《Saving the Second Male Lead》


 Chapter One

    The morning light was slowly starting to seep through the cloudy sky, but I was so engrossed in the book on my phone that I didn''t notice the purple and pink light outside my window. I should''ve put the book down hours ago, but I had no self-control and was determined to finish the whole thing in one night.


    ?


    "She watched in terror as the demon''s claws came tearing toward her, black nails ripping through the air at an unbelievable speed. She shielded her face but knew that her thin arms wouldn''t be any protection. She closed her eyes, bracing herself for her seemingly inescapable end.


    The air rang with the stinging sound of scraping against metal. At first, Ryia believed she was too shocked to feel the pain. She slowly opened her eyes, looking down at her body, expecting to see a mangled mess. There was nothing.


    Her eyes shot up to see what had happened to the monster that had been only moments away from slaying her. Instead of a bubbling, black mass, she saw a man¡¯s back.


    "Are you okay, Ryia? Nothing hit you, right?" the man called out with a pained voice she recognized immediately. He began to turn around, but his body crumpled as soon as he moved. Ryia caught him in her arms before he hit the ground. At first, she thought it was just fatigue, but as she tried to lift him back up, she felt a warm liquid trickling down her arms.


    "Lawrence!" She began to panic, the slick feeling of her hands sickening her. Why was there so much blood?


    Ryia peaked over his shoulder, her eyes growing wide as they fell upon the body of a monster that had a sword piercing its chest. Even more terrifying than its festering corpse was the ruby-red blood that dripped from its claws. So that was the noise. Lawrence had killed the monster, but not in time to spare himself from what should have been her fate.


    " What- what happened? Is there anything I can do?" she asked, shaking as she tried to come up with something, anything that could save him. The burning feeling of helplessness sent her body trembling as she held him.


    "Ryia, don''t worry about me. It''s just a little scratch," Lawrencesmiled, trying not to let the pain show on his face. The last thing he wanted to see was Ryia crying.


    "Why would you protect me like that?"


    His shaking hand brushed away the tears that stained her cheek. "I''d do anything to protect the person I love, to protect you, even if it meant giving up my life."


    Ryia¡¯s heart stopped as choked on her tears at the confession. They¡¯d known each other their whole lives, and of course, she loved him as a friend, but as she looked into his steel blue eyes that had managed to stay bright just for her despite everything, she could see that he didn''t mean it in that way.


    No, her loved her with all his heart. And that fact broke hers. Her tears came even faster, cascading down in inconsolable sobs.


    "Don''t be sad. If you''re sad, then protecting you with my life will have meant nothing. So please, just be happy. I willbe fine as long as you can continue living with a smile on your face."


    And even though she couldn¡¯t fully stop the tears that stained her cheeks, she smiled. She gave him the brightest smile she could manage, even if doing so shattered her heart over and over again. Her chest was crushing under the guilt that she couldn¡¯t return the love he¡¯d so selflessly given her. Maybe, in another life, things would''ve been different; he would''ve loved her in a way no one else could, she would''ve fallen in love with him just as much, and they¡¯d both get their happy ending. But dreaming of it now was useless. It wouldn''t change the fact that she loved Sawyer, and that her time with Lawrence had been cut unfathomably short.


    This content has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.


    "Okay, I''ll be happy for you,¡± she said, tipping her forehead against his.


    Through shallow breaths, he managed to return her smile with a small laugh."


    ?


    "What the hell is this?" I cursed at the screen, "that is how the author got rid of the love triangle? By killing the second male lead right after he confessed his love to her?!?"


    I chucked my phone and watched as it soared across my bedroom, landing face down with a crack.


    "Dammit," I crawled out of the sheets I was tangled in and picked my phone up off the fake hardwood floors. When I turned it on, the time 5:37 am blared at me through shattered glass. I turned around and plopped back into my bed, debating whether it was worth trying to get an hour or two of sleep or if I should bite the bullet and start getting ready for work.


    Given the way the still-warm comforter seemed to swallow me whole, I went for the former. Every time I closed my eyes, the mental images from the book would flash by. Why couldn''t the crown prince, Sawyer or whatever his name was, die instead? If he was supposed to be the main love interest, then why wasn''t he the one who loved Ryia enough to put his life on the line? Why was it the second male lead who had to meet such a tragic end?


    Maybe it was because I''d never been in love myself, but I just couldn''t imagine that it would compel Lawrence to give his life up so easily for someone else. There was no way love could be that powerful, right?


    "Stupid," I murmured. As drifted back to sleep, I pictured an ending where Lawrence didn''t die, where he and Ryia got their happily ever after together instead.


    It was the revving of a motorcycle, not my phone''s alarm that finally woke me up. I opened my eyes and rolled over, checking the time on my phone.


    9:23 am.


    How could I have forgotten to set an alarm? Work started at 10:00, and I¡¯d be lucky if I could leave in time to catch the bus and not get another late slip. Usually, being late wouldn''t be the end of the world, but I was already on thin ice with the manager and couldn¡¯t afford to lose my job. I hurried around my room, frantically trying to put my hair into a braid that would hopefully mask just how unruly my red curls were.


    Shirt, skirt, socks, shoes, jacket, purse, wait, where were my keys?


    I saw them lying on the counter next to my bus pass, snatched them up, and went careening down the flight of stairs that led out to the bustling city streets. I followed the sidewalk, trying my best not to bump into anyone as I weaved through the crowds. In the distance, I saw the bright royal blue shine of the bus as it waited at the stop. I was still a full two blocks away and picked my pace up into a frantic jog. Getting nervous, I began praying that the driver the crabby old man who seemed to enjoy waiting till I was only a few seconds away to close the door and pull off. I was certain he¡¯d made it his life goal to make me late to work as often as possible.


    "Excuse me, Excuse me," I said, jostling my way through the people around me.


    "Excuse m-"


    My apology was promptly cut short as a passerby¡¯s elbow knocked me off balance, and my heel caught in a grove. My ankle rolled, sending me tumbling face-first onto the asphalt. Grating my teeth at the pain from my skinned elbows and chin, I hauled myself onto my knees and desperately tried wiping off my tattered skirt. There was probably no way I would be able to get the tar stains out even if I gave it hours of cleaning, and there was definitely no way to get them out before I needed to be at the office. As I contemplated whether it would be worse to show up late or show up on time with my outfit and body in tatters, the shouts of other pedestrians finally registered. The various ¡®get up¡¯s and ¡®look out¡¯s, and even some idiot yelling out the months of the year, was enough to get me to lift my eyes up to meet the tires of a truck that had some careening out of nowhere.


    "Well, dammit..." I laughed bitterly as I came face to face with the blaring headlights.

 Chapter Two

    I kept waiting for the pain of the impact to hit, but it never came. Instead, I felt my body being pulled to the side, before falling with a thud.


    ¡°Hey, watch where you¡¯re driving!¡± the sound of a man yelling snapped my eyes open. I blinked, the sun shining brightly around me, leaving a yellow afterimage in my vision. Even though I technically hadn¡¯t been hit, every part of my body still ached.


    ¡°What kind of stupid world doesn¡¯t invent brake? I can¡¯t believe I¡¯m stuck here,¡± the same voice murmured.


    As I adjusted to the light, I turned my head to face the voice coming from behind. Hazel eyes, freckles, fluffy blond hair, and lips twisted into a worried frown.


    ¡°Oh, hey, are you okay? That was quite a fall you had there,¡± he spoke in a soft, worried tone that contrasted his yells from earlier.


    ¡°Ah, yes, thank you for helping me,¡± I started, but I quickly shut my mouth in embarrassment when I realized exactly what position we were in. When he pulled me out of the road, we hadn¡¯t just fallen on the ground next to each other. I had fallen on top of him and was now sitting in his lap as one of his arms wrapped around me, the other propping him up.


    ¡°OH, I¡¯m so sorry!¡± I gasped, pushing my hands against his chest as I tried to get off him. Noticing my attempt to get up, he released his hold on me.


    ¡°It¡¯s okay. It¡¯s my fault for grabbing you like that, the was probably a more graceful way I could¡¯ve done that. If you¡¯re okay, then I¡¯m fine,¡± his features softened as he drew his face into a smile. Maybe it was just the adrenaline flowing through my veins, but when his eyes met mine and he gave me that charming smile my heart immediately skipped a beat.


    I could feel myself blushing and quickly jumped up and away so that he wouldn¡¯t see. I breathed in and turned back around the help him up. It was the least I could do.


    ¡°It¡¯s okay, I got it, but thank you,¡± he smiled. He lifted himself off the ground, wincing as he put weight on his one arm. I looked at him, the guilt of knowing he got hurt helping me sat heavy in my stomach.


    It was as I looked at him that I realized what had created the eerie feeling sitting in the back of my mind since the second I opened my eyes. His clothes. They weren¡¯t your usual work clothes, no jeans with a nice button-up shirt. He looked like he was heading to a renaissance fair. A lace-up white shirt was covered by a patterned, tan jacket, black pants, and boots. I gawked at his outfit when my eyes noticed that my clothes themselves weren¡¯t what they had been. My shirt and skirt had been replaced by a flowing, pale blue silk dress that swayed around me. Peeking from underneath the hem, white flats covered my feet instead of the heels I put on in the morning.


    I lifted my head and quickly gazed around me. Everything had changed. The crowded city streets had turned into cobblestone roads, the skyscrapers becoming two-story, wood, and stone houses and shops, and carriages took the spots of cars as they drove through the uneven streets. Even the truck that I had barely escaped from had become an extravagant carriage, decorated with bright white paint and gold embellishments.


    ¡°Who would think that decorating a carriage like that would be a smart idea? It looks ridiculous,¡± the guy behind me said. I whipped my head around and stared at him with eyes full or confusion and fear.


    ¡°Hey, are you sure you¡¯re okay?¡± he asked me, ¡°You look like you just saw a ghost.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know how I got here,¡± I stuttered, completely dumbfounded by my surroundings. The door of the carriage suddenly swung open, and a man wearing clothes even more extravagant than the carriage stepped out. His platinum hair gleamed white as light passed through it, and it was impossible to not notice the handle of a sword in its sheath that the sun glinted off. The ruby red cape he wore flowed behind his as he walked forward, making it seem like he was behind followed by a rushing waterfall of blood.


    ¡°Carac, why have you stopped the carriage?¡±  he asked, his tone showing obvious annoyance.


    ¡°There was someone in the street that we nearly hit, so I stopped to check where she was,¡± the man sitting in the driver''s seat answered. The blond man looked around, and when he saw me, he stared at me with piercing gold eyes. His glare was the definition of ¡®if looks could kill¡¯. Though he could only be, at most, a few inches taller than me his presence made it seem like he was towering over me.


    ¡°Ah, so you¡¯re the clumsy little rat who was stupid enough to scamper in front of my carriage and inconvenience me.¡±


    He stepped closer to me, and as I staggered backward and nearly fell, but was held steady by the same man who had helped me. His firm grasp on my shoulders kept me upright and gave me a small sense of reassurance.


    ¡°Hey, prick, who are you calling an inconvenience? It was your stupid carriage that almost hit her,¡± the sense of safety dispelled as soon as the appalled reaction to the taunts spread across the blond man¡¯s face.


    ¡°Wait, I know who you are,¡± the blond man¡¯s face of contempt quickly turned into a menacing smirk, ¡°you¡¯re with the son of the duke, Lawrence¡¯s aide, aren¡¯t you?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, I am, so?¡±


    This tale has been pilfered from Royal Road. If found on Amazon, kindly file a report.


    ¡°Figures. The family is such a disgrace to the empire, of course they would have such ill-mannered help,¡± the blond man snicked, ¡°with indecent filth like you working for them, there is no wondering why they are crumbling.¡± The man holding me released his grip and took heavy steps toward the other.


    ¡°Listen here, you little sh-¡°


    ¡°Oliver, stand down,¡± a third man came out of the shop behind us, a petite girl following behind him. The man who had helped me, who¡¯s name I now knew, stepped back.


    ¡°But Lawrence,¡± Oliver turned to the third man.


    ¡°I said stand down,¡± Lawrence sternly cut Oliver up, seemingly shutting him up for good.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, your highness, for his crude behavior. I assure you that he will be punished for his actions. He isn¡¯t normally like this, so please excuse this as it is a one-time occurrence,¡± Lawrence turned to the blond man, bowing his head as he apologized. The blond-haired man looked as if he was going to give a harsh response, but when he spotted the girl standing behind Lawrence, he immediately changed his tone.


    ¡°Tch, because I am generous, I won¡¯t punish you myself, but do not expect this type of leniency in the future,¡± though he smiled and spoke kindly, I could hear the subtle annoyance that he was trying to hide.


    ¡°Your highness, what happened to cause such a commotion?¡± the girl behind Lawrence asked, her soft voice barely audible.


    ¡°Oh, hello Ryia,¡± the man acted surprised as if he hadn¡¯t already noticed her, ¡°it appears that this poor girl fainted and fell into the road, where my carriage nearly hit her. She seems to be in shock, so I was going to take her back to the palace to treat her.¡±


    Wait, her name was Ryia? It wasn¡¯t exactly a common name, in fact, the only place I heard it was in¡­ the book I had been reading the night before. My eyes widened. It all made sense. I thought transmigration stories like this appeared in, well, only books. Yet, here I was, standing in the middle of a cobblestone sidewalk, stuck between four fantasy characters. Honestly, it was a realization that I couldn¡¯t process, and for now, my mind was just skipping over the ridiculousness of the scenario and continuing as if this was normal.


    God, not only did I get sent to a book, but it was a truck that sent me there. How clich¨¦.


    ¡°And Ryia, please, call me Sawyer, not your highness. It is far too formal for someone as important to me as you are,¡± he looked at her with a bright smile that was the direct opposite of the look of disapproval that he had given me earlier.


    I furrowed my brows, my mouth gaping open at his words. The shift in his behavior was almost laughable, exactly what you¡¯d expect from his character in the book. Sawyer was the sad excuse of a male lead, the kind that every girl loved despite the obvious red flags. In the story, the female lead fell head over heels for him, it didn¡¯t matter how toxic, fake, and aggressive he was.


    My eyes shifted to the girl. So, she was Ryia. The author had perfectly described her delicate features and chestnut waves that were intertwined with flowers and braids. I should¡¯ve recognized her immediately. If that were the case, then the only girl character I could be was her lady-in-waiting, named¡­


    ¡°Oh dear god, June, you almost got hit by the carriage? Are you okay?!?¡± her sharp nose wrinkled with worry as she ran over to me. Grabbing my arm, she pulled me into an embrace.


    ¡°Are you hurt? How did you get out of the street in time? How did this all happen?¡± she pulled back, holding me at arm¡¯s length for a second to ask me the question.


    ¡°I apologize, it was all due to the incompetence of my driver. June tripped into the street, and it took Carac an unacceptable amount of time to stop the horses. He was mere seconds away from creating a disaster,¡± Sawyer bowed his head, try to play up his fake apology and explanation, ¡°I will make sure that Carac is reprimanded in a way that ensures that this will never occur again, and your safety will never be in jeopardy.¡±


    ¡°I am thankful for your apology, your highness, but please don¡¯t be harsh on your driver. Mistakes happen, and I am sure that it all happened very quickly. In the end, June came out alive, so that is all that matters,¡± Ryia responded with a soft tone and a small curtsey.


    ¡°Now, please allow me to take you and June back to the palace so she may be evaluated and treated by the royal doctors. It would be a shame if something was missed and she ended up hurt,¡± Sawyer reached out his hand to Ryia, ¡°Carac, please quickly get a second carriage.¡±


    Carac raced away at Sawyer¡¯s command.


    ¡°Ryia, you and I can ride in this together, and give June her own.¡±


    Ryia blushed a bit but responded to his proposition with concern, ¡°wouldn¡¯t it be unsafe to leave June all alone?¡±


    ¡°It will be best for her to rest on her own in the quiet on the way there. Please allow me to take care of you, I insist.¡±


    Oliver snorted at his reasoning, making me laugh a bit. I mean, it was a stupid idea. Sawyer obviously was just trying to get time with Ryia, even if it meant being a bit manipulative.


    ¡°If you insist, then there is no way I can refuse, your highness,¡± Ryia gave him a soft smile of gratitude, ¡°your kindness is much appreciated.¡±


    Once the second carriage came into view, Sawyer invited Ryia onto his carriage, taking her hand to help her up. As he closed the door, he gave Oliver and Lawrence one final, pretentious sneer. They took off, leaving Lawrence, Oliver, and I alone on the sidewalk for a moment. When the second carriage arrived, I got in and closed the door. Through the open window, I could hear the two speaking.


    ¡°I seriously can¡¯t believe that this prick is royalty. That lying piece of sh-¡± Oliver exclaimed a little louder than he should¡¯ve. Lawrence smacked him on the head before he could finish.


    ¡°Hey, dumbass, if he is royalty then you can¡¯t continue to say shit like that, or else you¡¯ll get yourself killed. Are you really that stupid?¡± Lawrence asked him through gritted teeth. He grabbed Oliver¡¯s collar and pulled him behind him.


    ¡°Ow, ow, ow ow,¡± Oliver cried out in pain, rubbing his next once Lawrence let go. He grumbled some sort of profanity under his breath. I couldn¡¯t help but giggle at his actions, he was ridiculously stupid.


    I stuck my head out the window as the wheels slowly began to roll.


    ¡°Thank you again, Oliver,¡± I gave a small shout. He smiled at me in return, keeping his eyes on me until I pulled my head back into the carriage and sat down. I leaned back, and my mind finally began to piece together the reality I was stuck in.

 Chapter Three

    I sat with my head leaning up against the window, looking at the town¡¯s surroundings as I rode through it. If it was raining, I would¡¯ve looked like one of those kids in a coming-of-age movie that was having an existential crisis while they stared out the window of a bus with angst. Part of me was in denial, part of me felt like throwing up, and part of me was bewildered, trying to figure it all out.


    ¡°What the hell?¡±


    That was the only thing I was able to utter, and I just kept saying it over and over again. My eyes glazed over as the people and houses I passed came in and out of focus. Every bump in the road reminded me that this wasn¡¯t a car on a highway, but a slow, horse-drawn carriage without a suspension system. The closer we got to the palace, the bigger the houses got and the more extravagant the clothes got. I turned my head straight, eyes staring at the carriage wall in front of me. Through the small window, I could see the head of the driver bouncing around. I wondered if he could hear me talking to myself.


    ¡°Hello, Mr. Driver sir, can you hear me?¡± I called out. No response.


    ¡°Mr. Driver, I am dying, if you can hear me, can you like, stop and help me not die?¡±


    Still nothing, not even a head turn.  I assumed that I was fine to continue thinking aloud.  Slumping farther down into my seat, I tried to remember all I could about my character.


    ¡°Okay, so it sounds like I¡¯m June, Ryia¡¯s lady-in-waiting. She¡¯s the one who¡­ got hit by a carriage¡­ was just a way for Ryia and Sawyer to spend time together¡­ and then was never mentioned again,¡± my mouth dropped in annoyance, ¡°well, this just sucks.¡± I almost felt bad for my character and the fact she only existed as a plot tool. I found it hard to believe that the author would just throw in a person who was supposed to be close friends with the main character only to never mention her again.


    ¡°Hold on, did Ryia just forget about her in the book? Weren¡¯t they supposed to be close friends or something?¡± I asked aloud as if someone was there to answer.


    The more I thought about it, the more my heart dropped into my stomach. It was slowly sinking in that I was stuck in a world where my life had no real purpose.


    ¡°Whelp, at least I didn¡¯t get run over this time,¡± I chuckled. Oliver¡¯s face flashed through my head, and I was reminded of what he had said. ¡®I can¡¯t believe I¡¯m stuck here.¡¯  That perfectly summed up how I was feeling right now.


    Turning my head back to the window, I let out an exasperated sigh and crossed my arms.


    ¡°What am I supposed to do now?¡±


    ?


    Eventually, the carriage passed through the tall iron gates that surrounded the royal grounds and rolled to a stop in front of a massive castle that looked exactly like the 3D generated ones used in every manhwa ever created. The door of the carriage was opened by a guard in shiny silver armor with a red shirt peeking through. A large garden sprawled out in front of me. Sparkling fountains bubbled, little chirping birds hopping in and around them. Butterflies drifted from flower to flower, and large oak trees cast shadows over the bright green grass, their leaves dancing with every small breeze.


    Waiting on the walkway to the palace was Ryia, standing next to Sawyer. When she saw me, she scampered over and worriedly grabbed my hand. Sawyer strode after, catching up in order to join us.


    ¡°Ryia, let¡¯s head inside and find a place to rest,¡± Sawyer looked down at Ryia, his golden eyes glinting in the sun, and spoke to her instead of me as if I didn¡¯t exist.


    ¡°Yes, let¡¯s make sure she finds a cool place to lay down,¡± Ryia added. Her grip on my hand tightened. The three of us started walking through the gold-decorated doors and into the palace.


    The heels of our shoes clicked on the marble tiles and ricocheted off of the ornate white walls. Though I didn¡¯t like the fact that I was here in the first place, I had to admit that it was a beautiful sight. Mirrors and paintings lined the walls, and chandeliers hung from chains on the ceiling. The light from their candles¡¯ flames reflected in the crystal that decorated them. How they managed to get the candles up there and lit was a mystery, but it looked magical nonetheless. Large pane glass windows flooded the halls with natural light and cast geometric patterns on the floor. Every window that we passed revealed more beautiful gardens outside that seemed to go on and on for miles. After a few turns and a flight of stairs, we came to an abrupt stop.


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    ¡°Right around this corner is a room for June, the maids can take her from here,¡± as Sawyer spoke, two young women walked over, bowed their heads, and greeted us.


    ¡°Please take good care of her and make sure she gets plenty of rest, she is a very special guest.¡±


    Ryia gave a small curtsey and thanked them, while behind her Sawyer gave them a menacing look and then gestured toward me. A slight chill went down my spine and I got the vibe that this wasn¡¯t such a selfless gesture on his part.


    ¡°Right this way, Miss,¡± one of them gently wrapped their hand around my arm and began to lead me away in a hurry. As I was practically dragged through the hallway, I could hear Sawyer talking and quickly whipped my head around.


    ¡°Ryia, let us head to the dining hall. It is almost time for dinner, and I¡¯d be a horrible host if I let you go hungry,¡± Sawyer turned to Ryia, looking her in the eyes with a warm smile that couldn¡¯t be any further from fake. I already disliked him from reading the book but being with him in person and seeing the fa?ade he kept up around Ryia was repulsive.


    ¡°Actually, could Ryia come with me?¡± I quickly wriggled free from the girl¡¯s grasp and darted back to Ryia¡¯s side, grasping her hands and whimpering, ¡°it¡¯s going to be lonely there by myself.¡±


    Sure, I don¡¯t know what I¡¯m going to do now that I am in this world, but I know for a fact that I¡¯m not going to let Sawyer get close to her. It¡¯s not because I¡¯m attached to her or anything like that, I just want to piss him off.


    ¡°Oh, June, I don¡¯t want you to be lonely, let me go with you and I can keep you company,¡± Ryia cooed at me, and for a moment I thought I saw her eyes flash with relief. Whatever it was, it quickly dissipated.


    ¡°Now that isn¡¯t a smart idea, you need to rest,¡± Sawyer kept his smile, but I could hear his voice hissing through clenched teeth, ¡°the maids will take perfect care of her and make sure that she isn¡¯t lonely.¡±


    ¡°Please Ryia,¡± I skipped over Sawyer¡¯s remark and continued pleading to her.


    ¡°Your Majesty, please forgive me. I greatly appreciate the invitation to dinner, but I believe that I need to be at June¡¯s side right now. Is it alright if I go with her?¡±


    Sawyer shot me a nasty glare that made it clear that I had succeeded in making him angry, ¡°all is well, I¡¯ll send the doctor and make sure that dinner is sent to you, Ryia.¡±


    ¡°Thank you for accommodating me,¡± I smirked slightly at Sawyer before turning and walking down the hall with Ryia. I could feel golden flames burning into me as I left.


    Everything about the palace was extravagant, and the room I was put in was no exception. I brushed aside intricately sewn drapes that surrounded the bed and plopped down onto the comforter. I laid there for a few minutes, staring at the ceiling, my attention only shifting when there was a knock on the door. I sat up, ready to answer it, but Ryia got up and beat me to it.


    ¡°Hello Doctor, June is laying on the bed currently,¡± Ryia curtseyed and led the doctor to where I was laying. I sat up, shoulders back, and greeted him.


    ¡°I heard you got into a little accident, miss. I¡¯m just going to check a couple of things to make sure you aren¡¯t hurt inside and that you didn¡¯t hit your head too hard,¡± he gave me a warm, but insincere smile, ¡°Not stand up straight.¡±


    He poked and prodded around, nothing out of the norm. He asked a few questions, like if I knew what the date was, if I was seeing double and if I could recite the alphabet backward. It felt more like a sobriety test from a police officer, but I didn¡¯t care either way. I just wanted to get it over with. Ryia sat in a chair next to the bed, worried eyes following his every move as if she expected him to make a mistake.


    ¡°I want to have you stay here for the night, and maybe a day or two afterward just to be sure, but everything seems to be fine besides a little shock, which is to be expected,¡± he took a step back and grabbed the bag he had brought in with him. After digging through it for a few seconds, he pulled out a blue glass bottle full of little pills.


    ¡°Here, you should take these, they are just some little vitamins that will help you get up to your full strength. Why don¡¯t you take one now,¡± he unscrewed the bottle and handed it to me.


    ¡°Is it okay if I take this after dinner?¡± I asked, my gut telling me that something was off.


    ¡°I¡¯d prefer if you took it now, just so I know that you did.¡±


    He looked at me with a strange glint in his eye. I dumped a pill into my hand and stared at it for a few seconds. The doctor continued to stare me down, and eventually, I gave in and swallowed the pill dry.


    ¡°Alright, thank you miss. I¡¯ll be back to check on you again tomorrow morning. I am going to leave the pills here, please take one before sleeping too,¡± he left the room soon after, the door slamming behind him.


    ¡°I¡¯m glad that everything is okay June, I was so nervous that something had happened,¡± Ryia walked over and wrapped her arms around me and I hugged her back. Even though I didn¡¯t know her, it was nice to have someone there right now. Even if it was mostly to get her away from Sawyer, I was glad that Ryia was here. I really didn¡¯t want to be alone.


    ?


    ¡°You made sure she took it, correct?¡± Sawyer was waiting outside the room, his back leaning up against the wall. When the doctor came out, he stood up straight and loomed over the doctor with his daunting presence.


    ¡°Yes, your majesty,¡± the doctor responded, his body shivering as if the hallway had become frozen.


    ¡°Good, we can¡¯t have vermin walking around with so much freedom here.¡±

 Chapter Four

    ¡°Pfft,¡± I spat the soggy pill into my hand, the violet coloring running off it and seeping through the lines in my skin.


    ¡°I knew I shouldn¡¯t have trusted him,¡± I muttered as Ryia looked on in fear.


    ¡°Why did you do that?!¡± she cried out, ¡°I know it¡¯s only a vitamin, but don¡¯t you want to get better quickly?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not a vitamin,¡± I said matter of fact, ¡°it¡¯s a sleeping aid, but at this concentration, it might as well be a poison.¡±


    ¡°How can you tell?¡±


    ¡°The flavor, it tastes like the one I would take at home but stronger. It has an unforgettable taste of rotting grapes.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sure there must have been a mistake. There is no way they would try to poison you, there is nothing to gain from it,¡± Ryia shook her head, certain of her words. She was partially right, I could see why Sawyer was mad at me, considering I knowingly pulled Ryia away from him, but why go as far as to poison me?


    ¡°I¡¯ll go get the doctor so that he can fix the mix-up,¡± she began to walk towards the door, but I grabbed her arm and pulled her back.


