Chapter 12

After the rain lightened up, they dressed and waited for a car to arrive to take them back to the palace. The first strange thing Alex noticed was that Ivan chose to sit up front with the driver and left her to sit in the back alone. Perhaps it was necessary in case the driver needed directions... to a place they had driven to before countless times.

When they returned to the palace, he showed her to her room but didn't step a foot inside. As soon as the door was open, he bid her goodnight then quickly turned on his heel and left. She felt a little down but again, thought of a way to justify his behavior. It was late night, almost early morning, and maybe he still had work to do. She didn't give it a second thought as she prepared for bed. But as she lay down to get whatever sleep she could, a small seed of doubt started to settle in her mind.

She awoke the next morning at her usual time but Ivan wasn't there to greet her. She excused it as she had woken up earlier than usual. She picked out an outfit and headed to the washroom. Her mind was filled with excitement for the day ahead. No matter what chore it was, she could gladly bear it if he kept her company. When she stepped out fully prepared, she found Medina waiting for her.

"Good morning, Miss Alex."

"Good morning, Medina. So is Ivan running late?"

Medina gave her an almost outraged look of disbelief. The man was as reliable as clockwork and he was never late.

"Of course not, Ma'am. Ivan is fulfilling his other duties so I'll be attending to you in his place."

Alex smiled to hide her disappointment and that at least she had been right about yesterday. He wasn't brushing her off, he was just busy. Certainly that was it.

"Oh… That's great. So what are we doing today?"

Medina pulled a small notecard from her pocket. Her instructions hadn't come from Ivan, but from a higher authority.

"Today, the princes will be giving speeches. It's where they ask the public to support them, should they ascend to the throne."

"I get it," nodded Alex. "It's like a campaign speech or that kind of thing?"

"Yes, Ma'am. The speeches aren't until later toward the afternoon. In the meantime, you have a meeting with one of the ministers. If you're ready, I can escort you to the meeting place."

Alex took a moment to grab a pen and notepad from the desk. She hoped her situation could be helped by taking notes. It hadn't benefited her tremendously but it hadn't hurt her either. Whatever incremental progress they helped her achieve was far better than none.

From the moment they stepped out into the open air, it was evident that today was a big event. This was one of the few times that any part of the palace was open to the public. Chairs were set up on the palace lawn, surrounding a platform and podium. The servants scurried about as they made preparations. Court members were finely dressed and walked in rushed groups from here to there with last minute tasks of their own. The palace guards weren't just a ghostly presence anymore either. Uniformed men and women stood visibly armed at every entrance and exit as they silently watched everyone come and go.

She followed Medina to a part of the palace that she had never visited before. The building sat apart from every other structure and the far walk made it feel lonesome. Even comparing the bright splendor that surrounded it made its neglect all the more obvious. Its brick facade had been tarnished by age, the porcelain mosaic above its doors had been shattered, and its windows appeared layered with grime even from the outside. Its colorful and unkempt state was terrifying.

They entered the building and she looked around anxiously. It was cluttered with carved columns, mural painted walls, expensive rugs and tapestries, potted plants, and colorful bouquets. She immediately understood that this was what it meant to have money without taste.

"Medina, just a quick question about this minister I'm supposed to be meeting. Who is it?"

"She's a Minister of State," she answered as if that alone were enough of an answer. "Please wait here while I announce you."

She was brought to another drawing room where a table and cushioned chairs had been set aside. As soon as she sat down, a gentleman rushed over and began to attend to her. He pushed in her seat, spread a napkin across her lap, and poured a glass of water. Then he resumed his silent post off to the side. She was not to be served food until the minister joined her.

She took a sip of water and looked around. This room was decorated the same as the rest of the building, elaborate and overdone. Her eyes were drawn to a large state portrait that hung on the wall. There were many of these in the main palace and she had learned to recognize those of King Tamir and his predecessors. This one felt very different.

The atmosphere within it wasn't austere or serene like most of the royal portraits. It wasn't a still moment captured in time with a faint smile or thoughtful look. This one was alive; chaotic and malevolent. The subject in the painting was a black woman with her afro hair spread behind her like storm clouds that filled the canvas. On her unblemished face was a confident smile and deep in her eyes, a dark sense of tranquility. Emptiness radiated from her gaze. It was an unsettling expression absolute assurance.

"I'm sorry to have kept you waiting," came a voice behind her.

Alex let out an audible gasp and causing her to nearly jump out of her skin. She turned her attention to this new person and started to excuse herself but stopped mid-way. She looked at the woman in front of her and looked over her shoulder to the painting again. As her eyes went back and forth, her jaw dropped. There was more than just a passing similarity.

