“We did and I stand by that, but it doesn’t make the danger any less significant. I’m really glad Solange is helping out at the school because it frees up Jonas to do more than computer stuff.”
“That’s partly what I wanted to talk to you about.”
He met my gaze. “Sure. Shoot.”
“We, uh…” Damn, why was I nervous? “I want her to move in with me.”
“Not wasting any time, huh?” His tone was light and he was smiling, but he was right.
I looked away, gazing out the window. It was hard for me to talk about things like this. “It’s been pretty intense. She’s special.”
“Well, you don’t need my permission.”
“No, but if I want her to stay here at the palace with me, I figured there was some kind of protocol.”
“She’s already been vetted so now it becomes a matter of whether or not she’s going to continue to work at the school and the logistics of that. Otherwise, I’m happy for you, man.”
“Thanks.” I finally turned to him. “Am I crazy? It’s been a hot minute, and I’m in love with her. She’s this amazing combination of innocent and experienced. She has great instincts, and she’s so curious about everything, but she’s also extremely intelligent and has a good dose of common sense.” I turned away. “It scares the shit out of me.”
“Which part? Loving her or her excitement about the world or what?”
“Maybe all of it? I pride myself on being analytical, making sure I look at a situation from every angle to make sure I have options. With Solange, I’m jumping in headfirst and it’s…not like me.”
“Love isn’t a mission and Solange isn’t a target. Precision and analytics aren’t the skills you should be tapping into with the woman you love.”
“But that’s what I know.” I knew about women and sex, but I’d never been in love, not like I was starting to feel about Solange, and now that I’d asked her to move in, I was second-guessing everything.
“Panic mode is setting in, huh?” Sandor smiled and walked over to a sideboard, pouring himself a drink. “Well, get used to it. It pretty much sticks with you with every new phase. Lennox and I were good until I used the L-word. Then I panicked big-time. The next time it happened was right before the wedding. Now I’m about to lose my shit thinking about her carrying my baby for the next eight months or so. I’m sure the first time I look into that kid’s face, it’ll be a whole new level of panic.” He took a drink and then smiled. “But I wouldn’t trade it for anything.”
“So how do you get past the panic?”
“Push through, man. Just take a deep breath and remind yourself why you’re there. Why you’re with her.”
“Then I guess I’m going to move her in with me.”
“I look forward to getting to know her better.”
“Who do I talk to about getting some new furniture ordered?”
“Tell Jesper what you need and he’ll hook you up with the right people.”
“Thanks.” I headed for the door. “I’ll let you get back to your Sunday. See you in the morning.”
“See you later.” Sandor hesitated and then called after me. “Make sure you know what you want, Axel. Women like her are the kind you keep, not the kind you play with. Especially not here in Limaj.”
I froze. Solange had warned me of this, the old-fashioned thinking, and I’d forgotten about it until now. I turned back to him. “She said something about preparing myself for the inevitable questions about marriage. Is this a decision I have to make now?”
“No, but her parents are going to talk to you about it and that was the point of my warning. Lennox is American, so it was a little different for me, but Solange is a native, and what? Twenty-four? Her family is going to be thinking in terms of finding her a husband now that she’s in a big city, and more than that, the fact that she has access to the royal family. I know exactly what her parents are thinking—they’re probably angling to set her up with Daniil.”
My mouth fell open. “Really?”
“Absolutely. So now that you’ve stepped in and essentially made it so no one else can have her, the expectations are going to be high.”
“Am I making a mistake?” I asked him. “I’m crazy about her, but it’s been like five minutes… I’m not ready to marry her. We might move in together and realize we can’t live together or the newness wears off and we don’t have anything in common.”
“Do you believe that?”
“No, but it’s possible. And, honestly, I’ve never planned to get married. I might make an exception if this works out, but it’s way too soon to know.”
He scratched his chin. “I need to ask you something personal, and you don’t have to answer, but it makes a difference in the advice I give you.”
“Shoot.”
“Was she a virgin?”
I sighed. Jesus, that was personal as fuck. But Sandor was a friend and he knew his country and the customs better than I did. My silence spoke volumes so I didn’t have to say the words and he responded in kind.
“She was,” he said knowingly. “Her parents are probably horrified and—”
“Actually, they’re not,” I said. “She told me her mom thought she needed to stop sleeping with so many men before she gets a reputation. Meaning her mom had no idea she was still a virgin, and Solange didn’t correct her because her feelings were hurt that her mother thinks that about her.”
“Well, you dodged a bullet there, but I’m telling you—marriage is going to be expected. You need to back out now if you don’t think that’s the direction you’re going.”
“I’m not not going in that direction,” I protested.
“Look, as long as you and Solange are on the same page, it shouldn’t be a problem. There will always be gossip and her parents will probably be a pain in the ass, but this is your relationship, not theirs. Do what you think is right, just keep these underlying expectations in mind.”
His phone buzzed and he dug it out of his pocket with a frown. “Shit. There’s trouble in Vinake. Emergency security briefing.”
27
Solange
With Axel called away to an emergency meeting, I had time to myself and I decided to go visit my parents at the inn. I hadn’t been there in over a week and wanted to see what they’d done to it, not to mention spend a little time with them. I figured I was in for a lecture, but that was okay. I could handle it. There were some wonderful things happening in my life and I hoped my parents would eventually be happy for me.
I tried to call for a taxi but the guard at the front gates said that wasn’t allowed and before I knew it, one of the palace staff was driving me to the inn. It was an odd feeling to have those kinds of conveniences available to me, and even easier to get used to.
I walked through the unlocked front door of the inn, calling out to my parents.
“Solange!” Mama looked up from where she was kneading dough in the kitchen. “Samuel, look who’s here.”