I noticed Abigail was sitting beside Eddie. I acknowledged her with a nod, and she nodded back, although neither of us said anything more.
“Did you enjoy your first day in Ilamanthe?” Eddie asked as he took another slice of cake.
“I loved it. What’s next on the agenda?” I asked.
“All that’s left is a lesson after dinner. Since you are monarchs, you and Charlie will have to learn Elvish,” Eddie stated.
Charlie gave a short sigh. “I feel behind. I don’t even know Hawkei, and now I have to learn Elvish, too.”
“I can teach you Hawkei, and we’ll learn Elvish together,” I told him.
“Easy for you to say. You already know four languages.” Charlie frowned.
“It’ll be five soon. I’ve been teaching her Italian,” Ivy said—very unhelpfully, I might add.
Charlie’s frown got deeper, and he poked at the food on his plate. He was getting so down on himself, and I didn’t like it.
“You learned braille. You can learn this, too,” I replied.
“I’m not fluent in it yet,” Charlie argued. “I’ve been learning it for less than a year. I’m barely literate at braille.”
“I believe in you. I know you can do this.”
Ivy kept ducking their gaze. Every time a servant walked by, they hunched over and hid behind Chancey, avoiding attention.
I took an olive from my plate and threw it at them. It bounced against their head, and they yelped, “Hey, what was that for?”
“Why are you acting weird?” I laughed.
“I’m trying to keep a low profile around here,” Ivy whispered, glancing from side to side.
“Why? There’s nothing to worry about. The Warden can’t find us here,” I said.
“It ain’t the Warden I’m worried about,” Ivy replied. “It’s people figuring out who I am. I’m in enemy territory.”
“What are you talking about?” I asked.
“I’m aBianchi. My family and Charlie’s family have been going at it for centuries,” Ivy said worryingly. “We’re sworn enemies. My dad thought he’d gotten rid of the Elvish mob after the Great Supernatural War, but now he knows they’re back, so some sort of gang war is bound to start up again.”
“I didn’t know the Bianchi family and the Wahkin family were rival gangs,” Charlie said.
“Excuse me, but your family name isn’tWahkin, sire,” Eddie piped up. “The Elvish royal family has a different title.”
“Then why does it say that on my birth certificate? Why’s my dad called that?” Charlie questioned.
Eddie cleared his throat. “Your father chose a different name once he fled Forevermore and hid himself in Kinpago, before he met your mother, in order to keep his identity hidden.”
“Great, now my name isn’t even real,” Charlie growled.
“Itisreal. It’s ours,” I insisted, and I touched his hand lightly. “That’s what makes it special.”
“Aponi Wahkin was your grandmother’s name on your father’s side. She was the Air elemental married to Emperor Cassiel, so it does have some meaning to you,” Eddie explained. “In Hawkei culture, it’s traditional for the family to take on the mother’s name. So it’s actually accurate that your father took on the Wahkin name when he moved to Kinpago, as he was reclaiming his heritage.”
Charlie relaxed, but his expression was still stony. “Okay, so what’s the family’s royal title?”
“Your grandfather’s full name is His Imperial Highness Cassiel Majestica, Emperor of Ilamanthe, and your royal title, properly, would be Prince Charles Majestica, Grand Duke of Ilamanthe,” Eddie said helpfully.
“Why don’t I get to choose?” Charlie asked.
