Over the years, I’d heard many stories about Grand Duchess Callisto’s seasonal events and their sordid affairs – and now I was getting to see one for myself.

  “My child will obey, or suffer the consequences.” Queen Thalia’s nasally voice yelled over the crowd. “She’ll want to join us, as we have something very important to tell her. We are her elders, and she will respect our age and wisdom.”

  A man wearing a green suit brushed passed me, almost knocking my drink out of my hand. Before I could say anything, I thought better of it, as he was stepping right up to the drama unfolding.

  King Simon waved at the newcomer, “We have good news, Henri. If you hadn’t failed so utterly to complete the simple task you were assigned, we wouldn’t have had this wonderful opportunity.”

  “Princess Henrietta,” The man in green looked over the princess like a merchant inspecting his wares. He bowed, and while bent, his arm lashed out, smoothly scooping up in the princess’s hand and bringing it to his lips for a kiss.

  “Let me introduce Marquess Chadwick Dorset,” King Simon smiled.

  Princess Henrietta snatched her hand back and looked over the marquess as if she was trying to remember him from somewhere. I knew right away where I recognized his name.

  Marquess Dorset of the kingdom of Servalt is the slave trader you are looking for. Please catch him before he attacks the Filla Orphanage.

  One of Madame Pott’s forecasts.

  “He’s your fiancé, dear.” Queen Thalia announced.

  The Dark Lord who had been standing quietly behind Henrietta all this time, shifted slightly. From the pinched look on King Simon and Queen Thalia’s faces… he might have used a skill on them, or released some of his aura.

  The marquess started to sweat.

  “No,” Henrietta spoke softly at first, but then gained her voice. “No. I refuse.”

  Queen Thalia was the first to shake off whatever it was that the Dark Lord had done, standing straighter. “It’s not up to you, Henri. We drew up the contracts while you were a minor– any chance you had to argue was lost when you didn’t come home.”

  The Dark Lord pointed out, “She isn’t a minor now. You have no power over her.”

  The marquess lost his battle against whatever effect King Keith was using, driving the man to one knee. Despite this, his voice carried strong and steady. “She has been promised by magical contract to me, Your Viciousness. Attack me all you want; there’s nothing you can do about it!”

  Unfortunately– the marquess was right.

  “Poor girl.” I heard Charlie nearby.

  “The Dark Lord is at it again.” An unfamiliar voice whispered.

  “My ice orb that the Dark Lord kills the Marquess.”

  This story has been taken without authorization. Report any sightings.

  “Bet.”

  Despite the unpleasantness, Drendil’s way of doing things was similar to Sumbria’s, and I was used to listening in silence for fear of unpleasant royal attention.

  Bastian was not.

  The man was stiff as a board with one hand flexing as if to summon a weapon. As Knight Commander of Peldeep, it wasn’t his place to interrupt, but I had the feeling that he might if left to his own devices.

  I stood on my tiptoes and said, “Look.”

  I drew his attention to Their Highness Rowan, standing slightly behind Grand Duchess Callisto. The pair of rulers looked on, unimpressed but impassive… that was until he noticed what I had. Rowen had one hand holding the sleeve of the duchess, holding her back for some reason.

  She would support Bastian whether he stepped forward to intervene or not - but she didn’t want him to get in trouble with his master.

  Just then, Henrietta stuck up her hand, drawing everyone’s attention. The tiny princess asked the marquess in a calm voice, “I could kill you?”

  Knowing how sneaky contracts could be, I doubted that would work.

  King Keith added a more threatening, “And I could feed your body to the sirens of Lake Loria. Or use your flesh to feed my roses.”

  His didn’t sound like a hypothetical question… or even a question at all.

  “Destroy me, and you will only show the world how untrustworthy the Dark Enchanted Forest truly is.” The marquess managed a short laugh. Since he was a much lower level than the Dark Lord, it was impressive he was still speaking at all. “And it would still do nothing. The girl is promised to the Marquess Dorset– whoever that happens to be. If I fall, others will simply take my place.”

  From a political standpoint, the marquess was the underdog. A man promised the princess’s hand, only to have her stolen away by a Dark Lord and threatened when he confronted the pair. It wasn’t looking good for the Dark Enchanted Forest.

  It didn’t get better either.

  “I could exterminate your entire line.” King Keith declared in front of the entire ballroom. “It would be effortless, like squishing bugs.”

  “Monfort.” The grand duchess spoke softly for the first time since the beginning. “While I understand, I need to ask you to move elsewhere if you are going to be threatening my other guests.”

  The Dark Lord accepted without question, “If Your Grace would allow us–”

  “There are other ladies vying for the position.” King Simon didn’t look like he wanted to move the show anywhere, and turned on Princess Henrietta, yelling, “This is an opportunity you will not squander. It would be a shame if you became a second wife– or a concubine!”

  “Just another way to embarrass us.” Queen Thalia added. The Drendil couple's voices grated and carried on, ignoring what the duchess told them entirely.

  It seemed too much for the princess.

  “I REFUSE.” Henrietta turned on the marquess. “I will never marry you, Marquess Dorset. Not ever.”

  “Oh really?” Marquess Dorset managed to climb back to his feet. “If you’re so inclined, Princess, then I would be happy to give you an option to withdraw your suit?”

  “Really?”

  “That is–” The marquess held out one hand to the girl, “If you’d allow me just one dance to try and change your mind.”

  When Henrietta looked like she was seriously considering it, King Keith wrapped one arm around the princess possessively. “You can forget asking–”

  “To be clear.” Henrietta said, “If I dance one dance with you, then you will honor your word and annul any magical contracts between us?”

  The marquess placed a hand on his heart, “Princess, if you give me one dance, I will try to convince you to marry me. If you still refuse, I will issue terms. But I will do so as respectable adults who speak for themselves. Away from your captor.”

  Another point for the marquess.

  “I’m not–”

  “He’s not–”

  Princess Henrietta and King Keith tried to speak but were cut off again, “Do we have a deal or not?”

  The princess didn’t think long.

  “I’ll do it.”

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