Page 157 of Night's Fall
She threw up both her hands in exasperation. “It’sflooding social media.It’sa nightmare.Adisaster.Thenext king and his mate attending the passing ritual of the female who plotted to kill saidfuture king.”
“She didn’t plot to kill the future king,”Ibit out.
“Iknow that.Youknow that.”Sheflung an arm out. “Theydon’t know that.”
“You’ll remember who you’re speaking to,”Allainsnapped.
“I’m speaking to the female who will be queen who made my job a whole fuckuva lot harder today,”Germainereturned. “Andwhat she did reflects on the entirePalace.”
Allain stood and, surprising the dickens out of me, dropped his effete manner and clipped in full male, “Female, handle yourself.”
Germaine opened her mouth.
ButIspoke first.
“She’s right.Weshould have given her a heads-up.”
Both of them turned to me.
I looked toGermaine. “I’dlike to sayI’mnew to this, but that isn’t a good excuse.AlekseiandIdiscussed the fallout, and we should have brought you into our decision.Thiswon’t help, butIdecided this morning,Alekseiagreed to come with me, and this happened forty-five minutes before the ritual began.Westill should have told you, and you have my apologies we didn’t.I’lldo my best to make sure it doesn’t happen again.”
Germaine stared at me, stunned.
Allain sat down on a huff.
She whipped out a tablet. “I’vewritten a statement.Youneed to approve it.”
“The prince should—”Allainbegan.
She reared on him. “Theprince is unavailable to me at this time.I’vecommed him repeatedly.”Shejerked a thumb at me. “She’sready to roll in her royal duties by making public appearances?Okay.Butshe stepped in it, so she has to help me wash off some of the mud,”Germainedeclared.
She was right about that too.
I took the tablet and read the statement.
Today,HisRoyalHighness, theTrueHeir,PrinceAleksei, and his mate,MistressLauraMakepeace, attended the passing ritual of the victim in the recent assassination plot against the prince,NaylynBiggerstaff.
They did this with heavy hearts that a beloved daughter, granddaughter, sister and friend lost her life to trust betrayed.
The prince and his mate ask the people ofNight’sFallto bend their heads to the grief ofMs.Biggerstaff’sfamily, mournful that such a young soul, full of hope and with a bright future, paid such a steep price for giving her heart to a male unworthy of it.
I thought of the familyI’dmet several hours earlier.Thehaggard face of a father.Thelost expression of the mother.Theswollen eyes of one grandmother, anger and shock in the fixed stare of the other.Thedefeated slump of the shoulders of a grandfather, and the etched grief of the other.Andlast, the abject, uncontrolled weeping of a younger sister.
It had felt unbearable, but standing atAleksei’sside,Ibore up.
They’d been stunned at our arrival, andIdidn’t know if they knew it, but their curtsies toAlekseiwere fit for the king.
He’d been marvelous, taking the mother’s hand, lifting her up from her genuflection, and holding her hand between both of his while he murmured words of condolence.
I’d hugged her, and the sister, and touched cheeks with the father, thinking it sad and sweet he blushed.
They invited us to sit with them as the congregation slid into the curved pews circled around the ritual altar in order to watch the red flames consumeNaylyn’sswathed mortal remains in their glass enclosure.
And what did you say, even if you didn’t want a front row seat to that?
We sat with them.
Aleksei had a meeting, andIhad the interviews, so we didn’t linger.
