I'm in Hidden Springs now doing promotional work for my new book, Alys in Wonderland. I'm due to return to Moonlight Falls to speak at the supernatural convention, and then my agent is sending me on a book tour.
Before I left Moonlight Falls, however, I had a few words for this 'psychic advisor' of Sierra's.
"Would you like a reading?" she asked in what sounded like a standard, rehearsed greeting.
"No," I said firmly. "I've called about my daughter."
"I have plenty of clients, who is your daughter?"
"Sierra Plumb Cheesman."
"The little girl with the mohawk?"
"That's the one."
"That one, she's smart as a whip. Doesn't really know it yet."
"Well, I wish you'd stop taking all her money and taking advantage of her."
"I'm not taking advantage of anyone. I provide a service to people. My readings are only for guidance purposes. People are not to follow them to the absolute letter. And I tell them that as soon as they walk in."
"Well, in my opinion you're a charlatan and an entertainer. You're taking all my daughter's money, taking advantage of her, and filling her head with foolishness. She may act tough but she is an impressionable young girl."
Immediately after getting off the phone with her, I warned Sierra not to go to see her again. But I know she won't listen.
Then my son, AJ, called me, wanting advice.
He'd met this girl at Prince Renauld's funeral dinner at the Vanderburg Palace, named Alex. A part of me is wondering what he was doing at the palace in the first place, but anyway. I'm thinking it's one of the Vanderburg twins, named Alexandra and Anastasia. I know they had been sent away to Smuggsworth, and the last time I had seen them was at Crown Prince Sebastian's wedding.
I also know that when they became YA's their father, Queen Catarina's husband Prince Renauld, gifted them with a shitload of plastic surgery and they signed on to do this reality TV show, and Queen Catarina was not happy about any of that.
How do I know all this?
Hey, I have 2 teen daughters. And my other daughter calls them all the time about this stuff.
My opinion, plastic surgery is not one of the things I'd give my kids for their YA birthday... but that's just me.
And seriously, if these girls went from this:
To this:
They certainly had serious, serious work done.
Now, if she is in fact one of the Vanderburg twins, as I suspect she is, I know this is going to be a problem. Because knowing Queen Catarina as well as I do now, she has very traditional views on women. Even though she and I are friends, we have clashed on a couple of occasions about my adventuring and writing career. Her ideas on the role of women are outdated, and honestly, they're a bit hypocritical considering she herself is a sitting monarch.
In fact, I'm currently investigating a possible genetic link between Queen Catarina and Alys de Montfort, the medieval queen who was the subject of the book I'm currently promoting, through Queen Catarina's mother, Queen Eloise. The link is not through Catarina's father Rudolph's Vanderburg line, but through Queen Eloise's family in Champs Les Sims and Tredony. Alys de Montfort was of Tredonian origin.
Anyway, back to AJ. He said that he was assigned to 'mentor' Alex in her military training. And he wanted some advice on how to proceed.
Now, my son is a youth counselor there at the military complex. Next to the complex is Fort Starch Military Academy, where he and Sety did their stint.
I'm going to be quite honest. I don't want AJ within 10 feet of that girl.
But, it's not my call to make. It's his.
I advised him to keep their relationship professional only, and then let it proceed at its own pace, if it proceeds. But like I told him, it's his life, and his decision to make. If he wants to get involved with her on a basis other than professional, I just want him to be careful.
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