CHAPTER 14

Cade had long since become acclimated to the random packets that seemed to show up in his room. Sometimes he knew when they were bound to be delivered. Sometimes they took him completely by surprise. Once he had to hastily shove it under a file and mutter something about it being personal to his butler. He didn't want to know what the elderly man had assumed.

So it wasn't much of a surprise when he returned from breakfast to find a stack of crisp white paper laid on his desk.

Today's was thicker than most, and he picked it up gingerly, flipping past the first page proclaiming it a budget report, evidence of someone's weekend adventure with Microsoft Word, to the substance.

It took him a few minutes to discern it, but it seemed to be printouts of an email chain.

A few council members emails were listed, alongside those of their campaign managers and a few lower down members of the provincial governments. Cade read the first few pages quickly, there didn't seem to be much wrong with them. Some of the language used to describe the opposition was foul, but it was nothing that the rebels usually thought important enough to smuggle into his room.

The only mildly interesting part had to do with plans for the upcoming general elections. Meyers seemed to want a rally and was planning on requesting days off for him to attend. That was nothing too unusual either, in fact, Cade would approve it when the form happened along his desk in a few days.

Honestly, Cade didn't get it. He flipped a few pages farther, but it was just discussing which balloon vendor would provide the decorations for the rally.

A brisk knock startled him, and Cade yelled, "Come in," before remembering he still held very compromising documents in his hand.

He turned it over quickly as his uncle walked in, looking equal parts relieved and tired.

"Cleveland called a last minute meet- what's that?" Uncle Albert asked, his eyes trailing towards the flipped over papers.

"Budgets," Cade supplied, hoping his face wouldn't betray him.

"Ah," Uncle Albert gave the stack of papers one last lingering look, and Cade prayed that he wouldn't question it any further. Maybe he should pretend to have a seizure, or a coughing fit, or something that would steal his uncle's attention before he realized that no budgets had been sent out in the past two weeks and even if they had been, those papers were double-sided.

"What did he call the meeting about?" Cade asked quickly.

"He didn't say…are you sure those are the right budgets? I thought the ones from last quarter were printed on cardstock."

"No," Cade racked his brain for a reasonable excuse, "They're from uh, a few years ago. I wanted, umm, I wanted to see some changes in trade."

"Oh, well, I don't think it's changed much. I think it's fine," Uncle Albert said with a sigh, implying that he didn't really want to think much about it at all.

"Yeah. It looks fine. I just wanted to check something. So, should we go?" Cade asked, hopping up from his desk before Uncle Albert could ask any more questions about the so-called budget reports and their quickly deteriorating validity.

"I suppose so." Uncle Albert gave the papers another dubious glance before following Cade out of the room. "I'm not sure what he wanted to talk about. He said it was something about security, but it seemed very vague."

"Oh."

"I hope it's nothing too important. He's still looking for a reason to create issues after, well, you know."

Cade nodded. He assumed as much, none of the council members took having their ideas shot down well, and Cleveland St. John was one of the worst when it came to holding votes hostage. Cade would try to appease him, but he figured that his interference would do much more harm than good.

Maybe he should send Andrew to intervene on his behalf.

That would probably work out well.

It was a quiet walk towards the meeting room. Cade didn't want to speak, lest Uncle Albert ask about what he read in the budget reports, or where he got them, or any question that Cade definitely did not have an answer to.

"Goodness, I thought you had died, it took you so long to get here," Aunt Morgan exclaimed, her hands placed on her hips. She didn't fit into the drab background, her lemon yellow dress and blue heels standing out in the sea of muted gray dresses and black blazers.

Not that Cade had any grounds to stand on in his gray suit.

"Morgan, what are you doing here?" Uncle Albert asked placidly.

"You told me there was a council meeting, did you not?"

"I…did," Uncle Albert responded, seeming unsure of the answer.

"I have a seat on the council, do I not?" Aunt Morgan continued.

"Well…I don't think so."

"Oh." Aunt Morgan made a face. "Well that seems awfully sexist. Fine. Make me a seat on the council then."

"I don't think I can just make a new seat-"

"Why not? I thought you were the sovereign. Cade will be able to make a new council seat whenever he wants to." Cade just nodded his assent, not sure if it was even correct legally, but he supposed it made sense.

"I…I guess that's true. Alright. Sure, you can be part of the council."

"Wasn't I already?"

"...Yes."

