-7-
“Your father wants you downstairs, dear,” Lady Nemea said in the doorway of my closet the next morning, and I whipped a dress in front of me.
“Privacy, please.” I wished she’d announce herself before barging into my room or closet. She and Solange had serious boundary issues.
She smiled. “Of course, dear. But do not wear that dress. I already laid out something on your bed.”
Another outfit to make me look harmless, I was sure. “I can choose my own clothes.”
“I know,” Lady Nemea said. “Just like I know you keep changing the colors back and forth.” She disappeared into my bedroom.
Perks of having the ability to manipulate solids. Grinning, I touched a burnt-orange dress. Burgundy. The color replacement took seconds. What else could I manipulate other than fabric? I hadn’t tried messing with other solids yet. Maybe I could mentally lock on to the missing CC from Gavyn. I left the closet.
On my bed were black pants, a black top, and soft leather shoes. That was new. They usually shoved pastels down my throat.
“Come to the hall when you’re done,” Lady Nemea said. “And do put your hair back in a ponytail.”
“Why? What’s going on?”
“You’ll see.”
She wore a smile that said I wouldn’t like whatever waited for me downstairs. She was still ticked off about my trip to the beach yesterday.
“Okay, I’ll play. There’s something I forgot to ask you yesterday,” I said before she could leave.
“Was that before or after you decided to go to the beach with out informing Sir Malax or me?”
I refused to argue with her again over a simple trip to the beach. We’d already rehashed what could have happened to me a gazillion times. The fact that I had Ruby and her partner, whose name I still couldn’t remember, and four Godzilla guards hadn’t placated her.
“Why can’t people make an effort to learn minions’ names instead of using numbers? Why does everyone I meet mention their powers? I’m Rita, P1, energy. Callum P2, psi and air… Ha, that’s his name.”
Lady Nemea frowned. “Whose name?”
“The guard, uh, Ruby’s partner. Anyway, what’s with the power intro?”
“Our abilities define us,” Lady Nemea explained. “Not our groups or what we look like. The more powerful you are, the more you are revered. So, it’s common to mention them so you are treated accordingly.”
“You mean you can be a douche and still receive respect because you are a P1?”
She shrugged. “As for the names, I didn’t know people used numbers. I know the kitchen staff and the cleaning staff by name. I have to go now. Don’t keep your father waiting.” Then she was gone.
I tried the pants. They were form-fitting and came to my knees. The top was really a sports tank top with a built-in bra. It had the raven logo on the breast. There were also fingerless gloves. Once I put on socks and the boots, I teleported downstairs.
Father was talking to two men. One had long, sleek black hair tied back, and slanted eyes, and was dressed like me, right down to the gloves. The other guy was a skinny man with glasses. He was shorter than me and something about his eyes was off.
The guy with slanted eyes saw me first and smiled. A memory teased my mind but disappeared before I could analyze it, leaving behind wariness in its wake. Father turned and indicated I join them.
“Lilith, I want you to meet your tutors. Kenta”—Lord Valafar pointed at the guy dressed like me—“is your physical trainer. You’ll work with him twice a day, in the morning before your lessons, and in the evenings.”
Kenta hesitated as though waiting for something. “It will be an honor to work with you, Princess Lilith.” He bowed.
“And this is Rahm.” Lord Valafar pointed at the skinnier man. He was bowing, so all I saw was the crown of his head. He had long curly hair. “He’ll help you in the coming months to catch up before you can join the academy.”
“Months? You said a couple of weeks,” I protested.
“That depends on how fast you catch up,” Lord Valafar said firmly. “They’re six months ahead of you.”
If I studied my butt off, I could catch up within a month. “Why can’t he test me to see what I know, then we can cover what I don’t know? If I pass after that, I join the Academy.” My eyes swung from Lord Valafar to Rahm.
Lord Valafar smiled. “It depends on Rahm. He’s in charge of your lessons.”
I studied my new tutor. I realized why his eyes seemed weird. He had cat eyes, which meant he was a Werenephil. “Can I?”
He bowed slightly. “The princess drives a hard bargain.”
“So, we have a deal?”
“Yes, but only if we start testing you today.”
“Yes!” The sooner I convinced him I was ready, the faster I’d join my friends at the Academy.
“But first, we train,” Kenta said.
“Then I’ll leave you to it,” Lord Valafar said. He pinned me down with narrowed eyes. “Make me proud, Lilith.”
“Does that mean I have done something to make you not proud?” I teased.
