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What exactly would lying about you being a virgin accomplish? It wasn’t anything to be ashamed of, especially in Strossvald. Even in old Sosaldt it was just unusual. The dust lands were a place where people did anything to get ahead in the old times, and everybody wanted what was between a young woman’s legs, especially if they got the bump of being the first one there. Who wouldn’t take what they could get for one of the few things that you were born with, after all? With how much the odds were against you in every other way?
Well, you hadn’t made that trade. You weren’t your mother.
“I’m a virgin, yeah,” you said, “What if I wasn’t? Would that matter?”
Magnus shook his head. “I would be in no place to judge you. I’d presume it was for survival.”
“Feh.” You bit your lip, “Wouldn’t be an excuse for me.” A pause, before you thought of your answer to the other thing. “Y’know. Back in Alpha Two- that whole thing with the Ellowian Army and Mittelsosalia teaming up to take the north on- I knew you were out there. I tried my best, y’know, to keep my allies, t’ keep Richter from takin’ you down. Even though I couldn’t do much about it. Then I went t’ you anyways. All that…I didn’t do it so you could go off and stuff some other bitch.”
Magnus gave you a long sigh. “I understand. I’m sorry.”
“For what?” You scoffed irritably, “Not like you knew.” Though he should have. “Come on.” You turned on him to go back to the kitchen, “Let’s get back before your bedwarmer thinks something’s up.”
Yuliana hadn’t noticed anything, nor did she speak up, when you both came back. Too engrossed in her work, you went to watch her instead of wasting your time brooding over burnt butter.
At first she was silent, not even addressing you leaning on the counter and watching her, no snide comment, no demands for you to leave, nothing. Eventually though, she just started talking. Like she thought you wanted a story.
“You might think cooking to be beneath me,” she said as she pulled the pot from the stove, “The position of Burgomeister is practically hereditary. The people of Palatenhugel have ever known what Sanmorza once was. Even as its realms shrank to its city gates over time. Even when it could no longer be called a city any longer. Part of that is because the Sanmorza family has ever thought themselves servants of their people. They wear gold so that their subjects may shine around them.”
You didn’t comment. The sort of thing she was talking about was so far beyond you that it was pointless to try and think about it. When you and Alina played pretend as queen or princess it was so you could have everything you didn’t and couldn’t have, not for any high minded hoity toity philosophy. It sure as hell wasn’t honoring your ancestry.
