"It's already night over there, what's taking so long? I thought we'd have heard from them hours ago."
"Luke, I know it's horrible but you've got to be patient. It's good that it's taking a long time. They're analyzing years of satellite imagery looking for very specific little details; you wouldn't want them to rush through and miss something important."
Luke sat at Addy's desk in her bedroom at the Palace, uncharacteristically cross. He hadn't slept well all weekend, anxiously awaiting word from German intelligence analysts about what sort of threat England was facing. He tried to hide it from the rest of the Schreaves, but his agitation was fully on display anytime he was alone with Addy.
He checked his watch for the third time that minute, annoyed that an hour hadn't passed, "Well they can't put it off much longer! Won't they need to go home for the night soon? Are we to have to wait until tomorrow?" he challenged, as if to the gods. It was 11:00 in the morning in Angeles, which meant it was 8:00 at night in the German Federation, and Luke was growing antsier with every tick of his watch.
"I'm sure they'll have analysts working the night shift, Lucas. They're not just going to clock out, not on an imminent threat like this. Try to give them the benefit of the doubt. It's not like they'll find a picture from four years ago with a bad guy in a silly rubber mask carrying a load of cartoon dynamite over the border into Swendway and the case will be closed. Give them time to figure out what happened and tell the story." Addy was finishing her makeup across the room at her vanity. Rosie's birthday party was always more of a family affair than a royal ball, so Addy had given Bridget the day off and decided to dress herself. She found that she did that a lot more on her days off, now that she'd been away to university and had lots of practice being independent.
"What do you mean? Why should they tell a story?" Luke's left leg bounced anxiously, but she had his attention.
"The German analysts have to do a good job of assessing satellite imagery, that's true, but they also have to put their findings together in a clear way. Otherwise, all of us non-experts won't know whether to accuse Swendway of building illegal weapons or not. Maybe they see a suspicious truck driving up to the earthquake site last year… they have to explain what that might mean to us. Their report has to tell the story, that way when we present it to the rest of our allies, everyone will be able to clearly understand why we need to send in neutral inspectors."
"Alright, that's fine. But I just don't understand why they can't share what they've already found with us in an update. Why wait until they're entirely done, surely they've got the gist of things by now?"
"Their specialty is making accurate, detailed, understandable intelligence reports. It would be a poor report if the summary said here's the gist, we're heading home for dinner."
Luke tilted his head back in an uncharacteristic display of impatience, "I don't care about reports or protocols or anything right now. My family is in danger, I can't stand waiting anymore. How would you feel if we were in England and there was a threat posed to Illéa Palace?"
Addy met his eyes through her mirror and gave him a look that absolutely pinned him in place, "Lucas, Dad will tell you the second that there's any news. The fact that he's not in here right now means nothing has changed and everyone's okay."
He looked mollified against his better judgement at her words, and for the first time since he'd walked into her bedroom to vent, he fell still. "I know that… I just feel like I'm not doing enough. Every waking moment I ought to be doing something, shouldn't I?"
"We're doing it right now. We're gathering intelligence to rally our allies. We've delegated the task to experts, sure, but they're still acting on our orders. Dad says this is what leading usually looks like: sitting around while experts follow your orders, then reading their reports and deciding what they should do next."
Luke knew she was right and he rubbed his hands over his face hard. "Just let me rant for a bit, won't you? I don't want to be made to feel better right now, I couldn't stand it. If I felt better, even for a heartbeat, the guilt of being safe while my family is in danger would overwhelm me."
"Okay, Luke." Addy offered him a wry but sympathetic smile through her mirror, "Feel as lousy as you want, that's your right."
"Thank you, I shall." but he grinned in spite of everything.
There was a little knock at Addy's door and then it slowly swung open to reveal the birthday girl herself. She closed the door behind her and ran to Addy, wrapping her arms around her big sister's shoulders from the side.
"What's up, Bud?" Addy asked, setting aside her makeup brush. The Schreaves had all shared breakfast in the family room that morning, so they'd already showered Rosie with birthday wishes and affection.
"You have pretty colors on your eyes." Rosie said as her greeting, studying Addy in the mirror.
Addy had chosen a smoky line of purplish-gray pigment along her upper and lower lids to bring out the color in her eyes. "Thank you."
"Mommy says I'm old enough to play with makeup sometimes, but not by my eyes yet."
"Eye makeup is tricky." Addy agreed. "It's very easy to accidentally poke your eye and hurt yourself."
Rosie frowned, understanding dawning on her, but she pushed aside her eye-safety concerns and announced the true reason for her visit, "I need to talk about something very serious."
"Okay." Addy rotated in her chair so that she was directly facing her baby sister.
"Shall I leave?" Lucas offered them privacy.
"Maybe you can help, too." Rosie supposed.
Luke nodded and folded his legs at the knee is if in very serious, adult-like consideration. "I'm ready, then."
Rosie nodded and gathered up her courage, "Okay, so, I'm six now."
"Happy birthday." Addy said for the fifth time that day.
Rosie nodded graciously and continued, "I haveta use my other hand to show how many I am. See?" Rosie held up six fingers, emphasizing the lone finger on her other hand.
"Yes, you're really getting up there." Lucas agreed. "Quite the big girl."
Rosie nodded gravely, "I don't even know what I'll do after ten when I don't have fingers anymore."
"It is a challenge." Addy agreed. "Though, people ask much less often after ten."
"They do?" Rosie had never considered this.
"My solution is to hold up one number on each hand. See?" Lucas offered, holding up his each of his pointer fingers to make an eleven. "That'll get you by to fifteen."
Rosie was surprised and grateful, "That's a good idea, Luke."
"Thank you." Luke chuckled.
"Is that all you were worried about, Rosebud?" Addy asked curiously.
"No, I was only worried about that a little. I have a lot of worries." Rosie said gravely.
"Oh, gosh." Addy tried not to smile at this grim declaration from such a cute little kid.
"See, Aunt May is having her baby real soon. After that, I'm not going to be the littlest anymore. I really need help, Addy." Rosie climbed into Addy's lap, leaving her arms around her sister's shoulders.
"What kind of help?" Addy asked, watching Rosie's little blonde brow furrow just like their father's.
"After soon, when the baby comes—"
"After… soon?" Addy clarified.
"Soon is when Aunt May is having her baby." Rosie explained impatiently, as if it was the most obvious thing in the world.
"Ah."
"And after soon, when the baby comes, I haveta make sure Aunt May and Uncle Ry and Mommy and Daddy and everyone still loves me, because I won't be little anymore."
Addy had been too young when Jamesy was born to remember being the baby of the family. For as long as she could remember, she'd been in charge of someone smaller than her. Still, she didn't scoff at Rosie's worry because she knew her little sister's anxiety about being rejected by the people she loved and relied on most was very real.
Addy pulled Rosie up onto her lap and squeezed her in a tight hug, "Rosebud, we don't love you because you're little. That's not why."
"It isn't?"
"We love you because you're kind and you're good at sharing with others. You love to play games and do activities with us. You're always welcoming to our friends, even when you first meet them. You cheer us on when we try new things, even if we aren't very good at them yet. We love you because you're our sister, and nothing will ever change that. You don't have to stay little, Rosalynn, our love for you will always be big." Addy tapped her finger gently on the tip of Rosie's nose for emphasis.
