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Without waiting for a reply, I turn on my heel and stomp away, humiliation flooding my bloodstream with each and every step.
Chapter 14
Alexander
“She’s not going to last a full month,” I say into my phone as I wander past a fountain in the grounds immediately outside the palace.
“Why not?” Sofia replies.
“Because she makes a mess of things. Only yesterday she spooked the royal peafowl on her formal introduction, causing them to flap and carry on like she was about to pull off a full-scale military attack on the poor creatures.”
I think of the way she terrified her country’s most treasured birds into flying away, then raised her chin and stormed off as though she’d done nothing wrong.
“No!”
“I actually felt quite sorry for her. It must have been so embarrassing.”
“You’re right. All of this must be so hard, coming here from living a normal life in America. Embarrassing herself like that would be utterly mortifying for the poor girl.”
“True, but also not my problem,” I reply.
“Alex, you're so uncharitable. I get that you don't particularly like her, but you could at least try. Father's very concerned that you spend as much time with her as possible, to really get to know her.”
“And what Father wants,” I say with a resigned sigh.
“Exactly,” she confirms. “And anyway, Madeline seemed perfectly nice to me, even if she was a little like a deer in headlights at her formal presentation. Amelia thinks she's wonderful.”
“Amelia thinks everyone’s wonderful,” I reply, even though it’s one of the things I adore most about my sister.
“Look, we’ll all be back for The Games and I’m sure we’ll have the opportunity to get to know her better. You and she might be firm friends by then.”
I rub my still slightly tender nose. “I'm not convinced.”
“Is Father happy with how you’re doing?”
“How would I know? He’s sporting his resting grump face like it’s the new black these days.”
She snorts with laughter. “Resting grump face.”
“You know I’m right.”
“You know he gave you this task because you're his son and heir.”
“As he reminds me daily.”
“You make it sound like it's a bad thing. It's not. You've got purpose to your life. You don’t know how lucky you are, Alex.”
“Come on, Sofe.” I don’t want to get into this old gripe. A gripe I can do nothing about, at least until I’m King and have some sway with Parliament.
“What do I do? What's my purpose? According to our parents it's to get married to someone of noble birth, which might even be an arranged marriage, if I don’t find someone soon. And when I do get married and have children, we'll all still be in the limelight as members of the royal family but without any actual role. It’s so frustrating.”
“Tell you what. You can come and cut ribbons for me at all the openings,” I say, trying to lighten the mood. “I’ll even let you wield the oversized scissors.”
“Not helping, Alex.” She lets out a sigh and adds, “You're not an extra.”
“Is that how you feel?” I ask softly. “Like you're an extra?”
“Isn't Prince Harry’s autobiography called Spare? Although, unlike Harry, I was born first, and I’m only third in line after Max. Third, Alex! You’d feel the same if you didn't happen to have the biological requirements for the job.”
