Princess for Hire (21 page)

“It’s called
using your mind
, Lilith. You should try it.”

Out of nowhere, Meredith, in black leather pants with a green flouncy blouse, was standing right next to me. Meredith, who had said she had other work to do, who was always too busy for me, had come to save the day. Unless she had come to watch me destroy myself. I could imagine her enjoying that.

“Meredith.” Lilith clapped her hands. “So glad you could overcome your little phobia to join us.”

“Well, thank you, Lilith. I’m actually late because Hank came up with a solution for the interface problem. He really needed a hand. You all know how technology can react with magic. Anyway, the new PPR system is finally working, so we can include the princesses’ take on the matter too.”

“Of course.” Lilith eyed Meredith with a mix of respect and disgust. “The more evidence, the merrier.”

Meredith disappeared from the spotlight for a moment and whispered to someone or something in the darkness. Lilith tapped her foot, and I stared in the direction of the judges, doing my best to read their minds. Or perform telepathic voodoo. Just close the case.

Close. The. Case.

“All right.” Meredith’s voice was all sugar, like she was on the phone with a client. She even slid her arm protectively over my shoulder. “Let’s watch Desi’s Progress Report from Princess Simmy, the princess Lilith claims Desi incorrectly impersonated.”

The Webcam video rolled, and there was Princess Simmy seated at her desk, her duck mobile dangling over her head.

“How would you rate your sub’s performance and why?” asked a computerized male voice behind the camera.

Simmy beamed. “I’d give her a five.”

“A five out of ten?” the man asked.

Thanks, Meredith, and this footage was supposed to help me how?

Simmy laughed. “Oh, sorry. I got mixed up. I meant a five out of five. Or a ten out of ten. I would give her a perfect!”

“Why’s that?”

“Because she gave Nabila a piece of her, uh,
my
mind. I’ve always wanted to do that, and now because Desi started it, I’m standing up to her too. And I’m feeling better about myself and taking care of my body. Plus, I love Queen Raelena and I’m scheduled for all kinds of performances on my French horn. Can I can send my sub something as a thank-you—maybe a box of dates?”

My stomach twisted. Dates. Some subs get tiaras. I get dates. But wow. That was pretty excellent hearing feedback like that. And Simmy looked so happy!

“Oh, come on,” Lilith said. “So she made a lucky mistake. Still doesn’t change the fact that she was going against our age-old rules of impersonation. The rules
I
dutifully taught her, by the way. When you take into account the hard evidence—”

“Good idea, Lilith. Roll the next tape, please.”

The next video came on, featuring Princess Ama, still wearing her ceremonial attire, surrounded by rain forest. Holy blow darts. I was about to get it.

The interview was in Ama’s language, with subtitles in English. “I love sub girl much! It was an affectionately personal touch she did go out of her road and meet me and somehow smooth this worry over with my dad. And Tereis love the dance! He said it had otherworldly and spirit essence toward it. Oh, and my whole village was so excite about the visit tree spirit. So winning for everyone!”

See? Awesome dancing. And note to self: the little things count. Who would have thought smiling to her dad could impact so much? I guess impacting doesn’t always have to be something major.

“Okay, we get it.” Lilith yawned. “So she has good progress reports from two nobody Level One princesses. We still don’t have her PPR for Elsa, and you can’t explain away Desi’s romantic rendezvous. But you know how that goes, don’t you, Meredith?”

Meredith shrunk into herself for a moment, then shook her head. “Now, Lilith. You don’t see me bringing up your past mistakes, like those awful feathered bangs, or when you drove the Duke of York’s car into a lake—”

“On topic, Meredith,” Orange Hair scolded, although she sounded like she was smiling when she said it.

“Of course. Let’s examine Desi’s final position, shall we? While I don’t have the PPR yet, there is this footage from the night Desi left.”

The room filled with the audio before the picture came on. The howling and wailing of the storm vibrated on the stone walls. Seconds later, a graying image appeared on the screen. Through the mist and darkness, you could see me running in the rain, looking quite crazy, actually. Then it cut right to me sitting next to Nana Helga’s bed, rubbing her feet.

“Desi helped save Nana Helga’s life,” Meredith said softly. “No one trained her for something like that. Desi truly performed as a princess should.”

