Page 34 (1/2)

"All I know is that this is the top story on every news site in Scotland right now, maybe in the whole UK" And then her eyes "

Well, now I’ "The queen?" I nearly squeak

Ellie nods and then, in a gesture I haven’t seen frole around her wrist "She wants to see you"

Chapter 24

"Don’t you think that’s a bit overkill?" Dad murmurs as alk down the hall to the parlor where we’ll lances across me toward Dad "Oh, Lia "She looks lovely"

"She looks like soift shop," Dad replies, and I frown as I look down atI had in my new, Glynnis-approved wardrobe, a plaid skirt in shades of bright red, black, purple, and green I’d paired it with a sensible black blouse, black tights, and a pair of red ballet flats

But yes,tartan vest was tooup, I snatch the plaid tam-o’-shanter fro

"I panicked, all right?" I hiss "I avoided the dungeon over the thing at the race, but this? This could be dungeon material"

"Daisy," Mom chides in the same tone she usually uses for Dad, but Dad just patshigles as Mos

The halle’re heading down is di pools of light on the ancient carpet, and it’s in a part of the palace I haven’t visited yet These are the queen’s personal quarters, and they’re softer, more feminine than the rest of the palace She’s been queen since she was eighteen, and suddenly I wonder if she redecorated the whole place when she came to power That’s what I would’ve done Of course I wouldn’t have gone with all this peach and blue I would’ve gonepurple, reen To keep people on their toes

Orthe freak out

The one thing I was determined to do this summer was keepAnd now I a fun, which is deeply unfair If I’d been the one fighting with Seb at his club? Fine, I’d take ood and loyal friend, and now I’od," I mutter as we come to a stop in front of a pair of double doors They’re heavy and covered in fancy scrollith thistles, unicorns, and giant Bs everywhere

And behind them is an actual queen who thinks I aoing to die

The three of us just stand there for a second, staring at the doors I don’t knoe’re waiting for theuys in uniforms to co, and neither are the doors

"I met a queen once," Dad muses "She tried to put her hand down my trousers" Dad looks over at o any worse than that"

Whichas the doors in front of us open and Queen Clara of Scotland rises to her feet froh dies inhot as Ellie rises fro behind her with Glynnis to her left, and by the --