"Are you sure you're alright?"
"Fine. I just miss you."
"I miss you, too."
Addy was laying in bed, telephone pressed to her ear, having an unromantic evening date of sorts with Martin. She'd had dinner that night in her room, then Astra had arrived at the Palace and curled up in bed next to her, eavesdropping on the whole exchange, braiding and unbraiding the tendrils of Addy's hair that were in easy reach.
"It's been crazy," Martin said with a huff, and Addy could easily imagine him raking his hand through his dark hair, "There are guards at every entrance of campus expelling reporters who are trying to put together headlines for tomorrow's newspapers and gossip columns."
"That sounds horrible. Like a medieval siege or something."
"Yeah."
"Do you still have guards with you?"
"One. The campus is secure, so I'm not in any danger or anything. I guess he's just here to make extra sure I stay safe."
"That's good."
"Although, I don't know Adds… I also feel like he might be spying on me. Is that crazy?"
"Hard to say." Addy frowned, "Probably not. What, do you think he's just keeping an eye on you for the Palace?"
"Reporters have been calling nonstop— I don't know how they got the telephone number to my dorm— but he's screening all my calls now. And he hasn't exactly given me the option to give an interview, no matter how many reporters have called. He's managing me. Managing access to me. That's spying, going through my calls, right?"
Addy squirmed, "Martin—"
"I mean, I wouldn't give an interview! Of course, that's not what I'm saying. I just mean, he doesn't know that. He's keeping me in as much as he's keeping them out."
Addy looked down her body at her toes and wiggled them while she thought. From the foot of her bed, Wilberforth decided this was a challenge and licked the sole of her foot. Addy giggled, an automatic response to the tickling sensation, and then she explained to Martin that she wasn't laughing at him.
"I'm glad you're with your family." Martin said, when she'd explained about the dog.
"I don't know, the King isn't exactly thrilled with me right now." Addy said grimly. She and her siblings always called their dad 'the King' when he was being stern with them, especially about their royal responsibilities.
"I just meant… I wish I could be with my family, too."
Addy frowned, leaning up onto her elbow, "Have you been able to talk to them?"
"Yeah, they're the only ones allowed to call me right now."
"Are they okay?"
"Yeah, they've got their own guard."
"It's not forever, Martin, it's just until this whole thing blows over."
"It could be forever… I mean, if you and I got engaged one day or something. Your mom's family will always have guards, right?"
"Well, yeah…" The reluctance in his voice made her stomach hurt. "It wouldn't always be like this, though. This is crisis mode, usually everything is way less intense."
There was a heavy silence. Finally Martin said, "Cory came by my dorm a few hours ago. He apologized for this whole mess, he feels responsible because it happened at his house."
"Unless he sold the pictures, it's not his fault." Addy frowned.
"Well he didn't sell them, but he's got a pretty good idea who did."
"Does he?" Addy didn't really want to know, she was surprised to discover. None of the options would make her happy. She didn't want the truth to color over the amazing experience she'd had that night, and she knew that if she found out which of the partygoers was a traitor, all her memories of that night would twist and contort and they'd never again be happy little effervescent bubbles in her mind.
"See, I'd thought maybe Safya… she had access to everyone's pockets while we were in the pool, and she usually extorts people for bribes in exchange for giving them their clothes back."
Addy pet Wilberforth's floppy triangle ear with her toes, causing his tail to give a feeble little wag. "Not Safya. She said she wouldn't charge me because it was my first party."
"Well, you're right." Martin said. Relief unclenched Addy's stomach. Safya hadn't done this to her.
"There was a reporter at the party, and he wasn't happy to see me there." Addy mused. "He's Gavril's friend though, and this whole thing has definitely made Gavril's life a misery. I didn't think he'd do this…"
"There was a reporter there?" Martin asked, surprised.
"Yeah, his name was William… No, Walter. I think." The fact that Martin hadn't heard of him meant that Cory hadn't told Martin about him, so Walter couldn't have been the guilty party.
"Huh."
"I guess he kept the secret though, didn't he?"
"Yeah. Probably cost himself a lot of fame and fortune giving up a scoop like this." Martin said miserably.
"Probably." Addy agreed woefully.
There was another silence. Martin wasn't sure how to break it to her, "Well, uh, the photographer. Jack. He left the country."
"He did what?"
"Headed off to the Russian Federation with more money than most photographers make in a lifetime. I guess if he's careful, he'll never have to work again. Or if he does, it'll just be icing on the cake."
Addy hated this. That boy had reminded her of her father, she'd been impressed by his camera, she'd thought his work was amazing. She felt so stupid, like she'd been a gullible mark in his grift. "This stinks."
Martin sighed into the receiver, "Yeah. I'm really sorry, Addy."
"It's not your fault."
"I'm not apologizing, I'm just sorry. You know… sorrowful. Sad."
"Oh."
"Cory, uh… he says Jack won't ever work in this country again. He didn't just betray you, he sold pictures of the secret society, so there are a lot of powerful, successful people out there who want him to pay a price. Alums of the society, you know?"
"Sounds like he's beyond their reach."
"For now. I don't know, the Russian Federation is pretty cold in the winters. Maybe he'll think he can get away with coming back and doing something small, somewhere far from Angeles. But if he does, they'll find him."
"They won't hurt him, right?"
"Not physically. He broke the code, they'll find some way to punish him. I suggested they take all his money from him and transfer it into a fund for victims of sexual assault."
"Wow, really? That's amazing Martin, what made you think of that?"
"This guy got rich selling pictures of you in your underwear without your permission. That's gotta be some kind of assault, Addy."
Addy's cheeks flushed hot, "No. He didn't beat me or attack me or something."
"It's like, if the whole world was in one stadium, and he dragged you center stage and then ripped your clothes off without your permission."
"I…" Addy was at a loss for words. Sure, she felt violated, but she didn't feel like a victim. "It wasn't him kissing me against my will, he violated my privacy, not my body. It's different."
"I guess." Martin didn't seem fully convinced.
"I still like your idea, though."
"Yeah, well," Martin grumbled, "He's probably gonna be in the Russian Federation forever, so it probably doesn't matter."
"Maybe, maybe not." Addy forced a hopeful tone, "But if you were, say, Prince Consort, you could find other ways to fundraise for that cause. It could be your version of my mom's libraries."
"Yeah… I guess so."
"It's not all bad, Martin. Being royal means you have to have a few guards around, but it also means you have the power to do incredible things."
There was a knock on Addy's door, and then it swung open to reveal Aunt May, desperate to check on Addy.
"Hey, I gotta go." Addy said into the telephone. "I'll talk to you tomorrow?"
"Yeah."
"You still get to go to class, right?"
"As long as the campus is still secure."
"Good. I'll talk to you after your physics class, then."
"Okay."
"Bye."
"Bye."
Addy had wanted to say 'I love you', but she wasn't sure this was the right time to announce her love to her extended family.
Astra was out of bed now, on her way over to hug Aunt May.
"Hey noodle," Aunt May greeted her, "Doing okay?"
"Yep."
"Good."
Wilberforth gave an expectant tilt of his head. Surely she wasn't going to make him get all the way off Addy's bed just to say hello? Aunt May giggled and hurried over, using both hands to scratch him behind the ears. "Hello, stately gentleman." She kissed him on the head. Then she turned to Addy, who was now sitting up in bed. "I came as soon as I heard. Can you believe your Uncle Ryland didn't tell me why he went up to the school to get you today?"
"Yikes. Is he okay?" Astra asked.
"He's at peace now." Aunt May said with a shrug.
Astra laughed, "Aunt May!"
"I mean it, he's in a better place."
"You did not murder him." Astra complained.
"Fine." May rolled her eyes, "He's still at work. But believe me, he's going to hear about it when I finally see him."
"So how did you find out?" Addy asked nervously.
"Grandma."
"No…" Addy groaned, collapsing back against her pillow in a dramatic fall, "Grandma saw me kissing a boy in my underwear?"
"She thinks he's cute." Aunt May wiggled her eyebrows.
Addy peeked over at her, "Really?"
"Yeah, she likes him."
"Wow. She doesn't care that we were kissing?"
"Nope."
Weirdly, this made Addy feel better. Her Grandma wasn't disappointed in her.
There was another knock at Addy's door, and then it creaked open. America stood there, ready to check on her daughter again. She was doing the same thing she did anytime any of her kids were sick; every break she got between meetings, she'd hurry upstairs to check on them and give them kisses, and then hurry back to her next appointment. Addy wasn't sick, but the attention didn't hurt.