Surprise flashed in the eyes of my teachers. Lady Nemea sighed as though I’d committed another mortal sin, but I ignored her. Lord Valafar studied me from his great height without cracking a smile. I could tell he was amused. I wish he could smile more.
“You’ve tried my patience once or twice, but I’m adjusting,” he said.
I grinned. “Good, because my friends are coming to visit this evening. I’ve invited them to dinner.”
He tilted his head to the side as though thinking about it.
“It’s okay, right?” I added quickly when he took too long.
“Yes. We’ll eat in my quarters. The dining room is larger.”
“No way. They’ll be too intimidated by you to relax.”
“We are a family, Lilith. We eat dinners together. Bring them to my quarters. Seven o’clock sharp.”
“Stinker,” I said before I could stop myself, then cringed. I expected him to scowl with disapproval. Instead, he smiled.
Then something weird happened. Instead of his face, I saw a face of an older man with a graying beard, long hair, and twinkling dark eyes. The image lingered even after Lord Valafar disappeared.
Who was the old man, and why did his face fill me with mixed emotions—anger, sadness, and regret? I turned and faced the others. Lady Nemea looked like she was about to have a stroke while Kenta studied me with amazement. I found Rahm’s poker face more intriguing.
I tried listening to his thoughts, but all I heard was static. Only a Psi could do that. I wanted to know how to block people from getting inside my head.
“Can you teach me to do that?” I asked.
A smile flickered across his face and I was sure he’d pretend he didn’t know what I was talking about. “Of course, Princess.”
“Oh, good.” I turned to face Kenta. He didn’t seem pleased about something. I bowed toward him. “Where do we train, Kenta?”
“Outside, and it is Master Kenta, or Daisensei Kenta.” He studied me intently. “Do you know what that means?”
“Teacher,” I said. Then I glanced at my new tutor. “I know several languages. I didn’t realize it until I read some books at the library.”
“That’s good—”
“You should know all worldly languages, including extinct ones,” Master Kenta cut off my tutor rudely. “The weather is perfect for outdoors. Follow me.” He teleported like Solange—one minute there, the next gone.
What a grouch. And how could he know what languages I knew?
He was standing by the gazebo when I arrived outside. Propped against the wall of the gazebo were wooden sticks and swords, along with real daggers and swords. Workers taking care of the gardens watched us curiously until they realized who I was and bowed. I smiled. I felt Green Eyes’s presence and looked around.
He watched us from the corner of the castle. I couldn’t explain how I’d known he was around. He waved.
“Focus, Lilith,” Master Kenta said sharply. “Catch!”
I froze the wooden sword before it hit me. What was Master Kenta’s problem? If he continued to be a jerk, I was so going to ask Father for a new trainer. I plucked the wooden sword from the air.
“Not real swords?” I asked, smiling and hoping he’d thaw a bit.
“I want to see how much you remember first. En garde.”
Remember from where? I barely evaded his wooden sword before he could hit me. We parried, moving back and forth, sideways. The entire time, he watched me with narrowed eyes.
“Your form is still good,” he said. “At least the Guardians didn’t screw that up.”
Not what I wanted to hear. As far as I was concerned, the memory of my time with the Guardians was better left buried. Then I frowned. “What do you mean, ‘still good?’”
“Let’s see how fast you are,” he said instead of answering, and went on the offensive.
Somehow, the hated Archangels hadn’t erased memories of my training, because I knew what to do. Every strike and move he pulled, I countered and outmaneuvered him. When I teleported and appeared behind him to land a blow, surprise flickered in his eyes.
“I guess the Guardians did teach you a thing or two,” he mumbled.
Enough with the Guardian references. “Or maybe I’m just a good learner.”
“You were. Next time, we’ll use the swords.”
Again, his wording made no sense. “What do you mean by ‘you were?’”
He shrugged. “You must have been good, since everyone knows Guardians are weak, manipulative, and incompetent,” he snapped, and pointed at two wooden staffs. One moved toward me while he grabbed the other.
We were in the zone when Green Eyes returned. Once again, I knew the moment he appeared. He stood behind a shrubbery, shears in his hands. When he gave me a thumbs-up, I almost lost my footing.
He wasn’t the only one watching us. Lady Nemea and Master Rahm were talking in low tones inside the gazebo, but their eyes were on us. The workers around the garden had stopped whatever they were doing too, and my father stood on the balcony with Sir Malax.
