“Yes, we have to. It will be a rush job, not as properly fancy as it should be, but we need to have you formerly decreed as regent before the other kingdoms show up demanding the position. You don’t need to do anything for the ceremony, Bora. Just sit at the front of the church where I direct you. When I call your name—the duchess’s name—come up and repeat the oath.”
“Not a life-oath?” I asked, sneaking a glance at Araceli. She was wiping a crumb off the princess’s face. Antonia smiled at her in return.
Donya snorted. “The world would be a different place if royalty swore real life-oaths to protect and serve their kingdoms. No, these are just words.”
“Can Araceli accompany me?” I asked. “She’s serving as my bodyguard after trying to assassinate me last night.”
“After what?” Donya shrieked. Whirling on Araceli, she growled, “You didn’t tell me that part!”
Huh, maybe I shouldn’t have said that. At least not in front of the child? But this ordeal was headache inducing, and I preferred to keep my number of lies to the minimum. “Relax,” I said. “We’ve settled that. She even swore a life-oath to protect me.”
Princess Antonia whispered to Araceli. “You finally tried to kill her? Don’t do that again. She’s nice now. I made sure of it! I helped!”
Araceli curtsied to Donya. “I’m Araceli, also called Ari, the rightful heir to the duchy of South Sherda.”
Donya stared. “You’re the long-lost heir that the duchess has been trying to murder for years? You didn’t tell me that part either! Wait, you’re a man?”
“You’re a man?” I repeated. I’d assumed her puppet wore male clothing because she’d been a tomboy. Araceli seemed so elegant and feminine and devastatingly attractive. Though she’d look great in a waistcoat too.
Araceli tossed back her hair. “I’m trying to figure that out at the moment.”
My first reaction was,Wait, you can do that? Dammit, no one in my village asked me before they pigeonholed me as the unmarriageable fat girl looking after her parents! I’m jealous!I’d always thought of an identity as something that got forced on you rather than something you could pick out for yourself … Things really were different for the nobility. My second thought, however, was the realization that nobility didn’t generally get to pick their gender. There had been a big scandal when Donya went around wearing trousers. Where did Araceli get the confidence to decide her own identity? Even when confused, my first instinct in any given situation was politeness. “I wish you the best of luck figuring it out. Do you want me to call you he or she?”
“Either is fine, but you’d better stick with ‘she’ for now or you might slip up in public.”
“Good point. Thank you.”
Araceli hissed to Donya, “She keeps saying thank you every five minutes. I don’t think this masquerade will last long.”
Donya rubbed her forehead. “Her part at the ceremony won’t involve any talking, other than repeating the oath. Now, I’m going to arrange a small lunch meeting with a few close allies before the ceremony.”
“Do I have to?” I whispered, perilously close to a whine. This sounded like a great chance to expose myself.
Twirling a lock of hair, Araceli looked me over. Her frown deepened. “It might be better if we tell everyone that she’s sick.”
Donya exhaled and steepled her fingers together. “Remember how Arahasnor is broke? We’re even worse off than your average brokekingdom. The government has only been running since the king’s death because I’ve been personally funding it. Not with money from my county; that would be unfair to my people. I won a large sum betting on the World Games.”
Gambling didn’t seem like Donya; I would guess there was a story there. “It doesn’t seem right for one person to pay for the government.”
“It would be more unfair if the cook who made us breakfast doesn’t get paid,” she said. “But it was a lump sum, and I’m out. One noblewoman funding the whole government is simply impossible. The rest of the nobility should help, but their tax rates are a joke. We need allies.”
“Everyone will surely pull together to stop our kingdom from being taken over by foreign invaders.” I laughed. “Just kidding, evenI’mnot that naïve.”
Donya cracked a small smile. “It might be possible if I could convince the most important nobles that we have a real chance of survival. I’ve explained that you’re on our side now, but some people want proof, which is understandable. If I could only find the Head Cardinal …”
“Mean Mother threw him in the dungeon,” Antonia said. “She made everyone promise not to tell.”
“Ah! Head Cardinal Augustin! I have to let him out!” Donya ran out the door. There went my last chance to delicately bow out of this lunch meeting.
Chapter Seven
Donya had directed me to a walnut chair at the head of the table and instructed me to remain seated and speak as little as possible.
A dozen people filed into the room. Each one bowed or curtsied before my chair and introduced themselves. I was never going to remember all of them. I smiled and nodded. Then I remembered to frown instead and nod.
An elderly man in white robes only slightly inclined his head at me. I assumed he must be important enough to give me the greeting of an equal. Or maybe he just hated me, judging from how he glared.
“Your turn,” he said coldly.
