I waved my hands around in a criss-cross through the air.
Emily nodded.
“No,” I whispered gruffly. “I'm not here, Em. I’ll let something slip if I talk to her.”
“Ara,” she said through her teeth. “You need to tell them the staying in Paris plan.”
My shoulders dropped. “Fine. Give it to me.”
She placed the phone in my hand, practically jumping out of the way after.
I held it just by my ear and centred myself, taking a deep breath. “Vicki. Oh, my God, hi!”
“Ara!” she practically yelled. “How are you? You didn't tell me Emily was on holiday over there with you. What have you been up to, when are you coming home?”
“Uh—” I tucked my neck into my shoulders and walked back to my throne. “It turns out we’ve been having such a good time, we’ve…well, we’ve decided to stay in Paris.”
“What!” she shrieked. “Why?”
“David got a job, and I got accepted to university after I sat a test—even though I didn't finish high school, and—”
“So the honeymoon to Paris that turned into a world tour, has now become permanent?” Vicki yelled down the phone. “Ara, we haven’t seen you since March. How do we even know you’re still alive? I mean, you ran out on your own wedding—” she softened her tone to a reasonable level. “Now, I understand that you realised your flight times were booked wrong, but you didn't even say goodbye, and now you're telling me you're not coming home?”
“Vicki, I'm sorry, but David landed a great job. We’d be silly to leave now.”
“Can’t you at least come home for a week? Just a week. I’ll pay for the ticket, and…”
“Vicki. I can't. I'm starting school this week.”
“But you don't even speak French.”
“I do now—a little,” I lied.
“Well, what does Mike think of this whole arrangement?”
“He’s happy. He and Em have been keeping my house safe for me, and he made me promise to come for a holiday next month.”
“Next month?” she asked softly.
“Yes. I promise. But David's really happy about this job, Mum. It could mean setting us up for the future.”
“Well, I don't like it,” she muttered.
“I’ll be fine, Mum. David and I are happy, and I really love Paris. I’ll come home in a month, okay?”
“You’d better.”
“I will. So, how's dad’s conference been going?”
“He almost didn’t go, since we hadn’t spoken to you in a while.”
“But he always goes.”
“I know. That’s how worried we’ve been.”
“I'm sorry. I just lose track of time here; it’s so lovely and there's so much to do.” I looked around the empty courtroom. “I’ll take more care to call, okay. But I better go. I have to be somewhere in ten minutes.”
“Okay. Well, you take care then, and keep sending emails or letters. I’ll be checking the post daily.”
“Sure, Mum. I will. I promise.”
“And tell Emily to take a picture of you holding a sign with the date on it to prove you're not just a voice recording.”
“Okay.” I laughed.
“Bye, Ara-Rose, and say hi to David for me as well, send him our love.”
“I will. Bye.” I hung up with my thumb and glared at Em.
“I'm sorry.” She shrunk. “She’s been calling my phone for, like, a week, leaving panicked messages ‘cause she can never reach you on the number you gave her; she said she was going to call the police. I didn't know what to do. I answered the next call, and I panicked—told her I was in Paris.”
“Well, she’s going to figure out the truth when she checks her phone records, Emily. That wasn’t an international call.”
“I know.” Emily winced. “I'm sorry.”
“It’s okay.” I pulled my phone from the pocket of my light denim jeans. “I’ll get David to take care of it.”
“I'm really sorry, Ara.”
I shook my head, resting the phone to my ear. “Like I said, don't worry about it.”
The Upper and Lower House filed into the courtroom and took their seats. I nodded to each one, keeping the phone to my ear, then looked at Emily. “He’s not picking up.”
“You could send Jason,” she suggested.
“Okay.” I hung the phone up and dumped it in my pocket. “Go tell him, please.”
“Sure.” She bowed, then stopped. “Uh, I mean, yes, Your Majesty.”
I smiled, shaking my head.
“Morning, Queen Amara.” Morgaine bowed as she passed.
“Morning, Morg.”
“Where’s soon-to-be King David?” she asked.
“He’s on a conference call with the FBI,” Walter said, without even looking up from his notepad.
“Oh, right.” She slapped a palm to her head. “Forgot about that.”
“Not hard when you have half a brain,” Blade scoffed, pushing past her.
“Shut up, Butt-face!”
I watched Blade walk over and sit down at the council table, then looked back at Morg. “Things didn't work out?”
“No,” she said quietly, hugging herself. “Turns out he’s just a big fat jerk like the rest of the men around here.”
“Hey!” Mike scoffed as he walked in.
Morg smiled at him. “You don't count, Mike.”
“What, as a man or as a jerk?”
She bumped him with her elbow and they walked over to the table together.
“Ara?” Emily stood behind me, her arms behind her back, her eyes to the ground.
“Yeah?”
“Jason’s taking care of that thing for us.”
“Good.” I turned away and readied myself for Court, half noticing Emily walk off quietly and take her seat beside Blade.
* * *
“Ara?” Jason called as I reached the front door. “Wait up.”
“Did you take care of the phone issue yesterday?” I asked, opening the door.
“Yup. That’s what I wanted to talk to you about.” He followed me outside. “Where are you going?”
I held up my book. “To the fountain; peace and quiet time.”
“Why the fountain?” He frowned.
“I like the sound of running water—it’s soothing.”