Page 28 of The Phoenix (Spy Girl 6)
“Now, I’m really sorry I’m late,” he says. “You look incredible.”
“Thank you, baby,” I say, the baby hopefully sounding like it’s something I always call him even though I’ve never called a man that in my life—and probably never will again.
He gives me a little smack on the butt before making his way to his assigned seat next to me. But, when he sits down, his eyes immediately land on Lizzie, and the intensity in which he looks at her tells her everything she already knows.
That he’s equally as crazy about her.
We’ve finished our main courses, and we are waiting for dessert to be served when Terrance chirps in my ear, “Huntley, quickly proceed to hallway six. The queen of Montrovia might be in danger.”
I excuse myself from the table and leave the ballroom from a side door. I’m rushing down the hall when I hear raised voices coming from a room nearby.
I stop and listen to the queen arguing with a man. I can’t hear what they are saying exactly, but it’s obvious that the man is threatening her. I wish I had grabbed my clutch with my phone in it. I could have eavesdropped.
But then the man shouts, “You can, and you will. Or else!”
A door slams, so I slip into the corridor, covertly peeking out to see General Agueda marching away.
I meet the queen in the hallway.
“What are you doing here?” she asks. Her nose is turned up, and her tone is brusque, but her hands are shaking, and her cheeks are flushed with anger.
“I was invited by your son,” I reply.
She gives my gown a once-over. “Wearing red again, I see. If you had any kind of social aptitude, you would know you shouldn’t be wearing red. It’s my color. The color of the Montrovian queen. And you shouldn’t be wearing a tiara unless you are nobility.”
“This isn’t a tiara; it’s a coronet. And I’m wearing it because your son knighted me after I saved his life. I am the Contessa of Courtenay. But it sounds like my wardrobe choices are the least of your worries. Why did the general just threaten you?”
“Why would I tell you?” she scoffs.
“Maybe because I saved your son’s life on numerous occasions.”
Tears fill her eyes, and I can tell she’s about to break.
She grabs my hand and pulls me back into the room they were just in, which I see now is her personal study. It’s in the public part of the castle as opposed to in her residence. I glance around, seeing numerous photos of her life as royalty lining the walls.
“He told me he’d wait until the end of the year,” she says, clearly distressed. “And, now, he’s reneging on his promise. That’s why I need Lorenzo married. He must marry before the scandal breaks. It’s imperative.”
“What scandal?” I ask.
She slumps onto a mohair sofa in defeat. “My affair with the general.”
“How long has it been going on?”
“Since early in my marriage. But I can explain,” she says, holding up a trembling hand.
“Please do.” I sit down next to her, trying to look compassionate.
“Giovanni and I had an arranged marriage. From the moment our engagement was announced until our extravagant wedding and honeymoon, where Lorenzo was conceived, it was a whirlwind of love with the promise of a lifetime of happiness.”
“Sounds like a fairy tale.”
“It was a night like this.” She sighs. “The Queen’s Ball. Of course, at that point, I was just a princess, and Giovanni’s mother, the queen, was upset with me.”
“Because you were having an affair?”
“No, because I was wearing something she didn’t approve of.” She sighs again, looking at me. “We were both in red gowns. She told me it was the color of the queen.”
I can’t help but raise an eyebrow at her.
“I know,” she says, rolling her eyes. “My mother-in-law was impossible to please. She kept my schedule booked so full with duties that I barely had time to breathe. I’ve become just as horrible as her. And I am aware of this. But I’m doing it to protect my son and his kingdom. You must understand that.”
“So, you got in trouble for wearing a red dress. And then you slept with the general?”
“She said something else that I wasn’t aware of. She told me that they had chosen me to wed Giovanni, not the other way around. Giovanni had already proven to be a good father, husband, and friend, but I took it personally. I was crushed, to be honest. And I did something reckless. Something I’ve continued to pay for to this day.”
She stands up, walks across the room, removes a framed photo from the wall, and brings it back to me.
“This was our wedding day. Giovanni with his groomsmen. Don’t they all look so handsome?”
