AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“I wouldn’t have wanted to have been anywhere else,” Ingrid replied, giving her a soft smile.
CHAPTER 21
Ingrid’s alarm went off at five-thirty. While the guest room at the palace was more than comfortable, Ingrid hadn’t slept well. She’d been worried about Elin all night. She’d thought about checking on her but didn’t think it was appropriate, so she’d just called her sister, relayed the events of the evening that shecoulddivulge, and then tried to get some sleep. Now, she had to get out of bed and get downstairs to her office to see if there was anything she could do to help.
She still had a couple of weeks before her last day at the palace, though she hadn’t thought they’d enforce her notice. Steven had said as much when she’d turned it in. Ingrid wouldn’t leave without at least saying goodbye to Elin, though, so she’d set her alarm early to get dressed in the clothes she’d worn last night and get some wrap-up work done until the Queen woke up. After that, she’d say goodbye and head home.
When the knock on her door came, she stood up groggily and walked to it, wondering who would be knocking on her door this early.
“Good morning,” Elin greeted when Ingrid opened the door.
“Your Majesty,” Ingrid replied, surprised to see her standing there fully dressed, with her perfect hair, fresh face, and those stunning blue eyes.
“I wasn’t going to wake you, but I heard your alarm going off through the wall, so I thought you might want this.”
Elin held out a hot cup of coffee, which Ingrid took.
“Thank you,” Ingrid replied. “What are you doing up this early?”
“I wanted to make sure my mom had what she needed. They’re driving her to the hospital now. I’m going to join them in a couple of hours, but we have some work to do first. I called the hospital to check on my father, and they said he slept through the night fine and that they’re going to schedule him for surgery on his leg and then his hip.”
“Is there anything I can do to help? I still technically work at the palace until my notice is up,” Ingrid replied.
“Markus’s press release leaves a lot to be desired. I was hoping you could work with me to craft something better. I want it to sound more personal, less medical.”
“Of course,” Ingrid said. “Just let me put on some real clothes.”
Elin looked down, seemingly noticing for the first time that Ingrid was wearing a pair of sleep shorts provided to her by the attendant last night and a plain white undershirt. Elin met Ingrid’s eyes, and there was something in them Ingrid hadn’t seen before.
“I’ll just meet you in my room then. I mean, my room.” Elin shook her head. “I mean, my office. In the office that’s next to my bedroom. It’s my office, obviously. I’ll meet you there.”
Ingrid smiled a half-smile, finding the Queen the perfect combination of adorable and sexy in this moment. Then, she dropped the smile because she shouldnotbe thinking about the Queen as adorableorsexy.
“I’ll be right there; in your room.” Ingrid internally rolled her eyes at herself. “Your office. I’ll be there, Ma’am.”
“Okay,” Elin said.
Ingrid closed the door and couldnotbelieve she’d just sounded nervous in front of the Queen.
“What is wrong with me?” she asked herself. “Pull yourself together, Olson.”
Ingrid put on her jeans and the sweater she’d worn yesterday before she went to the bathroom to brush her teeth and hair. She did the best she could to make herself look more presentable and headed into the Queen’s office, bringing her coffee with her. She took a drink of it just after entering the room.
“What’s that face?” Elin asked.
“What?”
“Did I make it wrong? I used the machine in the kitchen just how you told me,” Elin said.
“The coffee? No, it’s fine. I just brushed my teeth, and I didn’t think before taking a drink, so…”
“Oh,” Elin uttered, smiling up at her from her seat on her small sofa. “I made a pot of it, and I brought sugar in.” She pointed to a small coffee pot and sugar dish on a tray next to a teapot and her cup of tea.
“Youbrought it up?”
“Yes, Ingrid.” The woman laughed a little. “The kitchen staff stared at me the whole time, but I carried it all the way up here myself.”
“You are the very definition of a modern Queen,” Ingrid teased, sitting down next to her. “Apologies for my clothes. It’s not how I prefer to dress for work.”