"So when the baby comes, Aunt May and Uncle Ry will still care about me?"
"Just as much as they do today."
"Mommy said they won't have time for me anymore."
"Did she?" Addy somehow doubted those were their mother's exact words. "Well, Aunt May will definitely need some time to heal, and new babies are lots of work. But you know what?"
"Hm?"
"Babies sleep a lot. It's true that if they're awake, they're usually crying, eating, or messing up their diapers—" Rosie giggled and Addy continued, "And that can be stressful and a lot of work, but what most people don't appreciate enough is just how much newborn babies sleep. After a week or two, I bet Aunt May and Uncle Ry will be ready for company and something fun to do while their new baby sleeps."
"Like games?!" Rosie squirmed eagerly. She was in an intense game phase. Once America and Maxon had taught her how to lose games graciously, and that the real point of playing games with family was to have fun, Rosie wasn't stressed out about winning all the time. Now she'd do anything, even clean her room, as long as there were rules and rewards.
"Exactly. I know Aunt May and Uncle Ryland will love playing games with you after the baby is born."
Rosie collapsed her head to the side against Addy's chest and kicked her legs back and forth a little, "I think you're right, Addy."
"I am." Addy promised. "Mommy and Daddy have had lots of babies, and I was always nervous they'd forget about me, but they never, ever did. You know what Gramma says?"
"Hm?"
"Love is not a pie. We can't run out."
Rosie's eyes widened and she nodded her head seriously, her mind wrapping around the metaphor. "I feel way better."
"Ah, at least someone appreciates my talents." Addy said with a sly look over at Luke.
"What?" Rosie didn't understand.
"Nothing. I'm just glad you're happy on your birthday."
Lenore and Xavier drove to the Palace together in Xavier's car and when they arrived, they parked where he always parked when he came to visit: through the same guards' entrance his father had used every day to come to work. Addy got word that they had arrived for the party and carried Rosie on piggyback to go greet them in the gardens.
They found their visitors on the bench by the tree castle and Rosie wiggled free to rush over and hug Lenore tightly. Addy smiled, watching her gruff friend melt before her eyes. Rosie pulled back, "Your hair lost its rings."
Lenore's braids were tied together in a larger braid that ended at the nape of her neck. Lenore reached back and touched them, remembering how her hair had been styled the year before. "That's right, Princess. What do you think?"
Rosie studied the new style thoughtfully and said, awestricken, "I never knew braids could braid! I want braid braids!" Rosie looked back at Addy, imploring.
"I'll bet Miss Bridget could think of some amazing braids within braids for your hair." Addy winked.
Rosie returned her grin to Lenore, "Thank you for coming to my birthday, Lennie."
Addy's eyes widened with horror at the impromptu nickname and braced herself for a death glare from Lenore. She knew her friend well enough by now to know that she'd never turn her ire on a little kid. But turn her ire on that little kid's big sister?
To Addy's surprise, Lenore cracked a tiny smile and said, "Did you know my mommy used to call me that?"
"Yes." Rosie pronounced.
Lenore chuckled because there was no way that could be true, "How did you know?"
"At our family, everyone's nickname has Es. Like Maisy, or Jamesy. Or me, Rosie."
Addy hid her laugh behind her hand. To Rosie, the logic was so obvious. Every nickname should end in an E.
Xavier spoke up, "My mommy and daddy always called me Xay when they wanted to shorten Xavier."
"Your name's Xav-er?" Rosie checked. She knew him mostly as 'Kile's Friend'.
"Yep."
"I will call you Xavie, okay? Okay, Lennie and Xavie?"
Xavier and Lenore looked at each other and grinned, "If the birthday girl commands it." Xavier agreed on their behalf.
Rosie returned to Addy and grabbed her hand, "Come on, I'm ready for my party dress!"
"Can you let Mommy help you put on your party dress so I can talk to my friends?"
"But—" Rosie wanted to argue that it was her birthday so Addy had to do what she asked, but she stopped herself when a better idea struck her. "Will you read me bedtime stories?"
"Yes." Addy grinned at the negotiation.
"Two?"
"Two, but they can't be chapter books. That would take hours and hours."
"Fine." Rosie shook Addy's hand, then giggled, "Bedtime's gonna be fun! Mommy and Daddy are gonna tell me the story of when I was born, so now I'm getting three stories!" and Rosie ran off as Addy realized that she'd been out-negotiated by a six-year-old.
The second they were alone, except for the guards stationed at the Palace doors, Lenore met Addy's eyes expectantly.
"You disappeared from campus this week."
"Yeah." Addy stuffed her hands in her jeans pockets, meeting Lenore's piercing gaze importantly. Addy didn't need to say more; Lenore read her expression perfectly.
Lenore turned to Xavier, "We'll be back, we're gonna walk in the gardens. Don't follow."
Xavier looked amused, but he leant in and kissed Lenore's cheek and said, "Alright then. I'm minding my own business."
Addy linked her arm with Lenore's and they hurried off to a deeper part of the gardens where Addy knew they wouldn't be overheard. She purposefully took a different turn than the one that led to the section where she'd broken up with Martin, a place she still couldn't bring herself to visit. Other than when braving that heart-stopping intersection, Addy coped pretty well with being in the gardens these days.
"I can't tell you much," Addy began, voice lowered even though they were all alone, "But it's Swendway."
"What did you find out? Did you talk to Rolph Lemex?"
"Not yet. Len, I talked to my dad. I know everything."
Lenore took a second to process this news. After a whole year of sleuthing, the mystery was finally solved but Addy couldn't even tell her what had happened.
The first question out of the gate wasn't a demand for Addy to betray state secrets. It was, "Are you sure they didn't hold anything back?"
"I'm sure."
"You found out about the act of aggression Prince Andrew told you about in May?"
"Yes."
"Why?" Lenore asked, confounded. "After all this time, all of our digging around… why didn't they just tell you last year?"
"Because things changed." Her mind hadn't stopped swirling for days, and though Addy couldn't elaborate any further, she was itching to unload everything she'd learned on someone else to help her make sense of it all. She wished more than ever that Lenore was an adviser sworn to secrecy so that she could say more. Instead, Addy just bounced on her toes.
Lenore tried to piece together what was happening based on Addy's obscure words, "Things changed? ...Recently? …When you and Prince Cheekbones disappeared from campus last week?"
"Lenore." Addy rolled her eyes at the nickname and shuffled awkwardly in place.
"Well? Was it then or not?"
"It was."
Lenore nodded and tried to put together everything she knew of the situation, "So… something changed in the middle of last week. And you and Prince Lucas had to hurry off in the dead of the night. And now you know everything." She folded her arms and shifted her weight from one foot to the other, "Will you be around when decisions are made about this in the future?"
"Yes. Now that I know, my dad doesn't have anything to hide anymore. This is a family affair from here on out."
"Do you think they'll listen to you if you have suggestions about… what to do… about it?" Lenore asked, still unsure what it was.
Addy considered this one, "Honestly, I do. My dad and King Eoan both value what I have to say when it comes to just about anything. If I disagree with them about something, I know they'll seriously weigh my argument against theirs."
