Total pages in book: 101
Estimated words: 94782 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 474(@200wpm)___ 379(@250wpm)___ 316(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 94782 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 474(@200wpm)___ 379(@250wpm)___ 316(@300wpm)
“I have a suggestion.”
Our parents turn their attention to him, and the mischievous smile on his face tells me I should humor him.
“What is it?” Mother reaches for him, gesturing him to her side.
“First, let’s get you back to your room,” he says. “You can sit down while we have this conversation.”
She nods, and we help her back into her suite, easing her into her favorite chair by the window. She’s pale today, and I can’t help noticing that she can barely move her left arm at all anymore. But she tries to hide it as she gently folds it across her lap with her other hand.
“Right.” She smiles up at us softly, her eyebrows pinching together. “Now, where were we again?”
“As you both know, Thorsen and I received an invitation to attend the royal ball in London,” Calder says. “It’s a charity event.”
“Of course.” My mother gestures for the notepad on the table. “Can somebody write this down for me?”
“It already is,” Calder answers gently. “It’s in your planner.”
She frowns and shakes her head, attempting levity as her eyes shine with sadness. “I’m sorry, I forgot. This pain medication makes everything so fuzzy.”
“What is the point of all this?” the king demands. “Your mother needs to rest, and I have work to do.”
Calder sighs. “My point is that perhaps Thorsen should find his own match. The ball would be a good starting point, with women you’d likely approve of.”
I cringe, and he shrugs as if to say he’s sorry, but he’s just trying to help. Calder knows the last thing on my agenda is finding a wife, but he’s also aware that if I don’t go along with this idea, it’s very likely I’ll be walking down the aisle with Princess Yasmine any day now.
“And what am I to tell Lars?” My father scoffs. “His daughter has been crying for weeks over this situation.”
“I find that highly improbable.” I glare at him. “Considering we’ve scarcely spent more than thirty minutes together alone.”
“Thirty minutes with you would be all it takes to make her cry,” Calder jests.
My mother sighs, watching all of us intently. “I think it’s a wonderful idea. Thorsen, will you consider it? For me?”
Any protests I may have had fall to pieces under her anxious plea. Denying her would wreck her, but I also don’t want to give her hope where none lives. I’ll never be able to make her understand that it’s too late to fix me. In her eyes, I’m still salvageable, and as long as she’s here, she will always believe that.
“I’ve heard enough.” The king interjects, deciding for me. “You will attend the ball and find a suitable match there. But mark my words, Thor, this is the last opportunity I’m giving you.”
3
Thorsen
“Remind me why we’re doing this again.”
Calder drags his attention away from the flight attendant on our private jet to meet my gaze. “I bought you some time to find a wife.” His lips tilt into a sarcastic grin. “And besides, it’s for charity.”
“Ah, right.” I sip from a glass of akevitt as I stare out the window. “A charitable grand gesture you will certainly be praised for.”
“And you punished for.” Calder salutes me with his glass. “What a fucking world we live in.”
Though Calder is my twin, I was born first, which makes me the heir apparent to the Norwegian throne. And almost as if fate was having a laugh, she blessed me with dark hair and dark looks, while he is lighter in features and humor. In short, the media has always loved him. Calder Lykken can do no wrong, and I can do no right.
“It will make Mor happy,” he says. “And we both know you’d never deny her.”
A bitter taste coats my tongue as the suffocating weight of the impending crown threatens to crush me. I’ve been trapped, caged my entire life by expectations and a title I can’t shake. I’m not just the future king of Norway. I’m also one of the most hated men in Scandinavia. Reality is frigid, but Calder is right. I want my mother’s last months on this earth to be peaceful. I want her to be happy, but more than anything, I just want to escape.
“Who knows?” Calder shrugs. “Maybe you could actually meet someone at this ball. Someone who doesn’t even hate you yet.”
“She’d have to be deaf or blind.”
“Who gives a fuck what the media says about you?” His eyes dim with frustration he can’t hide. “You just need to relax a little. Maybe try a smile every now and then, just to see if you still can.”
“I think you should leave the head shrinking for Dr. Blom,” I answer dryly. “Personality aside, there isn’t a woman on this earth who could tempt me into marriage.”
“They aren’t all like Anja.” Calder watches me carefully as he mentions the woman I haven’t spoken of in six years.