the monegasque nodded, excused herself for a little while and walked to the kitchen, then returned with the coffee she had promised. she placed the cup on an empty tray, next to the sugar cubes and the milk. “ i wasn’t sure how you take your coffee, so i made it standard. if there’s anything else you’d like, please tell me. ” even though people said she was a great host, arielle never felt like one when strangers were in her house. she could hold an amazing tea party for her friends and family, but only because she was paying attention to the details and she knew them by heart. but with kristoffer? she didn’t know much about him.
in fact, she didn’t even want to know, not before she met him. she wanted to find out who he is as a person by herself, without being influenced by the news or other people’s opinions on him. “ it never stops, ” she replied with a short and tired sigh. “ it gets easier with time. i got used to it, my job has kept me up like this for the past two years. the only thing that changed is that now i’m not in business with other diplomats anymore, but with royals. and that’s not bad at all. ”
kristoffer was used to aides speaking to him formally, as though their very lives depended upon his favor, but not other royalty. he shifted slightly, his stance becoming more closed off. “i prefer it this way,” he replied, taking the mug gently and wondering how soon might be too soon to leave. if he made an excuse now, would that seem disingenuous? undoubtedly. perhaps he should have come with conversation starters in mind, anything in mind, this was tremendously painful.
he considered what she’d said quietly, considering that she’d been tasked with working as a diplomat for monaco, but found himself intrigued by the latter point. this made sense to him. “i suppose it’s more direct this way,” he nodded faintly, “striking deals with the royals themselves rather than diplomats.” kristoffer raised the mug to his lips and drank, the warmth of the coffee rushing over him. relax, he tried to remind himself. “i’m certain that you’re an effective diplomat. you make a lovely cup of coffee, a vital part of any negotiation.” there was just a touch of a smile on his lips and he allowed himself to take her in for a moment, two, and then he dropped his gaze politely.
she would’ve lied if she said she didn’t feel anything in her stomach when she faced the man she was about to marry. the princess told herself countless times that this is a hell of a deal for both monaco and her, but it didn’t make this any easier. she was marrying a stranger, after all. but if she wanted to make her life easier from now on, she had to set some rules. she hadn’t been forced to do this, it was her choice and she would never back down. she would not have expectations, this was a partnership, not a relationship and she had to make it work.
after he stepped inside, she closed the door. “ the pleasure is all mine. ” formality was easy for her, she did this everyday and it seemed fit to do it now as well. “ it’s alright, i was about to take a break from work anyway. would you like a cup of coffee? ”
his gaze held for a just moment longer, taking in the coffee cup and the scattered paper, before he finally worked up the courage to face her. arielle’s tone was just as stiff as his own, and he realized that this had been his fault. had he been more charming, warmer, perhaps she would not be so closed to him. first impressions were immensely important, and he knew that he’d blown this. was it too late to fix? or was this how the remainder of their lives would be? “if it isn’t too much trouble,” he replied with a little nod.
“it doesn’t stop here, does it?” he asked, shaking his head slightly. of course, kris had kept plenty busy back home in oslo, but this was an entirely different atmosphere. he found himself constantly conversing with allies and enemies, trying to make deals and negotiate, and after just a few days he’d found that he was exhausted. when was the last time he’d even slept? “i’m not sure how you’ve managed for so long,” he confided in her with the faintest flicker of a smile.
“Well hello, darling.” Mimi didn’t rise to greet him, instead leaning further back into the sofa, and crossing one bare leg over the other. She did offer him a smile, though; the smirking kind that didn’t quite reach her eyes as she looked him up and down. “Welcome home. –Leave us.” Any pretence of a smile fell away as she looked to the aide hovering over Kristoffer’s shoulder, the one who’d answered the door and shown him in to Arielle’s reception room. The aide looked between Mimi and Kristoffer nervously, like he wasn’t entirely on board with them being here without his mistress’ permission, but after a beat he nodded, bowed quickly, and hurried away. He’d heard enough from his friends among Mimi’s staff to know that he’d landed with the forgiving cousin.
