Total pages in book: 124
Estimated words: 116570 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 583(@200wpm)___ 466(@250wpm)___ 389(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 116570 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 583(@200wpm)___ 466(@250wpm)___ 389(@300wpm)
“Yes, of course, the great chicken war. I can only hope Odette’s time right now is as intriguing as mine.”
“I doubt it, sir. After this, we have the Nationalism Reform Act to review. I’ve arranged for you to hear a word from two experts, and from what I have heard so far, they are riveting in their discourse.”
I wished to high heaven he was being sarcastic, but he was not. I did not know who was worse—Iskandar or Balduin. Actually, I did. It was him. Iskandar at least understood my sarcasm and chose to ignore it. Balduin, on the other hand, always thought everyone was just as interested and excited as he was to listen to lectures, records, and do paperwork, and thus, he took my sarcasm as excitement, which made him give me more to read over.
I did not wish to do this today. “We might have to postpone that riveting conversation for another day, Balduin, as tonight will be Odette’s first dinner here. There will be things we must discuss.”
“Oh, right, of course, I apologize. I was eager and forgot. What a shame, but then again, sir, maybe she would like to hear it as well. To understand some current events? I can have them wait until after dinner?”
Someone, please save me.
Chapter 9
“And so, it is settled,” Mr. Ambrose proclaimed as he looked over my personal staff. “Your first assistant is Ms. Gelula Mikkelsen.”
She was thirty-four, of average height and build, with a soft, round, plain face. I chose her because she had done a three-year study abroad in America. It wasn’t the best reason, but seeing as I barely knew anything of these people, I took any connection I could find. Plus, her winged eyeliner was perfect.
“Your second assistant will come when Ms. Mikkelsen has the day off. Your guard is Ms. Thelma DeBree.” Also known as Thelma, the bear, Thelma the giant, and Thelma, the fearless. With all of those names, how could I not choose her? Apparently, she was the seventh woman in Ersovian history to enter personal guards. I wasn’t exactly sure what that meant, but I was proud for her. She had short light-brown hair, and at six feet seven inches, she was a full head taller than all the men who came in with her. Like Iskandar, she wore all black with an embroidered emblem on the breast and the number 10 under her last name.
“Your secretary is Sir Wolfgang von Wolfgang XII.”
Wolfgang grinned and lifted his boyish, freckled face high.
“Sir? Why sir and not mister?” Not to mention that I had no idea his full name was Wolfgang von Wolfgang, and he was the twelfth one in his family to have that name.
“Because my family, the von Wolfgang, belongs to the Order of the Fallen Knights,” Wolfgang answered like I knew what that meant.
“The Order of the Fallen Knights?” I repeated, and it didn’t sound any less weird coming from my mouth than it did his.
“Yes, it is—”
“Um,” Mr. Ambrose interrupted, giving him a stern look, and Wolfgang took a step back in line with the two other women waiting. Mr. Ambrose’s gaze shifted back to Odette, but the stern look in his eyes did not let up. “Miss Wyntor, the tutors you have chosen, should be the ones to teach you history—for now, at least, as we do not have time to explain everything.”
“Didn’t we finish everything on the schedule?”
“The schedule is never finished,” he said, passing me the tablet.
2:30 – 3:00 p.m. Selection of personal staff.
3:05 – 5:05 p.m. Tour of the residency rooms and suites.
5:10 – 6:25 p.m. Preparation for dinner.
6:30 – 8:00 p.m. Dinner
8:05 – 9:00 p.m. Pašrévaka
9:00 p.m. – 7:30 a.m. Rest
Jesus, was every moment scheduled here? Actually, he had answered that. The schedule was never finished.
“P-Pas-Pašrévaka?” I sounded it out carefully before looking back at them to see if I had gotten it. Wolfgang nodded, Gelula cringed a bit but also nodded, while Thelma shook her head outright. Good to see they had a full range of opinions. “Okay, so I butchered it, but I think it means food after dinner?”
“It is the conversation held after dinner in the family room. The queen insists on it. I do not believe there is an equivalent term in English, so I left it as is,” Mr. Ambrose stated and stepped aside for me. “Now, let us begin our tour.”
My feet were killing me.
My head hurt.
And on top of that, I still had one urgent call to make. And out of everything else, that call was more important.
“Mr. Ambrose, thank you for this list, and I will do it, but I need time to speak with my mother. I am sure she has at least found out through the news, which is horrible already. If I do not call her soon, she might fly here and storm the palace gates.” I was joking, but the absolute revulsion at the mere thought of it was all over his face.