Total pages in book: 192
Estimated words: 192810 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 964(@200wpm)___ 771(@250wpm)___ 643(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 192810 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 964(@200wpm)___ 771(@250wpm)___ 643(@300wpm)
There was a lot there: the annoying fact his brothers teased him about enjoying the things he enjoyed, a deepening understanding of why he bonded with my cats so easily (he was clearly an animal person).
But I was taken aback she knew this about us, even if I knew that Aleksei was close to his sister. Apparently, they talked. Somewhat deeply.
I was also silently reeling, because I’d been living this with Aleksei for days, and it hadn’t occurred to me he was a homebody.
Just like me.
I was feeling all warm and squishy inside when Queen Calisa said, “Quite. Now, Laura, it’s come to my attention you intend to continue working. I can understand you wish to honor your obligation on your current project but—”
“Mom, give it up,” Aleece warned. “I know you want to pretend, since he stepped back from royal duties and put effort into making his own money, that every time Germaine unleashes a poll about why Aleksei’s popularity continues to soar, respondents don’t say it was because he stepped back from royal duties and put effort in making his own money. But they do.”
Queen Calisa’s mouth formed a mew, but she said nothing.
Aleece turned to me. “Days gone by, our ancestors filled their chests with gold, silver, copper, you name it, taxed from the people. Then again, we used it to build roads and schools and whatever. We were also the first to fly and put ourselves in danger when some idiot, usually from Sky’s Edge, did something stupid. And it was all on our heads to make laws and carry out punishments and stuff, which had to be a royal pain.” She smiled again. “Pun intended.”
I smiled back at her.
She carried on, “But some bright bulb in our past invested in real estate and stuff like that, which made buckets. Now all of us and the entire Palace run on residuals and interest. We don’t cost the citizens of the Fall a single shilling.”
I had no idea that was the case.
Actually, it never occurred to me to wonder where their money came from.
But seriously, those investments must have been stellar for the residuals and interest to fund this setup.
“Still,” she continued, “part of why Timothee and Errol languish in the polls, notwithstanding their penchants for acting like twits…”
The queen made a genteel sound of disapproval.
Aleece ignored it and carried on.
“Is that they’re considered wastrels. It’s half what they get up to when they’re out living it up, getting drunk and femaleizing, and half the fact that they’re constantly out getting drunk and femaleizing.” She turned to her mother. “People work, Mom. Most people work hard. And they respect other people who do.”
“They respect me, and I don’t work,” Queen Calisa retorted.
Aleece scoffed. “You work harder than any of us, it’s just that the estate pays you an allowance instead of some boss giving you a salary. I mean, how many appearances do you have scheduled this week?”
The queen didn’t answer her daughter.
She said to me, “It’s a fulfilling way to spend your time, Laura. And there is much good you can do without putting much effort into doing it. Like how you’ll benefit that designer by wearing his gown. It might even change his life.”
“Keep your job if you love doing it, Laura,” Aleece encouraged. “We’ve got it covered on our end.”
“I’m actually a little worried about this,” I admitted. “I’m not super outgoing. I have friends and I like going out, it’s just that, like your brother”—I smiled at Aleece—“I prefer quiet time at home, and there are times I can be shy.”
Queen Calisa seemed to be considering this, but Aleece immediately replied, “Then do you. I promise, your ratings will stay high if you do.”
I was feeling a tad bit alarmed at all the ratings talk.
“Is this, uh…ratings thing a, well…big deal for you all?” I asked.
Aleece shot a pointed look at her mother.
Queen Calisa answered, “As my daughter explained, our dragons do not fly, and we no longer bear the entire brunt of the governance of this land. But we do have votes in the Center, and we must understand how our citizens wish us to cast them, something you can learn by being out among them. Though, you can learn more by conducting polls. Also, we continue to reign at the pleasure of the people. If that pleasure should wane…”
She let that trail.
Aleece picked it up. “Then we’d just be a super-rich family that lives in a palace and owns all sorts of stuff. But Mom and Dad, me, Tim and Rol wouldn’t have anything to do.”
No less alarmed.
I mean, my mate was the first True Heir in two centuries.
Was something up I didn’t know about?
“Is there something I’ve been missing? Is there some threat to the monarchy?” I asked.
Aleece shook her head, but said, “There are anti-monarchists, for sure. Folks who don’t think we’ve got the right to represent Night’s Fall in the Center and think we embody a dead, antiquated system that needs to be cast aside. But there have always been those kinds of beings. That said, they’re right. There is no real purpose for us. Except, like Mom said, we do good. We open hospitals and shine light on issues and make beings feel special, just because they shook our hands. It doesn’t seem to have much meaning, but it does.”