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Leif had been by my side the entire time. The only thing he said was the errant grunt or nod when I said something he approved of but for the most part, he stayed out of it, which pleased me since it was my rule and my decisions to make.
“Ah! I almost forgot, I have a gift for you, Your Majesty.” Candace and I were almost to the seamstress, and she pulled a small box from her satchel. We’d chosen to walk some ways since we were earlier than expected. The carriage would wait outside to carry whatever Candace had chosen to get for me, but she assured it would be a welcome addition to my ever-growing closet.
“What is it?” I asked knowing full well that she and maybe even Leif had already opened the gift beforehand. They were like the people in the kitchen who tasted my food before it got to me, which I appreciate since my uncle was in dead but his reach went far beyond the grave and into the depths of this kingdom still. I had enemies no matter how much good I did.
“You have to open it yourself,” Candace said, giggling. “It’s a surprise.”
Gunnar. It had to be him. I expected jewelry or something like that, but when I opened the box, I was shocked.
It was one of those electronic music devices with headphones, and the note inside told me that he’d picked out some songs for me to listen to, some of his favorites. “He says it’s set to be the tones the healers’ tests show you most able to hear at this time.”
My eyes welled up at his thoughtfulness. “I thought it was going to be some cheesy necklace.”
“He might be more modern than he gives away. I bet the songs are really romantic.”
I let her put the device and the headphones into her bag to keep until we got back to the castle.
Rina came bustling up to the counter to greet us. “Good morning, Your Majesty. I have everything set out for you. A new riding outfit for the modern yet classy queen.”
The jacket was tailored to perfection and made me looked curvier than I was, if that was possible. The jeans fit me like a glove, and then there were the boots. Considering she was technically not a purveyor of shoes, she certainly had them to go with every outfit. Maybe just for me? I could not wait to get the boots on. It took some finagling but finally I slipped them on and zipped them up. They were made of a fine leather and came all the way up to my thighs. Candace whispered something in my ear about wearing those on my mating night, and I swatted at her to shush.
“I might wear these every single day,” I said, turning this way and that in the mirror. And these jeans look like they are painted on.
The tailor clapped and winked at me.
Candace stood next to me while I admired my enhanced wardrobe in the mirror. “Might be good to wear when you go riding with that mystery horseman.”
“I think it might. In fact, I think I’m going to wear this for the rest of the day. Dress code of that old coot be damned. Can I have more of these jeans?”
Candace snorted. “Your Majesty, you may have whatever you wish.”
Rina was already taking notes and, while I was on a roll, I ordered another pair of the boots but in a brown suede.
Chapter Twenty-One
With everything going on, my stress level rose, and I needed someone to talk to who was not involved in the kingdom, or who was on only a peripheral level. And who better for that than my sister who had abdicated the throne in my favor. On good days, my gratitude to her for putting me in a position to make up for all that happened while our uncle was regent knew no bounds. My plans for modernization made my heart go pitty-pat, and seeing my subjects’ lives improving was even better. I could imagine us as a model shifter kingdom.
But other times, as when I found the political prisoners in the dungeon…I wanted to beg her to take the job back. With that in mind, I grabbed my phone and found a spot in the gardens where I could be alone to spend some quality time with my sis.
She was often busy in the afternoons, but I took a chance because I really needed her input. Funny, I’d been the one here all this time, but she often had such helpful input. After all, she’d been born for this job while I hung back for a few minutes still enjoying the warm embrace of our mother’s womb.
Settled on a bench with lilacs all around, I drew in a breath of the blossoms’ heady fragrance. Some people considered them too sweet, but I disagreed. Their sweetness drew bees by the hundreds, adding a low hum to the whisper of the afternoon breeze. And the flowers grew in such profusion, nobody would find me unless they were looking very hard. Also the shade made it easy to see my phone, when I was ready to push the buttons to invite Jillian to a video meeting.
A minute or so passed while I tightened my grip on the device and wished hard she’d be available. Then there she was, a streak of dirt on one cheek doing nothing to diminish her smile.Janis, what a nice surprise. I just got back from working in the herb garden. Did I tell you my mates surprised me with one right outside the kitchen door? Our new house is so different from the shack in the woods although we were really happy there, too.She typed and I spoke. Each to her own abilities, since Jillian couldn’t speak. But we had such a flow, it felt natural to communicate this way with her.
She seemed so happy, I didn’t want to dump on her parade, so I smiled while she typed about her mates and her house and her gardens and her life. To be fair, I knew it wasn’t always this good; she’d had her share of troubles and struggles reaching this point. And even now she told me about the occasional tiff or bump in the road.
But my sister could read me like a book. Our memories were scarce from back in the day before our parents were murdered, but no matter, we’d shared our first nine months in Mom and the first five years together before we were separated. Jillian had forgotten most everything, but since we reconnected, she told me more opened to her all the time. As if a wall had come down, maybe a wall created by the shock of watching our parents murdered then being thrown away in the woods and raised far from anything familiar. In his zeal to keep her safe, the alpha of her new pack made many mistakes, but he recognized them and was trying to make up for it. I wasn’t sure I’d be as forgiving as my sister, but I would support anything she did. It was my honor to do so.
And my sister would do the same. Twins are twins, even the fraternal variety, after all. Her words trailed off, after a while, and she leaned closer to the camera.What’s going on? Spill the tea.
“Oh, there’s no tea,” I protested. “What do you mean?”
Something is bothering you, and I’m asking you to tell me the details. To share the lurid gossip that is being queen of our land. Who is doing what now?
“Nobody…well, everyone I guess. And mainly me.”
Her giggle cut through the silence that grew around me every day. At first when we reconnected I thought she couldn’t make any sound at all, but it was just about words and deliberate, voluntary sounds, I believed. Laughter, she could do. I’m sure you’re just having a bad day, but tell me what’s troubling you.She settled back on the sofa, her face growing smaller in the screen. “The crown weighs heavy, huh?” Jillian grimaced.I thought when I bailed on taking the throne I was doing the best thing for everyone, but maybe it wasn’t for you.