    ¡°There is no use. I caught the mistake and spat it out, so there was no harm or foul. It¡¯ll just stir up trouble.¡±


    ¡°But-¡± Ryia tried to contest, but I just shook my head. I laid back down on the bed and stared at the ceiling. Three hours in and I almost got myself killed; this doesn¡¯t bode well for the future. I saw tiny flashes of my reflection in the crystal shards on the chandelier, and it came to my attention that I still had no clue what I now looked like. I rolled onto my side and hopped out of bed. I walked over to the vanity and sat down in the white velvet chair and stared into the circle mirror adorned with gold and gemstones.


    ¡°Wow,¡± I whispered to myself, gently touching my new features. I was always okay looking in the real world, enough to get by with a compliment here and there when I put on makeup, but nothing special. June¡¯s face, on the other hand, was special, it was beautiful. June was pretty, really pretty. The author never really described her in the novel, so I have no idea what to expect, but this was much better than I could¡¯ve asked for.


    Smooth, beige skin without a single blemish, soft round lips the color of cherries sat below a slim nose, perfectly arched eyebrows, and wavy, dirty blonde hair that fell halfway down my back. The only thing that looked the same about me was my eyes. More specifically my eye color. Though they now sat in big, almond-shaped eyes with long, fluttering lashes, my cornflower blue irises were the same. Even the brown speck in the middle of my right eye remained.


    ¡°Weird,¡± I said, standing up and walking back to the bed. I sat down, and Ryia joined me.


    ¡°I¡¯m glad you¡¯re okay,¡± she said, looking at me with honey-colored eyes that were complemented by the golden hour sunlight pouring into the room, ¡°when we go back home, we should visit the duke¡¯s mansion to thank Oliver for helping you. It¡¯s a big relief that he was there.¡±


    I turned my head to face hers but just nodded instead of saying anything. After a few more minutes of awkward silence, a second knock hit the door.


    ¡°Come in,¡± Ryia called. A maid with a trolley of food pushed through the door and stopped at the wooden table in the center of the room. There, she put down two lace placemats, placing shiny cutlery and a set of pink and golden patterned china on top of them. She pulled back the chairs, beckoning the two girls over. Once Ryia and I sat down, she whipped the tops off two silver trays and placed steaming plates of food on the table. In front of me was flaky, pan-seared fish with lemon slices, sticky rice pilaf, and roasted potatoes covered in what looked like dill seasoning. In front of Ryia was a thin steak with a pad of butter and garlic melting atop it, grilled asparagus, and garlic mushrooms. Looking at my plate versus hers, I couldn¡¯t help but be envious. I had hated fish since I was a kid, and the fact that the one sitting in front of me was on the bone, its head still attached, made me gag.


    ¡°Is the fish bad June, you usually love it?¡± Ryia looked at me with concerned eyes. I pulled the plate in front of me and using a small fork, I poked around at the fish. I looked it in the eye, and for a second, I swore I saw it blink.


    ¡°It must be stress-induced food aversion,¡± I laughed, ¡°it is fine, I¡¯m not that hungry as it is.¡±


    ¡°Nonsense,¡± Ryia sliced a small portion of her steak off and put it onto a separate plate, followed by a bit of asparagus and some mushrooms.


    ¡°Here, at least try to have a bit of mine. I saw you eyeing it up, so don¡¯t lie and say you don¡¯t want it.¡±


    I pulled the dish towards me and pushed the fish off to the side of the table. I still played around with the food for a bit, pushing it around on the dish, until I noticed Ryia¡¯s big eyes staring me down, her fork now moving.


    ¡°It¡¯s okay, you can eat without me. It¡¯s going to take me a second to eat.¡±


    ¡°Are you sure?¡±


    ¡°Yes, please eat it, or else it¡¯ll get cold.¡±


    Ryia started to eat her steak. After watching her, I finally picked up my utensils and followed suit. It was really, really good. So, is this how eating like royalty felt? Though, the more I ate, the more a sour aftertaste grew in my mouth.


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    ¡°Does this taste right to you?¡± I asked Ryia.


    ¡°Mhm, mine is perfect, is it a little too rare for you? If so, I can have them bring you more,¡± she responded.


    ¡°No, no, it¡¯s okay, but thank you for offering it. It must just be me,¡± I brushed it off and continued to eat. Maybe stress-related food aversion actually existed.


    We finished dinner, and the trays of meat were taken away and replaced with tea and sugar cookies. I grabbed my teacup and plopped a few sugar cubes in, swirling my spoon around until they dissolved completely.


    ¡°It¡¯s starting to get late; I hope Sawyer sent a messenger to tell my family what happened. I¡¯m sure my father will have no complaints about this, though,¡± Ryia sighed, her head facing the darkening sky as small stars began to twinkle into existence, ¡°he wants me to become a part of the royal family so badly, but you already knew that.¡±


    ¡°Oh, yes, of course,¡± I nodded in agreement, ¡°besides him, who else is trying to worm their way into the palace? I haven¡¯t heard much about the social climate recently.¡±


    ¡°Well, besides me, there is the other Count¡¯s daughter, Vidalia. Her family is in direct competition with yours, so it must be killing them that their rival¡¯s daughter is serving my family. Most of the lower aristocrats are vying to become part of the dukedom; there are rumors that it may grow more powerful than the imperial family. I¡¯ve heard my dad whisper about it in his office, but you can¡¯t tell anyone that I told you that.¡±


    ¡°My lips are sealed,¡± I said, pretending to zip my lips and throw away the key.


    ¡°What was the movement you just did?¡± Ryia gave me a quizzical look.


    ¡°Oh it is just something I picked us as a child, it was from a maid so it isn¡¯t something aristocrats would know. It¡¯s supposed to show you zipping your lips and throwing away the key,¡± I quickly came up with an excuse about it.


    Ryia copied my movements, and through closed lips, she muffled, ¡°like this?¡±


    ¡°Yes, perfect,¡± I let out a small laugh, which Ryia then returned.


    ¡°It¡¯s nice to see you laugh,¡± her smile was followed by a long yawn, ¡°I guess it is getting pretty late, do you mind if we share the same bed? I¡¯d prefer that over being alone in a separate room. I promise I won¡¯t toss and turn so much that it¡¯ll wake you up.¡±


    ¡°Of course, you can stay,¡± I said. Besides, it¡¯s not like I was going to be able to sleep tonight, so any tossing and turning on her end didn¡¯t matter.


    ¡°Okay!¡± she skipped over to the bed and fell onto the comforter with a thud.


    ¡°Do you think there are clothes for us to change into?¡± I asked, looking at the long blue dress I was still wearing. I was surprised I hadn¡¯t already been offered a new dress, considering that this one was covered in dust.


    ¡°There should already be some in the closet. The royal family always keeps spare outfits around for guests,¡± she crawled off the bed and pointed to a pink wardrobe. I walked over, opened it, and began to rifle through the puffy dresses and underskirts hanging up.


    ¡°Oh, check the drawer. They are made of thin fabric, so they won¡¯t have them hanging up the same way.¡±


    Sure enough, when I opened the second drawer from the top, stacks of folded silk were revealed. Blue, cream, pink, bows, no bows, lace, no lace, tie-ups, and buttons. There was every possible option.


    ¡°What color do you want?¡±


    ¡°Do they have a pink or purple lace one?¡±


    I rustled around for a little while, but eventually found one that matched the description.


    ¡°Is this one good?¡± I held up the little silk garment for her to see.


    ¡°Perfect, thank you! Is there a matching one in a different color you can wear?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll check,¡± I found a similar-looking blue dress, pulled it out, and brought it over. I laid them both onto the bed, and Ryia snatched hers up.


    ¡°Do you need help getting out of your dress?¡± I asked hurriedly. That was something ladies in waiting were supposed to do, change clothes, right?


    ¡°I¡¯m okay, but thank you,¡± Ryia untied her fancy dress with ease and shimmied out of it. I, on the other hand, struggled to unbutton even the first button on my back. Watching me, Ryia laughed and as soon as she got her nightdress on, she walked over and helped me out.


    ¡°I feel like the roles are supposed to be reversed right now.¡±


    ¡°Oh shush, you¡¯re my friend. Lady in waiting is just an arbitrary term that the nobles give to people,¡± Ryia¡¯s fingers quickly unbuttoned my dress, and she lifted it up over my shoulders. I was almost taken aback by how nonchalant she was when the eyes of others weren¡¯t on her. I remembered her being prim and proper throughout the entirety of the novel, but behind closed doors, she wasn¡¯t much different from any other young girl.


    ¡°There you go,¡± she handed me my dress and sat back down on the bed. With a small yawn, she snuggled under the covers.


    ¡°I hope you won¡¯t be offended if I fall asleep right away instead of staying up to talk. I can¡¯t explain it, but it was almost like all the energy was drained from me.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s perfectly fine,¡± I laughed, getting under the comforter as well.


    Within minutes, Ryia was out cold. I tried to sleep, but my mind was speeding like a runaway train. The gold swirls on the ceiling looked dull when hit by the faint moonlight. I traced them with my eyes, over and over again, as I tried to figure out what I was going to do from here on out. I turned over and gently tapped Ryia on the shoulder, but she didn¡¯t even flinch.


    ¡°Huh, you must¡¯ve been really tired,¡± I mumbled, ¡°I wish I was too, but I just can¡¯t stop thinking. I mean, what am I supposed to do here. Everything in my life is gone. Every second of hard work to get into college and get a job, none of it matters now.¡±


    Seriously, everything I had done in my real life might as well never have happened.


    ¡°I wonder if time has stopped there, or if I just died, and everyone around me kept moving on with their lives. Maybe my existence was just totally erased. I hope someone takes care of my goldfish,¡± I snickered, imaging the little orange fish swimming in circles, chubby cheeks bouncing around.


    ¡°Whatever, it¡¯s not like I can change this.¡±


    I heard a rustling sound, and turned my head, afraid that my thinking aloud had woken Ryia up, but she was sleeping soundly, the only movement being the occasional flutter of her lashes. The sound continued, and I sat up in the bed. Suddenly, I heard the door creak open, and golden light flooded into the room. Through the embroidered patterns in the mesh drape, I could see the figure of a man, a candle in hand.


    ¡°What are you doing here,¡± I called out, my voice shaking slightly. The man stepped closer, heavy boots pounding against the floor until he was a few feet away.


    ¡°You shouldn¡¯t be awake right now,¡± his deep voice echoed, and I felt the temperature of the room drop almost instantly. I looked up and our eyes met.


    The golden eyes in front of me seemed to glow orange as they reflected the flickering flames.

 Chapter Five

    By the time I came to my senses and fully realized what had just started, he was already beside the bed. He leaned in close, his nose inches away from the drapes.


    ¡°May I ask why you have come at such a late hour?¡± I gave him a look sharper than the features on his face that were hardened by the candlelight.


    ¡°Looks like you didn¡¯t take the vitamins the doctor gave you, pity,¡± he sighed, brushing off my words and sweeping his eyes over to Ryia, who slept soundly next to me. The hint of irritation in his voice told me that I had made the right choice by spitting out that disgusting pill. Instead of moving closer to me, he took a sharp turn around the corner of the bed, dragging his fingers across the bed frame. Once on the other side, he stopped in front of Ryia and reached his hand out to raise the drapes.


    ¡°What are you doing?¡± I snapped at him with a shaky voice.  His eyes shot towards me with a piercing glare, as if challenging me to continue speaking.


    ¡°I am simply going to take Lady Ryia to her own room so that you can both rest comfortably,¡± he sneered. I barely knew this girl, but that didn¡¯t matter. I wasn¡¯t sure exactly what he was planning, but I didn¡¯t trust him enough to let him lay a finger on her.


    ¡°While I appreciate the thought, and I¡¯m sure she would too, both of us would much prefer if we stayed in the same room. So, no need to move her. If you have any other plans¡­¡±


    ¡°Are you trying to accuse me of something?¡±


    ¡°Are you planning on doing something that deserves accusations?¡±


    ¡°Do you forget who you are speaking to? Accusing a member of the royal family without due cause is considered treason. Your words have a weight that you don¡¯t seem to understand.¡±


    I gritted my teeth. He was right, as much as I wanted to snap back again, I would have to bite my tongue for now. Sure, I wasn¡¯t sure what I was going to do here, but I could never figure it out if a sad excuse for a male lead took me out right off the bat.


    ¡°Sorry, you are right your majesty, I was indeed speaking out of turn,¡± I bowed my head, but my eyes still tracked him, ¡°my thoughts are still racing from the events of today, please excuse my rude behavior.¡±


    Sawyer came back to my side of the bed.  His arm reached out He pull the drapes away completely, leaving nothing but stiff air between us.


    His burning eyes stared me down, ¡°last time I checked, you were the daughter of a drowning count, chosen to be the lady in waiting for Ryia because you were a spineless, mild-mannered girl who would never speak a word unless spoken to. A pretty little marionette doll that only came down off the shelf to tie dresses and pour tea.¡±


    He lifted his hand towards my face but stopped, letting his fingers hover an inch from my chin. As his scowl turned into a smirk, he continued speaking. ¡°I don¡¯t recall you ever getting in my way before, but here you are, trying to challenge me. I admire your confidence and the fact that you¡¯ll defend her, but there are times when you should back down. Maybe that little accident knocked you around to the point where you forgot your place, but I suggest that you find it rather quickly.¡±


    I kept quiet, only giving a quick nod.


    ¡°I¡¯ll take that little nod as an ¡®understood¡¯.¡± He stepped back and let the drape fall back into place. He turned and strode back across the room with heavy steps that made the floor creak. I watched his back as he left, waiting for the moment when the light from the hallway disappeared again, and I could finally breathe easily.


    ¡°For the record, I was just going to move her, but seeing your feisty attitude has made me change my mind,¡± he turned his head over his shoulder, ¡°consider yourself lucky, both you and that little brat who works for the Alterio family. You two need to step back into your corners before my patience dwindles away.¡±


    The door finally slammed behind him, and I let out a sigh. My hands trembled as the confidence I had seconds before disappeared. Before falling back onto my pillow, I flipped him off, shaking my hands at the door he¡¯d just left through.


    ¡°Jesus,¡± my head bounced off the pillow, and I turned my head to face Ryia, who was still sound asleep, ¡°why do you have to fall in love with him of all people?¡± After a few seconds of silence, I threw my hands up in frustration, ¡°and what does he mean by mild-mannered marionette doll?! To be fair, I guess June was kind of like a bland graham cracker that showed up twice. I couldn¡¯t even act like her if I tried.¡±


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    I resumed my night-long activity of staring up at the ceiling, lost in thought, ¡°so, I¡¯m the daughter of a failing Count, and what Alterio brat? Who is that?¡±


    Alterio, Alterio, Alterio¡­


    ¡°Lawrence Alterio! So that ¡®brat¡¯ Sawyer was referring to must have been Oliver,¡± I chuckled to myself as the curses Oliver kept mumbling a few hours earlier came to mind, ¡°I can¡¯t believe that prick is royalty either. I should probably thank him officially for saving me, plus it would be fun to see what he¡¯d have to say about Sawyer, seems like he hates him almost as much as I do.¡±


    Ryia stirred a bit, causing my train of thought to be cut off immediately. I stared at her, holding my breath in fear that she had heard me thinking aloud. Nothing I said was that bad, but still¡­ Her eyelashes fluttered a bit, but other than that, she was still sound asleep. It was honestly surprising that she had stayed asleep throughout the whole interaction that had just taken place, and a part of me wished that she would¡¯ve seen it and could begin to understand just how vile Sawyer was.  I did end up falling asleep for a few hours, but only after unintentionally memorizing the exact number of gold swirls on each of the ceiling decorations.


    Sawyer stomped through the castle halls, only stopping to pound on the door of the doctor¡¯s office. After a few seconds with no response, he opened the door himself and barged in uninvited.


    ¡°I thought I told you to knock them both out for the night!¡± he yelled at the man who was asleep with his head in his desk.


    Half-awake, the man doctor groggily responded, ¡°I did, I assure you I used the right drug.¡±


    ¡°That girl was wide awake, so obviously not!¡±


    ¡°Impossible, I watched her swallow the first pill, and with what was put in their food, it should¡¯ve been more than enough. Even if she didn¡¯t take a second pill before going to sleep, she should¡¯ve been fast asleep.¡±


    ¡°How about you prove to me that used the right drug,¡± he glared at the doctor, a small smile creeping across his lips.


    ¡°How can I do that? Here is the bottle I used, is that enough?¡±


    ¡°Take twice, not three times what you gave them.¡±


    ¡°But your highness, a dose that high is-¡°


    ¡°Are you really going to fight against the crown prince¡¯s order?¡±


    ?


    ¡°Ryia, do you think that we could spend some time at the royal library today?¡±


    Ryia looked up from the cup of tea she was drinking and responded, ¡°of course, but I most likely won¡¯t be able to join you. His highness has invited me to tea in one of the gardens at noon, and my father would lock me up if I refused, no matter the reason.¡±


    ¡°Huh, really, why?¡±


    ¡°You already know that I¡¯m being considered for the role of crown princess. If I want to win the spot, I¡¯ll have to put in a lot of time and effort.¡±


    ¡°Oh, that¡¯s right, I remember now,¡± I mumbled. For a moment, it sounded like her voice held hesitation.


    ¡°Anyways, once we get ready, we can head towards the library, and I can ask to stop to drop you off there,¡± she placed her teacup down with a small clink and stepped out of her chair. She walked to the closet and began sifting through the multitude of dresses that were hung up.


    ¡°Here, if we want, we can wear matching hair ribbons,¡± a cheery smile crossed her cheeks, causing any momentary doubt to clear from my mind. Once the table was cleared and we were dressed for the day, we headed out of the room and into the hallway. After our first turn, Sawyer could be seen walking toward us from the opposite direction.


    ¡°Good morning, ladies,¡± instead of waiting to get close enough for a real conversation, he practically yelled his greeting at us.


    ¡°Good morning, your highness,¡± Ryia and I responded in unison. I mimicked her as she gave a small curtsey, trying not to slip on my dress in the process.


    ¡°I¡¯ve already told you that there is no need to be so formal with me, Ryia. I¡¯d much prefer if we spoke casually to one another,¡± he smiled at her.


    ¡°Ah, yes, you have said so before. My apologies, I am not accustomed to calling you in such a way. I will try to get adjusted to it as quickly as possible,¡± despite her warm smile, her words were cold and stiff. She was obviously anxious, and I didn¡¯t blame her. Seeing him again in the sunlight was somehow scarier than seeing him in the dark. Even though his features were much softer in the daylight that was pouring through the windows, they still looked menacing. He couldn¡¯t be much taller than me, only a few inches, but his presence was far greater than mine. I could feel a murky aura twisting around him. I stared at him as he and Ryia exchanged small talk.


    ¡°Ryia told me that you would like to stop at the library, is that correct?¡± he turned his attention to me, and I nodded quickly, caught off guard.


    ¡°Yes, please, that would be nice.¡±


    ¡°Of course. Well then, let''s get on our way.¡±


    After a few minutes of silent walking, we stopped in front of heavy, dark oak doors.


    ¡°Here we are. I¡¯ll leave you on your own now. If you need anything, you can call on the librarian or attendant and they will help you right away,¡± Sawyer was all too eager to send me away. I was stunned by how little courtesy he showed to a guest, especially in front of Ryia.


    ¡°June, please call for me if you start to feel any sort of unwell,¡± Ryia grabbed my hands in hers, holding them tight for a moment before letting me go.


    ¡°Of course,¡± I smiled, waving to their backs as they walked away. I turned to face the door and rolled my eyes before pushing it open.

 Chapter Six

    The slam of the heavy oak doors behind me echoed against the vast dome ceiling of the library, causing the cranky faces of everyone on the first floor to flicker up at me. With a shy bow, I waved my hand as both a greeting and an apology. I looked around the library, taking in the immense building I had entered. There were seven levels, though every level besides the first was more of a rim inside the building, made of shelves on balconies that allowed for the center of the room to extend all the way up.


    With multiple floors, each lined with gold-decorated bookshelves, it was stories full of stories. In the center of it all was a small circular desk where an old librarian sat. I approached her with a heavy heartbeat, well too aware of the fact that her eyes had been glaring at me from the moment I made an obnoxiously loud entrance. Something about the stare she gave me sent a cold sweat down my back. Her eyes tracked me from behind the book she was reading as I got closer.


    As I approached, the title of the book in her hands came into focus and I lost all the fear that had been growing inside of me. With glasses thicker than morning fog, protruding chin hairs on wrinkled skin that made her look like a dried-out cactus, and strands of grey hair falling out of a dilapidated bun, it was the exact opposite of anything I would have expected an old lady like her to read.


    The Forbidden Blood Lust¡­ From the title and tacky title font, I could instantly tell that she was reading some sort of¡­ vampire smut. I choked on my laughter, which only made her glare worsen. I quickly cleared my throat and stepped up to her.


    ¡°Ah, would you be able to help me find some history books?¡±


    ¡°Be more specific,¡± she responded curtly.


    ¡°Um, maybe some about more recent history, in the past few decades. Do you have any about the relations between the dukedoms?¡±


    Without speaking, she pulled out a piece of paper, ripped off the corner of it, and scribbled down the number 273, leaving ink drops from the pen that then wiped onto her hands.


    ¡°Here,¡± she said as she held it out with one hand and pointed to an area on the third floor with the other. I gave her a slight curtsy and thanked her before walking over to the spiral staircase in the corner as fast as I could. My hurried pace made my heels click against the marble floor, once again drawing the attention of everyone. With another apologetic wave, I quickly disappeared up the spiral steps in the corner.


    After two flights of unnecessarily long stairs, I was on the third floor. Unlike the first floor, there wasn¡¯t a formal study area with big lamp-lit desks, only a few red velvet chairs dotted here and there.


    ¡°How can they use candles in a building full of kindling? They are playing with fire,¡± I laughed to myself, proud of the joke that no one else could hear. I weaved my way through the shelves, looking for the one that had 273 embossed in gold on its side. Once I reached it, I crouched down, reading the titles of the books on the bottom shelf, and moving upwards. Some of the book spines were in perfect condition, while others were tattered and frayed. I was looking for something that could help me understand what caused the tension between the Alterio¡¯s and the imperial family that pressured Lawrence in the original novel. When I first entered the building, I was worried that something that specific wouldn¡¯t have been written but given the sheer number of books in the library, it was almost impossible for one not to exist.


    ¡°The History of Diplomacy, The Imperial History of Trade, aha, A Recent History of Noble Relations!¡±


    The book was in pristine condition. I pulled it out and made my way over to one of the chairs in a far back corner. Before I opened the book, something on the wall beside me caught my eye. Red circles framed portraits, with gold calligraphy beneath each one, and branches connecting them all. It was a family tree.


    I placed the book down in the seat and walked over to it. When looked at head on, it was beautiful. Leaves and flowers decorated the intricate branches, and each portrait was a finely detailed oil painting, finished off with a lacquer that made it shine even in the dim lighting. At the top of it all, the name Echethier was written. Starting with the first portrait, I traced my finger down the main family branch until I got to the most recent generation.


    ¡°Sawyer,¡± I grumbled, poking at the portrait of a younger him. Even as a kid he looked like a villain. Whoever the painter was, they managed to capture the fierce stare of his golden eyes perfectly. They stuck out amongst the rest of the display, burning like hot embers on the wall. Other than him, the generation was empty. No siblings, no cousins. I looked back up at the generation before his. There was his father¡¯s portrait, and next to that was a blacked-out circle with the name Amara Echethier below it. No dead relatives or those who married to other families were crossed out. Hers was the only one like that.


    ¡°Huh¡­¡±


    I shrugged it off and walked back over to my chair, settling in comfortably. When I opened the book, the spine was stiff, and the pages were still tightly packed. It had yet to be worn in. I began reading, candlelight casting fast-moving shadows across the pages as I flipped through them.


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    ¡°The Founding Lore,¡± I read the title of the prologue aloud, ¡°seems relative enough.¡±


    The Founding Lore of the Dukedoms in the Ohlbrecht Empire


    Centuries ago, the first Emperor of the Ohlbrecht empire was blessed with five children from the Empress: four boys and one girl. None were named as the heir to the throne, for the emperor wanted his children to grow up feeling as if they were equals, but his untimely death meant that the throne was left empty without an official heir. The four boys fought over the throne to determine who would take control. Their battle against each other last for three days. On the fourth day, their sister, who was deeply upset with their fighting, got between them, but in the chaos, she accidentally suffered a fatal wound at the hand of the second oldest brother. Though alive she couldn¡¯t stop the fighting, her death caused the brothers to lay down their weapons in mourning. In her honor, they decided to split the empire into four equal sections: the North, East, West, and Central provinces. The oldest took power of the Central province, the second took the Northern, the third took the Eastern, and the youngest took the West.


    Though originally meant to stay as separate but equal, united entities, the Central province eventually rose to become the capital and the home of the imperial family. From there on out, the Central province became the ruling province, led by an emperor who held control over all four provinces, while the other three provinces were held under the secondary rule of three dukedoms resulting from the lineages of the original brothers.


    Now, the four provinces are ruled as followed: the Central, Imperial province is ruled by the Echethier lineage, the Northern province is ruled by the Terrowin lineage, the Eastern province is ruled by the Alterio lineage, and the Western province is ruled by the Sommers lineage.


    Since its founding, the country has remained peaceful, with little internal conflict. The only event that jeopardized the stability of the power dynamic between the provinces occurred when the princess married into the Terrowin family, which created a child with royal blood that could possibly challenge the Echethier family for the seat on the throne. The imperial family assassinated the heir, and while it removed any possible ploy to steal the throne, the loss of an heir jeopardized the stability of the Northern province. Since then, the imperial family has stopped allowing children who aren¡¯t named the heir to marry someone in the Sommers, Alterio, or Terrowin families.


    I continued to read the rest of the book, skimming through the pages, and picking out small details.


    ¡­The East and West had close connections for many years, but recent trade competition has caused tensions between the two. They are in competition for many of the same trade goods, including produce and dyes. The East is more successful, causing tension between the two¡­


    ¡­The North conducts most of its trade with the Alwyn Empire to the North of Ohlbrecht, but dominates the Ohlbrecht trade market for jewelry and precious metals ¡­


    ¡­The North has a standing army larger than the imperial army. The East¡¯s standing army is on par with the imperial army. The West has the smallest standing army, putting it at the greatest disadvantage¡­


    ¡­The Imperial Province currently dominates those other provinces financially, as it can tax the other provinces as it sees fit, and the taxes then add to its individual wealth. The North is next in terms of monetary success, and the East is not far behind¡­


    ¡°Who cares about the exports of the North or the trade competition between the East and West? I just want the drama,¡± I whined, tossing my head back against the chair. With only a few more chapters left, I had little faith that any important information would be revealed, but I kept reading regardless. I had already read this far.


    ¡­The only way a province could challenge the imperial family would be if the heir of the province has royal blood. Because of this, the imperial family often marries its women off to other countries for diplomatic relationships, or to families of a status below a duke, for they can pose no threat to the imperial family regardless of blood lineage¡­


    ¡­Currently, there is no threat to the imperial family¡¯s power, allowing for relatively little tension between any provinces. There are little to no restrictions on the trade of the Northern, Western, or Eastern provinces set in place by the imperial family¡­


    ¡°That¡¯s not right,¡± I said. In the novel I read, there was a great deal of tension between the imperial family and the Eastern province, and the imperial family had put massive trade restrictions on the Alterio¡¯s businesses. I turned to the front cover and checked the publishing date. It had been written 23 years before the start of the novel. What had changed since then?


    Tired of politics, I put the book down and got up. I walked over to the balcony, peering down to see if Ryia or Sawyer had come in to collect me. No one was there, so I continued walking around the aisles, checking book titles for anything that would pique my interest. As I passed the family tree again, my attention was momentarily drawn back to the same blacked-out portrait. Amara Echethier¡­


    I ended up at the opposite corner of the floor, next to a shelf of books that look far more beaten up than the rest. My mouth opened a bit as I read the titles. They were all related to magic. Besides the demons, there had been no mention of magic in the book that I could remember. How could something as powerful as magic exist without me being aware of it? Apparently, I didn¡¯t know much about the world I was stuck in. I picked up the thin book titled The Royal History of Demons and Dark Magic. Its pages were tan with messy script, burn marks, and mysterious stains that couldn¡¯t have been from just water. I skimmed through it, paying it more attention than I had the other book.


