by Cheryl Oblon
I grabbed a piece of fruit. “You’re good at this.”
“Mother gave me plenty of tips and tricks over the years. I’ve never had a chance to use them before. Glad to help. But remember, don’t eat too much now. You have to eat a bit so you don’t look like you don’t like the food or people might get nervous.”
“What? They’d think it’s poisoned?” I joked.
“They might. You have to strike the right balance. Did things go okay with the queen?” Marel asked.
“Well enough. I don’t think the sleepwalking helped me look very stable and sane, though.” I finished the fruit.
“One vision sending you out at night won’t make a difference in the long run. Better that than you might’ve been freeing your aunt and father but Nemal caught you.” She added a few beaded barrettes to my hair.
“I wouldn’t have done that.” I brushed on some makeup to even out my complexion. I needed more sleep tonight.
Marel sighed. “Good. Next time, ask Nemal, and he’ll take you. Then he’ll explain that you just wanted to make sure your father was being given enough food and water if someone finds out. Court is a game.”
“It is. I want to go home.” I dropped the brush and snapped my eyes shut to hold back the tears.
“I’m sorry. You know you can’t. Not now. The guard outside is gone, so that’s an improvement. I’m sure they’ve got computer surveillance on the door, but it looks better for the Bachal if the queen trusts you. You’re making fast progress.” Marel sounded so positive I wanted to believe her.
I asked, “What about you? Anything on Simma?”
“I haven’t had much of a chance to put out discreet inquiries yet. She moved out to the country years ago. That was the last I heard. She might be dead, but I will find out.” Marel shrugged.
“She’s not dead. A powerful spell caster like that would’ve been honored. You’d have that information already. Please do what you can,” I asked.
“I will. You go, and try to enjoy lunch.” She nodded to the cheese and bread on the tray.
I ate some more just to keep my hands busy. I wanted to discuss my aunt’s accusation about Simma with Marel, but I had no idea if it was true. Same sex relationships weren’t illegal or even taboo in our country. They were legal and widely accepted, but in royal circles they were frowned upon. Traditional procreation and marriages were preferred.
Other countries, like the Bachal, weren’t as accepting as we were. Genetic assistance in reproduction might call into question the line of inheritance if the egg were donated or a daughter were created using DNA from two men. It was tradition versus technology. Genetic assistance was normal in our world, but the monarchy had avoided it in the first house thus far.
If it were true about my mother and Simma, Mother had denied herself to have me and preserve her position. My head ached. I’d never seen or heard anything that led me to believe my mother preferred women. It was true, my parents never acted overly affectionate. Or even slightly affectionate in front of people, but not everyone was the same.
They were always very independent individuals, and I’d been proud of that. Not one of those couples that always had to be together, they had their own interests and work.
“You’re lost in thought,” Marel said.
“I am. Whatever you find on Simma, tell me. All of it. The good, bad, and personal. No matter what it is.” I wanted the truth. It seemed like I knew my own family less and less.
The luncheon took place in the solarium. The wonderfully large room full of windows also contained a variety of plants. Knowing Minnette wouldn’t be attending removed any stress from the event, and Marel’s good advice meant I wasn’t pouncing on the food.
We mingled and chatted. Nemal kept an extra eye on me as the Bachal male twin asked all about the Queen’s Guard. LeFawn and I had the princess in conversation.
“That is a very functional tunic,” I said to the Princess Evangel.
“Function is more important that fashion. Why have you gone back to skirts?” she asked.
“It’s not all the time. It’s more for royal formality. Fashion depends on your job. What you do dictates how you dress day-to-day.” I’d preferred shorts while gardening and digging around my estate as a little girl.
LeFawn jumped in. “Dresses are more comfortable for some and show we aren’t in a physical labor job. Or that we don’t need to fight or expect any confrontation.”
“Plenty of women don’t wear dresses at all. It’s matter of choice.” I nodded.
“Except here at the castle. They tried to tell Mother and I we should wear gowns.” The princess laughed.
“I’m sure they meant for the balls. There are protocols for everything. I’m sure it’s just their way. Your sash is decorated with gems. I’m sure that’s not an everyday tunic,” I said.
I probed her mind a bit as Evangel went on about the function and practical aspects of their wardrobe and life. It seemed very primitive. I sensed she wanted a fight. Wanted to conquer and take what we had.
When there was a lull, I couldn’t help myself. “I thought all the women were homemakers. The gender roles are quite strict. But you seem ready for battle.”
LeFawn shot me a look that said I was pushing.
Princess Evangel’s back stiffened a bit, but she didn’t really seem offended when I read her mind. “Women are limited. Raising children is the most important role. We also farm and protect the homes when the men are off in battle. So many of us train to protect our children and the elderly if the time comes.”
“That makes perfect sense. If you have children, you have to protect them.” LeFawn smiled.
“Yes, very sensible. I’m sorry; this is my first time with the negotiations and meeting Bachal’s royal family. Learning from each other is part of it.” I didn’t detect any offense, but it couldn’t hurt to be sure I was understood.
