I let out a long breath. Temporary. Opportunity. Okay.
“Besides, it’s not all completely up to you. This is what your advisers are for. Granted, they weren’t much help today, but we’re here so you aren’t navigating without a map.”
I bit my lip, thinking. “Okay. So, what do I do now?”
“First, follow through and fire Coddly. It will show the others you mean what you say. I do feel somewhat bad for him, but I think your father only kept him around to play devil’s advocate and help him see all sides of an issue. Trust me, he won’t be sorely missed,” she confessed dryly. “Second, consider this time a period of hands-on training for your reign. Start surrounding yourself with people you know you can trust.”
I sighed. “I feel like they’ve all just left me.”
She shook her head. “Look closer. You probably have friends in places you never expected.”
Again, I found myself seeing her in a new light. She’d stayed in her role longer than anyone; she knew what Dad would decide in most situations; and she was, at the very least, another woman in the room.
Lady Brice stared into my eyes, forcing me to focus. “Who do you know will always be honest with you? Who will be by your side, not because you’re royal, but because you’re you?”
I smiled, absolutely positive of where I was going once I left this room.
“ME?”
“You.”
“Are you sure?”
I grabbed Neena by the shoulders. “You always tell me the truth, even if I’m not excited to hear it. You’ve put up with the worst of me, and you’re too clever to spend your days folding my laundry.”
She beamed, blinking to quell her tears. “A lady-in-waiting … what does that even mean?”
“Well, it’s a mix of being a companion, which you already are, and then helping with the less glamorous side of my job, like scheduling appointments and making sure I remember to eat.”
“I think I can handle that,” she said, smiling.
“Oh, oh, oh, and”—I held up my hands, preparing her for probably the most exciting part of the job—“it means you don’t have to wear that uniform anymore. So go change.”
Neena chuckled. “I don’t know that I have anything appropriate. But I’ll make sure to get something together for tomorrow.”
“Nonsense. Just go through my closet.”
She gaped at me. “I can’t.”
“Umm, you can and you must.” I pointed to the wide doors. “Get dressed, meet me in the office, and we’ll make it through whatever comes one day at a time.”
She nodded, and, as if we’d done it a thousand times, she threw her arms around me.
“Thank you.”
“Thank you,” I insisted.
“I won’t let you down.”
I pulled back, watching her. “I know. By the way, your first job is to pick a new maid for me.”
“Not a problem.”
“Excellent. I’ll see you soon.”
I swept from the room, feeling better knowing I had people on my side. General Leger would be my line to Mom and Dad, Lady Brice would be my chief adviser, and Neena would help me shoulder the workload.
It had been less than a day, and I already understood why Mom thought I’d need a partner. And I still intended to find one. I just needed a little time to figure out how.
That afternoon I paced worriedly as I waited for Kile outside the Men’s Parlor. Of all my relationships with the Selected, ours felt the most complicated and yet the easiest place to start.
“Hey,” he said, coming to embrace me. I couldn’t help smiling thinking about how if he’d tried that a month ago, I’d have called the guards on him. “How are you doing?”
I paused. “It’s funny—you’re the only one who’s asked.” We stepped apart. “I’m okay, I think. At least I am as long as I’m busy. The second things slow down, I’m a ball of nerves. Dad’s a wreck. And it’s killing me that Ahren hasn’t come back. I thought he would for Mom, but he hasn’t even called. Shouldn’t he at least have done that?”
I swallowed, knowing I was getting too worked up.
Kile took my hand. “Okay, let’s think about this. He flew to France and got married in one day. There has to be a ton of official paperwork and other stuff to sort through. And there’s a chance he hasn’t even heard what happened.”
I nodded. “You’re right. And I know he cares. He left me a letter, and it was too honest for me to question that.”
“See, there you go. And last night your dad looked like he was two seconds away from needing to be checked into the hospital wing himself. Being with your mom and monitoring her probably gives him a feeling of control when there’s absolutely none. She’s made it through the worst, and she’s always been a fighter. Remember when that one ambassador came?”
I smirked. “You mean the one from the Paraguay-Argentina Union?”