"Perfect!" Aunt Morgan slid her hand into Uncle Albert's before turning to Cade. "Now, you must tell me all about the selection. I feel as if I know nothing. I want to hear all the gory details."

Cade shrugged, suddenly self-conscious. "I don't really have a lot to tell. Nothing that exciting happened."

Aunt Morgan lowered her voice, although it was clearly more for dramatic effect as anyone within a ten foot radius still would be able to hear there. "Nonsense, dearie, I heard this from a maid, who said she was told by a guard, but I have it on good authority that you and Nora Louise got to first base."

Cade didn't really want to talk about it, but he couldn't lie. "We kissed. Once."

"Nora Louise? Which one's that?" He could hear the confusion in Uncle Albert's voice.

"Darling, the one who's father is that businessmen from Allens. The girl with the bow."

"Oh, yes. I remember her, she seems nice."

"Nice, not nice, whatever. Cade, I want a full story after this council meeting."

Cade really, really didn't want to do that, but, it was nice that there was someone interested in his love life who didn't want to use it to blackmail him or make money from plastering it on newspapers. Usually the only people who ever asked him questions were reporters screaming over one another. So, he didn't mind all that much, in fact, he was a bit grateful for his aunt's interest.

The council was already seated by the time Cade and his aunt and uncle made their way in. There were two empty chairs, one for Cade, and one for Uncle Albert. Hyde must have realized the dilemma about the same time that Cade did because he jumped up from his chair and offered it to Aunt Morgan, motioning for an intern to go bring another one.

"Cleveland, what is this about?" Uncle Albert asked once they were all settled.

The older man stood, straightening his tie as he did so. "There has been a very serious security breach."

Cade furrowed his eyebrows at that. He had assumed that this meeting, like so many others, was simply scheduled to create a fuss over something simple, something most people wouldn't have cared much about. Perhaps he was wrong.

"What happened?" Uncle Albert asked.

"Earlier this morning, there were reports of break-ins at several of our campaign headquarters. Our individual security teams are each reviewing the footage, but we would like the palace security team to oversee the operation as well."

"Several?" Cade asked, hating how his voice came out as a squeak. Heads swiveled to him, hostile looks shot his way.

"Yes, several." Cleveland glowered.

Meyers, a few seats down at the table, raised his hand, "Mine as well." A few others nodded that they too had experienced it.

It was then that Cade started to get a sinking feeling in his stomach.

"Was..was anything taken?" He couldn't control the nervous tremor in his voice, and hoped the council was too far concerned with their own security issues to take the time to embarrass him for it.

"Like I said, our security teams are still investigating it, but it seems that computer passwords, campaign plans, and several email records were stolen."

Email records?

Uh oh.

Cade knew where he had seen email records before, and although he hadn't quite reached the end of the papers, he was becoming sure if he flipped far enough he would find some from Cleveland St. John.

"Those emails were confidential, sent on secure networks. We cannot have them leaked to the public," Meyers interjected.

"Right, of course," Uncle Albert said thoughtfully. "Well, before we get ahead of ourselves, do you have any idea who was behind it?"

"It was obviously the rebels trying to damn Illéa to some anarchist politicians." Cleveland slammed his fist down on the table, causing a few droplets of water to spill out of his glass. Cade saw Hyde give a sigh of disgust at Cleveland's use of profanity, he always liked the meetings to stay civil, but didn't comment on it.

"No one else would have tried to break in," Meyers added. "The things stolen weren't for money or leverage. Someone clearly wanted information."

"Clearly," Cleveland agreed.

"If this is a matter of the rebel forces," Hyde began, "It would seriously elevate this concern. The proper protocol would to be to delay the election." Cade felt his heart sink at that. Although he knew it was unlikely, he had been hoping against hope that somehow Cleveland would manage to lose his upcoming election and be out of Cade's life for good.

Cade knew if he ever became king that there would be measures he could take to silence Cleveland, but those were all so immoral. So much like his father. He would rather Cleveland just lose his election, however unlikely that seemed.

"Now, I don't know about that," Uncle Albert interjected. "Is that really what we're supposed to do?"

"In past precedent, yes, to avoid a biased voter base," Hyde said.

"It seems somewhat drastic," Uncle Albert commented.

"We cannot break protocol! This is a heinous crime to try to defraud an election," Cleveland insisted.