“Very true. My father has never brought me before, but I feel much the same way. If we don’t talk and understand, then it’s harder to keep the peace.” She nodded.
The food was brought in and we took our seats. Remmy again monopolized the crowned prince. I had to interrupt this, or it’d become obvious and a topic of gossip.
“Your Majesty, I believe you’re stuck with me for dinner tonight. I hope you can bear it.” I flirted with the best of them when I tried. Normally, there was no point. My small class at school all knew each other too well. Those who fit each other would pair off. Others flirting would be obvious and embarrassing. Here, I could do my best and say it was all in diplomatic efforts.
“I assure you, I’m looking forward to it. A pretty young woman is a welcome relief to my father’s endless guards and training.” He leaned toward me rather than toward Remmy, for once.
“They should let the women train with you, and you’d have someone to flirt with there,” Evangel said.
“Traditions exist for a reason,” Tantil shot at his twin. “There aren’t women in the Queen’s Guard.”
“Actually, there are. Several. The bulk of the military is male, but there are no regulations separating them.” Nemal’s tone was matter of fact.
I smiled at him. “The options for both genders here are open, so simply a matter of personal preference of the individual.”
“Keep the people happy in their work, and they work harder. Education and opportunity,” Remmy said with pride.
“Absolutely,” I said. “One of the queen’s cousins has been attending me, helping with things, and she is the most marvelous artist. That might be a hard or odd career, but she’s able to be of use to the court and help people while painting and drawing in her spare time. It’s not a perfect system, but it’s very workable.” I didn’t want to put down their way of life, but their princess seemed rather unhappy.
I also didn’t want the princes to think women ruled all, and the men were nothing here. That was equally wrong.
“You’re the ruler of
the fifth family?” Prince Faldar asked me.
“I am, yes.” I bit my tongue to keep from explaining my mother’s death and how recent I was to the position.
“If you had an older brother, would it have gone to him?” he asked.
“No. There are five positions only women can hold. Rulers of the five families. It’s to avoid war like we learned so much about in our history.” I looked him in the eye. He was sparring with me.
“So, men are the cause of all war?” he asked.
“Men are competitive, proud, and more physical. They get bored and commit violence,” Evangel answered.
“I wasn’t asking you,” Faldar shot at his sister.
“Not all men want war,” Nemal added.
I shared a look with Nemal and kept any comment about him being part of the Queen’s Guard to myself. If men didn’t want war, why were more guards and soldiers men? “Of course not. Power is dangerous. Power and competition can be deadly. Women and men are different; their tendencies and strengths aren’t the same. In no way are the rules meant to belittle men but to keep the peace. Like bringing back the monarchy system, which both of our countries did. It invests a responsibly in a family. You’re born understanding that your life is tied in with your country. It’s not about buying an election or making false promises. You’ll be held accountable by your people until the day you die, and history will judge you. It ups the stakes and the standard of our leaders, I believe. We’ve lived in peace so far, so it must be working.”
“To peace.” Remmy lifted his glass.
“Peace.” Faldar smiled at me, but his eyes went to Remmy quickly.
I looked over at Nemal, and he grinned at me. Had I saved myself or opened inappropriate topics? Evangel was intrigued by our ways. Envious of the options women had here. Tantil hated it. The younger prince idolized his father and wanted no other views.
Faldar was, by far, the most complicated of them all. He saw both sides. A true leader, and I sensed no violence or hate in him. His father might be harsh and a bully, but his son would be an excellent king one day.
I ate a bit but kept the conversation flowing in calmer directions. I wanted to see one of them shift. Tantil was a griffin shifter. Evangel was a dolphin or mermaid, I couldn’t quite tell, but it required water. Faldar was a dragon. I’d met a few shifters but had never seen it actually happen.
As I sipped my water, I felt eyes on me again. Glancing slyly, I saw it was Nemal staring at me. His intent gaze made me want to squirm in my chair. I tried to read his thoughts and emotions, but the man was a jumble. No doubt he had orders to keep an extra eye on me after what I’d done last night. To look out for more trances or any odd behavior. I ignored his stare and focused on being very pleasant and as normal as possible.
Chapter 14
Seated behind the queen, I kept my mouth shut and my ears open at this gathering. Formal negotiations were not the place for me to get brave. I probed the mind of the king’s brother. He’d definitely been the one to break in to the dungeon. Off and on, he glanced at me, and I wondered if he’d seen me.
On the Bachal side, the crowned prince sat behind his father and uncle. He smiled at me, and I wasn’t sure quite how to take it. I’d get a chance to talk to him later, but he’d be in Remmy’s company, so I could casually join in and slip away without intruding.
I ignored the scornful glances of Minnette as much as possible. There was no point in giving her any attention or ammunition. Sitting next to her was painful enough. On the other side of me sat Dagot, a shifter who’d grown up in our country. There was a small percentage of shifters who lived in Lazrel, mostly females who’d fled Bachal with their children. Dagot was part of the Queen’s Guard, but here he was monitoring the situation. Our shifter population worried the Bachal would one day demand their return. Much of the public wanted Dagot to run for some office. But there were no offices. The world was too complicated.