Lenore looked her up and down, clearly trying to decide if Addy was being overly-naive or not. Finally she pressed her lips together, satisfied, "Good. That's all I really wanted. I can sleep at night… knowing it's you. I wouldn't trust anyone else."
Addy blushed and then laughed, "Lenore Lee, does that mean you're a monarchist now?"
Lenore scoffed, trying to be as offended as she would have been a year before, "You wish! All I'm saying is, I wish I could vote for you."
"Oh, sure. Right." Addy turned on her heel and lead the way back, "You're in love withthe monarchy. You want to marry the monarchy. You want to kiss the monarchy—" They rounded a corner and spied Xavier, at the top of the tree castle awaiting their return. He spotted them coming from far away and waved. Addy waved back with a wicked grin, "Well, speaking of kissing—"
"Shut up forever." Lenore said sourly.
"I won't ask if you don't want to tell… but if you want to tell… I'm right here." Addy gently nudged Lenore with her elbow.
Lenore said, "As far as you've told me, you've had one boyfriend. That doesn't make you an expert on boys."
"Lenore en Amore," Addy giggled, "It could be French cinema!"
Lenore glared down at Addy, at her limit, "Go be a brat somewhere else now and leave us in peace." Addy knew better than to take her sharp tone at face value, though. Xavier had grown up playing in these gardens and Lenore probably wanted to spend some time with her boy in a place that had been important to his childhood.
It was enough to make Addy's heart ache and to bring Martin back to the corners of her mind, though she tried to ignore him there. It had been almost three months since she'd walked away from him. She wondered if she'd ever be able to stop walking or if some part of him would always be following behind her.
Addy gave a friendly wave to Xavier again as she passed the tree castle and hurried off to find Aunt Marlee and lend a hand with the party decorations in the Great Room.
Rosie thrived being the center of attention and was a magnanimous birthday queen, eager to distribute ice cream cake to her loyal subjects. Maxon spun her all around the Great Room, dodging pink and gold balloons that littered the floor as they danced to music played by Gramma Magda, then America, then the radio.
On the far side of the room, Uncle James, Uncle Ry, and Uncle Gerad worked together to set up make-shift bowling lanes with soccer balls instead of bowling balls and tall, empty plastic bottles from the kitchens as pins.
Rosie bowled with Leo, Rogan, Maisy, and Lief, cheering riotously each time a mess was made in the otherwise dignified venue. Jamesy and Uncle James volunteered to serve as cleanup crew, setting the bottles back up after every turn and then rolling the soccer balls to the next contestant in line.
It occurred to Addy that Rosie had no idea about the rules or point system in bowling. The point of this game was to have fun knocking things over in the middle of a fancy room. A finite game, perhaps only because it could not go on forever, but one where there were no winners and losers. Addy knew there was a term in game theory term for this, but they hadn't covered that chapter in class yet. Could such an arrangement be reached with Swendway? Could they ever really live in a world where, if they couldn't exist as allies, they could at least be neutral with no one attempting to dominate the other?
Addy heard a familiar laugh and turned to see Astra and Aunt Kenna talking with Aunt Marlee and Uncle Carter. Kenna and James had grown to be close friends with Marlee and Carter over the years of sleepovers and playdates during which they'd raised their eldest children together. Addy wondered for the first time how long it would be until they were all one family. Over the last year, Astra and Kile had fully committed to their romantic relationship in a way they'd never done before. Their wedding was starting to seem inevitable.
Addy also spied Xavier and Lenore looking cozy on an antique sofa in the corner of the room, each sipping champagne and deep in conversation about something clearly important to the both of them. Addy wondered if Lenore had met Mrs. Avery yet. She and Xavier had been doing whatever it was that they were doing, dating officially or just casually seeing one another, for half a year now. If Lenore hadn't met Mrs. Avery yet, surely it would happen soon.
At one of the round party tables nearby, Aunt May sat poised with two fluffy pillows behind her back to help support the weight of her big, round belly. She was nearly eight months pregnant now, and America said it just wasn't fair how radiant she was. Maxon knelt on one knee next to her, his ear pressed eagerly to her stomach.
"Ames! Ames, the baby's kicking!"
America stood next to him, arms folded, clearly remembering dozens of times he'd said those words to her before. "Be careful you don't get socked in the jaw, Maxon. You'll be sore for a week."
"That happened one time, America." Maxon said, leaning back on his heel with a pout, "Maisy was an unusually strong kicker."
"You're telling me." America rubbed at her ribs, wincing at the memory as she glanced across the enormous room over to her middle child, currently helping the birthday girl aim a soccer ball at some plastic bottles for a perfect strike.
"Come on, Ames, we could have one more." Maxon joked, rising to his feet with somewhat more effort than it would have taken a man half his age.
"Absolutely not!" America laughed. "Five children is plenty."
"But Ames, the freckles. Don't you care about the freckles?" Maxon gestured to Aunt May's giggling face, sprinkled with dark brown freckles brought on by her pregnancy.
"I do not." America said, poking her husband in the side where she knew he was ticklish.
He wrapped his arms around her to stop her from starting any kind of tickle-war with him and said, "Think about it, America. Addy's going to be Queen very soon. We could have one after we retire. We could raise one all by ourselves, with no jobs to distract us. We could have one all to ourselves."
America pressed her forehead as if to hide from the implications of his words, "You were there six years ago today, barely." America reminded her husband how late he'd been to her labor. "Do I need to get Addy over here to remind you why Rosie was our last one?"
Maxon frowned his lips to the side, knowing he'd gone just a step over the line in his teasing, half-hearted demands. He'd accidentally hurt his beautiful wife's feelings. "I suppose five is a rather impressive number of heirs. Six seems like too many. Boastful." he grinned.
America peeked up at him with a smile, "I know that six years is the longest this Palace has gone without a baby since Addy bird, but May's gonna break the dry spell for us very soon. Then you'll feel better."
Uncle Ryland rubbed Aunt May's shoulder, beaming down at her with pride, love, and absolute adoration, then turned to Maxon and said, "Thanks again for your help setting up that crib."
"Think nothing of it, Ry." Maxon said, releasing one arm from America and pivoting so that he could address his brother, "There's really nothing to it, once you've done it once or twice."
America giggled, knowing full-well that the reason there was still a fully-assembled crib in the nursery off of the family room in their suite was because Maxon would never be able to put it back together again if he took it apart. She cast her husband a look from the corner of her eye that told him he wasn't fooling her, then sank into the empty chair next to Aunt May and began peppering her stomach with kisses. "Hello Baby, it's Aunt Ames again. I'm can't wait to spoil you so rotten! Will you ever want for anything? No you won't. Not one thing."
Aunt May laughed at the ticklish sensation of her big sister kissing her stomach and her belly jiggled with each laugh.
Addy wondered, at first passingly and then with dawning horror, if she would be the next pregnant woman in their family. It took everything she had just to keep up with school and her princess responsibilities. Next, she'd have to pick out a husband and then become Queen. No one had ever tried to be the ruling monarch and be pregnant at the same time before, Addy didn't know if it was even humanly possible. She was seventeen, she felt way too young, but that's exactly how old her mother had been when she'd become Queen.
