also be a support to you personally. A true partner.” Aubrey smiled. “Ideally, someone you can love. Your father and I really did feel that you might find that with one of the candidates we curated for you, but I’m not above admitting that we’ve been remiss in pushing you to make a decision so quickly. It can’t be put off forever, but Alphonse and I have discussed it, and it’s simply not worth rushing into, regardless of what the country is expecting.”
“Ah,” Leo said, biding time as an unexpected surge of emotion made it difficult to speak for a moment. His mother squeezed his hands, and he cleared his throat, finally finding his voice. “Thank you, Mother. I… I appreciate that.”
Leo was no stranger to putting his own needs and desires before his duty. He’d spent half his life rebelling against the expectations of the palace by doing exactly that. But, as far as he could remember, this was the first time his parents had ever sanctioned it. Had treated him like a son first, and the heir second.
“It’s decided then,” Aubrey said briskly, squeezing his hands one last time before letting them go. “I’ll inform the staff that they need to adjust the schedule during the Royal B—”
“No,” Leo interrupted. “I have found all that, Mother. I’ve found everything you described in Edvin Blom, and you know patience isn’t my strong suit, so—” he grinned, a spontaneous reaction at the thought of making Eddie fully his, “—I’m not waiting. Our engagement will be announced at the ball.”
“Leo,” the queen started, her eyebrows drawing together in apparent concern.
“I love him, Mother,” Leo said before she could continue, the words he still hadn’t been able to bring himself to say to Eddie coming more easily than he might have expected. Aubrey’s eyes widened, and he cleared his throat, adding a bit hoarsely, “Possibly not… not as well as he deserves. I fear loving someone isn’t my strength. But I do. I love him, and I will master how to do it well. He—” Leo hesitated for the briefest of moments as heat flooded his cheeks, but it was true, so yes, he was actually going there, “—completes me.”
Aubrey gave an indelicate snort, her eyes sparkling. “Does he now?” Then she smiled, her eye softening. “In that case, I have no objection, and your father won’t, either. And Leo?”
“Yes?”
She patted his hand, then rose to her feet. “When it comes to loving this man, I have no doubt that, just as with everything you’ve set your mind to, you’ll be exceptional at it.” She winked. “You are a van Rosavia, after all.”
And for once, that didn’t feel like a burden.
Chapter Fourteen
Edvin
“Are we going to move into the palace, Eddie?” Astrid asked, barging into Edvin’s room and flopping down on his bed. “Because we need more than one bathroom. Tilde is the worst.”
“Astrid,” Edvin hissed, quickly tugging his pajama bottoms up over his David Tennant boxer shorts as an embarrassed blush warmed his face. “Knock first. Jeez. I’m n-n-naked.”
Astrid gave a derisive snort, grabbing his pillow and putting it over her face. “No, you’re not,” she said, the words muffled by the pillow. “A t-shirt and your underwear isn’t naked, and it’s not like I’ve never seen you in that before and at least you weren’t in the middle of a wank, like Ollie was in his room last week, and besides—” she tossed the pillow aside and sat up, glaring at him, “—that’s not the point. You need to tell Tilde to stop using my conditioner. Her hair is not curly.”
“Um,” Edvin said, not sure why that mattered. He squinted, groping around the top of his dresser for his glasses. He’d taken them off to get ready for bed, but he’d definitely need them if he had to play referee to teenage drama first.
His cell phone lit up just as he finally found them and slipped them on, rattling on top of the nightstand where he had it charging.
“It’s Leo!” Astrid said, snatching it up with a grin. She swiped to answer, because fifteen-year-old girls had no boundaries, and rolled onto her stomach, kicking her feet up behind her. “Hi there, future royal brother-in-law,” she said cheerfully. “How many bathrooms are there in the palace?”
“Astrid,” Eddie said, lunging across the room to grab it from her. “G-G-Give me that.”
“Uh-huh,” Astrid said into the phone as she scooted away, tugging it loose from the charger cord and ignoring Edvin completely. “No… oh…