“I can see that pride, even with you, Keller, and Brimar,” I say. “Stubborn pride.”
From the corner of my eye, I watch Keller lower his head. Yeah, you hear that, Keller? Stubborn pride.
“So, you think pride got in the way of my mom coming back to Torskethorpe?”
Keller nods. “The fight with Katla was too damaging, and even though your mother loved this country, she desired more, at least at that moment. Katla trying to take that away didn’t settle well with her.”
“So, she fled,” Lara says. “And she never came back. And because Katla carries her pride close to her heart, she never reached out.”
“That’s why Mom only wrote to King Theo,” I say, remembering we spoke about this briefly.
“Correct.”
“That’s . . . that’s so sad.” I set my embroidery down and pull my knees to my chest. “I can’t believe that they’d let a miscommunication destroy their relationship like that. Think of everything they lost, of everything I’ve lost. I didn’t have any family outside of my parents, but coming here, there’s so much more that I could have been blessed with when I was younger. I’m not talking about the royal aspect, but more about having grandparents, having an aunt and uncles, even though they’ve all disappeared in different ways. Maybe . . . maybe if my mom had mended that relationship with Katla, things could have been different.”
“Possibly,” Lara says. “But you can’t focus on the what if.”
“Very true, I can only focus on the here and now.” I look between Lara and Keller and say, “I’m so glad you guys are here with me. I know that my decision weighs heavily on you, but you haven’t once pressured me or asked me what I’m going to do. You’ve shown me the history and the beauty of this country, but you’ve also shown me who I am and where I come from. My . . . heritage. And that’s priceless. It means so much to me.”
“If anything, we want you to just know your roots,” Lara says. “Even if you leave, at least you’ll be aware of the rich history of your ancestors and maybe pass down some of the traditions you’ve learned here to your future children.”
Keller is silent as my phone beeps with a text. I usually keep my phone up in my room, because I’m not using it much, but today is Timmy’s birthday, so I’ve been chatting with him. I also spent a good portion of time sending him deliveries through a meal delivery service so he knows that even though I’m not there, I’m still very much thinking of him.
I reach for my phone and unlock it to read the message from Timmy.
Timmy: Uh, girl . . . you’re famous.
Brows drawn together, I whisper, “What?” just as another text message comes in. It’s a screenshot of an article. It says: “Miami Bikini Wagon Owner, a Real-Life Princess.”
“Oh God,” I say as I set my feet down on the ground and lean forward.
“What is it?” Keller asks, his protective instincts kicking in at once.
I flash him the screen. “Timmy just sent me this article.”
Keller’s eyes zero in on the title of the article. “Fuck.” He stands from the couch and shouts, “Brimar, get out here.”
Dishes clatter in the sink and then Brimar rushes in, a towel draped over his shoulder. “What’s going on?”
“News broke out in the States.” He flashes Brimar the screen. “Her name and everything.”
“Shit.” He presses his hand to his forehead. “That means all of her information is floating around not only Torskethorpe, but the world.”
From his pocket, Keller digs his phone out and shoots off a text. As if he’s robotic, he moves around the room and opens his laptop.
“Is this bad?” I ask, worry etching up my throat.
“Yes,” Keller says, worrying me more. “Your privacy has just vanished.” His phone dings and he checks the screen. He then goes back to the computer, types away on it, and in seconds, a screen pops up and it’s King Theo.
I sit taller on the couch.
“Sorry to bother you,” Keller says.
“No, it’s quite all right,” King Theo says as he clears his throat. “Is Lilija with you?”
“Yes.” Keller brings the computer over to the couch and takes a seat next to me.
When I’m in view, I offer him a wave. “Hi.”
“Lilija,” he says, his voice growing soft. “I’m so sorry about this.”