I glare daggers at him. “You willingly accept the starvation of our allies, then? You accept and condemn the collapse of an entire country?”
“That’s not what I’m saying.”
“That is exactly what you are saying. A decision not to make a move is still a decision, and it’s a decision that speaks volumes about our ability to support our allies,” I point out. “If you’re going to roll over and play dead while Krasta goes belly-up, then how can our other allies ever come to trust us? We will set the precedent of abandonment of our allies in dark times, a precedent that will destroy our reputation for centuries!”
My father’s lip curls into a snarl. “That’s not what will happen, and you know it! Nations stay out of internal conflicts all the time! We cannot go around solving everyone’s problems, or we will never solve our own!”
“What problems do we have that we have not already solved?” I question, gesturing at the open windows. “Look down there! Our city thrives, we protect our farmers, our merchants succeed, and our crime rate is at an all-time low. We support even our lowest-earning citizens with social programs, and the Holy Church is involved in almost everything going on in the city. We have a perfect balance between religious and political power in our nation, and our preparations for famines and natural disasters are almost overkill. What problems do we have at home that prevent us from sparing the innocent civilians of our neighboring nations?”
My father opens his mouth to speak, but I hold up a hand to stop him. If I hear one more word come out of his mouth, I’m liable to punch him straight through that window. Instead, my gut simmering with rage, I gesture for the royal advisors to speak.
“You have the floor. Discuss our options. We will reconvene tomorrow morning to finalize plans.”
With that, I storm out of the conference room. Mina, who has been patiently waiting outside this last half hour, runs to greet me.
“Alessia! How did it go?” she asks.
I glower at the floor. “Great. Absolutely wonderful.”
Mina sighs, folding her arms over her chest. “What did that old man of yours say this time?”
“Only that I’m naïve, that I’ll start a war, and that we’ve got too many problems here to help Krasta.” I scoff. “What an idiot. He’s making shit up just so he can sit back and do nothing.”
“He’s done just about nothing since his wife died, that’s for sure,” Mina remarks. “But never mind him. We knew he’d be against you from the start. Let’s discuss what you want to do, not what he wants to do.”
“Sure. Just let me get cleaned up first,” I sigh, glancing at my travel-stained clothes. “It’s been a few days since I properly bathed.”
“Of course. I’ll run ahead and draw a bath for you.”
While Mina runs ahead, I think back to that last time I bathed, remembering the way Aurelio’s hands felt on my body. I feel my heart flutter in my chest, recalling his whispers in my ear and his soft lips trailing kisses down my back. Just remembering the feeling has my whole body tingling with excitement.
Well, that’s one way to forget about my dumb old dad, I think to myself, skipping along the corridors.
I wonder where Aurelio is now, and if he’s having a good time catching up with Kharu. We’ve only been apart three hours now, and already, I miss him. Annoying as it is, I’m falling head-over-heels for him, and there’s nothing I can do to stop it.
Oh, well. At least we’re married, so I don’t have to worry about him leaving me.
I open the door to my bedroom when I arrive, a smile working itself across my face as I see my familiar bookshelves and plants all over the place. It seems that Gemma’s daughter has been watering my plants like I asked, as none of them are withering away. With the sunlight streaming in through my many windows and a nice breeze circulating through the space, it’s perfectly warm, humid, and quiet for me to rest my weary body and mind. Once I’m clean, I’ll be able to pass out for a good twelve hours, forgetting for a moment that I’m walking right back into a world of responsibilities and fighting my dad for every decree.
I walk up my spiral staircase and into my bathroom, admiring for what must be the millionth time how beautiful the sunlight is sparkling on the marble walls and tiled floor. The porcelain soaking tub, which Mina has already filled with hot water and a colorful array of bubbles, sits exactly in the center of the room, with the toilet and sink situated against the walls in either direction behind it. There’s a small changing area on the wall closest to me with a chair next to the screen, and this is where Mina sits, awaiting my arrival.
“Everything’s ready for you, Alessia,” she says.
“Thank you, Mina.”
I get undressed and climb into the soaking tub, sighing with relief as the warm waters release the tension in my body and wash away the grossness from three days’ worth of traveling. I scrub the soapy water into my hair, letting myself float on the surface while the soap works its magic.
“Wow, have I missed this,” I remark.
“I wondered if you were missing home. You’ve never been away for that long,” Mina says.
“I missed home, but not like I thought I would,” I admit. “I felt like part of my home came with me, seeing as Daelia and Aurelio came with me.”
There’s a beat of silence, then I hear a tiny, muffled squeak of laughter. I frown for a moment. Then, I realize my mistake, and I sit bolt upright in the tub, sloshing some of the water off the sides.
“Oh my gods, I didn’t mean—Aurelio isn’t—Ugh, you know what I mean, Mina!”
She can’t hold it back anymore. Mina absolutely guffaws, nearly falling out of her chair because she’s laughing so hard.
