Page 54 of Retrograde

I sighed and told her—and the others there—what had happened while I snuggled up closer to Onyx.

“I’m sure the clothes of the queen are now on the black market for…” Maple grumbled and then shook her head. “I’ve had some of mine go missing as well. Unfortunately, it’s part of our lives. The gross part, but part of it.”

I looked at her in horror. “I thought it was just someone messing with me like putting me in my place. Are you saying—”

“I’m not saying perverts, but probably people who just want to be as cool as the queen and resort to theft or black market purchases,” she quickly said, clearly understanding I wasn’t going to be okay with anything else.

Especially not right then.

She found my tablet and asked my size, frowning when I just reached for more food. “I’m not being mean, my adorable niece, but I need to know why you don’t know your size?”

“I would guess the queen bought everything for her and she never had a choice or shopped,” Treena muttered, sighing when I nodded. “Okay, you are totes adorbs nodding with a donut in your mouth and being all cuddly, but no more going until this exhaustion level. And you need more fun.”

I gave a half shrug. Good luck with that.

“Doesn’t someone have her sizes now that she’s worked with Andra?” Joris checked as he rubbed my leg. I was curled up into Onyx, but he was sitting on the other side of me. “And she needslike a throw blanket in here or something. You can’t snuggle without those.”

“She needs all of everything and to decide them for herself instead of the staff bringing whatever to fill in the room,” Onyx snitched to Maple.

“Then that’s what we handle today, starting with getting you some damn loungewear for your relaxing and safe space,” Maple declared.

I sighed when she thrust my tablet in my face.

“Do it or I will—it’s all logged in as my account. It’s fine,” she said firmly… And gave me a knowing look.

So Maple had figured out something was going on as well. I wasn’t surprised; she was smarter than most gave her credit for.

I was going to object, but I caught one of the items listed and snatched the tablet. “I want that.” I remembered others there and went to hand it back. “I’ll figure out—”

Maple knelt in front of me and pushed the tablet back to me. “Sagan, you’re allowed to be a person—a woman—not just queen or Rhys’s heir anymore, okay? Please? It breaks my heart how much we missed. I knew he was hard on you, but I thought you had something to ever be a kid and—please?”

“Okay, but the Queen of Thovudin can’t have cartoon pajama sets,” I argued, clearing my throat.

“Why not?” several people said together, Maple nodding when my mouth fell open.

“I have several,” Treena said easily. “I didn’t bring them here because—they’re not for foreign visits. Besides my penguin ones. Sometimes I just need the cuteness.”

“I prefer sweet bears, but penguins are good,” Maple agreed.

“You would look adorable in that,” Onyx muttered in my ear, clearly understanding which I wanted.

“Do they have those in my size?” Joris asked. “They look comfy.”

“Thanks,” I whispered, knowing what they were all doing. I took in a deep breath and then put the pajama set with dancing avocados on them in the cart.

“You got this,” Maple promised, kissing my hair as she stood. “Okay, let’s see how bad the media shitstorm will be. Maybe a betting pool?”

I chuckled but then saw the others were serious.

“I bet most are already turning on him,” Joris said firmly, shrugging when I glanced at him. “Thovudin loves to judge their fallen popular people. They might be sexist, but—they love when people fall.” He glanced at Maple. “Who was that actor couple and they all blamed her for the divorce until she showed receipts he was the problem?”

“Oh, I remember that. You think it will get that dirty for him?” she practically purred.

Joris nodded. “The harder people go in for that side, the faster and deeper they backtrack.”

He was right. He was completely fucking right.

Everyonewas backtracking.