so. I just think we're going to have to find a way to distract her. Maybe there's some kind of retirement from public life or something…” I pause, though occurring to me. “You know who would know?"
He perks a brow. "Momse?”
"That's the one. She has knowledge of what the royal family has done in the past. I mean, there has to have been someone somewhere that opted out of the spotlight."
A thoughtful look appears on Stellan's handsome face. He runs a hand through his short, dark hair and exhales. "I'm sure that Momse does have some opinions about Annika. But honestly, I don't even want to give my grandmother that kind of power. I just finished setting some boundaries with her over the whole Margot debacle. I hate to take steps backward at this point."
I scrunched up my face. "Very true. Right now, it is a bit of a strange time for Momse. She is going through something, not being allowed to pull all the strings anymore. It's got to be an adjustment for her."
The corners of Stellan's lips quirk a little. "I'm sure. But I think that my parents let her run the kingdom of Denmark, essentially. And the fact that I'm taking control back is a rather prickly subject for her. I might be her favorite grandchild but I'm still her competition, in a sense. She’s held the strings too tightly for too long."
I bite my lip. Somehow, we've drifted onto Stellan's favorite topic again. He loves to think about how the power dynamics are shifting in Denmark with his succession to the throne. But that's not why he called.
Did he just forget about Nika entirely? I press my lips together and sigh. He gives me a sharp look. "Am I boring you, Erik?"
I roll my eyes and give him a light smile. "Not at all. I was just wondering how we ventured on to this topic. I remember you calling about your little sister. That's all."
I hear a woman in the background, asking Stellan a question. He looks away from the phone. When he looks back, his expression seems distracted. "I have to go. Margot needs my attention. Are you guys going to be okay out there for now?"
I nod. The sun is all but set and I start walking back toward the house. "Yeah. We're fine. As long as I keep Annika away from the press, I think she will be content."
I hear Margot’s voice again, clearly calling for Stellan. He rolls his eyes and says goodbye. “I have to go. If you need to get a hold of me, you can always call my new secretary. I’ll talk to you later."
I think about how I should answer that. But Stellan has already hung up the phone. A blinking red icon on my screen indicates that the line has been disconnected.
I glare at the screen and shake my head, shoving my phone in my pocket. I’m not even mad or that surprised at his behavior. That's what you get when your best friend is the King of Denmark, apparently.
As I walked back to the house, that little quip about how I should get in touch with him through his new secretary rings in my head. I think he was joking… But in all seriousness, if I'm going to leave the service entirely, this could be my future. I could be facing a lifetime of missed calls whenever I try to actually talk to Stellan.
That fact has not escaped my worried thoughts. All the way back to the house, I walk over the sandy beach and feel the weight of that knowledge in the pit of my stomach. It is heavy and bitter, and it leaves me feeling more uncertain than usual.
I walk up to the house, heading through the French doors that I left open. To my surprise, I find Nika right where I left her. Although she has a bowl of cereal in front of her now. I glance at her and she takes a bite of her cereal, shrugging a shoulder. Through a mouthful of cereal, she apologizes, which takes me back.
"You were right," she says. She chews the bite of cereal and then swallows. "I shouldn't have said that I hate you. That was unfair. I'm sorry."
Exhaling loudly, I meander into the kitchen, stopping when I am opposite where she sits on the counter. Leaning back against the counter behind me, I fold my arms across my chest and look at her somberly.