Amihan enunciated every word like it was a treasure she was gifting to the air. “I am simply thrilled I finally get to meet you in person. My husband, the archduke, has been away on business for some time, you see, and it has taken us simplyforeverto return to the kingdom. I am so glad that you and my daughter have become fast friends.”
Friends?I looked at Amador, who fluttered her eyelashes innocently. “Oh yes, Mother. We are thebestof friends.”
A smile curled Amihan’s lips, like Amador had said the thing she most wanted to hear. “Excellent.”
I held my tongue; my head was buzzing so loud with anger. I wasn’t sure what kind of game Amador was playing. “What brings you to the palace?” I asked, trying to divert the conversation.
“We are here to finalize our seal of devotion,” Amihan said.
“It’s a magical oath we signed when we got engaged,” Amador added to me. She knew I needed the explanation and was using it against me like I was stupid. “A binding contract between me and my beloved, Lucas. The head magistrate oversees the promise we’ll make to each other; we just need the official seal from Elias before we’re wed. It’s almost as important as the vows we’ll take on our wedding day.”
“That’s…great.” It felt like I’d been hit over the head.
“I’m looking for Lucas,” she said. “Have you seen him?”
“He left,” I said, my voice flat.
Amador pouted. “Oh. Shame. I’ll have to keep scouring thegrounds for him. He must be here somewhere.” She sighed and glanced at her mother. “Having a fiancé to escort me around is such a luxury, isn’t it? I’m not sure what I would do without him.”
“A matched pair, indeed,” said Amihan, smiling all too proudly. “Ever since you were children.”
Amador folded one arm over her stomach and raised the other to rest her chin on her delicate hand, showing off the gleaming diamond ring on her finger. The diamond was as large as her fingernail, the band a ring of golden ivy, as if it had been touched by Midas. No doubt a betrothal gift.
Something hot and sharp poked my rib cage. “You two will be very happy together,” I said, clenching my jaw so hard, I barely opened my mouth. “My blessings to you both.” My mom always said it was better to take the high road when dealing with bullies, and this was the best I could do.
“You will be in attendance at the wedding, I hope?” Amihan asked. Her eyes were bright but the skin around them was tight. It almost looked like she was nervous. “It would be an honor to have the queen in attendance.”
“Of course she’ll be at the wedding, Mother. She’s mybestfriend,” Amador said, her voice dripping in molten sugar.
A smile twitched its way onto my lips, but I couldn’t say anything back. Amador was trying to get a rise out of me, and the worst part was that it worked. She knew Lucas and I had fallen for each other, and she was reminding me that he had been hers all along. I had never stood a chance.
“Sure,” I said before I could stop myself. “I…Absolutely.”
Amihan seemed thrilled. “Well, then! We can’t be late! Wemust see the royal magistrate.” She clicked her tongue and added, “Must you smile like that, Amador? You’re going to get wrinkles.”
Amador, who had been grinning with self-satisfaction, stopped at once and lowered her head while Amihan curtsied at me once more before turning and leaving. Amador stayed behind and dragged her thumb across her lip line again, eyes lowered. For a moment, I wondered,If Lucas wasn’t the one who smeared her lipstick, who was?But then I remembered I didn’t care.
“Wrinkles?” Nix asked under her breath, baffled. “Woof, what a handful.”
Like mother, like daughter. Now I knew where Amador got her superficiality from. But I got a smidge of satisfaction out of seeing her taken down a peg. A bitter, mean part of me wanted to see Amador get her comeuppance for everything she’d done to me, but it didn’t actually make me feel any better. Not really. I still felt like I was losing.
My knees wobbled, and I barely managed to walk past Amador and head toward the palace entrance.
Nix leaned into me and whispered, “Are you okay?”
I could only nod. It was like I’d lost my voice; I was so angry.
Amador called after us so sweetly, I bet it made her teeth hurt. “I heard you’re having difficulty honing your power.”
I slowed to a stop.
Amador’s voice was drenched in false compassion. “It’s truly an embarrassment that our queen can’t control her powers yet. Such a shame, truly. No wonder the other kingdoms pity us.”
I didn’t think I was doing a bad job as queen so far. I’d passed laws decreeing universal housing, full access to healers, freeeducation. More equality, more equity. Some nobles criticized me, but most of Biringan City believed in what I was doing. Who cared if I couldn’t use my magic yet?
A malicious voice inside of me, spurred on by my own pettiness, told me she was asking for it. I whipped around to glare at Amador and lifted my finger, pointing it right at her as I summoned my power. The temperature of the air rose around my head.
I wanted to give her zits, or make her puke, or make her diamond ring turn to charcoal. I didn’t want to hurt her, but she needed to be taught a lesson—