This time, America stopped with her mouth wide open, about to greet Addy. She shifted her focus, mid-step, to May. "May, what are you doing here?"
"What is that supposed to mean?" May demanded, "Am I not supposed to know something about my niece, is that what that's supposed to mean? Is there some big conspiracy to keep things from me because you don't think I can handle it anymore, is that what that's supposed to mean?"
America narrowed her eyes at May, "That's not what I mean. You know what I mean."
May scowled at America, then jumped back onto Addy's bed with a plop, her legs stiff in front of her. She leant back on her elbows and then tilted a challenging eyebrow at America, "Is that better?"
America rubbed her face with both hands. "You're going to be the actual death of me, May, all my children will be orphans and it'll be all your fault."
"They'll still have Maxon," May rolled her eyes.
"Um…" Astra lifted a finger into the air to ask for a moment of their attention, "What the heck is happening?"
America shifted uncomfortably, crossing her arms in front of her as she did, but May turned to look at her nieces. "I'm supposed to be on bedrest this week, which is probably why everyone but Mom decided not to tell me what you were going through, Birdy."
Addy sat up, tucking her feet beneath her so she could look down on her lounging aunt, "Bedrest? That sounds serious, what's wrong?"
"It's my heart condition." May admitted.
"Oh God." Addy frowned, disbelieving.
"But your medicine… you've been so careful!" Astra argued, tears filling her eyes as she sank down next to Aunt May.
"Hey, I'm still being careful. See? I'm in bed." May squeezed Astra's hand.
"Why is it worse? What happened? Did the medicine stop working?" Astra asked, and Addy was grateful. Her heart was pounding so fast in her own chest, she didn't think she could manage to speak.
"The medicine is working fine. It's no big deal." May promised. "I'm safe and healthy, this is just a precaution."
"Why?" Astra asked, lip wobbling.
"It's an experiment, to see if my blood pressure is better after a week off my feet."
Addy's mind raced, "That makes no sense. If your blood pressure is high, you're supposed to exercise and eat healthily—"
"Trust me, Birdy, I've done all of that. This isn't high blood pressure for the normal reasons." May reassured her.
Tears were now falling down Astra's cheeks, "Then it's because your heart is getting weaker!"
May met America's eyes with a wide, concerned look, and then said, "No, sweetie, no! My heart isn't getting weaker, it's just… it's just working harder."
"Why?" Astra sniffled, sounding tiny and scared.
May ran a hand through Astra's long curls, "Because I'm pregnant."
Addy and Astra froze, hearts leaping into their throats. It took them a second to retroactively apply this news to their previous conversation.
"Your Uncle Ry and I aren't telling anyone yet… well, I told your moms," she said to Addy and Astra, "But no one else knows yet. Eh… maybe your dads."
America nodded.
"See? Good news like this travels fast in a family like ours, but this is a high risk situation because of my heart condition. I don't want to get everyone excited, only to have something go wrong. The doctors are keeping a close eye on me and the baby, though, and so far everything is okay. Right now we're playing with some bedrest to see if it gets my blood pressure down a little, which would be ideal for the baby, but not a death sentence for either of us if it doesn't work. See? We're just trying some stuff out. It's no big deal."
Addy sniffed, wiping her eyes, "Aunt May, that's… that's fantastic. Congratulations."
"Thanks, Bird." Aunt May smiled.
"Grandma doesn't know?"
"Not yet." Aunt May confessed. "She'll probably be the next to know, and then your Uncle Gerad. In a few weeks, once we cross a few more milestones."
Astra said, "If everything goes right, when will you tell the public?"
"Uh… Well, Ry and I talked it over, and we're not going to."
Addy tilted her head to the side, "How is that possible?"
"We'll take some time off of public appearances and just spend it together instead. Privately. There will be rumors, but there are always baby rumors about us. It'll all be speculation until we release a birth announcement."
Addy smiled at the sweetness of it, "That sounds amazing. I wish I could do that someday. This baby is yours until you're ready to share it. This whole pregnancy is yours. Mine are never going to be that way."
America crossed over at those words, sitting on the bed behind Addy and gently squeezing her shoulders, "You'll be surprised how much you can keep, when it really matters. With you, we only showed people what we wanted them to see, what it helped us to let them see. We didn't have to give them a single thing that was too personal, too private. Honey, it's not always going to be like this." Addy heard her own words to Martin echoed back to her, but she found them harder to believe now that she wasn't being brave for him.
Addy stared at her lap, frowning.
May patted her knee, and Addy knew that meant to lay down. She placed her head on Aunt May's thigh and let the redheads all around her console her. Aunt May rubbed her head, America squeezed one of her hands, and Astra brushed a thumb against her elbow repetitively. "Tell me all about it." Aunt May encouraged. "How did that picture ever even happen?"
America had to go back to work before Addy had gotten very far in the story, but she knew it all by now anyway. Wilberforth jumped off the bed and followed her out, but Addy supposed he didn't really need to hear this. Astra and Aunt May were excellent listeners, gasping and awing at all the right parts. Addy ended the story with the information she'd just learned on the telephone with Martin, about the photographer's betrayal.
Aunt May smiled down at her, "Do you love him?"
"Yes." Addy said immediately.
"What's he like?" Astra asked. "You've been talking about him for months now, but I haven't learned much about him."
"He wants to be a diplomat. He's learning all these languages and he's learning about foreign policy and stuff. He's really smart, and he got himself invited to that amazing secret society because everyone can tell he's going to be important someday. His family sounds so nice… and I've been thinking about it and, okay his mom is a business woman and his dad stays at home. It's kind of the opposite of what a lot of people expect. And I don't know but I just think, maybe, it means he wouldn't have much of a problem with me outranking him if we got married. You know because, he'd never be as powerful as his wife, and he'd have to spend a lot of time taking care of our heir and stuff, but he grew up with a strong, powerful mom who worked and a dad who stayed home and cooked and cleaned and made candles. I don't know… I just think it's a good sign."
Astra grinned at the way Addy had gone on and on about her boy. "It must be serious if you're making 'heir' plans."
"Not any time soon!" Addy hurried to explain, "I need to be crowned and get my feet under me as queen first. It'll be years before I'm ready to try reigning with morning sickness."
"Ugh." May winced her agreement.
"But someday, yeah, I need to have a baby if I can. If I can't, Jamesy, Maisy, Lief, and Rosie can help me out, but I should really try. And honestly, Martin would make a good dad. He's silly and kind, and he always tries to see things from other perspectives."
"Plus your kids would be gorgeous." May giggled.
"Only if they took after him." Addy smiled so hard, her cheeks hurt.
"Speaking of gorgeous boys, how's Kile?" Aunt May asked Astra.
Astra flopped down next to Aunt May and smiled, "He's good. Busy getting ready for final exams. I wasn't going to visit him this week anyway, so Addy's crisis couldn't have come at a better time for me."
"Glad I was convenient." Addy rolled her eyes.
Astra poked her tummy and Addy giggled ticklishly.
"Have you and Kile started talking about… after university? I know that really put a wrench in things for you last time." Aunt May pressed.
"Uh, a little. He'll have internships next year, and those will give him a good idea of where to find work once he graduates. My contract is up in August, and I'll decide whether to sign on for another year or go audition for another company."
"Or retire from dancing and become my lady-in-waiting." Addy pretended.
"Not this year."
"Next year?" Addy fluttered her lashes imploringly, but she was just kidding. Astra was going to have a long career before retiring to spend the rest of their lives as best Palace friends.
"We have to run our lady-in-waiting plan by Kile, you know, maybe he doesn't want to live in the Palace forever." Astra pointed out.
"Tough cookies, we're raising our babies together just like we were raised and Kile can take it or leave it." Addy crossed her arms.
"Hey," Astra giggled, "I'd really rather he didn't leave it. He's pretty cute and fun to kiss,"
"Ew!" Addy complained.
"Maybe we can find a way to work with him."
Addy sighed, "Whatever, just see if you can sell him on working in Angeles. Or some place close enough to commute to. I don't want you to move far away again, I hated when you were living in Waverley."
"Did you? Or did you just wish you could live in Waverley with me?" Astra challenged.
Addy shrugged, "Same thing. I don't like being apart from you for too long."
"Yeah. We're mermaid twins and if we spend too much time apart, our souls get lonely." Astra agreed. It was the line they used to use on their parents to convince them that it was time for another sleepover.
The girls fell silent, brooding over their uncertain futures with the boys they loved. Life had been so much easier when they'd been able to get exactly what they wanted out of the world by being adorable and asking politely.
