Page 139 of Sky’s Edge

He didn’t grow up with royal protocol.

“No,” I said softly. “Perhaps sharing she’s arrived, but not who she is, because I already know who she is. Mom and I were the only ones in the room. She’s my bestest bestie. Maybe the staff member didn’t know that, but I can’t imagine how she wouldn’t, considering it’s all over the tapes and the media. You don’t announce a best friend when they enter a room. It was weird.”

His attention drifted to his dog, who he reached out to pet.

Immediately, Hurley lost interest in the tray of food and turned his attention to snuggling with his daddy.

Mm-hmm.

My male could be adorable.

“I’d have to talk to your butler and your housekeeper,” I went on cautiously. “But if they’re good at their jobs, I believe even they’d admit you’re overstaffed.”

“We can’t have bots in this house. It’s historically registered.”

“I know, honey, but⁠—”

He looked at me. “It’s Tatra.”

“Sorry?” I asked.

“I’ve looked over the accounts myself, as well as had them forensically inspected. Arnaud was a wastrel. He had a great number of parties, most of them, I’m sure it won’t surprise you, were debauched. He spent an astronomical amount on clothing, cufflinks, wrist units. I was told his clothes filled that closet.” He jerked his head toward the closet. “And the closet in the queen’s chamber.”

“Holy Hecate,” I breathed.

I liked clothes, but even that was beyond me.

“Yes,” he agreed. “He commissioned a luxurious space yacht, which I already auctioned off and gave the proceeds to charity because I’ll never use it. It was a monstrosity. The interior is covered in gold leaf.”

I made a face.

He nodded his agreement and kept going.

“He bought an island off the coast of Land’s End. An entire island. He was in the middle of planning to build a space station, one for his personal use.”

A personal space station?

Good gods.

“He was well-known for spending money,” I noted. “But that’s crazy. Did he drain the treasury?”

“He gave it his best shot. Fortunately, there are safeguards in place where he couldn’t get to the seed funds. I tightened things up when I took the throne, but maybe I didn’t tighten them enough.”

Well, if he had the money, beings always needed jobs.

But from what I could tell, he could definitely tighten things more.

“Tatra was the same,” he continued. “Actually, worse. Clothes. Jewels. Art. Depending on her wont, daily she had fresh fish or rare delicacies flown in from all over the twenty realms. She did not use machines to do her hair and makeup. She had a full-time stylist and makeup artist. And a dresser.”

“A dresser?”

“Someone to help her get dressed.”

This was not next level.

This was about ten levels up to the next level.

“Like, in days of old, where they needed them because they couldn’t truss themselves up in the layers of clothes and laces all by themselves?” I asked to be sure I knew what he was saying.