    It talked about ancient magic, seen only centuries ago, that was used for the control of animals and beasts alike, but the book also stated that the magic skills had been lost through time. I flipped through the book, stopping at a page that had a drawing of a demon.


    ¡­These are dark demons found in the catacombs under the castle. Collectively, they are widely known as the Pythiar Army, and remain eternally dormant unless called upon by the wielder of the Pythias Gem¡­


    I turned to the next page, intrigued, and found another drawing titled the Pythias Gem.


    ¡­The Pythias Gem, responsible for the control of the Pythiar army. It can only be used by someone with royal blood, or it will cause immediate death to the user¡­

 Chapter Seven

    The original novel had never explained where the demons had come from, so I just assumed that they spawned naturally. But now, staring at the charred pages, I knew why; the origin of their existence in the story was a plot hole. I could only assume that thousands of soldiers were killed and that millions had to be spent to fix all the damage they caused, so why would the imperial family risk the lives of their soldiers and their own territory by summoning them? Even more so, why would Sawyer fight them in such a dangerous manner when he could easily control them? I tried plotting it out in my head, but I couldn¡¯t make sense of it. I pulled the book closer to my face, hoping it would help my comprehension. As I did, faint markings on the paper started to come into focus, but the dim lighting of the third floor wasn¡¯t enough to make the writing clear. My interest piqued, and I hurried across the floor and down the stairwell. The lamp-lit desks on the first floor would hopefully be bright enough. If I picked one in the back corner, I wouldn¡¯t need to draw any more attention to myself.


    When I hopped off the last stair onto the first floor, my head turned up to find a desk, but instead, all I found was Sawyer and Ryia¡¯s eyes staring at me. Unfortunately, a smile spread across Ryia¡¯s face, letting me know that she had noticed me. I quickly darted behind the nearest bookshelf, listening as her clicking steps and the thumping of Sawyer¡¯s boot grew louder and louder. If it had been just Ryia, I wouldn¡¯t need to worry, but if Sawyer saw such a book in my hand¡­


    ¡°Oh, there you are!¡± Ryia said as she entered the aisle I had attempted to hide in. I jumped around at the sound of her voice coming up behind me. One hand shook as it held the thin book behind my back and the other waved to her.


    ¡°We were confused when you suddenly hid from us!¡± She laughed lightly.


    Sawyer stepped up behind her, ¡°were you able to find what you were looking for?¡±


    The way he looked down at me made it seem like he knew that the book I held had information that could be damming for him.


    ¡°Oh, um, yes, I was. I was able to find what I wanted. Thank you for allowing me to come here today. How was your tea?¡± I asked him a question in return, hoping to divert his inquisitive attention.


    ¡°It was very enjoyable, but much to my dismay, we had to return early.¡±


    ¡°Yes, it is my fault. The sun was very draining for me, and I needed to come inside to rest,¡± Ryia added apologetically.


    ¡°If that is the case, would you like to return to the room now?¡± I asked her.


    ¡°Yes, that would be very nice. Sawyer, could you please show us the way back?¡±


    Sawyer nodded his head and the two began to turn around. In the moment of their absence, I took out the book and flipped through it. Pausing at the page on the Pythias Gem, I tore it out and folded it up.


    ¡°June?¡± I could hear Ryia remark from a short distance. I pushed the piece of paper into the top of my dress and haphazardly stuffed the book into the first open spot I saw. Before either of them had the chance to return and see me, I scampered out onto the open floor and caught up to them as they started their walk back.


    ?


    ¡°Ryia, would you allow me the pleasure of accompanying me later tonight for diner?¡± Sawyer asked Ryia as we turned a corner into a hall lit by massive, arched windows. The light that poured in was so bright that it became clear why Ryia grew tired in the midday heat. My eyes kept switching from the scenery outside to the chestnut hair cascading down Ryia''s back, where light kept catching on individual strands and highlighting them.


    ¡°Yes, thank you for the invitation, your highness,¡± Ryia responded with a polite smile, ¡°if it isn¡¯t too much trouble, would Lady June be able to join us?¡±


    Sawyer turned towards me, giving me a look of annoyance behind Ryia¡¯s back.


    ¡°Of course. Her presence would be happily welcomed.¡±


    After that, all that could be heard was the echoes¡¯ of our footsteps.


    ¡°Your highness, we have received a response from the Sommers¡¯s household.¡±


    A twitchy servant approached us from the opposite end of the hallway. The servant extended a thin, tan envelope addressed in elegant calligraphy to Sawyer.


    ¡°Thank you,¡± Sawyer took the envelope and ripped it open. His lips silently mouthed the words as he read.


    ¡°Well, it appears that you have many duties to fulfill at your estate and that you should return at my earliest convenience,¡± Sawyer turned to Ryia, dangling the paper in front of her.


    She titled her head while her eyes darted across the papers ¡°my father is requesting my return?¡±


    Sawyer directed her down to the bottom of the letter.


    ¡°It is signed by the duchess.¡±


    Ryia nodded, the confusion quickly clearing from her face. A soft smile of relief crossed her lips as she spoke, "I¡¯m sure she is concerned that I missed my etiquette lessons this morning. I¡¯m sorry we will not be able to attend dinner tonight.¡±


    ¡°It can¡¯t be helped. I¡¯ll call a carriage for you,¡± Sawyer responded curtly, sending the servant away with the flick of his hand. He proceeded to walk down the hallway, and we followed him all the way to the room we had been staying in.


    ¡°Would you like me to send for a maid to pack your things?¡± Sawyer asked, stepping aside, and opening the door for us.


    ¡°No thank you, we will be just fine.¡± Ryia smiled at him as she entered the room. I followed behind her and made my way over to the bed where I began to pile our outfits. Holding up my dress from the day before, I rubbed my thumb across the dusty patches that were scraped into the skirt of it. With a sigh, I dropped it down and began to fold it. It only took a few minutes for me to discover just how uncooperative the outfits were.


    ¡°How the hell are you supposed to fold these puffy things?¡± I grumbled, my hands helplessly flailing in the thick fabric.


    Stolen from Royal Road, this story should be reported if encountered on Amazon.


    ¡°What did you say?¡± Ryia asked me, looking over from the vanity where she had sat down.


    ¡°Oh, just talking to myself,¡± I let out a nervous laugh, ¡°so, what did you talk about during your time together?¡±


    ¡°Well, we mostly made small talk. He asked how my father¡¯s business was going and how my mother''s health was, I asked how his lessons were going... nothing special.¡±


    ¡°That sounds¡­ exciting."


    My uninterested tone couldn''t have made my lie more blatant. Ryia pushed her chair out and walked over to me.


    ¡°The only exciting thing we talked about was the ball being held for the summer solstice. Actually, can I confess something to you?¡± she said, sitting down on the bed next to where I was folding our clothes.


    ¡°Of course.¡± I quickly nodded my head, curious as to what she could possibly want to keep secret.


    ¡°Well, I may have lied to the crown prince¡­¡±


    ¡°You lied to- ¡°


    ¡°-Shhh,¡± Ryia jumped up and covered my mouth, turning around to double-check if the room was still empty. The way she acted so secretively was childish, but the look on her face was dead serious.


    ¡°What are you doing!¡± my exclamation was muffled by her hands.


    ¡°Sorry, but you can¡¯t speak so loudly,¡± she scolded me in a whisper, ¡°but yes, yes I did.¡±


    ¡°About what?¡±


    ¡°Well, he asked me if I already had a dress prepared for the ball, and I may have lied and said that I already had an outfit picked out even though I didn''t." She giggled, her serious tone disappearing into thin air. I rocked back a bit as my nose scrunched up.


    ¡°Why?¡±


    ¡°If he knew I didn¡¯t have one, he might offer to pick one out for me.¡±


    ¡°Why would that be a bad thing? I thought you would be excited to receive such a gift from his highness.¡±


    ¡°While I¡¯d appreciate it, I know that others would eventually find out that he was the one who gifted it to me, and it would draw unnecessary attention to me.¡±


    She hopped off the bed and picked up the folded clothes.


    ¡°The only issue is that now we will have to head over to the Eastern Province to pick outfits for the ball.¡±


    ¡°The Eastern province?¡±


    ¡°If we shopped somewhere in the Western Province, my father would hear of it, and if we shopped somewhere in the Central province, it would show up on the trade records, which the crown prince oversees. Neither of them can find out that I lied to him. The only issue is trying to explain why we would need to travel there¡­ I¡¯m sure we can think of something!¡±


    The glimmer in her eyes as she spoke surprised me. It was just a small lie to me, but to her, it was as if it was the most rebellious thing in the world. Given the candid nature of our conversation, I tried to bring up the portraits I had seen in the library.


    ¡°Ryia, do you know anythi¡ª¡±


    But my question was cut short by a loud knock on the door.


    ¡°Come in,¡± Ryia called out. A sheepish maid opened the door, with a young man dressed in a doctor¡¯s coat shuffling behind her. Each of them bowed before fully entering.


    ¡°Here is the doctor¡¯s assistant, as you requested,¡± the maid said, gesturing to the man behind her. She pulled out two small bags from behind her and placed them onto the bed beside me before quietly leaving the room.


    ¡°My apologies that the doctor himself is not able to attend to you right now, but I assure you that I am plenty qualified.¡±


    The visit with the doctor¡¯s assistant was rather short, and I was left with the advice to inform the medical staff at the Sommers¡¯s mansion of my accident, and to seek help if I began to feel unwell. I thought it would take longer, but what else besides a quick check-in could be expected from a fantasy world. As soon as he left, Ryia and I packed up our small bags and walked into the hallway where Sawyer was waiting for us. After a quick exchange, he took Ryia¡¯s bag off her hands and walked us to the front of the castle, where heavy, wrought iron doors were pulled open by guards.


    Walking out into the sunlight, everything about my situation began to feel surreal. The bubbling fountains and dancing could once again be heard, a stark contrast to the honking horns and indiscriminate shouts that constantly sounded outside of my apartment. The sky was a bright blue, and the air that surrounded us was light and clean. Any soft breeze brought the faint scent of fresh flowers and grass, something I hadn¡¯t smelled since I moved to the city. I had only seen such a small portion of this world, but it was already so different from the city I had been living in.


    I nearly tripped as we stepped off the brick walkway and onto a gravel path, not used to the pebbles shifting under my shoes. The clopping of hoofs against the gravel drew my attention to the arriving carriage, just as decadent as the one that had nearly hit me less than a day before. It, too, shined in the sun as the gold reflected shimmering light. A tug on the reins caused the horses pulling the carriage to stop a few feet in front of us. I wasted no time stepping up to it, waiting patiently as the driver hopped down and opened the door for us. Before I got in, I turned around.


    ¡°Thank you for your care and kindness, your highness,¡± I bowed my head as I thanked Sawyer. Whether it was his fault that I was there or not, I was no longer in a world where I could act carelessly without consequences. I had to watch what I said and what I did, and this false gratitude was the first step of getting into habits necessary for surviving here. I then ducked into the carriage before he could respond to me. The hem of my dress ruffled against the velvet cushions as I sat down.


    After Ryia thanked Sawyer and joined me inside the carriage, it was only a matter of minutes until the horses had drawn us far past the castle gates. With no one able to interrupt me this time, I grabbed the opportunity to ask Ryia about the emperor¡¯s sister.


    ¡°Ryia,¡± I began, breaking the silence between us.


    ¡°Ah, yes?¡±


    ¡°Do you know anything about the emperor¡¯s sister, Amara Echethier?¡±


    ¡°You haven¡¯t heard about her?¡±


    ¡°Not that I can remember¡­¡±


    ¡°She was supposed to marry the crown prince of Cairon, but instead, she broke off the engagement and married Lawrence¡¯s father.¡±


    Wait, if Lawrence had royal blood¡­


    She leaned in close and whispered, ¡°but it¡¯s very taboo to talk about. Even though they exiled his mother from the royal family, they couldn¡¯t erase his bloodline. Therefore, if he really wanted to, he could make a move on the throne.¡± I swear that I could hear a slight grin in her voice.


    She sat back in her seat and spoke normally again, ¡°that¡¯s why there¡¯s been so much tension between the Eastern province and the Imperial family. Lawrence has no intentions of becoming the emperor. No one in the east does, but you could never convince the imperial family of that.¡±


    The carriage hit a small bump in the road, and as I bounced a bit, the piece of paper in my top scratched against my skin as if to remind me of what I had read earlier. So, Lawrence had royal blood, and as shown through the Terrowin revolt, he couldn¡¯t be killed outright without risking a civil war. My fingers tapped against the windowsill and the clogs in my head turned.


    The small-scale destruction of a controlled army would be a small price to pay when compared to an all-out civil war and empire-wide devastation. The royal family wouldn¡¯t be in any real danger as they could control the army, and fake fighting would be the best way to make it seem natural. It all fell into place.


    ¡°He doesn¡¯t have to die,¡± I mumbled, eyes wide with my sudden realization.


    ¡°Who doesn¡¯t have to die?¡± Ryia asked me, her face scrunched in confusion.


    ¡°Ah nothing,¡± I said, shaking my head. So, if the theory forming in my mind was correct, then the demons¡¯ attack wasn''t natural, and Lawrence¡¯s death wasn¡¯t an accident. Both were tightly orchestrated plans tied together for one goal. If I could just find a way to stop Sawyer from raising the army, or even better, take him down completely, then Lawrence wouldn¡¯t be killed, and he could take the throne, living happily ever after.


    My jaw tensed as the magnitude of the plan I had so excitedly created became clear. Taking down the crown prince wasn¡¯t something I could do on a random whim. It would take planning, and most definitely the help of someone else who had the same desires as me. If I wanted to even attempt something like that, I¡¯d have to find someone who hated the crown prince enough to help me with my insane goal of toppling the imperial family. I rested my head against the window. Starring out it as buildings passed by, one particularly colorful dress shop caught my eye.


    ¡°Ryia, while we are in the Eastern province, do you think that we can stop at the Alterio¡¯s mansion, I feel like I need to formally thank Oliver for saving me.¡±

 Chapter Eight

    Once we got to the mansion, Ryia and I had little time to get fixed up before being whisked away to the dining hall. As soon as we sat down, Ryia¡¯s father, Duke Sommers, began bombarding us about our overnight stay. He listened proudly as Ryia recounted everything and responded with rapid-fire questions on every detail she gave. Even though she¡¯d already expressed that she had little excitement over the event, I found it hard to believe that the girl sitting next to me was the same Ryia that I had read about. I thought she¡¯d be squealing with every answer, just as excited as her father was. Once she had seemed to answer all his questions, and the conversation died down, Ryia sat up in her chair and took a deep breath in.


    ¡°Actually, father, would it be okay for us to visit the eastern district in the capital? I believe it would be beneficial for June and me to officially thank the Alterio¡¯s aid in person for his help,¡± Ryia asked calmly. She turned to me, and I gave her a smile of confirmation, trying to hide how nervous I was. If we couldn¡¯t go, it would throw a massive wrench into my already poorly constructed plan. She looked so confident, but as soon as the duke¡¯s attention swung to her, her hands began to shake along with her voice, ¡°I mean, I just thought it would be better to go in person. Since tensions are high, a letter would be too impersonal. I¡¯d ask them over but with the ball coming up, I¡¯m sure they are too busy for the trave-¡±


    With her last sentence, the duke¡¯s face turned from a scowl to an ominous grin, gears shifting behind his eyes. He had seemed nice enough when I was reading, and even up until now, but something had changed in the past few minutes.


    He cut off her babbling. ¡°That sounds like a great idea. I¡¯ll arrange for a mail carrier to leave tomorrow morning, so have a letter ready by then.¡± His voice was deep and sharp. Normally, it would be pleasant, but the vile intent threaded through it made the hair on the back of my neck stand tall.


    Everyone at the table was taken aback by the ease with which he agreed. Even the duchess¡¯s hands hovered frozen above her plate while she eyed her husband quizzically.


    ¡°She makes a good point,¡± the duke said to his wife, seeming to have read her mind, ¡°with the political climate, it would only cause more bad blood and lower the public¡¯s opinion of us.¡±


    ¡°Thank you, father.¡± Ryia smiled. I could feel her shaking her fists under the table with a level of enthusiasm that I¡¯d expected earlier on.


    As dinner came to a close, I found myself being held back at the duke¡¯s command.


    ¡°Come, sit a bit closer,¡± he said, motioning to the now-empty diagonal to his. I did as he said and sat next to him, the only sound in the hall being the scrape of the chair against the floor.


    He stared me down with a scowl for what felt like several minutes, not saying anything. ¡°You¡¯ve done a fine job,¡± he cracked a thin smile, ¡°you¡¯re really going above and beyond. To even put yourself in danger like that for your job¡­ I¡¯m sure you are upset that you two could not stay long despite your efforts, but I was afraid that you¡¯d overstay your welcome. Next time, if you have a plan tell me in advance, that way I can do my part properly, and we can avoid such issues.¡±


    I chewed on my lip, not knowing how to respond to him, or if I should even respond at all. My job? As far as I knew, my job was being Ryia¡¯s lady in waiting, though to be fair I wasn¡¯t entirely sure what that all entailed in the first place. He leaned back in his chair, observing my puzzled stare. Noticing his gaze, I propped myself up in the chair and feigned confidence, ¡°of course.¡±


    ¡°In the future, it would be ideal if no one else intervened, but this time it might just work out for the best.¡±


    ¡°How so, si- your grace?¡± I was genuinely curious about that. I couldn¡¯t understand why he¡¯d let her go, to begin with, and even more so why he agreed with a smile. I leaned forward, listening with genuine intent.


    ¡°The Alterios are too busy preparing for the Solstice ball, and even that aid you want to meet won¡¯t have the time to spare. When Lawrence rejects the offer, it will look bad on their family and will help quash any attachment she has to him. No real heir would put off work for a girl.¡±


    ¡°Ahh.¡± I nodded, raising my eyebrows. My shoulders shook as I stifled a laugh. Maybe you¡¯d ignore your wife for work, but the same couldn¡¯t be said for Lawrence. I doubt a bit of paperwork would get in his way I mean, the guy literally died for her.


    ¡°That¡¯s all I wanted to tell you, you¡¯re free to leave.¡±


    ¡°Thank you, your grace.¡± I bowed my head.


    ¡°And, your family is doing very well,¡± he added as he waved me out.


    In the hallway, I leaned against the door. It¡¯d been a little over 24 hours at this point, and already everything I thought I knew about the story was different. I wasn¡¯t sure what glaring omission in my knowledge of the novel had me more surprised: the magic system that apparently included demon-wielding royalty, the fact that the duke was a ¡®controlling father who¡¯s trying to do the right thing the wrong way¡¯?, or the fact that my character was apparently a spy, now turned double agent, for Ryia¡¯s father. Also, I¡¯m pretty sure the duke was using my family¡¯s care as blackmail to get me to continue working. Yeah... Aren¡¯t all the main characters in isekai novels supposed to know and remember every single detail about the world they are sent to? I couldn¡¯t help but laugh at the situation. I shook my head and tried to catch up to Ryia, knowing I¡¯d be completely lost in the mansion if I couldn¡¯t.


    After taking longer than I¡¯d care to admit to find Ryia, I helped her get ready for the night before retiring to my own room. As I undressed, the piece of paper from earlier that day fell from the top of my clothes. I picked it up, carefully unfolded it, and sat down at the desk in my room.


    How was I supposed to convince someone that committing treason with a stranger who was part of an opposing political party would be a good idea, and how would I explain that I knew that Lawrence was in danger without sounding like a crazy conspiracist? I rested my head on my desk and just stared at the paper, hoping it would spark something in my mind. No matter the angle I looked at it from, there was almost no way someone would willing to join me in committing a capital crime. Only someone who had no stake in their life here, like me, would be willing to throw it all away on a crazy whim. He¡¯d have to be pretty stupid in order to say yes. I slid the paper into the desk and hopped onto my bed. I had a few days to figure it out, so what was the use of losing sleep over it just yet?


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    ?


    By noon the next day, Ryia had sent a letter, and by the end of dinner, she had a response. Lawrence gladly accepted and practically sent his whole schedule, letting us know every free moment he had so that we could pick whatever worked best for us. I couldn¡¯t help but laugh at his response, it was so in character. At least one thing hadn¡¯t changed since I got here.


    The morning we were set to leave, I hurried toward Ryia¡¯s room, filled with anxiety. It wasn¡¯t until I turned down the hallway that I heard him.


    ¡°Wipe that goddamn smile off your face!¡±


    My steps halted. Even through thick doors, his voice was thunderous.


    ¡°You, you better not do a singular thing out of line, do you hear me?¡±


    ¡°Ah, ye¡­yes father.¡±


    ¡°You have one job, ONE job in life. Do you know what that is?¡±


    ¡°Yes, father. It¡¯s, it¡¯s to get married to the cro-¡°


    ¡°Yes, to get married to the crown prince. Don¡¯t ruin everything I¡¯ve worked hard to get for you.¡±


    I guess her father found out that Lawrence hadn¡¯t rejected the offer. I regretted taking so long to get there that morning. After a few moments of silence, I could hear the door creak open and then promptly slam shut.


    ¡°Should¡¯ve been a son,¡± the duke murmured as he stomped down the hallway. Even with her father long gone, I wasn¡¯t sure if I should wait a bit more before greeting her. With a sigh, I knocked on the door several times and waited for her response.


    ¡°June!¡± Ryia exclaimed as she opened the door. She grabbed my hand and led me into the room, a smile on her face the entire time.


    ¡°Would you be able to help tie this up?¡± Ryia turned around to show the loosened back of her dress, holding her hair out of the way.


    ¡°Of course,¡± I sighed, and after a pause I asked, ¡° ¡­ are you doing okay?¡± I tried to hide the pity in my voice, but it still came out.


    ¡°Why wouldn¡¯t I be?¡± She turned her head and smiled at me.


    I frowned. ¡°I was just¡­wondering.¡± I didn¡¯t need to press her. If it was anything she wanted to discuss, she¡¯d have said something. Her bright smile told me that this was something that she¡¯d heard many times before, to the point where she could hold her emotions back seemingly without effort. Part of my heart ached for her.


    ¡°Done,¡± I said, stepping back.


    ¡°Thank you. The carriage is ready to go, so whenever you¡¯re ready we can leave.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m ready.¡±


    ¡°Perfect!¡± I followed her into the hallway and towards the front entry.


    ?


    As we pulled close to the Alterio mansion, I could see someone pacing back and forth around the entrance. When the sound of our carriage reached his ears, Lawrence stopped and looked up at us. He greeted us as he opened the door and lead us inside, asking how we were and how our day had been as we walked. He led us to a bright sunroom with a garden view and pulled out our chairs. Wow, he was really showing Sawyer up, but to be fair, that wasn¡¯t exactly a difficult task.


    ¡°Lawrence, are these what I think they are?¡± Ryia smiled as she pulled one of the trays of food that had been set out towards her.


    ¡°Yes, they are,¡± Lawrence nodded with a grin, ¡°I couldn¡¯t have you over without serving them.¡±


    ¡°I can¡¯t believe you remembered that these were my favorite!¡±


    ¡°How could I not? The image of you hiding in a corner with a tray of them at your debutante was unforgettable.¡± He laughed as he watched Ryia eagerly pile them onto her plate. The way his steel eyes shined made me happy. That was the smile that I wanted to make sure never left his face.


    I sat patiently in silence, watching as the two of them continued to make small talk, laughing, and smiling at each other. Though they made a point to include me in their conversations, I couldn¡¯t help but feel like I was intruding. So, when was Oliver going to get here?


    ¡°I was surprised Oliver wasn¡¯t with you, do you know when he is going to join us?¡±


    ¡°I sent for him once I saw your carriage arrive, so he should be here any minute. The idiot still refuses to acknowledge that cursing out the crown prince isn¡¯t exactly the best idea because he ¡®isn¡¯t wrong about him being a prick¡¯,¡± Lawrence bit his tongue for a second and looked at Ryia. Seeing that she wasn¡¯t fazed, he continued, ¡°so I¡¯ve had him locked up in his office doing extra work as a punishment.¡±


    ¡°Ah, okay.¡±


    ¡°I wouldn¡¯t be surprised if he has gotten himself lost. Recently, he¡¯s been unusually poor with directions,¡± he added.  I rested my head on my hand and tapped my fingers against the table.


    ¡°Would it be possible for me to look outside for a few minutes while waiting?¡± I asked, desperately wanting to escape being the third wheel. ¡°I wasn¡¯t feeling well in the carriage and would like some fresh air.¡±


    ¡°Of course,¡± Lawrence hopped out of his chair and went to open the door to the sunroom, ¡°Would you like for us to accompany you?¡±


    ¡°No thank you,¡± I smiled, ¡°I¡¯m plenty fine with walking on my own, so please don¡¯t worry about me and continue to talk together.¡± Lawrence looked at me with concern for a moment before returning to normal when I nodded my head and left through the door that he had held open. ¡°I¡¯ll be back in a moment.¡±


    I was only a few steps out the door when I heard the two of them laughing together again. As I walked alone, the tension in my body released. In the story, her interactions with Lawrence were limited and only shown after she¡¯d already begun to develop feelings for Sawyer, but now, seeing them together early on let me know that at least part of my plan wasn¡¯t completely out of reach. The smile she showed Lawrence was so much brighter than the one she showed Sawyer. Maybe it wasn¡¯t romantic, but she felt something towards Lawrence, enough for me to work with.


    When I turned the corner, my peaceful silence was broken by the ear-damaging sound of grating concrete. With no one directly in front or behind me, I had to look up to see the culprit. Dirty blond hair and a tall frame. Seeing Oliver reaching from an opened window to a tree branch, I understood why it was taking him so long to arrive.


    ¡°Dammit!¡±


    Yep, it was him, the cursing confirmed it.


    ¡°Pfftt.¡± I couldn¡¯t help but laugh, finding it both funny that a grown man was escaping through a window, and slightly depressing that my plan entirely hinged on said idiot who was escaping through a window. His eyes which were so focused on the branch in front of him shot down at me.


    ¡°Are you laughing at me?¡±


    I quickly bit my tongue and smiled. ¡°Not at all, I¡¯m just curious as to why you¡¯re climbing through a window.¡±


    ¡°Just trying to escape some paperwork. Lawrence, being the bastard that he is, decided to lock me in my room for voicing my opinion,¡± he paused and scanned me up and down, ¡°do I know you?¡± He then continued to climb down the tree, hopping from branch to branch.


    ¡°You saved my life a few days ago, pulled me out of the street. I¡¯m actually here to thank you.¡±


    He swung down from the lowest branch, scattering petals around me as the branches shook.


    ¡°I thought you looked familiar. You¡¯re June, right?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s me, safe and sound, again, thank you."


    ¡°No problem,¡± he walked over to me, and with his hands behind his head, he leaned in close, eyeing me with a curious smile, ¡°but something like this is usually done in a thank you letter. I¡¯m guessing you have another reason for coming to see me?¡±

 Chapter Nine

    It wasn¡¯t the way the sun flickered through his golden-brown waves or just how much he towered over me, but rather the mild indifference that splashed over the hazel eyes watching me, that stopped me dead in my tracks. I paused to take in his whole face. His brows were raised with intrigue, and an amused smile cracked at his lips, yet his eyes were the same as mine had often been since arriving here, as if he wasn¡¯t completely checked into the world around him, not fully caring what happened.


    ¡°Well, for starters, I¡¯m also sorry that you got locked up for what you said about the crown prince,¡± I said, trying to brush off the eerie similarity between us. If all went well, I¡¯d have plenty of time to unpack that later.