Master Kenta pushed me harder, probably to impress my father. The more he pushed, the more I pushed back. Soon, we were both breathing hard, sweat dripping down our faces. He threw down the staff on the ground and assumed the position, legs apart, hands raised.
“Hand-to-hand combat,” he snapped.
I swept hair from my sweaty neck and imitated his stance. Then I made the mistake of smirking. Anger flashed in his eyes.
Okay, he definitely had serious anger issues.
He rushed me. Once again, each move was familiar and I countered it. Unfortunately, he was faster on his feet. Or maybe being in a coma for six months and not exercising meant I wasn’t up to his level physically. My arms grew tired and heavy, my feet sluggish. I lost my footing a few times and he landed blows and kicks to my torso. Concern drifted from those watching us.
Master Kenta smirked. “I guess the Guardians fell short in preparing you in some areas.”
Anger slammed into me. Maybe it was his mocking tone or the mention of the Guardians. It didn’t matter. I wanted him to shut up. I went on the offensive, throwing punches and kicks, attacking from different angles.
“That’s enough,” he said, raising his hands in a placating way.
“Don’t ever mention the Guardians to me. They kidnapped me and kept me away from my family. My mother would still be alive if it weren’t for them.”
Shock flashed in Master Kenta’s eyes, but his hands stayed up. “Okay, I won’t do it again. I promise.”
“You deliberately goaded me by mentioning them. Why?”
“I wanted to see if you remembered anything from your time with them. Put the swords and the daggers down, Lil.”
I frowned, confused. “What?”
He glanced to my right hand and I looked down. A sword floated near my arm. I checked the other side to find another sword. Both were pointed at Master Kenta, ready to strike.
“I’m controlling them?” I asked.
“Yes.”
“The daggers?” I asked. He turned slowly and I saw the daggers pressed against his back.
“Just lower them,” he said.
“How?”
He shook his head. “I don’t know how the Guardians taught you to control so many at the same time. Order them the same way you order the Kris Dagger.”
The what dagger? I closed my eyes and saw their energies. Down.
The swords and daggers dropped to the ground.
Wall.
They moved back and propped against the wall of the gazebo.
“The old man taught you well,” Master Kenta mumbled, but I heard him.
“What old man?”
A frown creased Master Kenta’s forehead. “We are done for now. See you tomorrow morning.”
“We’re not training this evening?”
He shook his head and couldn’t meet my gaze. “No. It is your first day. We’ll work in the mornings for a few days before we add evening lessons.”
Nothing to worry about, sire, he said just before I teleported back to the castle. “Sire” meant he’d communicated with my father. Father must have been worried about me. How sweet.
Master Kenta’s words stayed with me while I showered and changed. The old man trained you well. What old man? Order them the same way you order the Kris Dagger. What the heck was the Kris Dagger?
Lunch was already laid out on the table when I stepped into the living room off my bedroom. The surprise was my father. He was already waiting for me. We hadn’t had lunch together since the week I woke up. Dinner, on the other hand, was a family affair. Even Solange made an appearance.
“Your swordsmanship is impressive,” Lord Valafar said, pulling out a chair for me. “You can teach our people a thing or two.”
I grinned. “Like almost killing my trainer? I had to apologize.”
Lady Nemea nodded with approval. As usual, she was overseeing lunch without eating. I wondered about her relationship with my father. At times, she acted very friendly, and other times she was very subservient.
“You don’t need to apologize for anything,” Lord Valafar said. “If he’s not a worthy trainer, he will be replaced.”
“No, he’s okay.” He’d called me Lil instead of Lilith. Only Green Eyes ever did that. Could Master Kenta and I have met before? He’d mentioned “the old man” training me and that I’d been a good learner. And he had ignored my questions.
Part of me wanted to ask my father if I’d known Master Kenta before the Great Battle. Another wasn’t sure I should. Heck, I wasn’t even sure I could trust anything the trainer said. Green Eyes had told me not to trust anyone who hadn’t fought in the Great Battle. On the other hand, why should I trust anything Green Eyes said?
This was all so confusing. If there was one person I could trust, it was my father. He’d never lied to me. I waited until I was done eating before asking, “Did Master Kenta fight in the Great Battle?”
Lord Valafar carefully put his spoon down. Lady Nemea stood from where she’d been seated behind us.
“No,” Lord Valafar answered, speaking slowly.
“Did I know him before? You know, before the battle?”
Lord Valafar’s eyes narrowed. “Why do you ask? Did you remember something?”