"How do we know it was the rebels?" Aunt Morgan piped up, her voice cutting across Cleveland's.

The room sat in a stunned sort of silence for a second. Clearly they had never considered that possibility, probably because, if the documents on Cade's desk were any indication, it was completely untrue.

Meyers cleared his throat, "With all due respect, Your Highness, there's no one else it truly can be."

"I'm not as fully versed as any of you on the electoral system, but allow me to play devil's advocate for a moment. You all have opponents you're running against, right?"

"Yes."

"Have any of you considered that perhaps, it was them who staged this robbery? It just seems far more likely to me. I haven't heard much about rebels recently at all."

"Your Highness," Meyers started. "There's a strict honor code we all follow, none of us, not even our competitors would try to sabotage another."

"Sure, but, what if they did?"

"They wouldn't."

"Yes, yes, I understand that," Aunt Morgan waved her hand impatiently, "But what if they did?"

Meyers didn't have an answer for her, looking down at his lap. Cade felt awful, Meyers was right, but it was better for him, better for everyone, if this meeting ended with the conclusion that it was the opposing politicians and not the rebels that had stolen the documents.

"I firmly believe it was the rebels, but regardless, even if it was another candidate responsible, a crime like this deserves a public sentencing." Cleveland spoke up, seeming anxious to finally make this point.

Oh not that. Cade hated those televised events, with the atmosphere of a carnival and the result of a trial. It was wrong on so many levels, insulting to everyone involved, and rarely deserved.

"I thought we phased those out," Uncle Albert commented quietly, looking towards Hyde, who just shrugged.

"In fact, this could not have come at a better time, it is tradition for the selected to participate in something like this."

"It is?" Cade asked before he could stop himself. "Sorry, I just…never mind."

Cleveland glared at him again before explaining. "Yes, it is called the Convicting and I, along with many others on the council, believe the selected need to go through with it."

"Do..Do they really have to? It just doesn't seem fair you know, since they never, well, never have seen anything like this before." Cade stumbled through the sentence, aware his credibility was diminishing with every misstep. He wasn't even sure what a Convicting was, and from the look on his uncle's face, he clearly didn't either. But whatever it was, Cade was sure that he did not want it to happen.

"Yes, they have to, and they will convict these criminals."

"I don't mean to state the obvious," Aunt Morgan said, speaking up again, "But there aren't any criminals to arrest. We have no idea who is responsible for this."

"I thought we agreed that the security team would look into it," Cleveland said, looking towards Uncle Albert.

"Yes, I suppose they can," he agreed hesitantly.

"Be that as it may, it could take months. By then the selection could be over, and what if there were only one or two actors? What would happen then?"

"I don't see why that would be an issue?" Meyers asked.

"My understanding of the Convicting is mostly from gossip magazines, you may correct me if I'm wrong, but I believe each girl is supposed to convict a separate criminal. So wouldn't there need to be twenty or so people behind it? It just seems like a logistical nightmare, and I doubt any of you would want to assist in planning it?"

The council was quiet, each trying not to draw attention to themselves. Cade supposed that they considered glorified party planning beneath them.

"I didn't think so. Now, if you all can find twenty people guilty of the crime before the selection is over, I have absolutely no problem with a Convicting, but until that happens, I believe this meeting is over?"

Aunt Morgan looked to Meyers who in turn looked to Cleveland. "I don't have anything else to add."

Uncle Albert nodded, "You're all free to go then."

The room took a few minutes to empty out. Once the door shut behind the last councilman, Cade turned quickly.

"You don't think they're um, actually going to find enough people do you?" Cade asked, hoping his fear was masked as annoyance.

Aunt Morgan rolled her eyes, leaning back in her chair. "Of course not. Where in the hell are they going to manage to find seventeen people?"

Uncle Albert looked at her, "You said twenty."

"I rounded up."

Cade took a few shallow breaths, trying to refocus. Aunt Morgan was right. The council wasn't going to find enough people. They weren't even going to find one. Hopefully they would forget about it, and no one would get arrested or sentenced. Everything would be fine.

It would be fine. It had to be. Cade didn't know what he would do if it wasn't.

"You know," Aunt Morgan continued, "Usually I commend the rebels' ingenuity, but how stupid does one have to be to not think of security cameras?"

"Yeah. yeah, really stupid." Cade gave a fake laugh, praying for a meteor strike or an earthquake or anything to end this conversation.

