CHAPTER SIX #2
“I told Countess Donya that I’d uncovered your secret and about my promise to protect you, but not the part where I might end up killing you.” Turning me around, Araceli adjusted the bows on my front.
“Uh-huh. We don’t want to stress her out.” I nodded.
“I thought you might tell her later, but I barely even talked my way out of a dungeon cell before reaching that part. If you tell her, make sure you explain that you took a life-oath to help me. Not just a regular oath, one that will kill you if you break it.”
“Oh, you think I should tell her the truth?”
“Why are you asking me?” Araceli glared. “I’m not your friend. We’re barely allies.”
“I’m sorry.” I looked down and shuffled my feet.
Araceli exhaled loudly. “I’m sorry for snapping. Now sit down so I can do your hair.”
“Thank you so much!” I beamed.
Araceli stared at me. “You’re supposed to pretend to be the Blood Duchess?”
“… Yes?”
She pinched her forehead. “This is hopeless. No one is going to believe that you’re Duchess Hedri.
They’ll take one look at you and scream shape-shifter.
If I hadn’t sworn a life-oath to you, I’d be outta here.
Since I did, I’ll offer some advice. You don’t thank servants.
You say, ‘Hurry it up, and if one hair falls out of my hat today, then I’ll have you whipped. ’”
“I can’t say that! What if I hurt someone’s feelings?”
Araceli considered this. “Think of the person you hate the most.”
That was easy. I thought of Falael. My brows scrunched up.
“Like that,” Araceli said. “Keep that expression on your face all day, and try not to talk.”
As she instructed me, her hands flew in rapid motions.
She created a looped braid from my hair, then placed a red pointed hat on top.
A ruby gleamed from the center. The soft silk veil fell over my face.
It looked lovely. I even smiled at my reflection for the first time since the swap.
But I shouldn’t say so, right? It wouldn’t be like the duchess to give out compliments.
But it was only the two of us here, and I wouldn’t want her to think she hadn’t done a good job. “You’re so talented. Thank you.”
Araceli shook her head. “We’re doomed.”
Donya entered the room carrying a tray of pastries.
“I’m full,” I said quickly. It was true—after how much I’d eaten last night, it would be a while before I got hungry again.
“I thought you might eat breakfast with Princess Antonia.” Donya waved at the doorway. A little girl clung to the frame, wide-eyed. She definitely looked like she could use more meals.
I smiled at the princess. “Please, come in.”
She didn’t move.
Donya leaned over and whispered, “I told her about the body swap, but I’m not sure she believed me.”
Araceli met the princess’s eyes. “It’s true. This isn’t the real Duchess Hedri.”
Princess Antonia darted into the room and grabbed Araceli’s skirt. She peered out from behind the cloth at me.
I knelt down. “Nice to meet you. My real name is Bora.”
Araceli patted the princess’s head. “She won’t hurt you. I’m quite certain of it at this point.” A note of unhappiness lurked in her voice. She wanted me to be the real duchess, or at least be better at pretending.
The princess’s tense shoulders relaxed. She clearly trusted Araceli. They must have known each other from long before their trip to my kingdom. Stepping forward, the princess curtsied flawlessly. “Good morning, Mother.”
“You don’t have to call me that. And definitely don’t curtsey to me. I’m not anyone important.” I waved at the pastries. “Would you like some?”
“I … can?” She leapt for the table before I could give an answer. I wouldn’t have thought pastries a rare treat for a princess, but she crammed an entire apple tart into her mouth as if she feared it would be taken away.
“Slow down, you’ll choke,” I said. Lowering my voice, I leaned toward Donya. “Does Her Highness know how to swap me back? Um, I know we can’t right now, but Araceli needs to kill the duchess later.” And I needed to not be killed by Araceli.
Princess Antonia overheard me. “Sorry, I tried with a frog and a mouse, but I couldn’t do it. Look at the bright side, you can stay with me forever and ever. I’ll let you have all my pastries if Mean Mother never comes back.” She shoved the plate in my direction.
“Thank you, Your Highness—” I faltered as Donya gave me a pointed look.
“I mean, Antonia.” It would be hard to get used to calling the princess by her first name.
It was even harder to get used to looking her in the eye, but I did my best. “I promise that we won’t leave you with the duchess after my body gets swapped back.
We’re going to find a way to take her down, and Araceli is going to, uh, make sure she doesn’t hurt you again.
” I sat down and took a strawberry tart.
I couldn’t turn down food offered as a gesture of friendship, so I took a small bite.
“These are delicious. Thank you for sharing.” Strawberry had been Calum’s favorite.
The memories hit me suddenly and unexpectedly, making me blink back tears. I looked down before anyone noticed.
Donya sat at the table across from me. “Princess Antonia has a powerful gift, so it must have a heavy price. Her exhaustion could be part of her price but not all of it.” Or she could have been knocked out by the beating, but neither of us wanted to say that in front of the princess.
“Without knowing her price, it will be difficult to figure out the conditions that she needs to replicate her magic. Most people know their price instinctively after the first time they use their magic, but the princess is very young.”
