lately.”
“Oh,” I say. “I know. It’s okay.”
He smiles. “I wanted to congratulate you on your new position.”
“Thank you.”
“And it’s obviously hard to turn down an offer like that. I did want to...” He seems reluctant, but as if there’s something he needs to say. “I heard that the king’s men dragged you off like a criminal.”
“Well, yes. It was kind of unexpected, but—”
“It wasn’t right, Coe. If I’d been there, I’d have done something.”
“Oh, no. I wouldn’t have wanted you to. They didn’t hurt me.”
“Still, it was wrong. And some of us think it was too much. How dare they?”
“Some of you?” It suddenly dawns on me what he’s saying, but it seems impossible for them to get so worked up over me. “No, it really was no big deal. Tiam was there. He could tell you what—”
“I saw you speaking with Tiam. Be careful with him, okay?”
“With him?” I shake my head. “We’ve always been... It’s like—” I bite my tongue. I really don’t know what it’s like, and I feel myself blushing because of what I want it to be.
He nods. “Well, that’s good. He’s not a very serious person, is he? He has a rather silly side. One that I think will get him in trouble.”
I nearly burst out laughing. Tiam isn’t going to get in trouble.... He’s going to be king. And he’s the closest thing to a friend that most people on this island have. He’s no threat. Yes, he’s different, but... Suddenly I realize something. Different people are the ones who seem to suffer most in this world. My father. Me. And now Tiam. “But why? You mean because of how he acts in formation? He was just trying to get Fern to calm down.”
“That may be so, but his conduct is less than appropriate, considering people are losing their lives,” he says. “It has a lot of people upset.”
I stare at him. A lot of people? Surely he’s mistaken. Tiam is well liked, as Buck was. He and only he would be able to restore the peace we need in this kingdom. Without him, there is no hope for us. “You’re wrong. It’s just a bit of fun,” I whisper. “Everyone must know that.”
“Does fun have a place here?”
“Yes, it does!” I say. “I hate this. I hate tide after tide of gloom. Tiam makes us forget—”
“But not in the formation,” he says, his eyes boring into me. “Not when people are fighting for—and losing—their lives. I know it’s good to blow off steam. But blatant disregard—”
“He doesn’t mean that,” I say.
“Maybe he doesn’t, but it comes off that way. Consider it. And consider your place with the princess. She obviously chose you for a reason. Do you see what I mean?”
I shake my head, but as I study his face, it begins to fall into place. If people don’t like the royals, and I’m in the princess’s favor, where does that leave me? And if they hate Wallow so much, if Tiam becomes king, will they accept him, if it’s under Wallow’s direction? “I understand,” I say. “But I’m not on anyone’s side. I’m just doing my job.”
Finn nods. “But like I told you, it doesn’t matter what you think. What you show...that matters. Do you see?”
“Yes,” I answer, swallowing the knot in my throat. “I saw in the assembly that you were nominated. To take over when the king dies.”
“I thought you guys were spying out there!” He laughs, then hangs his head. “I suppose. If that’s what the people want, then I will not go against it.”
“What if the king wants something else? What if he has plans to be carried out before he dies? This is the Wallows’ kingdom, and we wouldn’t be here without their generosity. Is there no allegiance to their rule at all? Do we just throw it away?”
“I understand how you feel, Coe. That is the way Buck felt, too. Do whatever can be done to preserve the peace. But that was when most of the world believed in the goodness of the Wallows. They believed that Star was a sign from the
“Oh,” I say. “I know. It’s okay.”
He smiles. “I wanted to congratulate you on your new position.”
“Thank you.”
“And it’s obviously hard to turn down an offer like that. I did want to...” He seems reluctant, but as if there’s something he needs to say. “I heard that the king’s men dragged you off like a criminal.”
“Well, yes. It was kind of unexpected, but—”
“It wasn’t right, Coe. If I’d been there, I’d have done something.”
“Oh, no. I wouldn’t have wanted you to. They didn’t hurt me.”
“Still, it was wrong. And some of us think it was too much. How dare they?”
“Some of you?” It suddenly dawns on me what he’s saying, but it seems impossible for them to get so worked up over me. “No, it really was no big deal. Tiam was there. He could tell you what—”
“I saw you speaking with Tiam. Be careful with him, okay?”
“With him?” I shake my head. “We’ve always been... It’s like—” I bite my tongue. I really don’t know what it’s like, and I feel myself blushing because of what I want it to be.
He nods. “Well, that’s good. He’s not a very serious person, is he? He has a rather silly side. One that I think will get him in trouble.”
I nearly burst out laughing. Tiam isn’t going to get in trouble.... He’s going to be king. And he’s the closest thing to a friend that most people on this island have. He’s no threat. Yes, he’s different, but... Suddenly I realize something. Different people are the ones who seem to suffer most in this world. My father. Me. And now Tiam. “But why? You mean because of how he acts in formation? He was just trying to get Fern to calm down.”
“That may be so, but his conduct is less than appropriate, considering people are losing their lives,” he says. “It has a lot of people upset.”
I stare at him. A lot of people? Surely he’s mistaken. Tiam is well liked, as Buck was. He and only he would be able to restore the peace we need in this kingdom. Without him, there is no hope for us. “You’re wrong. It’s just a bit of fun,” I whisper. “Everyone must know that.”
“Does fun have a place here?”
“Yes, it does!” I say. “I hate this. I hate tide after tide of gloom. Tiam makes us forget—”
“But not in the formation,” he says, his eyes boring into me. “Not when people are fighting for—and losing—their lives. I know it’s good to blow off steam. But blatant disregard—”
“He doesn’t mean that,” I say.
“Maybe he doesn’t, but it comes off that way. Consider it. And consider your place with the princess. She obviously chose you for a reason. Do you see what I mean?”
I shake my head, but as I study his face, it begins to fall into place. If people don’t like the royals, and I’m in the princess’s favor, where does that leave me? And if they hate Wallow so much, if Tiam becomes king, will they accept him, if it’s under Wallow’s direction? “I understand,” I say. “But I’m not on anyone’s side. I’m just doing my job.”
Finn nods. “But like I told you, it doesn’t matter what you think. What you show...that matters. Do you see?”
“Yes,” I answer, swallowing the knot in my throat. “I saw in the assembly that you were nominated. To take over when the king dies.”
“I thought you guys were spying out there!” He laughs, then hangs his head. “I suppose. If that’s what the people want, then I will not go against it.”
“What if the king wants something else? What if he has plans to be carried out before he dies? This is the Wallows’ kingdom, and we wouldn’t be here without their generosity. Is there no allegiance to their rule at all? Do we just throw it away?”
“I understand how you feel, Coe. That is the way Buck felt, too. Do whatever can be done to preserve the peace. But that was when most of the world believed in the goodness of the Wallows. They believed that Star was a sign from the
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