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“Yes, sir, and your rooms on the trains have been redecorated as you requested,” he said, moving to show me the photos of them.
I smiled, excited about what she would think of it. “Did you get the gift also?”
“It shall be finished by tonight and ready to take with you on the train tomorrow.”
“See, that is perfect, Balduin. Let me not mess this up.”
“Of course, sir.”
“Have enough chocolate and her favorite wine on board. And a bottle in our room waiting.”
“Yes, sir.”
Maybe once we got out of the palace, away from my grandmother and mother, she and I could unwind more.
Knock.
Knock.
“Enter,” I said, flipping through the photos.
“Your Majesty,” Iskandar said as he walked in. “Ms. Wilhelmina Wyntor-Smith is here. She wishes…”
“Move, Iskandar!” Her voice came from somewhere behind him.
“Ma’am, you have to wait until he accepts you,” Iskandar said, trying his best to hold the door closed enough so she couldn’t just bust in.
“Why in the world would he not accept me?” she questioned back.
“Iskandar, it’s fine. Let her in.”
The door swung open, and she walked in like a polar bear, drowning in a large white fur coat and matching hat. I knew it was winter, but the palace was heated.
“Wilhelmina,” I said, rising as she came to my desk.
“Hello, Mr. Hot Tub, how are you?” she questioned, taking a seat without being invited to.
The shock that ran through me was nothing like the one that ran through both Iskandar and Balduin, who stared in wide-eyed horror. Balduin took a step forward.
“Thank you, Balduin.” I nodded for him to go before saying anything.
He gave Wilhelmina a harsh look, not a glare but a look, not that she bothered to even acknowledge him on his way out.
I waited for the door to shut before I took my seat. “Everyone has been praising you on how well you seemed to know the rules and how amiable you have been all of these months, Wilhelmina. Are you trying to blow it at the end?”
She flicked dust off her red nails. “No, I am reminding you that I don’t follow any of your rules because of your family. I follow them for my daughter. So long as she is happy, so long as she is treated like the queen she literally is, I will do my best to avoid all conflict.”
“But?”
“But if you embarrass her, I will embarrass you. You will get all of the conflict.”
I did my best to keep my composure. “Embarrassing Odette is never my attention, Wilhelmina.”
“Then get your past hoes in order,” she snapped. “For heaven’s sake, your wedding was just two days ago.”
“How do you expect me to, as you say, get the hoes in order?”
“I don’t know. I don’t care how.” She shrugged. “I’m leaving today, which means the only people who I know for sure that are in my daughter’s corners are Wolfgang, Iskandar, and you. And Wolfgang and Iskandar work for you. So it is only really you. You are the center of the universe here, Gale. Everyone is going to protect you. I need you to tell me again that she is your center. That you will protect her.”
