Page 26 of The Queen's Line

"Thank you for seeing me on such short notice, Mistress Sanders," I said, taking Wendell's hand and following him up the stairs, watching the older woman's eyes widen briefly with surprise.

"The honor is mine, Your Majesty," she said.

I squeezed Wendell's fingers before he could correct her use of the title. "Princess Bryony, please."

"Please, come inside. I—I haven't prepared a tea, but—"

"I really came for business, you don't need to exert yourself for our sake," I said quickly.

The house was clean and bright inside, although there was a funny feeling as I stepped through the doorway as if everything might've been leaning slightly to the left. Rebecca Sanders led us slowly down a hall and then into a well-organized office on the left. Behind me, Cosmo followed close with Cresswell Stark, who left another two guards at the front door.

Two mismatched chairs faced a long desk, and Rebecca's lips pursed as she glanced between us and them. Wendell managed the ceremony, pulling out the chair with the cushion for me and then gesturing Rebecca to sit before taking the empty seat, as Cosmo leaned in at my back casually.

"It's good to see you again, Pianetta," Rebecca said swiftly, her eyes bouncing over the four of us from behind her desk.

"It's good to be home again. I hope the city is behaving itself for you," Cosmo said.

Rebecca huffed and didn't answer, instead meeting my gaze with her own soft brown eyes. "I take it you've chosen a replacement for my late husband Frederick?"

"I—"Don't stutter. Don't look nervous."I would likeyouto take the position, unless you object. If it's been a burden for you, I'm sure we can find—"

"You wantmeto be magistrate?" Rebecca asked, jaw dropping slightly. All at once, the firm and steady woman of the front steps seemed to falter, and I recognized the expression in front of me. Not my grandmother's, but my own.

"Guard Stark and Cosmo have said you already are serving as magistrate, and if you aren't unhappy with the work, then I'm glad to make it official," I said.

She restored herself, lips pressing firmly and eyes traveling over the surface of her desk.

"I do have…changes I would like to implement, with your help," I said.

Her shoulders slumped and she didn't look up. "You'll want to raise the taxes now that you're living in the north, I take it."

"I'd like to lower them, actually. Well, I'd like to forgo them for the time being," I said.

It was as if I'd struck her with the announcement. Rebecca Sanders dropped back in her chair, twice as shocked as when I'd said I wanted her to keep the position.

"Forgo the taxes?" she breathed.

"I've dismissed Sir Hubert as steward of the Winter Palace, and I…suppose I will be in need of another. But I'm not entirely sure what kind of state the coffers are in or what I'll need the steward to be handling while I'm in residence. Also, there is the matter of the ban on hunting in the woods. I'd like it to be lifted, but I am concerned that might lead to a rush that's not sustainable. I was thinking of appointing a royal hunter who might…donate the meat to the citizens in some way."

Cosmo's hand passed gently over my shoulder, and I looked up to see the laughter in his eyes and the gentle smile. "Mistress Sanders looks as though she might faint."

She did look pale, and I wondered if she'd heard everything I said or if she was still stuck on the bit about the taxes. "A…royal hunter who gives his catch to the citizens?" she murmured.

Oh good, she had caught that part. "Yes, I know. I haven't sorted out how it would be most widely beneficial yet, but I'm open to input."

"I…I accept the position of Northern Magistrate, Your—Princess Bryony. And I will happily make the announcement of taxes being waived. I do… I am aware," Rebecca began cautiously, pulling a bound book out of a drawer of the desk, “that Sir Hubert borrowed against the Winter Palace's coffers. There was also a great deal transferred south last year. The current total is…not impressive," she said, turning the book to face me.

Wendell hummed, and I realized as I stared at the numbers that I had little to no idea what any of it meant. I could do that math, but in terms of what it would cost to maintain the castle versus what was available? I was lost. I turned to Wendell, and he frowned at me.

"It's…it's enough for good wages to the current staff and good meals, I would guess to last us through winter. Not much else," he said.

"Then that's where it will have to go," I said, nodding. Wendell smiled, and Rebecca's eyes volleyed between us as I turned to her again. "Waive taxes until the harvest and we'll revisit the subject then. As for the steward…I'd rather not leave it to the council to decide. I'm not a great fan of their first choice."

"Let me think of a few people, and I'll send them up to the palace for an interview?" Rebecca suggested. "There is—if you're considering lifting the ban on hunting, I wonder if you'd be willing to consider waiving some of the upcoming poaching convictions. In particular, there is a young boy, under sixteen, who is the sole provider for his younger siblings and—"

"Oh! Pardon him, please," I said, sitting forward.

Rebecca sighed and nodded. "I hoped you might say that. Yes, gladly."

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