Addy reminded herself that her parents had waited nearly five years into their marriage before having her. Addy could even be forgiven for waiting five years after the start of her reign, which wouldn't even begin for another couple of years. That would give her something more like seven to work with. That was plenty, right? Seven years before the people would begin to speculate about heirs, or at least speculate with any hostility that none had been produced for them yet…
"Are you okay, Bird? You look like you've seen a ghost." Uncle Aspen came up from behind her, a spare glass of punch in his hands. He offered it to her and she accepted it gratefully.
"I'm fine. I just got wrapped up in my thoughts."
"Bad thoughts?"
Addy sipped her drink and shrugged, "Queen-thoughts."
"Ah." Aspen nodded. "I don't know much about those. I know about soldier-thoughts though."
"Those are pretty similar." Addy admitted, "Lots of strategy. Lots of thinking ahead."
Aspen sighed heavily and lifted his chin towards Maxon, "He does it better than anyone I've ever seen. He leaves the job behind when the work day is over, no matter what's happening around the world, and gives his whole entire being to his family."
Addy realized Uncle Aspen thought she'd been worrying about Swendway, and had no idea that Swendway had been temporarily forced out of her mind by the dozens of other pressures she faced. "That's something I need to work on. I can't let my own worries distract me and lead Rosie to think her birthday isn't important to me."
"Compartmentalizing like that isn't a trait you're born with, at least I don't think." Uncle Aspen said. "It's a skill you practice and strengthen over time. You'll get it."
Addy gulped her juice, not so sure she ever would.
Uncle Aspen sensed her doubt and wrapped a strong arm around her, "I know you've had a long week, Bird. I can't imagine what it was like to have our complicated history with Swendway dumped on you all at once. That's too much for anyone to compartmentalize; I don't even think your dad could do it. If you ever need anything, even if it's just to talk, you just let me know."
Addy looked up at those green eyes she'd known all her life, the exact same shade as Meri's. "So you knew about Swendway this whole time?"
Uncle Aspen nodded, "I worked with your dad almost nonstop in the months before you were born to try to catch the madman that the King of Swendway had funded. Maxon used to joke that he saw me more than he saw your mom back then."
Addy shook her head, unwilling to imagine how scary it must have been. "The Palace seems so safe to me. No bad guys have ever gotten in here since I've been alive… it's just impossible to imagine." She studied her Uncle Aspen. Out of uniform and wearing a dark green sweater, he was so much less imposing than when he was fully decked out in all his medals. It was easy for Addy to forget that each one of those medals marked an impressive accomplishment or an act of great valor. "You're the reason it's unimaginable to me. My whole world would be different if you hadn't become a guard… assuming my parents had even survived the rebel massacre." Uncle Aspen looked like he wanted to shrug off her praise, but he couldn't because the words weren't really praise. They were just facts. "In a way, I guess my dad won the lottery twice. Once when mom was chosen for his Selection, and once when you were chosen to be a Palace guard."
Aspen mumbled an embarrassed response, and Addy looked around the enormous Great Room again, so many people she loved in one place. "How can you stand to be here when you barely survived a massacre in this room?"
Aspen blinked, all blushing falling away from his cheeks. "How could I not? Your dad lost his parents in here, right before his eyes." Uncle Aspen glanced to a side of the room that was currently empty and it dawned on Addy that that must have been approximately where her grandparents had been standing when they'd been shot. The Great Room had been gutted and redesigned many times since then, but those who had been here for the massacre probably knew where all the dark shadows hid.
Aspen continued, "Maxon would never give the rebels the satisfaction of stealing this space from him. He renovated and reclaimed it as soon as he could. He allowed a year out of respect for the dead, and then he and your mother hosted the Palace Christmas ball in here the very next year. If your dad could do it, what excuse do I have?"
Addy nodded, but she noticed that Aspen never once said that he wasn't haunted by it. He just said he toughed it out because her father did. "He's better at compartmentalizing than we are, though." Addy reminded him, turning to her uncle and repeating his words back to him, "If you ever need to talk, you can come to me too. I know how hard it is to do this work and not be him."
Before Aspen could even begin to come up with a reply, the doors nearest to them opened and Aunt Lucy and Meri's little brother Herri arrived. Herrick took off toward Lief, the Schreave kid who was closest to his age, and Aunt Lucy approached Addy and Aspen.
"Hello you two."
Uncle Aspen kissed her on the lips in greeting.
Addy gestured to the gift bag in Aunt Lucy's hands, "Aunt Lucy, you didn't have to bring anything! Mom's going to be mad, Rosie's got plenty of gifts—"
"Oh, this is nothing. Just a little something I sewed to keep my hands busy." Aunt Lucy winked at Addy.
"Come on." Uncle Aspen placed his hand on Aunt Lucy's back to guide her, "If we go now, we can sneak it over to the gift table while Ames is helping May stand up."
Addy turned around while Uncle Aspen hurried Aunt Lucy away, and sure enough, Aunt May was surrounded by fussy family members all rushing to help her work her way from chair to standing. "I can do it, I'm fine—" she argued, but was generally ignored.
Addy grinned at her aunt's plight in spite of herself and Aunt May caught her. She glared over at Addy and then, as if to get her revenge for Addy's mirth at her struggle, she announced, "I just need a little air. Addy will go with me, won't you Bird?"
"Of course I will!" Addy called back, not at all sorry for her punishment.
"Keep her steady Bird, she's been all wobbly lately." Uncle Ry teased.
Aunt May turned her dignified head to poke her tongue out at him and then waddled over to Addy. She was shorter than Aunt Kenna or Addy's mom, but the baby was a normal, healthy size, so Aunt May's proportions were especially out of balance.
Aunt May linked arms with Addy and they made their way out to the gardens. "I love them, but they're killing me."
"They're just excited."
"Trust me, I would much rather have this level of support than no support at all. And I was just as bad when Kenna and your mom were pregnant… I guess I just haven't left the Palace in four months and it's making me cranky. I haven't gone this long without traveling in twenty years."
"Are you bored?"
"It's hard to be bored around here. This palace has everything. I think I just miss the spontaneous little miracles that you find when you're somewhere new. New coffee shops, scenery, fashion, art… as soon as this baby is out and adjusted to the world outside, we're hitting the road." Aunt May vowed.
"You think the baby will be ready so soon?"
"We won't take him or her skiing down any ultra-dangerous, expert-level slopes strapped to our chests or anything, but a nice train ride up the west coast? A weekend at a bed and breakfast near a national forest? We can do that with a four or five-month-old."
"So that'll be in the spring, huh?" Addy quickly did the math. She'd miss having her Aunt May always around the Palace once the baby arrived. Despite the bedrest she'd been on early in her pregnancy, May had made a few public appearances for charity when her doctors allowed it. Still, she'd been officially in hiding ever since her baby bump had become undeniable, and though the press beyond the Palace walls speculated endlessly about whether or not she was finally pregnant, Aunt May had successfully managed to do what had at first seemed impossible and keep this part of her life entirely private. No paparazzi hounding her for photographs when she was at her most vulnerable, no ridiculous rumors that the baby was secretly someone else's; just a few months out of her life when energetic, constantly-moving May could sit still and prepare herself to become a mom.
"Oh, but don't worry Bird! We wouldn't miss your graduation for the world!" Aunt May misread Addy's expression. "We're going to be in the front row, gurgling and cooing you on."
