The Royal Treatment Read Online Free PDF Page B

actually.”
    “What do they do?”
    “Less than they claim.” Meredith waved her hand. “It’s difficult to keep track of all the divisions and their responsibilities. Actually, the big news is Genevieve may be announcing her retirement, and if that happens, the whole council will be reorganized. Promotions will be in store.”
    “You think you’re getting a promotion? Please.”
    Meredith and I both cringed at the voice. We exhaled in unison and turned around to face Lilith, Meredith’s long-time adversary, who was perched on the waiting area couch, sewing a quilt. Long fingers dipped the needle in and out of the fabric. Her domestic goddess look was punctuated by a pressed floral halter dress. Gah, she even had on pearls.
    Meredith smoothed out her shirt and sat across from Lilith on a wing chair. Instead of taking a seat, I stood and let them have their space. Their expressions were so hard, I half expected a bikini-clad woman to parade by with a round-one sign like at boxing matches. Right before the fight bell rings.
    “Did I give you a tour of my new bubble, Lilith?” Meredith raised an eyebrow. “It’s a model NT-94. I think you’re still in a JD-35, yes?”
    Lilith busied herself with her sewing, the design a multicolored tree. “Bubble models matter little compared to cold, hard numbers. As commoners say, my promotion is in the bag. And yours, well, more likely in the trash.”
    “Careful, darling. Arrogance will make that little wrinkle on your forehead grow.”
    “Please. Your chances of moving out of mid-list obscurity are about as good as that prince of yours proposing.”
    Meredith’s smile tightened. I sucked in a breath. I was not a Lilith fan, but I had to hand it to her—she knew where to strike.
    “That prince,” Meredith said evenly, “is my past. If we’re bringing him up, why don’t we also mention that you were the one who shared all the details with the council, the details I told you in confidence as a friend . Backstabbing doesn’t seem like a trait that would get you on the council, now, does it?”
    Whoa. Lilith was the snitch? More surprising—they used to be friends? I needed to get my manual out and take notes. Juicy, juicy stuff.
    “It’s business, Mer.” Lilith bit neatly on a thread. “You have to know the rules and where you fit. See this quilt I’m making for Genevieve’s birthday? It’s her family tree.”
    She held it out for Meredith to take in the details. Meredith tried to act uninterested, but her eyes kept drawing back to the design. Carefully stitched names and dates wove up the branches.
    “Four of her family branches have royal bloodlines.” Lilith pointed to a branch. “Four! It’s almost enough to earn her a title.”
    “What’s your point?” Meredith asked.
    “Our reputations aren’t our only defining traits. Sure, you can sit around patting your back because of all your do-gooding, but it doesn’t change where you came from. If I were making a family tree for you, it’d be nothing more than a stump.”
    “Pedigree stopped mattering two hundred years ago. Royals don’t even care about bloodlines anymore—the Crown Prince of Norway met his wife at a rock concert, for heaven’s sake,” Meredith said.
    Lilith leaned over and patted Meredith’s knee. I could tell it took all of my agent’s self control to not kick Lilith in the face.
    “Of course he did, dear.” She lowered her voice. “But to put it bluntly, the agency wants to know we’re devoted to these clients, and being cut from the same cloth makes it that much easier to assimilate into royal roles. I had two counts and a duchess at my boarding school. These people were in my circle before I even knew about Façade.”
    “Assimilate? I went through five foster homes. Don’t tell me I don’t know how to assimilate.”
    “No hard feelings.” Lilith shrugged and folded up the blanket. “When I move up, I’ll make sure you get more of those Level One surrogates