Aunt May filled the silence as soon as she noticed it. "I think we need a mermaid spa sleepover. What do you say, Addy, should we ask Bridget to bring us a bunch of facial masks and lotions and nail polishes?"
"Are you spending the night?"
"I'm not leaving your side until this chaos subsides! Believe me, I've been through a million tabloid 'scandals', I know what this feels like. It won't last forever."
Addy squirmed, "But Aunt May, yours were always just gossip. They weren't ever real."
"They were in the early days." May objected. "All the way up until I married your Uncle Ryland, there were tabloid pictures of me on every date, on every vacation, on every trip to the supermarket. And I wasn't always a perfect angel, I told you about some of the guys I used to date, didn't I?"
"Oh, you mean your assassination attempts on Mom's life?" Addy joked.
"Those are only the ones she found out about." May winked. "Addy, listen, they just want to tell a story. For your whole life, you've given them one single character. Adorable, precocious heir to the throne. Now you're growing up, and they get to tell a new story."
"Slutty party girl." Addy whined.
May made a 'tsk' sound with her tongue and squeezed Addy's knee, "I hate that word. What value is there in judging someone else's romantic behavior, as long as they're not hurting anybody with their actions?"
"I just meant that's the story they're telling—"
"I know what you meant. You went to a party, that doesn't make you deviant. You kissed your long-term boyfriend whom you love, that doesn't make you indecent. When Gavril starts telling that version of the story, people are going to see that kiss in a whole different light. The story will change again, and this time it'll be a magical, whirlwind romance. The kind of thing blockbuster movies are made of. The tabloids will make a fortune telling that story, and they'll abandon this old narrative. Trust me, okay?"
Addy didn't want to be naive or overly-idealistic, but she trusted her aunt in spite of it. Ever since Addy's mom had married Addy's dad, Aunt May had been a media darling. Nobody knew more about this kind of spotlight than she did, and if she said Addy was going to be okay, then Addy would just have to close her eyes, hold on tight, and wait for this ride to be over.
The next morning, no newspapers arrived with Addy's breakfast tray like there ordinarily would have been. Addy knew better than to ask. No papers meant bad news. Aunt May woke up nauseated by the smell of the food, and hurried off to jump into America's bed and continue sleeping in peace. Astra was already off to the ballroom to do some stretches and exercises, and to sharpen up some choreography. Apparently Addy's cousin liked to wake up before the sun these days, and it left Addy wondering if maybe Astra was adopted.
Lief walked in while Addy finished her eggs, slowly buttoning up his little green shirt as he got ready for lessons. "Um, Addy?"
"How are you doing, Lief?"
"Good. I just..." he paused, looking down at his buttons to see if he'd gotten them all lined up the right way. He had. He returned his attention to his big sister. "Addy, is it mean to ask you a question?"
"It's only mean to ask questions if you're trying to hurt someone with them."
"I'm not."
"Then it's not mean at all," Addy smiled, "What do you want to know?"
"Addy, are you in real big trouble?"
Addy bit back a smile at the adorable, innocent way he'd asked. "Want some bacon?"
"Yes please." He joined her on the bed and she handed him a slice.
"Yeah, I'm in pretty big trouble." she said.
"I knew it. Rosie said it sounded like you were in big trouble with Mommy and Daddy, plus I kinda heard them talking during family time yesterday. Why weren't you there?"
"I was with Astra and Aunt May, I just didn't feel good enough to play. I needed quiet time."
"Well, did you do something real bad? Are you punished?"
Addy sighed, "Yeah, I guess I'm grounded. See how I'm home?"
"Oh. Woah." he'd never seen Addy grounded before.
"I know."
"What did you do?" he scratched the side of his nose in wonder.
"I snuck away from Weaver. I went far away with no guards."
Lief looked at her like she was an idiot, "Why?"
Addy giggled at his honesty, "It was fun, I guess."
"That doesn't sound fun. Unless... did you go on a rollercoaster?" he asked, eyes widening.
"Ugh, I wish I had! Maybe if I'd snuck away one more time, I could have made it on a rollercoaster."
Lief nodded in solidarity. Addy knew her baby brother had never gotten to ride a rollercoaster before, and she didn't want to rub it in that she'd once gotten to ride one beside Uncle Aspen, a few years before Lief had been born. "Well, I'm not mad, okay?" he said bracingly.
"Thanks."
"I'm sorry you're grounded, but I'm happy you're home."
"It's nice to get to share bacon with you." Addy agreed.
Lief stood, knowing he needed to hurry off to lessons. "Come to family time tonight, okay? We'll play a real fun game, whichever one you want."
Addy smiled and nodded, "Alright, then. I'll be there."
Lief grinned at this and waved on his way out the door.
Addy stared into the swirls of her little glass of orange juice. She wanted to lay back down in bed, pull the blankets over her head, and hibernate until the world liked her again. Unfortunately for her, just as she was getting ready to set her tray aside and disappear into her pillows, Bridget appeared in the doorway.
"Your mother sent me."
Addy groaned in complaint.
"She wants you dressed for the office."
"I can't go to work today." Addy pouted.
"Why not?"
"I'm… sick." Addy faked a little cough. "I'm pretty sure I have a fever, too. I have to stay in bed today."
Bridget lifted one eyebrow unamused. "She doesn't want you to take this lying down. She wants you up and fighting for your reputation. Frankly, Princess, she's right."
Addy narrowed her eyes at her maid, "I have an important nap to take. I can't wear office clothes right now. Maybe later."
Bridget sighed and shifted all of her weight onto one foot. "I'm going to start a hot bath for you, and then I'm going to get you a coffee. You may stay in bed until the bath is full, but you'd better be cleaning yourself up by the time I get back with your caffeine. Or else."
"You can't threaten me, that's a crime." Addy complained pitifully.
"Or else." Bridget repeated.
"Or else what?" Addy asked in a tiny voice, peeking across her bed at Bridget.
"Don't ask that of the woman who shapes your eyebrows." Bridget warned on her way into the bathroom.
Addy let out an 'eek' of fear and threw the covers over her head as she dove back in. There she stayed until the echo of hot bathwater began to sound deep enough to cover her just as cozily as these blankets did. Maybe her mom had a point, maybe Addy needed to keep busy today. Either way, it wasn't worth annoying Bridget and risking mismatched eyebrows for a month.
It turned out that America had a plan for Addy. Bridget managed to drag Addy through getting ready, then deliver her to the door to the Women's Room. Inside, Addy heard three female voices, and when she poked her head in the door, she found her mother raiding a tea tray on the coffee table in between two plush sofas, mid-conversation with Lady Kriss Barner and Lady Elise Whisks-Lemex.
Addy's mother's friends stood when they noticed Addy in the doorway, and America turned. "There you are, sleepy-head. Come sit down. Are you thirsty?"
Addy shook her head as she obeyed her mother, joining her on the sofa facing the other women. "Bridget took care of me."
"Good." America leaned back against the sofa, settling in with a cup of tea. "We're talking about public schedules for the next few weeks."
"Public schedules?" Addy asked, confused. Lady Elise was one of her dad's top advisers, and Lady Kriss had worked with her mother on libraries and public schools, so they'd had a public schedule from the Palace before, but usually concerning very different policy agendas.
"We're looking through our invitations and seeing what might be useful." America nodded.
"I don't understand. Are there more protests about integrating upper and lower-class students? Or is it about the troops we sent to New Asia…"
America sipped her tea, realizing the source of Addy's confusion, "Ah, Bird. Before Lady Kriss and Lady Elise were policy experts, they were part of your father's Selection. Anybody my age or older thinks of them in that context first, because it's how they originally became famous."
"Oh. People still care about that?"
"People still adore the women from your dad's Selection, and they'll probably develop a lifelong affection for the men who compete in yours, too."
It was jarring to think of Martin taking meetings with men from her future selection, maybe forming friendships with them, maybe planning schedules just like this someday. Would any of them become her advisers, like Lady Elise had? Would they become Addy's heir's chief-of-staff like Aunt Marlee had?
Elise was flipping through a binder of invitations, eyes narrowed as she read silently. "Hm. There's a huge asian market opening up in Waverley, they invited me to cut the ribbon. I could go to that… it's my job to promote cultural exchange between Illéa and New Asia."
Kriss swished her own tea with a little spoon, "What kind of press coverage will it have?"
"Local television, regional newspapers… probably some crossover into New Asian media."
