Nicholas smiled down at her. “It’s a surprise, my Lynetbird. I’ll tell you as soon as—”
The door opened, and Mina strode in. Lynet had learned over the years that the Mina she knew only appeared when they were alone. When Nicholas was near, Mina stood tall, rigid even, and her face went blank except for small, controlled movements. The Mina who walked into the room now was distant and untouchable, but undoubtedly a queen.
“We were waiting for you. Sit,” Nicholas said.
Mina settled in the chair opposite Nicholas, the red tints in her hair and the deep glow of her eyes catching the firelight.
Nicholas straightened in his seat and looked intently at Lynet. “You know you’re my greatest joy in this world,” he said. Lynet guiltily glanced at Mina, but Mina’s face revealed nothing. “At almost sixteen, you’ve become everything your mother was. And so your birthday is the perfect time for you to begin to take the place she left for you.”
Mina gave a short laugh. “Don’t tell me you mean to marry her.”
“Of course not,” Nicholas said with some irritation. “I mean to prepare her to become queen, starting by giving her full control of the South.”
They were all speechless for a moment. Lynet knew she was supposed to say something, to thank him, to show him how excited she was, but all she felt was shock and a growing sense of panic. She knew she would have to be ready to be queen when her father died, but she also knew that on that day, her transformation into her mother would be complete. That was what he was really offering to her, after all—not the South, but the chance to become her mother sooner.
“But what does that mean?” Lynet finally managed to say. “What do you want me to do?”
Nicholas nodded in approval. “You’re going to learn how to be a queen, Lynet. You’ll attend all public court events and greet all visitors personally. You’ll come with me when I meet with my council, and you’ll handle all matters related to the South—hearing petitions, deciding policy. As we discussed this morning, you are going to have to put your childhood behind you from now on. You have responsibilities.”
Lynet’s stomach twisted a little more with each word. She could sense her world becoming smaller and smaller, no bigger than one of the coffins in the crypt. She had wanted to run away, but now she felt more trapped than ever.
Nicholas was beginning to frown, and Lynet knew she wasn’t responding the way he had hoped or expected. In desperation, she turned to Mina, forgetting for a moment that he didn’t want her to depend on Mina anymore.
But Mina wasn’t looking at Lynet. She was staring ahead at Nicholas, sitting perfectly still except for a slight tremor of her hands.
She didn’t know, Lynet realized, now understanding the full extent of her father’s decision. She had been so occupied with her own fears that she had forgotten that the power her father was granting her—the position he was preparing her for—was Mina’s.
Why hadn’t her father asked for Mina’s blessing before making this decision? But of course he wouldn’t—she never knew them to agree about anything.
“You would do this?” Mina said, her voice barely above a whisper.
“I will do anything that’s best for my daughter,” Nicholas said, looking at his wife for the first time since he’d begun his announcement. “And needless to say, I will not allow you to make her decisions or rule through her. Lynet is old enough not to need you anymore.”
“And have you considered that Lynet may not want to accept your offer?”
The two of them both looked down at Lynet, who tried not to cower under the eyes of the two people she cared about most. Nicholas was looking at her in disbelief, clearly confused by the suggestion that Lynet wouldn’t want to take such an important step toward becoming queen. And Mina—Mina was simply waiting for Lynet to tell her father the truth.
Nicholas was the first to look away. “Don’t speak for her. If Lynet has any complaints, she’ll speak for herself.”
“Will she?” Mina said softly, her eyes still on Lynet.
Lynet was growing light-headed, too warm from sitting in front of the fire, and even though she shut her eyes tight, she could still see them both watching her, waiting for her to say something. No matter what she said, she would have to hurt one of them. She could already see the look on her father’s face, the slow realization that his daughter wasn’t the person he thought she was. She would never be able to make him understand, but Mina—Mina would understand. Mina could be reasoned with. Even if she upset Mina now, Lynet could explain herself later, and she knew that Mina would forgive her. She couldn’t believe the same of her father.
Lynet shook her head. “I don’t have anything to say.”
“That settles it, then,” Nicholas said. “I’ll make the announcement at your birthday feast.”
There was a long pause before Lynet dared to open her eyes, keeping her head down as she peered up at her stepmother. Mina wasn’t looking at her anymore, but Lynet could feel her disappointment nonetheless; she could feel it in the fire’s punishing heat.
“And when Lynet takes the South, what will I do?” Mina said.
Nicholas shrugged. “You’ll still be queen in name.”
“The South is mine, Nicholas.”
“It was never yours to keep.” He sighed and rubbed at his forehead. “Please understand that this is not a personal insult to you—”
She laughed dryly. “No? Even when you accused me of trying to rule through her? Or are you just afraid she’ll become too much like me and not enough like her mother?”
Nicholas rose from his seat in one movement, but Mina remained still, watching him defiantly.
“Lynet, you can leave now. I want to speak to your stepmother alone.”
Lynet stood, looking to Mina uncertainly. She was sure that Mina would understand and forgive her, but she still longed for some reassurance.
But Mina only looked at her coldly and said, “Go, Lynet. I don’t need you to protect me.”
Lynet heeded her stepmother’s command and hurried out of the room.
12
MINA
Mina walked by the lake with Nicholas and Lynet nearly every day, but she felt she was making little progress with the king. They would stroll leisurely while Lynet ran ahead, but the king’s worried eyes seldom left his daughter, and their conversations were light and impersonal.
The real challenge, Mina thought, would be to find a way to approach Nicholas alone. As long as Lynet was there to distract him away from her, Mina knew they would never move beyond this casual friendship.
She asked Felix to track the king’s movements, to watch for those rare moments when the king was alone. Her chance came at last one morning when she heard a tap at her window. Felix was standing outside, and Mina quickly shut her door before opening the window. “You shouldn’t be here,” she hissed at him in a whisper.