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I exhaled deeply. “I figured as much.”
“Odette,” Sophia called out before I could step forward, and I turned to her. She stared at me with the same dead eyes. “You trampled on the hard work of everyone who helped to prepare you for today. Speaking off the cuff may seem nice in America, but you do not just represent yourself. You represent the monarchy, the crown. In the future, please be more mindful—for all our sakes. The queen cannot keep stopping to have with tea with you.”
Mr. Ambrose nodded as if she had said all he was holding back from saying.
I bit my lip and nodded and curtsied. I was reaching my limit with her. She turned to leave just like that.
“Miss,” Mr. Ambrose said, ushering me along.
Walking up the stairs behind him, I tried to think of a better answer, a better explanation to have for the queen. But I didn’t know what to say. At that moment, I had been so nervous that I couldn’t just read the speech as it was. I had planned just to say I was nervous before reading the speech, but then I just kept going and going.
“Here we are.”
I straightened my dress before walking into the room. I didn’t even bother lifting my head before curtsying to her. “Your Grace, forgive me for—”
“Odette, good, you’re here. Come and look at these sketches with me.”
Rising and lifting my head to look up, I was shocked to find her sitting surrounded by a stack of sketchbooks and charts. Stepping forward, I came to where she was standing to see what exactly she was looking at, only to find that the sketchbooks were of dresses—wedding dresses. She lifted a sketch and turned to me, holding it just under my neck. “I like lace, but I am not sure if lace is still in style. But it does do well for a winter wedding. What do you think?”
I couldn’t think. I just stared at her, mouth agape.
“Odette, it is unbecoming for a royal to gawk.”
“Sorry. I mean, forgive me. I mean—a wedding?” I repeated, not sure I heard correctly.
“Not a wedding, your wedding,” she clarified.
“Aren’t you going to lecture me?” I asked.
“What for?” she asked, lifting another sketch.
“For not sticking to what I was told to read. For trampling on the hard work of everyone who helped me prepare—”
“If you had made a fool of yourself or the monarchy or the country, I would. But you did not,” she said, and even though it was praise, she said it as if it were the most obvious thing in the world. “And you did not trample anyone’s hard work. No one is working hard for you just to say a speech. They are working hard to make you into a leader, a future queen. And today, you lived up to it. Though I would tell you the people will only applaud self-deprecation once. Then it becomes tiresome, especially from a queen. Humility is the better choice. But other than that, there is no need for a lecture.”
“So, I did well?”
She gave me a stern look. “I hope you are not expecting all of us to stop and give you a round of applause for today. If we had to do that for every time you did not disappoint at an event, we would never get through our schedules. Today’s success can be tomorrow’s failures, and tomorrow you also have another big night.”
I tried not to smile. She said she couldn’t give me a round of applause, yet she brought out wedding sketches to look at now of all times. Not once had anyone mentioned anything about the wedding before now. She was applauding me.
“Odette?”
“I think lace never goes out of style,” I replied.
“True.” She nodded. “It just has to be done tastefully and with respect for the weather. I’ve spoken to the Magi.”
“The Magi like in the Bible.”
She grinned and nodded. “That is what I call them. They are the men who usher in the next sovereign for their coronation. They believe the best time for Gale’s is this fall or winter. A new king to usher in the holidays, and he will need a queen by his side.”
“Wait. So which will happen first? A wedding or a coronation?”
“They shall happen at the same time. Gale will marry you and then be anointed the king. It would be irresponsible to do it any other way, as it costs money for both, and as you know, we cannot waste it by having two grand celebrations within days or weeks of each other. We have not come up with a date yet, but it will happen, so we must now step up in our preparation. Do tell me any wishes you have, though remember—”
“We must still adhere to protocol,” I said gently because I felt this throbbing feeling bubbling in my chest and behind my eyes. “Thank you.”
“I do not know what you are thanking me for,” she said, taking a seat. “I’m simply preparing to retire and leave you with all my burdens and troubles. You should be cursing me for being so selfish.”