"I don't know, local television…" Kriss sounded skeptical. "They'll want to interview you. If they start asking about Princess Addy…"
Addy blushed. So this was why they were making a public schedule for the women from her dad's Selection. They were trying to fix the massive public relations nightmare Addy had caused.
Elise didn't look concerned, "Well, Gavril will have a statement ready by the end of the day, right?"
"Right." America said. "It'll be out in time for tomorrow's morning news."
"I can just echo whatever he comes up with. It'll amplify the Palace's message."
"It also might amplify the scandal." Kriss warned.
America shook her head, "The scandal couldn't get any more amplified, Kriss, what're they going to do? Publish it on Venus?"
Addy squirmed uncomfortably next to her mother, and America squeezed her elbow reassuringly. "Elise, if you're sure you can keep the questions under control, I think that market opening is a great idea."
Elise nodded, making a few notes in her binder as she did.
The room fell silent as the women continued flipping through their binders.
"Honey," America said to Addy, "I was talking to Gavril this morning and we agree, once the Palace puts out their statement and the press has had time to disseminate it, we want to schedule some appearances for you. We can't make it look like you're hiding because it would undermine our position, that you've done nothing wrong."
"Maybe I could go back to school, then?" Addy asked hopefully.
America looked up from her binder to meet Addy's eyes, frowning in sympathy. "That's going to be up to your dad, in the end. He's got to know that you'll be safe while you're away from the Palace."
"I'll do whatever it takes, Mom, I swear—"
America nodded, "I know, Bird, I believe you. I bet you'll be able to convince him, and we'll all lean on him a little. Won't we, ladies?"
Kriss winked at Addy and Elise nodded sincerely.
"You'll tell him to let me go back? And he'll listen?" Addy asked, amazed at their combined powers.
America continued, "Well, not exactly. Your dad does not like to be controlled, he's not going to react well if we boss or bully him into this. He's got to be persuaded. You've got to persuade him, just like all of his advisers do when they're promoting policy to him. You can do it, honey, and we're here to back you up."
Addy nodded her understanding, an unbidden glimmer of hope sparking in her chest. She'd learned how to write policy proposals at school. Maybe she could use that knowledge to convince her dad to let her finish school?
America continued, "We'd like you to appear on The Report with us this Friday. There's no reason for you not to be there, since the people know you're at home this week."
"Do I have to talk about the pictures?" Addy asked, stifling the feeling of panic in her chest at the thought.
"Of course not. You'll sit with your brothers and sisters and update the people on what you've been learning at school. That's all."
"…Okay." Honestly, Addy would rather eat poison, but she knew she wasn't going to be given that option.
"Good." America made a note in the margins of her binder, then said, "It wouldn't hurt for you to dig some things out of your closet to auction for charity. Aunt Silvia can have my office send everything out to your pet shelters this weekend, along with a nice little public statement advertising the auctions."
"Won't it seem like I'm just trying to change the subject from… from that kiss?" Addy struggled with the words, with how to talk about her love life and the invasion of her privacy around her mother and her mother's friends.
"Maybe some people will see it that way, sure, but our story is that the kiss isn't a scandal. So there's nothing to change the subject from, because nothing bad happened, right? And if that's true, then donating your personal items for a charity auction is just you being your usual wonderful self. The version of you that the people have always known and loved."
Addy nodded, resigned to her mother's logic. "I'll find some stuff."
"Good."
Kriss pressed her finger on a page to hold her spot, "I just remembered, George was invited to give a speech at a conference in Paloma. I usually go with him for that kind of thing."
Elise tilted her head to the side, "If you go now, it'll turn into a media circus."
Kriss nodded, "We'll make them sit through a long, painfully boring lecture about education policy, and then when they finally get the chance to ask me about the pictures, I can make them feel as stupid and lecherous as possible for salivating over photographs of a young woman kissing her boyfriend. And beyond that, I won't answer any more questions on the topic."
America smirked, "Why Kriss, that's positively evil."
"It's more than they deserve," Kriss scowled.
"George's lectures aren't boring." Elise objected.
"I'll make a special request." Kriss giggled into her tea.
"You know what, Kriss?" America folded her hands in her lap, smiling proudly at her friend, "Celeste would be proud of you."
The women around Addy all shared a warm smile and after a protracted moment of silence Elise snorted, "Can you imagine the absolute filleting Celeste would be giving those male magazine editors right now?"
"She'd be drinking their tears from a hip flask." Kriss agreed with a cackle.
Addy didn't know what to say. She knew who Celeste was, her mom talked about her every once in a while and Addy had watched the video recordings of her dad's Selection. Celeste had been a tall, gorgeous girl gunned down in the prime of her life by the rebel attack that had killed Addy's grandparents and almost killed her dad.
Thinking about it in this context, remembering what her dad had said about how recent that attack still felt to him, Addy felt stupid for not being more wary of rebel violence. Clearly she'd lost an important ally to the rebels, but Addy had just never realized it because it had happened before she'd been born.
"What do you think she would have said?" Addy asked quietly. She felt awkward interrupting the moment of reflection they were sharing, but she desperately wanted to hear what she was missing out on.
America swallowed heavily, sniffling a little as she tried to find an answer.
It was Kriss who figured it out first. "That's the trouble, Princess. None of us were ever as sharp-witted or sharp-clawed as Celeste. Any time we guess at what she would have said if she were here, it comes out a weak, timid mockery of what she'd actually have come up with, and we know it. There's just nothing we can do about it."
"It's hard to keep her memory alive, but know that we're not keeping it as vibrant or vivacious as she really was because we're just not cunning enough." Elise agreed.
America was still sitting quietly.
Addy wasn't sure how to reassure them. She thought of the girls she'd seen on television, the younger versions of the women who sat before her today; quiet, stoic Elise Whisks and witty, earnest Kriss Ambers, and fiery, willful America Singer.
"I think you all became the best possible versions of who you used to be when you were friends with her," Addy finally said, "So I think she'd be proud of you, even if you're not as snarky as she was."
This time, it was Elise and Kriss who fell silent as they struggled to hold back their emotions, and it was America who wrapped an arm around her daughter and squeezed. "Thank you, Birdy." She pressed a kiss to the top of Addy's head. "That was incredibly sweet of you."
There was a heavy, bittersweet moment of silence as the women collected themselves again, then Elise finally said, "She really is Maxon's kid."
"Yeah, I guess we can call off the paternity test we petitioned for." Kriss joked.
America rolled her eyes, using her free hand to crumple her napkin into a ball and then launching it at Kriss' head, meeting her mark to the sound of a whisper of soft paper hitting a nose, and several restrained giggles.
That afternoon, Addy took a break from assisting her mom to curl up in bed. This time she wasn't trying to hide from the world, though. This time, she was just sharing a quiet conversation with her boyfriend.
"Hello?" his voice answered from the other end of the telephone line.
"Hey, it's me." Addy grinned.
"How are you doing?" he asked worriedly.
"I think I'm doing okay." Addy wasn't really sure how to answer. "I mean, I'm miserable about this, but I'm still functioning. My mom even gave me some good advice for how to convince my dad to let me come back to school. What about you? Are you okay?"
"I guess so. Things are weirdly normal around here." Addy listened to him inhale and exhale slowly. Then he said, "Everyone's staring at me. It's like one of those nightmares where you show up to the first day of classes in your underwear, with no pencils, and no matter what happens, you can't get back to your dormitory to put on your pants. You get lost on the way, or somebody distracts you, or you end up on a bus to the German Federation by accident."
Addy giggled, "What kind of dreams have you been having, Martin?"
Martin laughed too, but wearily. "I don't know, Addy. Nothing as wild as real life, I'll tell you that much. My face is on the cover of every newspaper and magazine in the entire world."
"What a coincidence, mine too." Addy feigned.
Martin snorted, "Fancy seeing you here." As if the front of every newspaper on earth was a place and they'd just bumped into one another.
"Martin," Addy started, apology in her tone.
"Don't." Martin said. "This isn't your fault."
"I know. I just… I don't want you to be miserable. Is there anything I can do to help you get through this? The Palace has a whole media strategy about us, but it's going to take a while to change a current this strong."
Martin took his time answering. "My parents are going stir-crazy. The Palace sent guards to them, too. Mom can't go into the office right now, Dad's being inundated with candle orders from journalists trying to make nice with him for an interview… their whole lives are upside down right now."
Addy gulped, "I'm so sorry."
"Is there anything the Palace can do to give them their lives back?"
Addy winced, "I can talk to my Uncle Aspen about it, I'm sure it's temporary."
