Secrets of the New World (Infini Calendar) (Volume 2) Read Free Page A

“So,” she yelled over the wind and the rumbling of the bike, trying to come up with something. “You are younger than me, yes?”
    “Twenty-two years old,” he replied.
    Well, the age difference wasn’t so bad, she supposed. “And your father has sent you down here so we can get acquainted?”
    “Yes. As he explained it, this is to be a sort of grace period for us. If there are obstacles to our compatibility, hopefully we can address them before the wedding.”
    She could think of a few issues off the top of her head. “What have you heard about me?”
    He seemed reluctant to answer. “Well…”
    “Out with it.”
    She couldn’t hear him sigh with the noise around them, but she was pretty sure he did. “They say…that you are…” He seemed to choke back a lump of fear in his throat. “Undisciplined, rebellious, lacking in social graces. One rumor even has it you nearly started a war with France by murdering its last king.”
    There was really only one thing she could say to that. “That’s mostly true. But let’s get one thing straight: I didn’t murder him. I killed him with the OK of the provincial government that had just taken power. And, I might add, that so-called king had just been convicted of treason.”
    “You have nothing to worry about,” he assured her. “It doesn’t matter what you’ve done. This marriage must happen for the good of both our countries.”
    Did he seriously just say that? For that matter, did he really believe his own statement? “Aren’t you worried I’ll end up killing you horribly? I’ve been known to do that.”
    “Well, there is some…trepidation,” he conceded. “But I have served in the Prussian army. That experience provided both the discipline to obey orders without question, and the fighting skills needed for defense.”
    Farahilde was beginning to understand the situation. This boy would eventually ascend the throne of his country, and so he chooses to prepare for that with military service. He does this for several years, and then one day his father, the current king, tells him it’s time to take a break and get married. It was a fairly common occurrence for royalty.
    Still, if he thought that was enough to prepare him for a life with Farahilde Johanna, he was sorely mistaken. She could lunge at him right now and his naïveté would make a poor shield. He definitely had a lot of growing up to do if he ever hoped to become worthy of her.
    Something suddenly occurred to her. Something encouraging. “You know, I just remembered that I’m going with my brother on a trip next week. It’s a shame, but we won’t have a lot of time to spend together.” She hadn’t expected being dragged along to America to actually benefit her, yet it was now doing just that. The less time she was forced to spend with this boy, the better.
    His response, though, wasn’t what she was expecting. “Yes, Father said as much. He has commanded me to accompany you.”
    “What?” she bellowed.
    The scared look returned to his face. “He said visiting unfamiliar countries broadens horizons and is important for one’s growth,” he hastily explained.
    This was not happening. This could not be happening. “So…we’re going to be spending all that time together?” While I’m forced against my will to travel to some backwoods country that hasn’t even had time to develop?
    “We probably won’t share a bedroom or do anything sordid.”
    “Thanks. That helps a lot.” I wonder if we can stop by my old fort in the Austrian Netherlands before we go. Either this boy or my brother—it doesn’t matter which, but I’m dying to leave one of them down in those torture chambers.
     
    ***
     
    They returned to the Hofburg where Frederick was introduced to Leopold. The boy bowed respectfully to the Austrian emperor just as he had done with Farahilde, although he didn’t seem to have nearly as much trouble introducing himself. Probably he was just intimidated by her, and