wouldn’t be the end of the world if Macon refused to let her go. What the hell would she and Fedora talk about?
Although it could be fun. At the very least there was one member of Dex’s family who was speaking to her.
***
“No.” Macon stared at her stubbornly.
She folded her arms over her chest. She’d talked herself into this shopping trip and she wasn’t going to be talked out of it. “You're completely unreasonable.”
“I was left in charge of your safety. You are not going.”
“It’s a bloody clothing shop. What could possibly go wrong? What’s the worst that could happen?”
“You go nowhere without a guard. Crown Prince’s orders.”
“A guard will escort me there and back. They just can’t go inside.”
“No.”
A knock on the door made her growl. Turning, she stormed over and opened it. “What?”
Liula stood on the other side, looking like the Queen of doom and gloom. Fantastic.
“Oh, Liula, sorry,” Zoey apologized.
“This is a bad time?” she asked coldly.
Zoey stepped back. “No, it’s fine. Come in.”
“I wish to talk to you. In private.” She glanced over at Macon with an imperious stare.
“Am I allowed to be alone with the Empress? Or is that too dangerous?” she asked Macon.
“Dangerous?” Liula queried.
“Fedora invited me to shop with her at Madam Tillard’s boutique today. Macon won’t let me go.”
Liula turned to him. “Why not? Madam Tillard does excellent work and Zoelle could certainly use new clothing.”
What was wrong with her current wardrobe?
“It is not that, your Royal Highness,” Macon replied, looking slightly alarmed. “But milady is to have a guard at all times.”
“She will be perfectly safe. Only females are allowed in the boutique and Madam Tillard’s client list is very elite.”
Great. Maybe Macon was doing her a favor. If Liula was so keen on Madam Tillard’s, then it probably wasn’t the place for her.
“Even so, your Royal Majesty—”
“I shall go with you,” Liula announced with a nod.
“Ahh, you will?” Well, crap. All the fun had just been sucked from this shopping trip. Was it too late to change her stance?
She sent Macon a desperate look. She was sure he held back a grin. Ass.
“Yes. I wish to converse with you. Does that satisfy you?” she asked Macon.
“Please forgive me, your Royal Highness, but you are not a warrior,” Macon said with more diplomacy than she would have credited him possessing.
“I am the Empress. Nobody would dare try to harm Zoelle in my presence. It is settled. When do we leave?”
“Now, I guess,” Zoey replied. Looked like she was going to be stuck in a small space with Liula for the next few hours.
Could that be used as a defense against manslaughter?
The walk to the boutique was conducted in silence. Zoey could actually feel Macon’s glower on her back. Even Boris didn’t look happy. But with Dex and his father away, Liula was the most senior member of the ruling family.
Her word was law.
“Here it is,” Liula stated as they reached a small, white-washed building with a dark red door. “All of you may wait outside.”
Four guards, as well as Boris, had accompanied them.
“I would prefer to inspect the inside first, your Royal Highness,” Macon told her.
Liula gave him an impatient look. “I shall go inside first and check with Madam Tillard. Will that be satisfactory?”
Her tone indicated that it better be and Macon immediately nodded.
As soon as she disappeared inside, Zoey swung around to Macon. “Get me out of this,” she hissed.
Macon gave her a startled look. “This is what you wanted.”
“No, I wanted to go shopping with Fedora. Not with the mother-in-law from hell!”
“She is the Empress. What would you have me do?”
“I don’t know,” she whispered. “I—”
“Madam Tillard has given permission for you to enter,” Liula interrupted making her jump.
Macon nodded then entered. They waited in silence until he returned
Although it could be fun. At the very least there was one member of Dex’s family who was speaking to her.
***
“No.” Macon stared at her stubbornly.
She folded her arms over her chest. She’d talked herself into this shopping trip and she wasn’t going to be talked out of it. “You're completely unreasonable.”
“I was left in charge of your safety. You are not going.”
“It’s a bloody clothing shop. What could possibly go wrong? What’s the worst that could happen?”
“You go nowhere without a guard. Crown Prince’s orders.”
“A guard will escort me there and back. They just can’t go inside.”
“No.”
A knock on the door made her growl. Turning, she stormed over and opened it. “What?”
Liula stood on the other side, looking like the Queen of doom and gloom. Fantastic.
“Oh, Liula, sorry,” Zoey apologized.
“This is a bad time?” she asked coldly.
Zoey stepped back. “No, it’s fine. Come in.”
“I wish to talk to you. In private.” She glanced over at Macon with an imperious stare.
“Am I allowed to be alone with the Empress? Or is that too dangerous?” she asked Macon.
“Dangerous?” Liula queried.
“Fedora invited me to shop with her at Madam Tillard’s boutique today. Macon won’t let me go.”
Liula turned to him. “Why not? Madam Tillard does excellent work and Zoelle could certainly use new clothing.”
What was wrong with her current wardrobe?
“It is not that, your Royal Highness,” Macon replied, looking slightly alarmed. “But milady is to have a guard at all times.”
“She will be perfectly safe. Only females are allowed in the boutique and Madam Tillard’s client list is very elite.”
Great. Maybe Macon was doing her a favor. If Liula was so keen on Madam Tillard’s, then it probably wasn’t the place for her.
“Even so, your Royal Majesty—”
“I shall go with you,” Liula announced with a nod.
“Ahh, you will?” Well, crap. All the fun had just been sucked from this shopping trip. Was it too late to change her stance?
She sent Macon a desperate look. She was sure he held back a grin. Ass.
“Yes. I wish to converse with you. Does that satisfy you?” she asked Macon.
“Please forgive me, your Royal Highness, but you are not a warrior,” Macon said with more diplomacy than she would have credited him possessing.
“I am the Empress. Nobody would dare try to harm Zoelle in my presence. It is settled. When do we leave?”
“Now, I guess,” Zoey replied. Looked like she was going to be stuck in a small space with Liula for the next few hours.
Could that be used as a defense against manslaughter?
The walk to the boutique was conducted in silence. Zoey could actually feel Macon’s glower on her back. Even Boris didn’t look happy. But with Dex and his father away, Liula was the most senior member of the ruling family.
Her word was law.
“Here it is,” Liula stated as they reached a small, white-washed building with a dark red door. “All of you may wait outside.”
Four guards, as well as Boris, had accompanied them.
“I would prefer to inspect the inside first, your Royal Highness,” Macon told her.
Liula gave him an impatient look. “I shall go inside first and check with Madam Tillard. Will that be satisfactory?”
Her tone indicated that it better be and Macon immediately nodded.
As soon as she disappeared inside, Zoey swung around to Macon. “Get me out of this,” she hissed.
Macon gave her a startled look. “This is what you wanted.”
“No, I wanted to go shopping with Fedora. Not with the mother-in-law from hell!”
“She is the Empress. What would you have me do?”
“I don’t know,” she whispered. “I—”
“Madam Tillard has given permission for you to enter,” Liula interrupted making her jump.
Macon nodded then entered. They waited in silence until he returned
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