Chapter Twelve #2
Another thought occurred to him, as he realised belatedly that she might be wondering about his own sleeping arrangements. She would find out eventually. The good thing about being a prince was that nobody ever argued with him.
Besides, he’d already told her that he didn’t consider them married as yet—that should have been enough reassurance. But she would just have to wait and see. He caught her eye and noticed the flustered blush that spread across her face and neck as she quickly took a sip of her wine.
‘And how do you help, Your Serene Highness?’ asked Selina innocently, and the back of his neck itched as he realised she was teasing him again.
‘Whatever needs doing, I do it.’
‘Our prince is hard worker. Since a boy… Always working, working, working,’ Captain Jensen said cheerfully.
‘My brother believes in leading by example,’ Hans said sourly, taking a deep drink from his own glass.
He supposed that was a thinly veiled jab at his own hypocrisy.
Magnus would have ignored it, except for the momentary flash of embarrassment that crossed Selina’s face.
‘I think it best you spend the time prior to Selina’s coronation contemplating your own future, brother. The summer lodge would be ideal.’
Hans was appalled by the idea and showed it by banging his glass down firmly. ‘What about the wedding? And the wedding feast?’
Ahhh, yes! He’d probably hoped to see Sonja at the wedding celebration and feast. After all, Magnus had to invite Sonja’s merchant family to national celebrations, as they were key members of Thrudheim’s economy.
Magnus gave his brother a firm and uncompromising look. ‘You attended our first wedding, so there is no need for you to attend the second. Your time would be better spent contemplating your future studies. Oxford has agreed to accept you. You need only choose the subject.’
Hans looked as if he were about to spit feathers. ‘You have already spoken to them?’
‘I have.’
Hans swung back in his seat. ‘How generous of you to allow me the freedom of choosing my own subject to study, if nothing else.’
Magnus scowled. ‘That is the way of it.’
‘That was Father’s way!’ Hans growled back, his fist clenched on the table.
‘We will discuss it further when we are alone,’ he said, and Hans glanced at the looks on Selina’s and the officers’ faces and closed his mouth after a bitter sneer.
There was a moment of awkward silence, and the entire table breathed a sigh of relief as Selina quickly changed the subject. ‘Liv is a most agreeable maid and speaks excellent English. I am most pleased with her and grateful for her company.’
‘I am glad to hear it. She is a scullery maid in the townhouse usually.’
‘She said! I think it charming that you move your entire household when you travel.’
Magnus wondered if she were criticising or teasing him again, but she was concentrating on buttering her roll, so he couldn’t be sure.
She was wearing an emerald evening gown tonight, the bodice low as always.
She seemed to favour bright jewel tones.
‘Why?’ he asked, and her head shot up with surprise.
‘Why?’ she repeated and he nodded.
‘Well, it’s all one big family, isn’t it? Liv is Olav and Greta’s daughter, as you know…’
At the confused look on Captain Jensen’s face, Selina waved her hand dismissively and explained, ‘Olav is His Serene Highness’s valet.
Greta is the cook. Now, I’m afraid I can’t remember all their names.
But your butler, Larsen…isn’t it?’ She looked directly at the butler who gave a startled nod of agreement.
‘Well, he is Olav’s brother, and there are all sorts of similar connections…
’ She smiled prettily at Magnus, before declaring, ‘It’s utterly charming! ’
Cheerfully she went back to buttering her roll, as if she hadn’t stunned him by knowing the familial links of his servants in only a couple of hours.
Few people cared about such things, and it suggested a kindness and thoughtfulness that he’d not expected from her…
or any Society lady, for that matter. ‘Why do you say that?’ he asked curiously, wanting to know more about how her mind worked.
‘Well, most people who go into service are separated from their family. My second cousin hasn’t seen her parents for over ten years, and at Lord Kesgrave’s house the servants were changed so often that the earl and countess called everyone either Betty or Thomas because they struggled to keep track of their names.
Which I always thought was terribly rude, but according to Lady Anne, it is commonplace in some high society households.
I am relieved to learn that yours is not the same. ’
‘Ours,’ he reminded her, a proud warmth filling his chest as he realised his bride might only be a baronet’s daughter, but she was also kind, considerate and utterly charming—as she would say.
