Chapter 10
10
Nothing could have prepared me for what I saw.
“I thought this was a standard meeting,” I hissed at Elias, trying to smile politely at the same time.
He shrugged, as if saying, I told you so.
The room was full of visiting courtiers and their guards from Sigbin, dressed in their best from head to toe. They all looked me up and down. I tugged at my stupid blouse. Jinky was right. I should have worn the gown.
Yep, totally nailed it, MJ. Good job. I decided the best thing I could do was act like I was underdressed on purpose. Like nothing was wrong.
I strolled in with my head high. Despite what I felt earlier about Elias, I was glad he was there now. He pulled out a heavy, high-backed golden chair for me. I sat and waited for the rest of the Sigbin courtiers to arrive. Jinky took her place behind me. I had no idea what to do. Looked like I was going to have to wing it.
After a few minutes the door opened, and a man in a beautifully embroidered barong Tagalog walked in. He didn’t look directly at me.
His mouth opened, and a booming, deep voice rang out. “May I introduce the grand duchess of the Court of Sigbin, Lady Amador Oscura, alongside her most esteemed knight, Sir Lucas Invierno, datu of Mount Makiling.” He stepped aside.
Of course. I was here to meet them . I should’ve known. Actually, I probably would’ve known if I’d read the agenda. Fine. Lesson learned. Again.
After a fashionable pause, Amador and Lucas strode in, arm in arm. As much as I didn’t want to admit it, they were even more intimidating out of their school uniforms. Everything about her was flawless, from the complicated braided updo in her dark, blue-highlighted hair (and the frosty diamond tiara perched on top of it) to her shimmering, icy-blue, floor-length Maria Clara dress. Even Lucas was perfect—all cut-glass cheekbones and dark hair that fell into his eyes, the colorful malong draped over his shoulder a perfect match to her dress.
Though this was not a casual situation—or at least, I imagined two nobles from rival courts having their first official meeting was not a casual thing—I sensed a certain amount of humor about him, in regard to the entire scenario. His inky dark eyes were playful, and he had a slight smirk at the corner of his mouth.
I stood and wondered if I should bow. Or curtsy or something. I made some kind of awkward movement in between the two, unsure what to do, but then I noticed Elias put his hand out slightly at his side to indicate I should not. I pretended I was fixing my shoe instead. One gaffe narrowly avoided. I was a little embarrassed that I almost genuflected to a lesser-ranking noble. I wasn’t a subject of the Court of Sigbin. I was the queen of the Court of Sirena, or about to be, and I needed to get used to it.
“Please, have a seat,” I offered, opening my hand toward the plush chairs across from me. Amador, or rather, the duchess—this was an official occasion after all—curtsied while Sir Lucas bowed, and then they stepped forward in unison and swept into the seats as if they were gliding. Once seated, they exchanged a loaded look. I pretended not to notice and moved on, though I wasn’t sure what I was supposed to say now. “Pleased to meet you,” I began. You idiot, you already know them! “Meet you here,” I said, hoping that covered my mistake. “I’m happy to welcome you to the Court of Sirena.” That sounded good.
“What do you think of it so far, Princess?” Lucas responded. “Has it been long since you last visited?”
I felt like there was some kind of insult behind the question. “Since I was but a toddler,” I told him honestly.
“Ah,” he said, as if he didn’t already know my entire life story. I had no doubt that I was the subject of all the latest gossip throughout the four kingdoms. Then it occurred to me: “visited.” Insinuating that I didn’t actually belong.
“No loss,” Amador quipped.
Lucas jumped in. “On your part, she means.” He forced a chuckle. “Because, well, it’s just that, the Court of Sirena is known for—well, it’s not me saying this, mind you, I’m only telling you what is commonly known—”
“Lucas is always honest. Some people can’t handle it, but I, for one, prefer the truth,” Amador said with a smirk.
“As do I,” I told her. I hoped that sounded like the threat that it was. Maybe I felt intimidated when they walked in, but I was never going to let her know that. At least not on purpose.
