Promised to the Swedish Prince - Sasha Cottman Page 0,22

Royal Highness Prince Christian of the House Lind, representing His Majesty King Charles of Sweden.”

Christian, who was dressed in formal evening attire, moved to one side and waited for Erika and her father to be announced. While he had spent little real time in the army, Prince Stefan had made certain that a suitable number of military medals had been presented to his youngest son. The medals were displayed to perfection on his black evening jacket.

“Count Jansson and Countess Erika of Stockholm, Sweden.”

He gave a sly grin at the whispers around the room. If she had been English, Erika would not be a countess in her own right, but since her family’s title was old, under Swedish rule she was granted the privilege.

The deep blue silk gown she wore this evening was elegant, and under the glittering chandeliers, she truly looked a vision. Christian’s pulse kicked up a notch—time had not lessened his desire for her. This woman was his destiny. He just had to be patient and let her come to that same realization. Above all else, he was determined that if Erika chose him as her life partner, it had to be with a free and loving heart. He wouldn’t take anything less.

He smiled as he took in the gold sash which draped across Erika’s bust. It was secured with a shiny silver and diamond brooch at her hip. She wore the King’s Medal, an 8th size silver-gilt badge which hung from a blue ribbon pinned to her chest.

Christian also proudly displayed a King’s Medal, but his was larger, denoting his seniority as a member of the royal family.

Let the English see that they are not the only ones who have royalty and nobles. That the King of Sweden is being represented by the very best of his loyal subjects.

As Erika and her father acknowledged the other guests, Christian scanned the room. He didn’t know any of these people, but he had been around court circles long enough to be able to discern those in the crowd who were genuinely interested in the Swedish delegation and those who looked down their noses at the foreigners.

“Prince Christian, let us get you introduced to a few select people this evening,” said Count Jansson.

He followed Erika and her father as they made their way through the crowd, nodding his acknowledgement to the guests who bowed or curtseyed to him as he passed by.

It was vital he got off to a solid start with the English, for them to see him as someone worthy of their respect. An adversary that they should not underestimate when it came to trade negotiations.

He caught up with Magnus and took him by the arm. “I know you want to stick to protocol and introduce me to other dignitaries, but what I need is to make the acquaintance of the power brokers here in London.”

Magnus frowned. “But, Your Highness, don’t you wish to meet members of the English nobility?”

“Not particularly.” Christian leaned in close. “What I need is to find the people in this room who can get me in front of the right cabinet minister. We cannot hold trade negotiations if the English are not even aware that we want an agreement.”

Erika stood a few feet back while her father presented yet another guest to Christian. This had been going on for almost two hours and her back was beginning to ache, while her old knee wound throbbed.

Christian, however, didn’t appear to be flagging in the least. He paid close attention to what was said to him, nodding slowly as he listened. He broke into what appeared to be a genuine smile whenever someone made a light remark. She doubted he understood all of what was being said. Instead he appeared to be cleverly using the reactions of those around him as the cue for responding to any comment he may not have quite caught. If they laughed, he laughed.

He was polished, and perfectly gracious. Someone in Sweden had clearly put hours into training him for the life of a diplomat. It was certainly paying off if the number of smiles and people uttering his name was any indication.

When Christian finally drew away from the gathering, Erika was pleased that he came to her side.

“I shall have to take notes about all the people whom I met tonight. Remembering all these names is going to be quite the task,” he said.

She nodded. “Actually, I know pretty much everyone who you have been introduced to this evening.