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Do you see the hand?
Who do you think it belongs to?
“All the Ladies Love Our King”
I had to give it to The Morning Eagle; they always knew how to grab everyone’s attention. I tilted my head to the side and even zoomed in on the photo to see exactly where one of the women’s hands were under the bubbling water.
“Please stop looking,” Gale groaned, glaring in the mirror as he adjusted the sash over his shoulder, which didn’t need to be adjusted, seeing as he and I had spent nearly all morning being primped and fluffed for these photos. We were just now waiting, in a separate room, for everyone else to arrive before we exited into the throne room together.
“The more you look, the more they feel validated in posting those damn photos,” he grumbled, and it was because of the fact that he was embarrassed and upset that I didn’t get upset. He really was a different person from the wild prince in the photo. “They have no respect and no shame. They stoop to whatever level in order to make us a laughingstock. To make me a laughingstock. The third day on the throne and the whole country is wondering whose hand was where on me years ago.”
“I don’t know if it’s the whole country, just a good portion of it. And the grin on your face seems to show you didn’t know whose hand it was.” I laughed.
He did not find it amusing, his eyes shifting to glare at me in the mirror. “Odette, seriously? Why are you laughing? What happened to being all possessive like you were last night when—”
Eyes wide, I smacked his arm as hard as I could. “Shut up.”
He chuckled. “You must forgive me; I was sidetracked. You were teasing me about something?”
“Gale”—I stepped in front of him, patting his shoulders and adjusting his medals and buttons—“Everyone knew you were a playboy before, even I guessed it the second I met you.”
His frown deepened. “I am not that person anymore.”
I leaned into him. “I know. I wouldn’t be with you if you were. This is…embarrassing, yes, but don’t let it bother you. None of us can change our past. Over time, everyone will see you aren’t that person. Some even see it now. That’s why they had to dig into the past. If you let it show it bothers you, they will keep doing it.”
He inhaled once and nodded.
Knock.
Knock.
“Yes?” I called, and Wolfgang walked in, bowing immediately.
“They are ready for you both, Your Majesties,” he said.
“Thank you. We will be out in a moment,” I replied.
He nodded, bowed again, and stepped out without another comment or smile.
“Is it just me, or has Wolfgang been acting odd since the wedding?” I asked, frowning.
“Odd how?” Gale questioned.
I shrugged, not sure how to put it. “I don’t know. He’s been very serious. He hasn’t been his normal, peppy self. Do you think something happened?”
“I know something happened.”
“Really, what?”
“You became Queen.” He smiled, taking my hand. “He’s the personal secretary to the queen. In this palace, he has the second most important job. At his age, that is unheard of. Balduin has told me that more than a few people have come requesting his position, saying it is in the best interest of you.”
“What? I don’t want anyone else!” People were saying that in the palace?
“I know.” Gale smiled, placing his hand on my shoulders. “I have told Balduin not to bring it up to me again. Trusting in Wolfgang has already saved you once. I believe in him. But don’t expect him to be as…peppy as before. He has eyes on him. They all do—even Iskandar has reverted back to being his extra-formal self.”
“I don’t like them extra formal.” Iskandar and Wolfgang were probably the closest to me in this royal system. See…things were already changing more.
