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There’s no royal from Diamond to give a speech, so when the last player has been introduced, Julia thanks everyone for coming and says she hopes they’ll all be as vocal when the games begin. “ESPECIALLY YOU TOPAZERS!” she concludes with a grizzly bear roar of a chuckle, and the locals loudly assure her of their full support.
With the preliminaries out of the way, the teams drift down off the turrets, to mingle in the low-lying area of the island. I stick close to Inez, who doesn’t seem fazed by the crowd. She slips around people and groups, pausing every now and then to say hello to an old friend and quickly catch up. She never introduces me, but I don’t mind. I’m busy soaking up the sights and sounds, eyeing the gropsters from the different realms, listening to them speak and shout.
I spot Cal at one point, with a few of the Diamonds, laughing heartily, swapping tales. He spent much of his life in Diamond, working for King Lloyd, so I suppose he still considers them his people, even though he identifies as a Sapphirite now. He looks happy, and they’re the same, able to temporarily forget about the dire plight of their realm.
Someone taps my shoulder and I turn with a smile that quickly vanishes.
It’s Pitina.
“We meet again, Archibald Lox,” she says, making the greet.
“It’s guh-good to suh-see you, your huh-highness,” I stutter, completing the greet with shaking hands.
“You avoided me on our way here,” she says.
“No,” I protest.
“Yes,” she purrs, “but I understand why you might feel awkward in my presence, so I bear you no ill will.”
“Really?” I frown.
The queen arches an eyebrow. “Is that so hard to believe?”
“Well... after what we did... delivering Ghita and swinging the vote...”
“Ignore him, your majesty,” Inez says, kicking my shin as she smoothly joins the conversation. “Archie has forgotten that you were as worried about the princess as the rest of us.”
“Many might not believe it,” Pitina murmurs, “but it’s true. Ghita’s like a little sister to me.”
“Then why didn’t you try to stop Orlan and Argate from killing her?” I ask, and this time Inez kicks me so hard that I cry out with pain.
“I don’t like to see people suffering,” Pitina says with an icy smile, “but I have to say he deserved that.”
“Why?” I moan, taking a step away from Inez, tears in my eyes.
“What proof have you that the killers targeted Ghita?” the queen asks.
“They tried to kill Inez,” I reply.
“That could have been for any of a number of reasons, couldn’t it?” the queen asks Inez.
“Yes,” Inez says quietly. “I’m pretty sure it was because I was carrying Ghita, but I can’t say for certain.”
“You should never level an accusation without proof,” Pitina says to me. “Orlan Stiletto and Argate Axe are dangerous men, but if you can’t present me with proof that they tried to kill Ghita, you should hold your tongue.”
I gulp and wish I could sink into the ground. As I’m trying to think of something to say to calm the angry queen down, someone else taps my shoulder, and I find myself facing a young woman in a brilliant yellow dress, with a blue, icicle-shaped ornament in her pale yellow hair. She has a blunt, pasty face, with a nose too large for the rest of her features. She might not be judged pretty by most standards, but she’s smiling beautifully.
“You’re Archibald Lox, if I’m not mistaken,” she says.
“Yes,” I say, “but most people call me Archie.”
“Then welcome to Topaz, Archie,” the woman says. “I’m Malina.”
My eyes widen and my tongue freezes. This is the queen who’s hired us to kidnap Prince Hiroto, and I can’t think of anything to say to her. Luckily for me, she turns to Pitina to make the greet, which affords me a few seconds to gather my thoughts and regain control of myself.
“I’m sorry you weren’t able to give your speech,” Malina says to Pitina. “I’d been looking forward to it.”
“I don’t know why,” Pitina laughs. “It would have been the same old thing.”
“I doubt it,” Malina says, then turns to Inez. “And you must be the camel.”
“Inez Matryoshka,” Inez nods.
“I was surprised when I heard you were travelling with the team,” the queen says.
“Just here to see the sights and maybe pick up some jobs,” Inez says.
Malina grunts. “I only counted twenty-six gropsters when Julia was introducing the team.”
“Really?” Inez says, feigning ignorance.
“I wonder where the other four could be hiding?” Malina purrs.
“Where indeed?” Inez grins.
“I sense a sting in your tail,” the Topazer queen says.
“I haven’t a clue what you’re talking about,” Inez says, then both of them laugh.
“Will I see you at the soirée later?” Malina asks Pitina.
“Of course,” Pitina says.
“And you?” she asks Inez and me.
“We’re not invited,” Inez says.
“You are now,” Malina says.
Inez looks startled and glances at Pitina.
“You don’t have to check with me,” Pitina says. “This is Malina’s realm. She can invite whomever she pleases.”
“But the soirée is for royals and nobles,” Inez says.
“There’ll be a few others too,” Malina says. “I think you and Archie would prove entertaining additions. Whether my fellow royals approve or disapprove of your role in the vote in Sapphire, I’m sure they’d be keen to hear about your adventures.”
“We wouldn’t enjoy that kind of attention,” Inez says, but I’ve spotted someone behind Malina. It’s Cindy. She casts a very slight nod at me, and I understand that she wants us to come to this sworay, whatever it is.
“Actually, I’d really like to go,” I say, surprising Inez.
“You want to go to the soirée?” she blinks.
“I love a good soirée, me,” I beam.
Inez stares at me as if I’ve been taken over by somebody else. Then she shrugs. “In that case, your majesty, we’d be delighted to accept.”
“Wonderful,” Malina says, then takes Pitina by the elbow and leads her away to introduce her to the captain of the Topaz team.
Inez is still staring at me.
“What?” I smirk.
“I didn’t think that sort of thing would appeal to you,” she says.
“Maybe you don’t know me as well as you think,” I sniff. Then I lean in and whisper, “What is a sworay?”
“You don’t know?” she asks, startled.
“I don’t even know how to spell it,” I laugh, then tell her about Cindy and the real reason I accepted Malina’s invitation.