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THEO
Icrawled out of bed, being careful not to wake Emilie. Her hair fanned around her face in a pretty halo. I crept to the pile of clothes on the floor and found my underwear. I quickly put on my pants and my shirt without bothering to button it.
I crept barefoot downstairs. It took me a few tries before I found the kitchen. Astrid was at the counter slicing fruit. She looked up when she saw me. “Good morning,” she said, smiling.
“Good morning.” I did up a couple buttons. “Sorry. I didn’t—”
“Don’t be sorry.”
“I know this is very inappropriate but I hope I can trust you to keep this to yourself,” I said calmly.
“I have been keeping Emilie’s secrets pretty much my whole life,” she said with a laugh. “I’m not running to tell anyone. But I should warn you, I won’t keep a secret if I think it will hurt her.”
“You think this secret will hurt her?”
“No, but if you do something to hurt her or break her trust, I will use the secret to punish you. Our king is not the kind of man that likes to be made a fool of. He has power and he has reach.”
I burst into laughter. “Why Astrid, I think you’re threatening me.”
“Oh, Theo, it’s not a threat, it’s a promise.”
I nodded. “Understood.”
“I was just making breakfast for her,” she said. “I assume she’ll be up soon.”
“Astrid, can I make her breakfast?” I asked. “You can take the morning off. Considering I’m here, that means Jack has very little to do.”
She smiled and handed me the knife. “Be my guest. I’ve put out the dress she chose for the horse races. If she needs me to do her hair, I’ll be— well, I’ll be around.”
“Thanks, Astrid. Will you let Jack know I’ll be home later?”
“Shouldn’t you tell your parents where you are?” she asked with a smile.
“I’m pretty sure they’ve figured it out.”
“Will they tell?”
“Absolutely not,” I said. “It’s safe.
“Alright, then I will leave you to it.”
I checked out the fridge to see what else there was to cook. I pulled out some onions and peppers and started chopping. I whipped up a couple of omelets, something I often cooked at home.
The morning sun washed the back porch in a warm, golden light as I finished setting the table for breakfast. I wanted to show Emilie that I was willing to go the extra mile to make her comfortable. This was a chance for me to give her a glimpse of what our lives could be like.
I heard Emilie’s footsteps approaching, and when she appeared in the doorway, my breath caught in my throat. Her long, blonde hair cascaded in loose waves down her back, and she wore a pink robe with the belt tied around the waist. She looked gorgeous. Her natural beauty shone through. Gone were the layers of makeup and carefully styled hair, and I found myself captivated by the sight of her in her completely natural state.
“Good morning,” I greeted her with a warm smile.
She returned the smile, her eyes holding a hint of surprise. “Good morning. I didn’t expect to see you in the kitchen. I thought you went home.”
I chuckled, trying to downplay my efforts. “Just thought I’d surprise you with breakfast today. I hope you like it.”
Emilie’s gaze softened as she looked at the spread before her. “It looks wonderful. Did you cook this?”
“I did,” I said, nodding. “I hope you like omelets.”
“I do.”