I shook my head. “No, but Master Kenta mentioned my training with the Guardians as though he knew something. He also mentioned a dagger. Uh, the Kris Dagger.”
“I see.” Lord Valafar wiped his lips and carefully placed the napkin beside his plate. “When I learned about your existence, I placed Kenta among the Guardians to keep an eye on you.”
My eyes rounded. “He was a spy?”
“Yes.” There was no apology or hesitation in his voice. “Feel free to ask him anything you want to know.”
I wrinkled my nose. “No. I don’t really want to know about my life with the Guardians. I’m home now, and that’s all that matters.”
He studied me so intently that, for once, I tapped into his emotions. Usually, he was so guarded. Whatever I had just said had pleased him. “Come with me.”
I followed him to his quarters. He dismissed his guards, so it was just him and me.
“Stay here,” he said, and disappeared into his bedroom. Seconds later, he came back with a box covered in weird writings and closed with weird locks, then placed it on the table. “Open it.”
My eyes volleyed between the box and his face. “What is it?”
“Don’t be afraid.” He stepped back and crossed his arms. “It’s yours.”
More jewelry? I sighed and unlocked the strange box. Inside it was a bag with more of the same writings. These ones looked familiar. I’d seen them…on my arms the night I healed the minion, and yesterday afternoon at the beach just before my hands glowed.
“What is inside? What’s this written on it?”
“An ancient language,” he said nervously. That was the second time in the last few minutes I’d read him.
I reached inside the bag and my hand closed around a blade. It nicked me. I pulled my hand out and sucked the blood from my finger. The wound closed, leaving behind flushed skin.
Careful the second time around, I reached for the handle and pulled out a dagger that looked awfully familiar. It had a transparent, wavy blade, with writing along the blade and a green stone in the middle of the guard.
“It’s beautiful,” I whispered.
“Do you recognize it?”
“No, but it looks familiar.” An image flashed in my head and I grinned. “I remember now. Solange has one just like it, except hers has a red stone.”
Lord Valafar frowned, disappointment pouring from him in waves.
“Why? Am I supposed to know it?” Then I recalled the reenactment of the Great Battle. “This is the blade I used to fight the Archangels?”
He nodded. “Yes. It is called the Kris Dagger. It only obeys one person. You.”
“Really? How?”
“You bond with it and it does your will. For instance, you ask it to come and it does. You instruct it to protect you and it does. At times, you don’t even have to tell it to protect you. It just does because it senses your fear or danger. The bond between you and the dagger is unique and cannot be broken.”
Interesting. I studied it, then opened my palm and thought, Move. Nothing happened. “It’s not working,” I said.
“It will, one day. Put it back in the bag and close the box.”
His disappointment bothered me. “I’m sorry, Father. I know you wanted me to bond with the dagger.”
“You’re still not fully recovered, Lilith. We’ll keep trying until you can command it again.”
Master Kenta had known I used to command it. “Does everyone know about the dagger?”
Lord Valafar nodded. “Yes. It is legendary. I told Kenta you shouldn’t practice in the evenings yet. Give your body a week to adjust to the rigorous workout.” Then he pressed a kiss to my temple. My insides softened. That was a first. It showed he cared more about me than the bond between me and the dagger. “I’ll see you and your friends tonight,” he added, and patted my hand.
Instead of teleporting back upstairs, I went to the library to search for a book on the Kris Dagger. There weren’t any. I checked the clairvoyant crystal catalogue. Nothing under weapons, daggers, swords, or metaphysical weapons. It didn’t make sense.
“Looking for something?”
I turned and found Green Eyes studying me from the other end of the aisle. “What are you doing here?”
“Looking for you. You were amazing out there.”
My cheeks warmed. “Thanks.”
“You’re a bit rusty, but you’ll get better with practice. Don’t use anger to tap into your skills. That’s not who you are. Always stay in control or you’ll hurt a lot of people.”
It took all my effort not to gawk. “A compliment and a pile of insults, wow. You are something else.”
He smiled, dimples flashing. “Don’t want you getting too comfy.”
I thought I should ignore him, walk away. Instead, I studied him. He leaned against a shelf, completely at ease and uncaring that someone might catch him talking to me. His confidence and arrogance made him so irresistible.
“Are you sure you are supposed to be in here?” I asked.
He glanced around and smirked. “It’s a public library. What are you doing here?”
I smirked right back at him. “It’s a public—”
“Seriously. I can help you find anything. I’ve spent the last seven months reading every book in this place and watching every CC. Anything you want, I probably know where it is.”
