AllFreeNovel
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Between the airport and the palace is a charming capital city with cobblestone streets, narrow passages, and a mix of old and new buildings. The signage for roads and towns is quaint, but all the names are long and strange, like Vennisvag and Hoekhammer. It’ll take me a while to get accustomed to all this, and I’ve had no time to prepare.
“It reminds me of Charleston, South Carolina,” I say.
Etienne drawls, “The capital city of Arenhammer is about four hundred years older than that.”
Torben stiffens next to me. “Don’t be a snob, brother. Hailey is new here, and you will treat her with respect.”
“I thought I was supposed to treat her like family,” Etienne smirks.
Sigurd elbows his brother. “Torben’s right. Don’t be a dick.”
Etienne rolls his eyes and goes back to scrolling on his phone.
Flora appears to be hurriedly texting someone while she joins in on chastising the second-oldest sibling. “Seriously, Etienne. Since when have you cared about our history?”
She says this without taking her eyes off her phone, while her cheeks flush pink.
“Who are you texting?” Torben asks.
Flora shakes her head and stuffs her phone back into her handbag. “No one. A friend.”
She promptly changes the subject, and soon she and Torben are pointing out various significant sights along the way.
Everything is utterly charming in the thriving city, with banners, flags, music, and celebrations up and down every street we turn onto. It may look different when things calm down after Torben and I marry, once the celebratory banners come down, but everything has a welcoming, festive feeling for now. It looks like a place I’d love to explore on foot. I already spot several spots I want to visit later.
“That yarn store is so cute!” I exclaim once I’ve moved past crying and into full-on excitement.
Flora gasps. “You knit?”
I shake my head. “I crochet. I’ve always wanted to learn how to knit, though.”
“I can teach you!” Flora exclaims.
“Oh, I don’t think you have time for that. You probably have a lot of palace business to attend to.”
She laughs. “I’m not a robot. I do get time off.” She leans forward and murmurs, “And sometimes I take time off because, well, frankly, I’m the baby and I can get away with it.”
Sig grunts. “Sure does. That one disappears for hours in the woods almost every day. Almost more than I do.”
Etienne snorts. “You worried your baby sister will grow a gnarly beard to compete with yours, brother?”
“Dick.”
“Boor.”
“What’s up your asses, you two?” Torben demands to know.
Flora chirps, “Oh, you mean beyond the usual childish bickering? Well, dear brother, I hate to be the bearer of bad news. But with your disappearing act, Mother and Father have been riding herd on the next-next in line for the throne.”
“They’ve tried. None of it worked,” Sig mutters, rubbing his beard.
“None of what worked?” I ask nervously.
Etienne answers drolly, “While our brother’s been out gallivanting, our parents are putting the pressure on the two of us to find our true loves and get on with making heirs. Just to have all the bases covered.”
The snide way Etienne says the words “true love” makes me think he doesn’t believe in it at all.
I’m sorry to even think this, but I already do not like Torben’s parents. Not one bit.