"Careful there, Morgan. Someone might think you were one of them." Uncle Albert said it as a joke, but Cade could hear the true warning underneath his words. An accusation was almost as good as fact to the council, and anyone who would walk into this room, an assistant or intern or legislators, would jump at the opportunity to prove themselves that way.

"God, no. It's such a waste of time. They always end up beheaded in the end."

That was a picture Cade really didn't need to envision.

"I'm going to go," Cade said, getting up from his chair quickly. "I..I have to do something."

"What do you have to do?" Aunt Morgan asked.

"I…have to…" What Cade had to do was get up to his room and destroy the email packet. Shred it or burn it or something to just get rid of it.

Aunt Morgan snapped her fingers, "Oh, right. You were going to go on a date, I remember. With the last few girls."

Cade hooked on to that. "Yeah, um, Avary and uh, Charlotte I think."

"Well, that seems very awkward. You should bring someone else. Finley, or Blythe, or someone. Who do you want to bring?"

Cade ducked his head, "It seems unfair for me to choose."

"I suppose. Fine, Albert, who should he bring?"

"Huh? Um, what about the girl with the bow you were talking about- oh no. Okay, not her. Mmm, I guess Ellis."

Aunt Morgan wrinkled her nose. "Why her?"

"I know her name."

"That's hardly a-"

"It's okay. I'll invite Ellis, she's really nice," Cade cut across, desperate to get out of the room. "I'll um, figure out what we'll do. I just need to go get something, sorry."

It took most of his self-control to keep an even pace as he walked through the governmental wing up the staircase to his room.

The papers were just as he left them, lying innocently on the desk.

Cade did truly wonder what they had to say that was so important, but he couldn't know. The council was on the brink of launching a massive investigation, it would be pushed to the forefront of every meeting, and eventually, one time or another, Cade was bound to misspeak, to let on that he knew more than he should.

That would lead to questions.

Whatever the emails said had to be better than the council asking questions.

There was a fireplace in the corner of his room. Later he would tell his butler he had been cold if the man bothered to ask. Cade placed the stack of papers inside, watching as the ends shriveled up, until eventually all he had was a pile of ash. And then, for good measure, he spread the ash around so it wouldn't be so obvious.

Okay.

That was that.

Now Cade apparently had a date to get ready for.

Avary, Charlotte and Ellis must have received the same instructions that Cade did, because they all came to the same lounge, ready for afternoon tea. Truth be told, if Cade had to rank his preferences for date activities, tea would probably be close to the bottom of the list, but no one had asked him, so it didn't really matter.

"Your Highness," the three of them said, curtsying.

Cade felt the flush spread over his cheeks. He should ask them all to stop - who was he to make women he was sort of dating curtsy to him and not use his actual name? It seemed very outdated.

"Hi, do you all want to sit?" Cade asked awkwardly, glancing between the elaborate set up table and the three girls.

Avary sat to his left, Charlotte to his right, and Ellis directly across from him. "So, um, how is everyone's day going?" Cade asked, wishing he had something more substantial or interesting to say.

Ellis answered first, "Very well, Your Highness. I'm a fan of tea."

"You are?" Cade asked, "What type do you like best?"

"Chamomile, with one sugar, although I try not to be too particular about it."

Charlotte piped up, "I'm partial to mint, I think it's refreshing."

Cade nodded once, "Yeah, mint's good," he mumbled.

Avary tapped her spoon against the china plate, "So can we serve ourselves or do we have to wait for something?"

"Oh, no go ahead. I'm sorry, I didn't mean for you all to have to wait."

"It's not a problem, Your Highness," Avary said in a clipped tone. She wasted no time pouring herself a cup of tea, a few droplets splattering onto the linen tablecloth.

"What type is the best?" Charlotte asked Cade.

"I'm not sure. They're all pretty good," Cade said diplomatically. "You said you liked mint right? Uh, I think it's this one." He passed her a white china teapot. Should he have poured the tea for her? Or would that have been rude? He didn't pour it for Avary…

Charlotte took it, not seeming to notice his faux-pass.

Ellis didn't ask for Cade's opinion, pouring her own cup of tea and stirring in a sugar cube. "I agree with that, they are all good, but I do think the chamomile is the best. You all should try it."

Avary glanced towards her tea cup and then back to Ellis' face. She flicked her braid behind her shoulder, not looking at Ellis as she answered. "Maybe. I'm not sure how much tea I can stomach."

