《Gabe's adventure in marrying the Prince》 Chapter 1 - The news travel fast and even faster for those who know what to hear ¡°Wait, do you mean that the crown prince wants to fucking marry one of us?!¡± In a usual situation, the two older ones would reprimand Samir for their foul language (not appropriate at all for such a young lady!), but the bombastic news were so shocking none of them seemed to even notice. ¡°Are they going to take Alani away from us?¡± the youngest, Manny, held tight to the tip of her oldest sister''s dress. ¡°No!¡± the rest of the sisters shouted. But they all knew (if that whole story was to be believed, that is) that Alani was the most reasonable candidate. She was twenty, already reaching the too old to marriage age and she was by far the prettiest and most gracious of them all. Who would fit the princess role in that whole household if not her? ¡°First we have to understand the situation. Gabe, please,¡± the oldest nodded at the one that called upon them to share the information, the second daughter. Gabe took a deep breath, going again to check again if the heavy door of the room she and Alani shared was properly locked before sitting down on the colorful tapestries that adorned the floor, in a circle as the five of them always did when talking about serious subjects. ¡°A prophecy. It seems that the Oracle on the castle tower fated that he is to marry one of our House, his life depending on it.¡± ¡°What of his life? Everybody knows the King feels more about his papers than any of his kids. Why would he allow his lineage to be tainted by merchants'' daughters?¡± Lulu, the second youngest stated. ¡°Because of the Queen,¡± Gabe continued, hands tight together in her lap, ¡°It seems she loves him enough to parade his cause to the council, and if they all agree, even the King can do nothing about it.¡± Before they could even digest the information, Lulu quickly intervened again. ¡°Wait,¡± She adjusted her glasses, ¡° ¡®If¡¯ they agree? So it¡¯s not official yet?¡± ¡°Not yet, but by the talks of it, it will be very soon. Here too, as soon as the girl leaves, Mather and Father will read the letter she brought with her and retire to their room to make a choice. We have to be quicker.¡± ¡°How did you even get to know all of this? Is your source to be trusted?¡± Samir, the forever restless they were, pressed. The line of information reached much further than what any of them could verify, but the thread was strong enough for Gabe to acknowledge it. She had no way to spot the details, of course, she was but the second oldest girl of a modestly well-known traveling company, and time was but a couple of days of the news traveling person to person very fast, but she was sure she got the gists of it: In the Tower, the Oracle Spoke to the Prince, who in turn spoke with his mother, who then spoke to a whole council of people. Things got tangled after that. In this council, there was Great Duchess Alastair, who in turn was hosting her cousin Baron Phillips in her mansion for a couple of weeks because of his daughter Season (she was of age and was much happy to attend balls with such preeminent figures of the kingdom) and at dinner with the nerves heated and the occurrences still sudden the Lord, too, was spoken to. The Lord happened to have met that same humble merchant family in the news a week prior and had met them a great number of times before to buy his daughter beautiful and exotics fabrics for her numerous social events. In fact, there was another trip to that same stall settled on the next day, so why not give the family a heads-up? They seemed respectable enough. And so, the daughter came to choose some more of her likings (accompanied by her servants of course), and a letter was given to the Master and Mister, who dutifully stored it away for later, to properly tend the Noble intending to spend a great deal of gold with their products. After that came the easiest part of the chain: Gabe was friends with the Young Lady¡¯s maid, who happened to have ¡°accidentally¡± overheard everything the night prior. Thank the Gods above and the Fairies under that she had the good head to keep the servants of the affluent clients close and thank the Devils below to tempt them to have the sharpest ears of them all. ¡°It is to be believed,¡± she raised her hand to stop more objections, ¡°Time is not on our side, sisters. We have to decide what to do quickly.¡± ¡°I know¡­ I¡­ it just so unbelievable.¡± Samir¡¯s voice halted, and they all quieted down for a moment. Unbelievable, and yet, true. Tales of commoners that ended in the castle never ended well. One of them was fated to go to the Royal Castle, that nest of snakes, and much likely die after completing whatever the Prince intended to do with them. ¡°Maybe¡­ Maybe it won¡¯t be so bad right? The Nobles are bad but maybe the Prince will be nice since we are supposed to help him,¡± the little one tempted. Love this novel? Read it on Royal Road to ensure the author gets credit. Alani tried to smile at her, but her attempt only frighted Manny even more. What could they offer to someone who already had it all? And they all knew, all of the young poor girls, the heirs were always the worst, the cruelest to girls like them. They heard stories. They saw what sometimes lay on ditches. ¡°What does this prophecy entail? Perhaps we can do something useful out of it,¡± Alani voiced. ¡°I don¡¯t know,¡± Gabe shook her head, ¡°It got lost in the mouth to mouth. All that¡¯s known is that he has to marry and it has to be of our family.¡± ¡°Damn it,¡± Samir whispered. ¡°I can¡¯t think of anything that might help us get away from this,¡± Lulu said at last. ¡°Even Lulu can¡¯t think¡­?¡± Manny whispered, eyes watering. For her to take this long to despair, Gabe thought, she was getting tougher and tougher by the year. At last one good thing seemed to come of that day. ¡°Won¡¯t Mother stay on our side? We could¡­ We could hide. Or marry before he tries to engage or-¡± Samir got up, frantically pacing around. ¡°Mother will be the first to jump at the opportunity,¡± Gabe whispered. Their Father would, without a doubt, be the eager second one. A chance to do such a great deal would never escape them, even if they had to sacrifice one of their children in the process. One down, but the rest would prosper at last. That was true especially with Alani¡¯s youth going by, ¡°We can¡¯t escape sisters. Not from this. The powers this time is not just some blacksmith or another merchant trying to propose to our Alani, it¡¯s the Crown Prince. And behind him, The Queen, She Who Bears The Blood of Fairies. Even if Mother and Father disagree, and even if we all marry this same night, heads will be cut and vows broken so that the Prince might live.¡± Gabe looked upon them all, somber with the truth, and they awaited as they always did. ¡°...But, at least, if we manage to be clever enough, we can still choose who.¡± Not a heartbeat of time passed. ¡° I guess the choice is made then,¡± Alani composed herself, dignified and elegant as she always was. The younger ones looked troubled but said nothing, all deep in their own thoughts. ¡°No,¡± Gabe pressed and continued before the oldest could rebuke her, ¡°Our plan hasn¡¯t changed, sister. For you to marry into royalty would just make things worst than a regular man. I won¡¯t allow you to live a life of misery.¡± It was a long hard process in which all of them cooperated on their own accord to convince the older one to be truthful with them about her dread to marry and they had spent the last couple of years waiting for someone to propose to Gabe so that she would marry first and leave with her sister under her wing. It would have been done already, really, if not for the fact that Alani was just too perfect and Gabe was¡­ Not. But none of them were willing to allow their protector, their mother through all but name to suffer if they could help it. So they all worked together to drive away suitors and appease their parents until the opportunity appeared. Who would have thought that the opportunity would be none other than the Crown Prince? ¡°How could I allow you to live in misery in my steed, Gabriel?¡± ¡°I could go too. I¡¯m old enough,¡± Samir chimed in, pain in their eyes. ¡°No,¡± the two chorused. Samir was old enough, in fact, they were the perfect age of sixteen, and perhaps they could learn to tolerate the Prince, but they weren¡¯t suited to the life of a Princess, and that much was clear to them all. They would suffer all the same. If it was based on age alone, even Lulu would fit (she would reach fifteen half a year later) but none of them, not even Lulu herself would allow her to wed this early. At eleven, only Manny was beyond the scope of possibility. ¡°From all of us, I think I would suffer the least. I welcome the idea, sisters. You know I was ready to vow for years now, such was our plan,¡± she tried to reason. ¡°I think she¡¯s right Alani,¡± Lulu voiced her opinion before the older one could intervene, ¡°Let¡¯s be real, if there¡¯s anyone from us who could survive the court that would be Gabe. Manny is too young. I am too¡­ Well, I wouldn¡¯t know where to even start this whole marriage thing. Samir is too fiery, too stubborn. You, Alani, are too passive. You would endure in silence and whiter away, like a pretty flower in a golden vase. But our Gabe is cunning. She always was. She can manage a Prince, don¡¯t you think?¡± Samir stomped in front of her, face filled with outrage. ¡°How could you advocate to our sister to go to the lion¡¯s den on our behalf?¡± They raged. ¡°I am just using my head, Samir. She would have the highest chance of surviving. In fact, I think if anyone went instead, we would just lose one of us because we were too prideful to acknowledge the truth.¡± She didn¡¯t freet, certainty dripping her every word. ¡°I could manage too! I could¡­ I could adapt!¡± But they couldn¡¯t. They knew Samir couldn¡¯t, not in the way they were now. ¡°Gabe,¡± Manny filled once again the silence that settled in, ¡°Do you think you could do it? Sincerely?¡± She reached out to hold her hand, staring deeply into her brown eyes. ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°And would you live and thrive and come back to us?¡± ¡°...Yes.¡± ¡°Would you perhaps even be able to be happy too?¡± She tempted a smile. ¡°That is too far away for me to know. But I would try. I will try my damn hardest to make the best out of this, just like Mother and Father thought us to.¡± ¡°Language,¡± Samir said, tears in their eyes. Gabe laughed, and she realized she was crying too. Alani hugged her, so tight, so tight it seemed like there was nothing else in the world. Soon she felt the other ones joining in as well, and for a moment, only the warm feeling of love filled Gabriel¡¯s forever-active mind. 2 - Three hours until it all begins. Their mother and father came in early in the afternoon to sit them all down at the dining table for a talk, later than Gabe had initially predicted. ¡°Girls, something very important is about to happen tomorrow. Baron Phillip sent us some auspicious news, but we have to approach it with care, yes? We can¡¯t say the details for you yet, but we need you to prepare and be in your best shape for tomorrow morning,¡± their Father stated. He was a big fellow, neither thin nor fat, and dressed in a red tunic embroidered with golden turnips. That type of clothing was not traditional in his birthplace, on the contrary, he was born and raised in the capital. But, it was a nice piece to show off the exotic merchandise he had available, and so he played the part, with colored leather booths and a big bushy beard and voluminous brown hair that eluded most of his standard-like features. His mother, on the other hand, was a beauty to be reckoned with. Although she wore a simple commoner pale-blue dress, her foreign face was enough for her to stand out. She had full lips, golden skin, and short curly hair that surrounded her face like a dark frame. She had a distinct claw-shaped nose and symmetric gypsy eyes, honey-sweet as her forever smile. The woman was almost a perfect, if not older, copy of their eldest daughter. ¡°Mother will help you, darlings, to prepare. We will close the stall early today and spend the rest of the day making sure you are all perfect, yes?¡± She beamed brightly to all of them. ¡°What will happen tomorrow? Will an important client come?¡± Manny questioned, worry deep in her youthful eyes. The youngest one looked like a perfect mix of the two. She had a small face and brown wavy hair, like her dad, but a lengthy body and a bigger nose, like her mother. The only divergence was her big bright green eyes, inherited from her father¡¯s mother''s part. ¡°Not a client that will come but us that will go to a client. Perhaps the most important client that we ever had, my daughters,¡± his father voiced, ¡°So we all have to look our absolute best.¡± ¡°Who will this client be?¡± Samir accused with that tone of theirs, of someone who¡¯s not approving what¡¯s happening in the slightest. If Alani was just like her mother, Samir was their father in a female form. Face just the same with a petit nose and thin lips, they differed only in their darker skin tone and their cut short curly black hair. ¡°Why accuse us like that daughter?¡± Their mother screwed her eyes at her, only a crack of pupils scrutinizing her reaction, ¡°Your father already said we can¡¯t divulge the details, on behalf of the Baron that asked for secrecy in the matter. You will know when the time comes.¡± Samir folded their arms as if to say they did nothing wrong, but her mother never had much patience for their tantrums. Before she could further discipline them, Lulu diverged the conversation. ¡°Can we know at least where is the place we¡¯re going? It''s better if we know how to prepare for this trip right? It¡¯s been a while since Mother don¡¯t deal closely with my belongings at least,¡± a very good argument that granted her a concise answer. ¡°We are going to the Royal Castle, my daughters,¡± his voice trembled with perhaps a tint of pride. Lulu blinked, adjusting her glasses and letting go of a breath she didn¡¯t seem to notice she was holding. She was one of the most unique sisters of the bunch. Her skin was darker than all of them, a trait coming from her grandfather on their mother¡¯s part and her face had some tints of an older lineage from the Sandilands: Perpetually squinted yellow eyes, full black almost curly hair and large brown lips stood out as soon as anyone put their eyes at her. Her tall stature (for her age) made her equally noticeable, although she learned with time how to make herself smaller and harder to see. They all quiet down, digesting the new information, but their mother took notice of one of them specifically. This tale has been unlawfully obtained from Royal Road. If you discover it on Amazon, kindly report it. ¡°Gabe, my dear, you look distracted,¡± her tone was suspicious¡­? It was hard to tell, ¡°That¡¯s not very much like you. Are you feeling alright?¡± She whipped her eyes upwards with the remark, alert again. ¡°She¡¯s been having some back pain, Mother,¡± Alani answered instead, ¡°Her moon cycle is probably coming early this month.¡± ¡°Will she be alright for tomorrow? We can¡¯t have a weak link, even if it''s just Gabriel,¡± Their Father questioned their Mother. ¡°I¡¯ll be fine,¡± she said at the same time Mother and Alani stated: ¡°She¡¯ll be alright.