CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE #2
“A trial with the fate of a nation at stake won’t be fair or unbiased.
Those with the authority to judge will be the cardinals and the nobility.
” Ysabel smirked. “The cardinals hate the duchess for arresting the Head Cardinal, and the local nobility doesn’t want a foreign regent. They’re already biased in our favor.”
“But I’m not the real duchess. That’s a fact.”
“Oh, my dear na?ve sister. I’m telling you that people don’t need to think that you’re real to vote for you. They just have to think that you’re a better option than Duchess Hedri. Frankly, she set the bar somewhere in hell.”
“Then do you want me to pretend I’m still the Blood Duchess?” At the thought, I shook my head. “It’s impossible. They’ll bring in Seers to detect if we’re telling the truth.”
“You can truthfully say that you didn’t steal the duchess’s body. The swap was accidental. Therefore, we just have to make sure the question is phrased how we want.”
“I can’t truthfully say that I’m the Blood Duchess!”
“Seers can be biased or bribed, just like noble juries.” Ysabel gave me an assessing look.
“They’ll ask you questions about your past, though.
Perhaps we should go with the amnesia route.
It doesn’t need to be a convincing story.
The Conclave sending Duchess Hedri alone is practically tacit permission.
They’ll accept the outcome of this trial, even if it’s nothing but a convenient fiction. ”
I slammed my teacup down. “Yzzy, I don’t want to be stuck like this forever! I want to go back to my real body!”
“Oh.” My sister frowned. “Of course you do. I’m sorry. I got carried away scheming. Oh dear. That poses a problem.”
I didn’t like the sound of that one bit.
My love life depended on getting my body back.
That was such a selfish consideration, I didn’t dare raise it.
Nor was it something I wanted to talk about with my sister.
I had plenty else to say, though. “Duchess Hedri is currently in my body! If you make her into a criminal, then how will I ever go back to being myself?” Up until now, I’d been content to do whatever I needed to inside the duchess’s body because I didn’t plan to live there for the rest of my life.
If both the duchess and my real body became criminals, then I’d have no retreat left.
I felt like a box was closing in around me. My breathing grew heavy.
Ysabel hung her head. “You’re right. I’m sorry.”
That wasn’t the answer I’d wanted from her. I’d wanted her to tell me that she had another clever solution. “What will we do?” I asked in a small voice.
Ysabel fiddled with her teacup. “I’ll think of something.” Her usual confidence had deserted her voice.
“What happens if we tell the truth?” I asked.
Ysabel seemed to consider this. “You didn’t swap the bodies on purpose, and we could prove it.
I could protect you from retaliation, using my own and my husband’s political influence.
But Duchess Hedri would become the rightful regent of Arahasnor.
She would take over the kingdom as she’d originally planned.
We’ve even chased off the other challengers for her. ”
My heart sank to my stomach. The tea inside me gurgled. I whispered, “If there’s no other option to save Arahasnor …” I couldn’t quite bring myself to say it. I couldn’t be brave enough.
Ysabel reached over and grabbed my hand. “You don’t have to do this. I’ll come up with a new plan.”
“What will happen to Queen Antonia? The duchess abused her.”
Ysabel paled with horror. “Maybe she can flee to Conollia with us?”
“Can she, without starting a war?”
Ysabel’s shoulders sagged. “No.” She straightened. “I’ll think of something. Give me more time.”
But I didn’t believe there was truly another option.
My sister left me alone to my tea and my cowardice, trying to decide if I had what it took to sacrifice myself for my country.
As I nursed the last dregs of my tea, I heard a knock on my window. I looked up.
Ma’qas balanced on my windowsill. With a cheerful grin, she said, “Good news and bad news. The good news is, I found the Blood Duchess.”
I sighed. “Yes, I know. She marched into the city and put me on trial.”
Ma’qas had the grace to look sheepish. “Ah, I see you already know the bad news. It’s not my fault!
She had already reached the Conclave Headquarters before you sent me after her.
It was too late from the beginning. She must have headed straight there after the body swap.
It always would have been difficult to stop her.
She was surrounded by too many guards for me to do anything by the time I caught up with her.
But I have more good news! The Living Shadow called together the rest of the Twelve Avengers. Although, we’re the Ten Avengers now—”
“I know,” I said. “My brother-in-law killed two of you. One before this mess started, and the clown recently. I’m sorry.”
