The Affiliate by K. A. Linde

Author:K. A. Linde [Linde, K. A.]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: YA Fantasy
Publisher: K.A. Linde Inc.
Published: 2015-09-15T04:00:00+00:00

The next morning, the castle was buzzing with the news that Ahlvie had been called into questioning for a second time. Cyrene couldn’t believe that he was being accused again when there had been no evidence to indict him with Zorian. She still didn’t think that Ahlvie had killed anyone and hoped that his disagreements with Leslin wouldn’t come back to haunt him.

She had no affiliation with him this time around, so she didn’t think she would get called in for questioning. She hoped he knew how to get himself out of this again.

Thankfully, she had very little time to contemplate the deaths. It was on the tips of everyone’s tongues, but she kept herself cloistered in her room, digging through the final pages of Affiliate Lorne’s agricultural work. Procession was only a week away, and she had so much to attend to before then.

Two days before she was going to leave on procession, she had all her bags packed and ready to go. The day before, Cyrene had requested an audience with the Queen and she was impatiently awaiting that appointment.

Cyrene couldn’t keep from bouncing up and down on the balls of her feet. It had been nearly six weeks since she was this nervous for anything, but her Presenting already felt like a lifetime ago.

She dressed quickly and simply in a pale blue dress. Then, she plaited her hair back and knotted it into a bun with a navy-blue satin ribbon. She wanted to look presentable but not over the top.

It was unfortunate she hadn’t been able to include Maelia in on her plans. Cyrene wanted to make sure all the pieces were in place before discussing it with anyone. If all went according to design, she would be able to tell her this afternoon.

She grabbed her leatherwork folder from her coffee table and traipsed out of the room with her retinue trailing behind her. Cyrene’s steps faltered as they entered the typically hectic atrium to the Queen’s quarters. The room was almost completely silent, and the few Affiliates who remained in the vacant chambers were spaced far apart. No one even gave Cyrene a second glance.

Regaining her confidence, Cyrene hurried across the deserted room to the DIA’s small office. She knocked twice and waited.

A moment later, the door opened, and Cyrene tried not to hiss at the figure standing before her.

“Cyrene,” Jardana said with a slow poisonous smile.

“Jardana,” she said, curtsying politely. “Is Affiliate Catalin not in today?”

“She is with Her Majesty, and I am acting DIA at the moment.” She stretched her neck to its limit and stuck her nose in the air, giving her the appearance of a giraffe. “What can I help you with?”

“I sent word yesterday, requesting an audience with the Queen,” Cyrene plainly told her.

Jardana fluffed her blonde hair and retreated into Catalin’s office. Cyrene had no choice but to follow, leaving the servants in the common room.

“It’s simply not possible,” Jardana uttered once she had made herself comfortable at Catalin’s desk.

“I sent word yesterday.

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