Extraits

“You’re making a big deal out of nothing, Dad.”

I point at her. “The fact that you think so is exactly what concerns me.”

“The people will have no other side to be on, but mine. When I’m Queen, they’ll like it or as far as I’m concerned, they can piss the hell off.”

Wow. Holy shit—wow.

I gape at her.

This is how Obi-Wan must’ve felt when Anakin turned to the fucking Dark Side.”

“She’s nothing like we were at her age.”

“I know.” I reply, bewildered. “Every responsibility I give her, every duty—she absorbs like a sponge. She thrives off of it.”

“Mmm.” Nicholas grunts. “All your years of recklessness, all Sarah’s sweetness, and somehow you two managed to give birth to…”

“Granny.” I finish for him.

“Yeah.”

It’s the damnedest thing.

“She’ll make one hell of a queen, though.” Nicholas offers.

“She will.” I nod, with pride. But then I frown. “It sucks that I’ll be too dead to see it.”

My brother grins. ”

“Just because you can say something, doesn’t mean you should. You are the Crown Princess—your attitude reflects on all of us. You must behave,” I choke out the next word, “…properly.”

Then I glance at the ceiling and brace for the lightning bolt that’s sure to come down from the sky and strike me right in the arse. Because…the irony.

When it doesn’t come, I continue.

“You should be humble, Jane. Show gratitude.”

“When our children were young, Sarah and I decided against spankings, it wasn’t how we wanted to raise them. Now I’m thinking we were wrong in Jane’s case—she’s got too much of my petulant stubbornness. We probably should’ve beaten her, at least a little.”