"Popularity," Jimson replied.
Lily blinked. "Surely I didn't hear you correctly? His father wanted to be rid of him because he was popular?"
"Let me show you." The mirror cleared, and then showed a young man a few years older than Leopold, perhaps twenty-five, doggedly inspecting troops. He...was not handsome. He was not particularlyfat, but compared to Leopold, he was rather, well, lumpy. Leopold wore even the shabby outfit he had arrived in with a panache that made it look as if it was better than it was, and the fine garments that had been loaned him looked as if they had been made for him, and were flattered that he considered wearing them at all. This poor fellow in the mirror could never be described as anything but stodgy.
"This is the heir to the throne, Leopold's eldest brother, Theodore. No one dislikes Theodore, but he arouses no particular enthusiasm, either. He's not a bad fellow, and he's not dim, in fact he has a very good mind, but a good mind isn't the sort of thing you can trot out to show to the populace. He has never, in his entire life, done anything wrong. He has a plain little dumpling of a wife, who has produced three little dough-lumps of children. He is faithful to her, to his father, to his church."
"Whereas Leopold?" Lily asked.
"Has riotous parties in taverns, is frequently found abed with women who are no better than they should be, organizes street battles between factions of students from the University and once rode his horse into church because he said the beast needed the blessing more than he did." Jimson's face appeared again. "And while the leaders scold him, rail at him and hold him up as a bad example, the general populace adores him. He's more popular with the Army than anyone but the King. He is absolutely loyal to his older brother, mind you, and does not want the throne — "
"It would be too much work," Lily said wryly.
"Possibly. He is willing to work hard when he sees a reason to. When part of the city burned down he was out there in the street with the fire brigades, and when it was out, he was known to climb up on ladders with a hammer himself. He is loyal to a fault, he always keeps his word when you can get him to give it, and as far as I can tell, he has never purposefully hurt anyone. But the King absolutely despaired of poor Theodore getting any recognition for his hard work and many talents as long as Leopold was around. So, he booted him out."
For the first time since she had kneed him in the goolies, Rosa felt sorry for Leopold. It seemed a hard thing that he should lose his home and his place just because people liked him too much. After all, it wasn't something he could turn off.
Maybe he wasn't the sort of rake she had first taken him for.
"Since leaving, his popularity has continued to be more of a curse than a blessing," Jimson continued. "Although the fact that he hasn't mended his rather wild ways has not improved his position in the eyes of the various Kings and nobles whose daughters he has courted." Jimson waggled his eyebrows. "I must say, though, I am tempted to speculate that this is on purpose. Every one of those kings and nobles has offered him sums of money to go away as soon as their daughters began to demonstrate a real interest. If he really doesn't want to settle down..."
"I had the same thought myself," said Lily.
"I would shrug, but I have no shoulders," replied Jimson. "At any rate, there you are. All I know about the gentleman in question. At the least, I would say, he is unlikely to seduce the chambermaids, although if they attempt to seduce him, there will not be much cleaning done in his room. He is otherwise, so far as I can tell, a polite guest. Riotous drinking will take place in taverns, which is where he will sleep it off. Fights will not be held on the Palace grounds. The Ladies of Nightly Entertainment will be entertaining away from the Palace. I do not think he could ever be recruited to harm the Princess. However, I cannot speak for him letting something vital slip while in his cups."
Lily nodded. "So, I do not believe that he should be entrusted with the fact that Queen Sable and Godmother Lily are one and the same." She sipped her wine. "Thank you, Jimson. You are, as ever, a wonder, and I do not tell you that nearly often enough."
"Ever at your service, Godmother." Jimson's face faded, and the mirror reflected the room again. "I'd like to keep them here, Godmother," Rosa said hesitantly. "I see more reasons to extend our hospitality than reasons to send them on their way."
"And I agree with you." Lily replied, and was about to say more, when someone pounded on the door to the Queen's Chambers with a desperate urgency that made both of them jump.
"Doom!" trilled the bird, and flew out the window.
Lily and Rosa stared at one another, as the pounding began again. There was
absolutely no doubt that whoever was out there was not merely knocking to see what he could stir up.
"Your Majesty!" a tired voice shouted. "I bring urgent news of King Thurman!"
A Royal Messenger could be bringing good news — or bad. In either case, they needed to assume the roles of Evil — and possibly irritated — Stepmother and Rebellious — but cowed — Princess. Quickly Rosa composed herself and folded her hands in her lap. She watched Lily's expression completely vanish, leaving only the emotionless mask of Queen Sable. There was no need to do anything else, for not even here had she dropped the illusion of her disguise. When Rosa nodded, and schooled her own face into an expression of sullen unhappiness, Lily rose and passed through the private audience chamber, then opened the door.
A Royal Guard messenger, tired and covered in dust, all but fell inside. The servant who had accompanied him quickly backed away and hurried down the hall out of earshot. What Royal Messengers had to say was not for the ears of mere servants. "Majesty — please, I beg you, you must at all costs summon the Prin — " The Messenger stopped when he spotted Rosa in the other room, and nodded. "Good. You are both here."
Rosa knew then; she knew it by the man's white face and shaking hands. So, she expected, did Lily, who motioned her to come stand beside her. She rose from her seat and made her way slowly to the door. She did not have to manufacture an expression of dread. "Go ahead," Lily said, her voice steady.
The messenger took a deep breath and composed himself visibly. "I bear grave news, and was directed to give it to your hands only. His Majesty, King Thurman, is no more. His physician believes the cause was natural, but he and the chief Magician of the Guard are testing to be sure. Before he died, he named you, Queen Sable, as Queen Regent until the Princess comes of an age to rule at twenty-one." The messenger's voice was harsh; it was impossible to tell if it was from the dust of riding so hard and so fast, or from grief. Perhaps both.
Rosa felt strangely distant, as if this was happening to someone else. It almost felt as if she were an actor in a play, with all the lines memorized and the outcome predetermined. And of course, on one level...it was. The Tradition again. The beautiful orphaned Princess, besieged by enemies...was The Tradition now trying to force her down the path of being rescued by a Hero, or down the one where she became the spoils of the victor?