¡± Of them all, Gabe was the only other oddball. She was merely tanned, like Father and Manny, but had the looks from his father¡¯s lineage ¨C not his father himself. She had a long face, a sharp chin, and brown droopy eyes. Body small and thin, frail-looking although fairly muscled. Her hair was very brown and very thin, so much so it was hard to make it grow past her waist. She was ordinary in all it took, and mostly, if not ever, overlooked, but Gabe had to remember to keep herself acting the part of the elder sister, or else even her inattentive parents would notice something was unusual. ¡°Well, that¡¯s good then. You girls go make yourself the prettiest, I have some things to arrange too,¡± and with that, he got up and went to his bedroom, the place in the small house that duped as his office. ¡°Shouldn¡¯t you go too, Mother?¡± Alani said slowly. ¡°Oh, why, I should help you be ready, no?¡± She said, but she kept on her look a second too long in the direction their Father went. They all knew he had the tendency to overdo things when his wife wasn¡¯t around, and that was why she usually kept herself close to him every time it involved any kind of business. ¡°It¡¯s alright,¡± Gabe said, reassuring her, ¡°We know it''s best if you go with him. He has his head in the clouds sometimes. I¡¯m sure Alani will know how to help us.¡± ¡°Will she now?¡± she looked troubled by the decision yet, ¡°I feel like I spend too little time and guidance on you girls, sometimes. And this is an important, a very important, time. I am sure he will know how to deal handle himself without me, right?¡± Alani touched her hand, smiling. ¡°We¡¯ll be fine and beautiful, Mother. Don¡¯t worry.¡± She reassured. ¡°Yes. And I think exactly because it''s an important time that you should keep him close. Alani is used to leading us, and I am a grown-up now too, right? I¡¯m sure we will be alright, and you can check us in the evening to see if anything else needs to be done.¡± Gabe completed. ¡°Oh well,¡± she spent just some more moments fussing over them, making sure they knew all the things that needed to be done before retiring to her room. Samir waited three long seconds before voicing her complaints. ¡°They wouldn¡¯t even tell us it¡¯s about marriage talks?¡± her face was one of outrage still. ¡°They didn¡¯t want to spook us, dummie dumb,¡± Lulu shook her head. ¡°I think they noticed what we were doing over the years too,¡° Manny reflected quietly, ¡°About Alani¡¯s suitors.¡± Alani shook her hand, an ¡°anything goes¡± gesture. ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter now. We have more important things ahead. Come girls, we need to prepare so Mother will think of us as adequate. It will give us more time to coordinate tomorrow morning too.¡± Gabe once again got lost in her thoughts, and the oldest one reached out to lightly touch her shoulder. ¡°Are you really okay, Gabe?¡± She focused again, this time with less alarm. ¡°Yes, sister,¡± she looked at the others, that were now staring at her with concern, ¡°I am, really. I am just thinking of what to do in most scenarios I can think of. It helps me¡­ Well, it helps me feel more confident about our plan.¡± ¡°Well, there¡¯s little time and much to do so no more thinking,¡± Samir pushed her up her chair. Gabe sighed at her manners but complied. ¡°3 hours Gabe,¡± Alani warned, ¡°Any more and we won¡¯t have time to wax you both before Mother comes to see us,¡± ¡°I know. We¡¯ll be back soon enough, don¡¯t worry,¡± the second oldest said as Manny came from their room with their leather bags. Gabe and Samir took off the outer layers of their dresses, revealing traveling pants and sturdy walking boots, and gave the extra fabric to Lulu, who quietly wished them safe travel. ¡°Be back soon sisters. And be careful.¡± Manny kissed goodbye on both of their cheeks. ¡°I am always careful, little one!¡± Samir laughed. With a last amusing look, they left the house by the backdoor. 3 - Buying some sweets. They traveled the alleyways within the shopping district with the ease of years of practice. While they took turns following their parents on trips to get their goods and come back, two of them (usually Alani and someone else) always ended up in the city to watch out for the house and the stall, especially after they got old enough to get by. The one who made the best use of both ways was, perhaps, Samir. By now, they knew virtually everyone from the district, and either made direct or¡­ indirect transactions with them all. Gabe remembered the day she confronted them about their escapades to be one of the few in which she was genuinely furious with her sister and maybe that was why Samir very quickly and concisely explained that she was not doing anything truly illegal, just exploring a loophole in the law. It seemed like the prices for people buying shipping goods for individual vs commercial purposes were different, and technically, she was buying it for herself since she had no establishment tied to her name (As either the owner or in the line to inherit). The law enforces didn¡¯t need or even want to know she intended to sell to other shops for slightly less than their commercial prices, so they continued to do so until they had connections with a multitude of people. Hence, their trip would have some stops before heading to the healing street to get some¡­ Special medicine. They soon took turns enough to reach the back of another store, on the edge of the noble district. Most of the shop owners there had some contact with nobles, but few interacted with the Royals themselves. Lucky for them, Samir had ties with a couple of those. Samir gave Gabe one last look to check if she was ready before hitting the door 3, 1 and 2 times. ¡°Samir! My girl!¡± A young man covered in a heavy apron greeted them warmly, ¡°You came earlier than expected, did you get the jewels already? Fast as usual.¡± Samir cringed at the greeting but held the offered hand in greeting. ¡°Not yet, Marcus, but it will be here when I told you it would. Came in for something different this time.¡± They made way to show Gabe behind and the future owner of the jewelry shop raised their brows when he saw her. ¡°Your sister, isn¡¯t she? I don¡¯t believe we¡¯ve been introduced yet.¡± Most of Samir¡¯s private clients knew of their family, although they kept their distance from them by their request. ¡°I¡¯m Gabe,¡± she raised her hand for another shake, ¡°You must be Mr Fontelle.¡± ¡°Please, just Marcus. mr Fontelle makes me feel old,¡± he smiled, ¡°Well, why don¡¯t you come in?¡± The Fontelle family was well established enough to have their residence somewhere else, so when they came in, they only saw the bits and pieces of a mix of metallurgy and ornaments manufacturing. Because the Fontelle senior was still the face of their shop, he stayed at the front to greet clients, and the younger one spent most of his time at the back, making the pieces. ¡°So, how can I help you?¡± He indicated the chair at the corner for them to sit, but they politely refused. If everything went right, they would be quick, ¡°you know, if your intention was to buy a present for your kin, going in through the front door would be more efficient,¡± he teased. ¡°Not a transaction today, Marcus. Or rather, not a physical one,¡± Samir went straight to the point, ¡°We would like to get some information. For a price, of course.¡± Marcus seemed to think, sweeping his blue eyes from Samir to Gabe then Gabe to Samir. ¡°¡­ And what is this information you request?¡± ¡°It appears we will soon have an opportunity to enter the Palace,¡± the surprise on his face was palpable, ¡°to visit, of course. But who knows what this encounter might bring? I know you and your old man have dealt with the Royals before, so we would like to know anything that might be useful about the people and the place.¡± ¡°¡­And what would I receive in exchange?¡± ¡°Ten percent less next time you buy from me.¡± ¡°Fifty.¡± ¡°You¡¯re joking now, Marcus,¡± Samir was the face of disbelief, ¡°You¡¯re asking me to buy your jewels for you!¡± ¡°Well, knowledge about the Royals is no small thing.¡± If you come across this story on Amazon, it''s taken without permission from the author. Report it.¡°Fifteen¡± ¡°Fifty, Samir. No less.¡± Samir banged their hand on a nearby table, shaking the metal bits on top. ¡°Well, if you''re so keen on being this way then kiss goodbye to this deal and all the others from now on! I might as well go to the neighboring store to see if they will respect me as they should,¡± they turned around and grabbed Gabe by the hand, bringing her with them, ¡°Let¡¯s go Gabe. We can ask the Johnsons, I heard they supply soap for a couple of Dukes.¡± ¡°Wait! Don¡¯t be like this, yes? There¡¯s no reason to get worked up like that. Let¡¯s talk about it, ten? What about twenty?¡± Samir stopped. When Gabe looked at them, she suppressed her wish to shake her head as her sister, for a moment, couldn¡¯t resist the smile of victory. She told Gabe once that Samir had worked them like bread to make them think they were buying for a significant difference in price, an opportunity they could not lose. Would they risk it all for all but a couple of gossips about something they had spoken freely before? No, but at the same time, they would be too suspicious if Samir got there without an offer, they weren¡¯t friends after all. The trick of faking outrage and threatening to cut ties wouldn¡¯t work more than once or twice, but Samir told her that this whole marrying-the-prince event was important enough for them to use it. Their precious Gabe was worth it, they said. They both felt the taste of success but they suppressed their emotions soon enough. ¡°Twenty then, Marcus. But I¡¯m only coming around because I value you and your old man as my partners alright? We have to count on each other, friend!¡± Marcus shook his head, sighing, but started speaking. He had happened to sell for one certain female knight when she had gone undercover three years ago to investigate some illegal activity happening in the city, and she later invited them to go to the Castle to show some of their pieces to the Queen. After a throughout explanation of the layout and beauty of the places he visited while there and a lengthy admiration of the Queen¡¯s virtues, Gabe intervened as if out of idle curiosity: ¡°What about the Prince? Did you get to see him?¡± ¡°Ah, the girls. They always have ask that, don¡¯t they?¡± he chuckled, ¡°He stopped by briefly to talk to the Queen Mother, yes.¡± ¡°And what was he like?¡± She spoke with genuine curiosity this time. ¡°Her Majesty''s blood runs strong in that one,¡± he seemed to try to remember something as if the image in his memories were blurred somehow, ¡°He seemed respectful to his elders and polite, but a little¡­ distant perhaps. As if he was more on the other side of the veil, but it must be the fae¡¯s blood coming through. Well, that¡¯s not what you want to know though, right? Don¡¯t be upset girlie, but he¡¯s not as handsome as they say. A very ordinary appearance if I must say so.¡± That last part was what Gabe wanted to know the least, but she forced herself to make a disappointed face. ¡°Well, a girl can dream¡± she sighed, ¡°is he a nice person at least? Did he treat you well?¡± ¡°Adequately. He greeted us as it was fit, and mostly talked to his mother before eating some cake and leaving. Ah, he seemed to have a sweet tooth if I remember correctly! Perhaps you can bring some biscuits with you in case you run into him, yes?¡± He laughed at his own teasing. As if a commoner girl would have the chance to feed the Prince, he must have thought. ¡°¡­Perhaps I will,¡± she said, smiling as well. They left the story soon after gratefully thanking Marcus for all of his goodwill and good deal. ¡°What do you think?¡± Samir asked, once again serious as they wasted no time going to the Johnsons next. ¡°It¡¯s a picture at last. But we have to cross all the intel to make sure of what¡¯s truth and what is the grandiose of the Royals and whatnot making an impression on him,¡± there was even a chance of the foul play of the charms and spells messing with his understanding of the events, but Gabe was avoiding thinking about it too much. If that was the case, nothing they could gather could be trusted and she needed to feel she had something to grasp right now. ¡°¡­ but let¡¯s get some biscuits on the way home,¡± she completed shortly after. Better safe than sorry. 4 - An interlude for gratefulness They were properly waxed, scrubbed, washed, combed, braided, and creamed by the time their mother went to check if everything was in place. Their whole skin was as if they were a baby born yesterday, and their hair was soft as the purest furs. The older women took a deep breath throughout some key areas, (armpits, necks, the waist) to check if any foul smell was present, but roses and mint were everything their bodies exulted. ¡°Very good,¡± she checked their faces, Gabe first, quickly, then Samir¡¯s, ¡°Alani, see her browns? It needs some trimming, but don¡¯t take too much, it¡¯s her charm for it to be thick like that.¡± ¡°Yes, Mother¡± ¡°¡­ Do we really have to do it?¡± Samir hated having their eyebrows plucked. Well, they hated everything so far, so it was a surprise they endured so much already. Mother ignored her question, but Gabe held her hand reassuringly. ¡°You are to sleep early today, with all the windows open to reduce heat. Tomorrow we¡¯ll wake up very early to have breakfast and wait. Don¡¯t take another shower tomorrow, but make sure you clean all the dirty areas again and apply some light makeup. Pay attention: light makeup. You all have to appear absolutely natural, am I understood?¡± ¡°Yes Mother,¡± they chorused. ¡°Good. Alani my dear, why don¡¯t you show me the dresses you picked for the girls?¡± ¡°It¡¯s in my room Mother, come see,¡± and off they went. Unauthorized usage: this narrative is on Amazon without the author''s consent. Report any sightings. Soon enough they were all in their bed. The two oldest slept in the same bedroom and the three youngest in another. Although they had enough money for each of them to have various vanity hobbies and their own passion projects, the house in itself was small, so much so that their simple beds were lined on the vertical and another one in the horizontal wall, touching each other, and their floor was covered in all of their morning attire, stretched organized in neat piles so that they would be ready to go. Gabe couldn¡¯t sleep. Too many plans and too many ideas were running her head awake, but she knew that would be the case and she knew that the best was for her to be rested the next morning, so she popped one of the pills she and Samir had bought on their way home in her mouth. Each one of them had a different medicine, all of them with their own specific uses. ¡°Gabe?¡± Alani whispered. ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°Will this work out alright? Will you really be alright?¡± She didn¡¯t wait for her to answer, ¡°You know, sometimes I think I failed you. In the first years after you were born, I was too¡­ selfish. You acted, you still act actually, much more like an older sister than what I did. To all of us. It pains me. I should¡¯ve adapted quicker. I should¡¯ve realized that it didn''t matter how I ended up here, you needed me and there was no one to be there for you.¡± Gabe got up to look at her, struggling to fight off the kick of the medicine¡¯s effect. ¡°You did what you could, sister. And I might be an older sister to the little ones, but you are so much more. You raised us, Alani. We love you as much as you love us. It¡¯s okay to share your burdens with the rest of us, there is nothing wrong with that. In return, we will keep sharing our burdens with you, as we have always done¡­ Such is the role of a family.¡± Alani didn¡¯t get up, and so, slowly, Gabe laid down as well. ¡°¡­ I am very grateful. To have been born again here and to have you all as my family. I am very grateful.¡± As her eyes slowly and steadily got closer and closer to shut, she heard a gulp of another pill being taken. 