“The Triumvirate? Not your parents?”
“Well, them too, of course. But I don’t think they’d be so opposed to the whole idea if it wasn’t for the succession laws.”
“What succession laws?”
“Didn’t you study them at school?” Gia asked before correcting herself. “No, of course not. You didn’t go to school. I forgot. Succession goes first to the eldest child of the ruling monarch. But if he or she dies before ascending the throne—or is unable or unwilling to accept the crown—succession doesn’t automatically go to the next in line.”
“What? Why?”
She shrugged. “I think whoever was part of the Triumvirate at the time the law was written would have preferred a system like the nomad one. This was their compromise. The monarch has one chance to provide a suitable heir, and if they fail at that, then the Triumvirate gets the chance to accept or reject the next in line. Only the firstborn in each generation has an automatic right to the throne.”
“And you think the Triumvirate would reject your brother?” I asked, shocked.
She shrugged. “We don’t know for sure because my parents refuse to so much as mention the idea of my abdicating to anyone. They’re not confident enough of the Triumvirate’s opinion of Nik to risk letting me have my way. Not that they’ve said that,” she added, “but I can tell.”
“King Nikolas,” I murmured softly, trying it out. Gia watched me, so I smiled for her benefit. “I suppose I could get used to the idea.”
She didn’t smile back. “Now if we could just convince my parents and the Triumvirate of that.”
“At least he won’t be murdered in his sleep by me now,” I offered. “That’s something at least.”
That attempt did elicit a weak chuckle as she jumped up and rushed over to give me a hug.
“You’re a good friend, Cadence. I’m glad you came to the Guild.”
I paused for a moment, considering my answer. “Some days it’s harder to remember than others, but I really am too.”
And I meant it. As much as I missed Airlie, and worried for her safety, as much as I stressed about the weight of trying to do my part to keep everyone safe, I couldn’t imagine still living in my old home, talking to no one but Airlie and knowing nothing of the power that floated all around me.
“I would have never seen the sea,” I added. “And what sort of life would that have been?”
Chapter 22
Cadence
It took us a week to get from the ocean to Karielle’s parents’ estate. When the Celadon split, we stayed with the eastern branch, leaving behind the border with the nomads which followed the western branch of the river all the way up to the mountains. Instead we continued on the course that would eventually lead to Lake Aterra and the Calistan border.
Before we reached that far, however, we arrived at the final destination of the tour. If I had come here before ever seeing Tarona, I would have considered Karielle’s childhood home a palace. The enormous manor house had rooms enough to fit all the senior members of the tour and more than enough grounds to comfortably fit the collection of tents that housed everyone else.
I would hardly have qualified for a room if Karielle hadn’t generously offered to share her bedchamber.
“It seems like the least I can do when you and Gia hosted me the rest of the tour,” she said, laughing off my attempts to point out that I had been a fellow recipient rather than host in that situation.
Blake, Augusta’s other current female apprentice, also joined us. She was a short, lively girl who bemoaned Karielle’s upcoming graduation almost as much as she gushed about the ball.
“It won’t be the same without you,” she assured Karielle as she pinned her friend’s curls to her head.
Karielle just laughed. “Don’t be silly. You’ll love ruling the roost and ordering the boys around. And I’m sure Augusta’s next pick will be just as nice as me.”
Blake looked unconvinced but promised to do her best to give the girl a chance. She glanced at me in the mirror as she spoke and must have seen the bemusement on my face.
“Augusta likes to always have a minimum of two female apprentices. She claims she can’t abide being surrounded by boys.” Blake giggled, as if she didn’t entirely agree with the sentiment. “So now that Karielle is graduating, Augusta has another female apprentice lined up.”
“Does she only ever have two at a time?” I asked.
“Oh no,” Karielle said. “A couple of years before me, they were all girls. Two is the minimum.”
“It won’t be all girls again any time soon,” Blake said with another giggle. “The prince has only just started his apprenticeship.”
“What’s it like living with Nikolas?” I asked. “He’s sour enough after his breakfast, I can’t imagine what he’s like first thing in the morning.”
Both girls laughed, but Blake ended it on a sigh. “But he’s so handsome. And he’s a prince.”
I grimaced. “That’s not enough for me.”
“You just say that because your prince is handsome and charming,” Karielle said with a wink that sent Blake into a fresh round of giggles.
“He’s not my anything,” I sputtered. “And he’s not even a prince yet. His mother might lose the vote.”
Both girls instantly sobered.
“Oh no, surely not,” Blake cried. “That would be much too sad.”
“All the nomads on the tour clearly look to her,” Karielle said thoughtfully. “She might not officially be their leader yet, but they treat her like she is.”
“That’s what I said to Zeke.” I took Karielle’s seat, ready for Blake to arrange my hair as well. “But he tells me it only seems like that because the other tribes here are Patrin and Callen. Patrin got to choose who came—they still have the throne for now—and they’ve put their support behind Nicabar as the next rulers. So they chose another supportive tribe as the third representatives. Apparently Tribe Alia were seething.”
“The previous ruler before King Fenix was from Alia, wasn’t he?” Karielle asked. “I suppose they’re hoping to retake the throne.”
I shrugged. “This is all secondhand information, but that’s what Zeke says.”
She sighed. “I suppose I should have realized it was a little too civil and convenient. When is politics ever like that?”
“Forget politics—we’re going to a ball!” Blake twisted my hair this way and that while she considered how to arrange it.
As she got to work, I had to fight back tears. Blake was nice, but I couldn’t help the memories of preparing for my last ball. I missed Airlie and the camaraderie of our long history. No one knew me like she did and, despite our fighting, no one was so comfortable to be around. Because, at the end of the day, it didn’t matter what I said or what I did, she still loved me anyway.
As soon as Blake finished, I thanked her and hurried over to the window to surreptitiously wipe my eyes. In the weeks since Dara’s revelations, I had been too focused on all the weight that remained on my shoulders to recognize the weight that had been lifted. Airlie hadn’t been so offended by my words she’d abandoned me. She hadn’t even mentioned them to Dara in all the weeks of her captivity.