“Seven months?”
“I was trying to find a cure for a magical coma. Turned out they don’t store those around here.” He grinned. “So, what is it you’re searching for, Princess?”
“A book about a special dagger. They don’t seem to have anything on it.”
His eyes narrowed as he moved closer, his voice dropping to a whisper, “Clear wavy blade, green gem at the guard?”
I blinked. “Yes.”
“The Kris Dagger. Do you have it?”
“Yes.”
“Did you link with it?”
I frowned. “No. How do you know so much for a minion?”
He rolled his eyes. “Minions are just as smart as everyone else around here.” He extended his hand to me. “Come with me and I’ll show you something about your dagger.”
Something shifted in my stomach at the thought of going anywhere with him. I wanted to, but I could get him in trouble. “No.”
“Scared of being seen with me?”
“You should be scared. You could get in trouble if you were seen with me.”
A weird expression crossed his face. It was though the thought had never crossed his mind. “You are right. I’d hate to end up in the dungeons. Wait here,” he commanded.
I was tempted to ignore him and leave, but I was curious. I went back to the large crystal in the middle of the library. Placing my hand on it, I linked with its energy and searched the library database for the dagger again. Instead of one word, I went with phrases.
Wavy blade dagger. Green gems on a pommel. Clear blade daggers. Nothing.
“Pssst.”
I turned to see Green Eyes gesturing from an aisle. In his hand was a thin book. It looked like a journal. “What’s that?”
“A private journal about the Kris Dagger.”
I shot him a skeptical look that said, Yeah, right. “Our entire collection of CCs and books doesn’t have anything on the dagger, and you have a journal.”
“My family members weren’t always minions, smarty pants,” he retorted. “A member of my family once wielded the Kris Dagger.” He lifted the book. The front showed a crudely drawn picture of the dagger. “And this is his journal.”
“You know you can’t talk to me like that,” I said, narrowing my eyes.
“Like what?” He moved closer.
Something unfolded in my stomach at his nearness. He smelled nice. “Calling me smarty pants.”
He bowed. “I apologize, your royal high—” He angled his head, the smile disappearing from his face. “Lady Nemea is looking for you. You should put up your shield and block her from finding your psi energy. If she can’t find it, she can’t find you.”
“How do I do that?”
“Just will it. The same way you do when you want to find anyone’s energy. Think about what you want and will it. Perks of being a powerful Psi.”
I searched for Lady Nemea’s energy. She was in my quarters. I found myself wishing she wouldn’t find us. “Go before she gets here.”
“Worried for me?”
His smirk did it. “No. Stay, for all I care. Just remember, if she catches you and throws you in the dungeons for stalking me, I will not rescue you.”
He laughed. “Do I look like a stalker?”
No, he looked like he’d stumbled out of bed and pulled his clothes on. His hair was disheveled and he had a shadow on his chin like he needed a shave. Unfortunately, the look was perfect on him. He looked gorgeous, and the naughty thoughts that flashed in my head sent heat to my cheeks. “I have to go.”
“Are you forgetting something, Princess?” He waved the book. But when I reached for it, he whipped away and hid it behind him, a naughty twinkle in his eyes.
I glared. “I don’t like playing games, and it’s obvious you do. Either you give me the stupid journal or leave before Lady Nemea finds you.”
“Will you come looking for me if they throw me in the dungeons?”
“No. I don’t even like you.” I extended my hand toward him.
He moved closer, the gleam in his eyes saying he was about to do something he knew he shouldn’t. The worst part was that I was actually looking forward to see what else he’d do and say. He pushed the book in my hand, then reached out and touched my cheek. His hand was warm. His touch was nice. Familiar. Worse, I wanted to touch him, too. Should I ask him about the dream I’d had about him, or would that sound weird?
“Who are you?” I whispered.
“A minion, sunshine,” he whispered in a husky voice. “I have to go now. Don’t let her see the book.” Then he was gone.
I slipped the journal under the waistband of my skirt, pulled my top over it, and grabbed the nearest book off the shelf just as Lady Nemea peered at me from the end of the aisle.
“There you are,” she said. “What are you doing down here?”
I showed her the book. The cover read Coronis Isle History. I laughed.
“Come upstairs with me,” she said.
I removed the thin journal from my waist and hid it between the pages of the history book, then followed her. Lady Nemea didn’t ask why my father had asked me to leave with him. The table had long been cleared of our lunch. I glanced at her and found her studying me. Did she know about my meeting with Green Eyes?
