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“What’s going on?” Maren asked again as the others tentatively drew nearer, and I shook my head reprovingly.
“This shouldn’t have been a whole production,” I sighed. “You were meant to be invited here, not scared into coming.”
I gestured for everyone to sit again, and Maren perched on the edge of one of the velour seats, her eyes darting toward her former castmates uneasily. Everyone appeared equally baffled by their presence.
This is what I get when I don’t do something myself,I thought, smothering my irritation with my personal assistant.
I had been dealing with the manager at Maximo’s all day and making other arrangements to make this happen. It appeared as though no one had bothered to explain to any of the dancers why they had been plucked from work and brought to the castle.
“This is an opportunity for all of you,” I explained, determined to put everyone’s minds at ease. “I have given thistheater to Maren for full-time use starting today, which means she can put on as many shows as she pleases at any given time.”
A low murmur of confusion rushed through the hall, but Tristiana folded her arms over her chest.
“You already tried this,” she reminded me coldly. “The shows that were supposed to raise money for the underserved residents of Steelshire.”
“I know,” I agreed. “But circumstances didn’t allow for that—and I’m not going to be the one running things. Maren is. I won’t have anything to do with this at all.”
I turned to her, and she gaped at me. “You can hire any of the dancers from Maximo’s to work on your cast. I’ve already cleared it with the manager. Everyone on staff has already been vetted and is permitted in the castle.”
I met Maren’s eyes, trying to gage her reaction to my offer. “The dancers you choose will be paid better here, of course,” I went on, not sensing her enthusiasm yet. “And you’ll have full control over the shows.”
“I… I’ll be the manager?” she finally sputtered.
“Yes. The guest list will have to be vetted, naturally. But I think we can keep the same process as before. Take the money and funnel it toward programs that are worthy… at least until this roster of ministers is replaced with a younger group.”
Her eyes popped as if she suddenly realized that it was meant to be ongoing.
“This is permanent?” she breathed. “Even after the baby?”
“It’s yours. When the baby is born, we can reassess what you want to do. If you need to take a break and hire a manager to keep up with the theater in the castle, so be it, or we can hire a governess to help with the baby.”
Maren glanced at her best friend, and Tristiana’s jaw dropped. “Will you stay and work with me here?”
“I don’t know, Mare…” Tristiana mumbled. “This place, the staff?—”
I told her how much she would be paid, and her face brightened, her reservations dying on her lips.
“But then again, if you can endure it, I’m sure I can, too,” Tristiana backtracked, her smile brightening the theater. She turned to the other faeries, who appeared just as stunned by the increase in pay.
“And you’re sure it’s all right with Maximo’s?” one of the dancers squeaked. “Because if it doesn’t work out here, we’ll be blacklisted everywhere in the kingdom.”
“I give you my personal assurances,” I said. “Maximo’s has given their blessing to allow any of you to work for Maren.”
“Can we do both?” another dancer wanted to know.
I turned to my lover and waited for her to respond. Her stare grew wider. “You’re asking me?” she sputtered.
“It’s your business now,” I reminded her gently. “If you want it.”
She inhaled and sat back in the seat, her cheeks staining pink as the reality set in.
“I… I don’t know,” she answered the dancer honestly. “Let me digest all this and get back to you.”
But as the guards began to see the faeries out of the theater and back into the waiting cars outside to return them to their respective homes, a slow smile formed on Maren’s lips, and relief washed over me. It was the first time I’d seen her grin in days.
Chapter 7
Maren
