Page 113 of Royal Icing
“There’s no need to be sorry,” Lisa said. “It’s good to ask questions. And it’s better than the alternative. People often avert their eyes around me, or they speak to me like I’m elderly and infirm. Do you want to touch the chair?”
Asher crouched down to tap a spoke, then smiled.
Leo’s stomach hardened, and he resolved to remember this moment every time he met someone in a wheelchair. He would personally make sure every part of the new project was accessible.
“So, Your Highness, you’re building a new library?”
“Well, I’m trying to. A ski resort is trying to lease the lot we want to use.”
Mary’s face fell. She glanced at the worn blocks and a toy train that looked like it had been chewed on. “We don’t need another ski resort.”
“I agree.”
She probably didn’t even know the danger the town was in.
“But the prince is trying to change that,” Emma said smoothly. “The crown maintains ownership of the land, so we’re staging a peaceful protest outside the castle on Saturday, followed by a holiday extravaganza to raise money for the project.”
“A protest?” Mary asked.
“Yes. We’re fighting for what’s best for this community. We’d love to have you and Asher fight alongside us. We’re actually having an emergency town hall meeting to discuss it tonight at 6 p.m. if you’re available. Here, take some flyers.” Emma handed over a few of the pages they’d had printed before picking her mom up.
Mary stood tall. “We’ll be there.”
“Excellent. Tell your friends.”
“This is how it starts,” Lisa said with a musical quality in her voice.
Not with a whisper, but a throat punch.
CHAPTER FORTY-TWO
LEO
“What’s this all about,Your Highness?” An older woman wearing what looked to be seven different scarves shivered in the front row of the auditorium.
“Yes, and what do these flyers mean?” A man with a rugged beard waved one of the purple-and-gold sheets they had been distributing around town all afternoon.
Leo’s heart was ready to fly out of his chest. This wasn’t what was supposed to happen at town hall meetings.Hewas supposed to helpthem. But now he needed to ask for help, and he wasn’t sure how the news would be received.
He owed it to them to give it his all. And hopefully the rapport they’d built over the years would be enough.
Emma sat on the table at the front of the room next to Leo, legs crossed and Leo’s customary notepad in her lap. The room was packed with curious business owners and townspeople. With any luck, they would be willing to help.
“Just Leo,” he corrected. “Thank you all for coming on such short notice. I’ve gathered you all here today because I need your help. Urgently.”
A whisper rippled through the auditorium.
Emma hit the projector, which turned on to reveal a picture of a blueprint.
“I know this isn’t what we usually do here,” Leo said. His voice shook slightly. “And I hope you know that I wouldn’t ask this if I didn’t believe to my very core that this will benefit everyone.”
The audience was rapt with attention.
“I’ve been in the process of planning a new project for our community. A new library, where we can have literacy and after-school programming for children. A community garden and a playground, among other vital services. It would be built right here, on the edge of town.”
Emma clicked to the next slide, which was a 3D model. The old woman who had spoken earlier polished her glasses and leaned forward.
“This project would create jobs for local Lynoria-based companies. And once it’s finished, it will be an enduring testament to the strength of our people. A place to gather and celebrate this beautiful town we call home. But there’s been a problem. The crown has leased the land to someone else.”
