Chapter Twenty-Nine
Magnus had considered more than once accepting Selina’s forgiveness, but he knew that he couldn’t.
His own strict principles would never allow it.
He needed to make things right—fully right—with everyone.
If he did that, then he would be worthy enough of Selina’s forgiveness and, hopefully, her love.
He had made good progress so far. But the behaviour of the duke tonight had reminded him that he had a long way to go to clear his palace of trouble.
As the ball came to an end, he said goodnight to his wife but did not ask to join her. Perhaps he was punishing himself as his father might have done. But he could not in good conscience do so. Not until he fixed the mistakes of his past.
Unable to bear the silence of his chamber, he walked the quiet corridors of the palace, finding himself at the portrait of his siblings. He knew Selina had hidden away the previous picture, and he was grateful to her for it. But he did not like this one either.
The proud chins, the unwavering eyes. They were trying so desperately hard to look noble and strong. He stared at the small bouquet of irises and violets in Helga’s hand, a symbol of wisdom and humility but also of Sapphic love.
How had he been so blind? Now he could see the way she gripped them so tightly in her hand, crushing the stems, and wilting the heads of the delicate flowers. Desperately clinging onto them, even though she knew they would die.
The painter had captured her misery, and Magnus recalled how it was the same artist who had painted them as children. The same man who had seen their father hit his own children, all because they’d been unable to keep still for hours at a time. What a miserable life they had lived.
Magnus refused to continue to do so, to be as controlling or as single-minded as his father.
A few moments later he was knocking at Hans’s bedchamber door.
His brother opened the door immediately. He looked windswept and was still wearing his muddy boots and coat. ‘I just got back.’ He left the door open and poured brandy into two glasses.
Magnus entered the room, realising for the first time that he hadn’t been in here for years…not since Hans had stopped insisting on playing hide-and-seek with him.
Hans handed him the brandy and gestured to one of the armchairs while he perched on the bed and took a sip of the amber liquid, before kicking off his boots onto the plush carpet.
‘The maids will not thank you for that,’ noted Magnus, and at Hans’s scowl, he shrugged. ‘I say this because you must treat people how you wish to be treated. That applies to both princes and maids.’
Hans picked up the boots and placed them out of the way. ‘I suppose you are right.’
Magnus nodded and sipped his own drink. ‘Has she left?’
Hans smiled. ‘The Jewel left with Miss Sonja aboard, as per your decree. Her father isn’t happy about it, but he agreed to your proposal with some conditions.’
Magnus’s eyes narrowed. ‘What more could he want? His daughter is attending a princess of Thrudheim during her confinement, we have bestowed a great honour on his family and paid him plenty of silver in recompense.’ But Magnus knew that wasn’t entirely true—he’d also refused the match Sonja’s father had begged for, and he was probably furious with Magnus for changing his mind.
‘He wants Miss Sonja to return to Thrudheim for at least a month each spring.’
He blinked, almost choking on his brandy. ‘Why?’
Hans’s expression softened. ‘He says he will miss her.’
Magnus almost dropped his glass. ‘But the man was desperate to marry her off!’
Hans winced. ‘It seems Sonja’s father was more worried about her being unhappy, and also about the rumours…
the ones I inadvertently started by trying to make plans with her to visit Helga.
He was afraid I would leave her ruined and ostracised.
If that happened, she would be forced to go live with his family in Denmark.
He was set to refuse you when Sonja begged him to agree. ’
Magnus didn’t have the heart to reprimand his brother for his earlier mistakes. He had made plenty of his own. ‘I see. Then, I am happy to oblige. I will ensure passage to and from Norway whenever Sonja wishes to see her father.’
Hans grinned. ‘I had hoped you would say that.’ His expression sobered as another more worrying thought seemed to occur to him. ‘Do you think Helga’s husband will realise what they are?’
‘Probably,’ admitted Magnus. ‘And far sooner than I, I imagine.’
‘What makes you say that?’
Magnus sighed. ‘After Helga left, I learned all I could about her future husband. I hated that our father had sold her to a man so much older than her. But after months of investigations, I was comforted to learn that Fritz was not known to like women…any women, actually. He’d remained unmarried for most of his life, but after an argument with his nephew, he’d decided to take a wife in the hopes of having another heir for his fortune. ’
‘Do you think our parents knew?’ asked Hans slumping against the post of his bed.
How naive…but wouldn’t Magnus prefer that for him…to not know? No, he decided, better to confess it all.
Magnus’s hand flexed around his glass. ‘I would like to think our mother did. She knew that family well, and might even have put the thought in our father’s head.
I still do not forgive her for it, but I understand that she tried to protect us when she could…
But our father? He would have picked Fritz, an old and ugly man, purely out of spite.
I had succeeded in gaining Thrudheim’s independence, and he wished to punish me for outshining him.
He did that by punishing Helga. That was always his way. ’
Hans’s chin lowered. ‘I know. I never understood it.’
Magnus put aside his brandy, stood and turned to face his brother. ‘None of us did. He liked to pit us against one another. I do not want to do that…’ His throat tightened painfully, but he forced the words out. ‘I do not want you to hate me. I cannot bear it.’
Hans shook his head with a lopsided smile. ‘How could I hate you? I love and admire you. You’re my big brother.’
Relief washed through him like a tide, and Magnus grabbed handfuls of his brother’s waistcoat, lifting him from the bed and wrapping him in a fierce hug. ‘I am sorry!’ he sobbed, and Hans patted his back like Helga used to do after he’d been punished.
‘We’ve made it right. Helga won’t be alone anymore, and everything is going to be better. Have you made up with Selina? You will not do well without her, you know.’
‘I know, and I will,’ replied Magnus, realising his youngest brother was the wisest of them all.
Returning to his chamber, Magnus took out his own speech from his desk drawer. He had memorised it weeks ago, but tonight, on the eve of the coronation, alone in his chamber with only a brandy for company, he took out his quill and rewrote it.
This time making sure to express his true feelings.