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I shake my head. “I signed up to train with the weapons teachers. Hopefully I don’t get Brant. He’s so out to get me, you’d think it was personal.”
“Maybe it is. Isn’t he about the same age as your parents? He could’ve gone to school with them, has something against one of them, and is taking it out on you. Classic move.”
“Or he just doesn’t like my dad. Seems to be the reigning opinion.”
“You know about that?” Halen sounds surprised.
“It’s hardly been a secret.”
“Oh.”
“What do you mean by that?” I sit up and study her.
“Nothing …” She looks away.
“Halen, what aren’t you telling me?”
She frowns but still won’t look my way. “It’s just that people are talking about some of his new regulations. They want to fight them.”
“Yeah, I know.” I tell her about my trip to the library and the old dudes planning to protest at the castle.
“Did you tell your dad?”
“I told the driver to tell him, but he didn’t seem to take me seriously. He was annoyed with how long I spent in the library.”
“What’d you find out about Queen Sirena?”
“She—”
Knock, knock!
Halen groans. “If that’s Earwyn again, I’m going to smack her into next week.”
“Again? What do you mean?”
She doesn’t answer me. Just gets up and flings open the door. “If you—oh, Mrs. Middlebrooks. Is everything okay?”
My heart sinks. What does she want?
She comes inside and narrows her eyes at me. “There you are!”
“Here I am.”
“What do you mean by that? Why aren’t you in the dance hall?”
“Why would I be there?” I ask. “I’m recovering from the sparring match. Supposed to defeat the reigning champion that makes grown mermen cry, remember?”
“You need to prepare for the pageant! No missing any practices. I don’t care how tired you are. Luckily, you don’t need to bring anything special with you. Hurry up, now.”
I exchange an exasperated glance with Halen before forcing myself up. Halen mouths me good luck as I make my way over to my future stepmother. Unless I kill my father. Then she’ll never be part of my family. I shove that thought from my mind. I’m not killing my dad.
Unless he tries to kill Bash. Then it’s game on.
If that happens before I graduate academy, does that mean I’ll move to the castle to rule? Or will I be queen from the dorms? Will I still have to listen to my teachers?
Why am I thinking any of this? I don't want to kill my dad. I don’t want any of Queen Sirena’s legacy. That’s her story, not mine.
“You okay?” Middlebrooks looks me over like I’m a bug to be squashed.