“Don’t worry,” Mimi waved a dismissive hand, “you’re not marrying me. –But my cousin is, unfortunately, not available to greet you,” because Mimi had deliberately scheduled her a long, pointless meeting across the city, “so I thought you and I should…” She made a vague gesture, “make friends.”
kristoffer knew that he should be eager to meet his betrothed, but upon arriving in dubai he’d scarcely had a moment to think. there were negotiations to be struck, allies to woo, and enemies to keep a wary eye on. and, in truth, his excitement to meet arielle was mixed with something akin to dread. “what ifs” spun in his head until he realized that he’d been avoiding the meeting for far too long.
at long last, he’d arrived at the royal quarters for the monegasques. he knocked and scarcely had time to straighten his collar before the door swung open, revealing an unnerved staff member and a stunning princess. ah, yes, he’d studied up on the royalty of monaco and recognized princess dominique immediately. her dismissive nature toward the aide didn’t bother him much, he’d seen this sort of behavior since childhood, but there was something in her gaze that put him on edge.
a gentle laugh left him, and kristoffer felt his nerves recede slightly in response to her jest. “it is a pleasure to meet you all the same,” he replied, “princess dominique, isn’t it?” perhaps she was not his wife-to-be, but she would be family one day and he knew that it was important to remain on good terms with all of the monegasques. “in times like these, norway can never have too many friends,” he mused, and found himself wondering precisely what she meant... perhaps she was trying to protect her cousin. “what would you like to know?”
staying up all night was not something she enjoyed to do, but the large amount of work that needed to be done didn’t let her rest. the past week has been exhausting, coffee didn’t even make a difference anymore. still, she refused to let it show. her make-up was on point: her eyeliner was sharp as a knife and her lips were red, as usual. the only detail that gave her away were her eyes, the usual ocean color was replaced with a dull shade. after hearing the knock, the princess sighed and put her coffee away, then rose from her seat. she could use a break from work.
walking to the door, she straightened her posture. it was wishful thinking that a friendly face decided to pay her a visit. when arielle opened the door, she instantly recognized the foreign prince. her lovely husband-to-be. “ prince kristoffer, ” she politely greeted him and nodded her head in acknowledgement, then stepped aside. “ please, come in. ”
kristoffer felt his expression chill as the door swung open. his tutors had trained him to deny this instinct, but old habit got the best of kris as he came face to face with arielle. someday this woman would be the queen of norway. there was a strange whirl of emotion within him, of surprise at how perfectly she’d been made up and relief that she didn’t appear annoyed that he’d come late, but none of it showed in his expression. kris remained cool.
he hesitated briefly, considering whether he ought to step inside without any staff present, but pushed his hesitation aside for the time being. if she felt comfortable, he would oblige. “princess arielle, it is a pleasure to see you again,” he replied with a tight smile and stepped into her apartment. he took a brief look around, surveying his surroundings. “i apologize that it has taken me so long to stop by, i...” his gaze lingered on the coffee cup. “i hope i have not interrupted your work.”
introduction: prince kristoffer eric sønderburg of norway
&&. announcing his royal highness, ( kristoffer eric sønderburg ), the ( 34 ) year old ( crown prince ) of ( norway ). he is often confused with ( chace crawford ). some say that he is ( duplicitous & calculating ), but he is actually ( tenacious & charming ). ( kristoffer ) is arranged to marry ( taylor swift ).
hi! hi! i’m cleo, the mun behind kristoffer, and i am so excited to be part of this beautiful roleplay. i’m seriously loving the drama and depth of your characters on the dash and can’t wait to dive in. please feel free to message if you would like plots with kris or if you’d just like to say hello (important psa i’m packing everything i own and having some wine to go with, so these plots best be littttt). otherwise, like this and i’ll message you! now, more about norway’s exalted son.
the king and queen of norway only ever intended to have one heir. they hoped to pour their knowledge and affection into one child, and would see to it that they developed into the leader the country needed. when kristoffer eric was born, the family couldn’t have been more thrilled. as he grew, he proved to be strong and intelligent, and ideal heir.
life was perfect, for the little family. the king and queen demanded a great deal of their son, and he answered. since he was old enough to understand his role, he bore the full weight of his responsibility. one day, he would lead a nation. this balance was broken when the queen became pregnant once again. the queen was immensely unhappy with the news, and initially kristoffer was resentful of the unborn child. after all, it was at fault for ruining the family dynamic.
