II Rule
Caliane
Arvi gives me a long, lingering kiss and stands up, evidently not about to make use of my remaining twenty minutes.
“Practice some more,” he says, looking pointedly at my amethyst toy. “And let me see next time.”
“Oh, I will,” I mutter at his retreating back. “As soon as I figure out another free moment in between everything else.”
I put on my dress and a pair of flat shoes made of soft leather, then check my hair in the mirror. Just as I’m about to leave to put some fear in my council members, the door flies open and Nisha bursts in, wailing like a flock of wild geese. I drop down to my knees and open my arms.
“What happened, honey? Are you hurt?”
She sobs into my shoulder while Tasha, Khay’s sister, runs in with an exasperated huff, holding Sameel in her arms.
“He took my ring and ate it!” Nisha complains between sobs and sniffs. She’s in my lap now, her little arms circling my neck,and her wails have subsided—as they always do when I hold her close.
“What?” I look up at Tasha in alarm.
She nods. “He did. It’s small enough to pass safely. The medic said she’d make up a brew to help Sameel poop it out.”
Nisha wails again, and I wince at the loud sound.
“Honey, we’ve talked about this. Don’t scream like this when my ear is right there. It hurts.”
She sniffles. “Sorry, Mama. But my ring! He ate my ring!”
“And you love that ring a lot, I know. Papa Khay gave it to you, is that right? You’ll get it back. We just have to wait a day or two.”
Nisha pulls away from my shoulder that’s now soaked with her tears and gives me a look of utter disgust. I almost laugh, but her face crumples in misery again, and I swallow hard to keep my face serious.
“But it will be all poopy!”
I nod. “Yes, it will. But guess what? We will wash it with the strongest soap and soak it in jewelry polish, and I promise you, it will not only be clean but even shinier than ever before. What do you think? Is this a good solution?”
She regards me seriously, finally nodding before sliding off my lap. She gives me a wet, sloppy kiss on the cheek.
“All right. But if he ever does it again, I’ll put a spider under his pillow!”
“Yes, and he’ll probably eat it.” I sigh, because Sameel has an appetite for all the things he’s not supposed to put in his mouth.
Nisha runs out into the corridor, her distress all but forgotten, and I come over to Tasha to give Sameel a kiss on his downy red hair.
“I’m sorry, Caliane,” Tasha says. “I should have minded him better. I swear I only turned for a moment.”
I touch her arm just above her elbow, where I know it’s safe for her, and smile. “It’s not your fault. Nisha shouldn’t leave her jewelry lying around. Maybe this adventure will teach her to mind her things. Are you well? Do you need to rest? Arvi or Raduna could relieve you.”
She shakes her head. “I’m fine. Don’t you have a council meeting soon? Better get going, and I really need to catch up with Nisha before she raids the royal treasury for more rings.”
I let her go and set out toward the council room, smiling to myself. Nisha loves being a princess way more than I ever did, that’s for sure. She adores shiny things and all her pretty dresses, although that doesn’t keep her from ripping them to tatters every time she climbs a tree or chases squirrels in the garden.
Sameel is a curious, lively boy, and he’s already eaten his share of insects and small objects, which is why I’m not too worried about the ring he swallowed. He’ll be fine.
The children don’t have nannies, teachers, or governesses, like I did. With four fathers, a mother, and Tasha, who’s become like a sister to me, they have enough care and attention, even when Magnar and I are busy with work.
Their childhoods are so vastly different from my own. As always when I think about it, the ache of grief squeezes my heart even as my chest swells with gratitude. I wish I had had a large, involved family as a child, and at the same time, I am so happy my children get to have it even if I didn’t.
The council meeting drags on. The Minister of Trade insists on paving a road in Serilla that gets flooded every spring, stopping all travel through the area for a week. The Minister of Treasury insists paving the road is too expensive, and Serilla’s taxes have yet to come in for the year.
