Avery asked. The room was still dark, so he must have heard me tossing.
“Yeah. Sorry. Bad dream.”
“It’s cool. Not sleeping that great myself.”
I rolled to face him even though I couldn’t see a thing. Only senior officers had rooms with windows.
“What’s going on?” I asked.
“I don’t know. Would it be okay if I thought out loud for a minute?”
“Sure.” Avery had been a great friend. The least I could do was spare him a few minutes of my sleep.
I heard him sit up, deliberating before he spoke. “I’ve been thinking about Woodwork and Marlee. And about Lady America.”
“What about her?” I asked, sitting up myself.
“At first when I saw Lady America run for Marlee, I was pissed. Because shouldn’t she know better? Woodwork and Marlee made a mistake, and they had to be punished. The king and Prince Maxon have to keep control, right?”
“Okay.”
“But when the maids and butlers were talking about it, they were kind of praising Lady America. It didn’t make sense to me because I thought what she did was wrong. But, well, they’ve been here a lot longer than we have. Maybe they’ve seen a lot more. Maybe they know something.
“And if they do, and they think Lady America was right to do what she did … then what am I missing?”
We were treading dangerous ground here. But he was my friend, the best I’d ever had. I trusted Avery with my life, and the palace was one place where I could really use an ally.
“That’s a really good question. Makes you wonder.”
“Exactly. Like sometimes when I’m on guard in the king’s office, the prince will be working and then leave to do something. King Clarkson will pick up Prince Maxon’s work and undo half of it. Why? Couldn’t he at least talk to him about it? I thought he was training him.”
“I don’t know. Control?” As I said the word, I realized that had to be at least partially true. Sometimes I suspected Maxon didn’t completely know what was going on. “Maybe Maxon isn’t as competent as the king thinks he should be by now.”
“What if the prince is more competent and the king doesn’t like it?”
I held back the laugh. “Hard to believe. Maxon seems easily distracted.”
“Hmm.” Avery shifted in the dark. “Maybe you’re right. It just seems like people feel differently about him than the king. And they talk about Lady America like if they could pick the princess, it would be her. If she’s the type to disobey like that, does it mean that Prince Maxon would, too?”
His questions hit on things I didn’t want to acknowledge. Could Maxon in fact be pushing against his father? And if that was the case, was he also pushing against the crown and all it stood for? I’d never been a fan of the monarchy; I didn’t think I could seriously hate anyone who fought it.
But my love for America was bigger than everything else, and because Maxon stood between me and that love, I didn’t think there was anything he could say or do that would make me consider him a decent person.
“I really don’t know,” I answered honestly. “He didn’t stop what happened to Woodwork.”
“Yeah, but that doesn’t mean he liked it.” Avery yawned. “I’m just saying, we’ve been trained to watch every person who comes into the palace and to look for any hidden intentions. Maybe we should do the same with the people who are already here.”
I smiled. “You might be on to something there,” I admitted.
“Of course. I’m the brains of this whole operation.” He rustled with his blankets, settling again.
“Go to sleep, brainiac. We’ll need your smarts tomorrow,” I teased.
“On it.” He was still for maybe a whole minute before he piped up again. “Hey, thanks for listening.”
“Anytime. What are friends for?”
“Yeah.” He yawned again. “I miss Woodwork.”
I sighed. “I know. I miss him, too.”
CHAPTER 7
I DIDN’T MIND THE INJECTIONS so much, but they stung like hell for about an hour
“Yeah. Sorry. Bad dream.”
“It’s cool. Not sleeping that great myself.”
I rolled to face him even though I couldn’t see a thing. Only senior officers had rooms with windows.
“What’s going on?” I asked.
“I don’t know. Would it be okay if I thought out loud for a minute?”
“Sure.” Avery had been a great friend. The least I could do was spare him a few minutes of my sleep.
I heard him sit up, deliberating before he spoke. “I’ve been thinking about Woodwork and Marlee. And about Lady America.”
“What about her?” I asked, sitting up myself.
“At first when I saw Lady America run for Marlee, I was pissed. Because shouldn’t she know better? Woodwork and Marlee made a mistake, and they had to be punished. The king and Prince Maxon have to keep control, right?”
“Okay.”
“But when the maids and butlers were talking about it, they were kind of praising Lady America. It didn’t make sense to me because I thought what she did was wrong. But, well, they’ve been here a lot longer than we have. Maybe they’ve seen a lot more. Maybe they know something.
“And if they do, and they think Lady America was right to do what she did … then what am I missing?”
We were treading dangerous ground here. But he was my friend, the best I’d ever had. I trusted Avery with my life, and the palace was one place where I could really use an ally.
“That’s a really good question. Makes you wonder.”
“Exactly. Like sometimes when I’m on guard in the king’s office, the prince will be working and then leave to do something. King Clarkson will pick up Prince Maxon’s work and undo half of it. Why? Couldn’t he at least talk to him about it? I thought he was training him.”
“I don’t know. Control?” As I said the word, I realized that had to be at least partially true. Sometimes I suspected Maxon didn’t completely know what was going on. “Maybe Maxon isn’t as competent as the king thinks he should be by now.”
“What if the prince is more competent and the king doesn’t like it?”
I held back the laugh. “Hard to believe. Maxon seems easily distracted.”
“Hmm.” Avery shifted in the dark. “Maybe you’re right. It just seems like people feel differently about him than the king. And they talk about Lady America like if they could pick the princess, it would be her. If she’s the type to disobey like that, does it mean that Prince Maxon would, too?”
His questions hit on things I didn’t want to acknowledge. Could Maxon in fact be pushing against his father? And if that was the case, was he also pushing against the crown and all it stood for? I’d never been a fan of the monarchy; I didn’t think I could seriously hate anyone who fought it.
But my love for America was bigger than everything else, and because Maxon stood between me and that love, I didn’t think there was anything he could say or do that would make me consider him a decent person.
“I really don’t know,” I answered honestly. “He didn’t stop what happened to Woodwork.”
“Yeah, but that doesn’t mean he liked it.” Avery yawned. “I’m just saying, we’ve been trained to watch every person who comes into the palace and to look for any hidden intentions. Maybe we should do the same with the people who are already here.”
I smiled. “You might be on to something there,” I admitted.
“Of course. I’m the brains of this whole operation.” He rustled with his blankets, settling again.
“Go to sleep, brainiac. We’ll need your smarts tomorrow,” I teased.
“On it.” He was still for maybe a whole minute before he piped up again. “Hey, thanks for listening.”
“Anytime. What are friends for?”
“Yeah.” He yawned again. “I miss Woodwork.”
I sighed. “I know. I miss him, too.”
CHAPTER 7
I DIDN’T MIND THE INJECTIONS so much, but they stung like hell for about an hour
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