I nodded. “Makes sense. If you’d like…”
“No, Ivan. I already said, I’m happy about this, but you… we… need to be careful. Come. I assume Michael showed you around upstairs, so I’ll show you the daily parts of my routine so you can have an idea of where you’ll be.” She put on her shoes and socks before leading me back down the pier. “Have you been formally introduced to my handmaidens? No? Okay. Rachel, Anne, meet Ivan.”
I shook both of their hands, bowing ever so slightly while doing so to signal that I still knew my place. “Nice to meet you both, officially.”
Julia’s proper princess demeanor returned. “You two can go to lunch. I will be running Ivan through his responsibilities.” They both bowed and headed off towards the servants’ wing.
We walked back towards the palace, heading through the garden. Julia seemed to be pondering something, and she gently fiddled with her family ring as she held her hands in front of herself. Her brows were furrowed in analysis of some kind. Eventually, she stopped to look at some of the flowers along the way and cupped a purple one in her hand. Her expression softened. “The first snow will be here soon. It always amazes me how the beautiful colors of this garden are replaced by a blanket of white, yet it manages to be just as stunning.”
I nodded. What do I know about flowers? Nothing… She was right about the temperature, though. It was a cool day, and I rubbed my still bandaged left forearm. I had been replacing the gauze every few days, but it was becoming apparent that an ugly scar would remain.
She looked at me inquisitively while still crouched. “I had meant to ask, what did you do to your arm?”
I looked away, uncomfortable. When do I tell her? Can I tell her? I deflected jokingly, mimicking her tone from earlier. “That’s a conversation for later, and when we are alone.”
She giggled and smiled for a moment before becoming more serious. “I figure there’s a lot you haven’t told anyone.”
I crossed my arms defensively. “We all have our secrets.” Some more than others.
Julia was silent for a bit, examining a few other flowers and considering that statement. Then, she stood and sighed before giggling softly. “So many guys are going to be mad that you’re my bodyguard.”
I raised an eyebrow. “Why?”
She began walking up towards the palace and I followed. “Royal girls, especially us as princesses, get constant suitors. You don’t think they’re going to be angry when they see a Red Tag guarding a girl they’re chasing after?”
I laughed. “I didn’t think about that. They must have a pretty low self-esteem to be jealous of a Red.”
Her cheeks became a little red, and she looked away. “Or to walk up to the palace with flowers expecting us to fall for them.”
I chuckled. “That’s a thing?”
She shook her head dismissively. “Yes, especially with some of the minor royals, Blues, and well-off Greens. It’s so hard to know who actually cares about me as a person instead of as a princess.” She pushed forward as passion filled her voice. “Everyone is so fake. I hate it. The world seems to care more about status than who we are. So many people don’t seem to get that we’re not all that different, you know? White, Purple, Red, whatever. We’re not that different.”
She is way too down to earth to be in the royal family.
Chapter 19
When we reached the palace, Julia pointed out parts of her routine and explained where I should be for certain meetings. “I also want to give you some level of freedom, Ivan. If you need to go into the city, just let me know. I’m sure you have some people you’d like to see outside of the royal territory. You’re not a prisoner, even if that seems hard to believe after the last few weeks.”
We moved upstairs and towards her room. She opened the door and gestured for me to enter. “Take a seat. We have a lot to talk about still.”
Her room was massive, with a small sitting area, and expensive furniture only a royal could afford. Ice-blue decorations and carpets covered the stone floor and bed, and for the first time I felt like I was in someone’s home. A soft Fall scent that I couldn’t recognize wafted through the air.
She hesitated for a moment before sitting on one of the couches. After waiting for her, I sat on the one across from her. “I’m surprised you’re willing to trust me with all of this.”
She looked down, rubbing one thumb along her ring in her lap. She responded cautiously, “If I didn’t trust you, Ivan, you wouldn’t be sitting where you’re sitting. I may be more trusting than some in my family, but, like I said, I pick my inner circle carefully. It is like a team of sorts, which you need to survive around here: in both reputation and actuality. So, on my ‘team’ you work for my interests, but it is not a one-way street. If there is anything I can do to help you, you can ask.”
I nodded. “Understood.”
Julia ticked her tongue, analyzing something. “Like I said on the pier, I believe my mom sent you to keep an eye on me for some reason. I’m sure she claimed it was for my protection, but there is always an ulterior motive with her.” She paused, carefully planning what to say next. “I need you to return to her. Tell her that I am skeptical if I can completely trust you, despite you saving me, and that you need an idea to convince me to go along with having you as my bodyguard.”
Confused, I shook my head. “What does that accomplish?”
She gave me a look that told me to be patient. “I am not all that interested in what she says to do to help me, though I am a little curious. What matters is that she will request that you do something for her in return for this information, likely something pertaining to me. It might be a small piece in the puzzle to figuring out her schemes involving me.”
“And you want me to bring this to you, so you can decide what we should do in response, right?” Why do I feel like she’s not telling me something?