“Not a clue,” Antonia insisted around a mouthful of pastry.
“I’ve been researching if there has ever been another case of a similar gift, but that will take time. We’ll figure this out. I give you my word,” Donya said.
I certainly hoped so. I looked down at my new tummy and fat thighs and lost my appetite. Pushing away my half-eaten pastry, I asked, “Did you contact Ysabel?” At a time like this, it would be lovely to receive advice from my politically savvy Holy Maiden sister.
“About that … the duchess took my book linked to Ysabel’s, and I can’t find it.” Donya winced at the look on my face. “I don’t trust regular mail with this news. If someone intercepted a letter, they’d have evidence enough for the Conclave of Kings to order your execution.”
The reminder of the stakes made me feel ill. “Do we need to have the coronation today? I don’t feel ready. Antonia is still recovering.”
“Yes, we have to. It will be a rush job, not as properly fancy as it should be, but we need to have you formerly decreed as regent before the other kingdoms show up demanding the position. You don’t need to do anything for the ceremony, Bora.
Just sit at the front of the church where I direct you.
When I call your name—the duchess’s name—come up and repeat the oath. ”
“Not a life-oath?” I asked, sneaking a glance at Araceli. She was wiping a crumb off the princess’s face. Antonia smiled at her in return.
Donya snorted. “The world would be a different place if royalty swore real life-oaths to protect and serve their kingdoms. No, these are just words.”
“Can Araceli accompany me?” I asked. “She’s serving as my bodyguard after trying to assassinate me last night.”
“After what?” Donya shrieked. Whirling on Araceli, she growled, “You didn’t tell me that part!”
Huh, maybe I shouldn’t have said that. At least not in front of the child? But this ordeal was headache inducing, and I preferred to keep my number of lies to the minimum. “Relax,” I said. “We’ve settled that. She even swore a life-oath to protect me.”
Princess Antonia whispered to Araceli. “You finally tried to kill her? Don’t do that again. She’s nice now. I made sure of it! I helped!”
Araceli curtsied to Donya. “I’m Araceli, also called Ari, the rightful heir to the duchy of South Sherda.”
Donya stared. “You’re the long-lost heir that the duchess has been trying to murder for years? You didn’t tell me that part either! Wait, you’re a man?”
“You’re a man?” I repeated. I’d assumed her puppet wore male clothing because she’d been a tomboy. Araceli seemed so elegant and feminine and devastatingly attractive. Though she’d look great in a waistcoat too.
Araceli tossed back her hair. “I’m trying to figure that out at the moment.”
My first reaction was, Wait, you can do that?
Dammit, no one in my village asked me before they pigeonholed me as the unmarriageable fat girl looking after her parents!
I’m jealous! I’d always thought of an identity as something that got forced on you rather than something you could pick out for yourself …
Things really were different for the nobility.
My second thought, however, was the realization that nobility didn’t generally get to pick their gender.
There had been a big scandal when Donya went around wearing trousers.
Where did Araceli get the confidence to decide her own identity?
Even when confused, my first instinct in any given situation was politeness.
“I wish you the best of luck figuring it out. Do you want me to call you he or she?”
“Either is fine, but you’d better stick with ‘she’ for now or you might slip up in public.”
“Good point. Thank you.”
Araceli hissed to Donya, “She keeps saying thank you every five minutes. I don’t think this masquerade will last long.”
Donya rubbed her forehead. “Her part at the ceremony won’t involve any talking, other than repeating the oath. Now, I’m going to arrange a small lunch meeting with a few close allies before the ceremony.”
“Do I have to?” I whispered, perilously close to a whine. This sounded like a great chance to expose myself.
Twirling a lock of hair, Araceli looked me over. Her frown deepened. “It might be better if we tell everyone that she’s sick.”
Donya exhaled and steepled her fingers together.
“Remember how Arahasnor is broke? We’re even worse off than your average broke kingdom.
The government has only been running since the king’s death because I’ve been personally funding it.
Not with money from my county; that would be unfair to my people.
I won a large sum betting on the World Games. ”
Gambling didn’t seem like Donya; I would guess there was a story there. “It doesn’t seem right for one person to pay for the government.”
“It would be more unfair if the cook who made us breakfast doesn’t get paid,” she said. “But it was a lump sum, and I’m out. One noblewoman funding the whole government is simply impossible. The rest of the nobility should help, but their tax rates are a joke. We need allies.”
“Everyone will surely pull together to stop our kingdom from being taken over by foreign invaders.” I laughed. “Just kidding, even I’m not that na?ve.”
Donya cracked a small smile. “It might be possible if I could convince the most important nobles that we have a real chance of survival. I’ve explained that you’re on our side now, but some people want proof, which is understandable. If I could only find the Head Cardinal …”
“Mean Mother threw him in the dungeon,” Antonia said. “She made everyone promise not to tell.”
“Ah! Head Cardinal Augustin! I have to let him out!” Donya ran out the door. There went my last chance to delicately bow out of this lunch meeting.