Ida's earlier teasing demeanor vanished, replaced by urgency. She scribbled a note and instructed Lily to give it to Leon. Summer glanced at Lily to see if the idea of dealing with Logan bothered her. But the girl only looked determined.

"What could she possibly want with me?" Following Ida through the castle hallways, Summer asked. Even as she did, her mind worked. She was an unmarried young woman, staying in the castle under Leon's protection—an unmarried young man.

Right. She kept forgetting those little details.

"Queen Aurora is..." Ida made a face. "She's not a bad person. Well, not much anyway. But she tends to have... outdated views."

"Outdated views? On what?"

"Everything," Ida said. "I'm not her favorite person, as you can imagine. She never made it a secret that she disapproved of me appearing in the castle as her son's guard."

"Because you're a woman?" Summer asked.

"Yes. Al and I were young when we joined Leon as members of his inner circle," Ida explained. "And her majesty then thought that sooner or later, Leon and I would fall into sin." Ida rolled her eyes.

So Summer's suspicions were right.

Dishonorable.

Iris, General Bordrick's daughter, had called Summer dishonorable. Summer hadn't thought much of Iris' words then. But in all honesty, she was more bothered than she should have been.

Summer never had much to her name. Her pride, her freedom, her honor. Those were things to which she had clung with the death grip of a starved, orphaned child. The things no one could take from her.

But honor meant different things for different people. For Summer, it meant her actions were always in line with her morals. For Iris, that might be a different thing altogether. Just like it might mean to Leon's mother.

Summer sighed. It shouldn't bother her, what a random old woman thought of her, no matter if she was the dowager queen. And yet it did. That irritated Summer even more.

From Ari's words the day before and now Ida's, Summer didn't like Leon's mother. That wasn't a good thing before even meeting the woman.

The castle was truly larger than she first thought. She discovered new corners every time. And the wing Ida led the way to looked the most beautiful. Even with her predisposition to dislike the woman, Summer found herself admiring her taste.

The hallway admitting them to the dowager queen's wing was lined with artwork, paintings, statues and tapestries. The vibrant colors and exotic scenes mellowed Summer's irritation. But not enough by the time they were admitted to a spacious sitting room in which two women awaited.

Sunlight flooded in through arched windows on two walls of the room. Flames crackled in a fireplace that seemed to be carved from the white stone walls themselves. Soft blue curtains poured from the ceiling to caress the floor.

A wide tapestry depicting the citadel from a low vantage point stretched across one wall. The colors were so vivid, the scenery so well done, Summer felt like she was staring at the real thing. It was so surreally beautiful, Summer remembered the curator's words about magic being in everyday people's talents. Maybe he was right.

The two women sat each in a plush chair the color of sunflowers. A maid tried her best to fade into the background. Summer's two guards stayed outside. Ida accompanied her inside. She curtsied at the two women.

The older woman would be Leon's mother. But who was the younger one? She looked around Summer's age, maybe older. Her skin was a flawless porcelain that almost glimmered under the sunlight. Her eyes were the darkest brown, and her hair, long and jet black, flowed in a silky braid down her shoulder, so long it rested on her lap. The soft blush dress only emphasized her ethereal beauty. Delicate and feminine, she reminded Summer of Leon's late wife in the painting she'd seen the night before. Not in looks, but in the way they held themselves: there was a strong spirit beneath their dainty exterior.

The older woman, on the other hand, looked... robust. That was the word that came to Summer's mind. Her hair, brown streaked with gray, was gathered in a severe knot at her nape. Age carved grooves between her eyebrows. The dark blue dress was a shade darker than her eyes. Eyes which were trained on Summer with a calculation that reminded Summer of Leon.

Summer remembered to curtsy. Ida had assured her that was the right etiquette.

The two women held dainty cups of tea. A platter of pastry and a pot of tea were set on the table in front of them.

"Your majesty. Your majesty," Ida said, then straightened.

Aha. So the young woman was the current queen. Never in her life had Summer thought she would see the queen. But then again, she'd never thought she'd be friends with a prince, either.

The young queen smiled, and Summer was struck with a sense of peace. She had a feeling the queen could make anyone feel comfortable with a single smile.