She straightened her posture and nodded her head. “Precisely. I’ll be here when you’re finished.”
I lightly hit my hands on the top of my knees and stood. “Your wish is my command.”
She crossed her legs, maintaining her royal poise. “And, Ivan. Try to take a non-direct route back here to avoid any suspicion.”
I bowed. “Of course, m’lady.” What’s the real reason for this?
After some searching, I found the Queen conversing with some minor royals just beyond the gardens. I caught her attention and casually leaned against a tree nearby until she had a chance to break away. Don’t want to look too eager.
Eventually, she wandered over, and her smooth Russian accent cut through the air. “Let’s take a walk, Ivan.” We turned down the path back towards the palace. “How is Julia handling your placement?”
Placement. She thinks I’m her agent. Ha. I spoke as formally as I could. “It is going well, though she is having some doubts whether I can be completely trusted. She said she is very careful with whom she lets into her circle.”
She looked towards the lake to our right. “I had feared that she may have doubts, especially considering I initiated your appointment as her bodyguard. Did she mention anything about that?”
I shook my head calmly. “Not at all, your highness.”
She thought for a moment. “She is paranoid that I have some type of grand plan for her life.” She chuckled. “Here. You can tell her that you discovered this when looking for me in the small parlor.” She pulled out an unsealed letter from her jacket pocket and held it out for me. “Burn part of it so it looks like I failed in an attempt to discard it. That should convince her that you are on her side.”
I took the letter and wondered whether I should read it.
She read my mind. “It is nothing special, just a correspondence from a friend regarding yesterday’s party. You will not be surprised by the content.”
“Understood. Thank you, your highness.”
“One more thing, Ivan.” She stopped and examined the statue of her husband riding a horse in the garden. Here we go. “I woul
d appreciate if you could keep me informed if she tells you about her plans regarding the throne, Natasha, or any other political matters. If any of my younger daughters have the ambition to challenge my eldest, it would be her. I want to know if she is getting any ideas.”
“Of course, your highness. I appreciate the help and will see what I can do.”
She looked up at the statue and her eyes narrowed. “They got the nose all wrong.”
I took the letter and returned to Julia’s room, stopping in the small parlor first to fake burn the letter in case anyone was watching me. I made sure to read the letter along the way as I wanted to ensure that the Queen wasn’t lying about there not being any crucial information. She wasn’t.
Julia scanned the letter quickly before setting it on the coffee table following my explanation. “She was right that this would have helped convince me to trust you, even if there isn’t much to it. Now, what of her plan?” Her icy-blue eyes were swimming with anticipation.
I sat on the couch across from her. “The Queen has requested that I report on any political ambitions that you express, specifically related to Princess Natasha and the throne.”
She pondered for a second and pursed her narrow lips, her eyes focused on nothing as the cogs turned in her head. “Interesting.” She turned to me and smiled. “Well, thank you, Ivan. And congratulations, you passed.”
Are you joking me? I lost my cool and stood quickly. “That was a test?”
She responded diplomatically, her eyes putting me back in my place. “Yes. I needed to be sure that I could trust you to be honest with me instead of doing just what my mother said, even though she suspected that I was onto her.”
I slumped back into the couch and crossed my arms. “You said you trusted me. After saving your life you needed this silly test?”
She responded cautiously. “I did, and now I can be sure that I can trust you with my secrets without you spilling them to my mother. I’m sorry, Ivan, but you are new here still. Planting an agent in someone’s inner circle is what my mom does.”
I narrowed my eyes. “Fine. Hopefully I can trust you to be honest as well.”
“No more tests, Ivan.” She paused before continuing. “Now, for you to be my bodyguard, you need to know some of the details regarding my family, though I’m sure you’ve already figured out some yourself.”
I sat forward again. “Only a bit.”
“We have already talked about my mom. She is manipulative. Her charisma masks that, but we are on good terms as long as I don’t mess with her grand plans.”
“And what are those, besides the obvious plans to prevent the threats to your family’s hold on the throne and to watch your political ambitions?”
She sighed. “Most of her schemes involve the throne, which can be productive but also cruel at times. She also has smaller plans surrounding my sisters and me, most of which we don’t even know. The rest tend to involve information gathering through her various pawns throughout the palace and beyond. Be careful what you tell them, or anyone in the palace. Some, like Michael, are great people, but they ultimately report back to her. Other people you need to be aware of within her sphere of influence are many of the guardsmen, Chief Chef Oliver, a few members of the local police precinct, including Officer McBart, as well as minor royals such as Alexander Hamilton V…”
“Wait, the descendant of the second King of America?”
“Yes. Some of the Hamilton fled to Minnesota before the war to avoid the socialist uprisings in New York. They’re not as powerful here as they are out east, but they are still key players.”
“Holy shit… I mean, excuse me m’lady.”
Julia laughed, surprisingly breaking her regal demeanor for a moment before biting her cheek and collecting herself carefully. There’s a different girl behind her princess front that she is trying to hide.
