AllFreeNovel
Share Us
I followed her out of the room. People parted to make way for us and I felt their eyes on me. I opened my fan and waved it in front of my face, trying to cool down.
We entered the gardens, and guards fell into step behind us. The Queen Mother looked around and sighed. “I remember when this place was full of life,” she said. “Now, it feels like a relic of the past. I hope you understand why I invited you here today.”
“Is this because of my failure?”
My failure with the Eternal Court.
I looked as bunnies frolicked in the bushes, oblivious to the tension in the air. “Can you advise me on how to prevent another one?”
Her sharp eyes fixed on me. “With my grandson or your duty as a princess?”
“The second,” I answered as rose bushes brushed my skirts.
“I would hope so,” she said with a hint of amusement. “You’re not the only one with a vested interest in this.”
Her mentorship of me wasn’t done out of the goodness of her heart. It was something I always knew. Her mentioning this out loud meant that she wanted me to know this.
“I want to do my duty. My lack of social connections is a liability.”
“The Eternal Court shouldn’t have invited a human princess in their midst and expected her to understand all the nuances of being Elvish royalty.” She grabbed my arm as we walked, slowing me down for a stroll. “You will make mistakes, child. But as long as you learn from them, that is all that matters. So far you’ve done.”
Her reaction surprised me. Instead of condemning me, she was treating me like an equal. I appreciated that.
“Thank you, Grandma,” I said with a bow of my head.
“You’re welcome.” We turned a corner and came to a stop in front of a statue of a woman with a sword.
“But that’s not what I’ve heard from others.”
The woman was Midarian. Her ears were round and a necklace featuring a hand in the shape of a crescent moon hung around her neck. Words were inscribed at the base of the statue in Karif.
Midar will never fall. Our resolve is stronger than stone.
The Queen Mother stared at the statue for a moment before she turned to me. “You will have your detractors,” she said. “People who will try to bring you down. But as long as you stay true to yourself, they will never succeed.”
She stepped on a cobblestone path and I followed her. “You heard about your so-called failings and immediately tried to rectify them instead of getting defensive. That shows me you’re at least willing to try. And that’s more than I can say for some of my family members.”
Who was she referring to? Prince Maedras?
The Queen Mother’s face softened, and she placed a comforting hand on my arm. “You’re still young,” she said. “You have time to learn and to grow into the role. There was no way for you to please the Eternal Court.”
Because I was a Midarian or because of something else?
“What do you mean, grandma?” We sat down on an arched bench that gave us a splendid view of a fountain depicting a group of children playing. Their ball moved on its own, splashing water as it went.
“You’re not the new member of House Finardsil the Eternal Court has been introduced to. And lord Aldaren and I were not treated kindly. My commoner status didn’t endear me to anyone.”
I frowned and looked down at my hands. Was there no hope at all?
“For centuries, they mistreated me.” She looked at me, her eyes sad. “I don’t want to see you go through the same thing. I know you have a good head on your shoulders. Use it.”
I frowned. “What can I do?”
“You already pulled a political masterstroke by not taking part in their games. If only I had been wise enough to do the same. I might have saved myself a lot of grief.” She stopped as the water turned red and a lion made of water jumped out. I looked at her, waiting for her to continue.
“It was a risky move for an outsider.” Her eyes twinkled, amused. “But it paid off. You made a statement by not playing and showed them you don’t need them. Now they want to be near you and that gives you power.”
A small smile appeared on my face. “So what you’re saying is that I should use their games against them?”