“And how do you account for her snog-fest after that?” Lilith sneered. “She was obviously seeking out her own wish fulfillment, and I’m not going to stand here and—”

“Careful, Lilith,” boomed the richest, most regal-sounding voice I’d ever heard.

“Genevieve, I was trying to—”

A spotlight shone on the rainbow-haired woman standing in the middle of the court. Genevieve, with her long neck, even gaze, and commanding stance, looked very much like a queen ruling her kingdom. Except for, you know, the Bozo the Clown hairdo. “I know exactly what you were trying to do. Now, I think we have sufficient evidence from both sides of the case. The court will deliberate. Lilith, Meredith, and Desi, you may wait in the hall until we have reached our verdict.”

Meredith kept her arm around my shoulder as we left the courtroom.

“That was a weak effort,” Lilith said, once we were alone in the hallway.

“It was, Lilith.” Meredith flashed her most dazzling of smiles. “I thought you’d have given a better case for the prosecution.”

“Oh, Meredith. You look so radiant when you’re wrong.”

Meredith squeezed my shoulder. “This girl’s a survivor. You’re just jealous you’re not representing her.”

She pulled me far away from Lilith and gave me hug. “That was a struggle. I haven’t been back to the court since I had my own appeal after that…
thing
with my prince. Since then, I’ve always had someone serve as my counsel for my subs. But I knew you needed me. I just had to get your PPRs first.”

“You were amazing.”

Meredith stood up a little taller. “I was, wasn’t I? Wow, I can’t tell you how good it felt to talk to Lilith like that.”

I thought of Celeste and her little heart-shaped face. “I’ll bet.”

The doors opened. “We’ve reached our verdict.” Genevieve’s voice echoed. “You may enter.”

Chapter
24

I
swallowed. They couldn’t have deliberated more than five minutes. Dad always said that when your case is weak, you want the jury out as long as possible. It means they’re weighing out both sides. Even Celeste Juniper’s dad got two hours before they sent him to jail.

I cast a sideways glance at Meredith, her chin up and eyes defiant. At least she came through for me in the end. I’d have to make sure and thank her before they wiped my memory of her. And Karl.

“We have reached a verdict. Desi Bascomb, approach the council.”

Oh boy. I shuffled across the room, scared they might zap my brain right then and there.

Genevieve was frailer than she seemed from a distance. Still distinguished, but there was a kindness in her eyes. “You’ve had a very long day, haven’t you, Desi?”

I nodded.

“I knew a Desi once. Of course, he was a Spanish prince, and the Desi was short for Desiderio. Latin for ‘desire.’ And did he ever live up to his name.”

The red-haired man next to Genevieve coughed.

“My point is, I see desire in you too.” Genevieve tilted her head. “You’re obviously rough around the edges, but I don’t think one mistake has to define us. You remind me of Meredith, actually, and she has grown to be a fine agent, one who perhaps I have overlooked in her talents. She sees promise in you, and based upon the evidence she presented, the court does as well. Your change theory certainly goes against our traditions, but it obviously didn’t go against the princesses’ wishes. And perhaps we give too much power to the royals and not enough to the surrogates. MP is a dying commodity, after all. That’s all something for us to consider in the future.

“With that said, we have decided to allow you to continue with the agency with your memory intact, and progress to Level Two.”

“Genevieve, let’s reconsider this.” Lilith cleared her throat. “She’s a sweet girl, truly, but a bad apple can spoil the entire framework of this agency.”

“No one is perfect, Lilith. Not you, nor I, nor even the royalty we represent. What we considered was her heart and drive. And I see great things in her future.”

“Well, I can’t argue her excellent training.” Lilith narrowed her eyes at Meredith and me. “Ladies, best of luck in Level Two. I’m sure I’ll see you again, Desi dear.”

“Ta-ta, darling.” Meredith wiggled her fingers at Lilith’s back. The door slammed behind her.

“If there’s nothing else”—Genevieve gave a slight nod—“then you two are dismissed as well.”

“Actually.” My voice cracked. “If it’s okay, I wanted to know, um…So when does the Elsa PPR come in? I want to make sure everything worked out.”

“We don’t have Elsa’s Princess Progress Report in yet, but the royal gossip chains indicate there’s no lasting damage done. Prince Karl left Metzahg to join his girlfriend. I’m sure all will go back to how it was. Don’t worry about that.”