I just nod. I don’t want to interrupt her confession, so I pretend to study the photo. I’m about ready to hand it back to her, but my eyes stop as I recognize one of the men. I’m so shocked that I nearly gasp out loud.
“I was back in Montrovia after graduating from the university,” she continues. It’s all rolling out of her now. “Alberto and I met at a charity event and were spending long nights together—which abruptly ended when I was chosen to court Giovanni. After my mother-in-law’s tongue-lashing, I rushed to Giovanni, only to find a woman in his arms. The story was the woman had nearly fainted, but it sent my head and my heart into a tailspin. I went to the garden and cried my eyes out. Alberto sat down next to me. I confessed my concerns to him and fell into his arms for comfort.”
“And into his bed?” I point to the photo because I have to know. “Who is this man?”
“That’s him. General Alberto Agueda. Our affair continued. I became pregnant with my second child—his child. But then fate stepped in. I was bucked off a horse and lost the baby as well as my ability to have more children. Giovanni was amazing. He could have ended our arranged marriage. And he probably should have. But he told me he had fallen in love with me, and he would stand by his word. Giovanni was always a man of his word. I didn’t promise anything that day. I was too distraught. Too emotional. Too guilty.
“When I told Alberto it was over, he threatened to tell all if our affair ended. And, even though I didn’t desire him further, we have been meeting in private for over twenty years. It went from exciting and passionate to being one of my duties. Something I had to do to maintain this crown.” She points to the ornate diamond tiara on her head.
“He looks different,” I say, my insides seething while my mind calculates revenge.
“He has gained quite a lot of weight. Looks like a completely different man, doesn’t he? I certainly don’t desire him, but I was afraid of what would happen if the truth came out.”
“Did he hate Giovanni for marrying you?”
“Yes, he did. But he maintained their friendship. He was always driven, but over the last six or seven years, he has become particularly power-hungry, and his hate for my husband grew. He would drink heavily and stupidly talk of a revolution. One where he would marry me and take control of the entire Montrovian military and how it would become the world’s army.”
“The world?” I say, my heart practically stopping. “Or Arcadia?”
Her eyes get huge in recognition, which immediately answers my question.
“A couple of things you should know, Your Highness,” I say, standing up and then backing away with a bow. “Your lover is part of the plot that killed your husband and both of his brothers, and he tried to kill your son. And the night before you made the announcement of his engagement to Lady Palomar, Lorenzo and I were secretly wed, so I guess that means I can wear red anytime I feel like it.”
His mother dramatically tosses herself on the ground in tears as I leave the room.
Once outside, I lean against the wall, my mind immediately going back.
“Sit right here, Lee,” my mother said, handing me a book to read and making sure I was in her line of sight as she made her way across the plaza in front of the National Cathedral.
I sa
t on the bench and pretended to read, but I watched her from underneath my bangs. She paced around the fountain a few times, seemingly taking in the history of the place, but I knew she was purposefully casing the area to make sure it was safe.
A man with a military haircut walked briskly to the fountain, his back to me, and sat down. In his breast pocket was a square of yellow. I knew he was who she was meeting, as I overheard her earlier phone conversation with him.
Mom didn’t immediately approach the man. She took another pass around the area, making sure the man hadn’t been followed, before she took a seat next to him.
They had a brief conversation, my mother’s face looking grave as she spoke. I knew something was wrong.
Mom had been acting worried. When I asked about it yesterday, she told me that she’d found what she was looking for in our treasure hunt. I asked if we were rich now. She laughed and said that she didn’t care about money. That her greatest treasure was me. And that she hoped I would grow up and live a long, happy life. I remembered she’d gotten teary-eyed when she said that, and I was pretty sure I had never seen her cry before that day. I’d wrapped my arms around her, given her a kiss, and told her I’d be happy as long as we were always together.
Mom pulled a manila file out of her tote bag and gave it to the man. He stood up, shook her hand, and walked back the way he’d come, allowing me to clearly see his face.
The face from the photo.
I open my eyes and race down the hall, knowing I have to warn Lorenzo.
