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“So, Balduin hasn’t told you yet?” I frowned, and he matched me, coming up to me.
“Told me what?” he questioned again, now looking at Wolfgang. “Balduin is seeing to all the arrangements of my speech one more time. So Wolfgang?”
“My sister is at the gate,” I said for him.
“Which gate?” Gale leaned over to look at me. “Our gate? Now?”
“Yes, sir.” Wolfgang nodded.
“Just when I thought we were going to be able to get through this week without an incident, here comes the biggest of them all,” he grumbled. “Is she still outside? Have the press seen her?”
“Security brought her in and has her in one of the side houses; however, we do believe the press knows she’s here.”
“When did she arrive?” I asked.
“I just found out, ma’am. So, I am not aware. But I can get you the information…”
“I’m less concerned over that than what she wants,” Gale said as he placed his hand on my shoulder. “She may be your sister, Odette, but I don’t trust her.”
“Neither do I.” And that was the worst part. Not trusting your own family. “But we can’t leave her out there like that. It will make us seem like the villains.”
“She spent months slandering you, us both, and because we don’t welcome her, we are villains? What kind of logic is that?”
“Public logic,” I reminded him. “Wolfgang, have her brought to one of the upstairs rooms.”
“Odette!” Gale snapped. “No. Not so close.”
“We can’t put her with the staff.”
“Why not? Is she going to stay here?” he questioned.
“She has to, at least until the morning. We have to go to dinner. I can’t go see what she wants now. By the time dinner and everything is over, it will be tomorrow, and I can’t kick her out at two a.m. We have no choice but to keep her here until we are all up again tomorrow.”
He pinched the bridge of his nose. “Fine. But have Layland send someone to monitor her. In fact, have food brought to her—whatever, just make sure she stays out of sight until we can get rid of her in the morning.”
“Yes, sir. I will tell them now,” he said, bowing before he left, and when I looked up at Gale, he was shaking his head.
“I have a bad feeling all of a sudden,” he muttered when I turned to face the mirror again.
“Let’s just try not to think about it right now. You’re right—we’ve had a great week. Even the press has found it hard to criticize us; your current popularity is higher than the prime minister’s, and I have a friend—let’s focus on the good things.”
“You’re right.” Leaning over, he kissed the side of my neck. “You look beautiful, by the way. I like the red.”
“You like everything.”
“Not everything.” He grinned, kissing the side of my face.
“Careful. I don’t think Harper has pinned this down all the way,” I said, holding the crown.
“You aren’t finished?” He gaped at me, and I glared.
“Excuse me, have you ever tried to get dressed quickly while pregnant?”
He laughed. “You’re blaming this on your pregnancy? What was your excuse seven months ago?”
“Will you just go and call back Harper and Gelula?” I said, pushing him. I kept the smile on my face until he was gone because the truth had me worried. Why was she here? Where was her daughter? Did Malik really take her daughter away? What was the truth? I knew nothing about her life at all. And that was on purpose.
“Breathe,” I whispered, putting my hand on my stomach as I felt the sharp kick at my side. Breathe. I had to stay calm. I couldn’t let her throw me off.