Addy smiled, "I know that. I think I just wish you could take me with you once you go. I'll miss having you around all the time."
Aunt May winced, "I wish I could take you with me too, kiddo. I'd take you everywhere if I could."
It was like those words were claws, ripping down the curtains Addy hung in her mind to cover up all the traces of Martin. Her breath stuttered in her lungs. Sometimes she was okay, sometimes she wasn't okay, but the transition didn't usually happen so quickly.
Addy looked down at their feet and studied their shoes for a moment, swallowing hard, and then explained why she looked like she'd been slapped in the face, "That's what my ex-boyfriend used to say."
Aunt May squeezed Addy's arm, "It's normal to miss him. Everything you're feeling is normal and right, even all these months later. These things take time."
Addy shrugged, not sure how to explain herself, "Parties like this… he just feels so absent. I know all the reasons we broke up by heart, I repeat them to myself like a story every night, but it still seems like he should be here. I feel like something's missing, like I forgot to put on my shoes or something. And it's funny, because I have a thousand other things to worry about right now, between work and school and— " Addy glanced at Aunt May's stomach, remembering her concern about how long she had until she was expected to have a baby, "—things like that." she concluded. "But he's underneath all of that, like a heartbeat. And no matter what the problem is, he'd make it better if he was here and his absence makes it worse."
Aunt May sighed heavily and arched her back to stretch it as she looked up at the blue September sky. "I wish I had an answer for you, Bird. A magic solution that would heal your heart. Has it gotten any better with time?"
"Much." Addy admitted. "I don't miss sleep or meals anymore."
"Oh, Bird." Aunt May chuckled. "Poor baby. I'm so sorry that things didn't work out."
Addy nodded. Then she shook her head. Then she rubbed her face, hard. "How many times were you really, truly in love before you married Uncle Ry?"
Aunt May frowned and pressed her stomach where the baby was punching her. "I don't think I was. I had plenty of boyfriends, don't misunderstand, but they were mostly about… having fun. Making Gramma Magda use swear words." Addy giggled. "Ry was not the same type of boy I'd dated before."
"How did you meet?" Addy asked, curiously. "How did you find him in the sea of Palace guards here?"
Aunt May's glanced out in the direction of the forest and said simply, "He saved us from rebels."
"Wow."
"That's how he became one of the youngest personal guards to the royal family in history."
"So your feelings were different for Uncle Ry? You knew right away?"
"I was attracted to him, just like the other boys I'd dated. But I guess what I really enjoyed about my other flings was the recklessness. I never wanted them to go on too long, I was happy to end them and move on to the next exciting thing."
"Skateboarders, pop stars, actors, athletes…" Addy listed, grinning at her aunt.
"Yep. But what I felt for Ry was like… like something delicate, something I wanted to hold tight to my chest and protect forever. Not that my feelings for him weren't as strong or needed protecting… what am I trying to say?" Aunt May faltered.
"They were precious to you." Addy could see it plain as day on her aunt's face.
"Exactly!"
Addy's next words were thoughts she kept buried so deep inside that when she spoke them now, a distant whisper was all that made it up to her mouth. "That's exactly how I felt about Martin. I tried everything I could think of to protect our relationship but I failed. And how can I be selfish enough to expect to feel that way twice in a lifetime? And even if I did, who's to say I'd be any better at protecting that relationship? I think Martin was my only chance, and I just wasn't good enough to hold on to him…"
"Oh Addy," Aunt May breathed her name in a sigh, "No no no, sweet girl. You did the bravest thing by letting Martin go. It hurt so bad, but you did it anyway because you knew it was right. What if you'd married him?"
"It wouldn't have worked." Addy admitted. "But if I couldn't make that work, and our love was so good and strong, how can I make anything work? I'm doomed."
Aunt May grasped Addy's cheeks between her hands gently and said, "Don't write yourself off like that yet, it's not fair. There are no rules when it comes to this kind of thing, and you're certainly allowed more than one single chance to get it right." Aunt May lowered her hands and rubbed the spot between Addy's shoulders soothingly.
Addy's parents had tried to talk to her about her breakup, but it was hard to talk to her parents about romance and it always felt strained because Martin had been the one to convince her to run away. She'd spoken with Astra a little, because Astra had had two very impressive breakups; once with Kile and once with Andrew. But Astra had gone back to her first love in the end, and that wasn't an option for Addy if she wanted to be Queen.
Some part of Addy had been desperate to speak these dark and secret fears to someone who would actually understand them, but it had never occurred to her before that, of course, her Aunt May was the perfect person.
Emboldened by this realization, Addy finally confessed her quietest defeat to someone who might hear her words and recognize them, "I miss who I was when I was with him. I miss who I was before I ever met him. I don't feel stronger for surviving this breakup, I just feel broken."
Aunt May hugged her tight, rotating her hips so that her belly wouldn't get in the way of their embrace. "Honey, those old versions of you are still in there, I promise. The person you were with him, the person you were before… every version of yourself who has ever existed is inside, even if they've gone to sleep for a while. The little pigtailed princess who had to be dragged away from learning her letters for playtime. The preteen who became alarmingly obsessed with a certain television show about a teenaged martial artist/monster hunter—"
"We agreed we'd never talk about that again!" Addy blushed, cringing.
Aunt May laughed, then pulled back and tucked Addy's hair behind her ear, "Every life you've led up until now is still in there." she tapped Addy's chest. "I know you might not be able to feel them right now, but you are still the sum of your parts. And if you ever need them, they'll still be there, like a team of heroes swooping in to save the day."
Addy shook her head at her aunt's certainty. "How do you know?"
"Because I've lived it! I've been the daughter of a poor artist from a small town, I've been the charming younger sister of the Queen, I've been a glamorous socialite thriving on red carpet runways and paparazzi ambushes. Now, I'm going to be a mom and that's a whole new chapter of my life to look forward to. But all the girls I've ever been are still a part of me, and when I need them for whatever reason, they'll be there. Addy, all of these experiences are making you more, not less. I know you can't see it yet, and I know it hurts, but a painless life is just about the only thing we could never promise you. And you have to admit, a painless life would be a little boring, wouldn't it?"
Addy sniffled but she smiled, "Boring sounds pretty good right about now."
Aunt May giggled and pressed a kiss to Addy's cheek. "You'll get more chances for love, I promise you that."
"Yeah, I'll get thirty-five chances soon." Addy groaned.
"Why do you say that like it's a bad thing?" Aunt May winked, "What I would have done if I could have dated thirty-five boys at once in my day…"
"Aunt May!" Addy had no idea where her Aunt's mind had gone, but she didn't want to follow it.
"Mostly tortured your mom and Gramma." she snickered.
From behind them, the doors leading into the Palace swung open and Rosie emerged, riding on Luke's shoulders. He carried her over at her command as behind them, more partygoers emerged.
"Luke?" Addy laughed.
"I'm Rosie's loyal steed." Lucas admitted.
Aunt May grinned, "I don't know that this conforms to royal protocol at all. I like it."
Luke chuckled.
Rosie pointed her finger in the direction of the stables, "We're gonna do pony rides next. Will you ride with me? Mommy says I need a grown up until I'm ten." She rolled her brown eyes at this overprotectiveness.
