The Royal Thief

Chapter Forty-three: Generations Past

Hey guys! Because there were more comments than usual, which helped me hammer out some flaws in the last chapter and put the rest on my to-revise-when-the-book-is-finished list, I dragged myself out of my sleep-deprived slump to write a bonus update!

Oh, and also, I do know how many days are in a week in our world. Just keep in mind this is a fantasy world, and their calender is different.

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"So, are you excited?" Nick asked mischievously, sitting himself in a chair as I yanked a brush through my hair. I was trying to return to normal after the uncomfortable interlude of being out for an entire day.

"For what?" I asked. I couldn't think of anything particularly exciting planned.

"For dinner with your creepy old admirer!"

It took me a full minute to figure out what he was talking about. And then it hit me. "The ambassador! I forgot! Is that tonight?" The invitation had come-- I considered it for a moment-- eight days ago. And it had said one week from that day. So yes, that made it today.

Nick sighed. "Why do I keep better track of your social engagements than you do?"

I snorted. He made it sound like I had an unending stream of invitations to dinners and balls coming through my door. But at the moment I was more preoccupied with the matter at hand. "Do you think I need to wear a dress?"

"Depends. Do you want him to think Solangians are uncivilized brutes with no fashion sense?"

"He already thinks that," I reasoned.

"And no wonder. Lord Mavel needs to just accept the fact that he cannot pull of royal blue."

I ignored him, dropping the brush to dig around my clothes chest. I still had, thanks to my habit of never returning things, the nice light blue tunic Cara had lent me for the dinner in the noble hall when Iso had first approached me. "Do you think I can wear this again?"

He didn't get to answer, as Cara swished the door shut behind her and put her hands on her hips. "Are you actually asking Nick what you should wear? Are you still not feeling well, or are you just insane?" She snatched the tunic out of my hands. "I'll be taking that back, please. You couldn't wear it anyway, he's already seen you in it. He'd think it was the only nice shirt you had."

"It is," I pointed out, then corrected myself. "Actually, it isn't. Now I have none."

"Well, maybe you should have bought that purple fabric I said would look good on you!"

I only made a face at that and she gave in. "I suppose you could borrow my green dress, the plain one, if you wear a nice belt and something in your hair..."

"Yeah," Nick put in, "Maybe the silver clip shaped like a butterfly with the orange jasper in the wings."

"Why would you think I have that?"

"Because Lady Madielle has been looking everywhere for it."

"Maybe she lost it."

"Or maybe it's in your box," he said, tilting his head towards the unassuming wooden box sitting on a shelf next to some weapon-cleaning equipment.

"Maybe it's not." It was. "I'll come get the dress later," I told Cara. "There's something I have to do first." She shared a look with Nick, but I didn't let either of them object. "I'm perfectly fine. The collapsing was an isolated incident. What you should really be doing is staying with Nemia, like Sam."

Nemia wasn't up yet, and I was worried. Jaden had talked with me so I knew what to tell the Sage and what not too-- but who would tell Nemia? I would have, but I had no idea what had made Jaden decide what was okay. All I could assume was that my dreams had made more sense to him than they had to me.