t stop being amazing that at night, I’m the one who gets to share his bed.
Of course, I can’t tell her that.
Aksel gets to his feet, even though I know he’d rather stay in his chair by the fire, nursing his drink. Past a certain hour, he says he really likes to ignore the whole “king” part of his life, like he’s off-duty with unionized breaks.
Amelie is still a statue of herself, so I grab her hand and lead her over, like I would Clara or Freja.
He shoots me a bemused look, the kind of look that makes him look younger, carefree. I’m seeing that look from him more and more often.
I like to think it has something to do with me.
He sticks out his hand. “Pleasure to meet you, Amelie.”
When Amelie still doesn’t do anything but gawk, I take her hand and put it in Aksel’s.