"Okay, sure. Let's go see how Valkyrie is doing." Addy agreed, naming Rosie's favorite horse.
"Giddy up!" Rosie exclaimed to Luke, tapping her heels against his chest.
Aunt May laughed as the pair hurried to catch up to Maxon, leading the way to the stables. Addy took a step forward, but Aunt May pivoted back to the Palace. "Bathroom break. I'll catch up soon. But Addy?"
Addy paused and turned back.
"Remember what I said. I know you were lucky to find what you had with Martin, but you weren't that lucky. You weren't once-in-a-lifetime lucky. Martin's special, but he's not singular. You're going to love again. If you've ever believed me about anything in the world, believe me about that."
"Okay." Addy bit at her lip. Though she felt no less sad, for the first time she also felt the unbidden flutter of something feathery taking wing in her heart. It stirred for just a moment, just long enough for her to recognize it, and then it fell still again.
Hope.
Addy waved her aunt off, and the gesture caught America's attention.
"What's going on?" America called as she crossed over to them.
"Aunt May has a baby on her bladder." Addy shrugged.
"Let me go with you." America hurried after her little sister.
"Ames, I can pee alone." Aunt May sniped, exhausted from nine months of smothering.
"I know, I helped potty train you. Just let me spend some time with my favorite little sister, okay?"
"Peeing is the activity I'm best at right now, aside from eating. I don't need a babysitter." The sisters continued their bickering until the Palace doors closed behind them and Addy couldn't hear them anymore.
After dinner and family time, after Rosie got to take a bubble bath using Mommy's special bath bubbles, and after she got one last sneaky bite of cake from Daddy, Addy reported for bedtime story duty in Rosie's bedroom.
Her parents were just finishing up the story of Rosie's birth, and Rosie was eagerly soaking up every word, the photo album resting on her lap provided by their father to illustrate. Rosie's hair was in braided blonde pigtails and she wore a brand new nightdress, the gift Aunt Lucy had snuck in for her. Soft blankets covered her little legs to give the illusion of being tucked in for the night, but Rosie was clearly worked up after the excitement of her story.
"Addy!" Rosie called as Adrienne appeared in her doorway. "Did you know I supposed to be born in October?"
"I certainly did." Addy giggled, leaning against the doorframe and folding her arms. "Jamesy and Maisy thought it would be very fun if you were born late, so we could have a Halloween-sibling."
"I should have another birthday party on my supposed-to birthday." Rosie mused.
"I don't think so." America laughed, tickling a finger under Rosie's chin. Rosie rewarded her with the kind of laugh that could bring about world peace.
"Addy, look!" Rosie waved her big sister over with one hand and held up a paper outline of a map of Illéa that she'd been studying with Miss Alvaraz. "When Mommy started having me, Daddy was here." Rosie pointed to Labrador. "And he had to fly all the way to us, here." She pointed to Illéa. "And that takes hours."
"Daddy almost didn't make it in time." Addy nodded.
"Mommy said you held her hand and helped her feel brave." Rosie reported.
Addy shared a smile with her mother, both remembering that harrowing time, "That's true."
"Were you scared too or just brave?" Rosie asked curiously.
"I was scared and brave." Addy admitted. "No one knew if you would be healthy after you were born, because you were supposed to stay in Mommy's tummy for so much longer. Mommy wanted to worry about that while she was having you, but it was too much stress. So, my worry for you and Mommy got stronger than how scared I was, and that's how I became brave. I stayed with Mommy all the way until Aunt Kenna and Gramma could get to the Palace from the beach where they were playing with Astra, Leo, and Rogan."
"That was hours, too." Rosie said, remembering that part of the story. Her Aunt Kenna's cheeks were all red in the photos of her holding tiny newborn Rosie because she was sunburned.
"It felt like a hundred hours." Addy perched on Rosie's bed between her mother and father.
America squeezed Addy's hand softly, "Even though Addy was only eleven, which sounds old to you now but is actually very young, she was amazing that day. After Gramma and Aunt Kenna got to the hospital wing, she went to keep Lief, Maisy, and Jamesy from being scared."
"That's why she got to be the number four person to ever hold me!" Rosie cheered. "Doctor, Daddy, Mommy, Addy." She counted off on her fingers.
"And that's why you're one of my two most favorite little sisters." Addy winked.
Rosie giggled, then realized that Addy only had two little sisters and said, "Hey!"
Maxon chuckled, "Yes, Little Rosebud, you had a very exciting entrance into this world, just like all of your mother's children."
"Hey," America leaned past Addy and poked Maxon hard, "Don't make me kick you again." she threatened idly.
"I wonder why I decided to be born so soon… I can't remember." Rosie traced a finger over a photo of Addy standing next to America's bedside, proudly holding her tiny baby sister in her arms for the first time, America's arm wrapped around Addy's lower back.
America swallowed hard and turned back to Rosie, "It's a complete mystery. The doctors said if you had been born even a week earlier, it might have been too soon and you would have had to use special, emergency machines to breathe and eat until you got stronger."
"Wow. Good thing my birthday is not last week." Rosie declared.
"Very good." Addy agreed.
Rosie flipped through the pictures from her birth one more time. "Daddy, say what's this one." Rosie pointed to a photograph of America holding tiny baby Rosie on the steps of the Palace, with Maxon's hand wrapped protectively around her.
"That's when we presented you to the people the morning after you were born, my love." Maxon smiled. "It's a tradition that all the King and Queen's babies get presented just like that. The people gather at the front gates and cheer and wave, and they get their first peek at their brand new prince or princess."
"I was one in that picture?" Rosie double-checked.
"One day." America corrected.
"Right." Rosie said, unbothered by the difference between one day old and one year old.
"The people were just as surprised as we were that you were born so early." America said. "When they saw that you were okay, they were extremely happy."
"Look Buddy." Addy pointed to another photo on the same page of the album. "That's your baby shower. Normally, those are for before the baby is born. Mommies and Daddies get presents to help them get ready for when the new baby comes. You were already born for your baby shower."
Rosie looked very serious as she said, "Addy, I hate showers. Did they make me have a shower? Baths are much less scary."
"No, there's no real shower." Addy replied while their parents laughed. "That's just the name of it. Maybe because it's a shower of presents, not water."
"Hmm." Rosie still looked mildly concerned.
"You don't think you're old enough to try showers yet, Rosalynn?" America asked.
"No. I think when I'm eight. Maisy said that's when showers aren't scary anymore."
"What's frightening about them, Lovely?" Maxon asked, unable to imagine showers from Rosie's perspective.
Rosie closed the photo album carefully and leant forward, tone lowered dramatically, "Know the top part that spits out the water? The water looks like a big spider with lots of long legs." she cringed.
"Ah." Maxon said, as if this explained everything when, in actuality, he could not begin to imagine it.
Addy stood up and browsed Rosie's bookshelf for bedtime stories, "What will it be, Bud-a-roo?"
"Tiger family! And… fairy princess!" she described her favorite bedtime stories and Addy picked out the corresponding books.
"Two stories? You are a very lucky birthday girl." America smiled, leaning down and pressing a long kiss to Rosie's forehead as she collected the photo album. "Goodnight, my baby. I love you."
"I love you too, Mommy."
America stood so that Maxon would have room. He leant all the way over and pelted Rosie's cheeks with a dozen kisses. "Goodnight sweet Rosie. I love you so much."
