Moments later, Mom and Josie and all the other ladies were outside, slipping off their shoes and demanding a turn.
Someone alerted Dad and my brothers to the game, and Kaden showed everyone what a superior athlete he was. Mom and Dad stood off to the side, arms around each other. The Selected boys patted one another on the back, and Ahren snuck away with Camille, kissing her every step of the way.
“Go, Henri!” I yelled when he came up to bat. Erik sneaked up beside me and joined in.
We were both a little too dignified to jump around, but we pumped our fists in the air.
“Isn’t this great?” I said. “I love that he can just play without worrying about words.”
“Me, too,” Erik agreed. “And I can’t believe you hit that ball!”
I laughed. “I know! It was completely worth getting my dress dirty for.”
“Agreed. Is there anything you can’t do?” he teased.
“Plenty,” I said, soberly thinking over my many faults.
“Like what?”
“Umm . . . speak Finnish?”
He laughed. “Okay. So one thing. That’s forgivable.”
“What about you?”
Erik looked around. “I couldn’t run a country.”
I waved my hand. “Trust me, if I can learn to do it, anybody could.”
Mom rushed up, embracing me. “This was a great idea.”
“The boys did it,” I explained. “I happened to be in the right place to get an invitation.”
I looked past her, watching Dad walk up to the plate.
“Go, Daddy, go!”
He lifted his arm, pointing into the distance, and Mom shook her head. “Not gonna happen,” she mumbled.
As she guessed, he completely struck out. We clapped for him anyway, celebrating as the game continued on, with no one keeping score.
For just one moment we were happy. My family and friends swarmed around me, laughing and clapping and enjoying the sun. Mom wrapped me up in another hug, kissing my head and telling me how proud she was of my hit—though I didn’t even try again the whole time. Osten ran in circles, disrupting things and making everyone laugh. Josie had stolen one of the boys’ dress shirts and was wearing it open over her dress, looking silly and completely delighted.
It was a bubble of pure joy.
There were no cameras around to capture it, no reporters to tell the world about it. And for some reason, that made it so much better.
CHAPTER 32
I WANTED TO LIVE IN that place, to forget about all the worries hanging over my family, threatening to drop at any moment. But the peace was gone by dinner. Some of the Selected boys who missed out on the game were complaining that they should have been told about it. The ones who were present, they claimed, had gotten an unfair amount of additional face time with me, and they were asking for some sort of group date for them.
They elected Winslow to tell me this, and he stood in front of me with puppy dog eyes relaying the collective dejection of the group. We were outside the dining hall, where he caught me as I was heading back to my room.
“We’re simply asking for another group date to keep things fair.”
I rubbed my temple. “It wasn’t exactly a date. There was no planning involved, and my family was with me for most of it, including my younger brothers.”
“We understand that, and we’re willing to do any planning if you’ll agree to come.”
I sighed, frustrated. “How many people would it be exactly?”
“Only eight. Ean asked not to be included.”
I smirked to myself. Of course Ean wanted nothing to do with a bunch of boys grumbling about more time. It made me wonder if I should go grab him right now for a date simply to make a point. I suspected he’d hoped for just that.
“You organize the date, and I’ll do my best to make time for it.”
Winslow beamed. “Thank you, Your Highness.”
“But,” I added quickly, “please pass along to the others that griping like this does not elevate my opinion of you. If anything, this is a bit childish. So you’d better make this the date of your lives.”
Winslow’s face fell as I walked past him and up the stairs.
Two more months. I could do this. Admittedly, there were as many lows as there were highs, but I sensed the worst had passed. I was feeling less intimidated by the boys after the game, and I felt sure I could give Dad the time he needed.
I still wasn’t quite certain what to do with my heart.
I rounded the stairs to the third floor, catching Ahren leaving his room. He’d changed out of his suit coat and into a vest, and I felt sure he was heading to Camille’s new suite.
“Do you ever stop smiling?” I asked, unable to believe his face could hold that pose for so many days straight.
“Not when she’s here.” He straightened his vest. “Do I look okay?”
“As always. I’m sure she doesn’t care one way or another. She’s as head over heels for you as you are for her.”
He sighed. “I think so, too. I hope so.”
It was like he was already gone. In his mind, he was in Paris, showering Camille with kisses and debating what to name their children. I felt him leaving me. . . . I wasn’t ready.
I swallowed, daring to say what I’d been deliberating over for a very long time. “Look, Ahren, she’s a great girl. There’s no denying it. But maybe she’s not the one.”
His smile finally faltered. “What do you mean?”
“Just that you might want to consider other options. There are so many eligible girls in Illéa that you’ve completely bypassed. Don’t rush into something that you can’t undo. If you and Camille broke up, it would be nothing. If you got divorced, we could lose our alliance with France.”
Ahren stared at me. “Eadlyn, I know you’re hesitant to fall in love, but I know how I feel about her. Just because you’re scared—”
“I’m not scared!” I insisted. “I’m trying to help you. I love you maybe more than anyone. I’d do nearly anything for you, and I thought you’d do the same for me.”
Every ounce of happiness left his face. “I would. You know I would.”
“Then, please, think about it. That’s all I’m asking.”
He nodded, running his fingers over his mouth and cheeks, looking concerned . . . almost lost.
Ahren brought his eyes to mine, gave me a tiny smile, and opened his arms for a hug. He held me tightly, like he’d never needed a hug so badly in his life.
“I love you, Eady.”
“And I love you.”
He kissed my hair and let me go, continuing on to Camille’s room.
Neena was waiting for me with my nightgown ready. “Any plans for the evening? Or do you want to dress for bed?”
“Bed,” I assured her. “But wait until you hear what these boys are doing now.” I told her about the demanded group date, adding that Ean had excused himself from it.
“Smart move on his part,” she agreed.
“I know. I keep wondering if that warrants a special date, just for him.”
“A real date or a spite date?”
I laughed. “I hardly know. Ugh, what am I supposed to do with all these boys?”
“Weed ’em out. Ha! I found a piece of grass we missed earlier.” She pulled the blade around for me to see before tossing it in the trash.
“That was so much fun,” I said. “I’ll never forget Mom’s face, hanging out of the window telling me to go for it. I was sure I was in trouble!”
“I wish I could have seen that.”
“You really don’t need to hide in my room all day. It’s always clean, and it doesn’t take too long for me to get dressed in the morning. You should come with me places, see more of the palace than this room and yours.”
She shrugged. “Perhaps.”
But I could hear in her voice that she was excited about the possibility. I wondered if I should train Neena for travel. It would be nice to have her with me next