The True Confessions of a Nine-Tailed Fox

Chapter 86: Queen's Spy

Say it again, I repeated, as patiently as I knew how (which is to say, more patiently than Mistress Jek or even Floridiana would have).

With a gulp, Lodia obeyed. "Um, forgive me, spirit? I meant no offense?"

No no no. Don't say it like they're questions. Pretend you're the queen, and you have to apologize to your least favorite courtier.

"Pretend...I'm the – Queen?"

I didn't know why she looked so horrified. It wasn't like I'd told her to pretend to be a goddess who was the Director of a Bureau who was forced to apologize to her lowest-ranking star sprite clerk. (In that case, Lodia wouldn't have had to utter a word. But the demeanor might have been too much for her to handle. For now, anyway.)

Yes. Surely you've seen your queen before?

After all, Lychee Grove did seem to be a fairly important fief. It had entire farms to produce precious fruit that was presented as royal tribute, it designed and minted its own coins, and it regularly hosted royal hangers-on (ugh). The queen of South Serica had to visit from time to time, if only to assure herself of the Lady of Lychee Grove's continued loyalty. And to drain the fief's treasury via lavish entertainment. It was how Cassius had done it, although since he'd been emperor and hence far too glorious to sleep under someone else's roof, he'd dispatched his uncles or brothers as "representatives of the Son of Heaven."

I'd convinced him to send Marcius once. It was hard to say who was unhappier by the end of that visit – Marcius, at being dragged away from his research to endure all those balls and bribes, or Cassius, at how unscathed that particular duke's treasury wound up being. It was one of the few times when all of the emperor's advisers united against me to agree that Marcius should not be sent on any more official visits.

I wondered what he was up to right now. Probably climbing a tree in search of fruit. Ha. The image of him as a monkey in a lychee tree cheered me, and lent me actual patience with poor, timid Lodia.

Surely you've seen your queen before. Mimic her mannerisms.

"Um...forgive me, spirit. I have only seen her from afar...."

Yes, but that's enough to give you a sense of her bearing, isn't it?

She dropped her gaze to her lap, seemingly ashamed. "Spirit...my, um, my eyes...I have some difficulties with them...with seeing far.... And we – my family – we were not permitted any closer...."

Well, with all that embroidery in poor lighting, obviously she'd have eye problems. To be honest, I was surprised her family hadn't put a stop to it. Maybe Rohanus was too nice to order his daughter to stop her favorite hobby, but Missa should have no such issues. Maybe she was too busy with work to realize that her granddaughter was getting near-sighted. As for not being allowed close to the queen, that surprised me. Perhaps the Lady of the Lychee Tree and her Mage-Architect weren't as important as I'd imagined. Well, no matter. I was here now to fix things.

We're going to start by correcting your carriage. Walk like this.

I puffed out my chest, held my neck straight, and strutted a few steps.

With a sparrow's body, it must not have had the desired effect, because Lodia's lips parted in an involuntary "Eeee!"

I rolled my eyes. More walking, less squealing.

Reluctantly, she pushed back the bench, stood, and took a few faltering steps, neck rotating to monitor my reaction the whole time.

Don't slouch. Spine straight. Shoulders back. And don't keep looking at me for approval.