The Dark Lord's Daughter by Patricia C. Wrede

Author:Patricia C. Wrede [Wrede, Patricia C.]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Random House Children's Books
Published: 2023-09-05T00:00:00+00:00

Disposing of Your Family

The greatest threat to your new position will come from members of your family. If you have not disposed of your parents, stepparents, and siblings in the course of achieving your throne, do so immediately. You may delay removal of any aunts, uncles, and cousins, but be careful not to put it off too long. Ruthlessness is a quality essential to all Dark Lords and Ladies.

—From The Dark Traditions

As they were finishing lunch, Jezzazar entered the great hall with news that two of the ten remaining minions had vanished overnight. Detsini and Ichikar wanted to send out a press-gang to find the offenders and drag them back for punishment; Jezzazar proposed that they seal up the castle and prepare to defend it, while Waylan wanted to ignore the whole matter.

Waylan’s comment led to another argument, this time over which of the three approaches was more Traditional. Kayla sidled over to Riki as the argument grew louder and muttered, “Mom, can we leave before they want me to settle this? I don’t know anything about their Traditions and I’m sure to mess something up.”

Riki frowned at the increasing volume and nodded. The Jones family slipped out the door, unnoticed. Almost unnoticed, Kayla corrected herself as Archie slid into the hall behind them. That would be a useful spell to learn, she thought, and added “spell for not being noticed” to her mental list, after “purifying water,” “getting rid of mosquitoes,” and “keeping a room warm.” She had the feeling it was going to be a long list by the time she finished it, and resolved to see if Macavinchy still had something like the Notes app on the computer.

“Where are you off to?” Archie asked as he joined the three of them.

“Anywhere else,” Kayla said. “They’re going to start shouting any minute.” They started down the hall toward the library, one of the two other places in the castle that Kayla thought she had a chance of finding.

“If you don’t like them arguing, tell them to stop.” Archie shrugged. “You’re their Dark Lady, after all.”

Kayla’s head jerked sideways. She thought she’d gotten used to being referred to as “the Dark Lady.” Waylan and the rest of the castle inhabitants did it all the time, but only, she thought, because she was the daughter of their previous Dark Lord. Archie, though, wasn’t from Zaradwin and seemed to know almost as little about the place as Kayla and her family. Yet he called her Dark Lady as if he was serious. As if she ought to take it seriously.

While Kayla was fumbling with possible replies, Riki gave Archie a sidelong look and said, “No, she isn’t.”

“Yes, she is,” Archie said, clearly exasperated. “And the sooner you admit it, the better off we’ll all be.”

“She’s only the Provisional Dark Lady until that investiture ceremony,” Riki shot back.

Archie rolled his eyes. “If she doesn’t start acting more like a Dark Lady, there won’t be an investiture. And if that happens, we’re in trouble.

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