“Yes, Princess,” they all murmured.
“I want all the information concerning this case brought to me by this afternoon,” I declared.
The old bearded man squinted at me. He did not like me. That was fine; he didn’t have to. He just had to learn to respect me. Even that was going to be a stretch, though.
I dismissed the council while I was ahead. Then Elias escorted me back to my rooms to have merienda and await the papers I’d requested.
“You did great,” he told me.
“Thanks. It was getting away from me for a bit.”
“They’re going to test their limits, like small children, though they think they are the elders, and therefore, in charge. They’re also used to the relationship they built with the king. You’re a wild card. They aren’t sure if you’ll be compliant, rebellious... though after today I think they have a much better idea.” He smiled.
“Let’s just hope they actually do what I said.” I fiddled with the anting-anting. “Elias—about the insurgents—you still believe they are from Sigbin?”
He sighed. “It’s hard to believe, but we found one of their safe houses, and it was filled with chaos magic. Their signature. As you know, most of our munduntug hunters are from the Sigbin Court.”
I thought of those winged warriors who had come for me in that California school. It felt like a distant memory, but it had only happened a few weeks ago. Elias cleared his throat and looked uncomfortable.
“What is it?” I asked.
“Your young man, Sir Lucas,” he said. “He wrote me asking for permission to court you.”
“Yes?”
“I gave him my blessing for strategic reasons.”
“Oh?”
“If the insurgents are from Sigbin, it’s best to have their ear,” Elias said. “And if his courtship is a ruse, we can keep close tabs on his movements.”
Ah. Keep your friends close, and your enemies closer.
“You understand, Princess?”
Could Lucas betray me? Was he part of the insurgency? I couldn’t believe it. I didn’t want to believe it. But what if—what ifhe had taken advantage of the opportunity? I initiated our first kiss, after all. What if he was just playing around? Pretending to like me? If he wasn’t with Amador, why was he around her all the time, then? What if I was just the butt of a cosmic joke? Pretend to fall in love with the princess, while we scheme to take her throne. I was the new girl, the newbie. I didn’t know anything about Biringan, or about him.
“I understand,” I whispered.
***
The Council ofthe Courts never did send me any of the documents pertaining to Althea’s trial. They ignored my request, essentially thumbing their noses at me. The message was clear: I was not yet their queen. And until I proved my viability by taking the scepter and all the power imbued in it, my words meant nothing.
26
“Oh, no. Theweirdo is coming.”
I looked to see who Nix was talking about. Fortunada was heading toward us. “Don’t be mean,” I admonished Nix. She’d surprised me by showing up at the palace early in the morning so we could talk about everything we’d discovered so far on our way to school. It was a week to coronation, and there was a mambabarang out there, and I still hadn’t manifested any magical ability.
“Wait, you know her?” Nix asked. “That weirdo?”
“Yes, why? She helped me out on my first day here. She’s really nice. I feel sorry for her. No one talks to her.”
“Because she gives everyone the creeps.”
“Why do you say that? Anyway, stop; she’s coming.”
“She just showed up one day and started, like, following people around,” Nix managed to say just as Fortunada approached.
