“Perhaps there’s been some confusion,” I said. “I didn’t speak to Lady Petronia. Only my aunt, Lady Edith of Paxworth, did.”
The chamberlain frowned at me like I was trying to sneak uninvited into the queen’s rooms, which was ironic because I’d already sneaked uninvited into the queen’s rooms. I’d better methods than this.
“Paxworth?” he said as though the word tasted of dirt. “I’ve never heard of that holding.”
I wasn’t sure how he wanted me to respond to that.Well then, you’re not as knowledgeable as you suppose.Or,I’ll try to be from a more illustrious place next time I require your attention.
I remembered that Ronan had assured the king I could be polite and said, “Paxworth is a lovely place. If you ever travel to the western part of the country, you should visit.”
He regarded me again with an unspoken sigh hovering on his lips. “I’ll check with Lady Petronia.” He left me there with the guard to wait for his verdict.
After twenty minutes, the chamberlain came back looking less pleased than before. “I’ll show you to her.”
I’d assumed he meant Lady Petronia. Instead, he took me to the queen’s receiving room. Queen Marita sat on her throne, bereft of any other attendants.
I curtsied. Queen Marita stared imperiously at me until the chamberlain left. Then she slipped from her throne and stalked toward me, continuing to stare at me like I was an intruder.
“Perhaps there’s been a mistake,” I said. “Lady Edith told me you’d chosen me for an attendant.”
Queen Marita folded her arms. Haughty. Displeased. “I didn’t choose you.”
Well, this had suddenly become exceedingly awkward. Still, part of me laughed at Lady Edith’s sending me here to look the fool in front of the queen. It meant my adoptive mother had a keen, hereto-unknown sense of revenge.Thatwould teach me to kill off too many people during her next trip to court. The queen must think me proud beyond my station to assume such an honor. I bowed my head. “I beg your pardon. There must’ve been a mis?—”
“Myhusbandchose you,” Queen Marita barked, her words an indictment. “Why did he choose you?”
Even worse. Queen Marita feared I was carrying on a dalliance with her new husband. My eyes snapped to hers and my mouth dropped open. Apparently, the king was keeping my position a secret even from his wife and hadn’t considered how his request would appear to her.
“I assume,” I stuttered, “he chose me on Ronan’s behalf. I mean, Mage Warison. We are…” I didn’t know how much to say about that either. I was second-guessing Ronan’s intentions, and besides, he’d said wizards kept their relationships guarded. “Mage Warison hoped I would stay longer at court.” That much was safe to say, wasn’t it? I felt myself blushing hotly.
“Mage Warison?” Queen Marita’s scowl vanished. “The one who saved Leofric’s life?”
“Yes, Your Majesty.”
She smiled and clucked her tongue. “Ah. That explains why my husband was eager to grant him favors. Leofric really should have told me so.” She waved a hand to stop further explanation on my part. “I understand mages in your country are coy about such matters. A strange custom. In my country, mages marry and have children like everyone else.”
“They do?” I was truly surprised. “They don’t worry about someone threatening to harm their families in order to manipulate them?”
“Wizards are powerful men. Only fools would hurt their families.”
“Or other wizards.”
She nodded. “Yes, the wizards in your country fight with each other. I’ve seen this. It is not so much that way in my country.”
It wasn’t? For perhaps the first time, it occurred to me that relations among wizards could change, that their structure wasn’t carved in stone any more than the servants’ was. Perhaps someday they might even come to accept having a woman among their ranks. And if not, well, now that I would have access to the king’s store of magical books, who was to say I couldn’t someday give a mark to another woman and create companions that way?
“Odeway sounds lovely,” I said. “I wish we lived in your country.”
A dimple puckered Queen Marita’s cheek. “You must be very much in love with Mage Warison to wish to be somewhere besides Aerador.”
I blushed again. “Either that or I’ve heard how stunning the mountain ranges in your country are.”
She tilted her head and laughed. She looked pretty that way, laughing and relaxed. “Yes, I remember your wit. Now I’ll be glad my husband chose you. I’ll be glad for Mage Warison.” She leaned toward me confidentially. “He is a handsome one. It would be such…how do you say… a travesty if he didn’t make some woman happy.”
“A travesty,” I agreed.
“And you, an orphan from a poor holding…” She clasped her hands together. “It’s like a story of the winged women.”
Winged women? What in heavens did they do with orphans in Odeway?