"Do you not like it?" Cade asked nervously. He should have tried to come up with something better, something everyone would like, not something that his aunt would.

"It's a beverage." Avary shrugged. "I don't mind it."

Cade gulped, "Okay. Um, so, what do you all like to do in your free time?" He cringed inwardly at the statement.

Charlotte answered first, adjusting her cotton headband. "I like to go camping. It's nice to be just outdoors and alone. It gives me time to think."

"I always wanted to go camping when I was younger," Cade admitted, "But my father used to say I would get attacked by a wild animal, and then where would that put the monarchy?" The corners of Ellis' mouth twitched in a smile and Charlotte grinned too.

"Are there a lot of wild animals in Angeles?"

"I…I'm not sure. There probably are enough for it to be a risk. Bears maybe."

"I've seen bears a few times while I was out camping," Charlotte said. "They're pretty harmless as long as you don't go near them. And the cubs can be very cute."

"I think it would be an experience," Ellis added. "I'm not sure it would be one I would enjoy, but I would try it sometime."

"It takes some getting used to," Charlotte explained. "I think most people like it though. I go with my fathers and my sister. I think it helps to have a bigger group of people at first, in case something goes wrong."

Ellis nodded enthusiastically, "Noted."

"Miss Rodrigo, what about you?" Cade asked.

Avary flinched a little, she clearly hadn't been listening to the conversation. He knew this was a bad idea, of course it was. It was probably such a boring date, and there were girls who went to flower shows and ballets. He should have tried to make the dates all equal so it would be fair. He would do that. After he took Mona and Blythe on dates to make up for the catastrophe that was the political debates, he would ask Avary out to do something interesting.

"I don't really have a lot of free time. Most of it is taken up by basketball. I guess I like to watch television at home, but I don't have time to go camping or anything like that."

"Oh right. Of course, Basketball must be really important to you."

"It is. It's not worth taking time off now when that can ruin my future."

Cade nodded quickly, not sure exactly if that was true or not, but knowing that he probably should agree with her.

"You play for the University of Zuni right?" Charlotte asked.

"Yup."

"Why did you choose Zuni? I remember you saying you're from Midston."

Avary looked utterly unphased by the question. "Zuni's the best, even if it means I have to leave home to play there. It'll be worth it in the end."

"Yeah, it will be." Was that too encouraging? "I mean, I hope so. It probably will be." Cade bit off his words quickly. The less he said the better.

"Thank you, Your Highness. I really hope so."

"Yeah. Um, Miss Scholz, what do you like to do?"

Ellis grinned and giggled a little to herself. "I was trying to come up with something that sounded cooler, but honestly, I love to eat."

"What type of food?" Cade asked.

"All types. I travel a lot, and I like trying different cuisines. I think my favorite is definitely German food, and then after that, I would say New Asian. What's your favorite type, Your Highness?"

Cade debated lying for a second, but Ellis had told the truth, so he should too. He already lied so much today, there was no reason to add another one. "It's um a little embarrassing, but I like oatmeal?" It came out as a question not a statement, the end of his sentence trailing off.

"Oatmeal?" Ellis repeated, surprised.

"Wait, actually?" Avary added.

"Yeah. I don't eat it plain. I mean, I add sugar and stuff, but I like how it's pretty bland," he muttered, looking down at his lap.

"Huh. I don't think I've ever heard anyone say they like bland food." Avary commented.

"Well, that's not true." Ellis pressed her lips together in thought. "I think bland food is nice after a few heavy meals. It's almost like a reset."

Cade was tempted to latch on to that and explain himself away, but he had already admitted it, he might as well accept it. "I just like it in general. I don't know, I like simple food."

"Simple food can be nice," Charlotte amended. "This tea is simple, but I enjoy it."

Cade nodded and took another sip of his tea, mostly just to hide his reddening face. Avary at that point had completely finished her cup and didn't seem all that eager to move on to a second one.

She cleared her throat, standing up. "This was very enjoyable, Your Highness. Thank you for inviting me."

Cade realized belatedly that she wanted to leave, wincing before he could stop himself. "Yes, um, for me too. Thank you so much for coming. All of you."

Charlotte followed her soon after, leaving just Ellis and Cade.

"Is it just me or did they really not like tea?" Ellis asked, giggling slightly.

"I think I picked a bad date," Cade murmured.