    ¡°It¡¯s not your fault; you¡¯re not the one that made him into a horrible human being,¡± he sneered, the memory of Sawyer enough to annoy him. ¡°Sorry, I¡¯m sure this probably isn¡¯t something I should mention around you, especially considering Ryia is-.¡±


    ¡°I agree. I don¡¯t like him,¡± I cut him off, ¡°I hate him, actually, to the point where I want to stop Ryia from falling for him while I still can.¡±


    ¡°Really?¡± he asked, the glaze slowly beginning to melt away, letting his eyes match the rest of his curious expression, ¡°I thought you were supposed to be dead set on helping Ryia and Sawyer get together?¡±


    ¡°Not at all,¡± I drew out the last word for emphasis, ¡°them getting together is the last thing I want. As you said, he isn¡¯t exactly the nicest person out there. I don¡¯t want to see Ryia end up unhappy, or worse, because of him. I might be part of the Western Province on paper, but my loyalties lie with Ryia and her best interest alone, nothing or no one else.¡±


    I took in a deep breath. ¡°And that¡¯s the part where you come in,¡± I nodded towards him, ¡°as much as I want to keep Ryia away from Sawyer, I¡¯d also like to set her up with Lawrence. I think they could be happy together.¡± My face darkened as the scene from the original book flashed through my mind. When I¡¯d read it, I could practically hear her sobs breaking from her throat as he died for her.


    ¡°And that he¡¯d treat her well.¡± He wouldn¡¯t just treat her well. He¡¯d treat her perfectly. She was his everything, and he¡¯d do whatever it took to be hers.


    ¡°I figured you¡¯d be the perfect fit to help me, with how well you know Lawrence and how against Sawyer you are,¡± I added, breaking from the train of thought.


    ¡°So, you¡¯re saying you need my help playing wingman?¡± he asked, an eyebrow arching playfully, ¡°sounds easy enough.¡±


    ¡°Well, there''s a bit more to it,¡± I lifted my hand, gesturing that I wasn¡¯t done. ¡°There¡¯s the more obvious issue that not only will Sawyer not easily give up on Ryia, and the western province¡¯s support that comes along with her, but I also suspect that Lawrence currently has a royal target on his back.¡±


    Oliver stepped back and dropped his arms, letting my words seep in. I searched his expression, looking for caution and suspicion, but I only found intrigue.


    ¡°What makes you think that?¡± His eyes narrowed as he asked with a tone that made it sound like he knew the answer already and was instead looking to confirm something else.


    ¡°It¡¯s been something I¡¯ve been putting together piece by piece for a bit now,¡± I lied, ¡°it clicked into place when I finally learned who Lawrence¡¯s mother was, a few days ago. With the Central Province¡¯s grasp on the throne already shaky, it wouldn¡¯t be¡­ unreasonable for Sawyer to be wary of anyone who could potentially take his place.¡±


    Oliver chewed on his lip, mildly disappointed with my response. ¡°Honestly, I¡¯ve had my own suspicions that Lawrence might be in danger. I just haven¡¯t been able to figure out how Sawyer could pull it off without creating an even bigger issue for himself, and therefore don¡¯t know how to stop it,¡± he looked me over, ¡°I¡¯m assuming you might have some ideas?¡±


    ¡°Not necessarily on how he could hurt Lawrence, but a general sense of how to prevent it from happening,¡± I felt a little bad for lying again but continued with it anyways. ¡°If we could cause the current imperial family to lose power before Sawyer got the chance to kill Lawrence, then he¡¯d be safe.¡±


    I figured now wouldn¡¯t be the best time to bring up the possibility of having to kill Sawyer to save Lawrence or the existence of an undead army that could only be raised by someone with royal blood wielding dark magic.


    ¡°So, treason in the form of overthrowing the monarchy?¡± Oliver rephrased it, ¡°for the sake of saving Lawrence so that he can be set up with Ryia?¡±


    I nodded my head.


    ¡°What¡¯s in it for me?¡±


    ¡°Saving your best friend, and consequently your job, while helping him find happiness,¡± I said, very matter of fact, ¡°along with the petty satisfaction of knowing that Sawyer got the loveless, powerless life he deserves.¡±


    Oliver weighed my offer and silently stared at me, then stared some more, and then even more, to the point where I thought he¡¯d never respond. He eventually broke out in incredulous laughter. ¡°Well, I did not see that coming. No offense, but this is not what I¡¯d expected you to be like. I thought you were a lot more¡­ boring and uptight.¡±


    Poor June. I almost felt bad for the person this body used to belong to. ¡°I mean, full offense taken,¡± I chewed on my lip to stifle a laugh, ¡°but I¡¯m definitely not who I used to be. Let¡¯s just say I¡¯ve had a recent change in character.¡±


    ¡°Understandable,¡± Oliver nodded as if he could relate. ¡°So, if I agree to help you with all of this, then, where do you reckon that we¡¯d start with this treasonous, romantic plot of yours?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯d say that we start small, just a bit of casual undermining,¡± I said, ¡°save the serious capital crime for later.¡±


    Oliver snickered as I elaborated. ¡°Sawyer is going to send Ryia a pretty impressive necklace to wear to the upcoming ball,¡± I started reciting some of the book''s plot, keeping it as vague as possible, ¡°I think some girls are going to get catty at the fact that Sawyer is obviously favoring Ryia. Chances are, they¡¯ll do something stupid like try and ruin her clothes to embarrass her. We can keep an eye out, and if anything like that starts to happen, we get Lawrence to intervene. It¡¯ll make him look good for protecting her, and I¡¯ll be able to convince Ryia to do something for him as a thank you, making them spend more time together. Plus, that ensures that Sawyer doesn¡¯t get the opportunity to be the one to step in and save the day, and it¡¯ll keep him and Ryia from getting closer, killing two birds with one stone.¡±


    Stolen content warning: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences.


    Oliver took a step back and looked at me, completely dumbfounded. ¡°That¡¯s a pretty detailed prediction,¡± his hazel eyes gleamed with interest as he shot me a knowing stare, ¡°it¡¯s almost like you know what''s going to happen.¡±


    ¡°Oh, it''s nothing like that,¡± I stuttered through a forced laugh, ¡°I just overheard some staff talking at the palace about the gift, and I have a good grasp of how social situations play out. I¡¯ve gotten to know just how dramatic the nobles can be with all the social events I''ve been to.¡± Part of me prayed that he¡¯d believe my performance, but another part of me was scared about teaming up with someone who was stupid enough to believe it.


    ¡°If you say so,¡± he shook his head, not fully believing it but interested nonetheless, ¡°this whole thing sounds¡­ realistic, and fun, enough to get on board with. Besides, what do I have to lose?¡±


    Everything, your life included, I thought. But who was I to argue with his logic when it meant things would turn out well for me? Although, the ease with which he agreed was slightly concerning.


    ¡°And where would we go from there?¡± he asked.


    ¡°Not entirely sure,¡± I responded candidly, ¡°my prediction skills only go so far, but I figured that together, with our mutual hatred for his royal highness, we could figure out something more long-term.¡±


    ¡°Fair enough,¡± he laughed, ¡°you might have just convinced me.¡±


    ¡°So, are you down to play wingman and, if worse comes to worst, possibly commit a capital crime?¡± I asked, begging him to say yes with puppy eyes and a small pout.


    ¡°Yes?¡± he responded, almost as surprised by his agreement as I was. I spent a second basking in relief before a smile broke out on my face. My first step to saving the second male lead was complete.


    ¡°Perfect,¡± I said, walking past him and heading back towards the sunroom, ¡°we should probably hurry back. I¡¯m sure they¡¯re looking for you.¡±


    He effortlessly caught up to me and chuckled as I was in turn forced into a hurry to keep pace with his long strides.


    ?


    ¡°Where have you been,¡± Lawrence jumped up as Oliver held the glass door of the sunroom open for me. Both Lawrence and the butler next to him, who¡¯d presumably been in charge of finding the escapee standing at my side, glared at Oliver.


    ¡°Taking a nice, leisurely stroll through your lovely gardens,¡± he said nonchalantly.


    ¡°And how did you end up there when you were supposed to go straight from your office to here?¡±


    Oliver grinned, rather smugly, and shrugged in response. ¡°I got lost on my way down. This place is a maze¡±


    ¡°You got lost?¡± Lawrence¡¯s voice twinged as his brows arched. ¡°and when you ended up outside, it never crossed your mind that you¡¯d gone the wrong way and should turn around?¡± It¡¯d seemed that his normally long fuse was cut rather short when it came to his trusted aide.


    ¡°Not particularly. I thought the new perspective might help me orient myself.¡± I snorted, causing Oliver to elbow me a bit. Somewhere throughout the absurd agreement, a level of comfort grew between us.


    ¡°You''re absolutely killing me,¡± Lawrence snapped. An exasperated sigh escaped his lips, and his muted brown hair brushed across his forehead as he found his seat again. Oliver pulled out my chair before sitting down himself, and a victorious, smug smile lit up his face.


    The two of us watched as Lawrence and Ryia continued on wherever they¡¯d left off before our sudden arrival, slipping the other subtle grins as if we were the ones responsible. Every time I turned to him, I couldn¡¯t help but notice the gold flecks in his eyes sparkling in the light that trickled through the windows; every drop of lingering apathy I¡¯d first noticed had disappeared completely. Although, with my plan finally beginning to take off, some of my apathy had too. I had a purpose, a solid goal to achieve now, enough to keep me from losing myself in the ridiculousness of the whole situation.


    ?


    ¡°You¡¯re awfully happy,¡± Ryia toyed once we got settled into the carriage, ¡°if you want, I can probably make up another diplomatic excuse to come here more often so you can see him.¡±


    ¡°Who, Oliver?¡± I laughed, shaking my hands in denial, ¡°it¡¯s nothing like that, but I appreciate you trying to be my wingman.¡±


    ¡°Wingman? What¡¯s that supposed to be?¡± she questioned, her chestnut locks draping her shoulders as she tilted her head.


    ¡°You know, like being someone who helps set me up with a guy. Have you never heard of it?¡± The shake of her head surprised me, and I silently added it to the growing mental list of words that I couldn¡¯t use here.


    ¡°So, what did you and Lawrence talk about while I was gone?¡± I asked, directing the conversation away from any talk of Oliver and me.


    ¡°Nothing much, just chit-chat between friends. It was nice to catch up with him. It¡¯s been a while since we¡¯d really talked. He''s gotten so¡­¡± Ryia trailed off into a smile, her light brown eyes dripping with honey.


    ¡°Handsome?¡± I interjected with a sly grin.


    ¡°No!¡± Ryia exclaimed, her cheeks flushed, ¡°I was going to say mature. He¡¯s gotten so mature.¡±


    ¡°If you say so,¡± I snickered.


    As the carriage rolled towards the dress store, Ryia talked on and on about all the different fashion trends. As she prattled through descriptions of various laces and silk, I couldn¡¯t help but smile at the fact that she¡¯d gotten so much brighter since we¡¯d arrived at the Alterio¡¯s.


    ?


    ¡°It really is gorgeous.¡± As I tightened the clasp on the ornate, white gold necklace Ryia wore, I couldn¡¯t help but marvel at its intricacy. Ryia loosely nodded in agreement.


    The necklace had arrived the morning of the solstice ball, as expected, in a large, black felt box, along with a painfully generic courting note and a bouquet of lush, blood-red roses. Duke Sommers was beyond ecstatic as Ryia awkwardly accepted the gifts and asked the servant in charge of delivering them to pass on her sincerest thanks. Praise for both Sawyer and his daughter seeped from his mouth for hours. Even I received a compliment for my contributions.


    ¡°Aren¡¯t you so excited to wear it?¡± I pried. Ryia hesitated, tilting her head to get a better view.


    ¡°In all honesty, not particularly,¡± Ryia admitted, her brows knitted with concern as she ran her fingertips across the jewels adorning her neck, ¡°I¡¯m afraid it''s too¡­ flashy.¡±


    ¡°Not at all. If anything, it blends perfectly with your dress,¡± I partially lied. The jewels did match the iridescent, pale pink fabric that cascaded around her. Though with teardrop-shaped pink diamonds reserved specifically for the use of the imperial family as the centerpieces, and the metal worked into a pattern that vaguely mimicked the swirls bordering the royal crest, it was unmistakably a gift from Sawyer. Anyone in high society would be able to tell in an instant where it¡¯d come from, and it was sure to ignite jealousy across all nobility. Looking at its extravagance, it was becoming clear that Sawyer had intentionally given her something that would stick out as a way to claim her. Ryia dropped her hands into her lap and fidgeted with the fabric of her gown.


    I quickly switched the subject. ¡°Do you want me to put them in a vase,¡± I grimaced as I looked at the limp bouquet lying on her bedstand. As much as I disliked anything from Sawyer, the wilting petals'' silent crying for water filled me with a surprising amount of guilt.


    ¡°It¡¯s okay,¡± she said, looking over the bouquet, ¡°I¡¯m not too fond of roses.¡±


    ¡°Really?¡± I asked, tilting my head with pleasant surprise, ¡°even though his highness was the one who sent them?¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t get me wrong, I¡¯m very thankful for the flowers and honored that he thought of me!¡± she responded in a flurry before softening her voice, ¡°I¡¯d just prefer lilies¡­¡± I made a mental note to tell Oliver, certain it would come in handy sooner or later, ¡°it¡¯d be nice to have nice if someone had cared to ask what flowers I¡¯d liked first, without just assuming.¡±


    The expression she bore was too forlorn for someone referring to flowers.

 Chapter Ten

    The sun¡¯s fading rays gleamed through tall, rounded windows, casting the marble floors with a champagne light. Ryia and I silently followed behind her parents as we strolled through the unrecognizable halls of the Alterio mansion. Now adorned with thin silks and flowers, they barely resembled what I had seen just a few days prior. As we neared the main hall, the swish of fabric brushing against itself was slowly drowned out by the muddled voices and music coming from the set of heavy oak doors at the end of the hallway.


    A nod to the waiting servant was all it took for the doors to crack open, allowing the warm glow and light music to flood the hallway. A pearly, curved staircase was all that separated me from the sprawling extravagance of the main hall. Over a hundred noble lords and ladies already mingled below, their lavish outfits bright blooms of color against the white floors.


    With a stabilizing hand on the delicately carved marble railing, I started towards the main floor, where delicate flower arrangements spotted every surface, sprawling across tables and wrapping around great Corinthian pillars. Arched windows gave a glimpse of the swiftly darkening skies and the outdoor balconies that overlooked the perfectly manicured gardens. Even more enchanting were the chandeliers, whose golden candlelight refracted through crystal shards, bathing the room with twinkling rainbows that danced along with the guests. Once on the main floor, the clacks of our heels reverberated through the hall.


    As we walked through the crowds and towards the dais that had been put up for this occasion, my attention was split between taking in the gorgeous d¨¦cor and trying not to step on the layered, baby blue dress I wore. With gossamer that itched my shoulders and dangling blue topaz earrings, Ryia¡¯s pick, I¡¯d never felt so out of place in my clothes. If this was going to be my life from now, which seemed more and more likely with each passing, I¡¯d have to get used to the finery. As odd as it felt, half of me did enjoy playing dress-up. When we reached the dais, I copied Ryia as she curtsied. Ryia¡¯s father greeted the king, and as the two men talked, I could get a good look at the royal family.


    The king was a burly man who looked out of place in his finery and crown. With a scar slashed across the left side of his jaw and golden eyes harsher than his son¡¯s, he seemed more fit for a battlefield than a royal ball. The queen consort sat to his right, her blood-red dress spilling off her throne and onto the surrounding floor. Her blonde hair was swept up into an intricate updo, finished off with her diamond and pearl-encrusted tiara. Staring at the queen, I could imagine Ryia sitting on that throne and the fake smile she¡¯d no doubt be sporting.


    Sawyer sat to his left, wearing a red jacket. Black boots came up to his knees, his white pants tucked into them. With a golden coronet on his head, as much as I hated to admit it, he did look quite regal.


    ¡°Your daughter has become quite the beauty,¡± the king said. His deep voice was unexpectedly jovial. ¡°Isn¡¯t that right, Prince?¡±


    I looked over and watched as Sawyer took in every aspect of Ryia. His eyes scanned her, starting at the bottom of the pink dress she¡¯d told him she¡¯d be wearing, and trailed up her body, only pausing as he eyed the necklace he¡¯d given her. When he saw it, some sort of primal fire lit in his eyes.


    ¡°Indeed, you do look stunning,¡± Sawyer responded, his sharp features trained neutral as he continued to stare at Ryia. Her thin smile did its best to hide the panicked phrase running through her head.


    Please don¡¯t say anything. Please don¡¯t say anything. Please don¡¯t say anything.


    If Sawyer noticed her growing discomfort, he did nothing to help it. He seemed to feed off the attention, basking in the murmurs and stares the crowds threw Ryia¡¯s way.


    ¡°That necklace is,¡± a smile slithered its way across his red lips, ¡°exquisite¡­ A gift, I presume?¡± The entire ballroom had fallen into a hush as everyone watched the conversation unfolding. No doubt this would be the talk of high society for weeks to come.


    The rustling of her silk dress was the only sound that could be heard in the nearly silent hall as Ryia raised her stare to meet his. If anyone had yet to connect the dots, they¡¯d put it together by now. With that question, that taunting question, he had claimed her in front of the most important people in the empire.


    ¡°A very generous one,¡± Ryia answered, forcing a smile that didn¡¯t reach her eyes. Her hands shook, barely noticeable to anyone else, but they shook. Whether it was in anger or anxiety, or both, I didn¡¯t know. By the time she stood up fully, she¡¯d managed to compose herself. After a few more pleasantries between our party and the three royals, we finally made our way back into the crowd.


    The further away we got from the dais, the more the color returned to her face. It wasn¡¯t until the conversations of others returned to their normal volume that she looked as cheery as she had when we first arrived. ¡°Would you like to go socialize?¡± Ryia clasped my hands and smiled, the candlelight once again twinkling in her honey-colored eyes like stars. Still lost in awe, a slight nod was all I could return.


    She led me through the maze of high society, waving and greeting lords and ladies whose names I should¡¯ve known but didn¡¯t. A few gave me a parting glance, but most focused solely on Ryia, judging everything from the whisps of her chestnut hair to the lace trimmings of her pale pink skirt. It only took a few forced conversations for me to regrey saying yes to walking around with her,


    ¡°Ryia, June, it¡¯s nice to see you here!¡± I turned to see Oliver dragging Lawrence away from a group of young lords.  Both Ryia and I let out a small sigh of relief at the familiar faces. The two boys stopped in front of us, exchanging greetings.


    Standing next to Lawrence, it was clear just how tall he was. He wore a gold embroidered, moss green jack that complimented his hazel eyes more than I cared to admit. His dirty blond waves, now more tamed, framed the sharp planes of his face. With his bright grin and freckles that peppered his skin, he had a charm that had certainly caught the attention of several noble ladies around us. He noticed me checking him out and winked at me, playful enough that I rolled my eyes in return.


    Compared to Oliver, Lawrence¡¯s current mood was anything but pleasant. The dark blues of his clothes matched perfectly with his his grim face. Given the stormy blue eyes that refused to look in Ryia¡¯s direction, I was relatively certain that it had something to do with a golden-eyed prince and the pink jewels strung around her neck.


    ¡°Doesn¡¯t Ryia look beautiful, Lawrence?¡± Oliver asked, nudging Lawrence, who was currently glaring at a pillar with great disdain.


    He eventually looked at her, and with a heavy sigh, his features softened. ¡°You do look beautiful, both of you do,¡± he added with a quick nod in my direction before scowling at Oliver. After a bit of conversation, Lawrence¡¯s mood lightened. But, in an instant, any light that had come to Lawrence¡¯s eyes winked out as Sawyer made his way towards us, the crowd parting for him like the Red Sea. Everyone straightened as Sawyer stopped in front of our little group. I could practically hear Lawrence¡¯s teeth grinding behind me. Oliver threw his hand out to block Lawrence, and I wasn¡¯t sure it was entirely a joke.


    ¡°I¡¯d be honored,¡± Sawyer said, eyes locked on Ryia. His straight, blond hair shifted under the gold coronet. which told everyone precisely who he was, as he bowed his head, ¡°if you¡¯d dance with me, Lady Ryia.¡±


    ¡°The honor would be all mine,¡± Ryia replied, bowing her head in return.


    Sawyer reached out his hand, which Ryia slowly took. No matter how uncomfortable it made her, there was no way Ryia could¡¯ve rejected him, no escaping him with all the eyes watching. And Sawyer knew that. As they walked away, Sawyer tossed a look over his shoulder and flashed a gloating smile that lasted long enough for only me to notice.


    I win, he had said with those burning, golden eyes. I gritted my teeth as I watched the two of them dance, Ryia¡¯s movements as stiff as possible while still maintaining the elegance she¡¯d trained over the years. With everyone¡¯s attention on the unfolding scene, the only smiles in the room came from Ryia¡¯s father and the emperor.


    After a few songs together, Sawyer bowed and stalked back to the dais, leaving Ryia alone on the edge of the dance floor. Even from where I stood across the room, I could see the vultures of high society begin to circle. If I wanted the timing to work out, I needed to get Lawrence, now.


    ¡°Lawrence,¡± I turned to him, ¡°you should go ask Ryia to dance now that Sawyer has left her.¡±


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    ¡°Really?¡± Lawrence gestured to himself, ¡°are you sure that¡¯s a good idea?¡± He kept his features neutral, but no amount of restraint could keep his eyes from brimming with excitement.


    ¡°Yes,¡± I nodded and directed him with my eyes, ¡°I¡¯m sure she could use the relief, but hurry before the next song starts.¡± I shooed him away, and he walked towards her a little faster than normal.


    Once Lawrence was out of earshot, Oliver hissed playfully, ¡°liar,¡±


    ¡°What?¡± I snapped, scrunching my nose as I nudged him, ¡°you know he¡¯s too tense around her to intervene intentionally.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s a good point,¡± he laughed, his eyes trained on Lawrence, ¡°you know him surprisingly well.¡± I nodded, chewing on my bottom lip instead of responding. Across from us, the girls were confronting Ryia, exactly as they had in the original book. I shifted on my feet, more anxious than I thought I¡¯d be as I waited.


    ?


    As soon as she¡¯d been left alone, Ryia could sense the group of ladies coming up behind her. She turned to greet them, immediately recognizing them as nobles from the central province. In the front was Karina Taylor, daughter of one of the wealthier counts.


    ¡°Ryia,¡± Karina greeted Ryia, her voice a deadly purr. She closed in on Ryia, toying with the wine glass in her hand. Its red contents matched the coils of her hair that was swept into a half-up, half-down style, ¡°that was quite the spectacle there. So, the rumors that you¡¯re courting his highness must be true.¡±


    ¡°Such rumors are baseless,¡± Ryia responded quietly. She gripped the fabric of her skirt, keeping emotions in check, ¡°it was simply a gesture of goodwill.¡± The other girls circled behind Karina, each of them staring at Ryia with the same contempt. Ryia¡¯s calm denial angered the girl further, her dark green eyes sizzling as she snapped.


    ¡°We know that¡¯s a lie, and so do,¡± the lady spat, curls bouncing as she shook her head in disgust, ¡°just look at yourself, how dare you act like you¡¯re better than us because of some gaudy necklace?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not sure what you¡¯re referring to,¡± Ryia breathed in, trying to keep the composure she¡¯d held all night. She took a step back, eyes frantically searching the crowd for someone, anyone, that she knew.


    ¡°Well, we can tell how if the rumors are true by watching how his royal highness reacts when his damsel is in distress.¡± Karina gripped the glass of red wine, malicious intent dancing in her eyes. Even a drop of it would permanently stain any fabric. With a quick flick of her wrist, its contents arced out, poised to hit the center of Ryia¡¯s dress.


    Ryia squeezed her eyes shut, mentally bracing for the embarrassment that was about to hit her as soon as the wine did. The lady''s gasp ragout, yet Ryia couldn¡¯t feel the cool splash of the wine against her. Cautiously, she opened her eyes.


    Wine dripped from Lawrence¡¯s jacket, pooling in front of his feet. Realization slowly hit the woman as she took in the gold thread embroidering the Alterio crest on his navy-blue clothes.


    ¡°I¡¯m¡­¡± the lady breathed, staggering back, ¡°I¡¯m very sorry.¡± Lawrence turned to face Ryia, not acknowledging the profuse apologies that continued to pour out from the girl.


    ¡°Would you like to dance with me?¡± he asked, extending his hand to her. Ryia nodded and held his hand, keeping her gaze focused on the floor.


    Lawrence gently held her chin, lifting her face to meet his. An intimate gesture, enough to make Ryia blush as her honey eyes met his. ¡°Ignore them,¡± Lawrence said, steel blue eyes looking down at her warmly, ¡°they speak only out of pure jealousy. Just focus on the music and try to relax. It¡¯ll be no fun for you otherwise.¡±


    ¡°Thank you¡­ and I¡¯m sorry about your clothes,¡± she mumbled, breaking eye contact in an attempt to cool her warming face.


    ¡°There¡¯s nothing to apologize for. It was my choice to step in,¡± he responded, ¡°plus they could use a pop of color anyways. Too much blue for my liking.¡±


    She huffed out a small laugh and tightened her hold on his hand. They stepped onto the dance floor, and within seconds they were flowing through the crowds to the smooth melody of the orchestra, and with every note, Ryia¡¯s nerves continued to loosen.


    ?


    From across the room, Oliver and I watched and Ryia and Lawrence continued dancing together. A sense of achievement hit as Lawrence tilted his head back in laughter, most definitely caused by something Ryia had based on her smile.


    ¡°That worked surprisingly well,¡± Oliver said, putting up a hand that I high-fived, ¡°you really were spot on with your predictions.¡±


    ¡°What can I say, I know my way around high society.¡± I crossed my arms and held my head high, unnecessarily proud of my predictions that weren¡¯t even predictions to begin with, ¡°though I must admit, Lawrence was a lot smoother than I expected.¡±


    ¡°Well, O¡¯ Great Predictor, what is the next step in your plan?¡± he jested.


    ¡°I¡¯m going to ignore that,¡± I said, fingers strumming across my folded arm. ¡°I figured it would be relatively easy to convince Ryia to invite you and Lawrence over as a thank you. There¡¯s this cute pond on the edge of the property that would be a perfect spot for a picnic.¡±


    ¡°You think she¡¯d go for it?¡± He asked.


    ¡°I don¡¯t think I¡¯d have to argue much,¡± I forced a laugh as I watched Lawrence and Ryia together. My longing stare followed each step they made, perfectly in sync with each other. I desperately wanted to try it, though I knew that the second I stepped onto the dance floor, I¡¯d undoubtedly embarrass myself in front of hundreds of nobles. In best case scenario, my dance partner would end up with a few sore toes. Worst case scenario, I¡¯d end up face down on those slick, white tiles.


    Oliver looked over at me, studying my faint frown. ¡°Come on, follow me,¡± he said, holding his hand out.


    ¡°Where are you going?¡± I asked, trying to fight the smile creeping over my face as I grabbed it. I refused to let him fluster me, even as he looked over his should and winked. ¡°Just trust me.¡±


    We stopped at one of the farthest doors, and he opened it to reveal a small, secluded balcony. I walked over and rested my arms on the stone railing, staring out at the garden sprawled endlessly before me, filled with pastel flowers dancing in the breeze and fountains that shimmered silver as they reflected the crescent moon''s light. It was a nice reprieve from the stuffy banquet hall we¡¯d been in for what must have been hours.


    ¡°Dance with me,¡± he said, extending his hand with an overdramatic bow. I took a step towards him, furrowing my brows.


    ¡°What do you mean?¡±


    ¡°You can still hear the music out here,¡± his eyebrows raised with a playful grin that I had a feeling I¡¯d be seeing far too often from now on, ¡°so dance with me.¡±


    One hand closed around mine, and his other fell to the small of my back. I yelped as he tugged me close. With little space between us, I could feel the deep laugh that came from catching me off guard.


    ¡°Ready?¡±


    I nodded. He stepped forward in tune with the music, and I followed his lead. I breathed in the clean summer air and was met with the faint, floral scent of roses in full bloom. ¡°So, can I ask what we are doing out here, away from the dance floor?¡± I asked, more out of curiosity than complaint. Considering I had little to no clue what I was doing and had banked on following his steps, being far away from others would spare me a bit of shame.


