A Nordic King(12)

I put my hand on her warm cheek. “Freja? Tell me.”

“It’s the nanny,” Clara says, as if it was obvious.

I look at her sharply. “The one who was just here? What about her?”

All the more reason I was smart to get rid of her.

“You sent her away,” Clara says crossly.

“You mean the one from earlier, with the accent and…” Those eyes.

“The Goddess,” Clara clarifies.

“What?” Now I’m confused.

“She’s a goddess,” she repeats, lifting her chin. So much defiance. “We’re goddesses too. She taught us all about them. Not just our boring ones but the Greek ones. I’m a child of the sun god, Helios.”

Pretty sure that’s not true, I want to point out. Now she’s filling their heads with false information? I shake my head, sitting back up. “Why would she be talking to you about that? Wait. It doesn’t matter. She’s gone.”

Freja bursts into tears.

“Oh, sweetheart,” I say to her, putting my hands on her shoulders. “Did she scare you with that accent of hers and tales of gods?”

“Father,” Clara says impatiently. “Freja loves her. She’s the first pretty, kind, and smart lady you’ve brought here and we don’t want her to go.”

Oh, fucking hell. That’s what this is about?

“I’m sorry,” I say carefully. “She just didn’t seem like she was right for us. You understand?”

“No,” Freja eventually mumbles, snot blowing out of her nose, her face all red. “She told us she wanted to be our nanny and we want her to be our nanny and then Auntie Maja said she had to go.”

“Freja,” I try and explain.

“She was like Mama.”

Another hit to my heart, this time deeper, with a jagged instrument.

I can feel my face pale in front of them.

I look at Clara. “She reminded you of your mother?”

Clara shrugs. “Not me. Mama was prettier. But we really, really like her and we want her to be our nanny. Can you go send for her?”

This is not working out the way I wanted.

At all.

I hate disobeying my daughters.

“Clara, Freja, listen to me. The nanny, the prospective nanny—”

“Aurora,” Freja whispers.

“Yes.”

“The Goddess,” Clara chimes in.

I try not to roll my eyes. “Yes. Her. I really do think she’s better for someone else. Another family. Not ours. We’re so … special, you understand? We need someone just as special to take care of my princesses. Don’t worry though, we’ll find someone.”

Freja bursts into tears again. “That’s what you always say and I hate them all.”

For helvede.

“Father,” Clara says, “don’t make Freja cry. Don’t you think we’ve been through enough?”

I watch her little face in amazement. She has her mother’s features, that’s for sure, green eyes, golden hair, olive skin. Inherited her mother’s cleverness as well. She knows exactly how to get her way.

I’m not sure I have a choice in this matter.

Imagine a king being ruled by his princesses.

I let out a long sigh, closing my eyes.

I can’t believe I’m going to have to do this.

Maja will have to bring her back.

She may not even want the job after the way I treated her.

I may have to grovel.

I do not grovel.

When I open my eyes again, both girls are looking at me expectantly.

“Oh, fine,” I mumble.

“Yay!” they both cry out, jumping up and down and clapping their hands together excitedly.

Hmmmm. Were they really that upset to begin with? Or was this just another example of getting their way? That “mama” card seemed to come out of left field.

It doesn’t matter though. I’m their father. I’m the reason they need a nanny to begin with, the reason they don’t have a mother anymore. Giving them everything they want is the very least I can do.

And I know it will never, ever be enough.

Exhaling heavily, I pick up my phone and call Maja.

“Sir?” she answers.

“Are you still in the house?”

“I’m with Miss Aurora, on the way to the airport,” she answers rather tersely.

“Tell the driver to turn the car around and bring her back.”

“What?”

“You heard me.”

“But, sir, why? You said…” I can tell that Maja is probably eyeing the Aussie right now, trying to keep her from listening.

“I know what I said,” I snap. I let out a sigh. “Just bring her back. That’s an order.”

“Yes, Your Majesty.”

That last part sounded sarcastic.

“Is she coming?” Freja asks with big eyes. “Is she going to be our new nanny?”

I run my hand down my face.

Anything to keep them happy like this, I remind myself.

I just hope they don’t start making all my hiring decisions from here on out.

It’s a slippery slope.





Chapter 3