5 - And so, the sisters enter the Castle The carriage ride was an uncomfortable one. Not because of the carriage itself of course ¨C Gods, that was the softest cushion Gabe had ever had the pleasure to sit on, and those horses were so fast! ¨C but because of the uncertainty of it all. The Queen¡¯s personal Lady in waiting, Lady Isabella had come in a little after the first down with two carriages to fetch them to the Castle. An Official Request by Her Majesty was announced to them (not many details were shared, but both the Oracle and their need to assist the Prince was mentioned), and easy like that they were all on their way. Now, with another soothing pill running through her veins, Gabe wondered how perplexing it was that none of their opinions were asked at any point about anything at all: The girls were simply ordered to go in and face whatever was awaiting them with a smile on their faces. But she supposed having lived that way all her life made her somewhat accustomed to it. She also wondered if she would find anything strange at all if they hadn¡¯t had Alani¡¯s guidance or the great amount of time of their parents¡¯ travels to be by themselves. That was how young girls were managed, was it not? ¡°I wish I came here under other circumstances,¡± Lulu said, awe clear in her voice as they saw the Castle in the distance, ¡°The architecture of this place is wonderful. I would gladly spend hours just mapping it all.¡± Lulu switched interests every other month, and the current one was buildings and how to make them stand up. Apparently, it took a great deal of thinking to make sure a house would not simply¡­ fall down, and since she was a lover of all the hard things, she took it upon herself to learn how to do it. Where would a girl like her apply this knowledge? It was a mystery Gabe was sure even Lulu herself could not manage to clear up. ¡°You would not be able to do it regardless, Lulu,¡± Gabe spoke some sense into her, a rare occurrence. Who in their right mind would allow anyone to map the Royal Castle? She avoided looking outside to focus on preserving her composure as best as possible. ¡°Just how are you two so damn calm?¡± ¡°Please Samir, watch your language,¡± Gabe said for the thousandth time. ¡°I think we all agreed that it would be alright for me to go all out this trip, no?¡± They said, still fretting in their place. ¡°We are not on the Castle yet,¡± Gabe warned, ¡°You can¡¯t make this a habit, that¡¯s not the works of good people.¡± ¡°Well, Samir was never good, was he?¡± Lulu teased in a low voice only she could listen and Gabe shook her head disapprovingly. ¡°I am under the effects already,¡± she choose to answer the other question instead, before sliding a glance to the tall girl beside her, ¡°And I don¡¯t think Lulu took hers yet.¡± Lulu grumbled. ¡°Do I really have to? I doubt I will be considered. I¡¯m too foreign looking for them to want me in.¡± ¡°Come on Lucius, all the other girls are going in! Must you really be such a¡­ such a¡­?¡± ¡°Such a bitch?" they all knew that was not a word Samir would use against their sisters, regardless of how annoyed they were, but besides trying to look calm, Lulu''s nerves probably weren¡¯t too good either, "You said that because the only pill you have to take is in case you feel nervous, of all things.¡± ¡°Stop,¡± Gabe¡¯s voice flared up before things escalated, ¡°We are all nervous, sisters. But we have to stay together. Lulu, we talked about it earlier already and you are smart enough for me to not need to repeat myself. Samir, be patient. You know our sister despises not being in control of her mind and your unkind words are not making anything easier.¡± They both quiet down because they knew her to be right. ¡°We have to work together today,¡± Manny¡¯s small voice was finally heard, and the two suddenly seemed even more ashamed, ¡°Let¡¯s all do our best, okay?¡± The poor thing was sweating uncontrollably by that point. Her pills didn¡¯t give her a fever, but they would make her melt a considerable portion of her liquids, making her have to drink a lot of water ¨C hence the leather water bottle in her hand. Besides those side effects, she got to swallow a well-known medicine for losing weight that If she kept it at a one-pill-only would be harmless in the long run and the effects could be easily explained (she was nervous and thus, sweated a lot on the ride). Even better, it would make her look even more childish: oh but a child to be stinking after a run in a garden or whatever other place they took them to! The story has been taken without consent; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident. By rumors and personal accounts, the Prince didn¡¯t seem the type to take interest in children, therefore they would play safe with Manny and make her look as young as possible. That was why she was in her long puffy dress and pigtails, together with the lowest heels she owned. They would have put her in flats but her Mother¡¯s lenience stopped at that and, even if the older one deemed the youngest not to be in the spotlight, she demanded more formality. It was the same with the other three too: They had to appear serious, but also had more freedom in picking clothing that would fit their narrative for the event. Gabe was, well, as pretty as she would get. She had a white dress that started its flowy skirts right under her breasts to make her look longer and harmonical. Her hair was tied up in a bun that made it look more voluminous, with just two threads of bangs framing her face. A very delicate makeup was covering her face, with the focus on making her lips bigger. She was still not a beauty by any marks, but it would do. Samir was in a formal vest and a skirt that stopped a palm below their knees, and the rest was covered in high-quality boots. Again, common knowledge was that the Prince positively avoided¡­ male qualities, so they would play as unhinged and tomboyish as they could get. Lulu would try to disappear in the background, so she had the closest her Mother would allow to a yellow commoner dress (a terrible color for her complexion). With the pill she was about to take, she would not sleep but would doze off for the entirety of the event, to appear a distracted and loose individual just in case there was someone paying attention to her clever eyes. Poor Alani, as usual, got the worst luck: She had to doll up, regardless of her wishes. A simple and symmetrical silk dress and braided hair made her look like a fairy the last time Gabe saw her, but she wondered how she was fairing in the other carriage having to ride with both, their parents and Lady Isabella. She didn''t have to wait for long. As they got off to the entrance of the castle(Gabe refused to stare at anything other than the magnificent marble entrance hall, she had to preserve her composure, preserve her composure), her sister swiftly excused herself and joined them. As she got closer, Gabe realized her makeup was slowly wearing off and revealing protuberances in her face that looked very much like considerably large pimples. ¡°Father hasn¡¯t noticed yet but Mother is furious,¡± she whispered, ¡°I don¡¯t think she believes I don¡¯t know how this happened.¡± ¡°Keep swearing that you don¡¯t, and don''t stop until your death,¡± she whispered back, ¡°some physiologists will say it might be because of stress, and once this is said for the first time, it will be your shield.¡± Or at least, that was what the ¡°herbalist¡± they went to said to them. Of course, just some pimples would not shy them away from the other qualities their sister so naturally displayed, but it would buy them time. Following Lady Isabella¡¯s lead, they marched to a salon where some couches and food awaited them. ¡°Ladies, you can wait here with some refreshments while the adults go discuss some important things, yes? We will be back soon,¡± If it could be argued that both Alani and Gabe were old enough to be considered adults as well, she did not wait to hear it: Lady Isabella gave them a polite smile and proceeded to lead their parents somewhere else, leaving them with a table full of, admittedly, delicious looking nacks, a butler and a couple of maids. ¡°Welp,¡± Samir said embarrassingly loudly. For a moment, they all stared at Gabe, but they just had to have one look to swing into action. ¡°Oh Gods, this place is so huge! everything is so clean!¡± They continued, running their hands through multiple pieces of furniture as if to check for dust, ¡°You there!¡± they pointed at the maids, ¡°Good job! This is the cleanest room I¡¯ve ever seen. So refreshing! It doesn¡¯t seem like my room at all¡± and then they laughed at their own ¡°joke¡±. At the same time, Manny ran to the food table, ¡°Uwaaa! So much tasty food!¡± she raised her eyes very big and very bright to Alani, ¡°Could I please get some sis, please?¡± Alani picked a handkerchief from her pocket to wipe her face of ¡°sweat¡±, ¡°Yes, my darling, go ahead.¡± ¡°One moment sisters,¡± Gabe signalized, soothing, ¡°I greet you three, we are in your hands on this fine morning.¡± The servants at present were reasonably unsatisfied with the other¡¯s actions but smiled at her, bowing, before she stopped them again. ¡°No need to bow to us, we are common folk just like you,¡± their faces looked even more pleased, ¡°But perhaps, you are less common since you spend so much time in this wonderful Castle. Well, we will be in your hands.¡± "We''ll be in your hands too, my ladies," the butler complied, "I fear that our humble servants'' lives are not as exciting as a young lady would think, though." ¡°No matter! It will be lovely to get to hear about your stories all the same!¡± Manny exclaimed with a sparkle that Gabe recognized as dubious in her eyes. And in the midst of it all, nobody noticed but Lulu was already seated down, swallowing down some pastry and tea. Okay, Gabe thought, off to an acceptable start. 6 - What would a Prince see that others wouldnt? The Royal Castle of the Halesworth lineage was a funny thing sometimes. Between its two floors and three towers of grand halls and rooms of marble and hard stone, dark silver (never Iron, never) adorned every other piece of solid and ancient furniture. Differently from some of the Castles in the kingdom, differently even from some other Royal Castles, it was a place made to stand forever. And because forever was such a long time, much of how the Castle was ended up forgotten. In his opinion, Crown Prince Cian Halesworth had a very interesting theory about the mysteries of the endless rituals the servants had to perform in their daily routines or the misleading layout the hallways happen to have every now and then but that train of thought was something he took pleasure in just keeping to himself. And so, to keep indulging in that, every time he turned a corner he lightly touched the walls with the back of his fingers, wishing silently to get where he needed to be as soon as possible. Of course, he never had any miracle happen (his theory wouldn¡¯t be just theory if that was the case), but he never got late unless he deliberately chose to, so he was happy to count that as proof. To any of the Dukes and Duchess, he was much more than late to their encounter with the Tatchers, but his Mother knew enough of him to know the truth. The Queen seated in the middle chair of the grand table stared at the tall mirror on the wall opposite her, seeming to lightly observe the view of the kingdom¡¯s Council surrounding Her and the much happy merchants on further away chairs, but her eyebrows went just a little bit higher when she did so. Even if he knew she couldn¡¯t actually see him, he looked back at her and smiled bitterly, leaning on the wall of the hidden room while he watched through the fake mirror. She could complain later, but as he saw it there was no reason for him to be there. Silvia and Louis Tatcher were undeniably and unceremoniously leaches, in a way that made him have a cold kind of respect for them. They were beyond compelled by his Mother''s magnetism and in fact, they didn¡¯t try to hide their nature at all: they might have enough respect for the hierarchy to oblige whatever the Queen or the Nobles ordered them to, but it was clear as day that they wanted to prosper, so they tried to be of good grace and make small talk, showing off their daughters like pieces in a market. They already knew of them all after their spies fetched them an overview of the family, of course, and the way they spoke reminded him a bit too much of the neighboring kingdom¡¯s slave market for his tastes, but at least he got to know some facts only close relatives ought to know. The youngest one was developing fast for her age, so in case some unfortunate events were bound to happen with the older ones, she could still be of use as soon as one or two years from now. The fourth one, though unfortunate in appearance, seemed to be happy to just be left alone, so in case she was to be chosen it would be acceptable to just gift her one of the tower¡¯s rooms and carry on. The third one had always been one of the most obedient to her elders and superiors so if she was of ¡°the Prince¡¯s tastes¡± she would require but a period of lenience to change into her role. The second one was already a good choice, she was in her prime age and much willing to carry out her duties. And the eldest¡­ Well, that was the one they had no new information to disclose. As seemed to be a consensus every time people were asked of her, she was candid, obedient, well-mannered, and beautiful, if not a little older. Even now, the Teachers were exulting their oldest daughter with glee. Cian sighed, turning to leave. Well, if that was all they had to offer, he might as well have a look for himself while the Thatcher¡¯s daughters were without his Mother¡¯s influence. Touch, turn, touch, turn, touch, turn, and easy like that, he was in the square garden that faced the room they were currently resting on. Still from a distance, he lifted his eyebrows as he spotted the youngest Tatcher jumping in a mud pit, dirtying her puffy dress and the visible parts of her small body with a childish joy on her face. Developing fast, was she? ¡°Ah, Manny, darling, be careful not to fall, yes? You know you have a frail physic,¡± The one that was undoubtedly the oldest warned through the window with a worried face¡­ A face that was irritated and rather puffed up in places. He slowed down his steps just a moment while he quickly reassessed the situation. Were the Tatchers lying? Perhaps just making the truth a little more favorable to them in order to cut a better deal? But it didn¡¯t make sense, it took but one look to be able to immediately see through their lies. And before it all, how would they be able to lie? No, Cian reasoned. It wasn¡¯t possible for them to be able to distort the truth in just one meeting with his Mother. Many from her close circle took years to even omit a benign fact from her, it was impossible for commoners with no unusual background to achieve this much resistance to her influence. The Tachters thought their words to be the truth¡­ Then why weren¡¯t they? With his curiosity spiked, Prince Cian approached the young one quickly, a faint smile on his face. Her pigtails flew in a circle when she turned to him, her curiosity like a mirror of his. ¡°Hello, little one. Are you having fun?¡± she stared at him with wide-open eyes, ¡°You must be¡­¡± Unauthorized content usage: if you discover this narrative on Amazon, report the violation. ¡°I¡¯m Miss Manny, sir,¡± she bowed down to him, ¡°But my sisters say I must be in a guardian¡¯s presence to interact with gentlemen so I must go back now. Have a nice day,¡± and she sprinted back as the maid that was looking out for her just happened to recognize him and immediately bow low intoning ¡°I greet your Highness the Crown Prince,¡± loud enough for all the rest to notice him too. Soon, they all bowed right where they were, and he sighed as his plan to further question the child flew out the window. Well, he was sure he¡¯d have better luck with the others: children were known to show a much higher resistance to his bloodline charms. ¡°Greetings, Misses,¡± he stepped in calmly before being suddenly interrupted by a young man¡­ Wait, was that the third Thatcher girl? ¡°It¡¯s an honor to be able to meet you, Your Majesty. If you would be so kind as to give me a handshake?