“Then you won’t mind my saying, frankly, the inhabitants of the Court of Sirena are known to be rather, let’s just say, well...” He feigned reluctance. “Simple.” He practically whispered it, as if he didn’t want to say it. Some of the Lambana courtiers stifled laughs.
So this was what they were talking about earlier. Amador had put him up to this. I decided to play innocent and almost bat my eyelashes a little bit. Fight fire with fire. “Oh? What do they mean by that?”
“You know,” he said, waving his hand around like he was trying to catch a word. He hesitated before speaking. “Rustic. Provincial.”
“Ignorant,” Amador happily chimed in. “Some would even say dirty. Or, you know, fishy .” She smiled as if she had made a clever pun.
“Oh, I see, is that because my people came from the sea?” I exclaimed, as if they’d enlightened me. “But I suppose that’s better than, say, what the Court of Sigbin is known for?”
“And what would that be?” Amador sneered.
“Chaotic, disorderly, arrogant, spoiled, and useless?” I smiled and let my words hang in the air.
I felt triumphant, but Elias’s eyes were wide with horror. Some of the courtiers were scowling.
Amador’s lips pursed, and her eyes narrowed. “In any case,” she said, quickly changing the subject, “we’ve come to discuss the relationship between our two courts, haven’t we?”
“That’s my understanding,” I answered.
She went right in. “As you must know by now, there was a treaty signed by our ancestors many years ago, uniting the kingdoms and vesting the leadership in the Court of Sirena. However, I’m sure you’ll agree that the terms of that treaty have become untenable. In fact, I’ve been told that you only fulfilled the agreement under great duress. And there’s no reason for you to suffer if we all want the same thing.” She smiled widely at me.
“And what is that, Duchess? That we all want, I mean,” I asked her.
“Please, call me Amador.” She flashed me another empty smile, then leaned forward a little bit and lowered her voice, as if we were having a private tête-à-tête. “You’re not equipped for this, Princess. It’s so obvious. And you shouldn’t have to be. No one should be forced to do something they don’t want to do.” She glanced around and lowered her voice even more. “If we nullify the old agreement, you can have your life back. I understand you left your mother behind. I’m sure you miss her. Biringan will still be safe. Everything is solved.”
“And then what?” I asked her, not bothering to be quiet. “Who would take my place?”
“As princess of the Court of Sirena, or—”
“As the heir to the throne of all of Biringan,” I corrected her. I didn’t appreciate being manipulated or treated like I was clueless. Even if she was right about how I hadn’t wanted to come there, she was wrong if she thought I was going to let her call the shots and boss me around.
“Oh, that won’t be a problem,” she assured me. “There’s always someone ready to take it on.”
“And I suppose you intend that person to be you and your insurgents?”
The courtiers in the room gasped in shock. Elias was glaring at me. Warning me. He was suspicious of the Court of Sigbin, but as he explained, not enough to warrant any official accusation.
“Are you accusing us of treason?” Amador said with steel in her voice.
I had to back down. Or else I was in danger of openly declaring war. “You said it, not me,” I said sweetly.
She shrugged slowly, as if she was just now considering it. “Of course not. We are loyal to the Court of Sirena, as we always have been. I was only saying that if you chose to vacate your position, someone else could fill it.”
“You, I assume.”
“Perhaps. Perhaps not. All depends on how it shakes out.” She flashed me yet another broad, phony smile.
“I’ll take it under consideration,” I told her. That was diplomatic, right? “In the meantime, I intend to do what my father wanted of me. After all, we don’t have the luxury of playing games, Amador.” Cut off the discussion while you’re ahead. “If there’s nothing else...”
Amador and Lucas looked stunned at my dismissal. At least they knew how to take a hint. “Well, then,” she said, the indignation rising in her tone. “I understand you’re in a strange place without the first clue about how anything works or who you are dealing with, so we’ll leave you to get some rest. For now. You clearly need it.” She stood up and pulled her skirts around her to straighten them out. Lucas stood as well next to her. I smiled up at them with my hands clasped on the table.
“I look forward to seeing you at the council meeting,” she said before twirling around and heading for the exit, Lucas at her heels, just as Nix had drawn the first day. As she reached the door, she added, “I suggest you come prepared.”