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“Accepted,” Princess Allera answered with a small bow. Then she smiled at us, her lips stretched as if she still felt slighted on her brother’s behalf, even though she managed to make it look charming. “Do you mind if I join you ladies? I hear this room has quite the view first thing in the morning.”
When she finally looked toward the windows, she gasped, “My God. I’ve encountered clear rock before but never so much in one place.”
As anyone who’d never seen such a phenomenon before, she drifted toward the windows so she could gently touch the surface of the clear rock and smooth her hand across its plane as if to ascertain if it were really there. It was honestly so clear people had been known to walk right into it before without realizing its presence.
“It’s breathtaking,” she murmured in awe. “So solid and firm, like rock, yet completely transparent.” She glanced our way. “I had my window at home filled with clear rock and accidentally broke it once, so my father had to reorder another.”
“Yes, it’s extremely breakable,” Yasmin told her.
“But still incredible,” Princess Allera allowed as she moved to seat herself among us.
Then she smiled appreciatively at the maid who hurried forward with another cup and saucer full of tea. But when a second maid tried to straighten her skirts, she gracefully waved her away, letting the woman know she could take care of the task herself.
Yasmin and I simply blinked at her. The very air around the princess shimmered with royalty. I had a feeling I’d always come up short if I ever tried to act as majestically as she did. She seemed like a woman who accepted her station and yet also owned it. She knew how to behave accordingly while still managing to reveal her true nature. Something in me craved that same kind of freedom. I’d always been too scared of reprimand if I didn’t say or do what was expected. How she managed to accomplish both discipline and self-expression, I didn’t know, but I found myself in awe.
I believe Yasmin was similarly drawn. Without a single snippet of snark, she cleared her throat. “Apologies, but I believe you’ve missed the best part of the view in here. The colors in the sky are much more vivid and diverse when they first break over the horizon.”
“Pity.” Princess Allera took a long sip as she studied the scene beyond the clear rock. “I’ll have to wake earlier tomorrow then, I suppose.” With a refreshed sigh, she set her drink down and faced us. “Though I can hardly imagine how spectacular it will be then, since this view now is more than grand enough. I must say, your entire castle leaves me speechless. It’s nothing like our drafty old ruins back at High Cliff.”
“You are much too kind,” Yasmin murmured. “But thank you for the compliment. Caulder’s father started construction on the Iron Castle nearly thirty years ago. Sadly, he didn’t live to see it to its completion last year.”
Princess Allera nodded. “I’m sure he would be proud of how well his son saw it through.”
“Indeed,” Yasmin murmured with her own head bowed.
I glanced back and forth between the two as they continued the most boring conversation known to mankind. It was the strangest thing; they were both being so painfully polite, and yet… Yet it felt all wrong to me. I couldn’t quite put my finger on what was happening. Maybe the two women were feeling each other out, but it didn’t feel as if they were trying to become friends. More like learning their enemy’s strengths and weaknesses.
Suddenly, Princess Allera veered her attention to me. “Lady Vienne, isn’t it?”
I straightened, not sure I wanted to be pulled into whatever was going on between her and Yasmin. But I cleared my throat politely and hesitantly said, “That’s right. How was your first night at the Iron Castle, Princess?”
“Oh, it was lovely. Thank you for asking.” She brightened and clasped her hands together. “May I ask, when is your baby due? Is this your first? Is it a boy or a girl? Do you and your husband want more?”
Laughing in delight over her onslaught of eager questions, I glowed as I set my hand over my child. For a moment, she reminded me of Nicolette because of her enthusiasm.
But then Yasmin sniffed. “However would she know if it was a girl or boy? Are you daft or something?”
Princess Allera froze slightly, blinking rapidly, before tipping her head at an angle. “I’m sorry, but do you not have soothsayers foretell your children’s genders for you?”
Yasmin snorted. “Of course not. All the soothsayers and other magical kind were banished from Donnelly after they killed Caulder’s parents.”
“I…” The princess let out a small laugh. “Apologies again, but I don’t understand. Did you say soothsayers murdered the former king and queen? Not that I don’t believe you, of course. It just sounds so…well, implausible. I’ve never heard of a violent soothsayer before.”
Yasmin flushed before shifting uncomfortably in her chair. “A soothsayer didn’t kill them directly, of course. But they put the idea into the murderers’ heads by spouting about it to everyone weeks before it happened. Soren convinced Caulder they were nothing but evil and should never be allowed in our kingdom again. So they were banished.”
“Wait. Let me get this straight,” Princess Allera said slowly. “Your soothsayers tried to help and warn you of the approaching demise of your dear king and queen, so you punished them?”
Yasmin opened her mouth to argue the point, but there wasn’t much she could say against it, except, “Their dark magic has no place here. I mean, just look at us.” She splayed out a hand and laughed. “We’re thriving without them. We’re the richest kingdom in the Outer Realms. Even if they weren’t evil, we simply don’t need them.”
Princess Allera nodded politely, but I could see in her eyes that she didn’t agree with what had become of the magic bearers in Donnelly.
“I believe representatives from the magical faction have worked with the king on a compromise to allow a select few to stay in the kingdom with royal permission,” I told her.
The princess glanced at me as if relieved by my reassurances. With a nod, she said, “So, then… You don’t know for certain if it’s a boy or a girl yet. But do you have a sense either way? I hear a mother’s intuition is usually correct.”
I flushed, feeling silly for even admitting it, but for some reason, I confessed, “It feels like a girl.” Then I shook my head and laughed at myself. “I don’t know why I keep thinking that. I’d be pleased either way. But I just… Yes, she feels like a girl.”
“Which is ridiculous, of course,” Yasmin put in as if an authority on the subject. “You should wish for a boy, Vienne, so Soren will have a worthy heir.”