    ¡°I¡¯m not the best dancer,¡± he said, ¡°I figured this would be a lot less embarrassing.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s one thing we have in common.¡±


    A cool night breeze floated by, a light kiss against my warming skin as I tried my best not to step on his feet. It was becoming increasingly clear that neither of us was particularly skilled at this. We were clumsy, our steps nowhere near elegant or graceful, but it was fun.


    ¡°I think we have a lot more in common than you realize.¡±


    ¡°What is that supposed to mean?¡± I asked, tilting my head.


    His lips pressed to a thin line as he directed his gaze to the garden. He looked contemplative, like he was trying to pick his next words wisely. After a few seconds of silence, he released his grip on my waist and raised his hand to spin me around. I obliged, my feet turning. As I spun, the fabric of my gown twirled around me, layers of silver and blue lifting off the ground and flowing like the glowing water of a moon-kissed river. I slowed myself, trying my best to remain graceful I centered myself in front of him.


    ¡°Well,¡± he said, fingers splaying on my waist as he caught me and pulled me close again. With only a few inches between us, he looked down at me and asked, ¡°have you ever read the book The Golden Eye Prince?¡±


    I staggered back, almost falling over if it weren¡¯t for his stabilizing hold. The book¡¯s title had rolled off his tongue so casually, so coolly. There was no hesitation in his voice or steps as he stared me down with intent.


    ¡°I¡¯ll take that as a yes,¡± he smirked, ¡°I figured as much.¡± I wanted to say something that would wipe the smugness right from his face, but the only thing that I could muster was a barely audible mumble.


    ¡°You¡­ how?¡± I gawked, blinking in disbelief.  How did he know the book, let alone know I¡¯d read it? He was messing with me, playing around. He had to be, he just had to be. Because if he wasn¡¯t, that meant that this wasn¡¯t a dream, that this world was somehow real.


    ¡°It¡¯s fine. I¡¯ve read it too.¡± His gaze softened, amused by the stupor he¡¯d left me in, ¡°as I said, we have a lot more in common than you realize.¡± He¡¯d read it too. He¡¯d read it too.


    ¡°Does that mean you-¡±


    ¡°There you are. We¡¯ve been looking all over for you.¡± Lawrence¡¯s voice cut me off at the worst possible moment. Oliver and I stopped, jolting apart at his arrival. He and Ryia stood in the doorway. From across the balcony, Ryia gave me a sly smile that asked I thought it wasn¡¯t anything like that?


    It isn¡¯t, I scowled back at her, and I could ask you the same thing.


    ¡°What are you doing out here?¡± Lawrence asked, walking over to us. There wasn¡¯t a hint of the usual annoyance in his voice as he talked to Oliver. At least Lawrence and Ryia had seemingly enjoyed their time together.


    With a smile that didn¡¯t go past my lips, I silently cursed out Lawrence and his atrocious timing. The interruption was almost comical, and I may have laughed if it weren¡¯t for the tightness growing in my chest. It wasn¡¯t fear that clawed its way through me, though. It was relief and suspense and excitement all jumbled together into one crushing feeling.


    After a few seconds of aimless chatter, Lawrence told us that the event was almost over and that we needed to head inside. As he left, Oliver leaned close to my ear, his voice a deep whisper, ¡°yes, it does mean that.¡± Then he casually strolled off after the other two, hands in his pockets, acting as if the world hadn¡¯t completely shifted in a matter of minutes. I took a few seconds of staring blankly at the open door before I followed after them.

 Chapter Eleven

    I couldn¡¯t have told you what happened during the rest of the ball, and even the carriage ride home was nothing more than a blur of Ryia¡¯s father drunkenly spewing what I¡¯d dubbed Sawyer Propaganda. Thankfully, he hadn¡¯t seemed to care that Ryia spent so much time dancing with Lawrence. That, or he¡¯d had too much wine by that time to remember. It wasn¡¯t until I was in Ryia¡¯s room, trying to escape the gossamer maze that the women here called dresses, that I was able to pull myself together enough to talk.


    ¡°So, are you going to tell me what you and Oliver were doing out there alone, or am I going to have to wait even longer?¡± Ryia asked, loosening the ties on the back of the dress enough for me to shimmy my way out. She sat on the edge of her bed, her wiggling eyebrows saying I¡¯m waiting.


    After a grumbled thank you, I picked my dress up off the floor and began to fold it up. ¡°It really was nothing. He wanted to dance but isn¡¯t great at it, so we went outside where no one could see and danced together¡­ as friends.¡±


    Ryia rested her chin on her arms, pouting at the lack of scandalous gossip she¡¯d been hoping for.


    ¡°And what about you, I saw you dancing with Lawrence for like fifty songs,¡± I smirked, watching as her face flushed bright pink. She plopped back on the bed, covering her face with her hands.


    ¡°It¡¯s the same as you,¡± she grumbled, ¡°we¡¯re just friends.¡±


    ¡°Speaking of Lawrence, why don¡¯t you invite him over as a thank you?¡± I asked, sprawling on the bed next to her. As soon as my head hit the soft comforter, exhaustion hit.


    ¡°Do you think that would really be an appropriate thank you?¡± She asked, turning to face me, ¡°don¡¯t you think he¡¯d appreciate a new jacket more?¡±


    ¡°Lawrence has enough money to buy fifty new jackets. He¡¯d much prefer spending time with you instead.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s a good point.¡± She scrunched her nose.


    ¡°We could invite him over for a lunch at the pond. If you really feel that bad, you could try making something special. It¡¯s the thought and effort that counts,¡± I yawned, stretching my arms back.


    ¡°That sounds like it could be fun,¡± she said, ¡°but if we do that, could you go into town to get some extra ingredients? I don¡¯t think asking one of my father¡¯s servants to do it would be a good idea.¡±


    ¡°Sure, that¡¯ll be easy.¡± Knowing nothing about how markets or bartering worked here didn¡¯t seem like an issue in my groggy state.


    ¡°Perfect! I¡¯ll write up a list for you after I send Lawrence the invitation.¡±


    ¡°Can I add a letter to that message, too¡­ don¡¯t you dare say anything,¡± I added, already sensing the eyebrow rise sure to come from Ryia.


    ¡°What? I wasn¡¯t going to say anything.¡± She laughed and threw her hands up defensively. I adjusted myself, pushing my back against the headboard. Ryia didn¡¯t seem to want me gone, and I wasn¡¯t inclined to get up and leave on my own. We¡¯d shared a bed before, and quite honestly, I¡¯d gotten close enough to her that I didn¡¯t mind her company in the slightest. It was nice having a friend that I could be this comfortable around. She hadn¡¯t been lying when she¡¯d told me that my job was nothing more than a formality to her.


    It wasn¡¯t long till both of us had passed out, doing the bare minimum to move under the covers before falling asleep.


    ?


    ¡°Sure, that¡¯ll be easy,¡± I mocked myself as I helplessly walked through the crowded streets of the market. The overwhelming smell of spices and livestock mingling together was enough to make me nauseous, and the addition of a hundred screaming merchants and patrons did little to help. I stared down at the list in my hand as I wandered aimlessly through the wooden stalls, hoping something familiar would catch my eye. Cinnamon, cucumbers, eggs¡­ what was she even trying to make?


    ¡°Hey, Miss,¡± a man at a nearby stall called out. I stopped and pointed to myself, silently asking if he meant to single me out.


    ¡°Yes, you,¡± he rasped, ¡°you look lost, do you need some directions?¡±


    ¡°I think I¡¯m okay, but thank you.¡± I gave him a smile that didn¡¯t reach my eyes, hoping he wouldn¡¯t press any further. With a crooked gait, the man made his way from behind his dilapidated stall. He eyed me up and down, taking in my clothing. A greasy grin crept across his face when he noticed the quality of them. I¡¯d dressed modestly, trying to avoid this exact situation, but no matter of plainness could hide the clean, fine fabric of my dress. A glazed, wily look passed over his eyes when he realized I was a noble. I could see the cogs turning in his head, calculating just how much money I¡¯d have on me, or even be worth myself.


    ¡°Come on, there¡¯s no harm in getting some help.¡± He had crept close enough for me to see the yellow tinting in his teeth and beady eyes. I¡¯d dealt with enough sketchy peddlers like this in the city to know that my best bet was to calmly back away, keeping a pleasant smile as I did so. Still, panic seeped into me as I did my best to stop my hands from shaking. There was a desperate glint in his stare that told me he was more dangerous than any peddler I¡¯d encountered before, and no one here looked particularly inclined to help me if things went south. If anything, I could swear a few people around me were even eyeing us eagerly, hoping to get a cut of whatever wealth I had on me if the opportunity arose.


    ¡°I really am fine on my own, but I appreciate the offer.¡± I quickly turned on my heels, getting ready to run if need be. Even over the sounds of the crowd, I could hear his shuffled steps following me, and a scraping across dirt that sent fear coursing through me. I didn¡¯t need to look back to know that he was making a mad lunge for me.


    ¡°I wouldn¡¯t do that if I were you. She¡¯s a fighter.¡± How had his voice already become so familiar?


    I spun around to see the merchant¡¯s withered, outstretched hand mere inches from me, stopped midair by someone¡¯s strong grasp on his wrist. The tension building released as Oliver slid between me and the man. With his free hand, he brushed me safely beside him. My heart slowed as I inched closer to him, taking full advantage of the protection he offered.


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    The man spat a curse out at me, and Oliver tightened his grip in return. Anger quickly flashed across his eyes. The cool, playfulness in his voice instantly vanished as he stared the man down. ¡°Now, she said she was fine, so it would be best if you left us alone.¡±


    The merchant sneered and shook off Oliver¡¯s hand, grumbling a string of curses as he stalked back behind his stand.


    ¡°Thank you,¡± I mumbled from beside him. After wiping his hand with a repulsed scowl, Oliver stepped back and looked me over, checking to make sure I was fine.


    ¡°Didn¡¯t your parents ever teach you not to trust strangers?¡± He wasted no time taunting me as soon as he was sure I was unharmed. My relief plummeted into irritation as he smirked. I was beginning to regret having asked him to join me today.


    ¡°You know you¡¯re technically a stranger, too,¡± I retorted, unnecessarily defensive despite how thankful I was for him at that moment.


    ¡°You¡¯ve sat in my lap and know my biggest secret. I¡¯d hardly call us strangers.¡±


    All the embarrassment I¡¯d been too shell-shocked to feel my first day here hit me like a ton of bricks. God, how could I have forgotten that? I whipped around, praying he didn¡¯t see my face becoming bright scarlet, but his deep laugh told me he did. I took a deep breath, trying to push aside the little voice praying for me to turn to dust and disappear with the wind.


    ¡°So, is this what we¡¯re shopping for?¡± He asked, peeking over my should at Ryia¡¯s list, a pleased smile still on his face. ¡°Cinnamon, cucumbers, eggs¡­ what is she even trying to make?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s what I¡¯m trying to figure out,¡± I said, my face still flushed. ¡°I¡¯m assuming you don¡¯t know this market any better than I do?¡±


    ¡°Sadly, I¡¯ll be little help beyond keeping strangers from scheming to abduct you.¡± I rolled my eyes, trying to hide the fact that I had laughed a bit inside. I shooed him off my shoulder as I did my best to conceal my smile.


    ¡°I¡¯ve already been down that alley, so we should try that road next,¡± I said, pointing around as if it would help. Oliver nodded in agreement and followed me as I led the way through the streets, acting as if I had any sort of clue where I was going. I was practically leading us blind, but he didn¡¯t seem to care. If anything, he looked like he was enjoying it. As we weaved our way through hordes of merchants and buyers alike, I decided to finally address the elephant in the room that had been looming over me for a few days now.


    ¡°So, when did you realize that I had, you know, read the book too?¡± I asked, picking up and inspecting various fruits from the stall we were passing by. I paused, tossing an apple between my hands.  I figured that would be as good a place as any to start unpacking the situation that I was still struggling to believe was real.


    ¡°Honestly,¡± he started, toying with the collar of the cream lace-up shirt he wore, ¡°I had an idea about it from the very beginning, as soon as you¡¯d said ¡®I don¡¯t know how I got here.¡¯ Then when you came to visit, it became pretty clear to me.¡±


    ¡°I couldn¡¯t have been that obvious, I tried to be careful about it,¡± I griped, hastily placing the apple down as the vendor gave me the side eye.


    Oliver laughed, only to quickly stop upon seeing my frown. ¡°Oh, you¡¯re serious?¡± I nodded in return, keeping my expression trained as humiliation pecked at me. I knew I wasn¡¯t totally inconspicuous, but it wasn¡¯t laughable, right? Right?


    ¡°I mean, no offense, but you weren¡¯t exactly discreet about it. You practically recited the whole plot of the ballroom scene to me. Plus, you were acting wildly out of character,¡± he said, shrugging.


    ¡°Was it really that bad,¡± I whined, my ears growing redder by the second.


    ¡°To be fair, I might not have figured it out if I weren¡¯t in the same situation. I probably would¡¯ve just thought you were weird or something,¡± he added. If he was trying to make me feel better, it wasn¡¯t working.


    ¡°Thanks for that,¡± I grumbled, rolling my eyes.


    ¡°You¡¯re welcome!¡± He said cheerily. He continued to look around, blissfully unaware of how much of a threat my foot currently posed to his shins.


    We continued to walk through the stalls and talked back and forth about the book. Apparently, he¡¯d read the book in an attempt to connect with his new stepsister. Not that it¡¯ll matter anymore, he¡¯d mumbled. The pain in his voice wasn''t lost on me, no matter how hard he had tried to make light of it. I hadn¡¯t left much behind coming here. I wasn¡¯t close with my parents, hadn¡¯t been for a while, and had recently moved to a new city where I knew no one. It had never occurred to me that he would be any different, that he¡¯d left people behind in his old life. All I¡¯d been able to offer in consolation was a meager I¡¯m sorry.


    We eventually found everything Ryia needed for her mystery concoction. As I paid for the last of the ingredients, Oliver had slipped away to buy something of his own. Eventually, he returned, looking slightly like a lost puppy until he found me in the crowd. I couldn¡¯t help but stifle a laugh as he quickly jogged over to me, brimming with some newfound enthusiasm.


    ¡°Here, put your arm out,¡± he directed me once he was back. With a skeptical glance, I listened and extend my hand toward him. he took a ribbon out of his pocket and tied it around my wrist. The pale blue silk shimmered as I pulled my hand close to look at it.


    ¡°Perfect,¡± he said as he stepped back to admire the drooping bow, his smile proud.


    ¡°Thank you?¡± I laughed both in appreciation and in question, ¡°it¡¯s a very beautiful¡­¡±


    ¡°Hair ribbon¡­ I think. The color matched your eyes perfectly, so when I saw it, I knew I had to get it.¡± A traitorous smile bloomed on my face as I stared up at him. He was right; the ribbon was the same light, cornflower blue as my eyes.


    ¡°Wait,¡± I gasped, ¡°did your eyes stay the same?¡±


    ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°Your eyes now, aren¡¯t they the same color as your old eyes?¡± I asked, ¡°mine are, even down to the brown speck here.¡±


    ¡°Huh,¡± he said, leaning in to look at my eyes, ¡°I never really thought about it, but I guess they did. I just figured the original Oliver just had hazel eyes too.¡±  Looking at them as closely as I was now, I could clearly see the light green encircled by a rich brown, with flecks of gold throughout. They matched his tan, freckled complexion perfectly.


    ¡°I doubt that original Oliver¡¯s eyes were this pretty, considering he was a side character,¡± I said without thinking it through. Immediate regret flashed across my face when I saw the way the corner of his lips curled.


    ¡°You think I have pretty eyes?¡±


    I had two options: deny it or own it. I wanted to deny it, to take it back, but looking at him, at his smile, I just¡­ couldn¡¯t.


    ¡°Yes, yes you do,¡± I said, turning away from him and crossing my arms, ¡°especially with the gold in them.¡± I was now up to a grand total of three times today that I wanted to die from embarrassment because of him.


    ¡°Why thank you,¡± he said. I could hear that damned playful grin of his as he spoke, ¡°and for the record, you have very pretty eyes too, June.¡±


    Thank God my back was towards him.


    ?


    ¡°This is perfect, thank you, June,¡± Ryia exclaimed, hugging my side the next morning, ¡°I hope it wasn¡¯t too crazy at the market.¡± She took the satchel from me and laid the ingredients on the table to make who knows what.


    ¡°It wasn¡¯t the market that was draining,¡± I groaned, dragging my hands down my face. My face still reddened every time I remembered the way I¡¯d practically fled from him after a hurried goodbye. Ryia tilted her head, getting ready to question me, but I waved her off. I never remembered kitchens being this hot. I walked around the table to where she stood on her tip-toes, struggling to get a pan off the top shelf. I reached up and grabbed it for her. One thing I couldn¡¯t complain about was the fact that I was now a few inches taller than I had been before.


    ¡°Thank you,¡± she huffed as I handed the tray to her.


    Sitting down, I rested my elbows on the flour-covered table. ¡°So, what are we making,¡± I asked, tracing my finger over the deep cut marks in the wood.


    ¡°I was thinking cinnamon custard tarts,¡± she said, ¡°I already asked one of the cooks to make me the pastry dough, so it should be easy enough.¡±


    It was, in fact, not easy enough. Despite Ryia¡¯s protest, I eventually called for help. If it hadn¡¯t been for the poor baker¡¯s assistant who came to save the day, we would¡¯ve been bringing plain, and most likely burnt, toast to the picnic. As we wrapped everything up and placed it neatly into a basket, along with the classic checkered picnic blanket, I tried to cheer up Ryia by reminding her that she¡¯d been able to successfully slice up the cucumbers for the water, but it did little to lighten her dejected frown. It wasn¡¯t until Lawrence and Oliver arrived that she perked up, something that I took as a good sign.

 Chapter Twelve

    My pale, blonde hair sparkled in the midday sun as I waited outside with Ryia. I toyed with the end of the loose French braid that, against my better judgment, I¡¯d asked Ryia to tie up with the pale blue ribbon. She hadn¡¯t given me the side eye I¡¯d anticipated when I asked her to add it, which I was thankful for. She¡¯d probably been too anxious to comment on it this morning and given the way she swung the picnic basket between her hands as we waited, her nerves hadn¡¯t seemed to ease up at all.


    When the carriage finally pulled around, and the two men stepped out, it was clear Ryia wasn¡¯t the only nervous one. After nearly tripping when getting out, Lawrence quickly bowed before he and Oliver greeted us. With a quick exchange, Lawrence scooped the picnic basket out of Ryia¡¯s hands before she could protest. Without the basket to busy her hands, Ryia turned to fiddling with the fabric of her lilac skirt instead as she directed us through the perfectly manicured gardens and towards the back corner of the estate where the pond was situated among meadows and willow trees.


    As Ryia and Lawrence pulled ahead, making pleasant small talk about some noble drama I knew nothing about, Oliver fell into place beside me, strolling casually with his hands in his pockets. As we walked in awkward silence, he looked me over, and his eyes sparked when he noticed the end of my braid, making me quickly flip it back and off my shoulder.


    ¡°That¡¯s a really pretty hair ribbon you got there, June.¡± He intentionally spoke loud enough to make sure that both Ryia and Lawrence could hear.


    ¡°Thank you,¡± I replied sweetly, keeping my face forward and unbothered as I walked.


    ¡°It¡¯s a really beautiful color, looks absolutely stunning on you, really compliments your eyes.¡± I may have blushed if I hadn¡¯t known better. It was just a ploy to get under my skin, and much to my frustration, it was working.


    ¡°Thank you again, and yes, the color is very pretty.¡±


    ¡°Where¡¯d you get it, it¡¯s so stylish. You must have such good taste if you were the one who chose it.¡±


    ¡°I got it as a gift, and yes, it is very stylish,¡± I said through gritted teeth. Out of the corner of my eye, I could see his smug grin. I flashed him a fake smile that screamed I¡¯m going to kill you, but his grin only broadened in return. I took in a deep, calming breath, thinking only zen thoughts that did not involve tripping him.


    In front of us, I could hear Ryia leaning over and whispering to Lawrence, ¡°I never knew Oliver was so enthusiastic about hair accessories.¡± I nearly snorted at the genuine questioning in her voice.


    ¡°Neither did I,¡± Lawrence shrugged, just as confused by Oliver¡¯s antics as she was, ¡°who knows, he¡¯s been acting weirder than usual lately.¡± Lawrence looked over his shoulder and smirked, taunting Oliver. As I tried to pass my laugh off as a cough, Oliver scowled at me. I raised my eyebrows at him, saying I mean, he¡¯s not wrong.


    ?


    The sun was beating down on us by the time we made it to the pond, and the only reprieve from its heat was the slight shadows cast by the willow tree we sat under. The grass around us was a pale green, speckled with short, white wildflowers that a few creamed-colored butterflies flitted between. It was serene, a stark contrast to the last time we¡¯d hung out as a group at the ball.


    Everything was going perfectly, minus the sour face Ryia made when she had to put out the food that she hadn¡¯t been able to make on her own. She¡¯d practically begged me not to tell the boys that she wasn¡¯t exactly a stellar chef. Though I had agreed to keep it a secret, Oliver would most definitely know about it by the end of the day. I figured it was important that he remain up to date on any potential threats to Lawrence¡¯s well-being, at least that was the excuse I was going with. I couldn¡¯t have told you exactly what we managed to talk about, or how long we were there, but I did know that seeing everyone smiling and laughing made me the happiest I¡¯d been since coming here. After all the food was gone and conversation slowed, Ryia asked if anyone wanted to walk the path that threaded through the meadows, which Lawrence immediately agreed to.


    ¡°You guys go ahead,¡± I said, standing up and stretching, ¡°I think I¡¯m going to sit by the water for a bit. You two go have a good walk.¡± I added, trusting that Oliver would get the hint to stay behind as well. Regardless of getting Ryia and Lawrence to spend alone time together, I had something I needed to talk to him about.


    ¡°Won¡¯t you be lonely?¡± Ryia asked.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯ll keep her company.¡± Oliver came up behind me and winked at Ryia, much to her surprise and amusement. He was so going to pay for that. Lawrence and Ryia exchanged a look that I refused to read into before heading down the path together. Despite the annoyance from their marked glance, I was happy to see both of them walking and speaking comfortably together after their initial nerves.


    Oliver followed as I wandered down to the edge of the pond. The pond itself was rather large, nothing like the small goldfish pond I¡¯d grown up with in my backyard. Water lilies dotted the surprisingly clear waters, and cattails sprouted up in tufts that interspersed the shorelines. Small fish dodged through the stones lying on the pond bed, coming up to snip at bugs that got too close to the water¡¯s surface.


    ¡°We need to figure out our plans for the rest of the summer pretty soon here considering the trade conference coming up,¡± I said to him, crossing my arms.


    Taking place in a secluded manor in the Northern Province, the trade conference was a yearly event in which the most powerful families in the empire got together and discussed topics I was too bored by to bother reading. Considering Ryia wasn¡¯t allowed to go, and it was just chapter after chapter of non-romantic development, I had just skipped through it. The only real purpose was to make Sawyer look like some smart and capable ruler by tearing down any plan Lawrence offered up, so it wasn¡¯t like I was missing anything. Sadly, there wouldn¡¯t be a ¡®next chapter¡¯ button I could click to skip over the next few weeks.


    ¡°Why did you have to remind me?¡± He groaned, tipping his head back ¡°it''s gonna be what, a week or two until we¡¯ll be able to talk to each other again?¡±


    ¡°Three if you include travel. I¡¯m going to go stir crazy without anything to do,¡± I sighed, attributing my disappointment to the fact that I wouldn¡¯t have any schemes to enact for the next few weeks and absolutely no other reason.


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    ¡°You could try talking up Lawrence while we are gone, really play into the whole ¡®absence makes the heart grow fonder¡¯ thing,¡± he said, ¡°and I¡¯ll try my best to defend Lawrence and keep Sawyer from doing as much damage to their reputation as possible.¡±


    ¡°Wait, you need to be careful when it comes to Sawyer,¡± I shifted my tone with a grim face as I paced across the grass on the edge of the pond, ¡°I couldn¡¯t really explain this before, but¡­ I know for certain that Sawyer was responsible for Lawrence¡¯s death, and how he did it.¡±


    Oliver stopped skipping stones and looked over at me. ¡°I thought Lawrence was killed by those monster things?¡± he asked, furrowing his brows as he took in my serious tone.


    ¡°He was, but Sawyer is the one who released them, and he can control them. Anyone with royal blood can.¡± At his confused stare, I explained everything I¡¯d learned about the Pythias Gem and how Sawyer used to make Lawrence¡¯s death look like an accident. He nodded along to me explanations, less confused than I expected.


    ¡°That actually makes a lot of sense. I could never figure out how Sawyer had managed to defeat the monsters so easily during the final battle when even Lawrence couldn¡¯t,¡± he said, flipping a smooth stone over in his palm before skipping it across the water.


    ¡°What final battle?¡±


    ¡°You know, the big finale where Sawyer slays the leader of the demon army?¡±


    ¡°I kinda, sort of never actually finished the novel,¡± I laughed nervously, fidgeting with the cotton of my cream dress, ¡°I got pissed after Lawrence died and stopped reading.¡±


    ¡°So, you don¡¯t know anything about the final battle, or the book¡¯s ending?¡±


    ¡°Nope, not a clue. How did it end?¡±


    ¡°Well, I don¡¯t want to spoil it for you.¡± I stopped my pacing and gave him a blank stare. Lawrence must have had the patience of a saint. After giving me a grin that only irritated me further, Oliver summarized the book¡¯s ending to me.


    After Lawrence¡¯s death, Ryia managed to find a hiding place while Sawyer faced off with what the readers were told was the leader of the undead army, barely escaping death as he fought. Knowing what I did now, it was clear that everything about the ending had been a charade set up by Sawyer.


    ¡°Did it mention anything about him wearing any jewelry during that scene, specifically with a purple gem?¡± I asked, resuming my pacing on the pond¡¯s bank.


    ¡°I think they said he was wearing the broach he was given when he was officially declared the heir to the throne, do you think it could be that?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s got to be it!¡± I quickly turned to face him, but my excitement disappeared as I realized that my heel had dug into the soft soil at the edge of the pond. The sudden stop sent me tumbling right toward the water. Before I could hit the water, Oliver grabbed my hand in a familiar motion that pulled me back with enough momentum that he tumbled into the pond instead.


    ¡°Are you okay?¡± He asked as he sat up, looking at me through strands of wet hair. After a quick once over to make sure he was fine, I kneeled on the shore to help him up.


    ¡°You¡¯re the one sitting in a pond, and yet you¡¯re asking me that?¡± I stifled a laugh as I reached my hand out, ¡°you¡¯ve got to be careful. I¡¯ll feel bad if you get hurt helping me.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s okay,¡± he laughed, his calloused hands rough against my skin as I helped him up, ¡°I don¡¯t mind helping. Besides, this will probably annoy Lawrence, which is always fun to do.¡± I pouted as he stepped onto the grass, his clothes soaking wet. He shook out his hair before slicking it back.


    ¡°Ugh, you¡¯re getting water all over me,¡± I giggled, blocking my face from the water droplets. Oliver stopped in his tracks, making a face that I couldn¡¯t quite read. Through my fingers, I saw him look down at his soaking clothes, then up at my own, which were still relatively clean, and more importantly, dry. He shifted his feet, getting into a low stance as if he was about to pounce. Warning bells immediately went off in my head as I caught the wicked glint in his eyes.


    ¡°Don¡¯t you dare,¡± I said, biting back my smile as I cautiously backed away.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know what you¡¯re talking about.¡± As soon as I saw him bite his bottom lip, I turned on my heel and made a mad dash up the hill. Despite my head start, he caught up easily and half-jokingly reached for me. I slipped to the side and out of his reach, sending him stumbling.


    ¡°Dammit.¡± Despite me skirting out of reach, he was laughing when he tumbled down into the soft grass underneath the willow tree, propping himself up on his arms. I sat down next to him, my dress victoriously dry. I picked at the grass, sprinkling a few strands on Oliver¡¯s still-damp clothes. He gave me a side-eyed scowl but didn¡¯t brush it off.


