The Queen's Secret

by Jessica Day George

  “Who are you?” Now it was Anthea’s turn to ask.

  “I’m a lot of things,” the woman said with a laugh. “When the queen was merely another Rose Candidate, and I had been elevated to the position of Maiden, I took her under my wing and taught her the ways of the court. I rather fancy that her current high station in life is my doing.”

  The woman lowered her eyes with calculated modesty, and Anthea thought wildly that she had surely gone to Miss Miniver’s Rose Academy. It was Miss Miniver’s signature move.

  “So I have been asked to attend you on this journey, to teach you all diplomacy as well as introducing you to my old friend Empress Elisabet. I will also be your translator,” the woman said briskly. “Kronenhofer is one of the four languages I speak.”

  “That’s … good?”

  Anthea’s comment came out as a question because both Jilly and Uncle Andrew were still pale as ghosts, and Finn was staring around between them all as though he’d been struck over the head. Anthea looked at Josephine, but the queen avoided her gaze.

  “Anthea, Jillian,” the woman continued, “I’ve brought clothes for you both. I guessed at the sizes from those photographs of you and your animals that odd little man took. My maids can alter them as needed. I had thought you could wear some of your own things, but now I see that’s impossible.”

  “I like my coat,” Anthea said feebly.

  “And I love mine,” Jilly said hotly. “You are not touching it. You are not going to say one word to me, either! You don’t have the right to even look at me!”

  “Oh,” Anthea said. “No.”

  The woman looked at her with one carefully plucked eyebrow raised. “Did you just catch on?” She tsked. “I thought you were supposed to be the smart one!”

  “Cassandra!” Uncle Andrew said sharply.

  “That’s … She’s really …,” Finn stammered.

  Jilly rounded on Queen Josephine. Her face had gone from white to red.

  “I am not going anywhere with my mother!”

  ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

  Middle books, like middle children, have a lot of work to do! They have to support their older and younger siblings, and still manage to shine a light of their own, which is why I’m happy to dedicate this book to my daughter, who is the only girl and the middle child!

  Because the first book was so long in the works, making its way from childhood journal to WWI story to fantasy at an elegant trot, book two had to wait its turn for quite a while, and then it was time to gallop! A big thank-you to my lovely agent, Amy Jameson, for her constant steady encouragement, and for always being there with a keen ear and just the right words. And a twenty-one-horse salute (that’s a thing, isn’t it?) to Mary Kate Castellani for guiding this story from very rough outline to finished tale of Horses and High Adventure.

  Thanks to all the great people at Bloomsbury, who make every one of my books the best it can be, and help me every step of the way. You guys are the best, and I adore you all!

  And a big thank-you to all my extended family, who continue to buoy me up and cheer me on, and especially to the husband and kids who get to reap the benefits of my frozen dark chocolate chip addiction.

  BLOOMSBURY CHILDREN’S BOOKS

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  First published in the United States of America in May 2019

  by Bloomsbury Children’s Books

  Text copyright © 2019 by Jessica Day George

  All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or any information storage or retrieval system, without prior permission in writing from the publisher.

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  Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data

  Names: George, Jessica Day, author.

  Title: The queen’s secret / by Jessica Day George.

  Description: New York : Bloomsbury, 2019.

  Summary: When a deadly disease breaks out, it is up to Anthea and her friends in the Horse Brigade to transport medicine throughout the kingdom while avoiding Anthea’s evil mother and uncovering a powerful secret.

  Identifiers: LCCN 2018047028 (print) • LCCN 2018056014 (e-book)

  ISBN 978-1-5476-0089-2 (hardcover) • ISBN 978-1-5476-0090-8 (e-book)

  Subjects: | CYAC: Fantasy. | Human-animal communication—Fiction. | Horses—Fiction. | Ability—Fiction. | Diseases—Fiction.

  Classification: LCC PZ7.G293317 Qu 2019 (print) | LCC PZ7.G293317 (e-book) | DDC [Fic]—dc23

  LC record available at https://lccn.loc.gov/2018047028

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