Page 55 of A Monarch's Fall
“No one will suspect you of spying. They will let their guard down around you. Let their thoughts loosen,”she told me.
“Spying?”I asked, scandalised.“Me?”I continued, fanning myself with my hand.“Grandmother!”
She audibly laughed and hit my knee with her hand. “Heidi, this is serious,” she half-scolded.
I tapped my head to let her know she had spoken aloud, and her eyes went comically wide momentarily before she was laughing again.
“We are not so unlike,”she continued, using our link,“I would like to give you a life of carefree exuberance, and I believe I have done so thus far. Not much has been asked of you, and that, my dear, is by design. I don’t know when it was decided that we should all sweat and toil in various versions of work and duty, but I, for one, have never liked it very much. Why can’t one such as us live freely?”
“I’m shocked; you have always been the rock of the family and of our whole House.”
She smiled at me appreciatively. “Sometimes it is necessary to take on the burden of responsibility so that those you love should not bear it,”she explained,“But now I must ask you to provide a service for Coactus. You will be allowed into rooms, around minds, that neither I nor the others of our council will be. We need you to listen, to gather as much information about the intentions of the other Houses as you possibly can.”
“Do you really believe the future lords and ladies of the Houses will not all be under the protection of enchantments, enchantments many of which will have been specifically designed to keep Coactus magic out?”I asked.
“I don’t doubt it,”Grandmother replied.
“So, what exactly do you expect me to do?”
“I expect you to be yourself, have fun, and listen closely to the thoughts you can hear around you. Pay attention to the servants; they always know more than they let on, and who would spend the coin necessary to provide all their servants with protective enchantments?”
“I’m not sure — what if I’m found snooping?”I questioned.
“I wouldn’t worry about that. No one would suspect you of espionage,”Grandmother laughed.
“Grandmother! Would it really be such a shock if I were to be more cunning than I appeared?”I asked. I wasn’t some vapid, partying noble; I had more than charm. I was smart.“I could be downright dangerous if I wanted to be.”
“Oh, sweet child, I never meant to hurt your feelings. I know you have your wits about you. As I said earlier, you only play the fool. I am asking you to keep playing along, enjoy your time at this conference, but keep your House at the forefront of your mind. And if you bring back information which results in the furthering of House Coactus, I will ensure that you are free tomarry any of your choosing, but preferably someone capable of leading House Coactus.”
“Let me get this right, I am free to explore the conference as I please, and all you ask of me is that I listen out for any political gossip the servants might be thinking about?”
“Yes.”
“And in return, you will stop pushing every eligible young lord my way and pestering me about marriage?”I asked.
“I do not pester you,”she argued.“But essentially, yes, with the understanding that you will, in good time, choose a suitable husband yourself.”
“We have an agreement,”I said.
“I’m very proud of you, Heidi,” Grandmother praised. “Perhaps you might want to visit with Princess Selene, while the servants finish getting us settled in,” she suggested.
“Yes!” I agreed enthusiastically, standing up, far too ready to leave the beige prison of our temporary sitting room behind.
“We are having dinner this evening with House Aqua. I expect you to be present and on time,” she informed me, standing and opening her arms for me.
I wrapped my grandmother in a tight hug before leaving to find Selene.
Chapter twelve
A Father’s Burden.
Nyx Borealis
“The report for today’s session is positive,” Dennis announced as he walked into my private study, without knocking, all too confident. I would tolerate his disrespect for as long as he served his purpose and not a second longer. Ordinarily, one such as him would never have the ability to walk around freely on my working floor, yet the need for secrecy, especially during the conference, had meant I had little choice. This was a private matter that required the utmost discretion; only the most loyal of Royal Guards were permitted to guard the entrance to my study, and the list of those able to enter without invitation was exceedingly small. It wouldn’t do to have anyone notice an eminent enchanter on soul bonds demanding access to me.
“Go ahead,” I allowed when he stopped in front of my desk and waited for me to lift my attention from the enchanted sealed letters before me.
I preferred a call or even electronic mail, yet so few used them, for fear that it was not as safe from interception as the standard enchanted, sealed letters were. Not every matter was of top secrecy or urgency, and so much of my time in the run-up to the Royal Conference was taken up with menial communications and tasks better suited to a personal assistant. The next mind-numbing letter I received from some no-name lord or lady requesting my attention for the most lowly of issues, I would be tempted to behead for the crime of wasting my time.