    It wasn¡¯t long until Lawrence and Ryia came into view, laughing together as they returned. Oliver and I took one look at the Queen Anne¡¯s lace tucked behind Ryia¡¯s ear before high-fiving each other.


    ¡°Lawrence has stepped it up,¡± I whispered, quieting as the two of the got closer, ¡°you think she put it in her hair or that he did it for her?¡±


    ¡°He got a bit of a confidence boost after the ball,¡± Oliver said, ¡°and ten bucks says he did it for her.¡±


    ?


    ¡°Do I want to know why you¡¯re soaking wet?¡± Lawrence asked, leaning against the willow tree while Ryia stood sheepishly at his side. He took a deep breath and rubbed his temples as if annoyed, but I could see the slight amusement in his expression.


    Without skipping a beat, Oliver answered with a smile, ¡°June pushed me into the pond.¡± Both Lawrence and Ryia turned to me in unison. Ryia looked concerned while Lawrence looked rather pleased with me.


    ¡°I did not push him in. I almost fell into the water myself, and Oliver being the charming gentleman that he is,¡± I sneered, nudging Oliver with my shoulder, ¡°caught me but ended up falling in instead.¡± I stood up and dusted off my dress. ¡°Did you two have a good time?¡±


    Lawrence¡¯s face brightened, and he glanced at Ryia before nodding. ¡°It was a very pleasant walk, there are many beautiful flowers blooming in the meadow right now.¡±


    Ryia turned away from him as a slight blush crept over her cheeks. ¡°Do you want to use the blanket as a towel?¡± she changed the subject, picking the picnic blanket off the ground and folding it in her hands.


    ¡°I¡¯m okay, thank you. I wouldn¡¯t want to ruin it,¡± Oliver said, politely declining Ryia¡¯s offer.


    Lawrence blinked before looking at Oliver, annoyance twinging his face. ¡°So you¡¯d rather just get the inside of my carriage muddy?¡± he asked, taking the blanket out of Ryia¡¯s hands with a nodded thank you.


    ¡°Exactly,¡± Oliver said a little too smugly. He shot me a quick, satisfied look that said I told you it would annoy him.


    Lawrence faked a smile, then shoved the blanket toward him. ¡°If you don¡¯t take the blanket and dry yourself off, you will be walking home.¡± Oliver snatched it out of Lawrence¡¯s hands and grumbled what I assumed was a curse before wrapping it around his shoulders.


    ?


    ¡°So,¡± I said, still waving at the carriage that was leaving, ¡°where¡¯d you get the flower?¡±


    Ryia answered without the hesitation that I¡¯d expected. ¡°Lawrence gave it to me,¡± her lips pulled into a soft smile, ¡°he tucked it behind my ear then said that I deserved a flower as beautiful as I was.¡±


    I stared at her, mouth slightly ajar, ¡°he said what?!¡± Since when was Lawrence this brave? Looked like I owed Oliver ten bucks, not that either of us even knew how to get our hands on our own money here.


    Ryia giggled, her hand toying with the flower that still was still nestled behind her quickly reddening ear. ¡°I know, right? It was awfully sweet of him.¡± The blush on her cheeks gave her already beautiful face a warm glow as she continued to smile, creases forming at her eyes.


    ¡°So,¡± I started, wiggling my eyebrows at her, ¡°do you think you might, you know, li-¡°


    ¡°I like the idea of him,¡± she cut me off, holding out a hand to stop me, ¡°I like the freedom to choose whom I love. Whether I like him specifically is¡­ still up for debate.¡± Up for debate was good enough for me. I listened as she hummed a honeyed tune on the way back, her steps light and excited. We turned a corner, nearly bumping into a hurried, red-faced butler coming from the opposite direction.


    ¡°My ladies,¡± he said, bowing as we stopped in front of him, ¡°his grace has requested your presence at dinner tonight. It seems he has something urgent to speak to you about.¡± Ryia and I exchanged a worried glance before nodding, thanking the butler for his message.

 Chapter Thirteen

    Having a meal with the Duke and Duchess wasn¡¯t an odd occurrence in and of itself. Rather, it was the urgency with which the butler had requested our presence that had Ryia, and I exchange worried glances throughout the start of the meal. I pushed my salad around with a fork; too anxious to eat but too awkward not too busy myself with something.


    Had he really been bothered by the picnic, he¡¯d have called us away the second he found out about it; he wasn¡¯t above disrupting an event and embarrassing his daughter as long as it went along with his agenda. Even if he hadn¡¯t pulled us away early, he¡¯d have worn an angry glare to dinner that would¡¯ve tipped me off. But there wasn¡¯t as much as a frown line in sight. The fact that he was calm, eating in silence with the rest of us, terrified me.


    It wasn¡¯t until my uneaten salad was cleared by a servant and replaced by the decadent main course that Ryia¡¯s father finally spoke, breaking the tension. ¡°As you know, I will be leaving for the trade conference tomorrow,¡± he announced, folding his arms onto the table, ¡°and you two will be joining me.¡±


    Ryia¡¯s hand slipped, her knife screeching across the ceramic plate. She briefly glanced at me, her unease a mere flash before she turned to her father, clearing her throat.


    ¡°What will our roles be there?¡± Ryia asked pointedly. Both of us knew better than to be anything but skeptical of the news. Her father wouldn¡¯t do something so unprecedented as this without reason, and whatever reason he had would not have our best interests in mind.


    Her father flinched, seemingly offended at her lack of enthusiasm. ¡°You seem to have some issue with this.¡± His question was a challenge. My eyes darted around the room, trying not to involve myself. Who knew that ceiling tiles could be so captivating?


    ¡°No, I am quite happy to attend. I¡¯m just surprised. I thought only heirs could attend, and seeing as that is my cousin¡¯s role.¡± She corrected her tone to the cheery one he¡¯d expected. Her fake smile was the most convincing I¡¯d ever seen. Only her fingers fidgeting with the cloth napkin on her lap gave her away.


    ¡°Ryelin will be joining me as is usual as well. I believe that this experience will be beneficial to you regardless of whether you attend individual meetings or not. You need to familiarize yourself with the biggest families from this empire, and this will allow you to spend uninterrupted time with them.¡±


    And with Sawyer.


    Ryia accepted his answer with a silent nod of agreement.


    We finished dinner in relative silence, the only other exchange being the duke requesting for me to stay behind once again.


    ¡°Would you like to explain why the young Alterio lord was on my estate today?¡± So he had taken issue with the picnic. Part of me was surprised he waited this long to mention it.


    ¡°After the events of the ball, Ryia has had a rather high opinion of him,¡± I said slowly, giving myself time to craft an acceptable response, ¡°the more time she spends with him in a neutral setting, the more she will realize that he is not the fantasy of a noble man that she thought. She will have no choice but to compare him to the power that is the crown prince.¡±


    ¡°Is that so?¡±


    ¡°Indeed, your grace. Additionally, it is best to quash any perceived notions of bad blood between the families. If it becomes a forbidden romance to her, she will only want it even more.¡± Nothing I said was a lie, but my speech must have looked stiff and forced; he still looked wary at my explanation.


    The duke leaned back in his chair and crossed his arms, letting my words settle in. ¡°Very well then. Her immature emotions escape me, so I trust you know better than I do. But, during this trip, it is imperative that my daughter spends as much time with his highness as possible. I assume you will not disappoint me in making that happen.¡±


    ¡°I will not,¡± I lied through my teeth. My expression remained neutral as I was once again making rather rude gestures in my mind.


    ¡°Actually, I already have some plans on how to taint the Alterios¡¯ image during this conference.¡±


    ¡°What did you have in mind?¡± I asked, resting my head against my hand as I leaned forward, ¡°is it anything I can assist with?¡± He gave me a pointed look, and I quickly leaned back to keep from looking overly interested.


    ¡°I plan to feed false information regarding¨C¡±


    A knock at the door grabbed the duke¡¯s attention.


    False information regarding what? Regarding what!?


    I clenched my fists under the table to keep myself from throwing them in the air in frustration. First Lawrence, now whoever this was. Why did people here always have such poor timing?


    At the duke¡¯s beckon, a young man stepped through the doors. He wore a patterned, rust-colored overcoat, made from fine fabric, and the gold hilt of a sword glinted at his side.


    ¡°Your grace,¡± he said, stepping toward the duke with a bow. With his turned away from me, the only distinguishable feature was his cropped hair; the same shade of brown as Ryia¡¯s.


    ¡°Ryelin,¡± the duke said, getting up to greet Ryelin, ¡°how was your travel?¡±


    ¡°A slight weather delay,¡± he said, nodding a brief acknowledgment in my direction, ¡°I apologize if my late arrival interrupted your meeting.¡±


    Unlawfully taken from Royal Road, this story should be reported if seen on Amazon.


    ¡°Not at all,¡± the duke said with a hearty laugh.


    Lies I grumbled under my breath. His arrival had interrupted arguably the most important part of our conversation, at least in my opinion. I grumbled in my head, not sure how I¡¯d get the duke to elaborate on his plans any further.


    With his hands behind his back, Ryelin fully turned his attention toward me. He gave me a slow once over, a look that I reciprocated, though with much less interest. Seeing him now, it was clear that his resemblance to Ryia didn¡¯t stop at the hair. Everything from their slim noses to the curve of their lips was strikingly similar. The only noticeable difference was their eyes; while hers were a warm honey that radiated light, his were onyx black that seemed to absorb it instead.


    Seeing Ryelin¡¯s interest, the duke formally introduced me. ¡°This is Lady June Everette. She is your cousin¡¯s lady-in-waiting. I don¡¯t believe you¡¯ve formally met.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t believe we have,¡± he echoed the duke with a nod, ¡°it¡¯s a pleasure.¡±


    ¡°The same to you,¡± I said, smiling to hide any trace of annoyance in my voice. Was this introduction absolutely necessary right now?


    The duke¡¯s eyes slid between us again, and what I assumed was his version of a smile passed over his face. ¡°She, along with Ryia, will be joining us at the conference.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m glad to hear that,¡± he turned his head towards the duke with an appreciative nod, ¡°it seems you were in the middle of an important conversation, so I will take me leave-¨C¡±


    ¡°We were just about to finish our conversation anyways.¡± No, we very much weren¡¯t about to finish it! ¡°So, why don¡¯t you walk her back to her room? Get better acquainted before the trip.¡±


    As the resident matchmaker, I felt qualified to say that the duke needed to up his game; subtlety wasn¡¯t his strong suit. I blinked away my frustration and nodded politely. It would be easier to go along with it than to try and argue my way back into a conversation with Ryia¡¯s father.


    ?


    I reused the phrase That¡¯s amazing about twenty times on the walk back; my lips pressed thinner and thinner with each repetition. My pleasantness was only an overcompensation for my irritation; what kind of bad karma did I have for such an important conversation to be replaced by this? By the time we stood in front of the door to Ryia and I¡¯s adjoining rooms, he¡¯d boasted about himself in almost every way possible.


    ¡°I look forward to spending more time with you during the trip,¡± he said as he leaned his arm against the doorframe, looking down at me with drowsy eyes.


    ¡°Well, goodnight,¡± I said abruptly, dodging under his arm and slamming the door as I fled into the sitting room. I leaned against the door and slid down it, groaning in exhaustion. If the summer heat hadn¡¯t tired me out enough, entertaining Ryelin¡¯s interest had.


    ¡°Was Ryelin bothering you?¡± Ryia frowned, popping her head up over the back of the couch and startling me. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I¡¯m sure that Oliver will chase him off as soon as we get there; you just need to survive the carriage ride over.¡±


    ¡°And what is that supposed to mean?¡± I asked, my eyes narrowing as they shot daggers at her. I had a feeling I¡¯d be saying it¡¯s not like that till I was blue in the face.


    ¡°Nothing, nothing,¡± she said, smiling as she shook her head. I¡¯d always pictured her as an innocent sweetheart, but I didn¡¯t mind this more playful side of her. She had a characteristic charm in her smile that meant I could never get annoyed with her, no matter how much she pestered or teased me.


    I rolled my eyes as I walked over to the couch, plopping down quickly enough that the cushion shifted, knocking her off balance.


    ?


    By the time we¡¯d finally reached the mansion, I was so relieved to finally be out of that damned carriage that I could¡¯ve kissed the solid ground. It had been the longest five days of my life; I was ready to curse out whoever decided that the northernmost mansion possible was the best place to hold this conference. Between Ryia¡¯s bored humming, Ryelin¡¯s conversations that felt like pulling teeth, my motion sickness, and the fact that the only stops were for the bathroom or food, the bumpy ride over was the closest I¡¯d ever gotten to being tortured.


    The muggy weather hit me like a brick wall as I stumbled out of the carriage. If the ride hadn¡¯t frizzed up my wavy hair, this humidity would have. I dredged down the gravel path that lead to the building we¡¯d be staying in for the next week.


    It was a far cry from the ornate mansions I¡¯d seen in the capital city, more of a rustic manor whose dark stone walls crawled with ivy and moss. Nestled deep within the northern forests, only a small yew bush maze separated the mansion from the boundless, towering spruce trees and the ferns that poked out from their needled beds.


    Its rustic charm was only enhanced as we stepped into the dining hall. Candles sat in iron sconces, nestled in the spaces between the dark green banners that covered most of the exposed stone walls. Long, dark wood tables stretched from wall to wall, looking bare without any table clothes or flower arrangements. The clang of metal utensils and cups slowed to a halt as Ryia and I followed behind her father. Apparently, it wasn¡¯t uncommon for her appearance to silence a room.


    In the sea of onlookers, there was only one person whose attention I wanted to catch. When our eyes met across the dining hall, and his dropped jaw bloomed in a proud grin, I couldn¡¯t contain the smug expression I¡¯d been holding back.


    Find me after dinner I mouthed to him. He nodded in agreement before turning back and talking with the men around him. My eyes stayed on him for a moment longer; even from a distance, I could see that more than just candlelight glowed in his eyes. He was genuinely excited to see me, in a way not many had ever been, and I was admittedly excited to see him too. I¡¯d never know how we¡¯d managed to become close friends so quickly, but I had no complaints.


    We found our seats at the end of the table, right next to the emperor and crown prince. I shouldn¡¯t have been surprised that the seats saved for us were right next to Sawyer; I was at least at a bit of a diagonal, but poor Ryia was seated directly across from him. The only saving grace for the whole thing was that Sawyer had put on enough of a show at the Solstice Ball that few whispers and side eyes were exchanged as we sat down. That, or they had gotten all their gawking out of their systems when we first arrived.


    ?


    After a quick wash and change of clothes, I wandered the darkened halls until I found a small library to settle down in. The doors creaked enough when I opened them that I knew it had been ages since anyone set foot in here; it was the perfect secluded spot to sit and talk without fear of being interrupted or overheard.


    I stepped in and scanned the barely lit room. Floor-to-ceiling bookshelves lined three of the walls, and the fourth had a large, lit fireplace underneath a stone mantle and an oiling-painted landscape. Across from the fireplace was a large red couch adorned with gold throw pillows and a matching chair; with just a glance, I could tell that both would swallow me whole the second I sat in them.


    I scoured the bookshelves until I found something mildly interesting, some drama novel, and melted into the velvet couch. The fire illuminated the pages just enough to read as I waited. While we hadn¡¯t picked a meeting spot, I doubted it would take Oliver long to find me. That was if he managed to pull away from the lively conversation he¡¯d been a part of when I left the dining room.


    The doors creaked open, announcing a new visitor, and I looked up from my book with a presumptuous smile.


    ¡°I thought I¡¯d find you here.¡±

 Chapter Fourteen

    ¡°Hello, Lord Ryelin,¡± I said flatly, not exactly trying hard to hide my disappointment. I¡¯d hoped the conference would keep him busy enough to drop whatever interest he had in me, but as he strode into the reading room, I knew I wouldn¡¯t be that lucky.


    I watched as he eyed the empty spot next to me, and I immediately made a show of placing the book right where his eyes had landed. It probably wasn¡¯t the most discrete move, but he took the hint with grace and sat in the chair across from me.


    ¡°Please, you don¡¯t need to be so formal with me, June,¡± he drawled my name, getting a little too comfortable in the chair.


    ¡°My apologies. I am not accustomed to addressing you in such a way. I will try to adjust to it as quickly as possible,¡± I said, taking a page out of Ryia¡¯s book. I figured her response was more curated than anything I¡¯d come up with. She¡¯d perfected her language years ago, while I¡¯d barely begun picking up on the proper etiquette. If I wanted to get this man off my back, I¡¯d need to be as formal and impersonal as possible.


    ¡°No worries there. I just hope you get accustomed to it soon.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll try my best,¡± I said, following with a forced laugh that quickly died off into uncomfortable silence. I quietly toyed with my dress, in no hurry to start any conversation. I should¡¯ve been more dismissive of him the night we met; the fleeting entertainment was becoming less and less worth it.


    ¡°So, what have you been up to?¡±


    I looked at the book next to me, then back at him. ¡°Just Reading.¡± I figured that if possums could play dead to get rid of predators, I could act dry and get rid of him the same way. I just needed him to leave before¨C


    ¡°Oh, what book?¡±


    My head instinctively turned towards the sound of his voice. Oliver was leaning against the door frame, arms crossed in front of his chest. He¡¯d changed into a loose, cream linen shirt and his hair was especially messy. I¡¯d never seen him dressed so casually before, but then again, I hadn¡¯t seen him that many times. This couldn¡¯t have been more than the fifth, maybe sixth, time we¡¯d met. And yet, here I was, smiling at him as if I¡¯d known him for ages as soon as I saw him again.


    ¡°Something drama novel, I think¡­¡±


    ¡°I think I¡¯ve read that one. So good, really loved the whole dramatic part,¡± he said, pushing off the door frame. He and Ryelin looked at each other, and to my bewilderment, they greeted each other with a nod.


    ¡°Are you going to show up tomorrow morning?¡± Oliver asked Ryelin as he crossed the room. When had, no, how had the two of them met, let alone become friendly? I couldn¡¯t complain; at least now there was someone else to occupy Ryelin¡¯s attention.


    ¡°If the crown prince is showing up, then I need to be there myself,¡± Ryelin responded enthusiastically, ¡°I¡¯ve been waiting to see if he is as talented as everyone says or if his cousin finally has him beat,¡± Ryelin leaned forward, his dark eyes drifting back to me, ¡°I do hope you¡¯re coming to watch. Your presence would be some great motivation for me. I couldn¡¯t possibly lose with a girl like you there.¡±


    Oliver¡¯s demeanor immediately shifted as I chuckled uncomfortably, ignoring the later part of Ryelin¡¯s answer. Oliver quickly moved behind the couch, rested his arms on its back, and leaned in next to me. I bit my cheek, swearing to myself that Ryia would never know that she was right. If I ever let it slip that Oliver was acting like this, I¡¯d never hear the end of it.


    ¡°I¡¯m glad to hear it,¡± Oliver said. His words had been friendly, but there was a bite in his voice directed at Ryelin¡¯s advances. Ryelin¡¯s eyes passed through me, which I assumed meant that he and Oliver were engaged in a very intense stare-off. I turned my head up and waited patiently until Oliver finally broke off their eye contact and looked down at me.


    His gaze softened, and he gave me a small smile as his golden waves brushed against his forehead. His eyes looked so bright in the glow of the fire light.


    ¡°Hello,¡± he said, his softer voice a much-needed comfort after the past few days I¡¯d had.


    ¡°Hello,¡± I replied, though I tilted my head and lowered my brows, my eyes asking seriously? He shrugged but still pushed off the back of the couch, relaxing a bit.


    Ryelin¡¯s eyes narrowed and slid between us. He shifted in his seat, and realization briefly flickered across his face as he leaned forward.


    ¡°So, you two know each other?¡± he asked sharply.


    ¡°We¡¯re¡­ acquaintances,¡± I said, stating it delicately. As much as I liked seeing Ryelin squirm, I didn¡¯t need the weird tension between those two to grow any thicker.


    Oliver didn¡¯t share my sentiment. ¡°We¡¯re acquaintances that have a lot to catch up on,¡± he corrected me, reverting to its earlier taunting.


    Ryelin picked up on the not-so-subtle dismissal and scowled. But, he was nothing if not persistent.  ¡°I hadn¡¯t realized you knew so many people, June.¡± Even though he¡¯d addressed me, his eyes were glued on Oliver. ¡°How close are you two?¡±


    Oliver took Ryelin¡¯s stare as a personal challenge. He stepped out from behind the couch and walked to where my book sat. He looked toward me, then the book I had intentionally placed at my side, and grinned. In a swift motion, he tossed the book aside and took its spot next to me. He stretched his long arms across the back of the couch, resting one right behind my head.


    ¡°I¡¯d say we¡¯re pretty close,¡± he said, drumming his fingers on the couch¡¯s back, emphasizing where they were. I didn¡¯t need to look at him to know precisely what smirk he had. Ryelin¡¯s disgusted expression told me all I needed to know.


    Reading on Amazon or a pirate site? This novel is from Royal Road. Support the author by reading it there.


    I couldn¡¯t tell if he was angry at Oliver for being so flippant or if he was angry that he hadn¡¯t thought to do the same. Regardless of which it was, his white-knuckled grip on the chair¡¯s arms made it clear that he was angry at something. He pushed himself to his feet, and for once, he gave me a forced smile.


    ¡°Since it looks like you have some talking to do, I¡¯ll be heading off now,¡± he looked to Oliver with a gleam of determination, ¡°I assume we¡¯ll be meeting again on the training grounds tomorrow?¡± He¡¯d made it clear that his leaving didn¡¯t mean he was backing down, which was exactly what I wanted to hear this late at night.


    ¡°I¡¯m looking forward to our match,¡± Oliver replied curtly. I blinked, completely disoriented, and tried to figure out what they were referring to. Nothing good, nor safe, came to mind.


    ¡°Goodnight, June.¡± Ryelin¡¯s farewell pulled back my attention, and I managed a ¡°goodnight¡± in return. With a bow, he excused himself and stalked out of the room. He managed not to slam the door on the way out, which was better than I expected after the display between those two.


    As soon as Ryelin was out of earshot, Oliver leaned further into the couch and crossed his arms. ¡°I don¡¯t like how he says your name,¡± he said, ignoring my gaping expression.


    ¡°What was that about??¡± I asked, growing more concerned by how calm he was. There was no possible scenario that included matches and the training grounds that would have a positive outcome¡ªespecially considering that Oliver most likely had zero skill when it came to fighting.


    He finally acknowledged my expression and responded with a grin. His eyes narrowed, glowing with mischief as he spoke.


    ¡°Turns out the appearance of some unexpected attendees was enough to spur the other guys into a bit of a frenzy. There will be a competition, a tournament of sorts, tomorrow at the training grounds. Something about showing off for you two.¡±


    My brow creased; there was no way this could end well.


    ¡°And whose bright idea was this?¡± I asked; a sneaking suspicion told me that it wasn¡¯t some spontaneous plan the men had come up with. He¡¯d played a hand in starting it and was a little too proud that.


    ¡°Not sure what his name is, but he¡¯s tall with freckles and pretty eyes. Devastatingly handsome; you¡¯d know him if you saw him,¡± he said. I rolled my eyes, not caring to conceal my chuckle.


    ¡°So, any clue why that devastatingly handsome man decided to create this fun little competition?¡±


    ¡°He said he wants to keep his reasoning as a surprise, but that you¡¯ll need to be there around 7 a.m.¡±


    I whined and tilted my head against his arm. One of the lovely perks of being Ryia¡¯s lady-in-waiting was that I needed to be ready for the day well before she was awake. A 7 a.m. start meant I¡¯d need to be up by 5 a.m. There was no way I¡¯d survive interacting with Sawyer on that little sleep. Even Ryelin would be a headache that early in the morning.


    Ryelin, right.


    ¡°Please tell me you aren¡¯t serious about fighting Ryelin tomorrow,¡± I groaned, twisting to face him. I knew it was a stupid question as soon as I asked it.


    ¡°Of course I am,¡± he said, serious enough that it made me nervous, ¡°he¡¯s been bothering you, hasn¡¯t he?¡±


    ¡°Whether he¡¯s bothering me or not,¡± I said, ¡°is of no concern to you. I mean this in the nicest way possible, but if you¡¯re fighting him with a sword, do you really think you could win?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡± He responded with such little hesitation that I wasn¡¯t sure if he was joking. ¡°Why? Are you doubting me and my amazing abilities?¡±


    ¡°A little bit.¡± I shifted back, my eyebrows lowering as I unsuccessfully scanned his expression for any hint of sarcasm. ¡°You genuinely think you could take him on, don¡¯t you?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve been training a lot,¡± he said, dead serious. ¡°Lawrence noticed that my sword skills had randomly dropped to zero and decided to train me until I was proficient again. Of course, only after he mocked me mercilessly. I¡¯ve got the tan lines and scars to prove it.¡± He held his hand out, revealing a dozen blisters and calluses.


    ¡°How do you even use your hands?¡± I instinctively grabbed his hand, looking over each cut and callous. ¡°You need to bandage those or something.¡± I went to stand up, but his fingers wrapped around my wrist, and he pulled me back down to the couch.


    ¡°It¡¯s fine. Besides, I¡¯ve got a bunch of scars that are ten times worse,¡± he added, casually rolling up his sleeve and pointing to a long, deep scar that stretched across his arm.


    ¡°Those must have been so painful,¡± I muttered, noticing all the cuts and scars scattering his skin.


    ¡°Wouldn¡¯t know. They came preloaded with my character.¡±


    I snorted, caught completely off guard. I covered my mouth in embarrassment and looked over to see him grinning like an idiot.


    ¡°You know, this better be a fantastic plan,¡± I said, trying to recover from the embarrassment.


    ¡°I think you¡¯ll be pleasantly surprised once it¡¯s all said and done.¡±


    ¡°Considering how early I need to get up, you better hope I am.¡±


    ?


    ¡°You¡¯re awfully worried,¡± Ryia said, grabbing my arm and yanking me to her side so I would stop pacing. It was 7 a.m., and I had just watched Oliver point to Ryelin and then the center of the training ground. I had every right to be worried.


    ¡°I just don¡¯t want to watch a murder being committed,¡± I grumbled, tapping my foot now that she had me otherwise immobilized. It was hard to talk over the shouts of men and screeches of steel scraping against steel. I looked around the training ring. Though a few men were either too exhausted or too engrossed in their preparations to notice us, most had taken a break to watch Ryia and me. I had done my best to ignore the ones that had whistled at us as soon as we walked in, but all the stares made my skin crawl. Was this how Ryia constantly felt?


    ¡°I didn¡¯t think you¡¯d be so concerned about my dear cousin,¡± Ryia said, unaffected by all the eyes on us. I whipped my head towards her. One look at my appalled expression had her giggling. ¡°What, is that not who you¡¯re worried about? From everything he¡¯s said, it sounds like you two were hitting it off. I think he has a ring picked out already.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯ve got to be kidding me,¡± I groaned, my head drooping. When had he gotten a chance to talk to her? Even more so, when had he gotten the idea that our conversation (if it was even long enough to be called that) had gone well?


    ¡°I think mentioned picking out a wedding venue too.¡±


    ¡°Was he being serious?¡±


    ¡°I wish I could confidently say he wasn¡¯t. So,¡± she quickly nodded to the center of the ring, ¡°I guess you¡¯ll just have to hope that Oliver will be enough to scare him away.¡±


    I doubted that, considering he¡¯d made time to talk to Ryia about me. Even after Oliver had all but shooed him away last night, he hadn¡¯t given up.


    ¡°And stop looking at him like it¡¯s the last time you¡¯ll see him in one piece. It¡¯s going to hurt his feelings.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not looking at Ryelin like that.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not talking about Ryelin,¡± she said, still smiling, ¡°at this point, poor Oliver must think you¡¯ve abandoned all hope for him.¡±


    ¡°I doubt it. He¡¯s not even looking up here,¡± I retorted, gesturing towards him, ¡°see¨C¡±


    Sure enough, Oliver was looking dead at me. He pouted as he saw my anxious expression, and I started to feel slightly guilty for doubting him. I mean, realistically, how bad could it be? It¡¯s not like Ryelin would kill him or anything. Then, the expression Ryelin made as Oliver tossed aside the book flashed in my head.