Back to how it was? Like I hadn’t even been there, hadn’t even mattered? Suddenly I didn’t care about the trial. I may have made it through the court, kept my job and memory, but I’d failed Elsa. I’d taken a chance for nothing. What was the point of doing the right thing when the end result was so wrong?

“There is one thing you might want to know,” Genevieve added. “Elsa was spotted in the village dress shop with her Nana Helga, buying something for an upcoming polo match. Just a little tidbit—thought you’d want to hear.”

I smiled weakly. So she didn’t have Karl, but she might get her debut. And maybe that debut could help her get Karl down the line. It was a seed—one that I’d planted. “Oh. Good. Thanks.”

“Thank you for your kindness and understanding, Your Honors.” Meredith curtsied. “I will guide my client out.”

Meredith glided from the room with me slumping behind her. Her calm demeanor evaporated the moment the doors closed behind us.

“Desi! Oh, did you see the look on Lilith’s face? Did you? And in front of Genevieve!” Meredith tapped her feet together. I think it was a happy dance. “And these tapes, the footage! I’m almost glad this happened, because I finally got to see—everyone did!—how fantastic you are. A royal role model!”

Her bouncing was making me dizzy. I steadied myself against the damp wall. “Role model?”

“Yes! And you’ve inspired me to do something I should have done a long time ago.” She opened her phone. Still all business. “I can’t believe I’m doing this.” Her fingers pounded out a text. A very long text.

I traced the carving of the princess sub on the door. Funny, the prince and princess in the mural were smiling, but the sub was not.

Karl had left Metzahg. He’d kissed me, left town, and gone home to another girl. Eyes closed or not, that kiss had meant nothing to him. I’d thrown away my first real kiss on a guy who was with someone else.

Although, what did it matter? I’d been an actress in that movie, playing a part. He was and would always be with someone else. Whether that someone else was Olivia or Elsa, it still wasn’t me. I could never have him.

Oh my gosh. Had I just
thought
that? I didn’t want Karl! He was short and dorky and cowardly, except for at the house when he was funny and charming. I’d never had a good conversation with a guy like that, never connected. And his eyes were so…deep.

“There!” Meredith triumphantly waved her phone above her head. “It’s done. Now he knows how I feel, how I still feel.” She lowered her phone and grabbed my elbow. “You didn’t see that happen, okay? I know I’m not the best example in that aspect, but you have no idea what it’s like to love someone you can never be with. I can trust you, right?”

“Actually, I might have an idea what that’s like.”

I felt sick. Sick sick sick. How had I let this happen? How had I mixed business with pleasure? How much of my desire to impact Elsa had really been my own wish to get close to Karl? Well, I’m a professional. I’ll just have to get over it. I won’t think about that time we held hands by the fire, or his
Casablanca
reference, or the walk through the gardens, or…

The kiss.

Well, there goes that plan. There was no way on earth I could
ever
forget that kiss.

“You do know? Oof! I forgot. Your little hometown crush. Let’s get you back to him, shall we? I always find that my subs’ social lives improve after Level One. Confidence, suppose.”

I opened my mouth, hoping words could somehow explain my change of heart. It wasn’t gorgeous-selfassured-clueless-paper-copying Hayden. It probably had-n’t been since the Dunk of Doom. I mean, Hayden had thrown a ball when I was in the dunk tank.

He actually
liked
Celeste Juniper.

You know what, he probably CHEATED at Boggle. And he so wasn’t Paul Newman.

I didn’t want a Hayden anymore. I wanted a Karl.

“Maybe,” I finally answered. I might be stupid enough to crush on a prince, but no way was I going to tell Meredith right now. Besides, a revelation like that might bar me from future Karl encounters. And as bittersweet and weird and hard as it would be to spend time with a great guy who liked me when it wasn’t really
me
, I wanted to see Karl again. Even if I was just an actress in his and Elsa’s great romance, it was still a part I wanted to play again and again.

“Well, we’ve got some time before I send you home for your Level One transition break.” Meredith hit the elevator button. “You want to visit the Eiffel Tower or anything? I could give you a tour of Versailles. Major historical inaccuracies going on there.”