announced. “Miss Wyntor is here, ma’am.”
“Your Grace,” I spoke gently as I entered the room, watching her as she stood by the window, trimming a houseplant set on the wooden table in front of her.
“We shall have the room,” she said, and that phrase sent a chill up my spine. We never had the room for any good conversations. “Odette, there is a newspaper by the table there. Please read it for me.”
Once again, I felt like I was going to be sick. For the briefest second, I had hoped because the paper was not from the Morning Eagle, but some other news, the Ersovian Times, that it wouldn’t be about me. However, when I saw my name right under, all hope vanished.
“Odette Wyntor’s sister, Augusta, claims the royal palace is forcing Odette to distance herself from her family.” Dear Jesus Christ.
“Keep reading,” Elspeth said as she snapped away another dead leaf from her plant.
“Odette was very close to her mother. But the royal family does not think someone with her mother’s background,” my lips trembled as I read the quote from my sister, “as a model and beauty queen with no education or connections reflects well on the palace. She had to do a lot of dastardly things to start her career.”
“You translated that perfectly,” Elspeth stated, once again snipping another plant. “I am pleased you have made such great progress with your lessons.”
“Thank you, ma’am.” I could say nothing else beyond that.
“Do you know where Prince Galahad is?”
I swallowed hard, trying to pull my sinking voice back up. “He is at Trinity Row?”
“Do you know why?”
“To hear votes,” I said, glad I had asked Wolfgang before entering.
“Yes, Prince Galahad is doing the royal duty of hearing votes on one of two highly contested pieces of legislation this year. It is about chickens.” Snip went another piece of her plant. “It may sound a little silly, but it is serious. You see, poultry farming is one of the biggest farming industries in the country; we supply poultry throughout Europe and Asia. The people voted at the last session to end caged chicken farming immediately. However, free-range chickens need range. They need space, which may not be hard for rural communities, but for more industrial farms that do not have that space, this could cripple them and cause a major disruption in the economy. So, it is being debated about how to go about achieving the people’s wishes from their vote, if they understood their vote, or if it can be done at all. Prince Galahad might even have to do what a monarchy rarely wishes to do and give his judgment in the king’s steed. Unfortunately, it is all serious but very boring, which is why it is not on the front page of the Ersovian Times today. It is on page two.”
I looked, and sure enough, there it was.
“Even the second heavily debated pieces of legislation, the Nationalism Reform Act, did not make coverage today. The Ersovian Times is one of the most reputable papers in the nation. Unlike the Morning Eagle, they do their best not to report gossip or anyone they cannot quote on the record or fact check. Because of that, they have the people’s trust but not always people’s attention. The people sometimes wish to bash and complain about the privileged, so the Morning Eagle feeds that desire. The Ersovian Times wants the attention back but also wants their dignity. So, I am sure they spent time wondering what they could factually report, and here comes your sister, slandering us all!”
Snip.
“I—”
“Today, people woke up to the news that their monarchy looks down upon those who are not as educated as us, who do not have the same background as us. Today, people woke up to the news that their monarchy is forcing you to abandon your mother. And they will believe it because the most trusted source not only reported it but so did your sister. And now I am left wondering what I should do? Should I call your mother here? No, then it will seem as if we are guilty and trying to cover it up. However, if I do not call your mother here, it will seem as if it is true, and we do not care that they know. So please, Odette, advise me, what shall be done?”
“I do not know, ma’am.”
“Well, that is no help at all.”
Snip.
“I will talk to my sister—”
“Did you not talk to her after the