    Okay, maybe he would kill him.


    As if reading my mind, Oliver mouthed trust me, I¡¯ll be fine, before turning to take up a defensive stance.


    <hr>


    Sorry y''all, I''ve finally accepted that I''m a really slow writer at this point. I promise that I am not going to be dropping the story, I can just get months long writers block. Still, I hope you enjoyed the chapter and thank you for reading!

 Chapter Fifteen

    Oliver turned back around, trying to get June¡¯s concerned look out of his mind. He couldn¡¯t blame her; he knew he¡¯d have been terrified if the roles were reversed. Still, a little vote of confidence from her would¡¯ve been nice.


    ¡°Get into position,¡± Lawrence shouted from the sidelines, his excitement evident. Oliver quickly glanced over to Lawrence, hoping to get a bit of reassurance from his supposed best friend. All he got was a grin that told him Lawrence was there solely for the entertainment of watching Oliver get his ass kicked. Perfect.


    Oliver scowled as he took up a defensive stance, now ten times more motivated to win than before. He took a deep breath and focused in on Ryelin. With a wide, grounded stance, it appeared as if Ryelin was going to start on the defensive, too. But the slight upward angle of his sword had Oliver shifting his weight to the front of his feet, ready to dodge the opening swing that Ryelin was trying so hard to hide.


    Lawrence called for the match to start, and just as Oliver had expected, Ryelin made a sharp change to his stance, followed by a swift, upward slice. Much to Ryelin¡¯s surprise¡ªand annoyance¡ªOliver managed not only to dodge the swing but counter it, too.


    ¡°I¡¯ll take it that you¡¯re not used to people catching that move of yours?¡± Oliver taunted as he reset his stance.


    ¡°You might just be the first,¡± Ryelin responded with a tinge of frustration.


    ¡°You must be practicing with the blind, then. The angle of your sword makes it so obvious.¡±


    Irritated, Ryelin gritted his teeth and made a rash move that Oliver once again blocked.  Ryelin''s futile attacks continued on for a minute, then two, then ten, each one being parried by Oliver. Muscles ached, and feet dragged as the match passed the ten-minute mark, Ryelin visibly more exhausted than his opponent. Trying to wrap things up before he ran out of energy, Ryelin¡¯s offense had grown sloppy and brazen. His fatigue and desperation were evident, and Oliver prepared to take full advantage of that. As Ryelin took his next swing, Oliver dodged but made a misstep. His footing slipped, and he was knocked to one knee. Ryelin saw what he thought to be a perfect opening and confidently smiled.


    Though Oliver was out of breath, he played up his exhaustion by feigning being unable to get up. He made sure that Ryelin watched as he pretended to struggle, even raising his head. Down on one knee, he looked up frantically as Ryelin walked forward. With a nonchalant stride and lazy grin, Ryelin was sure he¡¯d come out victorious and was savoring his assumed glory. There wasn¡¯t an ounce of doubt in his expression as he dug his heel into Oliver¡¯s sword, shifting his weight to press it into the dirt. And that casual act of boasting was his biggest mistake.


    Ryelin went to raise his sword to declare his win but froze when he saw Oliver¡¯s smirk. Before Ryelin even had a chance to question the expression, Oliver ripped the sword from beneath his foot and knocked him off balance. In one swift motion, Oliver jumped up and swept Ryelin¡¯s feet out from under him.


    As the dust settled, the final winner became clear. Ryelin was on his back, with the point of Oliver¡¯s sword pointed directly at his chest while his own was far from reach.


    ¡°You were never scared, were you?¡± Ryelin asked.


    ¡°Not for a second,¡± Oliver said, reaching his hand out to help Ryelin up. With a defeated shake of his head, Ryelin took Oliver¡¯s hand and got to his feet.  Ryelin stalked back to his friends, more than just his pride bruised, while Oliver walked over to gloat at Lawrence.


    ¡°You survived,¡± Lawrence said with a laugh as he clasped Oliver¡¯s hand in congratulations. ¡°That was a pretty sly stunt you pulled there.¡±


    ¡°I couldn¡¯t have done it without your¡­ resounding support.¡±


    ¡°So glad I could help,¡± Lawrence said, grabbing his own sword from where it rested against the wall. ¡°I¡¯m expecting you to cheer for me.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll cheer for you as long as you don¡¯t look cooler than I did when I won!¡± Oliver shouted as Lawrence walked toward the center of the ring.


    Lawrence looked over his shoulder. ¡°You say that like it¡¯ll be hard!¡±


    ?


    I watched with amusement as Oliver and Lawrence bickered. They were too far away for me to hear them, but Oliver¡¯s face had dropped into a scowl quickly enough for me to know that Lawrence¡¯s nerves hadn¡¯t stopped him from getting the better of his best friend. Even after taking up a position on the outside of the center ring, Oliver kept his eyes on Lawrence and Sawyer.


    ¡°You¡¯re staring,¡± Ryia said, leaning her arms against the railing next to me. ¡°Are you really that sad that he hasn¡¯t given you any attention yet?¡±


    ¡°Nope,¡± I said, immediately stepping back, ¡°not listening to you.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯ve been doing that a lot recently.¡±


    ¡°Shouldn¡¯t you be getting pretty nervous right now?¡± I snapped, shifting the attention onto her. ¡°You seem a little too calm for someone whose cr¨C¡±


    ¡°Point taken,¡± she cut me off, then lowered her voice, ¡°and of course, I¡¯m nervous. Some of us are just capable of controlling our expressions.¡±


    ¡°I thought you said that we just needed to have faith?¡± I asked.


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    ¡°I said you just needed to have faith. You were stressing for no reason. I, on the other hand, have a perfect reason to be worried.¡±


    ¡°And what reason would that be?¡±


    ¡°If you¡¯d spent as much time paying your attention to your surroundings as you spent staring, you¡¯d have heard that someone is apparently off their game today?¡±


    ¡°Really?¡± I asked with a raised brow.


    ¡°Apparently, he hasn¡¯t won a single one of his matches today. Some of the guys were talking about it as we walked in.¡±


    How was that even possible? Lawrence had always been praised for his combat skills. Sawyer was the only one who could even be considered on his level.


    ¡°Wait, how could he have lost already, I thought this just started?¡± I asked, growing more confused by the second.


    ¡°It started over an hour ago. I was curious as to why Oliver wanted us to come later, but I¡¯m not complaining. I¡¯m almost glad that I wasn¡¯t here to see him lose.¡±


    No way, I thought as I looked down at the two men preparing themselves in the center of the arena. From the dirt and cuts on his clothes, Lawrence looked like he¡¯d been battered around, but his expression wasn¡¯t that of someone who¡¯d been on a losing streak. He looked calm, almost confident, and he stood strong in front of Sawyer. Despite having apparently lost multiple times, he didn¡¯t show any signs of tiredness, but the same couldn¡¯t be said for Sawyer.


    While he was confident, and his attire was still pristine with not a single speck of dust on him, his exhaustion was evident. He¡¯d won every match he¡¯d been in so far, but it had drained him to do so. His face was splotchy, and his breathing heavy; he had even wrapped his wrist for support. There was a stark difference in their conditions, and in a match where their skill levels were equal, something like that could easily tip the scales. Had they both been in prime condition, it would be impossible to guess who would win. But Sawyer had drained himself long before we¡¯d gotten there, and as it was now, he stood no chance against his cousin.


    I looked at Oliver, even more impressed now than I had been after he¡¯d beaten Ryelin. He, too, was oddly calm as he watched, like he already knew the outcome. Sensing my eyes on him, Oliver looked over his shoulder with a smug grin.


    ¡°I don¡¯t think you have anything to be worried about either, Ryia,¡± I said, leaning against the railing, excited for the show.


    ?


    It took everything Sawyer had in him to hold his stance and fight against the pain of his aching muscles. But he couldn¡¯t let anyone see that. He had to look as if he thought his victory was ensured.


    ¡°I¡¯m excited to face you, cousin. But try not to embarrass our bloodline too much with your loss,¡± Sawyer sneered through gritted teeth. At this point, his only option was to try and intimidate Lawrence to the point where he¡¯d make a clumsy mistake.


    ¡°I¡¯ll do my best not to,¡± Lawrence responded without fear. Oliver had been right when he told him to save his energy for the last round. He could see just how tired Sawyer was and had little doubt that he¡¯d easily overpower him. Everything had worked out perfectly.


    ¡°You sound a little too confident for someone who has been losing all morning,¡± Sawyer said, still trying to rattle him. But all Lawrence did was snicker as he took up an offensive stance, not even trying to hide where he intended to make his first move.


    From the first strike, it was clear that Lawrence would come out victorious. Sawyer was barely able to hold his sword up, let alone attack with any proficiency. All he could do was attempt to block the clean offensive strikes that Lawrence easily landed. Within minutes, Sawyer¡¯s frustration has turned into desperation. Despite pushing himself to his absolute limit, he knew that his defeat was imminent. He only had a minute or so left to make a move before his body would give out. He stepped back, putting enough space between Lawrence and him to collect himself. Then, in a last-ditch attempt at victory, Sawyer made a mad lunge forward and brought his sword straight down towards Lawrence.


    But Lawrence blocked it easily, not even fazed in the slightest. Sawyer put all his might into trying to overpower Lawrence, but his strength wavered just long enough for Lawrence to knock him back and off balance. Sawyer¡¯s sword was knocked onto his hand, and his legs finally gave out.


    Sawyer fell to the ground, and Lawrence immediately brought the tip of his sword toward to his cousin¡¯s chest.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry for not being as much of an embarrassment as you¡¯d hoped,¡± Lawrence said as he lowered his sword and walked away, leaving Sawyer behind in the center of the ring.


    ?


    Both Ryia and I stood frozen, shocked at how effortlessly Lawrence had defeated Sawyer. Even Ryia had a hard time hiding just how impressed she was by Lawrence¡¯s display. I rocked on the balls of my feet, brimming with excitement and pride as Lawrence met up with Oliver. Oliver¡¯s plan had worked perfectly, and I couldn¡¯t wait to go talk to him about it.


    ¡°Can I?¡± I asked Ryia as I tilted my head toward where Oliver was now congratulating Lawrence.


    She laughed and nodded. ¡°Go ahead. I¡¯m going to stay up here for now, but congratulate Lawrence for me.¡± With her approval, I hurried down the stairs to where Oliver and Lawrence were standing.


    ¡°You planned that whole thing out, didn¡¯t you?¡± I asked Oliver as soon as he was in ear shot. Both Oliver and Lawrence turn to me, their backs to Sawyer.


    ¡°I told you I had something special planned,¡± Oliver beamed. I couldn¡¯t help but smile at just how proud he was that his plan had worked out.


    ¡°I almost didn¡¯t believe him at first,¡± Lawrence added, clapping Oliver on the back with a smile, ¡°but he managed to convince me to listen to him, and I¡¯m glad he did.¡±


    ¡°You act like I¡¯ve never had a smart idea before,¡± Oliver griped, though his proud smile didn¡¯t waver. ¡°You need to have a little more faith in me,¡± he pointed at me, ¡°both of you do.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know what you¡¯re talking about. I didn¡¯t doubt you for a second,¡± I said.


    ¡°Don¡¯t even try to pretend like you weren¡¯t expecting me to lose,¡± Oliver responded, though there wasn¡¯t a trace of anger in his voice. He was too smug over how impressed I was to be annoyed.


    ¡°Also,¡± I started, turning to Lawrence, ¡°Ryia wanted me to congratulate you.¡±


    ¡°Really?¡± Lawrence asked, his eyes bright. His face flushed, and he ducked his head out of embarrassment just enough for me to see what was happening behind him. My stomach twisted immediately as I saw Sawyer picking up his sword and staring right at the three of us.


    My eyes met his, and with Oliver and Lawrence¡¯s backs to him, I was the only one of us who could see him make a mad dash toward Lawrence with his sword in hand. Without thinking it through, I grabbed Lawrence¡¯s sword from his hand and sidestepped around Lawrence. I threw his sword up defensively, bracing its end with my other hand, just in time to stop Sawyer as he brought his sword down toward Lawrence. The clash of steel against steel was loud enough to silence everyone around us.


    With the adrenaline rushing through me, I could barely feel it as Sawyer shifted the pressure of his sword so that mine twisted in my hand. Steel sliced through the skin of my palm, and as blood began to pour from my hand, I looked up at Sawyer and smiled.

 Chapter Sixteen

    At one moment, I was brushed behind Lawrence and the next, I was pulled up against Oliver. His arms wrapped around me protectively as he turned me away from Sawyer. I clenched my fist, trying not to get blood on his shirt, but it was too late for that. I looked up to apologize, but his eyes were elsewhere. He was looking over his shoulder, his jaw tense. I leaned to the side just enough to see what was going on.


    Sawyer was resting on the ground, propping himself on his elbows. His sword was nowhere to be seen, but Lawrence¡¯s was pointed directly at his throat. Sawyer spit out dirt and glared up at Lawrence.


    ¡°Well, isn¡¯t this a familiar site,¡± he sneered, wiping his mouth. His eyes darted to me, and he began to stand up. I stiffened, and though he still hadn¡¯t looked at me, Oliver¡¯s arms instinctively held me tighter.


    Lawrence twisted his sword in his hand, the point still trained on Sawyer as he dragged himself to his feet.


    ¡°Relax, cousin, I¡¯ve been unarmed,¡± Sawyer said, raising his hands in defeat. Lawrence didn¡¯t move, and his expression only hardened. Their eyes met, and Sawyer snorted at the man who dared to stand up to him. Sawyer turned his head to scan the crowd. He seemed to expect the crowd to look at Lawrence with the same disbelief. But he froze as he realized that everyone¡¯s cold eyes were instead glued onto him.


    His face reddened, and breathing quickened as he frantically looked through the crowd. He was the crown prince, the future emperor, and was used to having all eyes on him, but never like this. A few were brave enough to display their disgust, but most looked at him with pure, unadulterated fear. Fear of what he had done, fear of what he would do again, fear of what it would be like to have him as a leader. And they had every reason to be afraid.


    ¡°No one will speak of this,¡± he said, his voice deathly calm, ¡°do you understand?¡±


    No one spoke; no one even nodded their head.


    ¡°I said DO YOU UNDERSTAND?!¡± he screamed, his now shaky voice reverberating off the walls. There was a strained collective murmur of yes from the crowd. It quickly fell into a silence that was only broken by racing footsteps and a door slamming open. Ryia ran to my side and immediately twisted me out of Oliver¡¯s hold. He started to say something, but her glare shut his mouth immediately.


    ¡°Give me your hand,¡± she demanded with a tone I¡¯d rarely heard from her. I held it out, too intimidated to refute. She uncurled my fingers and gritted her teeth as blood began to seep from the cut again. After looking it over, she let go, only to unravel the gauze in her other hand. So that¡¯s where she went. She haphazardly wrapped it up, knotting it a little too tightly. It was messy but enough to stop the bleeding momentarily. As soon as she tied it up, her eyes shot up towards Sawyer.


    ¡°You!-¡± Her voice cracked, devoid of the warmth and grace it usually imbued with. Widening eyes focused on her, but she paid no notice as her body shook angrily.


    ¡°What is wrong with¨C¡±


    I gripped her hand hard enough to stop her. For a second, her glare turned to me. Her expression dropped as she realized what she had done. She took my other hand without hesitation and led me out of the tense air of the training ground. As the adrenaline left my body, only to be replaced by pain, I was more than thankful for her.


    Ryia''s furious steps rattled down the dimly lit cobblestone hallways as she snaked her way through the maze of tunnels, with mine weakly trailing behind. I had no clue how she knew the way, but she moved with enough confidence that I trusted her. We came upon a rusty, wrought iron door that she didn¡¯t even bother knocking on.


    Ryia opened the door with enough force that the physician, a young woman with curly brown hair and dark eyes, rocked in her chair. The physician took one look at the mess the two of us had become, drenched in sweat and splattered with my blood, and beckoned for us to sit on the bed. She rushed to and fro, gathering all sorts of medical supplies.


    The burn of the anti-septic hurt more than the stitches. I shifted on the bed, grimacing as the physician knotted a dozen sutures. I could feel Ryia¡¯s fury grow with each stitch that was tied, and it didn¡¯t dispel even as the physician finished wrapping my hand with rough cotton. She turned to find a fastening to keep the wrap together and looked back over in time to catch me as I flexed and curled my fingers.


    ¡°No excessive movements,¡± she reprimanded, brushing back the chestnut ringlets that had fallen in her face as she worked. ¡°It will be about ten days before the stitches can come out. Wash and rebandage the wound at least twice a day before that.¡±


    She continued listing care instructions until a knock on the door turned all our heads. I perked up immediately as the physician called for them to enter. A meek assistant scurried in, quickly dropping a stack of papers on the physician¡¯s wooden desk before leaving just as fast as she had come in.


    ¡°There¡¯s a meeting that starts in about five minutes. Otherwise, I¡¯m sure he¡¯d be here,¡± Ryia whispered as she leaned close, her temper finally cooling. ¡°And I¡¯m only slightly offended that my presence isn¡¯t comforting enough.¡±


    I laughed half-heartedly before responding. ¡°I promise that your presence is more than enough. And speaking of those two, I¡¯m surprised that Lawrence didn¡¯t seem too rattled.¡±


    ¡°He was,¡± she lowered her voice, wary even of the physician who had now busied herself with the newly delivered papers. ¡°He¡¯d never outwardly express it, but he was scared. I could see it in his eyes.¡±


    ¡°You really know him well, don¡¯t you?¡±


    ¡°It would be embarrassing if I didn¡¯t, considering how long I¡¯ve known him for.¡±


    ¡°When did you first meet him?¡± I asked, more curious than anything. I thought my questions would raise some sort of suspicion with her, but if they did, she didn¡¯t show it.


    ¡°Before I was old enough to remember. Our mothers were best friends and would bring us whenever they spent time together, so we practically grew up together.¡± She folded her arms on the bed and rested her head on them. ¡°I haven¡¯t been allowed to spend as much time around him now that I¡¯ve gotten older, but it doesn¡¯t mean I know him any less.¡±


    Her honey eyes drifted toward the small, singular window in the room. She was quiet for a moment, lips drawn into a soft smile as she got lost in her thoughts. I thought the conversation was over.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t realize just how much I¡¯d missed his presence until recently,¡± she said, tapping her fingers on the comforter. Her gaze shifted to me, and there was a hint of mischief in her smile. ¡°I¡¯m glad we¡¯ve been able to see each other more often now.¡±


    ?


    ¡°I expected a bigger reaction from you this morning,¡± Lawrence said as the two of them walked the halls toward the meeting room. ¡°I thought you would be furious.¡±


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    ¡°I was,¡± Oliver responded with an irritated laugh. He had been furious earlier, though more so with himself than with Sawyer. Even now, the guilt that June had gotten hurt due to his carelessness gnawed at the back of his mind ¡°But being angry would¡¯ve just scared her more, so I just did the best I could to keep her safe.¡±


    ¡°I was not talking about June. I meant that I expected a bigger reaction over me nearly losing my head thanks to your little scheme.¡± Lawrence adjusted the collar of his dark grey jacket before dragging his thumb across his neck in jest.


    ¡°Blame His Royal Highness for that, not me. Plus, you¡¯re fine; I don¡¯t see what the issue is.¡± Oliver raised his brow in challenge.


    ¡°I could have died!¡±


    ¡°But did you?¡±


    Lawrence went to retort, but Oliver cut him short. ¡°That reminds me, I¡¯ll need your approval to speak during this meeting at one point. I have a small plan, but I¡¯ll need you to trust me enough to grant me permission to speak.¡±


    ¡°Will I nearly lose my head if I do?¡± Lawrence asked, chuckling to himself. Oliver just stared at him blankly.


    ¡°Too soon for that one?¡±


    ¡°Just a bit.¡± Oliver exhaled, more amused than he cared to admit.


    ?


    The crown prince had gone back and forth with Lawrence over the details of the trade deal with the neighboring Alwyn empire for what seemed like hours now. The Eastern Province had been on the verge of a trade deal with the Alwyn empire for months now but had reached a deadlock. The Alwyn empire was on good terms with the Eastern Province due to Alwyn¡¯s Emperor having a close relationship with Lawrence¡¯s father, but the trade deal still required approval from Sawyer¡¯s father to follow through with it, due to the sheer size and cost of the operation.


    ¡°As I¡¯ve already stated, the Eastern Province doesn¡¯t have the infrastructure for such a large endeavor. The investment cost for the Imperial family to support the Eastern Province through this trade deal would be astronomical, I vote to reject the offer,¡± Sawyer pressured his father. ¡°Do you truly believe that Duke Alterio¡¯s leadership is strong enough to manage that type of funding properly?¡± Sawyer looked across the oval to where Lawrence sat beside his father, Duke Alterio.


    Of course, the Eastern Province wouldn¡¯t crumble under the pressure that the trade deal would create, rather, they would thrive off it. While the return on investment for supporting the Eastern Province would be extremely profitable for the Imperial family, it would pale in comparison to the total wealth and power the Eastern Province would gain as a result of it.  Such a gain in wealth that it would end up rivaling the Imperial family¡¯s. And Sawyer knew that. This was his last-ditch attempt to prevent the Alterios from reaching that sort of power, and he planned to pressure them until they gave up.


    ¡°And let us not forget who would then inherit that responsibility as well,¡± he added snidely, giving his cousin a damning glare that many of the other nobles gathered in the assembly hall mirrored. From his spot against the hall¡¯s old wooden walls, Oliver watched as the younger noblemen who, from afar, had scorned Sawyer¡¯s behavior at the morning¡¯s events, suddenly clambered to his side and eagerly supported him as they questioned the Alterio¡¯s capability.


    Oliver concealed his laugh with a cough. Sawyer may have been a horrible human being, but at least he was consistent.


    He had to give it to Sawyer, though; his plan had worked before in the original novel; Lawrence had crumbled under Sawyer¡¯s attacks. His father, Duke Alterio, had been too ashamed of his son to argue, claiming that if his son could not stand up for himself, he did not deserve nor have the leadership skills to inherit the wealth the trade deal would provide. Oliver had hoped that his victory that morning would provide enough confidence to help Lawrence keep his footing through their argument, but Lawrence looked as if he was ready to throw in the towel. Lawrence ran his fingers through his hair, his steel blue eyes wavering as he strained to hold his head high.


    Oliver tapped Lawrence¡¯s shoulder, and Lawrence shifted in his seat, allowing Oliver the space to step up when he was ready. Oliver looked over to Sawyer, going over the words he had spent so long rehearsing one last time before he spoke.


    ¡°Then what will happen this winter when the Centurial Frost inevitably rolls in?¡± Oliver interjected, finally taking his spot on Lawrence¡¯s right. ¡°If you don¡¯t allow the Eastern Province to create the budget clearance they need, then the province¡¯s economy will certainly collapse when their citizens need it the most.¡±


    Sawyer looked on with poorly concealed confusion, and with a grin, Oliver leaned in and laid it out for him.


    ¡°I¡¯m sure you know of it, the Centurial Frost, the utterly devastating winter storm that falls upon the upper half of this empire once every hundred years. It wiped out nearly half the empire the last time it occurred. I mean, you don¡¯t seem like the type who would damn a whole province to a frozen yet preventable death simply because you forgot about such a cataclysmic event when considering the economic future of the Eastern Province.¡± Oliver kept his eyes on Sawyer, hoping that he sounded confident enough to throw Sawyer off.


    ¡°Of course, I did not forget it. I simply believed that the Eastern Province¡¯s economy would not collapse so easily. It¡¯s my mistake for putting such trust in them,¡± Sawyer snapped. ¡°And you should watch your words, though I should know better than to expect any sort of respect from you.¡±


    ¡°We would not collapse so easily,¡± Lawrence interjected, throwing Oliver an unamused glare. ¡°And if I may, I myself do not recall such an event occurring in my land¡¯s history.¡±


    ¡°Of course, you do not,¡± Sawyer antagonized.


    ¡°Of course, you do not,¡± Oliver echoed the crown prince firmly, though with a different sentiment. ¡°Because it did, in fact, not occur. It never has and most likely never will. At least according to all the recorded weather patterns in the last few centuries.¡±


    It was a lie, a solid lie that he¡¯d spent nearly five hours in the library the day before crafting. His goal was to force one of Sawyer¡¯s supporters into a lie and then use that to take away any of their credibility. The fact that Sawyer had been the one to take the bait was a pleasant surprise.


    Most everyone stared on in silence, waiting to see if there was any purpose behind Oliver¡¯s daring display. It was a risk on his part, a rather big one, to make a fool of Sawyer so openly, but the skeptical glances shared between the majority of the participants gave him hope that what he¡¯d done would be worth it.


    ¡°Considering that not only were you not well enough aware of your own land¡¯s history to call out my lie, but you also did not have the good grace to admit the gaps in your knowledge to better help your people, I think it¡¯s safe to assume that you should not be over-ruling and criticizing the Alterios in matters that they are much more knowledgeable in.¡±


    Sawyer¡¯s face grew to an amusing shade of red as whispers of agreement flashed through the assembly like wildfire. This was now what¨C the third time Oliver had managed to illicit such a response from him? Oliver looked toward his left, where both Lawrence and Duke Alterio sat, half expecting to be reprimanded.


    The duke laughed, the sound booming through the hall. ¡°Well, I think that boy makes a good point, though he did so rather crudely.¡± He patted his son on the shoulder, prompting Lawrence to straighten up. ¡°So then, let¡¯s agree to let my son and I determine whether we can handle this agreement or not. I assure you that if you give us permission and the financing, we will not only succeed in this trade deal but prosper and will of course, come to you at the first instance of trouble, if any arises.¡±


    Oliver could feel Sawyer¡¯s eyes burning into him, but that didn¡¯t matter once the emperor agreed to grant the Alterio¡¯s his support, under the stipulation that they gave frequent reports of the deal¡¯s progress. Oliver stepped back as the assembly found another topic to discuss and waited patiently for the meeting to end. In his boredom, Oliver scanned the room for any faces whose description he could recognize. So far, everyone had looked rather indistinguishable. That was until he saw a pair of men who waited by the door, seemingly as anxious to leave as he was. They had matching blue eyes and wavy, pale blond hair that he¡¯d recognize anywhere.


    He kept an eye on them as the meeting ended and went to find them once everyone was released. Panic set in as the pair slipped out of the assembly room. He knew just how stressful it would be for June to run into them, the guilt she¡¯d inevitably feel with facing them.


    Though he didn¡¯t know how he would stop them from talking to June, he knew he had to.


    ¡°How did you do that!¡± Lawrence seemed to pop up out of nowhere as he pulled Oliver to the side. Oliver¡¯s jaw tensed as Lawrence began asking a deluge of questions, holding him hostage till he answered every single one.


    ¡°Lawrence, please, I¨C¡± Oliver¡¯s voice trailed off as he looked over Lawrence¡¯s shoulder, still trying to get past. He fervently searched the crowd, but the two men were already lost to the crowd.

 Chapter Seventeen

    Dinner hadn¡¯t even started, yet I was already ready to leave the table. I¡¯d somehow been sandwiched between Ryelin and Ryia¡¯s father, and Sawyer was right across from me; combined with the incessant itching of my bandages, I was certain the universe had set this up so that it could laugh at me. The only saving grace was that the food was already on the table, so everyone was too busy loading their plates to make small talk, or so I thought.


    ¡°What happened to your hand?¡± Duke Sommers asked as soon as I lifted my hands to grab my utensils.


