I had no idea who would send me a message, but I appreciated the interruption all the same. Then I realized what the receptionist had called me.MissCardh. NotConstableCardh. It might have been nothing more than her repeating the title the messenger had used, but I knew it wasn’t.
I signaled to Miss Lapine that I would be out in a moment, then turned back to Frederic. “Is it official, then? Not that I’m surprised, but the chief decided to fire me without waiting for an explanation?”
Frederic looked away.
“Right. I’d better see what this messenger wants then.”
“Isa—”
“It’s fine. Like I said, I’m not surprised.”
“We can still—”
“No.” I met my mentor’s eyes. “You know what the oddest thing was these last few weeks? It wasn’t the fact that the castle was practically deserted. It wasn’t the abundance of magic. It was the factthat my skills were respected, appreciated, and praised. I’m not going to beg Chief Nassan for another chance to be dismissed constantly.”
I walked away. Soon, I’d have to talk to Frederic again, but for now he could ponder what I had already told him.
In the front room, a man I didn’t know—though he looked vaguely familiar—waited for me in a chair along the wall. He stood when I came through the door. “Miss Cardh. Berklay requests your presence at the Truthhold offices.”
Ah. He was one of the secretaries I had seen the day before. I nodded and followed him to the door. “Do you know why he needs me?”
I hadn’t expected to have anything more to do with the castle’s staff after dropping off the documents from Felix. Perhaps Sofia and I were wrong, and the emeralds really had been meant for Berklay? There had been no mention of them in the note I had helped Felix revise, but he might have written others I hadn’t known about.
The secretary gave me a nervous smile. “I believe he would like your assistance with Her Highness, as you have had the most recent contact with His Grace.”
“The princess? Is she in Leort now? I thought she wasn’t due to arrive for a few more days.”
“As did we all, Miss Cardh.”
Tsy take it! I hadn’t had a chance to do anything to address the rumors yet. Nor had my spying session with Sofia the night before helped me figure out what Marc and Cecily hoped to achieve by ruining Felix’s reputation. They wanted the princess to be wary of him, at the least, but how did that help Cecily become the Duchess of Truthhold?
The only thing I knew at this point was that if she gained the title, Marc would be the one pulling her strings behind the scenes. But figuring out their plans would have to wait. I had a princess to meet.
???
Berklay met mein the room where I had first seen him the day before. The atmosphere was even more frenzied today, but this time everyone paid attention to me, giving me a clear path to the butler.
“Miss Cardh, thank goodness. Her Highness is waiting for you in the meeting room.”
“Why is Her Highness waiting for me?” I had never expected to meet her, hoping to disrupt the rumors before she ever arrived in Leort.
“She is not satisfied with the report I was able to give her about the status of His Grace. As you are the most recent visitor, she wishes to hear your impressions.”
My magic clanged wildly. Berklay wasn’t intentionally trying to misdirect me, he simply had a habit of speaking in a manner that reduced everything to innocuous terms. Though his duties differed from what most people would consider the role of a butler, he was still very much a butler in that regard.
The princess had likely already heard the rumors. She must have arrived in Leort the night before. A single night in town would be enough to bring the story to her ears, especially when the purpose of her visit was a trip to Rose Castle.
I swallowed. “What story did you give her?”
He must have said something more than he had told the general populace of Leort. He hadn’t told us anything, and I couldn’t imagine a princess accepting such an answer.
“I informed Her Highness that His Grace has been indisposed and without the energy to entertain visitors.”
“Right.” I nodded. “Show me to the meeting room.”
Berklay led me to a paneled door, holding it open and announcing me before stepping back and letting the door close.
I blinked at the door for a moment. Apparently, butlers didn’t do introductions like the rest of us. Then I remembered who he had announced me to and focused my attention.