¡± She seemed to have a lot of that merchant¡¯s quality, and she certainly smiled just like her parents did, ¡°I would certainly remember this day forever, and would never again wash myself in gratitude!¡± ¡°Please do wash,¡± he took her coarse and firm hand, ¡°I will be glad with just your sentiment, Miss¡­¡± ¡°Just Samir, Your Highness, no ¡®Miss¡¯ please,¡± and he smiled in apology. ¡°Very well,¡± he gazed through the others, ¡°I beg your pardon, but it seems that since I had very little time to get accustomed to your names, I will need to request an introduction.¡± The second shortest of the girls, the one with a white dress, curtsied before addressing his request. ¡°It would be our pleasure, Your Highness, for you to even consider remembering your humble servant''s names,¡± she had a humming-like voice, one that was easy to miss if you didn¡¯t keep your ears sharp, ¡°I am Gabriel. Your Highness has already met Samir,¡± she gestured in the third girl''s direction, ¡°This is our oldest sister, Alani,¡± the aforementioned girl gave him a flawless courtesy and he had to admit she did in fact had a perfect manner to her, ¡°And this is my youngest sister Manuel.¡± ¡°I believe we¡¯ve already got to know each other,¡± he graced her with an amusing smile, ¡°Though she introduced herself as Manny?¡± The child was currently hiding behind the two oldest, peeking at him. ¡°I apologize if she committed any offense, she is too young to know much about courtesy,¡± he waved for her to continue, ¡°She prefers to be addressed by her nickname, it¡¯s the same for me and Lulu as well. I believe you have noticed we have man¡¯s names, that is because in our Mother¡¯s culture the chances of having a child of your preferred gender increase if you gift them their name while in the pregnancy. Unfortunately, we all ended up as girls.¡± Not an unheard-of practice. He assumed to be something of the sort once he learned their Mother had ties with the Sandilands. ¡°Very well then, Miss Manny, it¡¯s a pleasure to meet you,¡± he smiled and the little girl blushed. He looked at the only other Tatcher that had not been introduced yet, ¡°You are Miss Lulu, I presume?¡± ¡°It¡¯s a pleasure to meet you, Your Highness,¡± the taller-than-him girl stated before retreating again to the back. Not one to enjoy the attention, was she? At least in that, their parent¡¯s words and reality seemed to align. ¡°Should we sit and chat for a bit?¡± the servants hurried up to serve them all tea as they rested on the sofas. As he observed, Cian could not help but notice the oldest attire and posture. Her dress seemed to hug her balanced figure beautifully and her straight back was held in a way it seemed natural for her to look at others from the top down, although her eyes were properly kept down while she sipped her tea. She almost looked like a noble lady already. Cian thought of the analysis they had of her again¡­ It seemed like those unfortunate pimples were the only disparity in their description. Could they perhaps be a new development? ¡°If you allow me one question, your Highness,¡± the second one (what was her name again?) raised her voice, ¡°You¡¯ve mentioned just now that you had ¡®little time to get to know us by our names¡¯. I wonder why someone so esteemed as yourself would know our lowly names beforehand? We are honored, of course, deeply, but I am curious about your generosity.¡± He sipped his tea, quietly sighing in his heart. So they didn¡¯t know yet. Should he tell them? And if he did, how much should he tell them? Cian gave them a look again and quickly lowered his teacup deciding he didn¡¯t want or felt like he should do any more than a friendly talk. He was already having a hard time dealing with his own expectations, he didn¡¯t feel capable of dealing with five others. Especially since one of those, maybe even more than one would end up as his wife. His wife for the Gods'' sake! But he reigned in his temper. It was not the time or the place to lose focus. He was there to get a look at them and hope that would help him decide what to do next. ¡°Oh, why, I¡¯ve heard it from your parents of course! I stayed briefly in their meeting with Mother so I did not hear much, but they had all the good words to describe their beautiful daughters.¡± Cian almost faltered his smile at the end. Strange how none of them reacted to the secondhand compliment, wasn¡¯t it? Having them up close to him would assure they were reacting truthfully and young girls always loved or loathed having their parents boasting about them. He stared a little bit closely at the one who made the question when she answered: ¡°...I understand,¡± and there was a hard sharpness to her eyes when she closed them to bow her head a little bit too higher than what courtesy demanded, ¡°Many thanks to his Highness for your consideration.¡± And he could swear he listened to a faint overtone of either disappointment or detached sarcasm in her words. ¡°Huh,¡± he said, suddenly very much interested, ¡°What was your name again Miss¡­?¡± When looked by him, people relaxed. People smiled. People talked and shared all the stories they had, such was the blessing of their bloodline. But not her. No, she reacted to his attention, he noticed, in a rather unusual way. She blinked quickly as if suddenly trying to get rid of a dizzy spell before staring straight into his eyes. ¡°Gabe. My name is Gabe.¡± 7 - Perceiving the Prince鈥檚 tricks Gabe was disappointed and it still wasn¡¯t for the Crown Prince''s looks¡­ Though she did wonder why someone with his status would go out of his way to appear so common. And there wasn¡¯t a doubt in her mind that he was trying to go unnoticed: His clothes were just a tiny bit too much like the colors of the gray marble all around him, and his short auburn hair was tucked away in a manner that wasn¡¯t flattering to anyone and his face was¡­ difficult to read. Difficult to see? She could tell he had eyes and a nose and a mouth like people do, but couldn¡¯t tell the details. Maybe that was why Marcus the jeweler talked about him being more on the other side of the veil. Alas, what disappointed her was his blatant disregard for them. Although his features were beyond what she could recognize, she could still feel it in his tone, in the way he addressed them. So far he was kind enough, but his last answer showed clear enough that he didn¡¯t seem to think they would have anything of value to say about the very essential matter of being married off. They were pieces for him to choose from. This didn¡¯t surprise her, that was precisely why they were so worried about the whole ordeal, to begin with, but, perhaps foolishly so, Gabe still hoped he would at least be respectable enough to be upfront about reality. But oh well. ¡°Say, Misses, I¡¯ve noticed that some of you have a rather peculiar look¡­ If I¡¯m correct your mother has the blood of a faraway lineage isn¡¯t it?¡± He leaned back to the armchair he was sitting on, staring at them with maybe curiosity, Gabe couldn¡¯t tell. She stopped his face from looking even more displeased. He was fetching for information, but why? She wasn¡¯t stupid enough to think the Prince didn¡¯t know their background, he probably heard about it both from his private means and from their parents themselves. So why did he need them to repeat? Maybe he was testing them to know if they would share their family¡¯s secrets (even if there were none)? ¡°That¡¯s right your highness,¡± Samir took the lead once more, ¡°Father was already a merchant when he got to the Sandilands looking for tapestries. He said that at that time, it was really hard to convince natives to sell them to foreigners, so he went all in and married the daughter of one of the most prodigious weavers from the city!¡± they laughed, boisterous. They had established some rules early on. Samir would speak first, Gabe second and the others would only speak if they were called upon. They would stick together at all points but Manny would have a leeway to run around. If she happened to see the prince before them (she had been told a detailed description of him) she was to excuse herself and immediately go back to alert them of his position. Lucky for them, the maids were lovely people that agreed to loudly made her know if someone important approached, so even before Manny reached them with the news, they were already on their feet and bowing. ¡°Hm,¡± the Prince answered, thoughtful, ¡°He didn¡¯t get in trouble with the natives though? I heard people on those lands have some troublesome costumes and rituals.¡± ¡°What of those?¡± Samir was always passionate about people taking what they thought was fit, ¡°If two people want each other then there is nothing that could be in the way! Not even the will of the Gods could!¡± Gabe couldn¡¯t help but look at them. What were they babbling about now? Talks of the Gods and their will was always a touchy topic, and that moment was definitely not one to be risky. ¡°Oh my! You are a rather passionate young lady, aren¡¯t you?¡± The Prince chucked amused, and Samir grimace hard enough for him to notice, ¡°Oh¡­ You don¡¯t like being called Young Lady?¡± ¡°It¡¯s what I hate the most,¡± they said. Gabe frowned. That was not right. Samir would never expose themself to a weakness like that, and not in a moment like this. What was happening? Was the medicine too much? ¡°Our Samir always had fierce opinions of everything,¡± Gabe intervened, ¡°I hope Your Highness doesn¡¯t take them wrong, yes? Sometimes their mouth is run by their heart alone.¡± The narrative has been illicitly obtained; should you discover it on Amazon, report the violation. Before any of them could manage an answer, Lulu demanded attention: ¡°What is this material? This can¡¯t be Iron, right?¡± She was close to a corner, lowering her glasses to observe the edges of the wall''s frame. ¡°...No, it isn¡¯t. It¡¯s dark silver,¡± he answered on their behalf. ¡°How is that made? Why isn¡¯t it Iron? It would serve the same purpose, no?¡± ¡°I wonder¡­¡± The Prince put his hand on his chin. The Prince was now staring at her, and Gabe thought he was¡­ Reavaluing her somehow? ¡°It¡¯s because of the Fairies and those of their bloodline, Lulu,¡± Gabe shook her head. For someone so smart, she sure skipped some very obvious details. The Palace had a long story of hosting and housing Faes and their descents, and everybody knew Iron was one of their worst dangers. But why was she up to begin with? Did Lulu decide against taking her pills? But even if she did, she would not be so brazen as to interrupt their conversation. While she continued to study the walls with great interest, a bell-like chuckle filled the air around them, so deity and faint it could be from a fairy herself. They all turned to Alina, who was watching Lulu with fondness. ¡°She was always the most curious, our Lulu,¡± and she smiled sweet enough no one could care for what blemishes were on her face. For a fraction of a moment, Gabe¡¯s face froze and her thoughts ran wild. There was something terribly wrong. Hard as it was to believe Samir or Lulu would make such critical mistakes, she knew they were young and that played a part sometimes. But Alani would never. Not in a situation like this. Another fraction of a moment went by as she reassessed all their interaction ever since they got to the Castle, no, ever since they met the Prince. There was something that shifted when he got there, Gabe could spot the abnormalities even in herself. Why would she allow Samir to speak so much without interfering? Why didn¡¯t she spot Lulu standing up? Why would she answer a question the Prince clearly wanted to deflect by using the word ¡°Fairies¡± of all things? All in the kingdom knew that that was a term used only in tales or informal conversations. It had to be magic. The Prince had fairy blood and they all know them to be creatures with Charm. He was making them lose their focus. The how and why were beyond her at the moment, and she only thought about what. What could she do? How would she fight against something she had no clue on how it even worked? Could she do anything at all? But if she did, their sisters were doomed. They had no way to know the effect this was having on them and Gabe couldn¡¯t warn them in front of him. Was that it? Their plan was to crumble just like that? She knew it had weakness since their parents would tell a very different story, but she thought: If faced with two versions of facts, would the Royals believe more in their parents, who are itching to just marry them off for profit, or them, simple-minded young maidens? The key to that was precisely that all of them had to sustain the charade both in actions and words. If they couldn¡¯t, what would last for them to do? Nothing. There was nothing she could do. There was nothing none of them could do. They were fated to be dealt with like cows, to be sold, bread, and dead. Gabe felt a touch on the back of her hand. Big green eyes stared at her with but a second of concern, but Manny''s hold on her hand convened that she still trusted her. Gabe blinked, forcing all her doubts to go away. She couldn¡¯t give up just yet. Her sisters were still counting on her. There was nothing she could do to avert the effects of the Charm on her sisters, but if the source of it was staying close to the Prince, then she could at least contain the damage. ¡°Is there something wrong, Miss Gabe,¡± his voice felt like a warm touch, slowly soothing her worries, ¡°You look a little pale.¡± Again, Manny held her hand tight, and she held it back. It was easy for Gabe to let go, making sure her face looked nothing more than relaxed when she smiled at him. Still, Manny''s touch reminded her of what had to be done, and the only option left for her to leash the situation back in control was to take the offense. ¡°Apologies Your Highness,¡± She stood up, ¡°It seems that I am feeling a little unrested, maybe because we are all here in the room. Would you mind if me and Manny took a walk in the garden?¡± ¡°... If it''s your wish.¡± She looked at the others and wished they had rehearsed a couple of warning hand signs, but alas, they got the point and readily invited themselves to walk with her. At last, the Prince also stood. ¡°Let us have a nice walk together then,¡± once again, he felt that intent, that strong feeling of ease that she would mistake for pleasure in his tone just but a moment ago, ¡°I am sure it will be lovely.