Ma’qas shrugged. “Don’t be. I never liked those guys. Besides, anyone stupid enough to fight Dark Lord Kaine deserves what he got. Sorry, former dark lord. He’s still the scariest bastard to walk the face of the earth. I don’t know how your sister can handle him.”
I had some idea, but nothing I’d say out loud. “I think they’re good for each other. Such a cute couple.”
“The point is, turns out the Living Shadow knew all of our identities and summoned all of us for the final assassination. That thing might not be as scary as Kaine, but it is a far more subtle and efficient killer.”
I had a bad feeling. “You gathered to do what, exactly?”
Ma’qas beamed. “To kill the Blood Duchess! Fear not, I explained to them that she’s in your body now. They won’t come after you any longer. They’ll go after the real one instead.”
“But they’ll kill my body!” I slammed my teacup down. This time, it cracked. “I was planning to go back to that.”
“Tough luck.” Ma’qas shrugged. “Sorry, but we all want revenge, and we don’t have any attachment to you. I suggest you learn to love the body you currently have. Ari seems to like it.” With that, she climbed out the window.
I screamed after her, “That’s my body! It is not yours to kill! Get back here!” I kept shouting until my throat gave out, to no effect.
Ma’qas didn’t know what she was talking about, unfortunately.
If I couldn’t swap back, then my love life would forever have the flag of doom hanging over it.
Araceli was not the only reason I wanted my real body back.
But that particular consideration did weigh heavily on my mind.
Even though Araceli was willing to try with the duchess’s body, I didn’t want to cause more trauma.
Plus … you know … it was very scary to think of someone killing my body!
I still needed to talk to Araceli. It had faded from my mind in light of the many, many shocks of the day. But it would be discourteous to not say something complimentary to the lover who had rocked my world last night.
Rather than show up empty-handed, I stopped by the kitchens for a snack. Then I stole a cluster of flowers from a vase and hid them behind my back.
I’d planned to talk to Antonia first, but as it turned out, both people I needed to speak to were in the same place.
Araceli sat on the floor of Queen Antonia’s room. A tiny table held four empty teacups. Two dolls filled up the table as guests.
Raising her teapot, Antonia asked, “Would you like more, Lady Araceli?”
“It’s Lord Ari right now.”
Antonia nodded gravely. “My apologies. You may now wear the lord’s hat.” She offered a tall top hat.
I cleared my throat. “I have additional refreshments.” I held up a cheese pastry.
Antonia’s eyes lit up. “Lady Bora! Please join us.” She pushed aside a doll to make room for me.
I presented the flowers to Ari. “For you.”
He smiled. A faint flush crossed his cheeks. “Thank you.” He looked around, failed to find a vase, and stuck them inside the empty teapot instead.
“I don’t mean to interrupt, but I have an important question to ask you.” I fixed my gaze on Antonia. “Can you swap me back with the duchess?”
Antonia paled. She looked down and pinched one of her hands.
“I don’t know how. I’m sorry,” she whispered.
“I’ve been practicing with my magic tutor.
I couldn’t do anything with the insects.
My tutor even volunteered to let me test my gift on her, but nothing happened.
I can’t feel the same emotions as when I did it the first time. ”
“Didn’t your tutor also say that distance might be a factor? What if we got the two of them in the same room? Do you think that would help?” Ari asked.
Antonia slapped the table. “I can’t!” Tears welled up in the corners of her eyes.
“Hey, don’t worry about it. I didn’t mean to upset you.” Over Antonia’s head, my eyes sought out Ari. His face was grim. I couldn’t mention the urgency of the situation and the threat to my body, not in front of a child.
Antonia sniffled. “I’m sorry. Please don’t hate me.”
“Of course I don’t hate you. I’m the one who’s sorry for bringing it up.”
Ari said, “It’s not your fault. She’s been upset ever since she found out that the real duchess is back in the castle. I just finished calming her down.”
And then I had come in here and ruined it.
I winced. Carefully, I sealed all my feelings about my body’s possible murder into a box for later.
Ever since I was a small child, I used to set aside my feelings whenever my mom got upset and needed comfort, so I was good at that. “Shall we return to the tea party?”
We played for a bit, but Antonia’s heart didn’t seem in it. Her hands shook, and she kept glancing at the door. Eventually, her tutor came by for a history lesson, and we got booted out.
“You’ve heard?” I asked once we stepped into the hallway.