Page 154 of Night's Fall
“Are there artefacts and papers held elsewhere in the realm?”
“Laura—”
“Are there?”Ipushed.
“No,” he admitted.
“So, if another post is found for her, it will be outside what she went to school and studied to do.Whatshe found a job doing.Allbecause she’s pretty andErrolwanted to nail her.”
“I hesitate to note this, but she has free will.Itisn’t appropriate forErrolto dally with staff.Butshe had a say in the matter, a choice, and she chose wrongly.”
“I don’t disagree.Butit’s my understanding truth serum is mandated for anyone that has anything to do with thePalace?—”
“Laura.”
He said no more.
ButIheard him anyway.
Thus,Ifrowned. “Soit isn’t about her being dangerous around valuable items.It’sabout her being close, andErrolbeing done with her, and that potentially being awkward, that she’s being moved.”
“I’m afraid my father has also heard of this, and this is why the decision was made to transfer her,” he said each word like it tasted bad.
They tasted bad to me, andIdidn’t even say them.
“How often has this happened?”Myquestion was more of a demand for the information.
Aleksei didn’t need a demand,Iknew, and gave me the information freely and unhappily.
“Too often.”
Ugh!
“Okay,”Ibegan, “if they were, say, working together in the same place, this happened and it was against company policy, as per theEqualEmploymentDecree, theybothwould be reprimanded the same way.Andin essence, they bothdowork at the same place, but it’s onlyNatawho will have to face consequences.”
“What you say is true, butI’muncertain why we’re talking about her.”
“We’re talking about her becauseIwant to approach her to ascertain if she wants to be my aide.”
His brows shot up again.
He opened his mouth.
Closed it.
Took a breath.
And then he said, “Darling, this is unwise.”
Okay, now we were getting into the big stuff.
“I know it’s not her chosen field.Butit would be me making a statement to her, and more importantly, your brother.Sheprobably knows her days are numbered.Shewon’t begin to expect that theTrueHeir’smate, and incidentally, a soon-to-be princess, and then after that, the queen, would go out of her way to offer a private show of support and a condemnation of the prince’s actions.Inthe end, it’ll be her choice.Isaw the job description and the salary package.Idoubt she’s making that now.Thiswill be more responsibility, an increased credit line, more prestige.Itwould be a promotion.Myguess, a big one.Shewould be part of making history, not just conserving it.Andif she refuses the opportunity to interview, that would be her choice, knowing it’s highly likely she’ll be transferred, and will then need to make the choice to accept the new post, or quit.”
“I see there’s something you’re wasting no time getting used to.”
I knew what he was saying.
I was exploring the newfound power of my position.