¡± She stared at his face, still unable to discern whatever his emotions were, so Gabe just smiled and courtesied before striding out. 8 - Round one: The girl VS The Prince The garden was not big enough for one to get lost in and not as orderly as one would expect from a noble ground, but it still displayed the Royal family''s wealth. Tall, spacious trees made sunlight get to the floor in patches, and well-trimmed bushes or smaller plants covered every part that wasn¡¯t the stone trail crossing one point of halls of the castle to another. Gabe couldn¡¯t tell for sure since she had never personally been there, but by people¡¯s accounts, it looked like a part of the Enchanted Woods was pieced out and placed there, in the heart of the city. Once they got out Samir immediately started wandering around, marveling at the atmosphere. Gabe knew him to be interested ever since they got there, although he had contained his impulse to explore before the Prince¡¯s presence. Well, she supposed that was a good thing since she wanted them all to leave his side as soon as possible. Manny, who Gabe couldn¡¯t notice was rather composed compared to her other sisters, looked at her with a question and she nodded ever so slightly at her. Everyone they talked to (also gossip they heard throughout the years) said that room they were in just now was what the one guests usually were placed in. Members of the Court very rarely went through the inner door, instead opting for crossing the Garden to reach it. Again, Gabe couldn¡¯t say for sure since that was her first time there, but they betted those stone paths could quickly get to the area for formal meetings and to the inner parts of the Castle. Manny was, from the start, on watch-out duty to get as close to the other side without losing sight of them. ¡°Alani, sister, why don¡¯t you go keep an eye on Manny? She always listens to you the best,¡± Gabe suggested as Manny ran excitedly after a butterfly. Alani looked at her, seeming to subtly get something, before squeezing her hand. She excused herself to the Prince and followed the little one. Gabe looked at Lulu, the only one left besides her and the Prince, and froze as it was clear as day that she looked either overwhelmingly bothered or wholly unsatisfied. Ah, Gabe thought, there was that. ¡°Oh my, it seems like the problem now is with Miss Lulu!¡± the Prince jested. ¡°Please forgive her, your Highness,¡± she answered before the younger girl could have a chance to open her mouth, ¡°Ever since little she was quite sensitive to being outdoors¡­¡± ¡°...Because there are always bugs everywhere, sister! And the air is just so humid!¡± She defended herself. ¡°Though she does seem uncommonly sensible today,¡± Gabe gave a warning look that was wasted on her. The Charm again. Was it affecting Lulu to make her aloof or affecting Gabe to make her tone too soft? The Prince observed the younger one. ¡°If you hate it so much why did you insist on coming?¡± ¡°Because of her, why else?¡± she gave an accusatory look to Gabe. Silence stretched for dangerously long seconds. ¡°She must have felt pressured to come since the others came as well, Miss Gabe,¡± strangely, it was the Prince who relieved the pressure, ¡°I think it will be alright for you to go back, no? Your parents will be back soon enough too,¡± and without a need of a second word she retired inside with heavy steps. Convenient, if not a little uncomfortable. They paced forward ever so slowly, side by side, and she could hear the birds chirping and the leaves rustling. Manny and Samir were talking in the distance, and Alani¡¯s chuckles filled the air. When she turned back, Lulu had already entertained herself by trying to measure the pillars. The weather was nice, and the sunlight was in that perfect spot of a shade less before getting hot. Gabe almost forgot she was in the presence of the future king. She almost opened a genuine smile. ¡°So, Miss Gabe,¡± her heart jumped at his voice, ¡° Your sisters listen to you a lot, don¡¯t they?¡± The Godsdamning Charm, she remembered. How could she have forgotten it in so little time? ¡°We spend a lot of time by ourselves, Your Highness,¡± she held her back straight, ¡°So the younger ones have a lot of respect towards the elders.¡± ¡°You don¡¯t seem to respect your elder sister as much as the little ones respect you, though.¡± ¡°We all respect Alani the most,¡± Gabe said it and regretted it at the spot. That was not what she intended to say. Why would she say something so¡­ truthful to him? She turned her head to the side, trying to manage her face. ¡°Is that so? If that¡¯s the case, then she sure does listen to you a lot. Perhaps the responsibility of taking the front in formal events usually falls onto you?¡± ¡°Yes,¡± she spat against her will. ¡°Why is that so?¡± ¡°Because I have both the aptitude and the will. Alani taught us that we ought to never do anything if that isn¡¯t the case.¡± ¡°A very kind older sister. Not many families have the luck of having that.¡± She had to do something or it wouldn¡¯t take long until he got to her secrets. The offensive, she remembered. ¡°Was that your case, perhaps?¡± she turned the question back at him, staring him in the eyes. The Prince looked at her, pausing for a moment. ¡°The fae lineage is known to be able to produce only one offspring,¡± he explained. If you come across this story on Amazon, it''s taken without permission from the author. Report it. Gabe suppresses the urge to cringe. Of course, that was common knowledge. Her Majesty the Queen only had one son. The embarrassment must have made some of her remaining control slip because she followed with: ¡°It must have been a lonely childhood, then.¡± He seemed to think about it. ¡°You could say that, I suppose,¡± but there was something in his tone that made her doubt his words. This seemed to somehow help her get a little looser from his machinations because she could swear she could see his face a little better than before. ¡°Your mother must have supported you, though. It is known to all in the Kingdom that she loves you the most, and there is no way a child can be lonely if they have their mother by their side,¡± she continued pressing. He opened a yellow smile to her advances. ¡°My mother is before anything else, The Queen,¡± he didn¡¯t allow her to continue, ¡°And you. Even if you have your sisters, don¡¯t you still feel lonely, Miss Gabriel? Having to deal with the Prince¡¯s Charms all by yourself?¡± She halted her steps, and so did he. The Prince turned to her, a faint smile still present and Gabe knew that even without the Charm acting upon her, it would be foolish to pretend she had not understood what he meant. ¡°It''s The Burden of Those Who Know,¡± she quoted a popular saying in their district. If the others were oblivious to what was happening, then the responsibility to do something fell upon those who weren¡¯t. He nodded, seeming to approve of her reasoning. ¡°How, Miss Gabe?¡± ¡°It was obvious, was it not?¡± she lowered her head, gritting her teeth at her inability to just lie, ¡°Neither my sisters nor I were behaving as usual in such a setting.¡± ¡°No,¡± he denied, ¡°It shouldn¡¯t be obvious at all. If it isn¡¯t the case of you having a special bloodline,¡± he waited for her denial to continue, ¡°Then it could be because of a peculiar upbringing. Did you meet a Fairy before, Miss Gabe? No? Then perhaps, it could be the works of some¡­ Bodily influences. Is that the case?¡± ¡°I took medicine for my nerves, yes. I knew I would be on the vanguard so I wanted to make sure I would feel¡­ Ready,¡± Gabe¡¯s eyes watered out of pure frustration. Seeming to notice her very obvious distress, the Prince resumed their walk, offering his arm for her to take. How would she deny the Prince? They walked side by side, closer than before. ¡°Oh my, why say things as if we are on a battlefield, Miss Gabe? You don¡¯t have anything to lose.¡± she felt that again, the easiness in his voice, ¡°You and your family are being graced with a wonderful chance, aren¡¯t you?¡± ¡°What chance, Crown Prince? What do you mean by that?¡± Gabe couldn¡¯t help it, she was just furious. His tone was just so sure she would be grateful that he meddled with their lives, intending to make them their dutiful little life-saving charm. So sure. And he questioned her about all his doubts but not once, not once he asked if she wanted to share those with him or what she wanted to know. They stopped again, his face very close to hers as they yet again stared at each other. He had a long, slender nose, she notice amidst her fury. And lighter lashes, almost as red as his lips, contrasting deep black eyes. ¡°You know, don¡¯t you?¡± he said quietly. Yes, she did, but if talking meant she would lose control of what she would say, then Gabe would remain quiet. ¡°How?¡± He shook his head as she continued with her lips pressed together. He pointed at her sisters with his chin, ¡°Them. You don¡¯t want them to be chosen, do you? Why? Is it because you want to take it for yourself?¡± ¡°Never,¡± she spat again. ¡°Then why? Your older sister is already getting past her prime, and she seems reasonable enough. This should be the perfect opportunity for her, no?¡± Gabe shook her head thinking of ways to convey what she wanted without sharing what she didn¡¯t, because it was obvious at this point the Prince wouldn¡¯t stop until he was satisfied. ¡°You refuse to share your secrets and yet try to force me to share one that isn¡¯t even mine,¡± she denied his influence, ¡°How would that be fair, Your Highness?¡± ¡°I am your Prince. It is more than fair to share key information to whom you are subservient to, isn¡¯t it?¡± ¡°And one of us is to be your Wife,¡± she rebuked, ¡°We deserve at least your courtesy to allow us to choose when we will share what¡¯s in our hearts.¡± ¡°¡­ Is that so? Then don¡¯t make me wait for long, Gabriel. I was never known to be of the patient kind.¡± They stopped at the gazebo in the middle of the Garden, and her sisters were close enough to notice something wasn¡¯t right. She raised her hands, indicating that they should continue as they were. ¡°You know, Miss Gabe,¡± he watched the others with her, ¡°You seem used to making the decisions for them. But you know that the choice of who will marry and who won¡¯t isn¡¯t yours for you to make, don¡¯t you?¡± ¡°Is it yours then?¡± Surprisingly, he shook his head, his voice lower than normal. ¡°If it was do you really believe I would be marrying any of you?¡± Gabe turned to him, watching his slightly more discernable face ¨C and the bitter smile that was settled there ¨C thinking that maybe, only maybe, he wasn¡¯t so in control as she thought him to be. ¡°Apologies,¡± he said, dispersing what somber feeling he had, ¡°That was rude of me. I didn¡¯t mean to insult yours or any of your sister¡¯s virtues, of course.¡± She sighed, debating whether or not she should give him the grace of the truth. Gabe was still angry, of course, but she could sympathize with the sentiment of being forced into a position you didn¡¯t want to be. And even more, it frustrated her to great lengths that he didn¡¯t seem to notice how hypocritical he was being. ¡°Pay it no mind, Your Highness,¡± she continued where he left, ¡°You can¡¯t control your circumstances, but you at least have options. For us, all there¡¯s left to do is to say yes regardless of what any of us wish.¡± ¡°Isn¡¯t being married off to the person their parents see fit the duty of a diligent daughter?¡± he raised his eyebrow. ¡°Perhaps,¡± she fought to find the words she wanted to use again, ¡°but our Alani thought us to have a mind of our own. And in my mind, there is only what is best for my sisters first, and then all the rest.¡± ¡°And the best is for them to be far away from this Castle, is it?¡± ¡°You have already looked for yourself, your Highness,¡± she pointed at them, playing carefree in the garden, ¡°Do you believe any of them have the aptitude?¡± ¡°Your oldest sister has,¡± he immediately answered. ¡°What about the willingness?¡± He silenced at that. ¡°... Keeping secrets won¡¯t take you very far, Miss Gabe, and if you want my support (and we both know you need it if you ought to keep having such a strong mind) give me at least something, won¡¯t you?¡± Gabe would never give him any more than he already had. What else could she gift him with? Ah. She promptly took out the bag she was keeping in her pocket. ¡°Well, do you want some cinnamon biscuits then?¡± He stared, flabbergasted for a second, and then laughed. It was a carefree laugh, one as if he really meant it, and Gabe finally allowed herself to relax. She quietly thanked Mr. Marcus in her heart. 9 - And whats in Lucius head? Lulu realized she had been played the moment she reached the inside of the room. It had been years since she last acted this spoiled and she would surely not do so in that situation¡­ After all, she acknowledged she had a temper, yes, but Lulu knew herself enough to be sure she would never, never betray her sisters¡¯ interests just like that. Her eyes flew to where her older sister was. Gabe had purposely taken them out of the room. Perhaps it was enchanted? She quickly surveyed her surroundings, ignoring the funny looks the staff was giving her (they had been ordered to remain back). Gods and Fairies above, it was spectacular work. The walls had something in it that was utterly fascinating. When you looked close enough, you could spot a slight bend in its anatomy that should render it impossible to hold its weight considering the sheer size of the Castle, and ever since she got there she was just cracking her brain like crazy to try to think about how it worked. That was another reason why she had decided not to take her pills. How would she notice that if she was sleepwalking? Focus, Lulu, focus, she reminded herself. There was nothing weird in the room, so maybe it was in the pillars of the hall middle of the room/garden? She searched it''s entirety as well, to no avail. She took a deep breath, realizing she was still not acting like herself. Acting so harshly was for the likes of Samir, she had to think first. When did she start acting unusual? Was it when she entered the carriage? No. The Castle? Not also. Not in the salon either, or when she was seated on the sofa. Her eyes moved towards Gabe, who was beside him still, calmly strolling down the stone path. She had allowed Lulu to go back rather easily, didn¡¯t she? The truth dawned upon her: She was saving the others from his effect by keeping him away from them. Support the creativity of authors by visiting the original site for this novel and more. Lulu frowned, thinking about what she should do next. Was Gabe safe from his enchantment? Or perhaps she was before when he was focusing on the others? She wanted to go there, to help her stand her ground against him, but Lulu knew she would be a liability to her if she couldn¡¯t manage to shake off whatever he was doing. ¡°Is there something wrong, Miss Lulu?¡± the Butler asked. ¡°Huh?¡± She turned to his soft expression, ¡°If I¡¯m well?¡± ¡°Yes,¡± he looked forward, a shine in his eyes when he noticed Gabe and The Prince, ¡°You¡¯ve been looking rather worried since you began watching outside.¡± Lulu froze. Gabe had warned them about that, the staff. She said that whatever they did in front of them would probably be informed to who they answered, be it the Prince or the Queen. They had to be careful about how they acted and what they said. ¡°I am okay. I am worried if they will take long,¡± she said quietly, adjusting her glasses and lowering her head. ¡°I am sure they will be back in no time, Miss,¡± he was staring out too, now, and a while later, when she raised her head, Lulu saw that her sister halted in a very uncharacteristic way, and the Prince soon after. ¡°Let¡¯s go inside while we wait,¡± she said immediately. The butler, a tall older man with pristine dressings, gave her an evaluative stare. She absolutely hated this look, and loathed it even more than adventuring outside. The look as if everything she did would be under someone else¡¯s jury. That shouldn¡¯t happen, Alani thought her. The only one to approve and decide what was right for her should be herself. But her sister needed her. If keeping the eyes of the staff towards herself would allow Gabe to act without consequences (and that meant even more now that the Prince was maybe or maybe not enchanting her to act without restraint), then she would at least do that for her. 10 - The Queen makes her moves Cian was still debating if he should continue pressing or soothing the surprising little girl in front of him (she even made him laugh, of all things!) when, very unfortunately, their parents approached, led by Duke Edwards himself. The burly man approached with a face that didn¡¯t deny his usual reserved mood: The man was calm, reticent, practical, and forever loyal to his Queen, and that was why she always ordered him to take care of guests and newcomers in the Court. No other noble would have the chance of winning them over before she decided if she wanted them or not. The Prince smiled when the other girls flocked together little chicks when they spotted them, the oldest one immediately throwing her eyes in their direction, asking for further instructions not from him, no, but from her younger sister. The smaller one looked at her. If he wasn¡¯t watching her closely and intently he wouldn¡¯t notice the slight turn in her head, undoubtedly to indicate they should approach their parents, who followed close behind the Duke. He chucked. ¡°Still giving orders, I see,¡± he said very quietly. Gabriel shot him one look very close to annoyance, but smiled before bowing her head. ¡°As you said before Your Highness, I¡¯m usually the one knowledgeable about courtesy,¡± he shook his head in defeat. Once again she managed to neither directly acknowledge nor deny his claims, ¡°Should we join them?