NINE
CROWN PRINCE TOBIAH might have been a spoiled, sullen boy, but he kept his promise.
A few days after Black Knife and I killed the wraith beast, I walked into a large study, all polished wood and paintings, with a heavy desk at one end and conference table in the center. There were six men in the room: four in military dress at the table, James standing at ease in the corner, and Tobiah at the desk.
“Lady Julianna.” Tobiah rose, the others following suit. He gestured to the table. “I’m glad you could join us. Please take a seat.” His tone was cool.
All around the table, polite smiles fell.
“Thank you for the invitation, Your Highness.” I gathered up my gown, a high-waisted creation of midnight blue silk, and prepared to sit. The whole room went quiet. Waiting.
A lady never scooted in her own chair if gentlemen or footmen were present. But now, the men at the table stared at me like they’d never seen a lady before.
Maybe they hadn’t. Not in here.
Just as I started to sit without the luxury of fitting comfortably at the table—as if I hadn’t been scooting my own chair for years—Tobiah shot James a look and nod, and the bodyguard stepped from his post.
The room was held-breath quiet as I picked up the ends of my gown, and James pushed my chair as I sat. “I’m happy to see you again, my lady.” His voice was soft. So was the way his fingertips grazed my shoulder blade as he stepped away.
“You all know of Lady Julianna Whitman of Liadia, I trust.” Tobiah strode away from his desk, a small stack of papers in his hands. “Please treat her with as much respect as you’d treat one another.”
That seemed unlikely to happen. Not when I was invading their world.
“Lady Julianna has done what few of us have dared: she’s traveled through the wraithland and survived. Her knowledge will be invaluable and her determination to put a stop to the wraith problem is no less than ours.”
Part of me wondered if those praises should make me feel guilty. But while I hadn’t trekked through the wraithland, I had lived through something horrific, and I did want the wraith problem solved.
But more immediately, I had those four tasks: information, misdirection, rescue, and map.
“I’ll make quick introductions, and then we’ll catch up Lady Julianna on our efforts.” Tobiah sat—the rest of the men followed—and gestured around the table. “This isn’t the full committee; some members have been called away recently. But I’ll start with Captain Clint Chuter, House of the Sea.”
“I remember. We were seated close together at the engagement ball.” I nodded toward the captain, who looked a little abashed by his staring earlier. He sent a faint, apologetic smile.
“General Adam Goldberg, General Fredrick Goldberg, both House of the Sun. Adam commands the Indigo Order, while Fredrick oversees the Indigo Army.”
The generals, brothers presumably, were both solid-built men with thinning hair. They eyed me warily.
I put on a shy, hopeful smile. “I’m afraid I’m not clear on the difference between the two divisions. The Order and the Army: they’re both military, yes?” I knew, of course, but Lady Julianna probably wouldn’t. Men like these enjoyed explaining things. They liked being helpful, so I would put them at ease.
Adam cleared his throat. “The Order is a highly selective military branch. We accept only highborn soldiers.”
I nodded toward Tobiah’s bodyguard on the other side of the room, standing stoically. “Like James?”
“Lieutenant Rayner is one of many young men trained to guard the King’s Seat and the royal family, as well as deal with anyone practicing magic in the city. Lieutenant Rayner’s scores on the Academy final examination, as well as a recommendation from His Highness, earned him this position.” The general sat back. “It’s a small, elite army, since there are so many qualifications.”
It hadn’t been the Indigo Order that had come through Aecor nearly ten years ago, unless Tobiah’s previous bodyguard had followed. They were dangerous for an entirely different reason. No doubt they had whole divisions dedicated to ruining the lives of anyone caught using magic.
I turned to Fredrick. “And the Indigo Army?” Which had been there. Maybe even this man. I pressed my hands to my knees.
“We accept anyone, so long as the young man has all his limbs, though, like the Order, we do comb through the records at Bome Boys’ Academy for the highest-scoring students to be considered for officer positions.” He shot his brother a wry look, an indication of a long-standing argument that might never be won. “It’s not as prestigious, but my soldiers and officers have an opportunity to travel. We have men at West Pass Watch, under the command of Prince Herman Pierce, and all along the western border of the Indigo Kingdom, protecting people from the wraith.”
Along with men from Aecor?
I bowed my head solemnly. “Both seem like selfless pursuits. I’m sure your people must be grateful for both the Order and the Army.”
“Isn’t she delightful?” Clint asked the others, as though I were a secret he was finally allowed to share.
I’d never been called delightful before.
After a bored shake of his head, Tobiah turned to the last man in the room. Though he wore a uniform of the Indigo Order, the buttons strained, and he appeared to have seen little fighting in the last decade. “Finally, my uncle, Prince Colin Pierce, House of the Dragon, Duke of Skyvale, and Overlord of Aecor Territory.”
I blanched. Overlord of Aecor.
Overlord of my kingdom.
“My lady?”