Living in the stronghold was boring, to say the least. I spent a lot of time listening to the radio, following the news of what happened outside of the stonewalls. I felt disconnected from what happened. There had just been an election of a new high priestess, and I didn’t even remember the face of the old one. The people were getting ready to celebrate the Winter Solstice.

And I was all alone here. There was no one to talk to. Most of the people who lived at court never spoke to me. They had been friends with my parents.

There was a soft knock on my door, and I almost sprang out of the chair I had been sitting in, more or less ripping it open.

“Your Highness,” one my servants said.

I sighed deeply. “Yes?”

“I have your dinner.”

“Bring it in,” I muttered and moved out of her way. She rolled in a small table and started arranging it. It was fish again. We always got fish. Or lamb. And always with steamed potatoes.

I hated potatoes.

I sat down at the table and dug in. The fish was nice, cooked with lots of salt. But eating alone always got me thinking. And I wasn’t good company to myself.

Could I even be a good queen? Would it be a good idea for me to rule a country? I wasn’t very smart. I didn’t know a lot about politics or the world outside. I tried to read everything I could, but I still felt so dumb at every council meeting.

What the hell was I doing? I couldn’t be queen. I was no one. I had no one. I looked down at the freshly made tattoos and wanted them off. I needed to get them off.

“Al.”

I looked up at my brother, standing in the door. He looked worried. “I can’t do this.”

“Of course, you can.” He came closer and gently wrapped his arms around me. “You’re strong, yeah?”

“No,” I breathed. “I hate it already, Quinn. I don’t wanna do this.”

“In a few days, it’ll be better. When all of the coronation stuff is done, when you have all of the tattoos. When you can finally take a breather.”

“And we can’t just run away?” I tried and pulled back, drying my eyes.

“No, princess, we can’t.” He smiled and took three steps backwards, falling down on the sofa behind him. “We could get drunk, though.”

I dumped down beside him. “Not everything can be solved by getting drunk.”

“Works pretty well for me, the Drunk Bastard.”

“Don’t call yourself that,” I huffed and swatted his arm.

“But that is what I am. I’m a drunk, and I’m a bastard,” he chuckled. “I don’t mind knowing what I am, Al. It’s time you acknowledged it too.”

“When I become queen, I’ll legitimise you as the first thing I do.”

He laughed out loud. “Oh, what a brilliant idea. Acknowledge the biggest mistake our beloved father ever made. The dirty spot on an otherwise clean record. The ruin of the av Stál family name.”

“Stop being so melodramatic. You’re not the first to be born out of wedlock.”

“No, but I’m the first to have a servant as a mum and a king as a dad.” He sent me a saying look, which I didn’t even want to acknowledge. “There’s freedom in being illegitimate. I don’t have to attend boring council meetings, be in line for the throne, stay pure...”

“I don’t have to stay pure, either. It’s 2929. Not… The 2500’s.”

“Well, I get to mingle with all of the hotties here. You get to uh… Have fun with the council.”

I made a fart noise with my mouth. “Wanna switch?”

“Not for all of the glory and power in the world.”

“You just say that so you can keep sleeping with that guard.”

“He’s very pretty.”

“He is,” I agreed and closed my eyes. “The girl who tattooed me was pretty.”

“Oh?”

I nodded without opening my eyes. “She’s coming back tomorrow to do my back. We had dinner last night.”

“Well, aren’t you lucky.” I could hear the grin in his voice.

Quinn always made things easier. Things were so simple in his world. And I absolutely needed more of his easy-going nature in my life.

“So about getting drunk...” Quinn chuckled.

“Fine, let’s get drunk.”