The woman who led us in motions to me.
“Queen Theodosia of SteelTown, come to be our savior,” she says, her SteelTownn passable but heavily accented.
There are some chuckles from the others, but I try not to let them bother me. I can’t blame them for seeing me as a naive, overambitious child, can I? It might not even be that far from the truth.
“King Etristo has invited me to stay in the palace as a guest,” I explain. “He hopes to find me a husband with armies to help us defeat the Kalovaxians and reclaim our home.”
There’s more laughter at that, though the loudest comes from Sandrin.
“Queens don’t marry,” he says. “Have you been among the barbarians so long that you’ve forgotten that?”
My face grows hot.
“Some traditions are difficult to keep in times of war,” I say, choosing my wo