silje’s birth forced kristoffer to see another side of his parents. after meeting his sister for the first time, he found that he’d immediately developed a soft spot for her. she was an innocent. unfortunately, his parents didn’t have the same change of heart. as they grew, kris remained the heir held up on a pedestal, while his sister was treated as if she was lesser. the older he got, the more frustrated he became with the way that his parents treated his younger sister.
despite his frustrations, however, kris remained the perfect prince. though he was naturally a bit shy and soft spoken, he learned to be charming and laugh at the right jokes, and he used his perceptiveness to aid him in negotiation. as always, he takes his responsibilities as a royal very seriously, and is desperate not to let his people down.
in his free time, kris enjoys playing football (preferably as a striker). he’s also dabbled in hockey and skiing (cross country and downhill), and though he enjoys the physical stimulation, he’s never taken to any of the other sports to the same degree. when he’s alone, more secretly, he enjoys drawing scenery and faces. typically, he’s not one to show his art off.
the war has been at the forefront of kris’ mind for years now. as soon as he was of age, his family saw to it that he use his position, as prince, and his levelheadedness to help negotiate with their allies and calculate what would be done about their enemies. since that time, kristoffer has been away from home often, traveling across the world in the name of norway.
during that time he developed feelings for someone that was from an enemy country/already married/was of a lower class than he was (this is super open for plots, hmu if your character could fit here) he’d never really dealt with feelings for someone else before and he tried his damnedest to shut them in. ultimately, he told them what he felt and then pulled away, for fear of damaging his beloved kingdom and he has only ever seen them in passing, and avoided them, since.
when royalty was put into protective housing, the king of norway became sick. kristoffer was asked to stay behind to help manage the kingdom and to try his hand at leading the nation. he was successful given all that went on outside of his kingdom, and his people took to him. he tried his best to be a good host when the international royalty was in oslo, and still remained in norway once they’d left.
while he was hosting in oslo, he noticed a princess from monaco, and learned that she was not yet betrothed. kristoffer realized that this could be a fruitful match, further strengthening relations between monaco and norway (though he admits that a prince/princess/royal heir from a more powerful kingdom might be more beneficial). until recently, they’d never actually met in person.
at last, his father has gotten better and asked him to go to dubai to help negotiate, work with their allied nations, and to keep an eye on silje. kristoffer has only recently arrived and is still trying to get his feet under him.
dread threatened to eat him alive. since his arrival in dubai, kristoffer had known that he’d have to introduce himself to his betrothed, but he’d put it off until his absence had bordered on disinterest. that wasn’t it, however. were this any other social call, the prince would have handled it with practiced poise. he knew how to deal with dignitaries and diplomats, but this was not such a simple meeting. first impressions were immensely important. he’d marry this woman one day.
knock! knock!
the sound made his breath catch, and kristoffer found himself reaching for his tie, tightening it despite the choking feeling. he tried to force calm into his expression, but instead kristoffer appeared a bit icy and his faint smile was unconvincing. when the door opened, he stood looking every bit the part of the ice prince.
“ now explain to me again why did your father set you up with what’s her face ? because as far as i’m concerned, monaco doesn’t have shit to offer us. ” she asked, basically dropping her body on the couch while chewing on her pringles. they had money but that norway had to spare — enough that they were now lending it to france of all countries. “ i mean, we all know why i am in this mess but you ? wait, did you finally do something to piss him off ? ”
“ my father? ” amusement flitted over kristoffer’s features. “ no, i’m not taking sole responsibility for his bullshit. we share that burden. ” kristoffer thumbed absently through a recent report, his gaze flitting over the pages as if there was an answer inside. “ they’re an ally of ours, it’s politically sound. england or france might have been better, but... with the world at war, there’s no time to be choosy. monaco is small, sure, but well positioned. ” he’d had some say in choosing his betrothed, but he thought it best not to mention that to silje, not after what she’d been through. “ why? what do you know of her? ” her opinion was of the utmost importance, and now she had piqued his interest.