"That painting is of my grandmother," she explained.

"You two really-"

"Yes, I'm aware of the resemblance." She cut her off in a commanding voice that was short on patience. "I've been told many times."

"I'm sorry."

"There's no need to apologize. She was a capable and admirable woman who came near to ruling the kingdom in her own right."

The minister took a seat and their ceremonial meal began. Servants came forth with trays food, drinks, plates and silverware. Alex sized up the woman in front of her. She was dressed in a dark blue abaya with silver hemming and covered her hair with brightly colored hijab. Her immaculately done makeup and finely jeweled accessories gave off no aura of asceticism.

Alex looked again at the portrait. She hadn't noticed much else at first aside from her face. It was painted in such a way that it was hard for her eyes to wander. But having been given permission in a way, she noticed more.

The woman's clothes were so lavish that realism was hard to capture. The reason it seemed to move was from the glares of light that shined off of her gown. Although simple in its design, there was no modesty to it. The dress was dark red, trimmed in black lace and golden thread. Its collar and corset were both hemmed with rubies. On her head was a tall crown. It was covered in so many smaller jewels; rubies, diamonds, and pearls, that its base was impossible to see. On her fingers were matching jeweled rings and on her wrist was the bracelet.

A wide golden bangle covered in pearls, rubies, and emeralds, it was unmistakably the same one Alex wore now. This was the first time she had seen anything that contested her thoughts that it was just a thoughtless trinket from his majesty. For her to see it on the arm of such a seemingly mythical woman now made it an artifact whose power should be feared.

"Pardon me for not meeting with you until now. I'm sure you understand as we've both had our separate duties to attend to."

"Yes, of course."

She smiled nervously. The woman was polite but she couldn't let herself feel at ease. The atmosphere seemed poised for some strike. She wondered if she would try to win her over like Prince Jun, or if she would use force like Minister Balam.

"I am Jahara. I'm an adviser to his majesty on matters that might threaten him or the royal family. Do you understand why I've summoned you here?"

"You think I might be a threat," she asked accusingly.

"I don't think anything," she answered. "My job is to know. So why don't you tell me. First, why did you come to this country?"

Alex swallowed hard and sat back in her chair. Now she thought she understood at least a little of what was happening. This wasn't just a harmless invitation to morning tea, this was an interrogation. Between these four walls, she was no longer an important guest of his majesty. She had become a suspect and was being treated as such. She sat up straight and breathed deep to calm her nerves. No matter what this woman or any other person thought of her, she knew she hadn't done anything wrong. At least not on purpose.

"I came here on vacation. I chose it only because of the mall, the Citadel. My original plan was to just spend a few days shopping and sight-seeing and then go home."

"That's a rather simple plan. The complexity of the current situation you've found yourself in must be hard on you."

Despite her words, her tone of voice held no sympathy. Alex was immediately reminded of the way Jun mocked her.

"I'm doing the best I can," she said defensively.

She averted her eyes and pretended to clear her throat. She had to remember to be calm, there was no telling what would the punishment would be if she acted suspicious. Last time something like this happened, when she first got the bracelet and was almost forced to pick a prince, Ivan had been the one to save her. But he wasn't here now and she had to save herself the best she could.

"It's an important job that his majesty gave to me. I don't want to take it lightly. I want to not disappoint him."

Jahara remained emotionless. Her actions were nothing more than as if she were eating breakfast with an acquaintance. But her eyes stayed watching Alex.

"Why," she asked. "Do you have some vested interest in the crown? Or a romantic interest in the royal family? What motivates you, a complete stranger, to care about something trivial?"

"It's nothing like that," she waved off the idea that she would be in love with the king or the princes. Even though it was true that she had been told that it was okay to except bribes and favors, it didn't feel right.

"Really, I didn't want to do this kind of thing at all. But I was told it's either this or I'd be executed for stealing. But I didn't steal the bracelet!"

"That I do know," she said, giving her a small nod. "Right now, it doesn't matter how you got the bracelet but what you will do with it. You said you didn't want this responsibility. Why didn't you exchange it for a pardon? I'm sure you've been given plenty of offers. Are you holding out for something more?"

Alex stayed silent. Even though she was telling the truth, this investigation was starting to make her doubt herself. No one had told her she could trade it for her safety but now that she heard it outright, it seemed something that should've been obvious to her from the beginning. That she had passed up opportunities to pawn it off for asylum and a plane ticket home did make her seem suspicious.

"I was told about that," she admitted, thinking back to her talk with Princess Aiko. "I haven't put much thought to it but I'd feel guilty if I just sold out an entire country of people for money. I have no interest in becoming a queen or princess or whatever either. I just want to do right by the people that depend on me. Which I guess, thanks to this," she said holding up the bracelet, "kind of means everyone here. I don't want to screw up and be too hasty."

