As expected, Evelyn, along with Alexandra’s parents and siblings, was already sitting down for breakfast. My stomach growled uncontrollably. As much as I felt fine, this was hardly the first time I had gone without dinner; my body was clearly upset.

  “May I do the honor of grace?” Evelyn asked.

  Christopher simply nodded.

  “We thank the gods for this wonderful meal, in which your protection has allowed us. I, in particular, wish to thank you for the unique chance you have given me to meet Luft’s chosen in person. I doubt such an honor shall ever be eclipsed.”

  I nearly shuddered at the word eclipsed. Did she have to use that word? And eating a meal in thanks to Luft was hardly a grace I wanted to endorse. But I held my tongue as she finished and we all began to eat.

  Breakfast was usually a bit lighter, consisting mainly of bread, eggs, and fruit. Today, they had served a relatively hearty meal: pancakes, eggs, a slice of ham, and an apple. Glancing around the table, I wonder who insisted on a larger meal. Christopher? I saw Emilia standing behind him, maybe her? No, definitely Elise.

  “Wind Maiden,” Alexandra said. “I hope you are having a pleasant morning.” Looking at her, I noticed she was moving her shoulders.

  “Yes, it is fine so far,” I said, somewhat confused.

  Evelyn giggled. “She is trying to tell you to straighten your shoulders. I presume she is hoping that if you fixed it quickly enough, I wouldn’t mark it against you.”

  Alexandra looked down, like she was afraid she was in trouble.

  My shoulders? I guess they were a bit slumped. But not much. “Is this really an issue?” I asked.

  “Oh my. Is anyone else here with slumped shoulders?” Evelyn asked.

  Looking, only the four-year-old had slightly slumped shoulders.

  “Exactly,” Evelyn said. “I presume you don’t want to be treated as a four-year-old.” She turned her head towards Alexandra. “Your instincts were good, but your failure was simple. You didn’t coordinate a signal. But good job.”

  I smiled thinking about it. Alexandra was trying to help me. It was strange to think how just one night had shifted our relationship so drastically. I straightened up my shoulders. It was a pain, and it seemed rather moot to do, but this was not a time to argue.

  After breakfast, I went to practice some more writing. Evelyn decided to teach us instead of Elise, but she was nearby all the same. At least this part of the day was somewhat enjoyable. I looked forward to the day I could read my own letters and write them without help.

  “Your shoulders are slumped again,” Evelyn said.

  “Is it really all that important?” I asked. I was leaning over a desk, practicing my lines. What did it matter?

  She let out a sigh. “You’d so easily give your enemies fuel against you?”

  “What are you even talking about. What enemies! Why would I have enemies?” I asked.

  “The King informed me that Hatula was apparently under-taught, but well. I am starting to wonder if it is more a matter of your lack of knowledge. Are you saying you had no enemies in Hatula?” she asked.

  “Of course not!” I shouted. Why would I? We were all friends.

  “Utterly foolish,” Evelyn added. “In this world, the strong dictate to the weak. That is simply the way of the world. Even Hatula should understand that.”

  I stood up. “Maybe all you nobles are the ones that are ‘utterly foolish.’ Did that ever accrue to you? Not everyone seeks to act that way.”

  “Nobles?” Evelyn asked. “I am no noble. I am a commoner, born and raised.”

  I heard Alexandra gasp. She covered her mouth in the exact moment. So she didn’t know.

  “But… wait. I… but they. I thought nobles don’t bow to commoners?”

  Evelyn laughed as she stood up. “A reasonable mistake,” she said as she walked closer to me. “Until we reach the capital. I have the king's permission to act as I please regarding this house. So, for the next three weeks. I am a king,” she leaned in close and whispered into my ear. “That means I could destroy Hatula at any time I want. For any reason I want.”

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  I shuddered as a chill ran down my spine. I looked at her, and her eyes just burrowed into my forehead. I felt weak.

  Evelyn sat back down. “What? No more backtalk? By all means. Don’t let me stop you.”

  I just felt tiny suddenly as I shrank a bit in my seat. Alexandra coughed a bit and began rubbing her shoulders. Oh! Right, I quickly straightened my posture.

  Evelyn smiled. “Wind Maiden. Allow me to pay you one compliment. You exceeded my expectations in this regard. To have turned someone so staunchly opposed to you into an ally in one night. That is certainly a quality shared by very few. But do allow such a skill to inflate your ego. One should not make enemies or strengthen them.”

