you’ve got a list of names somewhere, you’d better write hers down. I don’t want to have this conversation again.”
The guard swallows, nodding. “Yes, your highness.”
Lars shakes his head, turning to me. He beckons to me, his voice still curt. “Come on, Pippa.”
I walk toward the heavy wood double doors, my heart pounding, my palms still a bit damp. Lifting my chin, I stride through the doors as they are opened for me. I don’t even give the guard stand a second glance.
As we walk inside, I feel Lars put his hand on the small of my back. My stride breaks for a moment.
Cool down, I tell myself. Be a lady, for god’s sake.
I exhale and shed my coat, handing it off to a servant. Lars eyes me as we start climbing the white marble stairs that lead up into the palace proper. I feel his gaze on my slinky gold dress, judging me like I’m a prize heifer.
“Stop staring,” I correct him, not even looking over to see if it’s true or not. “I’m wearing a perfectly presentable dress, if that’s what you are worried about.”
I hear the smile in his voice. “I wasn’t thinking about that.”
“Then why are you looking at me?”
I turn, shooting him a glare. He shrugs, his little smirk maddening. “You look nice, that’s all.”
Wrinkling up my face at him, I huff. “Well, quit it. I’m not some blonde at the bar. You can’t chat me up and take me back to someplace dark for a bit of fun. We’re best friends, not fuck buddies.”
Lars chuckles. “Fair enough, little witch.”
I shoot him an irritated look and pick up the hem of my dress, holding it up as we keep climbing.
We make it up the steep stairs and I stop, my eyes widening. The palace is always something to behold. Gray marble floors, gray marble columns flanking both sides of the hallway, an incredible arched and carved white marble ceiling.
I’ve never seen it decorated quite so thoroughly, though.
Towering trees stand between each column. Each one is festively decorated with delicate red paper hearts, crisp white paper snowflakes, and shimmering gold tinsel. There is a cheerful red runner on the floor and garlands of tiny red and white flags strung overhead. At the far end of the hall, I can just make out the shapes of gingerbread men and toy soldiers plastered against the floor to ceiling window.
“Whoa,” I say.
Lars rolls his eyes at the decorations, pulling at my hand. “Margot went a little nuts with the decorating. Come on, the sooner we get into the sitting room, the sooner we can leave.”
A laugh bubbles to my lips as I let him lead me toward the party. “Where have you got to be? Everyone you know is here.”
He gives his head a shake, not interested in explaining. There is only one door open in the grand hallway. Light spills out and as I get closer, I can hear laughter.
A chill runs down my spine. This is far from my first Julaften, but I swear I will never tire of how much this family enjoys being around each other. Lars goes through the doorway just ahead of me. When I step through, it’s exactly as I would have hoped it would be: a beautifully decorated sitting room, with a full decorated tree in one corner and a whole buffet of delicious-smelling foods up against one wall. All of Lars’s extended family is clustered together around the fireplace, sitting near their partners.
Dark-haired Stellan is standing closest to the fire, beaming down at his pink-haired pixie of a wife Margot. On the couch beside Margot is Lars’s lovely blonde Annika, and her enormous blond fiancé Erik.
Lars’s parents, Mor and Dar, are sitting on a couch on the other side of the fireplace. His brothers Finn and Anders have pulled up chairs just beside them. And there is an empty loveseat facing the fireplace, obviously meant for Lars and I to occupy it.
Margot lays eyes on me and pops up out of her seat, her eyes shining with genuine joy. "Pippa!"
My lips curl upward. Margot is one of my oldest friends. It just so happens that she fell head over heels for Stellan this spring after I introduced them. So I always look forward to seeing her, especially now during the holidays. I throw my hands wide, greeting the room.
“Glædelig jul!" I declare, wishing her a merry Christmas.
Margot runs over to me and I embrace her, setting an arm around her