She glanced up from her roll and smiled softly as their eyes met. ‘Ours,’ she repeated.
‘Unfortunately,’ he said, hating that he had to correct her, when she seemed so pleased by her assessment, ‘Liv is a little too young and inexperienced to be your lady’s-maid.
You see, I had not thought to employ one, as I thought you would be bringing your own.
’ At her blush, he quickly added, ‘But there is a woman I have in mind for you. You will meet her in Thrudheim, as well as the rest of the court. Speaking of which—’
He launched into a long explanation of all the important families and houses of his country, asking Hans to explain specific houses occasionally so that he could eat a few bites of his meal in between instructing Selina.
By the time the apple crumble had been served, he’d reached the final, most influential family in Thrudheim.
The House of Solberg and their connection to the Thrudheim throne.
‘You see, the last king remarried after his first queen’s death, and Katarina was from the House of Solberg, and she gave him Prince Frederick—who they all descend from. ’
Selina’s eyes and those of the officers had glazed over, and Magnus was beginning to regret his decision to start Selina’s first lesson during dinner. However, her head snapped up at the mention of Frederick Solberg, and she asked curiously, ‘But why didn’t Prince Frederick rule instead?’
Magnus shook his head, a little confused that she had not already read this in the history book he’d given her.
Did she not read past chapter four? ‘Because Princess Brynhild was four years older and, as such, the rightful heir. The Solberg family are proud of their royal bloodline, and their heirs retain the title of duke or duchess.’ Too proud!
thought Magnus. The House of Solberg were desperate to sit on the throne, and still argued over Queen Brynhild’s legitimacy despite the woman being dead for over a hundred years.
‘But she was a woman!’ Delight lit up Selina’s face, and he tried to ignore the pang of guilt when he realised he’d bored her until now.
‘In Thrudheim, the gender of the heir does not matter, only the order of succession. Princess Brynhild was four years older. The king insisted we remain true to the old laws. My sister and I are twins, but I was born first. If Helga had been born before me, she would have ruled instead. And if we had both been girls, Hans would still not have ruled in our place.’
‘Marvellous!’ declared Selina, and at Hans’s sardonically raised brow she laughed.
‘I am sure you would have made a fine ruler, Prince Hans. But I have to say, I find it delightfully refreshing that a woman has as much right to rule as a man. So many women in England have their family homes entailed away from them—leaving them practically destitute through no fault of their own!’
‘Our island was made great and powerful by Queen Skadi and her daughter Queen Astra during the Viking age. Our capital is named after her, and the right of accession is written into our basic laws.’ He gave her a severe look.
‘You would know this if you had read past chapter four of the book I gave you.’
Selina’s throat bobbed, and then she distracted him with another question. ‘If you and Helga had both been of the same gender, how would they have remembered which one was the heir? After all, babies do look very similar, and even the mothers of twins can sometimes confuse them.’
Magnus took a deep breath. There was no easy way to say it. ‘My face would have been cut.’
Selina’s horrified gasp was quickly followed by a thumping down of her glass. ‘But that’s barbaric! How could your parents ever allow someone to cut the face of their newborn?’
Magnus gave her a stern look. ‘The right to rule is not a gift but a duty.’
To his surprise, Hans spoke next, and he could tell by the defiance in his brother’s eyes that he was about to cause trouble. ‘Would you cut your child’s face? Would you stand with a knife in hand, as our father did?’
Magnus knew his brother thought him a brute similar to their father, but there were some things even he couldn’t stomach. ‘No. But the heir would have to be marked all the same.’
‘A ribbon would do!’ snapped Selina with an outraged huff. ‘Just double-knot a ribbon around their wrist, for heaven’s sake. You’re a seafaring people—I’m sure you could tie a simple knot, rather than be so dramatic!’
A bubble of amusement rose up and burst through his chest. It was only when he saw the startled looks on everyone’s faces, his wife’s and brother’s included, that he realised he was laughing.
He forced himself to sober his countenance, as Captain Jensen took it upon himself to refill Selina’s glass—much to the annoyance of his butler. ‘You will be good princess, Your Serene Highness,’ said Captain Jensen with a broad smile.