  Wait. Expectations? Was she saying that she sent us to bed together, hoping we would become friends? Ugh. She could have just said that. What was I supposed to think? One moment, she threatens my family. The next moment, she says she was trying to help me make friends. Nobles were so strange.

  “So, Lady Evelyn, what is your goal?” I asked. She wielded the power of a king for three weeks. It seemed she was after something.

  She just smirked. “A Maiden chosen by Luft is one I expect should be able to find that answer unassisted. Oh, and to be clear, that is an order. Do not allow anyone to aid her with that question. Is that understood?”

  “Yes, Lady Evelyn,” Emilia, Alexandra, and Elise said together.

  Evelyn took a sip of tea before her. “Wind Maiden. Am I to assume that Hatula had very minimal conflict?”

  “Yes.“

  “And when it did, the village chief resolved it?” she asked.

  I nodded.

  “Why? Why did they listen to the chief? Certainly, if two people disagreed. The one the chief disagreed with would be upset. Why didn’t he retaliate or otherwise challenge the situation?”

  “That’s childish,” I said.

  “Hatula has none that are childish?” she asked.

  I wanted to say yes, but I mean. A few adults certainly were childish, but it wasn’t that big of a deal.

  Her lips curved a bit at the delay in my answer. “Let me enlighten you. The adults, at least the men of Hatula, know about the Baron. They know the Baron will generally side with the chief. They understand where their taxes go. Remember Justin and Mary?”

  Those were the names of the two who lived in the house I planned to move into. The chief said they decided to move to another village. I was about eight years old at the time. “How do you-”

  “Did you think I simply came here? That I didn’t have letters flying around. That I wasn’t gathering information about Hatula before I got here? I know Kevin. His parents are Trina and Jason. His little sister Tayna. Your best friend, Jillian. Though you don’t know this yet, she is actually happy you were taken away. Because she is trying to marry Kevin in your absence.”

  How! How.. I… tears welled up in my eyes. “Jillian wouldn’t do that,” I said. We had been friends since we both met when we were five. She made me a flower reef when Kevin gave me his hand. I know she wanted him, but she said no hard feelings. She was happy for me.

  “I’m sorry to be the one to tell you, but it is true. But Justin and Mary, well, Baroness Malatise, please explain.”

  Elise stood up. “About eight years ago. I remember the letter. I received it that summer. The chief was requesting aid. Two people were getting aggressive and threatening him. He felt scared for his life. My husband sent some soldiers to collect them. We used magic to peer into their minds. We found that they were indeed guilty. They were killed for their crimes.”

  I covered my mouth as my stomach wrenched at the thought. Killed? I… but… “Was that really needed? Surely they could have been punished in more humane ways?”

  Evelyn clicked her tongue. “It is easy to say such things, for one who enjoyed the peace of Hatula, but never watched as the blood used to make it was poured. You don’t seem to appreciate your position, Wind Maiden. Nine Maidens are all that can exist in this world at one time. Once they prove themselves, they carry with them a power greater than any single king. If you wish to show us a better path. You will get that chance. But to insult our methods is to insult all of humanity. Do you believe yourself already worthy to guide us?”

  I clenched my dress near my knees. “Not knowing the right answer doesn’t mean your answer isn’t wrong.”

  She smiled. “Do you consider Baronness Malatise and the young miss to be your friends?”

  “Yes,” I said. Especially Alexandra. We had forged a bond last night.

  She walked over to me and held my chin as she whispered into my ear. “If you fail your posture one more time today. I will kill either your mother or Alexandra. I will let you pick. And if you try to refuse, I will kill both.”

  I jumped from my seat, looking for a chamberpot, but I couldn’t make it and ended up puking onto the floor. I fell to my knees. She… but why! That didn’t make any sense. I could hear the clicks of Emilia’s heels coming for me.

  “No. Zureinigen,” she said. I could feel the sick vanishing from my mouth. Ugh. As much as I felt better, I still hated it being done like that.

  “Well, with that, I think I shall go for a stroll. I would love to see the garden. Oh, Wind Maiden, one last question. Do consider, who among you might know what I told you, and how I might discover how well you do with your studies today.”

  That bitch! How could anyone make a choice like that! I had no choice! I couldn’t fail my posture today, one day. I could do it. Ugh. I hate that I already understood what she was getting at—the maids, the Malatise family, or even Adam. Any one of them could be reporting to them. Could I blame them? If I were Elise, I would absolutely want to protect my daughter.