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I found her in the hallway, talking with a court historian.
“Lady Nia,” I said, and she turned to me. “Might I have a word?”
“Of course,” she said, and excused herself from the court historian.
“I wanted to thank you for your support in the meeting earlier.” I drew nearer to her as we walked. “I know it was difficult.”
“Rossertham has your back, princess.” Her expression turned prideful. “We want this festival to be a success as much as you do.”
That I openly walked near the throne room with her by my side helped. Her reputation as a level-headed Elvish woman with political acumen was well known, and her support did much to garner me favor among the other delegates.
My role as a princess helped her as well. The Rossertham delegation was one of the smaller groups, and the other, more powerful Elvish delegations often overshadowed them. They represented the capital and not a region. Having me as an ally helped to increase their visibility.
“I appreciate that,” I said, before lowering my voice. “But I must ask for your help with something else.”
Her eyes widened. “Anything, princess.”
“I need you to monitor lord Temujin and lord Altan. I’m quite concerned.”
“As am I,” lady Nia said, her expression grave as we turned the corner. “They are both very headstrong, and they have very different ideas about how this festival should be run.”
“Yes.” I looked around and couriers crowded the main hallway outside of the throne room, all talking in hushed tones. “And if they cannot come to an agreement, the whole thing will fall apart. That’s the biggest issue facing us. All of us need to present a unified front, and we need to focus on the positive aspects of this festival.”
“I understand,” Nia said. “Rossertham will do its part.”
“Thank you.” I touched her sleeve. “I knew I could count on you.”
Bemused, I looked around the hall again. More people gathered, and the atmosphere was tense. Court members glanced at me as I walked by, and I felt their eyes on my back.
I smiled politely. “What is going on?”
Lady Nia looked around as well, her expression worried. “Haven’t you heard?”
“My ears aren’t as sharp as yours.”
“There is talk that the coat of lady Kanna has been stolen.”
I gasped, and my hand went to my mouth. “Oh, no! Do they have any idea who did it?”
Stealing a Selkie’s coat was the greatest offense one could commit against them. It was not only an act of theft but also an act of violence.
“No.” Lady Nia shook her head. “But the court is in an uproar. Some people blame you for it.”
I turned to her and tried to keep my expression neutral. “Why would they blame me?”
Her expression turned to guilt. “Almost no one believes it. It’s just baseless gossip started by a few courtiers with nothing better to do.”
“That’s ridiculous,” I said, but even as the words left my mouth, I knew that what I said was wrong. Even the most ridiculous gossip could easily ruin a reputation.
“Try not to let it bother you. They’re just bored, and they’ll forget about it soon enough. They don’t know you very well.”
I bit my lip. This was a disaster. If the Selkies couldn’t find who did it, the gossip continued. And if it did, it would be a black mark against my name. Reputations were everything in the court, and I could not afford to have mine tarnished.
I smiled gratefully at lady Nia. “I suppose you’re right. Thank you for telling me.”
It seemed like everywhere I went, people were whispering behind their hands. Their stares felt like daggers, and I felt the weight of their judgment. I knew I needed to do something about this, but I didn’t know what.
As I made my way through the crowd, I held my head high and my expression calm. But inside, I was seething. How dare they try to pin this on me? I never even spoke to her.
