Isa pressed her lips together, then took the proffered seat. “I’m a probationary constable. I’ve been working for the constables since I was nineteen, but the chief refuses to grant me full status.”
“Why not?”
“Guess,” she said in a dry tone that did nothing to hide her frustration.
“You caught him lying and told his wife about his mistress.”
“His wife is friends with his mistress. Guess again.”
“You bullied a suspect who refused to answer your questions.”
She frowned. “I won’t stop asking questions, but I don’t bully.”
“I know. I was kidding. The chief is probably reluctant to make you a full constable because he knows you are the best and he feels intimidated.”
This time, she snorted. “His opinion of me is not that high. He won’t promote me because I’m a woman. He is positive I can’t cut it as a constable, despite years of evidence to the contrary.”
“That is horrible, but I’m not sure why coming to Rose Castle makes things worse?”
“Frederic, the constable who mentored me, has been trying to change the chief’s mind for years. He thought he was finally making progress, that my record would be enough to overcome the last of Chief Nassan’s doubts. But I just disappeared without warning. Notonly will I not get the promotion, but I’ll be lucky to still have a job when I get back to Leort.”
Isa didn't even sound angry. That was the worst part. She had gone beyond rage and into calm acceptance. I didn’t like seeing her calm. It didn't suit her.
I needed to talk to Marc and find out why her father hadn't signed the contract. She had only been here a few days. There was still time to salvage her life. I used the magic of Rose Castle to locate Marc. He was on his way to the dining room.
Leaping off the chair, my claws clicking against the cool marble as I landed, I paused and looked over at Isa. I couldn’t change the past and didn’t know how to improve the future, but her explanation left me feeling more than just guilt. I felt the anger that she no longer did. “Why put up with that? You deserve to be appreciated for your talents.”
“It’s not like I have a choice.” She rose, following me out of the great hall. “At least the chief let me work as a constable, even if only a probationary one. The magistrates wouldn’t even consider letting me train to work as an advocate.”
“Because you are a woman? That’s illegal.”
“Unfortunately, the magistrates are as good as you at finding legal loopholes. They never said they wouldn’t hire me because I was a woman. Instead, they claimed I didn’t have an adequate education. They wanted me to study law in Haiwella for years.”
We entered the dining room ahead of Marc and moved to the far end of the table. I ignored the reminder that I had wronged Isa just as badly. I might have used a law against her, but not because I thought her unworthy. “How did they justify that the men they hired hadn’t received that same education? That sort of double standard is grounds to challenge them.”
She gave me a pitying look. “Those men were all protégés of magistrates. They had the advantage of years of learning from their mentors, and therefore did not need additional education. And protégés are very much chosen at the discretion of the magistrates, withno law forcing them to choose based on anything but their own whims.”
“That’s outrageous.”
“That’s Leort.”
Marc entered the dining room, making his way down the table to sit across from Isa. I ignored him. My questions for the secretary would have to wait until Isa wasn’t around.
“Why stay? Things might not be perfect, but attitudes have shifted in other parts of the country. Princess Charmina’s tours over the past few years have helped a lot. Maybe she’ll stop in Leort when she comes to sign her inheritance contract and shake things up.”
“I hope she does, because Leort is home. I can’t imagine moving away from the area. Who wants to be surrounded by flat fields when you can have mountains in your backyard?”
Marc shifted in his seat, and I realized I still hadn’t called in any food. While both Isa and Marc could summon a meal for themselves, I always provided the meal when we dined together. I plucked at the strands of power, filling the table.
Isa filled a plate, cutting everything into small pieces. She set it in front of me without a word. Then, before Marc could react, she returned to our discussion. “When is the crown princess due to sign her inheritance contract? She reached her majority earlier this year, didn’t she?”
“Yes, but she has until she turns twenty-five to fulfill the marriage conditions. Not signing the contract won’t keep her from inheriting, either. It is more of a symbolic gesture.”
The royal family of Nemya followed a unique custom regarding the monarch’s spouse. Each generation, the royal consort came from a different level of society. Foreign royalty, domestic nobility, commoner. The cycle repeated over and over, in theory keeping the royal family balanced and in tune with the needs of the kingdom.
Princess Charmina would have to marry a commoner. Signing a Rose Castle contract was not a condition of her inheritance, but it was a tradition.
“Still.” Isa sliced a bite of pork, but didn’t eat it yet. “It makes sense that she would sign the contract sooner than later. Don’t you agree, Marc?”
