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This third one had a mouth on her. I admired that.
“Uh, this is Rick. He’s not Alexandra’s friend. He’s not sure what he is,” the one I knew as Ingrid said.
“Oh, I know about him,” the girl said. “I’m Astrid. Call me Asti. And that’s Ingrid, the baby. And the typical middle child, Odette, right here.”
“Nice to meet you all,” I said.
“You shouldn’t be out here. The bitch will get after you. She’ll assume you’re up to something,” Astrid said.
“What? Who?”
“Our grandmother. She’s always got eyes and ears out. She’ll know. Does Alex know you’re out here?”
“Can a guest not walk in the gardens?” I asked, confused. “And who is Alex?”
“Told you he’s not her friend!” Ingrid shrieked in French, slapping water in Odette’s face.
They were delightfully childlike. Silly. It had been ages since I was so playful and carefree. And, yet they were very aware of the evil Queen supposedly hiding around the corner. It was as if I wandered into a Grimm’s fairytale. Who the hell were these girls?
“Back off, Ingy!” Astrid said. “Chill, okay? I’ve got this. You don’t need to be so openly hostile. I’m that enough for all of us.”
I snickered. “At least you’re honest.”
“Walk with me.” Astrid gestured for me to follow.
“Oh… okay, yeah,” I trotted to keep up.
For someone short, she had impressively long strides.
“Just… I don’t want to involve the girls,” Astrid said. “They are big and tough, but they’re children, okay? I am my sister’s primary confidante and I know everything, even if she tells you otherwise. The two of them… they don’t know much. We’d prefer it stay that way. Makes it easier on them mentally.”
“What?”
“Alexandra and I shoulder the burden for them. Has she told you what is happening?”
“Are you all crazy? All of you sound?—”
“I’m not crazy! This is our life—or has been. She controls everything that we do. The little ones haven’t been in normal school since they learned to read. They have a tutor. Alex and I break them out in the afternoon like this. Meanwhile, Alex says you think she’s nuts, and she’s sequestered herself in her bloody room now.”
“Oh. Well…” I wasn’t sure what to say. Ididthink she was mad, but he also wondered how they could all have lost reality this much.
“She’s not mad. Celeste is—the mean bitch that runs this place.”
I could tell that Astrid was the spicier of the two. She was feisty. Alexandra was the well-behaved oldest daughter, another reason we’d not get on. The last thing I needed was a well-behaved woman. I judged Alexandra too harshly. I began to believe what the girls said.
“She said the regency has kept her locked up,” I said.
As I spoke, a man approached.
“Well, whatever you do,” Astrid said, “you must check out the zoo. It’s so brilliant.”
“What?” I asked.
Then, I realised she was covering for us.
“Sir, the Queen would like to see you inside,” he said.
“The Queen or the Dowager Queen?” Astrid clarified.