    ¡°I tripped earlier today and ended up slicing my hand on the edge of a coffee table,¡± I lied, throwing a look toward Sawyer that said See, I can follow your rules.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry to hear that. How are you feeling now?¡±


    ¡°I am fine now, but I was furious when it first happened. I was so angry at the coffee table that I wanted to grab a sword and cut it to pieces. Luckily for the coffee table, I was capable of restraining myself.¡±


    Across the table, Ryia kept her head down and quickly took a sip of her drink to conceal a smile that even she hadn¡¯t been able to control. At her side, Sawyer wore a neutral expression, but his white-knuckle grip on his knife was almost comedic. As dangerous as angering him like this was proving to be, it was also effective. All the whispers I¡¯d heard earlier while waiting outside the dining hall made it clear that he was more than capable of digging his own grave; we just needed to give him the shovel.


    ¡°I¡¯m glad to hear it,¡± Duke Sommers said, eyeing me oddly. ¡°Controlling your temper is¡­ very important.¡±


    ¡°Yes, it¡¯s very important. I don¡¯t want to think of how embarrassed I¡¯d be if I had done something so rash out of anger,¡± I added, drawing out my words.


    Ryelin choked on his laugh as Sawyer¡¯s hand slipped, his knife screeching across his plate. A few heads jerked in the direction of the noise, but Sawyer kept his eyes on his plate. His jaw clenched as he cleared his throat, murmuring an apology for the noise as his face reddened.


    I wish Oliver were here to see this.


    Where even was he? A quick scan of the dining hall told me that neither he nor Lawrence were there. I¡¯d have to find him afterward; I was more than excited to go over the day''s events with him. Until then, I''d be stuck dealing with some much less pleasant company.


    ¡°Yes, that would have been quite embarrassing.¡± The duke¡¯s attention flipped between trying to understand my unnecessary addition and Sawyer¡¯s overreaction, but if he realized the connection, he didn¡¯t show it.


    After a few seconds of awkward silence, golden eyes slid toward me. The embarrassment had drained from Sawyer¡¯s face, replaced by the wily expression I¡¯d seen this morning.


    ¡°June, your cup looks empty. Would you like more wine?¡± Sawyer asked as a smirk slithered across his lips, nodding toward the glass I¡¯d drained earlier after realizing my seating arrangement. I reached out my injured hand to grab the carafe in front of him, but he picked it up and motioned for me to raise my glass. ¡°Here, I can pour it. No need for you to strain your hand even more.¡±


    Not wanting to push him any further, I listened and held my glass up high enough for him to pour into. At first, he poured straight into the cup, but after a few seconds, he jerked the carafe. Red wine spilled onto my hand, staining my bandages and the tablecloth below.


    ¡°I am so sorry.¡± The corner of his lip twitched as he tried to suppress a feral smile. ¡°My hand must have slipped.¡±


    I grimaced as the alcohol seeped through the stitches and into the cut. ¡°It¡¯s alright. Accidents happen.¡± I put my drink down and attempted to wipe my hand, but the napkin did nothing to stop the burning in my palm.


    ¡°You should probably go change the bandages on that. You wouldn¡¯t want them getting infected,¡± Sawyer added in response to my expression.


    My amusement flattened as the pain sunk in. Around me, a silent tension had settled in as everyone waited for my response. I wouldn¡¯t give Sawyer the same satisfaction as he¡¯d given me by snapping, so I bit back my anger, placed my napkin down, and cleared my throat. ¡°I think you¡¯re right, your Highness.¡± Wanting nothing more than to get rid of the sticky, soaked cotton that wrapped my hand, I stepped out of my seat and pushed my chair in. ¡°Please excuse me, and I apologize for any interruptions.¡± There were no objections from the table as I turned to leave.


    Ryia¡¯s chair screeched, rocking as she jumped out of it.¡°Do you need someone to come with you?¡± She looked eager to leave the situation, but a side-eyed stare from Ryia¡¯s father had me immediately rejecting her offer.


    ¡°No, I¡¯ll be alright on my own. Please continue eating,¡± I said, trying to apologize with my eyes. I clutched my injured hand to my chest as I weaved through the maze of tables. The sight of the soiled bandages sparked hushed conversations at every table I passed.


    ?


    ¡°Stupid crown prince,¡± I murmured as the dining room doors shut behind me. The alcohol had thoroughly soaked through the bandages, and the pain that had felt like a small sting at first was now searing. I cursed out Sawyer as I desperately ripped at the cotton gauze, hoping that at least loosening it would bring me some relief.


    ¡°June, is that you?¡± The call of an unfamiliar voice caught me by surprise, and I looked over my shoulder to see two blonde men approaching me.


    ¡°It really is you. What are you doing here?¡± The younger of the two asked, sporting a bright smile as he got closer. Whoever he was, he was overly excited to see me. The other man, the older of the two, was much less so. Standing with hunched shoulders and his hands behind his back, nothing about his posture said, ¡®I want to be a part of this interaction.¡¯


    ¡°Duke Sommers thought it would be a good idea to bring Ryia and me here for the experience,¡± I responded, taking a cautious step towards them as I tried to place them. The younger man seemed to be a carbon copy of who I assumed was his father, minus the deep-set worry lines that plagued his father¡¯s otherwise sharp features. They both had pale blonde hair swept up in soft waves, and light blue eyes, just the same as my own.


    An unsettling chill snaked down my spine.


    ¡°Well, we are glad to see you. We¡¯ve missed you so much at home,¡± the older man said, his voice strained and tense.


    So, this was the man Sawyer had referred to as a drowning count. This was my supposed father. After seeing his mannerisms, it made sense why my character was, well, as boring as she had been. And even though, to his knowledge, I was still his daughter, he still kept himself at a safe distance, like he was afraid that if he got too close or spoke too loudly, I¡¯d bolt.


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    The other, who I assumed was June¡¯s brother, didn¡¯t share the same reservations when it came to interacting with me. ¡°Especially since you¡¯ve stopped writing and all¨C¡±


    ¡°Samuel!¡± The count hissed at Samuel more out of embarrassment than anger.


    Samuel¡¯s blonde waves reflected the candlelight as he turned his head toward his father. ¡°What? Look at her, father. She is obviously uncomfortable and angry with us. Just look at how she¡¯s fidgeting. I figured I might as well address it rather than stand here moping.¡±


    I swiftly released the handful of fabric I hadn¡¯t even realized I was fidgeting with. He wasn¡¯t totally incorrect with that. I was uncomfortable. These were two people who I was related to by blood, yet I had no memories of them. It didn''t sit right with me.


    ¡°Please excuse your brother. He¡¯s tired from the long trip here and hasn¡¯t gotten to rest since we just arrived,¡± my father, no, June¡¯s father, apologized. I had no right to think of him as my father nor Samuel as my brother.


    ¡°What reason would I have to be angry with you?¡± I asked more out of curiosity than anything else. I genuinely couldn¡¯t think of a reason why June would¡¯ve been mad at her family.


    ¡°Well, considering you stopped sending letters after just a few months of working for the Sommers, mother and father assumed you hated them for sending you away,¡± Samuel sassed, cutting straight to the point.


    The count¡¯s face flushed red, and he was even more hesitant to meet my eyes than he had been just seconds before. But his expression wasn¡¯t one of anger; his eyes were wide, looking at me with a soft gaze, his mouth downturned in a loose frown.


    ¡°Is that what you thought?¡± I added a nervous laugh at the end, forcing myself to ignore the guilt that pricked my consciousness. The man in front of me had been living in pain, harboring the assumption that his daughter had grown to hate him. The stress it had put on him was evident in the melancholy that radiated from him. It was my fault, my presence in the world that led to his suffering.


    ¡°Your mother and I were just worried that you thought we sent you away because we didn¡¯t want you around.¡± The count briefly met my eyes, then immediately looked away. ¡°We thought that you¡¯d be better off in another household, but never realized you would feel so abandoned that you¡¯d refuse to write to us.¡±


    I had to try and make it right, try to smother whatever fire I¡¯d set. I couldn¡¯t tell them the real reason behind my sudden lack of communication, but I could at least tell them something to put their minds at ease. Given what I''d taken from them, it was the least I could do.


    ¡°I¡¯ve just been so busy there that I don¡¯t have the time to write as often. I quite enjoy working there, I promise it had nothing to do with being angry.¡± I waved my hands in rebuttal but realized my mistake too soon. Their eyes grew wide, and they both took a hurried step toward me.


    ¡°What happened?¡± The count asked. His light blue eyes, so painfully similar to my own, shone with worry as they looked over the stained bandages wrapping my hand. He reached out for it, for me, but his better judgment stopped him before he touched me.


    ¡°I¡­ I fell and hit my hand on a coffee table.¡± It had been such an unconvincing lie when I told the duke it at dinner and was even more so now that. Even so, their worry for me did not waiver. They had no reason to think that June would lie to them, and no clue that I wasn¡¯t the June they trusted.


    ¡°But the cotton is soaked red. Did it reopen?¡± The count continued to fuss, expressing concern for someone who didn¡¯t deserve it. I tried not to squirm as I talked to them, fighting the urge to escape them, escape from the guilt that was twisting knots in my stomach.


    ¡°I spilled some wine on it. I was just heading out to get a clean bandage, ¡° I stumbled through my words, trying to find a way to end the conversation without causing them further emotional pain that I already had.


    The count¡¯s expression only dropped further as he easily picked up on my not-so-subtle dismissal. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, please forgive me for pestering you with concern like this. I know I no longer have the right to, but I only worry because I love you.¡±


    I love you.


    The words struck me like a punch to the gut. He wore an expression that could only come from a parent who was scared for their child, an expression that wasn¡¯t meant for me. I¡¯d manage to overcome the guilt with Ryia, at least I¡¯d told myself I had, as June had been little more than a worker until I had arrived. But this wasn¡¯t some employee-employer relationship I¡¯d managed to foster into something more. What they felt for me was love, pure, deep love.


    To them, I was someone they¡¯d known and loved for years. I was the daughter they raised, the sister they grew up with. Except I wasn¡¯t that daughter, wasn¡¯t that sister, not anymore. That girl was gone, effectively dead, and they had no clue.


    The world rocked, and it took everything in me to stay standing. I couldn¡¯t hold back the massive guilt that I¡¯d worked so hard to repress with the foolish hopes that it would one day dissipate all on its own. Not anymore.


    Every muscle in me tensed to the point that they shook, my body frozen yet buzzing with panic at the same time. Blood roared in my ears, drowning out everything but the thoughts pounding in my head.


    ¡°I promise, it¡¯s fine,¡± I said, my face forcefully contorted into a smile. The two looked at me, then at each other. Their skepticism was obvious in their wavering expressions, but they didn¡¯t question me. They trusted me and my words because they loved me. At least, they loved who I was supposed to be. They loved June, and I was not her. I was just some stranger who was selfishly stealing their love for someone else, and at that moment, I hated myself for that. But I had no other option.


    My vision flickered in and out of focus, and blurring halos obstructed the very little light I could see.


    ¡°It¡¯s fine,¡± I repeated, but not for their sake.


    It was fine.


    I was¡­fine.


    ?


    That¡¯s what I kept repeating to myself as I staggered through a maze of hallways, desperately trying to ignore the pain beating in my chest. I could barely stand upright, the guilt and panic sitting like lead in my stomach and dragging me to the ground. I¡¯d promised them I wasn¡¯t angry and tried to assure them that everything was okay between us, but I¡¯d watched their expressions dimming with each passing second of silence between us when they¡¯d said their goodbyes with an added ¡°I love you¡± that I couldn¡¯t say back. I¡¯d wanted to, I so desperately wanted to, but when it came time for me to return the sentiment, all I¡¯d been able to manage was a small smile and nod goodnight.


    I leaned up against the wall, trying to calm myself, but it didn¡¯t work. All it did was let my mind focus even more on the thoughts that ricocheted through my mind. Nothing was fine, I was not fine.


    I shouldn¡¯t have to be wearing constricting dressing or decorative jewelry worth a fortune. I shouldn¡¯t have to be antagonizing a prince and appeasing some backward-thinking duke. I shouldn¡¯t have to be taking over the body of another person like some parasite while mourning the life I¡¯d never be able to return to, the people I¡¯d never get to see again.  This whole situation was so twisted; I had no choice but to play along if I wanted to survive, and I hated myself for that.


    I couldn¡¯t speak, couldn¡¯t see, couldn¡¯t breathe.


    I couldn¡¯t even cry.


    Deafening footsteps padded around the corner ahead of me, announcing the arrival of someone who would almost certainly be unwelcome.


    ¡°June!¡± my eyes squeezed shut at the sound of Lawrence¡¯s voice.


    Dammit. I gritted my teeth and swallowed, trying to force the lump out of my throat before facing him. But when I turned to greet him, Lawrence was walking in the opposite direction, and it was Oliver who was instead heading toward me.


    He took one look at my face before breaking out into a jog.


    ¡°Hey, what¡¯s wrong,¡± Oliver asked. I tried to answer, but I couldn¡¯t manage to form any words. There wasn¡¯t enough air in my lungs for me to force them out.


    Oliver looked over his shoulder, checking to see if the hall was empty before continuing. ¡°Do you know how to get back to your room?¡±


    I shook my head no, which prompted him to take my hand and lead me down the hallway until he stopped at the door to unlock it. He ushered me into what had to be his room and closed the door behind us.


    Oliver looked me over. ¡°I¡¯m assuming you ran into your family. Do you want to talk about it or¨C¡±


    I didn¡¯t let him finish the question. I hugged him, digging my fingers into the soft, tan fabric of his shirt. It took a moment for him to react, but then his arms wrapped around me, pulling me closer to him. In the warmth and safety of his arms, I finally broke. Tears streamed down my cheeks; in his hold, I was safe enough that I didn¡¯t feel the need to stop them.


    I didn¡¯t know how he knew, nor did I care. All I cared about was the fact that the concern that glowed in his hazel eyes was for me. Not for who this body used to belong, not for a girl that no longer existed in this world. It was for me.


    I shuddered, finally gaining control of my breathing, as ragged as it was.


    ¡°Everything is going to be okay,¡± he whispered, brushing back the hair that had clung to my tear-stained cheeks.


    I nodded. I had him, and as long as I did, I knew everything would be okay.

 Chapter Eighteen

    I sat at the edge of Oliver¡¯s bed, watching as he now carried the leftover gauze and a bowl of water back to the dresser. He had spent the past ten minutes gently redressing my bandages and listening intently as I explained the events of the night to him. Though he never gave me a reason to be embarrassed, it was only now, when his back was turned as he cleaned up everything, that I could bring myself to apologize for burdening him with my breakdown.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry that you had to deal with this,¡± I said, wiping away a stray tear. ¡°I was totally irrational about what happened with June¡¯s family.¡±


    ¡°Are you kidding me?¡± he asked, looking over his shoulder with a quizzical expression. ¡°You have nothing to apologize for. That was an entirely reasonable response to this situation.¡±


    My outburst had felt like everything but reasonable, and it didn¡¯t help my embarrassment that I¡¯d never heard Oliver express the same sentiments I had felt. I couldn¡¯t even remember a moment when I¡¯d seen anything more than a flash of sadness from him. From every angle, it looked like he had adjusted perfectly, never once minding that his entire world had been turned upside down.


    ¡°How have you been able to handle this so well?¡± I asked, hints of envy lacing my question. ¡°You¡¯ve never seemed bothered by this.¡±


    Oliver paused briefly before replying, ¡°I¡¯ve been a total mess, too. I just use my impeccable humor to cover for it.¡± A half-hearted laugh escaped my lips as he sat down at my side, propping himself up on his elbows. ¡°I spent my first day here just assuming it was a dream, but as I was getting ready for bed, I stubbed my toe, and after cursing profusely, as one does, I remembered that you aren¡¯t supposed to feel pain in dreams. I started to panic and then I also remembered that clocks aren¡¯t supposed to work in dreams. So, I sat down on my bed and stared at the clock hanging in my room, waiting for it to make some mistake. After a few hours of watching each second pass by flawlessly, I ended up breaking down in tears. I spent the next couple of days in a complete haze, feeling more and more dejected every time I woke up back in the same gaudy room. I¡¯d lost all sense of purpose, lost all sense of myself.


    ¡°And then¡­ I met you. Everything changed the day you approached me at the Alterio¡¯s mansion. I now had a plan to dedicate myself to, and more importantly, I¡¯d realized that there was another person here who was like me. Whenever I¡¯m stressed or upset about all of this, I think about you, and everything feels a little better. So, truthfully, I should be thanking you.¡±


    For a split second, his words knocked the breath out of me. It had never occurred to me that I might mean the same to him as he meant to me, and hearing him say those words made my existence here seem a little more bearable.


    ¡°It¡¯s the same for me,¡± I said, pressing my lips thin to stop my smile. It was true; he was my safety here. There was something so comforting about his presence, his smile. Opening up and crying in front of someone was something I would''ve never thought I would do, but with him, I hadn¡¯t hesitated.


    Oliver cleared his throat and looked away, a slight pink creeping across his face. ¡°Do I get to ask a question now?¡± He asked, changing the topic of the conversation.


    Curious as to what he¡¯d want to know about me I obliged. ¡°Go for it.¡±


    ¡°What was your life like before all¡­ this?¡± He asked, gesturing to the room.


    My stomach knotted. This was one of the very few things about myself that I actively disliked talking about. My brief stint as a college student hadn¡¯t exactly been successful, and after only one semester, I¡¯d decided to take some time off. I chewed the inside of my lip, part of me didn''t want to admit to the embarrassing truth that I¡¯d thrown my hands in the air and given up as soon as things had gotten difficult, but part of me trusted him to be kind.


    ¡°It¡¯s not something I¡¯m exactly proud of. I was 18 and was supposed to be in my second semester of college. But, I just struggled so much mentally and academically in the fall that I realized I wasn¡¯t ready to handle the change in pace, so I decided to take a gap semester in the spring. My parents didn¡¯t support my decision and wouldn¡¯t let me live with them, so I rented a small apartment in the city while working as a corporate assistant. I don¡¯t really like to think about it; it makes me feel like a bit of a¡­ failure.¡± I admitted sheepishly, fidgeting with the fabric of my skirt.


    There was no hesitation before his answer. ¡°That¡¯s the exact opposite of being a failure. It¡¯s actually pretty amazing if you ask me.¡±


    ¡°Seriously?¡±


    ¡°Seriously.¡± Hazel eyes looked up at me with nothing but sincerity. ¡°You made a tough decision based on what was right for you, and you worked to support yourself. I don¡¯t know many 18-year-olds who could live independently like you. I know I never could.¡±


    I blinked; that was a new response. I¡¯d received so much shame, both from my parents and myself, that it was nearly impossible for me to see my choice in a positive light. I sat in my thoughts for a moment before turning to face him.


    ¡°What about you? What was your life like before this?¡± I tossed him the same question, wanting to get some of the attention off myself. I¡¯d been chastised for my choice for so long that I wasn¡¯t sure how to handle being praised for it.


    ¡°I was 19 and had just finished my second year of college. I was studying to get my Bachelor of Science in aerospace engineering, actually.¡±


    ¡°You were an aerospace engineering major?¡± I asked, trying not to sound as surprised as I actually was. Sure, I figured he¡¯d have to be some level of smart to plan ahead as well as he did, but it was hard to imagine him studying something so serious.


    ¡°You¡¯re a little too surprised about that.¡± He nudged me but continued. ¡°But it wasn¡¯t because I was some genius. You see, I was no self-sufficient superstar like you. I lived at home and commuted.¡± I rolled my eyes but still grinned at his response. I wasn¡¯t totally on board with the whole dropping out of college was actually a good thing narrative he had, but he was so genuine with his support that I almost wanted to believe what he was saying. ¡°That was the major that allowed me to spend the most time in my room studying and away from my family.¡±


    ¡°Were you not close with them?¡± I asked, surprised by his answer. He¡¯d never mentioned his parents before, but he¡¯d talked a bit about having a step-sister. Even though I was never close with my parents, I just assumed he was different.


    ¡°Not particularly. My father wasn¡¯t exactly the greatest guy out there; I¡¯d lost all respect for him and only lived with him because I had nowhere else to go. He cheated on my mom when she was sick and then ended up marrying his mistress only two months after my mom died. She was the only person I was really close with, so the only person I would have missed was taken from me before I even came here.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, that sounds horrible.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s okay. It happened a few years ago. I still miss her a lot, but I¡¯ve grown accustomed to it.¡± His dimming expression contradicted his words.


    Not knowing how to respond, I silently nodded along. I¡¯d never experienced pain like that, and finding words of solace felt like grasping at fragile straws.


    Silence settled between us, but a startling knock dispelled it.


    ¡°Oliver, are you there? I¡¯m coming in,¡± Lawrence called from outside. This may have been the one time I was actually thankful for his incredulous timing.


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    ¡°One second!¡± Oliver yelled back as he grabbed my arm. Within a second, he had pulled me to the nearest closet.


    ¡°Hey, what are you doing?¡± I hissed, shaking my arm free. He gestured for me to quiet down as he opened the closet door.


    ¡°I will never hear the end of this if Lawrence sees you here,¡± he whispered.


    ¡°You¡¯re shoving me into a closet to avoid being harassed by Lawrence?¡± I sassed, turning to walk away. But I hesitated, Oliver was right; Lawrence walking in right now would mean endless taunting from Lawrence, but seeing how frantic he was about it made it impossible for me not to mess with him. ¡°That sounds like a you problem.¡±


    ¡°You say that like he isn¡¯t going to tell Ryia.¡±


    I froze, then slowly turned back around. I wasn¡¯t afraid of Lawrence¡¯s reaction, but Ryia¡¯s, on the other hand... Without a word, I stepped up into the closet and buried myself behind some clothes, but not before throwing him a nasty glare that he wasn¡¯t nearly threatened enough by.


    ¡°Thought so,¡± he gloated before shutting the door. Unable to see what was going on, I pressed an ear to the closet as the door to the room opened.


    ¡°What brings you here so late?¡± Oliver asked Lawrence, straining not to sound as frantic as he actually was.


    ¡°I couldn¡¯t find the jacket I need for tomorrow. I figured it might have gotten mixed in with your clothes when our things were unpacked.¡± Lawrence¡¯s footsteps grew closer. ¡°Mind if I check your closet?¡±


    There was a quick scuffle, then a sudden bang against the closet door. I flinched at the sound and hit my head on a wooden panel. Oliver was so going to pay for this.


    ¡°What are you doing?¡± Lawrence asked, confusion evident in his tone.


    ¡°I work for you for a reason. Let me do this for you,¡± Oliver said with a nervous laugh. ¡°Which one do you need?¡±


    ¡°The navy blue one with gold trimming.¡±


    ¡°Navy blue with gold trimming,¡± Oliver repeated to me as he opened the closet door.


    ¡°I''m so sorry,¡± he whispered, barely audible over the sound of rustling clothes.


    ¡°It¡¯s fine,¡± I whispered back. Using what little light I had, I started flitting through the jackets and blazers around me. The faster we found it, the faster I could escape the stuffy cotton prison.


    ¡°You¡¯ve been acting so¡­ weird recently,¡± Lawrence said from outside. ¡°Did you hit your head or something?¡±


    I muffled a laugh as I riffled through the clothes. At least hiding in here was proving to be entertaining.


    ¡°If you keep complimenting me like that, I just might fall for you,¡± Oliver joked back as he continued looking through the closet.


    A quick glint of gold came off the jacket to my left, and I immediately pulled it off the rack. I squirmed around till I could hand Oliver what I¡¯d found. He pulled it out and gave it a quick once over.


    He gave a quick nod. ¡°Thank¨C¡±


    ¡°And here I thought you were falling for someone else,¡± Lawrence snickered from behind, cutting Oliver off.


    Oliver¡¯s eyes widened, and he quickly slammed the closet doors shut. Still, it wasn¡¯t fast enough to keep me from seeing how red his face had gotten. I gave myself a moment to replay his flustered expression in my head, knowing it was something I didn¡¯t want to forget. At the sound of them talking again, I leaned up against the door, creaking it open just enough to peer through.


    ¡°I told you, it¡¯s nothing like that,¡± Oliver said, pushing off the closet and walking to Lawrence, ¡°And stop looking at me like that.¡±


    ¡°Like what?¡± Lawrence taunted, his brows raised in disbelief. It was the exact same expression Ryia often used.


    ¡°Like you don¡¯t believe me.¡±


    ¡°Oh, I don¡¯t,¡± Lawrence smirked, taking a step toward Oliver. ¡°But nothing I say is going to stop you from lying to yourself.¡±


    Oliver hesitated as he shoved the jacket into Lawrence¡¯s hands. When he finally responded, his voice wavered. ¡°I like to make her smile¡­And that¡¯s it, so stop making that face.¡±


    A traitorous smile bloomed on my lips as a warmth rushed to my face. Oliver was, admittedly, great at making me smile. I would never allow myself to say it to his face, but hearing him say that made me want to.


    ¡°If you say so,¡± Lawrence said. He peered over Oliver¡¯s shoulder, eyes landing exactly where I was hiding. ¡°And next time, be a gentleman and hide her behind a curtain instead. It¡¯s a lot more comfortable than the closet.¡±


    I was torn between wanting to burst out in laughter and wanting to die on the spot.


    ¡°I hate you!¡± Oliver yelled as Lawrence reached for the door, but Lawrence simply brushed his words away.


    ¡°And here I thought you were falling for me.¡±


    Even with Lawrence gone, Oliver stood silent in the room for a moment before coming to free me from my apparently not-so-hidden hiding spot. He opened the closet doors and offered his hand to help me out, never once meeting my eyes.


    ¡°I guess Ryia will be hearing about this anyway,¡± I joked, trying to break the ice. His face was somehow redder than it had been when he¡¯d slammed the closet doors shut. It was to the point where his freckles were barely visible.


    It took him a moment to respond. ¡°I¡¯m sorry for what Lawrence said. I hope it didn¡¯t make you feel uncomfortable.¡± Even as he mumbled his unnecessary apology, Oliver kept his focus glued to the floor.


    ¡°Not at all. Ryia bothers me about there being something between us all the time. I always just laugh and tell her that she¡¯s¡­¡± His eyes finally lifted to meet mine, and I found myself hesitant to finish the sentence. ¡°¡­Wrong.¡±


    Nope.


    ¡°Good to know I¡¯m not alone on that either.¡± He rubbed the back of his neck, sporting a sheepish grin.


    Nope. Nope. Nope.


    ¡°I should probably head out,¡± I blurted. I immediately turned on my heel and started walking to the door, deciding that I absolutely needed to go to bed now and for no other reason. He may have started to say something, but for my own sanity, I didn¡¯t stick around long enough to hear it.


    I slid out the door, and as soon as it closed shut behind me, I leaned up against it and smacked my forehead. Crying in front of him was embarrassing enough, but whatever that little hesitation was was my breaking point. I wasn¡¯t sure where it had come from, but I wasn¡¯t going to let myself find out. I just hoped he hadn¡¯t noticed.


    ¡°What is wrong with me,¡± I grumbled, dragging my hand down my face.


    Behind me, there was a sudden click. Before I could think to brace myself, the door swung open. Strong arms caught me before I hit the ground and helped me to my feet. I turned around slowly, trying not to lose my mind over the fact that my face was beet red and there was nothing I could do to conceal it.


    ¡°Sorry, I was trying to catch you before you left.¡± Oliver, just as flustered as I was, held out a roll of gauze. ¡°I figured you might need this more than I do.¡±


    I laughed awkwardly as I grabbed it from his hands, only to drop it immediately. We watched silently as the gauze rolled across the ground, unfurling a few feet before it stopped. I refused to look at him to try and curb the embarrassment, but as I clumsily snatched it off the floor, a suppressed laugh on his end meant I didn¡¯t need to see him to know his reaction.


    Not wanting to give the universe another chance to make a mockery of me, I gave him a quick thank you while trying to contain the flimsy pile of gauze that threatened to spill out of my hands at any given second. The only dignified way of leaving now would be to crumble into a pile of dust and float away into oblivion, but seeing as I wasn¡¯t lucky enough for that to happen to me, I opted for a mad dash back to my room instead.


    I was already halfway down the hallway when I looked over my shoulder to say goodnight. He waved goodbye from the doorway, wearing that smile that almost made my embarrassment worth it.