"Mom will be able to go back to work?"
"Sure! I mean, my Uncle James works at an office. The Palace just had to do a security check on his coworkers, and once it was clear that he was safe there, he got to work like normal. I'll bet that's all that needs to happen before your mom gets her life back."
"Oh… that's good." Martin sounded cautiously relieved. "Uh… your Uncle James, does he still have a guard?"
Addy thought about it. "His house is secured by the guards, but he doesn't have a personal detail. Like, if he leaves the house, he's on his own."
"Wait, so the guards who moved into my room at home… they might stay forever?" Martin asked, panicked.
"Well, the guards secure the homes of everyone in the royal family."
"Oh." Martin sounded relived. Then, after a second, it hit him. "Oh." This time he was much more crestfallen, "If we… In the future, if you and I—"
Addy helped him, "If you and I get married, your family will be part of the royal family. Most people like that kind of thing."
"It would change their whole lives."
Addy frowned. She thought about her grandma and aunts and uncles. Their lives had been totally changed by her mom marrying her dad, but it had only been good changes. Hadn't it?
"Being royal's not so bad, Martin." Addy reminded him. "Your mom could still work, and your dad could sell his candles all over the world—"
"He doesn't want that. He likes selling handmade goods to his own community." Martin sulked.
"Well… he could do that, then. He could do whatever he wanted. Your whole family could do anything in the world."
Martin reluctantly agreed, "Yeah, I guess so."
"Being a member of the royal family gives you more choices, not less. It's just hard right now because of this… scandal." Addy hated that word. It made it sound like she'd started a drug cartel or taken a concubine.
Martin chuckled on the other end of the line, "I'll tell you this much, I never thought I'd be a royal scandal."
"I didn't think I would, either." Addy bemoaned. "I thought Lief, for sure."
"Lief?" Martin laughed at the idea of her angel-faced baby brother doing anything scandalous.
"He was a biter five years ago! I thought he'd get angry one day and bite a citizen or something."
Martin held the phone away from himself as he laughed, hard. It was a great sound. It gave Addy more hope than anything else had all day.
"Hey, do any of your Palace guards know physics?" Martin asked brightly.
"Probably." Addy reasoned. There were over a thousand guards assigned to the Palace, split between shifts and sectors.
"Could you send me one of the smart ones to help me with my homework? I was going to go to peer-to-peer tutoring this week, but…" he didn't need to finish that sentence. Addy knew, there was no going in public right now, not for either of them.
"Oh, Kile could help you! Kile's a weirdo, he loves physics. I'll call him and ask him to meet you wherever you want."
"That would be a big help." The tension was gone from Martin's voice, and this conversation was practically normal. Addy smiled so hard, her cheeks hurt.
"Hey, there's something I forgot to tell you last night." she said.
"What is it?"
"I love you."
There was a pause, Addy could almost hear Martin's grin. "I love you too, Addy."
Kile didn't answer the phone when Addy called, but it was around dinner time so she figured he was probably eating with a study group or something, getting ready for final exams. She left a message asking him to help Martin study, and then she headed off to the dining room to join all the members of her family who'd been slowly gathering at the Palace throughout the day like some kind of homing beacon had been set off.
It was a lively, vibrant, noisy Singer family reunion in the dining room. Considering that everyone was gathered together to help her recover from an incredibly embarrassing breach of privacy, Addy was actually having a good time. Grandma Magda was sitting with Aunt Kenna, carrying on an energetic conversation, lots of hand waving and gesturing to emphasize important details. Uncle James was next to Lief, making silly faces, using the utensils as props. Leo and Rogan were with Jamesy and Maisy, clearly reenacting a movie they'd all seen and loved. Something with explosions, because Rogan's mashed potatoes splattered magnificently during the recap of one particular scene. Aunt May and Uncle Ryland were next to America and Maxon, leaning in close so that they could actually hear one another over the den of noise. Uncle Gerad had the rapt attention of Rosie, and he doted on her with attention, which she lived for, and unlimited refills of juice on demand, never once suggesting that she'd had enough sugar and should switch to water.
As for Astra, she sat with Addy and distracted her with stories from the ballet, gossip and behind-the-scenes details that only the dancers knew. It was nice to escape her own troubles for a few minutes and get absorbed into the details of somebody else's problems.
After the noisy, chaotic meal was finished, but before convening for family time upstairs, America and Maxon took advantage of the quiet evening and went for a walk through the gardens as a mini-date. Grandma took over shepherding the littlest Schreaves upstairs and keeping them out of trouble. Addy was about to go with Astra upstairs and relax in one of their rooms until family time, but Uncle Gerad tapped her on the shoulder and invited her for a walk through the Palace. Uncle James clapped Uncle Gerad on the back once before leading a questioning Astra off to the third floor with the rest of their family.
Uncle Gerad was a quiet, easygoing, thoughtful man. He didn't talk much, especially when his sisters or brothers-in-law were having a conversation, but he was a great listener and when he did speak, it was usually as a much-needed voice of reason. He'd finished school to become a medical researcher just a few years ago; it had taken him a long time at a research college to learn everything that he needed to know to begin studying the heart defect that had killed his father and now plagued his sisters. He wanted to cure it, or discover a medicine even better than what America, Kenna, and May had been taking to manage their condition. Either way, it started with understanding every little thing about the defect. Addy knew her whole family was proud of him. He was the baby of the family, and he'd made something amazing out of himself all on his own, without needing to rely on the royal family for help.
Before Addy knew it, they were standing at the edge of the indoor pool. Uncle Gerad kicked off his shoes and pulled off his socks, sitting at the edge and sinking his feet into the warm blue pool water. He patted the concrete beside him. Addy obliged, sliding off her heels, shifting her dress up to her knees, and soaking her feet and calves.
"How are you doing, Bird?" Uncle Gerad asked softly. He didn't ask it in a pitying way though, the way people might ask if they knew some tragedy had befallen her. He was genuinely just asking because he knew he couldn't imagine what she was going through.
"I guess I'm okay, all things considered." Addy answered, rewarding his genuine question with a genuine answer. "I'm humiliated about the pictures, and I don't know how this is going to affect my relationship with the public in the longterm. I was a little kid to them just a few years ago and now they definitely see me as a young adult, whether they were ready to or not."
Uncle Gerad opened his mouth to ask a question, but he gave up, at a loss for words. He pinched the bridge of his nose. "That party that you went to…" he began.
"I'm sorry." Addy hurried, her gut instinct to apologize to anyone who was mad at her for sneaking out to the party overrode the context of who she was talking to. This was Uncle Gerad. There was no need to be on the defensive here.
Uncle Gerad waved a hand as if to dismiss the apology. She hadn't wronged him. "Where was it?"
"At a house near campus."
"It looked pretty nice in those pictures."
"Oh, uh… yeah. It was gorgeous, actually. It was a really fancy neighborhood."
Gerad smirked, looking down at his feet distorted in the water, "Says the girl who grew up in a royal palace."
Addy nodded, forcing a little laugh of agreement. None of it made sense if it was coming from Princess Adrienne. It only made sense if it was coming from Addy, the teenaged girl.
Uncle Gerad tapped his foot against hers in the water, "Why did you go to that party, Bird? Why did you sneak out?"
Addy thought of so many answers to that question, all of them true and adequate but none of them conveyed the real depth of feeling behind her decision. Addy could tell him what she'd told her mother or Astra or her father. She could make a long, wordy case for her judgement.
But this was Uncle Gerad, so she just said, "Because I didn't want to miss it."
She knew that was enough. The time in her life when she could sneak away from home and go to a party with civilians, and end up swimming in a pool, kissing her boyfriend, was a rapidly shrinking window. If she hadn't done it when Martin had offered, she'd never have done it at all. In spite of everything, she was glad she hadn't missed her only chance.
Uncle Gerad seemed to wilt beside her, his broad, strong shoulders caving in a little bit. "Oh, Bird."
Addy had known that her uncle would understand what she meant, but she hadn't expected it to make him sad. "What is it? Are you disappointed in me?"
"No, not at all. I'm… I'm just sorry."
"Sorry? For what?" Addy was the one to tap his foot this time.
Uncle Gerad gulped, pausing to organize his thoughts. "There's so much about living outside of the Palace that's hard and boring and bad. But there are some really basic human dignities that come along with it too, things no amount of money could buy. Like privacy. In the Palace, you have a whole staff of people who are paid to know the moment you wake up, and to accordingly time your meals and morning briefings and deliver your messages. Even at school, your guards have to know when you're going to want to leave for breakfast or class, so they have to listen really carefully to puzzle out when you're awake in the mornings. Even the most basic privacy, like getting to sleep as late as you want on a Saturday without it being anybody else's business, is not afforded to you."
