Page 606

Not long after that, the Queen looked up from her reading. “Lynnette.”

“Yes, ma’am?” she said, sitting up in her chair by the door.

“What do you think of my brother?”

Lynnette hesitated. “I’m not sure what you mean.”

“Come closer,” said the Queen, motioning to the chair on the other side of her desk. “Sit here.”

Lynnette did so.

“Now tell me. You have been observing everyone around me over these past few days, yes?”

“Yes, ma’am.”

“So what is your opinion of David?”

“...He seems like a good man. And intelligent.”

“Is that all?”

She eyed the Queen, a bit reluctant to say any more, but after a moment, she decided to ask, “Do you not trust him?”

The Queen smirked. “I trust him very much. Why do you ask?”

“The assignment you gave him. You didn’t tell him that you’re having reapers do the same thing.”

“Aha. Yes. And why do you think I did that?”

“Because you are secretly testing his loyalty.”

“Correct.”

“I don’t understand why, though. If you trust him so much, then...?”

“Trust is not a switch that you flip on or off,” said the Queen. “Trust is a currency, and everyone must earn it, myself included. The good thing about trust is that it gets easier to earn as you acquire more of it. The bad thing about trust is that once you lose it, it is very difficult to get back.”

“Are you saying Prince David did something to lose your trust?”

“No. I believe David has a kind heart, but he hides it well. And that is precisely the problem. He is a very secretive man.”

“Really?” said Lynnette. “I was under the impression that the two of you were quite close.”

“When I was a child, that was the case, but the age gap between us was an obstacle. When I was eight years old, David was already seventeen and leaving for school abroad. And then, even after he finished school, he stayed away. In retrospect, I think I can understand his decision to do so. By the time I saw him again--really saw him again--it was eleven years later, and he was a stranger to me.”

Page 605

“So you have a more pressing concern?” the Queen asked.

“Yes,” said David, “or at least, similarly pressing. I am worried about the AFA. I have been observing its movements for a while, and I believe I can say with some confidence now that it should be destroyed. It’s filled with people who were loyal to Gabriel. Even with him gone it’s still too dangerous to let those people retain their positions.”

“Mm.” Helen sipped from a fine blue tea cup. “You are worried they will now prove more loyal to Luther than to me, is that it?”

“There is that, yes, but more broadly speaking, I think the AFA is frankly too much of a wild card at this point. Even if those people don’t choose to follow Luther, they could quite easily splinter off and form new rogue factions of their own.”

“I see your point, but at the same time, we cannot simply dissolve the Agency of Foreign Affairs. It does serve a rather important role, when not plotting against me. We will certainly have need of it moving forward.”

“True. Perhaps we should refurbish it, then.”

“That is what I am thinking. But that would also require strong new management.”

“Indeed. Not just someone who can bring potential traitors to heel, but also someone who can make use of them. Not an easy command, dearest sister.”

“I might ask you to take the job, but...”

David gave a weary laugh. “Don’t you think I have enough to do?”

“Do you have someone else in mind?”

“Your aunt. I believe she would serve admirably, and if not, then she could probably point you toward someone just as capable. Perhaps more than one person, even.”

Helen frowned. “That woman. Yes, I suppose she would do very well there.”

“Try to sound more enthusiastic when you offer it to her. Whatever you think of her, she did save Meri’s life, and possibly my own.”

“Yes, yes. And she is fiercely loyal to William. I will offer her the position soon.”

“Thank you.”

Their conversation went on for a while longer, and then David ventured off again.

Page 604

Since returning, Helen had not met with her council even once. Prince David had convinced her very quickly to dismantle it and rebuild from the ground up. Instead of doing it herself, however, she delegated the responsibility to him. David didn’t seem particularly thrilled with the job but accepted it gracefully, and after he was gone, Lynnette saw the Queen putting the reapers to the very same task. They, of course, would be able to spy on everyone and report back to Her Highness with any candidates they deemed suitable for the positions.

It struck Lynnette as a bit odd--and a little devious--that the Queen did not inform Prince David of what the reapers were doing, but she supposed it never hurt to be cautious. Or maybe the Queen just wanted two independent lists to compare against each other. Whatever the case, it wasn’t Lynnette’s job to worry about such things. It was, however, her job to observe everyone closely, and Prince David had become someone who met with the Queen more frequently than anyone else.

And to Lynnette’s eye, this was a good thing. Despite recent circumstances, terrible as they’d been, the good prince seemed to have a clear head about it all, and oftentimes, he brought a smile to Helen’s face.

“And how is my beautiful sister on this fine evening?” said Prince David.

“I am well,” she said from her desk. “And what about my intrepid brother? How are you?”

“I have certainly been worse, thank you for asking. Ah, and I see your bodyguard is still looking as stalwart and intimidating as ever.”

Lynnette wasn’t sure what made him say that. Maybe it was the eye patch. Maybe she should find a new one. A white one, like her cloak. Or maybe that’d only make it worse. She wondered where in the world she might find fashion tips regarding eye patches. Curiously, that didn’t seem to be a big thing in magazines or on television.

“What brings you here?” said the Queen. “Have you finished your list, already?”

“Ha, not quite yet. I’m not a wizard, you know. These things take time.”