Page 147 of Appointing

“You can take the tiara off now, Elin,” Mari said.

“Or, you can leave it on,” Ingrid said without thinking about it. “Up to you… I mean, if you wanted…”

Elin laughed a little and said, “I think I’ll keep it on for a bit.”

“Gross,” Sarah Anne said. “That’s my sister.”

“Andshe’sours,” Lillian added.

“No one’s making you all stay in here. There’s a party going on downstairs. Feel free to leave us alone anytime,” Elin replied.

“Is that an order, Your Majesty?” Christian teased.

“What areyoueven now?” Mari asked her brother.

“What?” he asked back.

“Well, you’re technically a Prince, but you’re not really, and you won’t be getting that Duke title, so…”

“I’m a Captain in the Royal Air Force,” he replied, standing up straight.

“That’s enough for you, isn’t it?” Lillian asked, as if just now realizing it.

He nodded. Ingrid looked over at Elin and kissed her on the cheek.

“How are you?”

Elin stared back at her and said, “Better now that it’s all over. I hate the whole ceremony thing. I want the job, but not the pomp.”

“The pomp looks good on you, though,” Ingrid said with a small nod to the tiara on top of Elin’s head.

“Can I take it off before we go downstairs if I promise to put it back on for you later?”

Ingrid smiled, and Elin kissed her.

“So, what’s everyone saying?” Mari asked. “And you two, stop kissing constantly while we talk about this.”

“Talk about what?” Elin asked, turning toward her sister and squeezing Ingrid’s thigh.

“What are the reporters saying about Ingrid? Does she have three heads or illegitimate twins yet?”

“I heard it was triplets,” Lillian teased.

Ingrid laughed. “None of the above. But, apparently, I was fired but invited today because I knew deep-dark royal secrets and blackmailed the family.”

Christian waved that off and said, “Must be a rookie reporter. I once had four girlfriends. I had one in Finland, one in Holland, one in Ireland, and I forget where they said the last one was from.”

“Germany,” Elin said.

“Yes, Germany,” He pointed at her.

“I once sexed up an entire party of lords,” Lillian said, shrugging a shoulder. “I wasn’t even there.”

“Oh, and I was disowned,” Mari added.

“That was a good one,” Lillian said.

“What about you?” Sarah asked Elin.