Jahara stared at her long and hard. Alex stared back with a straight face but was honestly expecting to be called an 'idiot with a savior-complex', words that would be right at home coming from Jun's mouth. They finished their meal in silence. It was only after the servants had cleared the table that she finally spoke again.

"Wait for me outside. I will go with you to hear the speeches."

Alex left in confusion. As soon as the door clicked behind her exit, a panel of wall opened up and a man stepped out from the shadows. He wasn't tall but he was broadly built and filled out every inch of the military suit he wore. It was only a dress suit and was never meant to do any work in. His name was Khalid, and as chief of the king's private army, there was always work to be done. The years of his work showed in the lines on his face, but not even age could deter his handsomeness. His murky colored eyes were still bright with laughter, but coldness lined his irises for the moments when he turned angry.

There was a smile on his thin lips and a flighty gait to his walk as he approached Jahara and leaned against the table.

"She seems like a nice girl," he said with fondness as if he were speaking of a small child.

"I hope you didn't come here just to waste my time with polite conversation," she snapped.

"Straight to the point," he sighed. "As always. We checked the lodge as you asked and found nothing. Just one mussed bed. Though the linens were freshly washed and changed in a hurry..."

With the flash of a dirty-minded smile, he waited to see if she would draw the same conclusion he had.

"Unless you found a wrapper nearby, wipe that grin off your face."

"We didn't," he answered, continuing to smile against her orders. "But suppose they didn't use one. And our guest hasn't taken any sort of contraceptive medications since she's arrived."

She rubbed the temples of her forehead. She had thought of that possibility too. In fact it made the most sense when she remembered the rumors of how close she supposedly was to Ivan.

"How scandalous," he said with feigned shock. "The kings' newest consort impregnated not just by any butler, but by his own valet. It's not like this is the first time this has happened, but still. Suppose she gets married off to Lambert; how do you explain a baby with black hair and brown eyes to a father with blonde hair and blue-eyes?"

"You are far too delighted by this." She stood up and prepared to leave. "If you have nothing else but gossip and speculation, then our business is done."

"Of course," he waved off the subject as her seriousness spoiled his mood. "I only have one small update anyway. Jun has started making his bid for the succession behind closed doors. Several of the ministers have thrown their lot in with him as well, rather ardently I might add. They've been bringing some strange visitors to the palace in the late of night and taking trips into the city at peculiar times. But other than that, they're careful to cover their tracks on what their exact plan of action is. They're making sure to leave no paper trail for us to follow. The best case scenario is that he plans to seize power by simply being the better candidate…"

"And the worst would be that he follows in our father's footsteps," she finished for him. She let out a long sigh. Jun was always the gifted younger brother. And as gifted younger brothers often are, he was also troublesome.

"Come now," he laughed to reassure her. "If Jun's old enough to remember the coup, then surely the ministers themselves do as well, and not with fondness. I can't say they won't resort to those tactics again but do you really think they'll risk it? The punishment for treason hasn't changed after all."

"You're right about that. These old men are skittish. If they think they can avoid giving anything up, than that's the route they'll choose. If anything, they'll throw Jun in front of the cart before they put themselves in any danger. But he knows that too… Without knowing what he's planning, we have nothing useful. Let's get back to work."

"Yes, Ma'am," he sighed in resignation.

He bowed respectfully as she passed him without any acknowledgment in turn. Her brusqueness, sharp tongue, and cold attitude never bothered him any. Instead he saw her as a charming and tragic heroine, the princess who renounced her title to instead guard against the past from repeating itself.

Jahara joined Alex and Medina outside and together, the three of them made their way over to where the speeches were to be held.

"Do you know why these speeches are held," she asked after eyeing the pen and notebook Alex held in her arms.

"They're to get the public's support. I know this isn't a democracy but they sound like campaign speeches."

"That's close. They're tests of whether the heirs are competent enough to lead. The public speeches are to see whether they can remain composed under pressure as well as articulate and likable. In case of an emergency, the people need a leader that can give a fast response while being both commanding and reassuring. They need not necessarily know what they're doing, but they better be able to convince others that they do."

Alex smiled politely as she thought that more than explained a few things about his current majesty, King Tamir. She had no idea what he ever thought about but he did give off a sense of unwavering self-confidence.

"If I may ask," she said in a careful tone, "if I didn't have the bracelet, how would the succession be decided? His majesty isn't here and this seems like something important that he'd have to be present for."

Jahara gave her a quick glance and narrowed her eyes. Alex got the feeling she had fumbled into some territory that she wasn't supposed to.

