because he said the beast needed the blessing more than he did.' Jimson's face appeared again. 'And while the leaders scold him, rail at him and hold him up as a bad example, the general populace adores him. He's more popular with the Army than anyone but the King. He is absolutely loyal to his older brother, mind you, and does not want the throne — '
'It would be too much work,' Lily said wryly.
'Possibly. He is willing to work hard when he sees a reason to. When part of the city burned down he was out there in the street with the fire brigades, and when it was out, he was known to climb up on ladders with a hammer himself. He is loyal to a fault, he always keeps his word when you can get him to give it, and as far as I can tell, he has never purposefully hurt anyone. But the King absolutely despaired of poor Theodore getting any recognition for his hard work and many talents as long as Leopold was around. So, he booted him out.'
For the first time since she had kneed him in the goolies, Rosa felt sorry for Leopold. It seemed a hard thing that he should lose his home and his place just because people liked him too much. After all, it wasn't something he could turn off.
Maybe he wasn't the sort of rake she had first taken him for.
'Since leaving, his popularity has continued to be more of a curse than a blessing,' Jimson continued. 'Although the fact that he hasn't mended his rather wild ways has not improved his position in the eyes of the various Kings and nobles whose daughters he has courted.' Jimson waggled his eyebrows. 'I must say, though, I am tempted to speculate that this is on purpose. Every one of those kings and nobles has offered him sums of money to go away as soon as their daughters began to demonstrate a real interest. If he really doesn't want to settle down...'
'I had the same thought myself,' said Lily.
'I would shrug, but I have no shoulders,' replied Jimson. 'At any rate, there you are. All I know about the gentleman in question. At the least, I would say, he is unlikely to seduce the chambermaids, although if they attempt to seduce him, there will not be much cleaning done in his room. He is otherwise, so far as I can tell, a polite guest. Riotous drinking will take place in taverns, which is where he will sleep it off. Fights will not be held on the Palace grounds. The Ladies of Nightly Entertainment will be entertaining away from the Palace. I do not think he could ever be recruited to harm the Princess. However, I cannot speak for him letting something vital slip while in his cups.'
Lily nodded. 'So, I do not believe that he should be entrusted with the fact that Queen Sable and Godmother Lily are one and the same.' She sipped her wine. 'Thank you, Jimson. You are, as ever, a wonder, and I do not tell you that nearly often enough.'
'Ever at your service, Godmother.' Jimson's face faded, and the mirror reflected the room again. 'I'd like to keep them here, Godmother,' Rosa said hesitantly. 'I see more reasons to extend our hospitality than reasons to send them on their way.'
'And I agree with you.' Lily replied, and was about to say more, when someone pounded on the door to the Queen's Chambers with a desperate urgency that made both of them jump.
'Doom!' trilled the bird, and flew out the window.
Chapter 8
Lily and Rosa stared at one another, as the pounding began again. There was
absolutely no doubt that whoever was out there was not merely knocking to see what he could stir up.
'Your Majesty!' a tired voice shouted. 'I bring urgent news of King Thurman!'
A Royal Messenger could be bringing good news — or bad. In either case, they needed to assume the roles of Evil — and possibly irritated — Stepmother and Rebellious — but cowed — Princess. Quickly Rosa composed herself and folded her hands in her lap. She watched Lily's expression completely vanish, leaving only the emotionless mask of Queen Sable. There was no need to do anything else, for not even here had she dropped the illusion of her disguise. When Rosa nodded, and schooled her own face into an expression of sullen unhappiness, Lily rose and passed through the private audience chamber, then opened the door.
A Royal Guard messenger, tired and covered in dust, all but fell inside. The servant who had accompanied him quickly backed away and hurried down the hall out of earshot. What Royal Messengers had to say was not for the ears of mere servants. 'Majesty — please, I beg you, you must at all costs summon the Prin — ' The Messenger stopped when he spotted Rosa in the other room, and nodded. 'Good. You are both here.'
Rosa knew then; she knew it by the man's white face and shaking hands. So, she expected, did Lily, who motioned her to come stand beside her. She rose from her seat and made her way slowly to the door. She did not have to manufacture an expression of dread. 'Go ahead,' Lily said, her voice steady.
The messenger took a deep breath and composed himself visibly. 'I bear grave news, and was directed to give it to your hands only. His Majesty, King Thurman, is no more. His physician believes the cause was natural, but he and the chief Magician of the Guard are testing to be sure. Before he died, he named you, Queen Sable, as Queen Regent until the Princess comes of an age to rule at twenty-one.' The messenger's voice was harsh; it was impossible to tell if it was from the dust of riding so hard and so fast, or from grief. Perhaps both.
Rosa felt strangely distant, as if this was happening to someone else. It almost felt as if she were an actor in a play, with all the lines memorized and the outcome predetermined. And of course, on one level...it was. The Tradition again. The beautiful orphaned Princess, besieged by enemies...was The Tradition now trying to force her down the path of being rescued by a Hero, or down the one where she became the spoils of the victor?
And it seemed strange, when she had wept so much for her mother, that she should feel so little grief for her father. Then again... she had known her father so little. It was her mother she had known and adored, her mother who had gone counter to every bit of protocol and acted as the nursemaid and teacher to her own child.
And now she was an orphan. Exactly as The Tradition would like it. With an Evil Stepmother who had been appointed guardian over her, and who would now answer to no one if she vanished. Perhaps The Tradition now wanted her to be bartered off to the enemy by that same Evil Stepmother, never to see her home again. Of coursethat Path was an ugly one, too. The Evil Stepmother would trade Rosa off in return for the enemy's promise thatshe would be crowned Queen of Eltaria for as long as she lived. Which would be — probably not very long, for The Tradition dictated treachery on the part of the enemy. Then the enemy would have both Kingdoms without a struggle. And Rosa would spend the rest of her life a virtual, if not an actual, prisoner.
It was a good thing that the Evil Stepmother wasn't what The Tradition dictated....