¡± ¡°We should,¡± and that they did. The Thatcher¡¯s daughters all placed themselves behind their parents (soon the fourth one was gathered as well) making him have to position himself in the terrible spot of interacting with the leeches. ¡°My Prince, though it¡¯s an honor to finally see you, should we talk about the important matters at hand? What did you think of our girls?¡± ¡°Oh yes,¡± the mother, an older lady remarkably similar to the eldest daughter, had more tact, ¡°We are very eager to have the opportunity to chat. Perhaps we could set a date to have some afternoon tea?¡± He gave them a distant smile. ¡°Perhaps a morning breakfast would be more fitting. I imagine we have much to talk about and I wouldn¡¯t want you to face any danger or inconvenience if you end up having to go back to your home in the night,¡± and with that, he would ensure they would leave on the same day at least. The older man gave a guffaw that reminded him very much of the Third¡¯s Tatcher girl¡¯s laugh. ¡°You will be surprised to find out that a long way home won¡¯t be a problem at all!¡± He had a satisfied gleam in his eyes. Cian squinted his eyes. Was he implying what he was thinking? His mother wouldn¡¯t do so without asking him, would she? ¡°Is that so? Now you made me rather curious, Mr Tatcher.¡± ¡°Your Mother was the most generous to us, the most generous!¡± Ah. So she would. A cold type of frustration, one very close to anger, boiled in his stomach. ¡°Now I understand,¡± his tone was hard but they were still too drunk in the Charm to notice, ¡°Well then, I will bid you goodbye and safe move. We can discuss further details later on.¡± When he turned to leave, the Prince couldn¡¯t help but meet his gaze with the Tatcher¡¯s second girl''s knowing eyes, looking at him almost as if she knew of his disposition. Perhaps she was the only one of the bunch¡­ But unfortunately for her, Cian wasn¡¯t in the mood to indulge her any longer. He put her out of his mind as he strode away, touching and turning. Cian didn¡¯t go meet his mother. As upset as he was that she likely arranged for them to move either to the Castle or a mansion close by, he had been too close to boiling over those past few days to be able to control himself under her influence. This whole ordeal was making being a Prince¡­ Take a tool on him. Even more than what it usually did. The story has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation. He went instead to his private stables. The only cleaning boy he allowed in there went and left purposely on moments Cian was certain to not be there, so it was just him and his mare, Mable. The Prince approached her, giving her a touch head in head before mounting. The Mare was a nice shade of honey brown and had clever eyes, but what he loved the most about her was that she loved to run as much as him. Once they crossed the meagher part of the city, behind the Castle, and reached the meadow that limited the edges of the Enchanted Woods, they could, together, pretend they were free. Pretend they could run in whatever direction they wanted and that no one would have the power to stop them. Cian felt the air running through his hair, making it come undone, and the sweat slip down his skin, no more touching and turning, no more talking, no more pressing, no more thinking and for a moment, he was nothing of a Prince. Nothing. Eventually though, as he always did, he returned to his stables. He returned to his Castle. Returned and met his Mother the Queen, waiting at the stable for his return. ¡°Had a nice ride?¡± She opened that dazzling smile of hers. If his hair was auburn hers were red. If his eyes were dark hers were pitch black. If he was slender, she was a willow. If he had charm she had Power. And power she showed in her every move, in every piece of her immaculate clothing even while stepping on dirt as she was. ¡°The most pleasant one, Mother,¡± he smiled as he got down to greet her. Cian gave her a kiss on the cheek, so faint it could very well have not touched her skin. ¡°The Tatchers seemed very satisfied on their way out,¡± he said faintly as he tended his Mable. ¡°Weren¡¯t they? They thought of my proposal as the most agreeable one,¡± Her voice, unlike one would expect a woman like her, was uncommonly deep. ¡°Not surprisingly so,¡± he said sarcastically, ¡°Did you invite them to live on the east side of the Castle or the surrounding area?¡± ¡°Surroundings. One has to be careful about who they invite to their home,¡± and yet wasn¡¯t that akin to doing so? The mansions surrounding the Castle were only habited by those of the council and their close relatives. He couldn¡¯t help but glare at her, no doubt an effect of her blessing acting upon him. He tried to distract himself by changing his mounting boots to his regular ones more carefully and The Queen only sighed at his reaction, approaching closer in front of him. ¡°What is the matter son? Wouldn¡¯t that happen sooner or later? Regardless of what any of us want, their presence will remain. Isn¡¯t it better if we seize their favor and seed familiarity while the soil is fertile?¡± The Prince looked up from where he was seated, watching her warm eyes. She was doing it for him, she could hear it in her words. He knew that, Cian did. But he couldn¡¯t help but resent it still. Why so soon? Why would she decide to move their family so close to him in a matter of one meeting? He didn''t even have time to talk to them personally for the Gods¡¯ sake! He didn¡¯t have time to adjust to any of this, and things kept on happening. First this prophecy and his upending death, then marriage, then his mother¡¯s moving things along without asking his opinion or permission, and now those strangers closer and closer by the second to him and his personal space as if he had little turmoil to deal with at the Court and at his half-siblings behalf. Gods and Fairies above, Cian was still in the middle of a cold war with his eldest sister! He laced his boots tightly, tightly, before meeting her stare again. ¡°I¡¯d have appreciated a heads up at least,¡± he couldn¡¯t help his tongue. His mother shook her head, turning with the smoothness of someone that seemed to not touch the ground. ¡°You would have had one if you bothered to attend our meeting.¡± He got up, walking past her, because he couldn¡¯t help himself. ¡°They are merchants, Mother. Half an hour listening to their babbling and I knew I was right to question what is there to know from them. And don¡¯t claim respect and courtesy. What respect should be held to their kind if they are incapable of giving it back?¡± Although annoyed, he still held her hand while helping her walk up the steps to the outer halls leading Back to the Castle, ¡°We already know what is there to know from our agents, and whichever decisions there are left to make should be dealt with by me. I should have at least that, shouldn¡¯t I?¡± They had stopped midway, in front of each other. As the Queen waited for him to finish his complaints, he realized ¨C a little too late ¨C that he wasn¡¯t saying any of that entirely out of his free will. Cian smiled bitterly when she touched his arm kindly and reassuringly. ¡°I understand your frustration son, I truly do,¡± she gestured for them to resume their walking, ¡°But people like us don¡¯t have the entitlement to react to things unwisely. You will have choices enough once the field is in your favor, but for us to secure that, we have to know how to compromise and swiftly do so.¡± They both looked at the entrance of the Castle, slowing their pace as much as they could. Once they were inside, privacy would be compromised. ¡°Thought the Tatchers acted¡­ as expected from someone of their profession, they were agreeable enough. And with sufficient patience and leading, they shared some valuable information regarding why their family was the one on a Prophecy so significant.¡± The Prince squinted his eyes. Yes, they had all been wondering why such a humble family was the to save the Crown Prince¡¯s life, but since things had been happening so fast, that was the first time Cian allowed himself to delve into it. ¡°What do you mean?¡± ¡°Their eldest daughter.¡± 11 - Keeping other鈥檚 secrets ¡°...Their eldest daughter. She happened to show uncommonly early signs of development,¡± her eyes went cold, ¡°They said she didn¡¯t talk until 7, but once she did, she had perfect speech. Even earlier than that, she seemed to have had a flawless manner to her acting, as if she was an adult already. The girl had always been always smarter than any usual child could be. If the stories they shared were real, then it is suspiciously so.¡± He thought of her bearing again, regretting having spared so little time with her and regretting even more taking it easy with the second Thatcher. ¡°Is she a Devil¡¯s spawn? Or perhaps, she has a Fae bloodline?¡± ¡°... Or she could have been blessed by a God or even have awoken an unknown bloodline of Something from the Sandilands. It is impossible to know,¡± she stared into his eyes, ¡°What you should ponder as for now, is that we wouldn¡¯t know that if I had not had the willingness to further question them. And if I didn¡¯t, then certainly some less favorable Dukes and Duchess from the Council would have done so.¡± He winced. Some of those in the seven seatings were on his sister¡¯s side. And¡­ he might have acted rashly out of frustration, but he wasn¡¯t unaware enough to be ignorant of the situation: The Council had agreed to support his marriage because his life was at stake, but they, unanimously, ¡°kindly¡± asked to be present in the process, hence their presence in the Thatchers'' interrogation. He supposed that if his mother had not acted quickly on moving them to a place of her choosing, further tying them to her and allowing her to closely watch who and what approached them, then it wouldn¡¯t take long for someone to try to either do the same or¡­ Use some other means to win their favor while they weren¡¯t looking. ¡°I understand, Mother,¡± he bowed his head and the Queen just acknowledged his silent apology with a nod. It was usually like that with her. He remained quiet just a moment more before continuing, ¡°What about the other girls? Is there something of interest coming from them?¡± ¡°Not much, though hiding any anomaly could have been an effort from the eldest one. It seems like they trusted much, if not all of the younger ones¡¯ raising to her.¡± ¡°I doubt it,¡± Cian said, shaking his head. She might¡¯ve really taken the role of the caretaker, but the one scheming for others was definitely not her. The Queen studied his face. ¡°... Is that so?¡± she smiled warmly again, ¡°And what did you think of them?¡± Oh. Cian knew of this smile. The satisfaction of her tone and the warm energy surrounding her was all too familiar to the Prince. He watched her with careful eyes while suspicion grew in his heart: Did she single out the girls from their parents for him to have a chance to oversee them while she handled the other two? Again, the frustration¡­ But he tried to ignore it as he answered her question. Support the author by searching for the original publication of this novel. ¡°The last one is much younger than what was said. It will take at least four or five years for her to mature into womanhood.¡± ¡°It is no problem. We have many options before having to pick her¡­ and the time would allow us to shape her into someone appropriate to her role.¡± Cian agreed to her as he had thought the same. ¡°The third one is a no. She is already old enough, but¡­¡± the Queen lifted her eyebrows, questioning, ¡° Well, you will see it for yourself once you meet them. She is not fit for any of it, I would say.¡± The Queen only nodded, respecting his projection. Knowing her the way he did, Cian did not doubt The Queen would hold him to his word. ¡°The fourth one does seem to like to be by herself, they didn¡¯t lie about that, but I suspect she will pose great opposition to whatever is imposed on her. She seems to be one that is entitled, opinionated, and too curious for their own good. Not a very good match if I dare say so.¡± ¡°We can bend her over time. One just has to be patient and move with intention.¡± That he doubted, but he continued nonetheless. ¡°The oldest is good. Now that I ponder about it, it¡¯s indeed suspiciously so: she looked the perfect image of a noble already. She showed effortless manners, etiquette, and beauty, though the girl seemed to be suffering from some unfortunate blemishes on her face.¡± ¡°Is she now? All we spoke to said of her handsomeness... Perhaps we have to look further into it. Did you like her?¡± ¡°We had little interaction. She seemed very keen on caring for the youngest one.¡± When Cian looked at her again, his mother had a flash of a calculating look to her, but as soon as it came it vanished. ¡°And the second one? From what they shared, she is a reasonable pick too, yes?¡± They were almost there now, entering the Castle. They were almost there and Cian considered telling her it all, about her strange reactions and her strong head and her willful opinions, and her surprising actions. What would his mother do with the information that she exerted incredible control over all of her sisters, the oldest included? What would his mother do if she knew that they all listened to her like sheep to a shepherd? He didn¡¯t have to think long to reach a conclusion. She would seize her just like she seized control of this whole situation after he had told her about the Prophecy. This time, he was sure that his eyes were the ones that flashed a calculating light. The Prince knew his mother The Queen wanted what was best for him. He knew that she wanted him to survive and thrive. But part of him still rebelled. Part of him remained restless to the one that so very easily took away his ability to choose and move for himself, taking his judgment for granted even after he was long past his childhood and teen years. And so, if she would play smarter than him, then he should at least try to match it up, no? ¡°She isn¡¯t as good as the oldest, but the girl sure seems more favorable to marriage. She kept trying to impress me at any chance she got!¡± The Prince covered. And with that, no matter what her informants were to tell of the meeting and how long they spent together, there would be no further speculations. The Queen hummed, thoughtful. ¡°I imagine that with her age, she is eager for a suitor, and much more so if it is a Prince.¡± And he smiled while allowing her to continue thinking so as they entered the Castle, delaying any more conversation for later. He would have to be firm in his next move to recruit the second girl before his mother''s sharp eyes could perceive her value and as they stepped onto the smooth and cold polished floor of their home, the Prince''s mind worked fast. 12 - When they were young Alani had been a very, very melancholic child, so much so that even Gabriel, a kid two years younger, could perceive it. Or was it because she was so young that she could tell? Whatever the reason, it was clear to her. It was the way Alani stared long to the horizon while traveling in their parent''s cart, and how she ate very little every meal. It was the way she only spoke in short whispers, so faint Gabe thought she was imagining it sometimes, and even the way her eyes were always, always dropped to the ground. Almost as if she was sleepwalking through life, Gabe remembered. ¡°Why sad, sis?