She gave a slight one-sided smile and spoke softly. “Call me m’lady in private one more time, and you’re fired.”
I smiled. “Of course, Julia. I’m just creating a mental target list.”
She gave me a wary look before continuing. “My dad’s circle is more obvious: all of his council members, most people with official positions, some of the butlers and people like Phillip, and also the Preus family. Dad is intimidating but not cunning, so don’t worry about him scheming much, though he may be looking for opportunities to get rid of you if you mess up.”
I rolled my eyes. “Of course he is.”
She was quick and direct. “A lot of people are. You’re a Red and many people around here will not hesitate to take you out if you’re not careful.” She hesitated to collect her thoughts. “Now, Natasha, my oldest sister, is mainly under my dad’s wing as his desired heir. He is using his influence to ensure that the royal electors pick her whenever he dies. Because of that, she lacks a unique circle on her own besides her husband, Benjamin, and his minor royal family, the von Heusbarns. You really don’t need to worry about her unless you decide you want ‘her’ throne, as she is more focused on being proper than political drama.”
“You don’t want the throne?”
She laughed. “Hell no.” Her eyes widened with a bit of surprise. She bit her cheek and looked at her hands again. Wow, didn’t know princesses could swear. She took a breath and regained composure. “You can tell my mother that, honestly. I have no desire to take the throne. I want to help change things, but I don’t think controlling squabbling royals is the way to do that. She can have it.”
I nodded. Glad to hear it.
A slight smile crept over her face, and she looked off to her right. “Alex is the rebel child of the family and I love her. She has had and will have more boyfriends than you can keep track of, not that she sleeps around. Mom struggles to keep her reined in. Parties and drinking are her scene.” She looked at me. “You wouldn’t notice it from how she holds herself, but she is also a huge metal fan, so if you want to get on her good side, mention some music. She couldn’t care less about ‘influence.’ She just wants to have fun and cause problems.”
I laughed. “I got a bit of that vibe from her.”
She bit her lip. “Don’t get me wrong. If I ever want to have some fun, she is the first person with whom I go. In fact, she was at that same party the night I was attacked, though she stayed later. She could learn the art of diplomacy and poise, but we need her to break the mold occasionally. Her only people in the palace are a guard who helps her sneak around and one of the chefs who sneaks in her booze. Neither of them are of any concern. If anything, she and I are on the same team.”
“Understood.”
“The last is Helena.” She smiled cheekily with a little pride. “She’s only fifteen but she is becoming a bit of a political animal. Things are hard for her right now, as she can’t help but think what would happen if she had to pass through the Prism like some of her friends. Despite our closeness, though, mother has a lot of sway over Helena and will use her in her political games. Helena’s little inner circle includes one of the gardeners and Arthur, who I’m sure you’ve met in the servants’ kitchen.
I rolled my eyes. “Oh, I’ve met him.”
She giggled. “I figured. He can be brash.”
I sat back again, taking it all in. “I didn’t realize all the interconnecting loyalties. From the outside we never see all of this.” All my life I had imagined the royalty as a united block. The last few weeks had exposed how much I was wrong about.
She crossed her legs. “That’s because most people are quiet about it, but those circles spread. Pretty much everyone in royalty is either a major player or part of someone else’s sphere of influence, if not in their inner circle. Now you understand why I feel caged in this place. Everything is part of the game.” Her face became weary. It was obvious that royal life took an emotional toll on her, but it felt nice that she was comfortable opening up to me.
“So, besides me, who else is part of your ‘team.’”
With some effort, she regained h
er focus. “Yes, you, my handmaidens, also Jonah, one of the guards I’m sure you’ve met…”
“That explains why he was helping me so much.”
She smiled and blushed a little, another real moment. Was she spying on me? She bit her lip. “I needed someone who could be near you, and Jonah is the nicest guard you’ll find. He genuinely wanted to help.”
I smiled. “Glad to know there are some good people around here. I owe him one.”
“I try to ensure my inner circle is filled only with those types of people.” She thought for a second. “Let’s see, also Maria, who is a maid, the families of my friends within royalty, and a few people around the city in the UPF’s bureaucracy and police.”
I was surprised. “I thought you didn’t like the socialists.”
She clicked her tongue and was quick. “I don’t. Not everyone involved in the UPF believes the ideology. They keep me informed on what’s going on throughout the city. As we both know, the real power is not here, despite what so many of the royals believe in this bubble. I haven’t reached for any power myself, but I still want to know what is happening.”
I nodded. “It definitely is a bubble. Between all the money they receive from taxes, the few private companies left, and the black market, I imagine it is hard for the Whites to see that there is a starving country out there.”
“Exactly.” She sighed. “I’ve seen more than most, but there’s still so much I’ve been sheltered from… so much I don’t know.” She stood and walked over to a pitcher of water on a nearby table and poured herself a glass. “Would you like some?”
“Yes, thank you. Though shouldn’t I be doing that?”
The Fractured Prism (The Prism Files Book 1) Page 8
