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“You can have it,” I concede.
She grins. “Thanks.”
“You know you can’t just palm me off every time the topic of you finding a wife arises, Alex,” Mummy scolds.
Perfect. She’s still on that topic.
“Your father and I were married with both Sofia and you in nappies by the time we were your age.”
You’ve got to love the guilt angle.
“Didn’t you have more to say about Ledonia’s sexist laws, Sofe?” I ask, hoping she’ll take the bait—and take the heat off me.
Sofia smirks. “Oh, this topic of conversation is much more interesting. When do you intend to find a wife, Alex? I’m sure we’re all dying to know.”
I narrow my eyes at her, as if to offer her a sarcastic thanks a lot.
“When the time’s right,” is my smooth reply.
Or at least I think it’s smooth.
“Alex, that’s what you said when we last talked about this. And the time before that,” Mummy replies.
“And the time before that, too, Mummy,” Sofia adds to be oh-so very helpful. “Perhaps you should arrange a marriage to a suitable young woman for Alex?”
“No!” I scoff at the same time as our mother says, “You know, that’s not a bad idea.”
I glare at my sister, who winks at me as though this is a great joke. Maybe to her.
“I’ll speak with your father about it over dinner tonight. I’m certain we can come up with a few suitable candidates for you, Alex.”
I blink at her a few times. “You’re not serious. Surely.”
“What’s good for the goose is good for the gander,” Amelia comments with a smirk. “Don’t you think?”
“Seriously. Stop hanging out with Grandmother so much, Ami. You sound like you’re 90,” I say.
“I’m an old soul, you know,” she replies. She looks anything but an old soul in that T-shirt she’s almost drowning in. She looks like a little kid. Or a hobbit. I smile. Yes, a hobbit. I’ll use that.
I open my mouth to speak when my father’s personal secretary, Samuel, clears his throat, and we all turn to look at him in his Ledonia red livery, looking imposing in the doorway.
“What is it, Samuel?” Mummy asks.
“Your Majesty, Royal Highnesses,” he says with an incline of his head. “We’ve received official word that you are all invited to a ball in honor of Madeline, the new Princess of Malveaux. His Grace, the King, has asked that you prepare yourselves to travel, leaving first thing tomorrow morning.”
My mother claps her hands together in delight. Sofia frowns. Amelia squeals with excitement. And me? I blow out a breath, knowing this new American princess is going to be somewhere between interesting and a total unmitigated disaster.
Chapter 5
Maddie
I gaze out the window as the car drives through the streets of the Tleurbonne, the capital city of Malveaux. We move past the city's Medieval wall, through streets with a blend of old styles I can only guess are Gothic or Baroque. Unlike in Houston, the streets are narrow and often bustling with people, and each and every turn unveils a new vista: charming old buildings with their terracotta roofs, small, picturesque squares lined with trees, and glimpses of the shimmering sea.
I'm stunned by the beauty of this place. How much history there is here. I mean, a city wall? I've never been to a city that's encircled by a Medieval wall, once needed to protect the inhabitants from wannabe conquerors.
“We're not in Texas anymore, Toto,” Dad says.
“Isn't it Kansas?” I ask absent-mindedly.