¡± She would ask early on, but Alani would never answer, so eventually, she stopped speaking to her altogether. Gabe spent a lot of time by herself, so she learned quickly how to take care of her own. Because of that, their childbearing Mother, with a baby in her arms and tiredness in her eyes, started to ask her for help with the petit and frail-looking child her older sister was. So, as soon as she was old enough to understand, Gabe helped Alani bathe and dealt with their portion of food, as well as acted as a bridge to observe her closely and pass on the silent message of whatever Alani needed to their mother... And after her, Samir. Her younger sister was a blessing she cherished deeply, even if Gabe(at the age of five at that point) had double the work looking out for her. She was too young to get the details, but she knew their parents weren¡¯t financially well. Food was scarce and they never stopped in any city, like they did the years before. Their Mother and Father argued a lot too, something related to ¡°going back to their Mother¡¯s land¡± so she kept herself and her sisters away from them as much as possible. They wandered on the edge of the forests, marking the way back with colored rocks while she sang and told tales she heard the passing villagers share. Many times, her tiny brain ended up forgetting huge chunks of it, but she stretched on the stories and the songs as long as she could so that they could at least for a while forget about it all. As they explored, Samir always within her eyesight and Alani¡¯s hand firmly in hers, she scanned for berries they could eat. Many times, that would be their only meal besides a daily supper in the evening. This narrative has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. If you see it on Amazon, please report it. It was around that point in time (her Samir reaching the mark of three and Lulu on the way) that something seemed to snap on the oldest. She began talking out loud, for starters, which brought immense relief to their parents. It was only then that Gabe realized Alain¡¯s affliction had been another major topic for them to argue and worry about. The fights decreased greatly after that. Alani stood in front of them when dealing with their parents and took to herself the job of instructing them on anything they didn¡¯t know of (and why, she seemed to know of everything). After some complications in Lucious'' birth, she dealt closely with the infant as well. Because it took a long time for their mother to completely heal (forcing them to stay stationary in the Capital while their Father traveled back to their Mother¡¯s land to get some of the goods they still sold in recent days) their oldest acted like their core caretaker. It was a change that Gabriel did not take lightly. In fact, she had a great deal of trouble accepting the absurdity of it all. Had a devil cursed her soul to have a great boon in exchange for a terrible curse? Had the Fae killed her on a dark night while they were sleeping and was now playing a sick joke on them by puppeteering her corpse? Was she a doppelganger trying to slowly replace them all with their otherworldly twins? She certainly had listened to enough stories to entertain every kind of theory, back then. Her distrust got to a point that the reluctant and mild-mannered Alani confronted her about it, in tears. And Gods and Goddess above, Gabe had never seen her sister cry until that point, much less in that intensity. She wailed, sobbing loudly, ¡°Please, don¡¯t treat me like a stranger. Please. I don¡¯t want to be alone again¡±. It still didn¡¯t make much sense, and Gabe would only have answers many years later, but seeing her like that, desperate for acceptance, was something that would be forever engraved in her mind. She understood then that whatever her sister was before that point was merely a shell, and this was now Alani. A lonely older sister who was very eager to help and in deep need of care and companionship. After she thought of the latter... At least that part of her didn¡¯t change, she supposed. 13 - The storm that followed Their third sister was the first to speak but wasn¡¯t the first to get up from their seats, enraged: ¡°What do you mean we are going to move to besides the Castle?!¡± Samir¡¯s voice was loud and crass. ¡°Are you out of your mind?!¡± Lulu exclaimed, doing as she did so rarely and extending herself to her full height, almost as tall as their parents, ¡°You can¡¯t possibly have simply said yes to such a stupid proposal!¡± Their mother, seated on their dining table in the space between their room, looked at them with the dangerous look of someone who wasn¡¯t at all pleased with their attitude. It would be a look that would usually suffice for them to quiet down, but not this time. ¡°Mother, it¡¯s so sudden! We are just wondering why we have to do this, yes?¡± Manny interfered, pulling in vain Lulu¡¯s skirt, then with better luck, Samir¡¯s. ¡°Girls,¡± she stood up¡­ ¡°Remember your manners. I am your Mother,¡± ¡­and stared them down, the second tallest in the family, ¡°I won¡¯t take any request if it is delivered with this attitude. And beyond that, it baffles me you aren¡¯t thrilled with such a wonderful prospect! Why do you act as if this is a punishment? Don¡¯t you know that with this me and your Father will have much better prospects professionally and much higher chances of arranging a suitable marriage with a gentleman of higher rank?¡± ¡°Damn marriage, marriage, marriage! Why is this the only thing you talk to us about? Don¡¯t we deserve the courtesy of being at least asked before you intend to give us off with plucked legs and a bow like a bird?¡± It was clear to all but Samir that their words struck a chord that should not have been struck in their Mother. Alani quickly stood up as well, touching her sisters¡¯ shoulders to indicate they should move back. They complied with a slight flash of hesitation and the oldest, as tall as her mother, did another unusual action when she looked their progenitor in the eyes. ¡°Mother. I hope you can understand and forgive our reaction to all of those¡­ unexpected events. But they are indeed rather sudden and we have not been given any explanation. We are restless thinking about what this all could mean, and why it is happening to our family. Manny might be young enough to follow without any harsh judgments but Lulu, Samir, Gabe as well as myself are old enough to think about good and bad projections.¡± So rare it was for their oldest to stand against their Mother, she hesitated before continuing to lecture them¡­ But the oldest sister¡¯s influence and good grace didn¡¯t seem to be enough to stop her sense of seniority, even more so after what was said by her younger sister. ¡°And to explain would¡¯ve been my next step if I had not been so rudely interrupted by your disrespect! My Goddess, it¡¯s even worse that you are the one condoning their actions, Alani. I expected much more of you and your influence on your sisters!¡± They all retreated, fearing instinctively what was coming next. ¡°Don¡¯t think I don¡¯t know what you¡¯ve been doing, girl,¡± she gave them a knowing look that made their blood run cold, ¡°They don¡¯t have a future if they don¡¯t marry off well, Alani! Their father and I won¡¯t be here to support them forever. And you! You are twenty-one! Dear Goddess, you should be willing to accept a beggar if they come to our doorsteps, not keep yourself around putting worms in their heads with your words and actions.¡± For a moment, none of them dared to speak, petrified in their places. Their Mother being fed up with the liberties they took was something that had been coming for a long time really, but still, it was so sudden. Everything that was happening was just so sudden. ¡°Mother,¡± Gabe¡¯s voice seemed much more¡­ subdued compared to her relatives, ¡±Please reconsider our insensitive actions merely as our nerves playing tricks on us. As Alani said, we are just nervous. And about her marriage affairs¡­ Everything is settled now, no?¡± Her mother''s eyes widened then clenched, suspicious, but Gabe didn¡¯t allow her to wonder. ¡°His Highness. He told me,¡± Understanding drowned her face, then anticipation: ¡°...He thought her manners to be impeccable. Fitting for the role.¡± The older Thatcher opened a smile that shifted her entire posture to one of absolute satisfaction. She clapped her hands, laughing. If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. Please report it. ¡°This is great news, my girls, great news,¡± she moved to give the oldest a hug, ¡°I knew you had a great destiny ahead, daughter, I always did!¡± The silence almost filled the room for a second too long. ¡°Since we are going to go tomorrow,¡± thanks the Gods her mother had mentioned the fact, ¡°I am going to help the younger girls to pack and explain the situation. I believe it¡¯s best for Alani to hear it from you and Father?¡± Her mother backed away from the oldest sister, still looking and sounding slightly out of her right mind, though she seemed to consider her words as she said; ¡°Yes, it is best. Your Father won¡¯t come back until late at night since he is busy choosing our new residence, we shall have a moment alone, yes daughter?¡± she held her hand, smiling wildly at the very rigid girl beside her. It was almost as if her sister had regressed to the Alani of years ago, Gabe thought with a sigh, but it couldn¡¯t be helped. She supposed the Charm would take more than a couple hours to fade. ¡°You are still under the effects of the Prince,¡± she stated as soon as they entered the room, before they could say or do anything else, ¡°None of you were behaving normally, no, not even you, Lulu,¡± she stopped before she could deny, ¡±Would you ever call mother stupid to her face? I thought so.¡± She pointed in the direction of their suitcases as she went ahead to pick up her belongings. Three voices rang at once: ¡°Why did you throw Alani to mom like that?¡± Manny puzzled. ¡°What do you mean ¡®effects of the Prince¡¯?¡± stressed Samir. ¡°Are we really going to be forced to leave?¡± Lulu raged. Gabe sighed again, not failing to notice her pounding head because of¡­ well, everything. She didn¡¯t turn to them as she kept moving. ¡°Yes, we will be leaving. I have some idea of what might have happened: It seems that it was an order from the Queen herself, so you can see why we have no choice, right?¡± she stared at Lulu¡¯s pained, but now resigned face, ¡±My conversation with the Prince was rather fructuous so don¡¯t worry about our¡­ exposure, I am confident I can dig information from him as soon as possible as to better protect us. Till then, we will have to deal with things as they come. Now, can you explain the Prince''s Charm?¡± Gabe had restrained from explaining things during the trip since their mouths seemed to still be quite loose due to the Charm. ¡°A Charm? Well, he is a fairy after all. I had thought it to be an enchantment he made, to make us act out of our minds,¡± Lulu explained, and Samir cursed. ¡°So that''s why you were so weird right now! I thought you were acting off because of a side effect of the pill,¡± Samir said, before pausing a second too long, ¡°You did take the pill, didn¡¯t you?¡± Gabe turned to look as well. ¡°Does it even matter? The Charm would work with or without it, is it not?¡± she backed down. ¡°No, not really, Lucious,¡± Gabe stared her down, ¡°The Prince said some pills might have an opposing effect on his charm, and your experience would have been invaluable to speculate if the ones we picked were effective in that regard,¡± She shook her head. The heavy silence was only interrupted by the youngest one. ¡°What about our poor Alani? Didn¡¯t you see how frightened she looked? Did you have to leave her like that?¡± ¡°What would happen if Mother wasn¡¯t pacified, though? And furthermore, what else could distract her at a time like this?¡± As Gabe questioned, all of them quieted down, deep in thought. ¡°Mom would blame Alani even more because she wasn¡¯t doing what she wants,¡± Manny found the solution herself, ¡°but right now, she is, and she will forget it since the rest doesn¡¯t matter anymore.¡± ¡°Even more, isn¡¯t it good that Alani remained unmarried? Now, she has the chance of marrying a Prince she knows, by a first-hand account, that favors her. She is to be treated well,¡± Gabe massaged her temples, pain rising as time went by, ¡°I know she will be uncomfortable having to be alone with Mother in the state she is now, but it''s for the best. And Alani knows how to appease others. She will be fine.¡± ¡°... And the Prince really did say that about her?¡± Samir wondered. ¡°In a way, yes. But don¡¯t worry too much. By the feel of our first encounter, I think I can work on him.¡± But Gabe knew they could perceive her intent on keeping things vague, it made them avoid asking further questions about the subject. ¡°Nothing worked out as planned,¡± the little one whispered. Indeed, it didn¡¯t. Gabe knew she should be adjusting her plans but how would she do it if she had just lost whatever little grasp she had? The Prince had gotten dangerously close to finding the whole truth and she was no fool to think he didn''t intend to press her mouth open in the next chance he got. Even if she managed to keep their secrets, the others were too young, too inexperienced to do the same. Alani would be the only other one safe¡­ Though the oldest one had many weaknesses the royals could explore. Four, actually. And Gods, didn¡¯t that apply to her as well? She closed her eyes, her headache going strong. ¡°¡­ What do we do now?¡± The thousand gold question. Gabe was tempted to ignore it just like she was doing to her pain, but the thought was short-lived. Her sisters didn¡¯t deserve punishment for what wasn¡¯t their fault. ¡°Well,¡± Gabe turned, one hand in her temples and a pile of clothes under her arm, ¡°for starters, we need to pack.¡± 14 - Night Escapade - part 1 This whole Prince bullcrap had been putting them on edge, so much they had not been sleeping more than three hours a night ever since the news broke. Not that Samir usually slept more than five anyway, but those two were crucial to their creativity, they thought. The third checked over the top side of the bunkbed checking the heavy sleeper Lulu was. Manny was resting with the elders that night, to ease her nerves and their sisters alike. The young girl had a way of making them all calmer that no other had. After no surprise came from their fourth sister, their mind raced to their next movements. The Prince himself was within their expectations, it was the moving out part that got them. With so little time before being thrown into the enemy¡¯s den, there was an impossible time limit to anything they could do. And contrary to what her second sister thought, there still were some tricks on their sleeves, things not even she knew about. It was better this way. Samir would have more leeway if they moved alone. The young dealer tiptoed, barefoot, swiftly but gently holding their coat over their shoulder and picking their spare leather boots strategically hidden in the corner behind the water barrel beside the kitchen pantries. ¡°Couldn¡¯t sleep as well?