"I guess so." Addy usually tried not to think of it that way, but it was true.
"I live in an apartment. An amazing apartment that your dad helps me pay for so that I can live close to work and be safe, but otherwise it's about as far removed from the Palace as you could get. And nobody knows when I wake up in the morning. It's no one's business but mine. If I want to get up early and go out for coffee, or if I want to sleep in until noon because it's the weekend and I don't feel like doing my laundry yet… It's my choice, and I have the dignity of privacy to live my life however I want, with no judgement from anyone. …You'll never have that."
"I guess not." Addy agreed.
Uncle Gerad leant forward and swung his feet back and forth, "When you were born, I promised myself that I'd show you the world outside of the Palace. I wanted you to have all the best parts of a normal life, and none of the struggles. I used to demand that Mom take us, and our guards, into the city for ice cream or trips to the park… but it was hard. Even then, everyone wanted a picture of the little princess. I guess I thought… I thought if I could get you out of the Palace enough, you'd never need to run away. You'd know what was out there, and you'd have a way of getting what you wanted from the outside world without feeling like you had to escape this one. I guess… I guess I was just kidding myself, but… I'm really sorry, Bird. I think I let you down."
Addy gulped hard and then placed her hand over her uncle's. "I wasn't trying to escape, Uncle Gerad. I love my life. I love the Palace and my family, and I'm proud of what we do here. I wasn't fleeing the Palace when I went to that party; I was running toward something."
"Toward the boy?" Uncle Gerad asked, as if this hadn't occurred to him.
Addy didn't want to make it seem like it was all for a dumb crush, so she said, "Toward what the boy means to me. He loves and admires me, not the title and the royal responsibilities. He isn't paid to pay attention to me, and he doesn't do it for any political favors he could get or any fame that might rub off on him. If anything, those are obstacles that just get in our way. He makes me feel normal, like you tried to. You have a lot in common with him, actually. He's really smart and sweet. I think you'd like him."
"If you like him, I know I'd like him. That's all the vouching for his character that I need." Uncle Gerad agreed. "But Bird…" he shook his head, still bothered by something. "I was a naive kid when I tried to whisk you away from the Palace. I wasn't really offering you the parts of a normal life that are the best, I was offering you ice cream. And a playground. We could have done that here, without the paparazzi and the security detail."
Addy couldn't really remember the outings he was talking about, but she could remember the ones Martin had taken her on. "It's different. There was something special about being in a room full of people who hadn't been pre-approved to talk to me. None of them had to treat me with any deference or respect because of my title, but they still ended up liking me for who I am. I guess I could have swum with Martin in this pool right here." Addy splashed her foot out of the water a little, "I'm sure it would have been exciting and fun, but… we wouldn't have been free."
Uncle Gerad looked around. This pool wasn't near an entrance or exit to the Palace, and it wasn't in a public wing, so there were no guards here. That didn't mean that none of them knew where the Princess was, of course they were keeping track of the whole royal family in case of emergency, but nobody was watching Addy. For all they knew, she and her uncle were ballroom dancing to synthesizer music down here.
Uncle Gerad wrapped an arm around Addy and said, "I can't imagine what it feels like to be you, and I don't really remember what normal life was like before Ames married your dad. But I can tell you what my mom and my big sisters told me after you were born. The best parts of normal life before the Palace were the memories we made together, as a family. My dad teaching us to paint, my mom playing silly music on the piano after dinner to entertain us, Kenna and America making shadow puppet plays in candlelight, my older brother Kota helping me sculpt what would have been a clay bowl if I'd had the patience to sit still for more than two seconds. He didn't love the unfortunate blob that came from my first attempt at sculpting, but he never got rid of it; he kept it on a shelf until he died."
Addy grinned just imagining the clay blob her uncle had crafted, but it got her thinking about her mother helping her plunk out the notes to her favorite song on the piano when she was little. She remembered her dad showing her how to use a long lens camera to capture a breathtaking picture of a butterfly. She remembered helping Maisy learn how to swim, helping Lief brave his fear of heights to climb to the top of the tree castle by himself, and helping Rosie with her adorable little homework pages. She thought of Jamesy taking over her meetings so that she could go away to school.
"I guess I see what you're saying." Addy said, "I already have the best parts of normal life."
"Yeah, you do."
"See? You didn't fail me, Uncle Gerad." Addy winked at him.
He grinned and shook his head, staring at his knees. "I guess not."
"But what about the other parts of normal life?" Addy challenged him gently. "What about that privacy thing you were talking about?"
Uncle Gerad chuckled, "That privacy thing is a fundamental human right, and I still wish we could find a way to give you a little of it. Maybe, when you're queen, you can work on ways to make things better for the royal family moving forward. But Bird, that doesn't mean you can be dangerous in the mean time. You can't run away from your guards."
Addy frowned, immediately defensive again, "I know, I'm sorry—"
"That's not what I'm saying. I'm just saying, if something isn't working for you, then fix the problem. Solve the puzzle. Don't try to cheat." he encouraged her.
Addy gulped, "Being out in the world with Martin is the most exhilarating feeling—"
"Probably because it's forbidden, exotic, and new." Uncle Gerad pointed out.
"Yeah, I guess." Addy admitted. Of course, any time she was with Martin she felt all heady and light. Her heart fluttered on every date they went on, even when he just came over to cook dinner or meet her for breakfast or they took a walk through the park. So the extra special buzz she felt when she thought of their off-campus dates was probably because of what separated those from the rest of her dates with Martin. The special, unique thrill of sneaking somewhere new, alone.
Uncle Gerad leant back on his hands and swished his feet in the water. "I'm glad you weren't trying to escape us, Addy. And I guess I understand wanting to try exotic, forbidden new things. Seems very seventeen of you, if you ask me."
Addy rolled her eyes, "I didn't."
"We'd just rather die than see you get hurt. That's why everyone's flocked back to the nest, Bird." Uncle Gerad said of the rest of the Singer family.
"I get it. I tried to fly out of here and did a big old bellyflop out of the tree on my first jump, didn't I?"
Uncle Gerad laughed, a pure, cheerful balm of a sound, "That's about right."
Addy grinned down at her knees. "I'm not going to do that again. I'm really not, Uncle Gerad. I loved that party, but it wasn't worth all of this. And besides, if what you say is right, then Martin and I can have all the best parts of a normal life together, without risking our safety to do it."
"Are you just saying that to make me feel better?" Uncle Gerad narrowed his eyes at her.
"No." Addy giggled. "I mean it."
Uncle Gerad grinned at her, taking in her face. "You know, you're more like your mom than you have any right to be."
Addy snorted, "Why? Did she sneak away from Palace guards on secret dates with my dad?"
Uncle Gerad tilted his head to the side, squishing his face as he equivocated, "With your dad?"
Addy blinked, the implication causing a malfunction in her brain that momentarily robbed her of all words. She sputtered, "W—what—"
"Never mind."
"With not my dad?"
Uncle Gerad stood up and wiped the moisture from his calves. "Don't worry about it."
"What… that doesn't make any sense… what are you talking about?" Addy leapt up to follow him, ignoring her own legs as her dress fell back to its usual length and then stuck to her wet skin. She did manage not to forget to pick up her shoes before she trailed after her uncle, though she could not quite manage to put them back on her feet. "Uncle Gerad?!"
"Don't ask me, ask your mom." he encouraged her as he led her up to the family room.
"About what? Who? What? Where? What?" Addy stammered.
"Or ask your Aunt May, she knows all the gossip." Uncle Gerad grinned.
"But… but…" Then it occurred to Addy. She narrowed her eyes at her uncle. "Maisy put you up to this."
"What?"
"This is a joke! Maisy told you to trick me, to get a good reaction out of me. To make me look dumb!"
"No—"
"Haha, very funny." Addy said sarcastically.
"Bird—" Uncle Gerad laughed at her.
"You just tell your little minion that it didn't work. I outsmarted her, as usual."
Uncle Gerad just shook his head and sighed, "Okay, Addy. That's fine."
Addy led the way upstairs, chin tilted slightly upward, feeling very superior to her immature prankster of a little sister.
That night after family time, Addy curled up in her favorite pajamas and snuggled under her covers with her favorite book. She was trying to make comforting, familiar, distracting noise in her head so that her mind wouldn't start guessing at what people all over the world were saying about her love life right that very second. She was just about to give up and try to find something on the television instead when Jamesy appeared in her doorway.