"I love you too, Daddy."
"Happy birthday." America said one more time as she and Maxon headed for the door.
"Happy dreams." Maxon added, closing the door behind them.
Rosie wiggled down under her blanket happily, "I love my birthday story. It's like a book but it's all about me."
"Birthday stories are fun, huh?" Addy agreed, turning off the overhead light and climbing into bed with Rosie, then clicking on the dim bedside lamp. "Tiger family first?"
"Yes."
"Okay. Once upon a time…" Addy began, flipping open the brightly illustrated picture book, "There lived a happy family of tigers. A momma, a daddy, and a baby."
Rosie rolled onto her tummy and said, "Can you rub my back?"
"You don't want to see the pictures?"
Rosie yawned widely in response. Addy figured she'd been awake since sunrise, and had played right through nap time, so a bedtime crash was to be expected.
Addy gently rubbed circles on Rosie's back as she continued the story of the tiger family. After the last page, as the tigers made it home in time for supper, Addy very quietly asked if Rosie wanted to hear the second story. Rosie mumbled back her ascent, so Addy continued on to the story of a young fairy princess learning to use her magic for the first time. Halfway through, Rosie's breathing seemed slow and steady enough for Addy to click off the lamp and sneak away. She pressed a gentle kiss to Rosie's hair as she did and then tiptoed out to the hallway.
"Ah." Maxon was rounding the corner as Addy's eyes adjusted to the bright hallway light. "She's down?"
"Yes."
"Good. Get Lucas, the Germans are on the telephone."
Addy all but ran.
Addy and Luke peered down at the blurry satellite photograph, hastily printed for them by a junior adviser. Maxon scrutinized it from over Addy's shoulder, and America paced on the other side of her husband's office. A lightly-accented female voice spoke to them through a speaker on Maxon's desk, connected to his telephone, "There are about a dozen more like this, your Majesty. All the same."
"Your experts are in agreement, your Excellency?" Maxon scratched his chin.
"Yes, they are prepared to recommend immediate investigation." The Chancellor of the German Federation declared.
"Your Excellency, this is Princess Adrienne. The image we are looking at is quite blurry. Do higher-quality copies exist? Will our allies require them for their experts to review and make recommendations?"
"Your Highness, I am told that the type of vehicle used, the fact that the crossing point from the Russian Federation to Swendway is always the same, and the timing of those crossings are all indication enough that an investigation is warranted."
"I see." Addy said, supposing this was why experts existed. To her, the image looked like when she tried to see through her dad's glasses.
Maxon agreed, "If Swendway conducted a nuclear weapons test, they had to get the nuclear materials from somewhere. This is suspicious enough, combined with the earthquake, to merit an international inquiry."
"The full analysis will be with you by morning, your time. I've sent another copy to London."
"Good. Always one step ahead, Wilhelmina." Maxon turned away from the image and took a seat at his desk. "I'll begin phoning allies as timezones permit. I would suggest preparing your experts to send out the report in its entirety to most of the world by Wednesday. I'm sure that translations provided for smaller governments would be appreciated."
"Of course. And shall we start with Italy and France?" The Chancellor asked, knowing those were some of Illéa's closest allies.
"Actually, let's start with Scotland, Ireland, and Wales."
"A good thought." The Chancellor agreed.
Addy didn't know why she hadn't thought of it before. Scotland was just as vulnerable as England, and Scotland, Ireland, and Wales were England's closest allies outside of Illéa.
Maxon rubbed his face hard, "Let's move quietly on this, of course. We don't know the extent of the Russian's involvement in this yet. We don't want to spook them."
"Naturally. Let's have another call in 24-hours to update one another."
"Agreed. Thank you for your help, your Excellency."
"Auf wiedersehen, Maxon."
Maxon pressed several buttons on his phone, then turned to Lucas, "Would you like to lead the call with your father? I know he'd appreciate hearing this from you."
Lucas gulped, but he nodded and handed the satellite imagery over to Addy before rounding the desk and dialing the only telephone number that he knew by heart: the one that called home.
It only rang once, English and Illéan advisers had clearly been in contact with one another to prepare the English King for the call.
"I'll have you Illéans know it's four in the morning." Andrew's groggy voice teased by way of greeting.
"Blame the Germans." Luke teased back.
"Hold on, hold on." Eoan's voice grew closer to the speaker. "That's not how things are done, Andrew. Maxon, are you there?"
"Of course." Maxon chuckled at his friend's consternation.
"How was little Rosalynn's birthday? Did she have fun?"
"It was excellent, Eoan, we hope you'll make it next year."
"What a delightful thought. And Luke, how are you faring, son?"
"I'm alright, Dad, but I'll be better once we figure this out."
"I know. Okay, Andrew, carry on."
"We don't have to be nice to them, Dad, they're basically family. I mean, I know Luke's adopted, but still—" Andrew's voice joked.
"I'm not adopted, you cretin." Luke muttered.
"Adopted or not, we've got Luke as a hostage, so you might want to be a little nice." Addy jabbed.
Andrew laughed. Maxon shrugged as if to say that there was no hope for the next generation.
Luke rubbed his face to fight a smile. "Well, the German analysts are pretty sure they've found at least a dozen instances of sufficiently suspicious activity at the border between the Russian Federation and Swendway. It's enough to recommend an investigation at any rate."
Andy let out a long sigh, "I see. King Maxon, what happens next?"
"I'll be phoning our allies over the next couple of days, and the Germans will be sending out copies of the full report. From there, we need to give them all time to allow their experts to review the evidence and come to their own conclusions."
"Do you think they'll stand with us?"
"I do. At least, at first." Maxon stretched his arms behind his head and loosened his tie. "The first steps are very simple. Assess the data, decide if there should be an investigation, join your allies in deputizing a non-biased third-party investigatory team to go in and survey the site of the earthquake. There's no risk to doing any of that. It's what comes after calling for the investigation that's the problem."
"What comes after?" Lucas asked, hanging on Maxon's every word.
"If Swendway is guilty of testing a nuclear weapon, they're probably not going to accept foreign investigators. It would be like committing a murder and then inviting the police over for a cup of tea. And of course, we can't send any investigators across the sovereign Swendish border without permission, that would be an invasion."
Addy could see it all laid out before them like a game: they move to investigate, Swendway blocks them, they have to either invade or let Swendway run rampant— "What's the point of having such a deadly weapon if you're going to keep it a secret? Surely you'd want the world to know that you have it and fear that you'd use it…" Addy couldn't figure it out.
"Unless the test failed…" America spoke up from the other side of the room where she'd been walking a hole into Maxon's rug.
Eoan spoke up from across the world, "Thorvald has a lot to lose by using such a weapon and a lot to gain by leveraging the fact that he has one. Princess Adrienne is right, I would expect Thorvald to stall as long as possible while he puts together some sort of announcement."
Luke frowned and folded his arms, "In the mean time, we've got a coronation in ten weeks. Kings, queens, and other leaders from all every country on earth will descend on London, and Thorvald will be waiting with the threat of a bombing. He could kill us all and throw the whole world into chaos with the push of a button."
The silence was deafening.
The first person to offer a solution was Andrew, "We should postpone."