"Well, for what it's worth I liked it." She stood up too, walking over to one of the couches. "Come sit. I could barely see you behind the pastry tower the whole time."

Cade sat next to her on the couch. "Did you really like it?"

Ellis turned her knees towards him. "Of course I did. The tea was delicious. Besides, this was my second date."

"Yes," Cade agreed, not knowing where she was going with that.

Ellis sighed, "I can't complain about that. Now, why did I get two group dates though?" Cade didn't have much experience in the romance department, but based on his limited knowledge from required novels, he would describe her smile as flirtatious.

Cade didn't really know what to say. He didn't think telling her it was because her name was the only one his uncle knew would make her happy, and Cade didn't want to make her upset. Besides, even if it was the truth, he sort of wished he had chosen her for the second date.

She was witty in a blunt sort of way, and obviously very smart, but she didn't have the mean streak that most intelligent people Cade interacted with did. He liked talking to her, he liked it a lot. Then of course there was the obvious; Ellis was beautiful. Tall, lithe, with wavy hair and smooth features.

So, Cade lied. "The numbers weren't even, and I uh, thought that you want a redo after the first one because you know."

"Because why?"

"Just that it was the uhm the same day you got here so it was probably rushed or something."

Ellis laughed, a high pitched clear sound. "I certainly appreciate it, but maybe next time it can be just you and me on a date."

"I think that group dates are over after this."

"I suppose I can't be too greedy," Ellis pouted, "But I hope my date comes sooner rather than later."

Cade nodded quickly. He would like that too. Most of what he knew about Ellis came from brief group conversations and asides in council meetings. "Yeah, that would be nice."

Ellis took his hand, running her scarlet red nails over his palm. "I'm looking forward to it, I don't know about you, but I haven't been on very many dates."

"Me either just the ones in the selection…" Cade finished lamely.

"Ah, well, you probably beat me. That must be nearly ten dates so far." Ellis laughed, her smile deepening. Her eyes landed on Cade's, and Cade suddenly got the feeling that despite what she was saying, she was way above his league.

"I think so. That's weird to think about."

"Well," Ellis said, leaning towards him, "We don't really need to think at all."

The next thing he knew he was kissing her. Or, more aptly, she was kissing him. It was wholly different from when he kissed Nora Louise, that one was light, almost friendly. This was decidedly not friendly. Ellis was kissing him deeply, one of her hands behind his neck.

Cade wondered if she could hear his heartbeat through his shirt. He didn't know if it was the surprise of the moment, nerves, or the fact that he was pretty sure he was enjoying it that caused his spike in heart rate. She was kissing him like she wanted to, like he was someone a woman would want to kiss. Cade had never experienced anything like that before, and it was flattering.

Ellis pulled away, their faces were an inch or two apart. "Okay?" She whispered, her mouth curving into a smile.

"Yeah," Cade answered, a little dazed.

Ellis beamed and pulled him into another kiss, similar to the first one. She seemed to know what she was doing, parting her lips ever so slightly. Cade for the most part just followed along. Kissing Ellis was nothing like kissing his pillow, and as such, he knew almost nothing about what he was supposed to be doing.

It was longer than the first one. Ellis turned her head, tucking a lock of hair behind her ear. "Well," she said, placing a hand on her chest, "I guess I should get going."

"You, you don't have to." Cade said quickly. Did she think he didn't like her?

Ellis shook her head, "No, I know these sort of things are supposed to be formal, and it wouldn't be fair to the other girls."

"Oh, um, I guess so, but, well, do you actually think that?"

Ellis shrugged, "I think I do."

"Okay."

"I'll see you at dinner then," she said, placing a kiss on his cheek and walking out.

Cade sat on the couch for a few minutes after she left trying to process what exactly had just happened.

He had made out with a girl.

Not kissed. Whatever that was, it was probably a level or two beyond kissing, and it didn't feel strange or awkward like he thought it would. It felt…kind of nice. Ellis was nice, she was funny, and sweet, and she had all the qualities that would make a queen.

And besides all that, besides the decorum and the skill set Cade was looking for, Cade liked her.

And, he had made out with a girl.

A/N: Hello besties and thank you for reading lol. So in this chapter Cade gets his second kiss? Wow, boy is on a roll. No, I'm totally joking but I am hoping to try and do biweekly (Or at least monthly) updates. I'm not sure how well I'm going to be able to stick to that, but we shall see.