“You seem to continue to enjoy peace and abundance,” the king said.
“Living in balance with the Earth is something humans and magical beings needed to learn. We don’t overuse the soil or overhunt the animals,” the queen replied.
“If that’s an accusation of what we’re doing—” Savan cut in.
“I’m sure that’s not what Her Majesty meant.” Ambassador Cliter jumped in.
The queen’s perfect posture remained. “I’m not accusing you of anything. I have no idea how your crops and herds are. I’m only concerned with our own. But after the great wars centuries ago, we don’t want to run out. We don’t want wars again.”
“We’ve avoided them so far,” the king replied.
“Then we should leave things as they are. Renew the agreement without any alterations.” The queen nodded.
“Unfortunately, that will not be possible. The trade we need from Lazrel is much more than in the past. We’re not having the harvesting luck,” the ambassador added.
The ambassador was trying to keep the peace. I felt his good intentions, but he feared for his life if the king didn’t come away with what they needed. I reviewed my luncheon. The princes had been eating like they were starving. I’d been so focused on reading minds and not eating too much or saying the wrong thing that it had slipped by me—at every meal I’d been with the Bachal, they ate like they hadn’t been fed all day.
The princess had eaten with less vigor but cleaned her plate and had seconds. Yet the girl had no meat on her bones. Rations had to be slim if the royals weren’t being well fed. No wonder they’d insisted on negotiations being held here again. We had more. We showed it off. We had the power, but we didn’t want to fight.
That seemed to be the key problem. We needed to show our strength and military might as well. Was that what Savan had been testing by heading to the dungeons? Had he been looking for spies and traitors or just testing the security? How low was our guard?
Too low, in my very young opinion.
I looked around the room and missed Nemal. This was something I wanted to talk over with him before I broached it with the queen. That might be against protocol, but I’d rather look silly in front of him than her. Even if I had a steep learning curve.
“So you want to trade more meat or more weapons for our crops?” she asked.
“Meat is in short supply, too. We’ve been making do. Our troops are in need of fresh supplies.”
The queen was unimpressed. “Troops? You’re at war with someone?”
“No, no wars yet. But we’re always ready to help our allies and defend our borders. We can offer you support and protection. Security in exchange for supplies.” The king made it sound like a grand gesture.
“We aren’t at war with anyone. You’ve never come to us with such an offer. The treaty keeps the peace and borders safe. The trade is a bonus but not necessary. We’re happy to let that part of the negotiation drop.” She tapped her tablet.
I liked how the queen was playing it. Aloof to the veiled threats. She had no fear. The king grew agitated as he glared at those along the wall.
“You’ll have excess, and it’ll go bad,” the ambassador suggested.
“Nonsense. We’ll have a more vegetarian year and allow the herds to grow. Take only what animals need to be taken and raise more livestock. One never knows what’ll happen next year,” she replied.
“We need those supplies. We will come to terms.”
“Agreeable terms or none at all,” she countered.
“I have troops. Many more than you,” the king threatened.
“You know the extent of my army and air force? I highly doubt that,” she said.
“We’ve seen your guards in action,” Savan piped up. “I could’ve freed all your prisoners last night and killed a dozen guards. That little girl spooked me, or I’d have handled her, too.”
He stared right at me.
“The Queen’s Guard is not our armed forces. A common mistake. They provide only security for the cast
le and royalty. The armed forces serve everyone. They are far more numerous and less considerate of guests or intruders. But I dislike this direction of discussion. Veiled threats aren’t a good way to start off. Perhaps you need to reassess your assets and what you can offer. I am interested in lasting peace and fair trade. Or no trade, at all, is fine as well.” The queen stood.
Everyone else stood as well. The queen turned to leave the room, then paused.
“My eldest daughter recently accepted a marriage proposal. There will be a ball to celebrate her engagement tomorrow night. You’re all invited, of course. Hopefully, we can celebrate and find common ground in a happy future.” The queen nodded.
The room applauded.
I leaned over. “Congratulations,” I said.
Minnette smiled wide, but her eyes told me what she thought of my sentiment. I had no idea why she resented me or hated me the way she did. She had the power and now the man, so she’d have children. I could still be declared insane, if my mother was.
The princess could show some grace and kindness to the less fortunate. I pushed past her surface emotions and realized she was under pressure and not handling it well at all. Her mother was still alive and handling the big things. What had Minnette so terrified?
Before I could dig deeper, we filed out, and key advisors swarmed the queen. I was on the outside, and Minnette remained close to her mother, of course.
Marel waited in the hallway. “Did you speak to the queen?”
“No, I sort of got pushed out. Too many people and the engagement. I’m sure she’ll call for me when she’s ready to discuss. Minnette makes it hard to be in there.” We walked toward our rooms.
“Engaged to that suspect commoner. She’s probably thrilled. She’ll look like the princess of the people.” Marel pouted as we strolled.