Chapter 71: Finesse
Emma
Emma finished putting her makeup on and was cleaning up her makeup brushes when Gisa flounced out of the bathroom in a much better mood than she was normally in. Emma raised an eyebrow. "What made you so happy? Isn't your mother trying to launch a full scale invasion at some point soon?"
"You don't have to bring it up all the time." Gisa frowned. "Besides, if she does, then I may as well enjoy what time I have before it all happens." She grabbed her book bag from the foot of her bed, and stuffed a filthy notebook inside. "I'm excited because I have my magic lab today."
She pulled the door shut behind her and left Emma alone in the room. She would have laughed under different circumstances. Gisa was enjoying school. She was even doing well. Gisa had pinned an algebra quiz on the corkboard because she got a 91 on it.
Emma shook her head. It wasn't going to matter if they didn't figure out what Audenzitios was planning. Gisa was right, Audenzitios only ever considered the island a setback, not defeat. Which meant Emma should probably get to work discovering who might be in cahoots with Audenzitios. Who might stand to gain the most from Audenzitios ruling?
Dating Sean had its advantages. He was going to a lot of the courtly dinners and political assemblies. Perhaps she could get him to bring a plus one to some sort of event. It wouldn't be that difficult. He was always complaining that they never spent enough time together.
Emma walked over to her closet, pulling out a pretty light blue dress she'd sewn herself over the break. It had a pretty white fur collar and silver embroidery on the bodice. The neckline swept just high enough to be shy of revealing, but the fitted top didn't leave much to the imagination. She slid on her gloves and a pair of earmuffs that matched the dress as well as her pair of boots still damp from walking through the snow.
She sent Sean a text letting him know that she'd be at the library if he wanted to hang out with her. He replied immediately with a thumbs up.
She stopped by the dining hall to grab a yogurt for a nice snack in the morning. She had free periods for the beginning of her day and often enjoyed a snack in the library. She was dressed a little nicer than normal, but she needed to get Sean to be more agreeable. A blush crept up her face. It also didn't hurt that she liked to look pretty around him.
Emma made it into the library, settling in a plush chair in a corner, keeping the other seat open for Sean.
He came in only moments later, grinning when he saw her. "Well don't you look all cute today." He winked. "What's the occasion?"
"I can't just look nice for my boyfriend?" Emma set her textbook down and stood up.
Sean put his hands on her waist and kissed her sweetly. "You are too much for me." He glanced down at her textbook. "Are you studying for the quiz?"
"Of course," Emma said. "I'm working on wrecking that curve."
"Not if I beat you to it." Sean flashed her that smile that she loved so much.
"I guess we'll have to see." She sighed dramatically, settling into her chair. She put the textbook back in her lap and opened her yogurt. "I don't see you very often with you being at those political gatherings and stuff.'' She took a spoonful of yogurt. "What even happens at those things?"
"Well, I'm not supposed to say, but I suppose for you, I can make an exception." He settled into the chair beside her and unzipped his backpack. "Right now, the court is discussing if prince Michael is even fit for the throne."
It didn't shock Emma, with Michael being in the hot seat due to the tabloids and the interviews. She pretended to be surprised for Sean's sake. "Really? In the latest TV interview he and Annabelle seemed so happy to be together. She even kissed him on the cheek! I thought it was kind of cute."
Sean seemed to buy it. "Yeah, the court is not happy right now. My father can be a little hot headed. He challenged the king outright. Don't get me wrong, Michael and I are friends, but I think he needs to be a little more serious if he is going to be a king."
Emma nodded. "I've always wondered what it would be like to be a politician. Do you think I'd make a good one?"
Sean chuckled. "You're too sweet, they'd eat you up alive."
"Still, it would be cool to learn more about politics and those meetings. I have a feeling they may not want a kid from an island in their politics though." She stared down at her yogurt. It was true whether she wanted to be a politician or not. They weren't going to want her. She was an outsider.
"It's not as glamorous as people make it out to be. We spend a lot of time in the minute details pouring over documents and files and propositions. There's bartering and honestly, politics are a gamble. It's a tough field to play in."
"You sound like you know what you're doing." Emma shifted into her chair, pretending to start her studying. "It would be cool to see you in action though."
"Well maybe you could come with me sometime. I'm sure I could get approval from someone to bring you along. Besides, you're super smart, maybe you could be of some use to them."
Emma nodded, actually beginning to study. "I would like that very much."
By her third class, Emma was tired. She was never like this. But her mind was wandering and she could feel the beginnings of a headache. If she got into a courtly dinner with Sean, she would have to tread carefully and deliberately. One wrong move and she could alert someone she didn't want to. Or she could gather no information.
Emma knew that Gisa had been smart assigning this job to her. Gisa had all the finesse and subtleness of a herd of elephants tramping through the jungle. The boys were like three herds of elephants each. She made herself smile slightly.
She could think about all of that later. Right now she needed to have another look at the equation on the board. Focus.
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