"Ida," the dowager queen said, but she was looking at Summer.

"Your majesty, your majesty, may I present Lady Summer?" Ida said.

"Why don't you join us, Lady Summer?" Leon's mother said. "You too, Ida."

Ida and Summer sat on a couch across the two queens. Summer smoothed her hand across the skirt of her green dress. She was glad for the pockets where she had stashed her knife. Though she had an inkling that the weapons she would need in this setting would not be physical ones.

"I wasn't aware you were coming, Ida," Leon's mother said, putting her teacup on its saucer without a twinkle of a sound. She poured tea into two cups and the maid passed on the cups to Summer and Ida.

"I'm tasked with the protection of Lady Summer for the time being," Ida said.

"I see. I assume Leon is hearing about this as we speak then," the dowager queen said.

Ida simply smiled and took a sip of her tea. Leon's mother sighed. She gestured, and the maid bowed and left the room. At the click of the door, the dowager queen looked at Summer.

"And you are my son's... friend, I assume," she said. "I heard you were accused of the theft."

"Yes," Summer replied. "I was."

"That doesn't seem to bother you."

"Why should it? I haven't done it."

Leon's mother, Aurora, raised her eyebrows. "You certainly are outspoken."

Summer had the urge to say that yes, since she had a tongue. She kept her peace, though. No need to be obnoxious. At least, not yet. She smiled and sipped at her tea.

"Your parents?" Aurora asked.

"I'm an orphan," Summer replied. Though she now knew her mother's identity, she didn't think she owed the dowager queen that much.

"I see. You've been cleared of the charges, I understand," Leon's mother said. "So what are you still doing here?"

Well, she was blunt. That served Summer just fine. She would be blunt as well. She opened her mouth, but Ida intervened.

"Lady Summer is still involved in the investigation."

"Investigation," Leon's mother sighed. "Why would you be involved in such a thing? There has been murder during the heist, if I'm not mistaken. It's dangerous."

"Your concern for my well-being is touching. But I'm more than capable," Summer said with a grin.

Leon's mother blinked. The young Queen chuckled.

"I do not find this funny at all. Women shouldn't have to be involved in such bloody matters. They're better left to the care of men. They are better suited to blood and gore."

The young Queen looked close to rolling her eyes. Summer couldn't hold her tongue. "Really? That's ironic, considering women see blood more often than men do. At least once a month."

The dowager queen gasped, her eyes wide. Queen Serene covered her mouth, her shoulders shaking. Ida looked stoic, but Sumer could read the urge to laugh in her eyes.

Summer took another sip of her tea. Hmm. She wished there was some more honey in it.

"Dear Lord, you- how could you bring up-" Aurora sputtered, color rising to her cheeks.

Oh my. She just made the dowager queen blush.

Aurora cleared her throat and smoothed a hand down her dress. It took her a few seconds to compose herself.

"I see you're one of those people who think women can do better than men in everything," Leon's mother said.

Summer could hear the genuine curiosity in the question, so she swallowed her acerbic response and gave a genuine reply.

"Oh, no. I won't deny there are things that men are better at than women, just as there are things women are naturally better at," Summer said. "Men are physically stronger, overall. That doesn't mean that all women should be stuffed into a box. Ida is better at a sword than most men. So should we simply ignore her talent, tell her to sit still and look pretty, just because she's a woman?"

Leon's mother narrowed her eyes, but it was the young queen who spoke.

"So should we make women half our military personnel?" She asked, a small smile on her face.

"Of course not," Summer said. "I just mean that recruiting should be based on competence, not gender. In all professions, not just the military. Why can a man be a cook, a medic, a tailor, a merchant, a soldier, a teacher, a farmer, but a woman can only be a wife, and when that fails, she is viewed as less?"

Summer stopped talking and took a deep breath. She had witnessed those prejudices in her old town. Where the women whose husbands had died or left, suffered because very few people would hire them. Damaged. Broken. Useless. So they were forced to beg or sell their bodies to feed their children. And then that very society that shunned them would blame them for their choices.

