A Nordic King(17)

But Amelie has a boyfriend she loves, a job she’s good at, friends, family, the amazing city of Paris. She’s got a whole life here and it’s a good one. There’s no reason for her to take off. She doesn’t have to live out of a suitcase.

I clear my throat. “You know you can visit me at any time. Or I’ll come see you.”

“Are you sure about that? I’ve seen your contract. You only get one day off a week, Sundays. And you know from personal experience, that you’re rarely going to get that day off. Plus I don’t think they’ll let just any person meet up with you. I’d have to go through many security checks I’m sure.”

I hadn’t thought about that. I suppose to anyone else it could put a real dent in their social life. Luckily I don’t have one.

“You can always say you’re there on behalf of the company. You know, making sure everything is up to code.”

“Exposing the wrongdoings of the Danish royal family.” She laughs, getting out of her chair as she grabs her pack of cigarettes from the table. “I’m going out for a smoke, I’ll be back.”

I watch as she goes, standing out under the lights of the bar as people walk to and fro, darkness falling fast, the lights of the passing cars lighting the stone buildings in a dreamy way. My heart pinches, just a bit, and I don’t even know why. I feel like I’m missing some piece of me and this job is going to either move me further away from it.

Or closer to it.



*

“Aurora, welcome,” Maja says as I enter through the side palace doors and into the foyer. “How was your flight? I’m so sorry I couldn’t be there to meet you, there’s been so much to do today. I hope it wasn’t any trouble finding Henrik.”

I glance up at Henrik, the driver, as he walks past me with my giant suitcase and duffle bag in tow and give him a grateful smile. “No, he was waiting for me at arrivals. I recognized him right away.”

I didn’t think much of Henrik the first time I met him. I expected he wouldn’t speak English and that the ride from the airport would be filled with silence. But the guy talks almost as much as I do. He mainly talked about his family (he’s thirty-two, has a wife and kid, wants to go back to university) but I have a feeling he’s a gossip. He already gave me the low-down about the King’s driver and I know in time I’ll be able to get all the dirty details about the King himself. I can be very persuasive.

“Good,” Maja says, and if I’m not mistaken she seems a little jumpy and nervous. She quickly pivots toward Henrik and calls after him in Danish. Then she gives me a quick smile. “I must remember to speak English more around you, otherwise it might be seen as rude. I was just telling him to put your items away in your room.”

“No worries,” I tell her. “I’m the one who needs to be picking up Danish, and fast. It’s only luck that so far everyone has been fluent in English.”

“Aside from the older generation, you’ll find most people here in Copenhagen speak English, and certainly in the palace. They might be a little, how do you say, self-conscious about it, but they will understand you very well.” She presses her palms together and nods toward the hall. “I know I gave you a quick tour last time but I doubt you were able to take any of it in. Perhaps I should show you around and make introductions to the staff, and then we can get started on the paperwork.”

It feels like the first day of school already and instead of telling myself to be cold and indifferent like I was with King Aksel, I tell myself to be warm and respectful to everyone I meet.

It’s not so hard when I’m introduced, yet again, to Henrik, or to Karla, a cook, or Agnes, the head housekeeper. They’re effortlessly polite and welcoming, reminding me a bit of the animated staff in Beauty and the Beast. But you know, actual people.

Then I’m brought upstairs to the second level to meet Johan, King Aksel’s driver, the one Henrik told me about. According to Henrik, Johan is a sleepwalker that I’ll probably see roaming about the palace in the middle of the night. He also looks—and speaks—an awful lot like Lurch from the Addams Family. I make a mental note not to scream my head off if I run into him walking around like Frankenstein at one a.m., though I won’t make any promises.

Finally, Maja takes me to the administrative offices down at the end, near the King’s office. She knocks on his door and I try and prepare myself to see him again, only there’s no answer. Can’t say I’m not relieved.

Then the door across the hall opens and a tall, skinny man with a deep-set brow and pale blonde hair strolls out, dressed in a sharp suit. He looks vaguely familiar so I figure I must have seen his picture somewhere during my spying spree.

“Nicklas,” Maja says to him and says a few words in Danish before she switches to English. “Do you know where he is?” She gestures to me with a firm nod. “She has papers to sign.”

The man, Nicklas, glances at me, and if I thought Aksel’s eyes were cold, whoo boy, one glance at this guy is like staring right at a White Walker. “Han er g?et i seng,” he says firmly before he turns on his heel and stalks off.

I glance at Maja, my lips pursed in surprise. “Did he just tell you off?”

She manages a smile and sighs. “No. Well, perhaps. That’s Nicklas. I would have introduced you but he’s…”