I Can't Eat Love

Part 17

"Well, people are definitely still talking." Rig leaned back in his chair, placing his feet on top of my desk.

I glanced down at them, trying to decide if I cared about the papers beneath his shoes enough to tell him to move. I didn't. Shrugging it off, I focused on his words instead.

"Let me guess, it's not very flattering to me, right?" I smiled grimly, remembering the backlash of my previous life.

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"You can't go outside!" My mother screeched as soon as she saw me enter the outer hall. "Get back in your room!"

"But... I..." I hesitated, unsure. It had been a week since Ronan had broken the engagement and announced that he would marry Edith. I hadn't heard anything from the queen since. I had thought to go try to see her. Seeing my mother's expression, however, I second-guessed myself.

"Do you know what people are saying outside?" She laughed bitterly, pouring herself another drink. "They're saying that you were either too incompetent to be queen and he had to break it off... or that you were unfaithful."

I stopped in my tracks. "That's ridiculous! I had passed the Queen's training AND I've barely even left this house other than to go to the palace, much less spend time with another. When could I have been unfaithful?"

"That's not what they're saying out there." Mother tossed back her drink in a single shot, wincing before pouring another one. "Apparently you were going to the Royal Gardens to meet other men fairly regularly."

"But I was with Edith the whole time! She'll vouch for me!"

She smiled at that. "Will she?"

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"Quite the opposite, really." Rig laughed. "The Queen stepping forward when she did helped quite a bit, and apparently your teacher Mrs. Rendler has been telling anyone who will stand still long enough that you were the best student she had ever had, a genius."

A broom swung down at his propped-up legs, swiping them off the desk. Rig's feet slammed to the ground and he looked up, insulted, at his attacker. Hallers, clutching the broom, a self righteous expression on his face, didn't respond, only cleaning off my desk and sorting the papers quickly before stepping back towards the wall.

Rig frowned, but didn't put his feet back up on the desk. "You already have a great reputation within the duchy, due to the reforms you've done with the government, as well as financing so many to go to school and learn a useful trade. Most of the families here feel that they personally owe you, and word has spread that you would have been a perfect queen."

I shuddered at the thought. "And marry that idiot? I'd rather shovel manure."

"And that's what everyone else seems to be thinking as well." Rig's grin widened. "There's even a song that street performers are playing called 'Ronan the Ridiculous.' It's about an idiot who cheats on a wonderful woman, drinks himself silly and falls into a latrine pit."

I couldn't help but laugh out loud at that. "What? It's only been a week! How did they write a song so fast?"

Rig shrugged. "I don't know, but it must of come from either a very creative, or very vindictive mind. It's an extremely catchy tune, and the nickname for the prince is becoming more popular by the day."

From behind me I heard an evil chuckle. I turned around to look at Hallers, but he only smiled very professionally at me, with no sign that he had been laughing at all. I ignored the small suspicion building in my mind and turned back to Rig.