“Sorry,” Wila said, and Duncan stepped aside so she could come in. “I didn’t mean to interrupt. It’s just that it’s after five, and I was supposed to get the Princess at three for her birthday celebration.”

I glanced at the clock, realizing this had worn on much longer than I’d originaly planned. Wila walked over to me and gave the room an apologetic smile, but I knew she’d drag me out kicking and screaming if I didn’t put an end to the meeting.

“Ah, yes,” the Chancelor smiled at me with a disturbing hunger in his eyes. “I’d forgotten that you’l be eighteen tomorrow.” He licked his lips, and Tove stood up, purposely blocking the Chancelor’s view of me.

“Sorry, everyone,” Tove said, “but the Princess and I have plans this evening. We’l pick this meeting up next week then?”

“You’re going back to work next week?” Laurent looked appaled. “So soon after your wedding? Aren’t you and the Princess taking a honeymoon?”

“With the state of things, I don’t think it’s wise,” I said. “I have too much to get done here.”

While that was true enough, that wasn’t the only reason I’d skipped out on a honeymoon. As much as I’d grown to like Tove, I couldn’t imagine what the two of us would do on one. I hadn’t even let myself think about how we would spend our wedding night.

“We need to go over the changeling contracts,” Markis Bain said, standing up in a hurry. “Since the trackers are bringing the changelings back early, and some families decline to do changelings anymore, the placements have al been moved around. I need you to sign off on them.”

“Enough talk of business.” Wila looped her arm through mine, preparing to lead me out from the room. “The Princess wil be back to work on Monday, and she can sign anything you want then.”

“Wila, it wil only take a second to sign them,” I said, but she glared at me, so I gave Bain a polite smile. “I wil look them over first thing Monday morning.”

Tove walked with us into the hal, and even though we were out of the meeting, Wila stil kept her arm through mine as we walked.

Duncan stayed a step behind us when we were in the South Wing.

I’d gotten talked to many, many times about how I couldn’t treat Duncan as an equal while business was being conducted, and there were Tryle officials at work around us.

“Princess?” Joss said, scampering behind me with papers spiling out of her binder. “Princess, do you want me to arrange a meeting on Monday with Markis Bain for the contracts?”

“Yes, that would be fantastic,” I said, slowing so I could talk to her. “Thank you, Joss.”