"Hot chocolate?" he offered, tilting one of the two mugs in his hand toward her just enough so that she could see the creamy, sweet substance inside.
Addy patted her bed and tossed her book aside, glad for the distraction.
"Thanks." She forced herself to take a small sip and savor the flavor, rather than gulping down half the mug at once in an attempt to drown her anxiety.
They sat together quietly for a minute, each enjoying their drink, then Jamesy said, "You know, when I told you to join a club, this isn't exactly what I had in mind." he smirked.
Addy silently scowled at his teasing, which made him laugh.
After another few sips, he reclined against the pillows beside her. "So how did you even get to that party?"
Addy watched him from the corner of her eyes to gage his reaction, "Martin has a car."
"Woah…" Jameson took a second to chew that one over. "He has his own car?" he clarified.
"Yep."
"Where does he keep it?"
"In the driveway in front of his dormitory."
"And he can just drive whenever he wants?"
"Yeah."
"Geeze." Jamesy breathed. "Has he ever been on a road trip?"
"Yeah, I think it's a little bit of a road trip just to get from his home to school."
"I'd go on a road trip if I had a car. I'd drive everywhere." he mused.
"Like where?"
"From the most northern point in Illéa all the way down to the most southern point. Then east to west. Then maybe some of the historic highways. I'd drive all over the place." He smiled. "What about you?"
"I don't know." Addy sighed. It wasn't even fun to imagine anymore because she knew she'd never drive a car. But maybe Jamesy could. "Hey, get Uncle Ry to teach you to drive." Addy insisted.
"Why?"
"Because you're the backup heir for now, but once I have kids you won't be. That means your security restrictions will change. I'll make sure you're allowed to drive." she said.
"Seriously?" he was flabbergasted, his hot chocolate frozen halfway to his lips.
"Yeah. You'll get to have those road trips, I just need you to give me five or ten years to get married, settle into my job as queen, and have a baby."
"Take your time, Adds, seriously." Jameson winced at the idea of his big sister having babies. "Don't rush it just so I can go driving."
"I won't." Addy promised.
Jameson nodded, relieved that she wasn't going to elope tomorrow just to get him a learner's license. "You know… if you want to take road trips, Uncle Aspen can figure it out. There's nothing he wouldn't do for you, if it was important enough to you. It might not be the same as what a civilian could do on a whim, but it would still be a lot of fun."
She breathed out a long sigh, "I know. I just hate having to announce my every move to Uncle Aspen. I don't want him to know about every little date I ever go on. It's creepy."
Jamesy laughed, but he got her point. "I wouldn't want Weaver shadowing my first date."
Addy peeked over at her little brother and said, "You're not allowed to date ever, I decree it."
"What? Why?" he laughed.
"Because you're my baby brother and I refuse to share you."
"You already share me with Maisy, Lief, and Rosie." he pointed out.
"Yeah, I'm late on the decree." Addy admitted. "Still, from now on, I'm not going to share you with anyone else."
Jamesy shook his head, "Okay, sure, whatever you say."
"That's right it's whatever I say."
"Well, what if I want a Selection?" Jamesy challenged.
Addy scrunched her brow, "Would you really?"
"Maybe, I don't know." he shrugged. "Letting me host one could do huge favors for royal approval ratings for you after you're queen." he wiggled his eyebrows.
"You just want to fill the Palace with a bunch of girls so you can kiss all of them." Addy accused.
"I mean, yes, I would have to kiss every single one of them to know if we had a good connection or not. So sue me." he joked.
It was Addy's turn to grimace.
"At least I'd keep my clothes on." he teased.
Addy reached next to her for the closest pillow, then brought it down on Jamesy's face with a vengeance. He barely managed to keep from spilling his drink in the ensuing kerfuffle as he sought his revenge.
Addy called a truce with minimal chocolate spillage and said, "I owe you forever for taking over for me while I'm at school. If you ever want anything… a road trip or a selection or whatever… just ask."
"I want a mansion." he deadpanned.
"Okay." Addy shrugged.
"Jetpack."
"Yep."
"Buy me a carnival."
"Fine, but you have to explain to the taxpayers why their money is buying you a personal carnival."
"Easy. They still love me. I didn't go on secret swimming pool dates with commoners." he teased.
Addy groaned, "You're never letting this die, are you?"
"It's going on your tombstone."
"Jamesy!"
"Rest in Peace beloved Queen and Pool Kisser." he joked.
"I hate you." Addy pouted, even as she giggled. It was amazing to be able to laugh about this. It made her feel less helpless and victimized. For the first time since laying eyes on that magazine cover, Addy felt like she had some of her power back. It was the worst thing that had ever happened to her, but her brother was still making her giggle about it. She was going to be okay.
She poked her tongue out at him. He swiped his thumb on it before she could react. She gagged at the taste of his thumb on her tongue. The battle to see who could annoy each other more resumed as Addy leapt from bed and made for her perfume bottle, threatening him with a spray of the girliest scent she could find. He dashed down the hall and she slammed the door behind him, claiming the rest of his hot chocolate for her own.
Addy spent the entire next day with Astra: watching movies in the movie theater, baking cookies in the kitchens, and playing a board game in bed with Aunt May to keep her entertained. Every time one of them shifted on the bed, all the game pieces went sliding everywhere and so it was impossible to finish playing, which was exactly what they all wanted. Later, Addy and Astra spent some time playing out in the gardens with Rosie and Lief, then watching a prerecorded television show with Maisy (something they definitely knew wouldn't mention Addy's tabloid scandal in any way).
Despite her worries, both about Martin and the classes she was missing, she had a nice day. She still had no idea what the outside world was saying about her, and that was probably for the best, but her imagination wasn't running as wild with the terrible possibilities now that she had her cousin-sister and her actual siblings to keep her distracted.
That night's phone call with Martin ended quickly. He was studying, trying not to let this incident derail his semester the way that it had derailed Addy's. So Addy wrapped the blanket from her bed around her shoulders like a cape and headed out to the tree castle. She curled up in the corner of the clubhouse portion of the play place and deeply inhaled the sweet, spring garden air through her nose. The tree castle had been her favorite place in the entire world when she'd been a little kid. It had always been a place of imagination and limitless possibilities, a place where the real world didn't matter at all.
Addy imagined what the fairytale princess version of her current predicament would have looked like. She'd have been caught holding hands with a commoner, and the entire kingdom would have been outraged. Then a fairy or a genie or a witch would have come along with a spell to turn Martin into a prince, Addy would have married him, and the kingdom would have been perfectly satisfied. Happily ever after.
No witch was going to come through with a magical fix for her real problem, though. She had no idea what the consequences to running away and getting photographed at a secret party in her underwear were going to be, but at least she knew that if the kingdom decided to banish her to a nunnery, her enormous, noisy family would stop at nothing to visit her as often as the other nuns allowed.
She wasn't sure how much time had passed in quiet, with the gentle breeze rustling the leaves of the tree that anchored the tree castle. The sky was clear above the skylight and Addy stared off into space, wondering if there were any alien princesses out there getting sold out by amateur photographers looking for a huge payday. Distantly, Addy heard the echo of a door closing, the first intimation of another human's existence that she'd had in hours. It was possible that it was a guard rotation, but it was equally possible that one of her concerned aunts, uncles, cousins, or siblings was about to chase her down and make sure she was okay.
The voice on the ground below the tree castle calling up to her was not the one she had expected, however.
"Pardon me, are there any princesses in the castle tonight?"
Addy giggled, crawling over to peek down the ramp to the visitor, "Only one."
"I come bearing fresh, cold whipped cream. May I come up?"
Addy nodded down at her father and then crawled back to her corner, awaiting her treats.
"Your Highness." Maxon greeted her when he arrived in her domain. She patted the floor beside her, and he eased himself down, leaning his back against the wall, and handed her the bowl.
There were two small dessert spoon handles sticking out of the whirl of white cream, and they each claimed one. Maxon tapped the end of his spoon against the end of hers as a 'cheers', and they both spent a moment savoring the dessert.
Addy wasn't sure what to say to her father. The last time they'd spoken beyond a couple of words at dinner or family time, he'd been furious at her. Now here he sat, meeting her on her own turf, offering her one of her lifelong favorite treats.
She decided to try talking to him like nothing unusual was happening at all. Like it was exactly one year ago, and Addy hadn't ruined anything yet.
"How was work?"
