Chapter Forty-One
Willow
Iopened the disturbingly little wardrobe and gasped at the atrocities awaiting me. All the stuff I would ever deem semi-decent had been gone, replaced with woven sweaters, head-to-toe long-sleeved maxi dresses and togas.
Fucking togas.
No. This was too far. It had fucking Alec written all over it. The way that idiot smiled when he wished me goodnight… I knew he was planning something.
Why did I allow myself to sleep? I could never show myself in something like this. I had a reputation to uphold.
He messed with the wrong girl. The mushrooms were just the beginning; by the time I was through with him, he would regret ever saving me.
But first, the crisis called for drastic measures. Measures I would never normally allow myself to even consider.
Just the thought was enough to make me gag, as I rushed down the hallway to knock on the door. I had no time to reconsider.
A surprised Ava opened it with even more shocked grey-head sat on her bed. Wasn’t her name Monica? ‘I’m sure whatever you two are doing here is critical, but my request regards my ability to ever become the Ortensian Queen.’
‘Uh, okay? What’s happening?’ Ava asked, looking terrified. She should be.
I choked down the gagging sensation that threatened to take over. ‘I need clothes.’
Ava and Monica looked at each other like they wondered if they heard correctly.
‘Clothes?’ The red-eyed girl asked, weirdly interested in my dilemma. ‘What’s wrong with the ones I stocked your wardrobe with when you first came here?’
‘That’s the thing, Monica, they’re all gone. Every single one.’ I massaged my temple; all these nerves put me at risk of getting a headache.
‘That’s odd,’ Ava said, looking at her weird shadow sister, who quirked a brow at me but said nothing. ‘Take what you want,’ she said, letting me in.
The sheer number of choices made my head spin. It was almost enough to distract me from the strange ward radiating throughout her room. It felt invasive. I wondered where she’d learnt it but quickly turned my attention back to the treasure before my eyes.
This was a wardrobe. In comparison, what I’d been given was a fucking cupboard masquerading as one, stocked with nothing but the essentials, even before the fucking switcheroo that Ava’s demented shadow brother was going to pay for.
They let me roam and pick out whatever I wanted while they sat on Ava’s bed, chatting.
The red mini dress called out to me. I dropped my pyjamas onto the floor and slipped it on, forgoing underwear altogether. It hugged my chest, hips, and arse to perfection. On its own, though, it was a little much. I paired it with a dark brown blazer and ankle boots.
If I wore it, it was mine; I wasn't going to give it back.
This was what I was talking about. This screamed confidence and power. This was me.
I walked out, shutting the door behind me, and glanced in their direction. ‘Thanks.’
‘No worries,’ Ava said quickly, looking me over. ‘Are you off to do that training?’
The whole thing was stupid, but I didn’t want to start anything now that we’d managed a sort of truce. ‘Well, I need to go soon, but I don’t know how I’m going to get there.’
Ava looked at Monica, who sighed and stood up. ‘Miriam will take you.’
Shit, was that her name? ‘Thanks.’
The word felt foreign and strange on my tongue. Like it didn’t belong in my vocabulary. Still, it was time for some changes in the name of becoming a ruler.
It was what people expected, wasn’t it? Expressing appreciation was something Lilian bitched about a lot during her training to become a queen. It was so long ago, I couldn’t remember much else she mentioned.
The red-eyed girl neared me and covered me in darkness that didn’t feel quite as suffocating as her brother’s. Was the dickhead doing that on purpose too?
We landed at the entrance to Sycamore University, and she dematerialised before I even had the chance to thank her.
I guessed she didn’t care, not judging by how utterly fucked up she looked from crying.
I wondered what that was about, but not enough to ask.
The whole shadow family wasn’t really up my alley.
Well, I wasn’t quite sure where Ava fit into that anymore, but that wasn’t a problem I needed to solve anytime soon.
I pushed open the door I would normally have opened with witchcraft, feeling strangely out of place and useless. I’d expected a crowd and plenty of staring, but there wasn’t a living soul in the over-accessorised foyer.
Stepping past the elaborate floral centrepiece displayed on a marble table large enough to host a small party, I was greeted by a short, nerdy-looking girl who smiled the moment she noticed me.
Not a regular smile. Like I made her entire week by showing up. What a little weirdo. I liked her. ‘Hi, I’m Willow.’
‘I’m pleased to meet you, Your Majesty.’ She bowed, and I had to admit the surge of dominance was oddly addictive.
‘No need for that; I haven’t even been crowned yet,’ I said quickly.
The girl giggled like what I said was funny. ‘My family is very excited about your rule, Your Majesty. We come from the west lands by the Water Kingdom, but my mother said we might relocate closer if…’ She paused. ‘I’m glad to see you.’
‘If what?’
Her face lost colour. ‘I’d rather not say. I apologise for being too forward; it’s just my inability to shut up when I’m nervous. I didn’t mean to disturb you–’
‘It’s fine. Just say what you meant; I won’t be angry,’ I encouraged.
The girl’s eyes widened as she weighed her options. ‘It’s just that my mother didn’t have the best relationship with Your Highness’s mother, our former queen.’
