Page 43 of Night's Fall
“And again, curtsying keeps that in check?”
“It is not the male,” she barked more sharply this time. “Itisthe throne.Itis the history.Itis the idea.It’sthe blood, shed and drawn.Itis the males and females who shaped this realm, their bravery, their sacrifice, their ambition, their foibles, their failures, their corrections.Aweaker throne might mean what we know asNight’sFallwould not even exist.We’vehad good rulers, and bad.Itis not one male, or female, who made us what we are.Itis all of them, their actions, their decisions, their loyalty.Andas a collection,thatis the throne.Thatis what you curtsy to.Andthatshow of respect is how those of theEdgeknow the citizens of theFallare loyal.”
“Which makes others hesitate to pull anything, because we’d all go batcrap crazy if they did.”
“Indeed,” she sniffed. “Ourking, our queen, ourTrueHeir, all of them are the personification of the totality of our realm.Assuch, they are elevated as representations ofNight’sFall.No.TheyareNight’sFall.So, they are untouchable.Assuch, if someone would wish to enrage the entirety of a nation, draw them into conflict, inflict the gravest insult, who would they select to bring low?Acitizen would anger us, but taking aim at theFallwould be setting your sights onthe throne.”
Oh yeah.
This protocol stuff was totally interesting.
It was also super scary, because obviously, in the grand scheme of the general crazies that roamed around and foreign policy’s tendency to get iffy, you understand in a vague way that there were threats to theRoyalFamily.
But now thatIknew one personally, and was coming to like him,Iwasn’t a big fan of this at all.
Suddenly, her ramrod-straight back went ramrod straighter, doing this beforeIheard most of her bones crackling as she dropped into a curtsy.
I got up from my desk, turned, and sawAlekseileaning on the open doorjamb.
Gods, he sure was hot standing in that doorjamb.Helooked like he could hold up the entire building.
Nevertheless,Isighed and dropped into a curtsy too.
WhenIrose,Inoted his eyes dancing and one side of his lips was hitched up as he strolled into the room.
“As ever, an honor, your highness,”MadamGarwahsaid (and yes, it was still a bark, a quieter one, but one nonetheless).
“Is my female causing you problems with her disrespect for tradition?” he asked, the smooth of his voice rippling with amusement as he approached the stage.
“Not at all,PrinceAleksei,” she responded, and she sounded like it wasn’t a lie.
He offered his hand.
She put hers in his.
He squeezed it and dropped his head in a modified bow.
She preened.
Again, he could be sweet and cute.
He let her go and came to me.
And then he was not cute, instead he was just…everything.
His eyes were now night blue.
Seriously, that was soamazing.
He offered his hand.
I put mine in it.
He didn’t take his eyes off me as he raised it to his lips and brushed them against my knuckles.
I wobbled on my heels and bit my lip.
“Good evening,Laura,” he murmured, causing another wobble.