Maxon sighed heavily through his nose, shaking his head. "Well, if you can believe this, the economy is too good."
Addy laughed, "What?"
"Wages are good, production is inexpensive, interest rates on loans are low… it's a disaster." he chuckled.
"You monster, what have you done?" Addy teased.
"Prices for essential goods are starting to creep upward to increase certain profit margins, and so are average wages. In effect, our money is losing its value. If it continues apace, we could expect to see the buying power of twenty dollars fall to the current value of ten."
"Half?" Addy asked, aghast. "Money could be worth half what it is now? Everyone's savings would be chopped in half?"
"We're taking steps to intervene." Maxon reassured her, then rubbed his brow. "It's tricky, though. If we do the wrong thing, or the right thing but too much or too little of it, it could backfire."
Addy frowned down at their bowl of whipped cream. "I thought I'd be glad that I'm not the most stressful part of your day, but now I'm not so sure."
Maxon peeked over at her from the corner of his eye, "You've never been the most stressful part of my day, not ever. Not even on the day you were born."
Addy stared down at her lap, not wanting to hear it. She didn't want her dad to be mad at her anymore, but she didn't want him to start showering her with praise either. Deep down, she'd always known that she wasn't as good as he thought she was, and she'd thought for sure that he'd realized his mistake now that he'd seen those tabloid pictures.
When Addy didn't respond, didn't so much as turn her head in his direction, Maxon said, "Sweetheart, you know why I had to be stern with you in my office the other day, don't you?"
Addy gulped, "Because I deserved it."
Maxon rubbed his face with his free hand and groaned softly. "That's what I would have thought, too."
Addy set her spoon in the bowl and turned to look at him, resting her chin in her hand, "Were you just mad at me, then?"
Maxon took his cue from her and set aside their dessert. "Birdy, I needed to scare you. I had to. I've done everything in my power, since before you were born, to keep you safe. And I guess, because of that, you never saw the kind of danger we're really in. I know that rebel attacks haven't been much of a problem for you in your lifetime, but that doesn't mean that there are no angry, deranged people out there looking to lash out at the monarchy. I needed you to understand the threat, so that you won't want to run away again. So that running away won't even be appealing anymore, because of what might happen."
Addy squirmed a little, "I'm not going to run away again, Dad—"
"I don't even want you to want to." Maxon reiterated gently.
"Well… that's not fair. Don't you and Mom dream about running away together all the time?"
"When we retire, and not without proper security." Maxon pointed out. "Though, I take your meaning. Daydreaming about a different life is not the same as crawling out a window and sneaking off into the night, though, is it?"
"No." Addy admitted. "Just… Dad, you don't understand, it was so good. I went someplace totally spontaneously, and met all these people I never would have met if I hadn't gone, and it was… it was magical. I'll always want that."
Maxon considered her. "Addy, believe it or not, I do understand. You got to live a night in someone else's life, like the cinder girl and her slipper of glass. But no enchantment would ever make that life permanent for you, Bird, because you're simply too famous. Were the monarchy to dissolve tomorrow and our family freed from all of our responsibilities, you'd still have one of the most recognizable faces in the entire world. Nothing changes that. What we have to do is find a way to give you spontaneity and new experiences while still keeping you safe. There's got to be a way we can compromise, hasn't there?"
Addy nodded and scooped a quick spoonful of cream into her mouth. "That's what Uncle Gerad said."
"Did he?" Maxon asked, surprised. Then he chuckled, "I like that kid."
Addy laughed too, at the idea of her Uncle Gerad being a 'kid'.
"Speaking of a compromise," Maxon paused, reaching into his pocket and pulling out a small rectangular jewelry box. "I'm having a dilemma. I need the advice of my heir."
"Okay, sure." Addy said. "What is it?"
"Well, see, your Uncle Aspen had this idea… I'm not sure I entirely agree with it, but I can see it has merits. I was wondering what your take on it might be. You see…" Maxon opened the box to reveal a beautiful silver bracelet with several bird charms on it, almost a perfect match for her songbird necklace, "Uncle Aspen commissioned this from the royal jeweler for you. And then he attached a tracking device to it."
Addy raised her eyebrows, "He what?"
"I know." Maxon rushed to reassure her, "It's not pleasant."
"Dad… are you… do I—"
Maxon read the fear on her face and hurriedly replied, "You don't have to do anything with it. We can send it right back to the jeweler and have it melted for scrap, if that's what you want."
Addy looked down at it again, still wary, "Why would Uncle Aspen think that I need this? I'm not going to run away again, and I always have guards with me."
"Well, you see, he'd be willing to give you a wider berth around campus if you were wearing this bracelet. No guards most of the time."
"No guards at all?" Addy asked, interest suddenly peaked.
"You'd still have a unit at your house, of course, but you could go to class… or on dates on campus—" he emphasized and Addy rolled her eyes, nodding her head that she got the point, "And nobody would be watching you per se. They'd know where you were, and they wouldn't be far in case of emergency, but they wouldn't be tailing you as they usually do."
Now Addy looked down at the silver bracelet with renewed admiration. She tilted it so that it reflected some of the ambient light from the Palace as she considered the freedom this little bracelet could offer her. No guards.
"I wouldn't have to wear it all the time, right?" Addy asked.
"Of course not. Not at your dormitory, and not at all if you didn't want to. But then, of course, the protocol would change—"
"Right, right." Addy understood. Then she looked up at her dad, "I'll think it over but… it sounds good, Dad."
Maxon nodded, "If my father had had this technology, he'd have implanted it in me so I could never remove it, and he wouldn't have asked me my opinion on so much as the weather…" Maxon rubbed his face.
Addy stared at her dad, taken aback. Addy knew King Clarkson had been a harsh man, she knew her dad was constantly grappling with his legacy both as a King and as a father, but Maxon almost never spoke this directly about his father's behavior. It occurred to Addy how at his wit's end her dad must be, to be this transparent about what was on his mind.
"This isn't like that, Dad." Addy said steadily. "You're not only asking me my opinion, you're giving me the choice. Whatever I say goes. And it's not an implant, it's a bracelet. If I don't like it, I can throw it in the garbage. I… I don't know what your father would have done if you'd run off to a secret party and kissed a girl in a swimming pool—"
Maxon shook his head and smiled grimly, "He'd have been proud of my display of manliness, but he'd have been annoyed that I got caught."
Addy leaned her head on her dad's shoulder, "Okay, so you can be proud of my manliness now, and we'll deal with getting caught later."
Maxon laughed, wrapping an arm around her and kissing her red head, "I am proud of your manliness, Bird, don't ever doubt it."
Addy giggled, tugging her blanket higher up her shoulders so that she was in a little cocoon of comfort. "I guess my wild party lifestyle has gotten a little out of control. I've started drinking two coffees a day now."
"Dear God, where did your mother and I go wrong?" Maxon teased.
"Oh, I can tell you. It was that time Mom was out of town—"
"Bird—"
"And you let me and Jamesy eat cake until I threw up."
Maxon groaned, "You've no business remembering that."
To be honest, Addy didn't remember it at all. She'd learned about it second-hand, from overhearing her mother teasing her father. Jamesy had been nothing but a baby at the time, so Addy couldn't have been more than three or four, and Addy only had a handful of memories from being that young. Still, her father did remember it and it still embarrassed him to no end which made Addy laugh every time.
Maxon checked his watch and then looked down at their bowl. "Let's finish this and go in. I believe your Aunt May is hosting a girl's film night in her bedroom, you wouldn't believe the number of redheaded women she's managed to amass in there."
"Poor Maisy and Rosie must feel so out of place."
"At least they have one another." Maxon chuckled.
Addy looked up at her dad and then handed him his spoon. "Dad, I'm really sorry. It doesn't matter that I wasn't trying to hurt you when I snuck out, because you got hurt all the same. This got really out of control really fast…I had no idea I could mess up this big…"
Maxon used his spoon to place a dot of whipped cream on her nose. "Oh Bird, this isn't big. Don't you remember when your mother went on live national television to propose ending the caste system?"
Addy giggled, "That footage wasn't complete! I only saw the first part of her proposal, it cut off mid-sentence."
"You saw enough." her dad shook his head gravely. "This is only a three or four on the America scale, you're doing fine Adrienne."
Addy wiped her nose clean with a snort of laughter at her mother's expense. Then Maxon snorted at her snort. Then Addy wheezed at his snort, which triggered his wheezing, until they both sat collapsed together on the treehouse floor, paralyzed with embarrassing laughter.