Interesting. ‘How so?’ I asked after instructing her to lead the way to the dean.
‘It was over a man.’
I couldn’t help but laugh. ‘Say no more. Did my mother want your father?’
‘How did you know?’ Her eyes widened beyond what, I thought, was physically possible.
I smiled. ‘Just a hunch.’
We walked through a corridor full of obnoxious portraits as she continued her recollection. ‘So mother said if the new queen allows us to come back, we would.’
‘Allow you?’ The meaning of what she said went over my head. ‘Whatever do you mean?’
Unease showed in the way she fidgeted. ‘We had been banished and ordered to stay at least five hundred miles from the closest castle.’
What the fuck? Over a man? ‘You’ll be able to come back once I’m crowned. I’d wait just now, since we don’t exactly know where mother dearest hid herself.’
The girl fell to her knees. I rushed to pick her up. ‘Stop that.’
‘We are so grateful,’ she chanted, still on the ground. ‘We are so delighted.’
There were tears in her eyes. Gods, how strange was this girl? Couldn’t they have just moved out of Ortensia if things were that bad for them? ‘Okay, stop making a scene and take me to the dean. I’m late already, which probably won’t bode well on their assessment of my management skills.’
‘I’m so sorry; let’s go.’ She put her bony arm through mine and walked me there like a mediaeval chaperone. I didn’t have the heart to tell her how much she weirded me out.
The wrinkled man opened the door while we remained ten feet away. Then he smiled like he appreciated my presence.
What a day.
‘Miss Willow, how pleased I am to see you,’ he said, gesturing to come inside. I sat in the leather chair that faced his and waited for him. ‘It feels like yesterday that we had your sister and your mother completing the same training.’
Bullshit. ‘Does it?’
The smile on his face looked genuine, and his voice remained steady. ‘Of course. Though, in my age, time feels different from to you younglings. How do you like the university so far? I took the liberty of clearing it for you, since future monarchs deserve our greatest support.’
Oh. ‘There is nobody else here?’
‘Except for me, you, Cindy, whom you have just met, and a couple of professors. We have certainly had prospective rulers request the University work as normal, but I have to say it is discouraged.’
I leaned back. ‘How come?’
Another smile, this time shy. ‘You see, during the training you might need to share your opinions on sensitive topics… In the past, while we stay firm in our expectation of confidentiality, some of these opinions have got out.’
‘Okay. If everyone’s getting a break while I’m here, why is poor Cindy accompanying me?’
‘Oh dear, I didn’t explain that,’ he giggled. ‘I apologise. Cindy has won the Monarch’s Help contest; she is here to assist you with whatever you need.’
What kind of messed up practice was that? ‘Monarch’s Help?’
The man nodded. ‘Yes, it’s a contest focusing on knowledge regarding a given kingdom, in your case Ortensia.’
‘Why would anyone want to win a position of being a monarch’s assistant?’ The idea seemed abhorrent. ‘I bet she was the only constant, right?’
The dean paused, visibly appalled. ‘Quite the contrary, young lady. We have had hundreds of Ortensians take part.’
That surprised me. A bunch of masochists. Who in their right mind craved slavery?
‘Oh. Cool.’ I didn’t know what to say. ‘What does she get out of it?’
‘In what way?’ he asked, scratching his beard.
‘Well, if she is to serve me, shouldn’t she be rewarded somehow?’ I explained. ‘I mean, maybe you’re assuming monarchs would express gratitude, but most wouldn’t.’
He considered it. Then he gasped as if what I said led to an epiphany. ‘You’re making an excellent point, Willow. What do you propose?’
‘I don’t know.’ In all of my criticism, I didn’t expect to be asked for an opinion. ‘Ask her what she wants.’
The man leaned back, mimicking my position, and assessed me. ‘I have a great feeling about you. Despite what the Elders think.’
Wow. That level of honesty was seriously rare. ‘What do the Elders think about me?’
He looked a little troubled. ‘I’m afraid I can’t say. Know this, child, powerful people make strong rulers, but only strong-minded individuals make great rulers.’
‘Your first class is ethics, dear. It’s just at the end of this corridor; you’ll find it,’ he said, finally dismissing me.
Huh. If he were a little younger, I’d think he was hitting on me. Interesting school.
The ethics classroom was a minute’s worth of a walk away, and the girl—Cindy—already waited for me there. ‘We meet again.’
‘Yes, Your Highness,’ she said, beaming. ‘Would you like me to accompany you to class today?’
Hm. Did I? While it would make the situation of being the only student less awkward, I needed to grow thicker skin. ‘No, Cindy. It’s fine, you can have a day off and do whatever you like.’
Cindy hugged me so quickly I didn’t anticipate it. ‘Thank you, my queen. I will see you again tomorrow, and hopefully, you’ll let me serve you then.’
Then she left, waving her hand. I waved back. There was something off with this girl, but I thought I kind of liked it.
Not that I could dwell on it much because the moment the doors to the ethics class opened, my legs might have given out simultaneously.
The ethics professor would soon learn just how immoral I could be.