I run a hand through my hair. “He must be going out of his mind with worry…”
“We will, of course, make arrangements for your boyfriend to come here — after he’s been screened for potential security threats.”
“He’s not a security threat! And he’s not my boyfriend.”
“My mistake.” Those bushy brows quirk upward again. “It’s simply rare to see such devotion from a… friend.”
“Maybeyouneed new friends.”
His eyes gleam. “Now that we’ve settled the matter of Mr. Harding… I assume you have more items on your list of demands?”
“Right.” I straighten my shoulders. “My internship.”
“At Vasgaard University’s Center for Clinical Psychology.”
Again, I startle at his thorough knowledge of my life. “Yes.”
“A prestigious program.”
“Exactly. I worked hard to earn my spot there, and I won’t allow all of this—” I gesture around vaguely. “— to jeopardize it, especially when I’m this close to completing my degree. During this trial, I’ll need to continue my courses.”
“That’s not possible.”
I stiffen. “Just like that? No discussion?”
“Just like that.”
“So I have to takeprincesslessons and give up my real ones?” I scoff. “Absurd! I thought this was a negotiation!”
“To a certain point. However, we cannot guarantee your safety while you are wandering around unchecked a university campus.”
“No one even knows who I am,” I point out. “I’m not in danger.”
“We don’t know that for sure. We don’t have any definitive information yet about how the fire started; however, my head of security believes foul play was a factor. This is not yet public knowledge, but… someone hit Henry over the headbeforethe flames spread, and left him in his chambers to die. Which means this was no accident. It was an attack. It wasmurder.”
My eyes widen. I’d suspected that might be a possibility, but hearing it confirmed is still a punch to the gut. Linus suddenly looks every bit his age, all seventy-three years of life weighing down on him like an anvil.
“My brother is dead. My sister-in-law is dead. My nephew is lying in a hospital bed, clinging to life. This is not the time for taking undue risks, Emilia.”
“I understand that,” I murmur. “However—”
“No. My answer is final. Until we know whether this is an active threat, who the perpetrators are, and whether any other members of this family are targets, extra precautions must be taken. I will not have my daughter’s life put at risk over something that can easily be solved with a letter to the dean and a temporary hiatus from your coursework.”
The worddaughterhangs in the air between us, heavier than fog. I drop my eyes to the gleaming surface of his desk and do my damndest to ignore it.
“I don’t want to take a hiatus,” I whisper.
“Then we will enroll you in online classes.”
“And my internship?” I ask, lifting my eyes again. “How can I see patients, or practice therapy, or learn to diagnose from behind a computer screen?”
His head shakes. “The palace has many resources. Connections at every academic institution in the world. Should you decide to abdicate at the end of our trial, I will personally ensure you are settled in whichever field you choose to pursue.”
“But—”
“Emilia. On this point, I will not bend. I cannot.”
My hands curl into fists. I glare at the man across the desk — at the unyielding set to his shoulders and the firm press of his mouth — and suddenly realize where my stubborn streak comes from.