“Oh yes, Prince Kennet came all the way here from Storvatten to thank us personally for our help in sorting out their troubles,” Mina explained, and as she spoke, her hand went absently to her lavish necklace. “He wanted to extend his gratitude and strengthen the friendship between our tribes.”
“As I understand it, the troubles are still being sorted out,” I said carefully. “Storvatten is in great turmoil without a leader.”
“That’s all been sorted out.” Evert waved his hand again, nearly spilling his drink as he did. “The Prince is the King.”
I shot a look at Kennet, and the hair on the back of my neck stood up. When I’d left Storvatten, Lisbet had all but guaranteed that she would be appointed the ruler in Mikko’s absence. She had assured me that she would do everything in her power to get the position in order to ensure her and Linnea’s safety.
So how exactly had Kennet gotten the title? There was a chance the Skojare in charge of making the decision had thought it would be best if they stuck with the Biaelse bloodline and overruled Marksinna Lisbet.
But as Kennet barely stifled his smirk, I couldn’t help but suspect he’d fought Lisbet for the title.
“Acting monarch,” Kennet corrected him, which meant he had all the power but not the official title of King. “And only until my brother is exonerated.”
I stared at Kennet evenly. “What if your brother isn’t exonerated?”
“That would only be if he is actually guilty of everything he’s accused of, and if he is, he shouldn’t be the King.” Kennet sat up straighter. “It is still a terrible mess in Storvatten, you’re right, but we’re on the right path to figuring everything out and making it a safer place.
“And that,” he said, lifting up his glass, “is all thanks to you and the Kanin. So here’s to you.”
Mina hurried to grab her glass off the mantel and raised it in a toast. “Sk?l!”
“Sk?l!” Evert shouted, then proceeded to drunkenly spill his drink all over himself.
Mina looked at her husband with pity as he tried to wipe the alcohol off his shirt. “Oh, Evert, my love. Let me help you.” She rushed over, using the length of her dress to help dry him off.
“I don’t even know how that happened.” He shook his head in disbelief. “I don’t … I think I’m drunk.”
“I think you are, too, my King,” Mina said with a bit of a laugh and smiled up at him. “Why don’t we get you up to bed and into something dry?”
He reached out, stroking her face in a moment of tenderness that I hadn’t even known the King was capable of. “You’re so patient and beautiful. What did I ever do to deserve you?”
“All the right things,” she assured him, and then she stood up. “I’m sorry, but I hope you can excuse us both.”
“Yes, of course.” I bowed slightly.
“I’m sure Bryn and I can entertain ourselves in your absence,” Kennet said, wagging his eyebrows at me.
THIRTY-EIGHT
idyll
The very moment the King and Queen left us alone, Kennet leapt up from the sofa and bolted toward me. I had hardly a second to react before his arm was around me and his lips were on mine, but I put my hand on his chest and pushed him back.
“What are you doing?” I demanded, looking up into his startled blue eyes.
“Kissing you. Isn’t it obvious?” he asked like a guy who was used to taking what he wanted without any protests.
I pulled myself from his arm and stepped back from him. “I already told you. We’re only friends.”
“You’re saying you don’t want to kiss me, then?” Kennet asked with raised eyebrows. I turned away, walking toward the love seat. “Why not? You should at least offer me a reason.”
For one thing, I didn’t trust him. Not that I ever really had, but now with his new appointment as ruler of the Skojare and his bizarre drunken celebration with the King and Queen, I trusted him even less.
There was also the business of Ridley confessing his feelings for me, and the fact that I felt the same way, with the chance that something might be possible in the future—even the distant future. I didn’t want to muck it up by fooling around with a Prince, especially a Prince who was now acting as a King.
But the biggest reason was that I simply didn’t feel that way about Kennet. I liked him well enough, and he had been a good friend to me in Storvatten. But that didn’t mean I wanted to make out with him.
Not to mention all the other huge reasons why it was a bad idea: I could be demoted, fired, or even banished, and the risk of that was very high in Doldastam, since we actually had a functioning guard that would be able to catch us in the act.
“Well, you’re King, for one thing.” I turned to face him, offering the reason that seemed least likely to offend him. “Do you really wanna blow it all by messing around with some Kanin girl?”
“Technically, you’re not really Kanin,” Kennet corrected me, moving closer. “And you’re even technically royalty, since both your parents are. It’d be worth the risk.”
I stepped back from him. “You don’t even like me that much.”