Free The Carnelian Tyranny: Savino’s Revenge by Cheryl Koevoet Page A

to kiss his mother before heading out the door.

    In the years that she had grown up in Oregon, Marisa had been made to believe that her uncle’s wife was dead. She had often wondered why he had never remarried. It was only after she had returned to Carnelia that she discovered that her uncle had chosen to remain faithful to Cinzia even though they had been separated by different wo rlds.
    For much of her life, Marisa had missed having a mother and an aunt, but Cinzia was quickly becoming both to her. The gentle-spirited woman was the polar opposite of Alessio. Her uncle’s hot-headed temperament always managed to get the better of him, but since he had returned to Carnelia, Marisa had already noticed a significant change in her uncle. And she had no doubt that Aunt Cinzia was the re ason.
    Although her aunt tried to make her lessons as pleasant as possible, she still found the etiquette and protocol training to be tedious and boring. But she also knew that, with one small faux pas, diplomatic relations could be severed, even by accident. Some of the relationships between the kingdoms were so strained that one small breach of protocol could quickly escalate into war.
    In the few short months since she’d been living in Carnelia, the necessity to understand the complex structure of Carnelian society became important to her. Protocol was a vital tool that provided the groundwork for kingdoms to interact with mutual respect and understanding. Without it, diplomacy would simply come to a halt.
    “Now then, Your Highness, how would you address an official representative of Terra cina?”
    “That’s easy,” Marisa answered. “Ambass ador.”
    “And?”
    “His or Her Excell ency.”
    “Very good.”
    “I learned that on my first day in Carnelia.” She smiled, remembering the first time she saw Da rian.
    “Indeed,” Cinzia replied. “You shall not forget that day for the rest of your life. I still remember the day I met your uncle. It was the same day your parents met as well.”
    “Ooh, tel l me!”
    Her aunt’s dark eyes sparkled. “Your mother was still a young princess back then. I was her lady-in-waiting and her dearest fr iend.”
    “I didn’t realize the two of you were so c lose.”
    Cinzia nodded. “We were very close. So close that your Aunt Sophie became jea lous.”
    “Matilda’s mo ther?”
    “I never meant to come between them, but, somehow, I did.”
    “So how did you meet Uncl e Al?”
    “Well, although your parents had been betrothed from birth, they did not actually meet until just a few months before the wedding. For your mother’s eighteenth birthday, King Cerrino and Queen Anna decided that they should be introduced, so they invited Prince Alano and Baron Macario to attend your mother’s royal birthday ball. In the week before the planned celebration, they made the journey across the sea from Terra cina.
    “Elyse loved playing practical jokes, so naturally she decided to play one on her future husband. She said that we should pretend to be peasants picking berries in the Marken Meadow, knowing full well that your father and his men would have to pass through there on their way up to the ca stle.
    “As the delegation of knights approached, we smiled and curtseyed, flirting at them with our baskets full of berries. We knew that it was your father, Prince Alano, riding out in front because of the palm crest on his breastplate. He nodded politely but did not stop until your uncle leaned over and whispered something to him.
    “Alano suddenly stopped his horse and dismounted. Then he approached us and asked us where we were from. We told him that we lived in the city. Your uncle introduced himself as well, taking my hand and bowing politely but not removing his he lmet.
    “Then Alessio took your mother’s hand and just stared at her, completely mesmerized. He said nothing, those clear blue eyes unwavering as they studied her face.
    “We chatted for a few minutes, your mother and I both