Through the pane she could see her parents and Issy talking to each other. Whatever it was, they looked incredibly serious.
Her father leaned back against the wall and stared blankly at the floor in front of him with his arms crossed in front of his chest. Mumeleine sat on one of the tall stools, also with her arms crossed, but she stared at something on the tablein front of her.
Issy was at the end of the table in a chair. She slumped backward, arms crossed like their parents, but she appeared to be upset, as though she'd absorbed some upsetting information that they were still attempting to assimilate it.
From the other side of the table, Jacob moved into view. He rested his hands on the edge of the table and used them to hold himself up. His head hung as though he was more in line with Issy when it came to absorption of the information.
Should she interrupt? Or turn around and quietly leave? Let them tell her about whatever it might be later?
Before she could make up her mind, her father looked up and spotted her. He straightened and the others in the room turned in unison to look at her.
She walked toward the door, but before she reached it, they all walked out.
"Come here, sweetheart." Her father gave her a big hug.
"You're scaring me, Papa. What is it?" she asked as he held her tightly.
He didn't answer, but neither did anyone else. After a long moment, he released her, but still kept an arm around her shoulders.
"Let's go in here," Mumeleine said softly and turned into the conference room.
They sat around the table, but no one wanted to start the conversation.
"Someone tell me what's going on." Catherine did her best to use the queen voice she'd been attempting to perfect. It hadn't come nearly to the level of her parents’ Dad Voice or Mum Voice, but it was better than it used to be.
Mumeleine linked her fingers together and rested her arms on the table. "We've been doing some research in the History of Eastern Novigradia book."
"The one that let Papa marry you to be my regent?" Catherine confirmed.
With a nod, Mumeleine stared at the table. "We did some cross-checking we'd never done before and found another tidbit that seems to still be in effect."
Catherine looked from one to the other. "What? Patrick is really supposed to be monarch since I'm a girl?"
This time Mumeleine shook her head. "No. You're clear there. So is your father being your regent. This has to do with what happens when a young king or queen fully comes of age."
It started to become a little clearer why they were all anxious. It was less than a month until she fully came of age. "What is it? Do I have to commit to being single the rest of my life? Am I going to be removed because I don't have any children? Since I'm a woman, do I have to marry and let my husband run things?"
"None of those are exactly right," Papa told her. "But you're on the right track."
She looked at all of them again. None looked directly at her. "What is it?" she demanded again.
"It goes back to King Gilead I. He was underage. Another requirement was added to the restrictions on his reign, but because he died so young, none of it was ever enforced."
Mumeleine sighed deeply. "It appears they wanted to find a way to continue controlling Gilead I. They suspect they were going to make him marry the daughter of Gilead II's best friend."
"So they were going to force him to marry?" She didn't quite understand where they were going with this.
"It appears so," Papa confirmed.
"What does it have to do with me?" Her heart began to constrict.
Her parents shared a look. Issy stared at the table and swiped at her cheeks. Jacob didn't really look anywhere but seemed to stare blankly.
Papa leaned over and covered her handwith his. "If you're not married by the time you turn twenty-five and fully come of age, then your mum's eldest sibling will inherit the throne."
Catherine blinked. "Mum didn’t have any siblings, but she did have a cousin. That means Cousin Mary will be queen if I'm not married in the next month?"
Her parents both nodded.