"To be clear, I don't believe you're out to hurt the royal family. But you still might do so if you're not mindful of that bracelet."

Alex shyly bowed her head. She held tight to the chunky bangle on her wrist and looked it over. Suddenly, Jahara grabbed her hand and pulled her aside. She signaled to Medina to continue on and that they would meet her later. After a look at who was around and waiting for the crowds of people to pass, she leaned in close and spoke.

"Usually the next king is chosen through seniority; the throne goes to the oldest son. However, after his majesty succeeded his older brother, he created a council to handle the succession. Its job is to choose by popular vote who will inherit the throne, either confirming or rejecting the king's decision, and halting any infighting."

"That makes a lot more sense than me choosing," she said after a moment of silence.

"It did. But the council has begun to change their allegiance. They've turned away from thinking of the good of the country to being motivated by vice and greed. His majesty believes that they'll put the throne up for auction to the highest bidder."

"But couldn't he just choose new council members?"

"Not without any proof of their wrongdoing, which he has none. Besides, the poison needs to be stopped at the source or else the new council will succumb to the same disease as the old. It will only be a matter of time."

Alex winced at the chill down her spine. Now she understood her role. If she chose the next successor as an impartial judge, that was one solution to the problem of corruption. But it was also a horribly short-term solution that would leave the problem to live on. Even if she had said that she had no romantic interest in King Tamir, he had been nice enough to her that it hurt her to imagine him and the princes living among traitors and backstabbers.

"I don't know if this is much help, but I can think of one person who doesn't like his majesty and might be against him and the princes!"

Jahara smiled, leaving Alex in a state of disbelief.

"I know who you're thinking of. Unfortunately and again, nothing can be done without solid evidence. It's not illegal to disagree with his majesty and in the public eye, that's all he's guilty of. If you want to help, then keep yourself and that bracelet guarded as best you can."

Alex stood taller as she walked beside her. This news was just as unsettling as when she first heard the words from King Tamir's mouth. Only now, she had a bigger picture. It wasn't yet the entire picture but it was what she needed to know. She had to think that or else her nerves would send her running and crying until she vomited again. She readily admitted though that this was still the worst vacation she had ever taken.

They sat apart from the populace and in a section that had been reserved for the royal family and the rest of the court. She sat aside Jahara and Medina as they waited for the princes to take the stage. All of them were to be giving speeches, except Melchiorre. He sat in the audience surrounded by an entourage of women. As soon as he saw Alex and who she was sitting next to, he rushed over and made a place for himself between them.

"What's this," he joked, "holding out on the fun, aren't we Jahara?"

"You're more than capable of humiliating yourself on your own," she answered. "You don't need my accompaniment."

Despite the fact that they all wore smiles, there was nothing friendly about their interaction. Alex scooted closer to Medina for safety.

"The speeches are going to begin. Are you so dedicated to your idiocy that you're not even going to bother to try to appeal?"

"I won't be missed, I'm sure," he laughed. He winked at Alex and pointed at the stage as the eligible princes made their appearances.

Prince Alvah gave the opening speech. It was clear why he was the best choice to do so as his speech was light-hearted and welcoming. The people openly admired him and the crowd turned to smiles; their applause was affectionate and they hailed him as a familiar friend.

"Prince Alvah seems popular," Alex whispered.

"If only he could sit still long enough," Medina whispered back, making them both giggle.

Then Lambert and Jun took over the day. They went one after the other, both spoke full of passion and vigorous dedication of the great things they dreamed for the country. Their ferocity was infectious and swept through the crowd, who responded zealously.

Everything about Lambert seemed polished to perfection, but not forced. Yet Jun's small faults had made him come across as more natural, if not more relatable. She had a tough time choosing a winner between them. On one hand, they both seemed best suited for the job. On the other hand, she also disliked them both for similar reasons.

Then, to everyone's surprise, the upset between them was Nagit. Everything was dead silence as they listened to him speak. He had neither Lambert's fire nor Jun's self-assurance. His strength was that he was the opposite; he had a gentle but spirited demeanor. He didn't talk about what he would do if he became king; he talked about what he would do no matter his title. He spoke of the changes that were needed not to better the country but to better the lives of its citizens. There were no grandiose promises, only clear solutions that would have an immediate impact. His blunt words made the kind of impression that stayed with you. At the end of his speech, the crowd cheered until their cries became hoarse.

When the jubilant chaos finally died down, Chezem took the stage to give his closing statements.

Melchiorre leaned toward Alex and whispered, "it looks like our baby brother is no longer satisfied with the small role he's been given. I wonder what spurred this on so suddenly..."