“I keep secrets from her too,” Bitterblue said. “Things she should probably know.” For example, she hadn’t told Hava that blue foxes could read everyone’s minds and defied their bonded humans yet. She’d told Giddon, but was worried that telling Hava would break her promise to the fox. Nor did Hava know about Giddon, for the relationship was still so new, and so newly dear. Bitterblue didn’t have the armor yet to hold up against Hava’s sarcasm.

“You’ll tell her, when it’s time,” said Giddon gently.

“Yes,” said Bitterblue. “Speaking of which,” she added, her expression turning into something rueful. She didn’t want to do the next thing on their agenda today. “Should we go talk to Froggatt?”

—

They found Froggatt in the greenhouse on the hotel’s roof, staring at a tall, slender, pink lily.

“Would you join us for some tea and cake, Froggatt? Here among the flowers?” said Bitterblue, a suggestion that seemed to make him rapturously happy.

They sat at a small garden table. “We’re about to tell you something you must tell no one, Froggatt,” said Bitterblue. “Not even other members of my staff.”

Froggatt swelled at this honor. “Yes, Lady Queen?”

“Giddon and I are getting married.”

Now Froggatt flushed. “But, Lady Queen!”

“I don’t want to hear a word about him being a disinherited ex-lord from the Middluns,” said Bitterblue.

“My concern, Lady Queen, is less that he’s a disinherited ex-lord from the Middluns and more that the reason he’s a disinherited ex-lord from the Middluns is that he spends his time crossing the seven kingdoms—”

“Seven Nations,” Bitterblue corrected.

“Seven Nations, which are no longer the seven kingdoms precisely because your proposed future husband is a renegade who, along with his renegade friends, captures and deposes monarchs! And you are a queen!”

“Yes,” said Bitterblue. “We agree it’s awkward. But no relationship is without its challenges, Froggatt. This is going to happen. I’ve chosen you as our ally here at the beginning because someone in a queen’s circle should know her marital intentions, and because we’ll need support when we make the news public. Was I wrong to trust you?”

Whatever Froggatt had been going to say next, he swallowed it. “Of course not, Lady Queen.”

“You understand that you have no license to try to talk me—or Giddon—out of it?”

“I understand that you’ve made up your mind, Lady Queen.”

“Good.”

“And I hope you’ll both be very happy,” he added belatedly, perhaps after noticing the twitch of Giddon’s mouth across the table.

“Thank you,” said Giddon gravely.

“Lady Queen,” said Froggatt, suddenly anxious, “are you really all right? Your advisers can tell when you’ve been crying.”