"Absolutely not." Maxon said as Eoan responded, "That would be unthinkable."
America pulled up a chair to the side of Maxon's desk and said simply, "Swendway does not get to govern English affairs of state."
The room fell silent again. She was right in principle, but Addy wasn't sure that their lives were worth sacrificing for principle.
"We'll tell world leaders to leave an heir at home. They should be doing so anyway." Maxon said grimly.
Addy looked up from her lap as if being shocked by touching something metal on a particularly dry day, "Invite him."
For a second, all Addy heard was the crackle of the speaker connected to her father's phone. Her parents and Lucas gaped at her like she'd twisted off her own head and started juggling it to circus music.
Addy explained, "King Thorvald hasn't left Swendway in my entire lifetime."
"For good reason." America reminded her. "House arrest is a lenient punishment for what he did."
"It stands to reason that he'd be very tempted by the invitation. And if he's at Andrew's coronation, he won't blow it up." There was a long pause as the others tried to poke a hole in her logic and failed, "We should just invite him." Addy concluded.
"Adrienne may be right. Responding militarily should be plan Zed; diplomatic overtures should be plans A through Y." King Eoan agreed.
"I don't want that lunatic at my coronation." Andrew said for good measure.
"You prefer the option where we're all sitting ducks for an attack?" Lucas challenged. Apparently, he agreed with Addy.
Addy spoke up before the brothers could escalate into an argument, "We could use this to our advantage. King Thorvald would be lured in by the pomp and circumstance, the likes of which he hasn't been able to enjoy since my parents' wedding. If he's planning to continue developing horrific weapons for use on other nations, it will be much easier to deal with him on English soil than on Swendish."
"Are you suggesting imprisoning or assassinating him?" Eoan pressed her, his tone of voice severe even through the telephone.
"If the alternative was watching you and your family die in a nightmarish bombing?" Addy asked. "Wouldn't you at least consider it?"
Eoan took a moment to collect his thoughts, "To strike first would make us the aggressors. That's not what England stands for. We are a peaceful nation now, I could never be the one to instigate such an attack."
Maxon glowered, his voice low, "I could be the one to instigate, and I wouldn't hesitate."
"Maxon, you're not allowed to assassinate sovereign leaders on English soil. I can't believe I have to tell you that." Eoan chided.
"He has it coming." Maxon insisted.
"See, this is why inviting him might not work—" Eoan bickered.
"No one's assassinating anyone." Addy intervened, just as she had between Luke and Andy. "King Eoan, you should invite King Thorvald to the coronation to prevent him from blowing up all of our allies in one swoop. If you can get him to do that, I'll put a leash on my father."
"Adrienne—" Maxon reproached, not fond of the metaphor.
"No Dad, this isn't about what he did eighteen years ago anymore. This is about the weapon he has now. We have to move forward or we're not going to be able to move anywhere at all." Addy firmly insisted.
The room fell quiet again, and this time the silence was broken by King Eoan's chuckle. "She's ready, Maxon."
Maxon still held Addy in place with his stare as he replied sardonically, "I know."
Addy wasn't sure what they meant, so she kept her mouth closed.
Andrew was the next to speak up, "I'll talk it over with the advisers. And most importantly, Mother and the Coronation Committee have final say. They're the ones who'd have to find somewhere to seat the bastard."
"That's fair enough." Maxon declared. "We'll be in touch soon."
"I'm going to call and pester Luke when it's four in the morning your time. Just for revenge." Andrew threatened idly as his way of signing off.
"Like I'm sleeping these days." Luke mumbled back.
"Good night your Majesties. Your Highness." Eoan intervened in his sons' squabble as he had done countless times while they were growing up.
"Have a good day, Eoan." Maxon replied, pressing the button that ended their connection.
Maxon leant back in his chair and heaved a sigh, "Well… it's no worse than we thought."
"It's no better either." America grumbled.
Maxon smiled over at her sympathetically, "Adrienne, your mother is grumpy because I usually lavish her with gifts and treats on our children's birthdays as a way of thanking her for delivering them to me."
America glared at him, "I'm grumpy because we should have killed Thorvald a long, long time ago. Then we wouldn't be having this problem."
Maxon shook his head sadly, "We'd have a world of other problems, Love."
America stood and reached out for his hand, "Addy was right, re-litigating the past won't solve anything for us now. But I can't promise I won't rip his throat out when I see him. I owe him that and more."
Maxon stood and squeezed her hand, turning to Addy, "Too many action movies for your mother, Love. She's gotten very violent ideas over the years."
Addy and Luke followed Maxon and America out of the office and off toward the third floor.
"Do you feel any better now?" Addy asked softly, when her parents were far enough down the hall, and deep enough in their own conversation, not to overhear.
"I doubt I'll ever feel better again." Luke admitted. "I thought weapons like this were relics of the past. Fables. The idea of them being turned on my mother and father and brother…"
Addy shoved her hands in her pockets and nodded, "I can't un-invent them for you. But we can make sure that the materials used to make them never fall into the wrong hands again. And we can find a way to make sure Thorvald never uses them again."
Luke looked down at her and said, "I'm worried we're not thinking enough moves ahead on this."
Addy thought back to the money game they'd played in their game theory class, "We can't play too far ahead, either. Inviting Thorvald to the coronation would be a surprising move, I don't think he would have that one factored into his strategy. He doesn't know us, he can't have accounted for us."
Luke stared off down the hallway, "Maybe your mum is right. Maybe ripping out his throat is the only way to make sure he can't hurt us. If we hesitate and he pulls the trigger on London, we won't be able to live with ourselves…assuming we're alive at all."
Addy didn't like his thousand-yard-stare, didn't like the images he must have been conjuring in his mind. She squeezed his hand, "I have no intention of making you king."
He blinked, the fog clearing from his vision, then looked down at her, "I know that. Only, what if we're all wrong?"
"If we assassinate Thorvald, his heir would have no choice but to declare war on us. A war Swendway would have no chance of winning. If we assassinate Thorvald, many, many people will die before Swendway surrenders. We don't get to sentence them to death just so we don't have to worry as much." Addy insisted, but she kept her tone very kind.
"Agh." Luke shook his head at her words. "Stop being so damn right all the time."
"I can't. I'm physically incapable of being wrong." Addy joked, loftily tossing her red hair over her shoulder and continuing her way down the hall.
Luke watched her go for a just a moment, shaking the cobwebs of fear from his eyes, then hurried off to remind her, "Oh, really? You thought the clouds were scoops of vanilla ice cream when you were four."
"Prove to me they're not." Addy laughed.
"I… well, the water cycle—" Luke stammered, then exclaimed, "Prove to me they are!"
"Dark clouds are chocolate ice cream."
"Addy, no!"
The relief of hearing her friend laugh after the week they'd had was all she needed to egg her on, "When it's sunset and the clouds turn pink… cherry ice cream."
Luke gave in since he couldn't dissuade her, "And when they're golden at sunrise?"
"Lemon ice cream." Addy said as if sharing ancient wisdom with him.
"At night when it's all black?"
"Licorice, and the stars are sprinkles, and the moon is a cookie! And… let's go to the kitchens and get some leftover ice cream cake."
"Yes." he didn't have to be asked twice. They turned on their heels and headed off down the nearest staircase.