Total pages in book: 192
Estimated words: 192810 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 964(@200wpm)___ 771(@250wpm)___ 643(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 192810 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 964(@200wpm)___ 771(@250wpm)___ 643(@300wpm)
I was thinking we had more to talk about when it came to Princess Anna.
Aleksei kept sharing, but not about her.
“The same with means and motive for Timothee, or less likely, Errol, just to fuck with me.”
“Oh my gods,” I said a whole lot louder.
“However, considering they turned their weapons on me when they had the chance, an order I cannot begin to think either of my brothers would be behind, it hints at something deeper, more sinister and more concerning.”
Uh-oh.
“That would be?” I asked, even if I wasn’t sure I wanted to know.
“I introduced a bill in the UCR that would make it illegal, and punishable by prison time, to have sexual relations with or marry, even with parental consent, a minor under the age of fifteen.”
The UCR was the United Council of Realms, the governing body that oversaw all Four Realms in matters that could supersede the laws a realm made for itself.
It also had other functions that carried on after Unification crashed. There was a central bank, so we all used the same money. There was open trade and open borders. And some taxes went their way, so they could allocate resources, say should there be a natural disaster where humanitarian efforts and rebuilding were needed.
“I heard about that,” I said. “But it isn’t controversial. Each realm has a law in place that forbids it anyway. Except the parental consent thing. Even so, they say it’ll breeze through passage.”
“It has some opposition.”
Yuck. From who?
Aleksei answered my unasked question. “Sky’s Edge.”
I wanted to roll my eyes.
I didn’t roll my eyes.
Sky’s Edge was always stirring up trouble.
“King Arnaud,” I guessed.
“Apparently, he’s in love.”
“He’s in love a lot,” I replied.
And he was, usually with very young females. It was gross when he was in his thirties.
But they were all majority (that said, they were all only seventeen or eighteen).
“She’s twelve,” Aleksei shared.
Lilith and all her fiery friends!
“Ulk!” I gagged.
“And unofficially, they haven’t announced it yet, they’re engaged.”
“She’s just a child,” I snapped.
“He says it’s their religion.”
“It was their religion, hundreds of years ago. Oh, and that included sacrificing these poor virgin brides to their gods after they violated them. Are they going to resurrect that too?” I shook my head in disgust. “Those of the Edge always gave demons a bad name.”
“King Arnaud is feeling a shift to the fundamentals of their faith. And if he asserts that the bill is discriminatory on the grounds of religion, he has the basis to defeat it.”
“King Arnaud isn’t actually the king,” I shared my opinion on the matter. “He’s a pretender. He was second born. It was just that his father was a douche canoe, scraped off his first family and disavowed them when he fell for the wiles of Queen Tatra, and changed succession so Arnaud would have the crown. But that isn’t their law. He couldn’t do that. I still don’t know how he got away with it.”
“As such, things have been precarious in Sky’s Edge the last couple of years since King Riland died. A great many of the Edge feel the same way. Prince Tanyn, the true king, has a lot of support. And although they’re battling this out in the courts, if for some reason that shouldn’t go his way, there are rumors he’s planning a coup. Not everyone is feeling Arnaud’s shift to fundamentalism. And the rumor of his engagement to this girl is not popular with many, even if it’s very popular with some.”
“How have I not heard of this?”
“Do you keep up with current events?”
I couldn’t say I did. Social tapes gave me a headache. Everyone had an opinion, and most of them weren’t very informed, and those that were, were seriously skewed. Others were just plain boring.
And the news was usually depressing.
Case in point, what we were currently discussing.
“This sounds like a mess,” I said. “But I don’t understand why he’d target you.”
“Because something is wrong with Arnaud. Even if he wasn’t a pedophile, there’s always been something off about him. And I’ve always been clear I thought so. I also haven’t made it a secret that I support Tanyn in his claim to the throne. However, this is the first bill I’ve introduced that’s directed at him and his off behavior, and part of his being off is that he is completely incapable of dealing with someone who doesn’t agree with him.”
“An attack on you would mean war between our realms, and Dawn’s Break and Land’s End might have to get involved because they’re our allies.”
“Yes. As I mentioned, this could be far more sinister and concerning. The reason nothing about your assault was in the brief compiled on you is because there are no records of it. Farlay was a detective inspector at District Seven. He hasn’t reported to work since the gallery incident, and no one can find him. And before he vanished, he did not file your report and there’s no evidence he was investigating it.”