“What is it?” I asked.
“We need to work on your decorum,” she said, walking around me. “The way you sit, walk, talk, and conduct yourself in public reflects on your father. You can act any way you like in private, but when in public, you must act like a princess. The people expect their princess to be perfect.”
“What? I don’t eat like a princess now? How do princesses eat?” I fought a grin when she sighed in exasperation. She took things too seriously. “No, don’t tell me. They lounge on pillowed daybeds and are fed by servants all day. Bet minions chew their food for them, too.”
“This is a serious matter, Lilith,” she reprimanded. “This morning when you were talking to your father, you teased him in front of your teachers. That is not acceptable behavior.”
“He’s my father. I can talk to him however I want.”
“No, you can’t. There’s protocol set in place for how you conduct yourself.”
I jumped up and marched to the fridge for a bottle of water. “I’m supposed to train while recovering from months of being in a coma, find out what powers I have and try to master them, work my butt off to get into the Academy, and now I’m to learn how to sit, talk, and walk? What happened to just being myself?”
She sighed. “You can’t afford to be yourself. You are a princess.”
I laughed. “Then I don’t want to be one.”
“Stop being difficult, Lilith,” she said.
“Is this what my father wants? Is this going to make people stop fearing me?”
Lady Nemea blinked. “Where did you get the idea—?”
“I’m an empath, Lady Nemea. I can feel their fear whenever I come too close. Some even cringe and move away. Others believe I’m a spy for the Guardians. I hear their thoughts even when I don’t want to.” My voice trembled to a stop. “Why would I be a spy for people who kidnapped me and kept me away from my family? Where’s the logic in that?”
“Oh, sweetheart,” she said, walking to where I stood. She cupped my face. “They will see what the majority of us see—a caring, benevolent future leader of our people.”
I shook my head. Solange was the future leader of our people. “Can’t I skip this etiquette training for a few weeks? I want to focus on getting into the Academy.”
“No, I’m sorry, dear. Even at the Academy, you must act like a princess and have guards with you at all times.”
“No way.”
She sighed. “Stop fighting me, Lilith.”
“I’ll see what Father has to say about this.”
Lady Nemea sighed again. “He’ll let you get away with anything because he wants you to choose him.”
“Choose him? What’s that supposed to mean?”
She blinked as though confused, and then anger flashed in her eyes. “Love him like you are supposed to,” she snapped. “He sacrificed a lot to find you, so loving him and listening to him is the least you can do. I, on the other hand, must mold you into the future leader of our people, whether you like it or not.”
Whoa. Where did the anger come from? “That is Solange’s future, not mine.”
“Solange is powerful, but she’s not the one. You are, and we must make sure you’re ready. Get to know the people if you must, but always keep your distance. They need to see you as a strong leader, not their best friend or someone they visit clubs and play beach volleyball with.”
Somehow, I knew she’d bring that up. “I went to an ice-cream shop with friends. What’s wrong with that?”
“Down in the kitchen, Bilal can prepare whatever ice-cream flavor you crave. Katia and Lottius are your subjects. Future subjects, Lilith. Not friends. Inviting them here for dinner was not right, either. There’s a protocol for inviting visitors to the castle.”
I growled. Talking to her was like banging my head against a wall. “So, what you are saying is I can’t have friends?”
“Not like normal people. You have me, Solange, and your father, and, when you turn eighteen, the mate he will choose for you.”
That again? “I’m not interested in choosing a mate.”
“It is the custom to find mates for the royal children. It guarantees the propagation of abilities to the next generation. Your father will continue with the tradition Queen Coronis started.”
“You mean the one that ended up producing P2s, P3s with weakened powers, and the minions? I don’t think so.”
She harrumphed. “Your friends should not be discussing such matters with you. The young see things differently and naïvely. Most parents want to produce Primes and will only mate their children with other Primes. That’s how we’ve stayed strong. And since you are the most powerful Hermonite around here…”
“What?”
“Every noble house will want their son to marry you,” she finished. “Before your eighteenth birthday, you will have a chance to meet all the eligible men. Then you and he will choose.”
I wanted to throw up. My birthday was about four months away. “What happened to love?”
“The Principalities help me,” she muttered, then she added louder, “Every day after lunch, we’ll spend an hour working on your etiquette—speech pattern, walk, and smile.”
The next hour was a nightmare. Don’t slouch. Tilt your head this way and that way. Shoulders back. Head high. Eyes forward. No extreme emotions.
I had a headache by the time we finished.