Being a good mother was one of the most important roles in society. Good motherhood defined entire nations. However, what about all those women who, for one reason or another, could not become mothers? The women who could not become wives? They were tossed aside and ignored.

Summer wished for a world where a woman would be viewed as more than a broodmare or a pretty trophy on a man's arm, but as a person, with wants and dreams and talents and fears. There was nothing wrong with wanting to be a wife or a mother, just as there was nothing wrong with wanting to thrive where one's talents lay.

Queen Serene smiled. "Lady Summer. Such a shame that I haven't met you before."

Leon's mother put her saucer on the table. "Enough of this. Lady Summer, what are your intentions regarding my son?"

Straight to the point. Summer blinked. "Well, I'm not going to kill him, if that's what worries you."

"Lady Summer!" Leon's mother snapped. A vein pulsed in her temple. "You're an unmarried young woman staying here under my son's wing. You seem to be smart, so you know perfectly well what I mean. I normally wouldn't involve myself in my sons' matters-"

Queen Serene coughed. The dowager queen continued.

"-but you are not someone I wish to see next to my son. Your blood is unknown. Your manners are a catastrophe. And you're hardly qualified to become a mother to Ari. You have nothing that will benefit my son."

Oh for goodness sake. Summer knew all that. But she was tired of people calling her inadequate and dishonorable on every turn. As if all she could ever amount to was to be a prince's dirty secret.

She put the tea saucer on the table and stood up. She was feeling suffocated.

"Your majesty. I know very well I'm not fit to lick the boots of your son. Don't worry. I have no fanciful notions about my place. I'm here for the investigation and the investigation only. Even if your son bends on one knee I wouldn't consider him."

Aurora gasped. "Who do you think you are-"

"Have a good day. Your majesty, your majesty."

Summer curtsied and left while the old hag was still speaking. Rude. But she didn't care one bit.

She jerked open the door and came face to face with Leon. His hand was raised to knock. He'd just gotten here. Did he hear anything? Summer felt oddly embarrassed.

She'd joked about this with him before, about what other people thought of their relationship. But being accused of it directly, and being told she was nothing but a leech, was a hit to her pride.

She plastered a smile on her face and curtsied. "Your highness."

Then she side-stepped him and strode away. Ida fell into step beside her. The two guards behind them. For the first time, Summer wished she could be alone again, with no worries about the integrity of her person past the thieving.

Ida had a massive grin on her face.

"What's so funny?"

"I can't remember a time when her majesty was rendered speechless," she said, soothing the sharp edges of Summer's hurt with her good humor. "That was the best thing I witnessed in a decade."

Summer chuckled. "Right. I'm glad it's entertaining."

Ida's sidelong glance was knowing. They walked in silence until they were out of the castle walls and in the gardens. Only then did Summer breathe easier. She deliberately slowed her steps, letting the lush verdure and the blue sparkling through the trees heal her eyes and her soul.

Shadow and sunlight played on the path they took. After several steps, Ida motioned for the guards to stay behind. Once they were out of earshot, Ida spoke.

"Growing up with Leon, I heard so many rumors about myself I thought I was going to go crazy at one point. I even considered leaving Leon's guard."

Summer drew to a stop and looked at Ida. She knew how much Leon and the position meant to Ida. To think of leaving it all behind... Ida must've been truly affected by the rumors.

"It's easy to say I don't care what others think of me," Ida said. Closing her eyes, she turned her face upward to drink in the sun. "As long as my conscience is clear, I shouldn't care about what anyone says. But there comes a point when the looks and the whispers become suffocating. I was even angry at Leon a time or two, because as a man and a prince, he could do nothing wrong. It was me who had to watch myself. Me who had to walk on eggshells.

"When he got married, I thought I would truly have to step down because even if his wife was not initially bothered with my existence, the rumors would make her."

"Did it happen?"

She smiled and looked at me. "No. Ria was... I'm physically strong. But unlike me, her strength was in her character. She had a backbone of steel, and yet she had so much compassion and love to give out. She took me in as her friend and confidante. After that, no one could really say anything about me and Leon. Because there was no way his wife would befriend his mistress.

