Page 28 of The Court of Secrets
His eyes widened. A trail of saliva shone from his lip as he sneered, then laughed. “Women, in the military. There would be an uproar. Ladies do not have the strength of men. You’d be sending them to the slaughter. It’s a ridiculous notion, and you would not be able to sway the lords, not even young Edur.”
“That’s why I wanted to talk to you first about it,” I admitted. I hoped stroking his ego would play in my favor. “You and I, Vahaga, hold the power at court. True power. We are both anointed by the ancestors. Me, to rule the people. You, to rule their faith. I know deep inside you know change has come to Magaelor, whether you like it or not. I am offering you an opportunity to stand by these new changes and times, instead of falling behind. To use your influence with the lords to do the right thing. To show you are adaptable.”
His lips parted, then closed. Hesitation shook his features. It was brief but telling. I blinked twice. My heart pounded as I did.
“I cannot entertain it.” He walked toward me, then sat in the armchair, and I sat back down too. “It’s impossible. Even with my influence, who’s to say it wouldn’t cause unrest among the people?”
“We could grow our military by at least a quarter. There aren’t as many soldiers as there once were. Women want to be given the chance to prove themselves, the same chance men have been given for generations.” My eyes were wild as I leaned forward. “Magaelor has a queen now, not a king. Let’s show a united front. Back me with some of my decisions, and in turn, I will do the same for you.”
He sat back in the chair, letting out a long exhale. “Now is not the time for more instability. You said it yourself; the people need to be grounded.”
“Yet you are willing to send men to Berovia and destabilize us further.”
“It’s important for us to avenge what happened to you.”
I straightened my crown and sighed. “It’s not needed.”
“It is.” He leaned forward. “As for the other matter. While I am glad to see you are finally showing some respect to me as your high priest, and others in high rankings, these ideas of yours will cost us everything. You may be queen, but I will not allow you to destroy the foundations this kingdom was built upon.”
“This is a great opportunity,” I said. “For you too.”
“The answer is no. We have discussed enough.”
I bit my tongue, holding back the vile I wanted to spill. Rage bubbled under the surface, but I dared not show it. “Then our meeting is finished.”
He didn’t bow when he left. I thought I had seen a crack, something I could use to persuade him onto my side, but he’d proven to be nothing more than the vulgar man I once held in high esteem. His position demanded respect, but he had lost mine long ago.
I didn’t dwell on it, knowing there would be little wiggle room now for me to get him to change his mind on the attack or allowing women into the military. I hadn’t barely broached the first, as the women-and-military idea had gone so poorly. I had no choice but to buy off one of the lords, and if I couldn’t, then I’d need to use dirty tactics, the same my father had used, to stop the attack on Kiros. I wanted to do the right thing, but they made it so difficult.
A knock sounded on the door. A part of me wondered if Vahaga had come back. I didn’t expect to see Cedric until lunch.
“Ambassador Amara,” the guard announced. I’d forgotten she was coming among the talk of politics.
“Come in, Amara.” I smiled broadly, gesturing her into the middle of the room.
“Ada was visibly upset by the arrival,” she said, with a mischievous glint in her eye. Carrying the dress bags, she walked to my closet, then hung them.
“I notice there are two dresses. I asked only for one.”
She gulped. The white in her hair looked silver under the light, contrasting from the black, silky strands. “His Majesty, um, sent one for you to wear to the ball.” Her cheeks heated pink. “He chose it.”
I eyed the white dress bags, and a tingling danced up my spine. A lump formed in my throat. I coughed to clear it. “He got the invitation to the masquerade ball in advance, it seems.”
“Yes, he was delighted by the prospect.”
Of course he was. “Is there a note with it?” I asked.
She shook her head. “Would you like me to unbutton them?”
I nodded. She pulled the sides back to show the glittering, navy-blue gown. Ruffled lace danced as she removed the bag. The black-lace sleeves matched the corset top of the dress. Flecks of silver sparkled from the dark.
“It’s simply stunning,” I gushed.
“It will certainly be a statement.”
“That’s the idea.” My chest heaved. I was playing a dangerous game. My mother would be at the banquet tonight in my honor, along with the lords and every other dignitary at court, including Vahaga. However, they hadn’t been impressed with my other decisions since being queen.
“May I see the dress Blaise sent?”
