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Inwardly, I rolled my eyes Outwardly, I tried to be reasonable "Dad, he’s not He’s of age, and he’s the best instructor there is Besides, nothing happened"

My father’s eyes raked overin my mussed hair,had happened, but he didn’t need to knoas training to fight as well He’d never forgive Zafir if I told hi his scrutiny and knowing he wouldn’t relent "Next time I’ll take Zafir" I could feel Zafir stiffen beside ot forskillsor lack thereof "Will that satisfy you?"

And just like thatat ry in the first place But there was a triuleam in his eyes that hadn’t been there before "That would make me more than satisfied, Charlaina That would make me positively overjoyed" And then he winked atthat a palace dinner was as choreographed as any intricate dance production The courses were served at predeter staffs werethe nuances--the subtlety of the ression--in ways that s before I’d even realized that the last plates had been removed from before me

Dinner was one of the rare hter and a sister, and, as my time became stretched thinner and thinner, I frequently foundmeals

Yet another adjustment to life on the throne

Spread before us noas a succulent roasted goose drizzled with a honeyed citrus glaze, peppered parsnips drenched in a rich creaus tips coated with herbed butter My father’s breads--served hot and fresh from the ovens, with a crisp brown crust--were placed at even spaces across the table I closedthe days when I was the serving staff I reached for a slice as I listened with growing interest to the discussion around ether nicely," Xander explained, looking pointedly in ertip around the carved pattern on the cup sitting on the table before me It was a seal that had once been outlawed in my own country: the Di Heyse fa to soundthe flutter invisit to the Capitol was broached "I’m not sure what more I can do to prepare I don’t think it’s whether I’m ready or not at this point, I think it’s whether the people are ready for me"

I didn’t say as really on o out in public

I didn’t have to

"It’ll be fine Everything’s been prepared Word has been spread No one will be surprised this ti playfully "They’re as ready as they can be for a queen whose skin glows"

I gri to et what everyone else sahen they looked atjust beneath the surface ofto fade," I answered pathetically "It’s nearly gone now"

At that, all eyes were onanew I knew they could see the lie in htened into a hard line "It’s faded," I insisted, this tiht when I venture out Surely it will be lessless" I struggled for the right word "Noticeable"

Max reached beneath the table and squeezedtone Xander had used And then, because I needed it, he leaned closer, his voice dropping "They’ll love you Just like everyone else does They’ll know that you are the one responsible for s better, and that you have their best interests in mind No one’s ever worked so hard to ed at his lips, and htback to the present "And yet despite all of your hard work," he interjected with a laugh, his voice ringing down the length of the table, "I wonder how ers" He winked conspiratorially at Eden--standing guard at my sister’s back Eden, who pretended not to notice his every et that she and Xander had once worked together so closely, that she had been his right hand as he’d led the revolutionary ime It was almost impossible not to notice how Eden’s moods shifted whenever Xander entered the roohter More hopeful Yet her expression reaze slipped to the slab of buttered bread I held halfway to my mouth Hoas I supposed to eat it if not with ive the I cared at all With a fork and knife? I dropped the half-eaten bread onto my plate

"What ued, turning the conversation away froasps of surprise during my official coronation, when otten their first real glimpse of my skin