"That's why the rumors ended. I wish I could tell you it was because people suddenly had more to do than gossip. But people would keep talking about you. Vicious, thorny words that sometimes cut worse than knives. People think that running their mouths is harmless. They have no idea the effect a single word could have on someone."

Summer sighed. Nothing changed, but she felt better. Talking about it helped. "At least I'm not going to be here forever. Once we figure out the heist and my mother's involvement, I'll get away from the castle faster than I could say whore."

Ida laughed. "On another note, and while I enjoyed your interaction with her majesty, it's not a good idea to be on her bad side. She's been in power for a long time, and she has amassed connections and knowledge that will allow her to make your life hell with nothing but a well-placed word."

Summer shrugged. "Like I said. I'm not lingering here for longer than I have to."

The thought of leaving the castle made Summer's chest tighten. She would miss it, for certain. She would miss Ida and Leon and Ari and Lily. Even grumpy Al. But, as she had said to the old hag, she was here for the investigation and the investigation only.

So why did her heart ache at the thought?

*** **** ***

Leon tried his best to rein in his temper. He sat across his mother and sister-in-law, his eyes flickering to the abandoned tea cup in front of him.

"Mother, I wish you hadn't done this," he said quietly.

Aurora set her lips. "If you are set on keeping that- that woman in a place where your son lives, then I should at the very least know what kind of person she is."

Leon rubbed his forehead. "She's a good person. You don't need to worry about Ari's safety around her."

If he could leave Ari safely with anyone, it would be Summer.

"I highly doubt that. She would certainly be a poor influence on him. The way she speaks is- is..." his mother shook her head.

Leon stifled a smile, his irritation ebbing. His mother, speechless. He should thank Summer for making him witness a miracle.

"I like her," Queen Serene said with a small smile.

"Of course you do," Aurora mumbled. "Leon, my son, I don't usually get involved in these matters because it's unseemly, but... are you dallying with her?"

Leon choked on his breath.

"I can't believe you're asking him that. It's quite inappropriate," Serene said, her wide eyes on the queen. But she didn't look very chastising.

"Yes, well, I think we were past propriety when that woman mentioned- mentioned... " she rubbed her forehead. "Dear lord, I need a headache salve."

Leon would have given out his left arm to witness Summer's interaction with his mother.

"No, Mother. I am not dallying with her," Leon said. "Summer is an honorable woman; if anyone implies otherwise, they will have me to deal with. Now, you have met her, so I see no reason for you to do it again."

"Are you warning me off of her?" Aurora asked, a surprised frown deepening the lines on her face.

Leon stood up. "If that is how you see things, Mother, then yes, I am warning you off of her. In the future, if you wish to speak to her, you'll have to do it in my presence. Now if you'll excuse me. The opening ball is tomorrow and I have a busy day ahead."

Serene stood as well. "If you'll be kind enough to escort me, brother-in-law. I have some preparations to oversee as well."

Aurora sighed and waved them off. "Yes, yes. Go away."

Leon felt a pang at the worn-out look on his mother's face. He kissed her cheek, receiving a pat on his arm, and walked out with the queen in tow.

His mother had always been the quintessential proper lady. But Leon could never forget how she had taken a hands-on approach to raising him and his brother when other noble ladies simply delegated their children to nannies and governors.

She had personally taught them to dance and, unexpectedly, to make slings. She had played with them until the hem of her skirt turned brown from dirt. Those were memories he cherished, memories that would always come to the forefront of his mind whenever his mother did something unbearable, like today.

Leon believed that if his mother truly knew Summer, she would adore her.

Leon walked Serene to her destination, the skirt of her dress whispering against the ground.

"Summer is an interesting woman," she said.

"Interesting could have different connotations," Leon said.

The queen chuckled. "Indeed. But I do like her."

Leon sighed. "If Victor hears you say that, he'll summon Summer immediately."

"He would, wouldn't he?" She smiled. Slanting him a twinkling look, she asked, "Are you thinking of marrying her?"

--- ---- ---

Thoughts?

I hope you enjoyed this chapter. Make sure to vote and comment. And let me know if you notice any mistakes, I appreciate it!

Much love <3 <3 <3

M.B.