¡± They jumped, scared but with calculated silence. Samir turned, facing both, their impending doom and the one who brought it: their oldest sister. Dressed in a nightgown that made her look dangerously close to a mirage, Alani shook her head, amused by the reaction Samir would never admit was the standard one once they got caught doing something frowned upon by the eldest girls. ¡°Just like a cat¡± Gabe had said once, and well, the third girl surely wished she could scram like one at the moment. ¡°...Gabes said something related to some pills that might be worth the shot against the Prince,¡± they tried to explain. ¡°I bet she would argue that it wasn¡¯t a good time to fetch it, though. Mom¡¯s sleep is light because of the excitement,¡± she sighed. ¡°Is our sister sleeping lightly as well?¡± Samir tempted, eyeing her with barely disguised hope as she didn¡¯t shut them down right away. The oldest shook her head again. ¡°We managed to convince her to take some calming tea a couple of hours ago.¡± ¡°... Then, will you stop me in her stead, sister?¡± She stared at her, reproachful, but didn¡¯t move closer. The situation would be salvageable then. She watched as The third moved to the step in front the door, putting on shoes with the smoothness only they had. ¡°How will you even get the money? I thought we pitched in all our savings for the medicine we took this morning,¡± she kept her voice low, another final indication that the younger one should proceed. Taken from Royal Road, this narrative should be reported if found on Amazon. ¡°... I might have had the chance to save extra money besides what Father gives us,¡± Samir whispered back. ¡°You said you keep investing everything you earned through your¡­ dealings.¡± ¡°Well, sometimes it takes a while for the right investing opportunity to appear, ¡± Samir couldn¡¯t manage the courage to raise their eyes, yet she could still feel her intent. After long enough, she gave up trying to go around it, ¡°Are you mad I lied?¡± ¡°No. You are a teenager after all. I¡¯m just¡­ Disappointed I guess, ¡° she sat down, touching her shoulder in theirs, ¡°Sometimes it¡¯s not easy for me not to worry, you know? You are so bright and so passionate that it calls for us, the oldest, to support you and trust your process in finding yourself, but¡­ Well, I guess I believe you¡¯d be more transparent, for us to know when to help when you needed. Gods, I didn¡¯t even know you''ve ever seen the witch let alone dealt with her! ¡± Samir lowered her head, not wholly regretful but still ashamed by her earnest words. The younger one almost said that Gabe did know (or guessed) about most of the people she dealt with, but they knew that would not suffice. Alani was restless when it was about them counting on her. It was just¡­ Samir could handle himself. In fact, it was safer for everyone involved to know nothing of any other part. Their clients were in the dark of other clients and for many years, they were especially in the dark about their family. What started as a young girl playing runner, became the person you go to when you want to find something too expensive or hard-to-find. Steady hard work and sheer focus put them there, but their appearance helped too. No one was that suspicious of someone that young, and unless Samir fucked up majorly in playing dumb, no one went after them either. Once they had known personally and, most importantly, got known personally by everyone on the web, her silver tongue and amicable demeanor just had to work the rest. Profit ensued, and not many dangers followed. Regardless, they still apologized. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, sister,¡± even if they thought they were in the right, it came rather easily. She knew her sister said things like that because she cared about them more than anything in the world. She felt their sister''s hand on her short hair. ¡°Again, what I¡¯m trying to say is that you should be careful and let us know what we can so we can rescue you if one day you need it. That''s all.¡± ¡°I will, sister.¡± ¡°Good¡­ and please, don¡¯t do too much. If it¡¯s to protect yourself or our sister it¡¯s okay, but if you have to exceed yourself because of me and this mess I put you all in-¡° ¡°None of this is your fault, Alani,¡± Samir was fed up and time was ticking. It wasn¡¯t just the fact she didn¡¯t want to marry, Alani seemed to be under the illusion the prophecy itself was because of her. They wanted to hear no more of Alani¡¯s guilt, because even if that was true, no matter what had happened to her before, while, or after she came to them, not one of those things was a choice she made. The others brought trouble to her, and since they were family, now those were their problems as well. No more. Instead of saying all that again, they just stared at her, not allowing her to continue that route. ¡°Be sure to be back soon, sister,¡± the words weren¡¯t a warning, no, that was what Gabe was responsible for. With Alani, they received a wish and a hope instead. Samir smiled at the sentence they had heard a thousand times before and leaned to kiss her cheek. ¡°I¡¯ll be home before the sun comes up,¡± they promised. 15 - Night Escapade - part 2 Cherrystone City was a mingled mess made of polished rocks and hardwood, much smaller than what one would expect of a capital¡­ But that was doomed to be considering how tricky that piece of land was. By northeast, the oldest standing building the city had, the Castle, almost reached the Enchanted Forest, and no one was foreign to the dangers lay thereby. By south the ever-hungry Tamed Sea crushed any ships without a Blessing with but a shadow of mercy and by northwest, the steep mountain range denied virtually every human of passage. At last, the city had only a small passageway out on the west, still covered by the remnants of the once overlaying Forest, now rendered a thick and hard (though not impossible) to navigate flora. Through many centuries, the citizens had found shortcuts in and out that made the city life flourish in their little den, but the hardships shied away from much of the prospects of immigration or expansion. This was also why many of the sites there remained with the layouts dating centuries back. Small houses, one or two floors only, faced each other to form narrow passageways everywhere but in the front part of the richer areas or shopping districts, and even they had their backs still connected to the web. In theory, it should be (and by all means, had been) a dirtier, crampier place, but Atlas Mason, one of their most infamous kings, had brought changes that made them one of the cleanest and most healthy cities in their kingdom ¡­ or so that was what Samir was told. He was a genius and the mind of their time, storybooks said, and deaths by diseases rapidly decreased after his quick ascension from anonymity to power. Admittedly, Samir didn¡¯t know quite much about the sewage system and water treatment, but even as they roamed the pathways, they could see the city maids and their companion cats as they did the dirty (but very well-paid, of course) duty of sweeping the streets clean at midnight. For a reason Samir couldn''t fathom, their uniforms included a tall pointed hat that was very hard to miss, though their demeanor was all but the same: They kept quiet and they stayed out of the way as the nightlife of the city burst into action in the shapes of shadowy figures and vailed intents. Samir spoke to no one as they moved under the dimly lit lamps, though his awareness made them spot a dozen others navigating their own. They might even know some of them¡­ but the third sister had more important things to worry about. Leaving an inconspicuous alleyway, they lifted their eyes to read, on the other side of the slightly bigger road popularly known as Healing Street, a sign that said: ¡°Lucky Martha¡¯s Herbs and Concoctions¡±. Contrary to most of the other stores there, the lights were still on inside. Samir entered hood on, to find the big woman snoozing high up behind her counter. They whistled, earning them a startled mean look, but Martha signed when she saw them. She looked like the part: Round, short, and with big and messy once-black hair. Bottles, coins, and lucky charms hung from various chains that adorned her velvet red dress and dangled as she moved to wave them in. The old lady sized them up, a knowing look hanging in her one-blue-one-blind eyes. ¡°You again huh, boy?¡± Not for the first time Samir thought of correcting them, and not for the first time they decided otherwise, ¡°I must say, it took you longer than expected.¡± That was what she always said, and he heard her saying it to other people as well. If it was one of her witch powers or pretty words to fool people into believing them, Samir would never know. ¡°I¡¯ve no time to mingle today, Martha,¡± he said, face looking annoyed and tone sounding exhausted, ¡°Say, my sister had the most unpleasant surprise when she went to check in her purse and realized she lost all the pills we got earlier today¡­ and Mother told me I had to manage to get them before dawn, so here I am.¡± She showed a smile with far too many teeth. ¡°Is that so?¡± Martha was a tricky client and an even trickier owner. She wasn¡¯t a real witch (which respected city would allow one of those to reside in it?) but the fact that she had not resisted, even encouraged, the rumor to spread was telling in itself. Samir would never treat her like she did Marcus ¨C it had backfired enormously in a precious attempt ¨C but she could be coerced by other types of tricks. That, and she might or might not have a soft spot for dutiful daughters. Samir was still trying to figure out why she was so¡­ nice every time Gabe interacted with her, but playing the obedient kind was worth the shot anyway. ¡°Yes,¡± he grumbled, ¡° I¡¯m on the suspicion we got robbed, but who knows? Gabe can be quite an airhead when her mind is¡­ well, is not into it. So, would you give me a discount on behalf of my loyalty to your lovely establishment?¡± ¡°And what does this ¡°loyalty¡± mean if no other store in the street is open late hours?¡± she tilted her head curiously, voice crooked with humor. ¡°In the street, yes, but not in the district,¡± The old woman immediately made a face. The mention of her forever nemesis, Joseph¡¯s Remedy and Amulets, never failed to prompt her a reaction. The ugly glean in her eyes was short-lived though. Soon, she stared at Samir in a way he was liking less and less by the second and got closer, resting her big body on the counter next to them. ¡°Well, you might as well go them. Go ahead, you better hurry if you want to get to nasty joe, and back before dawn.¡± Samir froze, and the witch opened a smile. ¡°What is it? a maid¡¯s cat stole your tongue?¡± she laughed and laughed. That was bad. Something was tipping the scales in her favor that they didn¡¯t know about and that marked the point where he had to be fast and close the deal with the least damage possible, as fast as it could be. ¡°...Full price then? I have some changes for the order though. The price might be less, but I am willing to pay all the same.¡± Unauthorized use: this story is on Amazon without permission from the author. Report any sightings. Martha shook her head. ¡°No no. Not the same price,¡± she paused to think, ¡°What about double? no. Triple, I say.¡± ¡°You have to be fucking joking Martha.¡± Samir received a chuckle and the indication of the front door. ¡°If you think I will just accept this madness you are proposing you are out of your goddamn mind, you witch!¡± He banged their hand on the counter, ¡°You might kiss my clientele goodbye, as well as your reputation. You know I know god knows how many of this cursed city and you can be sure they will hear about it,¡± Samir gave her a mean smile, ¡°Joe will have a jolly time I presume.¡± Martha¡¯s face twitched, but other than that, no reaction. Samir hesitated, and the crone lifted her eyebrow. ¡°Oh please, are you done? Your theatrics were amusing when you were smaller, boy, but you are growing out of it,¡± she rolled her eyes, getting up dramatically and turning her back to a stunned Samir. At the same time, she looked up her shelves, ¡°Listen, there was the most interesting talk around town that little Samir was roaming store to store giving discounts to people who spilled old beans about the Royals. That by itself was worth a lot of speculations, but can you imagine my surprise when the Jonhsons¡¯s daughter came on her way back to order morning sickness pills (her belly is so big and so soon! As I see it, there are chances there is more than one in it, believe me, I would know) and comment on how Louis Thacher barged in late at night inside the Merchants Guild to talk with his fellow gentlemen, through the sips of fine wine of course, about his Gods sent luck?¡± Samir¡¯s eyes darkened at each word. Ah yes. Leave it to their father to boast. ¡°I tell you, little one, it will be the talk tomorrow,¡± she rested 4 items on the counter, presenting them with a wave of her wrinkly hand. ¡°I do not have 3 gold coins, Martha,¡± Samir said through his teeth. In fact, hidden in some false cover in the coat, he had. But that was all of it. If Samir gave it all to her, then he would have nothing to continue his business next month, and nothing to spend if any emergency happened during their¡­ stay with the royals. ¡°Why the rush boy? We shall review the products first, don''t you think ?¡± Her long pointed finger touched the first glass bottle. It was a small thing, able to comport half a dozen yellow pills the size of a toenail. Samir already recognized that one. ¡°The one with calming effects. I believe you have tested its efficacy, no?¡± Begrudgingly, Samir nodded. ¡°Very well. It will work best on those free of consistent drug use, but even so, don¡¯t count on it too much. The fairy¡¯s charms wear every chemical down with enough exposure.¡± She pointed next to a similar bottle, with brown dried leaves inside. ¡°The sleepwalker¡¯s leaves are the base for the pills. The taste will be of mint, but it will have a similar, albeit milder, effect. It differs also in the kick and duration. The former will take place in around 2 to 3 hours, the latter will last until digestion is due.¡± ¡°Why don¡¯t you just give me more pills instead?¡± Martha looked at them as if they were an idiot. ¡°Tell me, If he or another fae shows up on a little surprise visit, how will you take a pill without raising suspicion? And when they inevitably ask you about it, how will you lie?¡± ¡°But won¡¯t this happen-¡° ¡°Just give it to the staff and say it is mint. It is similar in everything but color, and since it¡¯s dry you can pass it as such,¡± she seemed to think of something, ¡°In fact, it¡¯s best if you give it to that sister of yours, Gabriel. I¡¯m sure she will know how to use it.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t think I can tell her about this if you are set on ripping me off 3 gold coins, Martha. I wouldn¡¯t even be alive to make the money to pay you anyway.¡± She moved on past the third item, a thick cloth folded in many layers, straight to the last one, a lengthy scroll she promptly opened. ¡°A contract,¡± she gave it to him. ¡°If you really feel like being so stingy as to not give me what those are worth,¡± she paused, giving him a hard look, ¡°then you might want to read clause 3.¡± ¡°¡­if the buyer doesn''t have the coin to purchase the items, the debt will be settled at a third of the price and a promise of a ¡®favor to return¡¯ ?!¡± Samir couldn¡¯t help but raise his voice, this time genuinely upset, ¡°I cannot believe you think I am dumb enough to fall for that, you old hag!¡± Old Martha rolled her eyes. ¡°Maybe not dumb enough to fall for it, but aren''t you dumb enough to stop before reading the rest of the contract? So much to ask of a merchant of all things.¡± Samir had half a mind to leave after that, but¡­ his sisters. He was doing it for his sisters. The young one scorned under his breath a ¡°fool was I to forget I was dealing with a wretched witch¡±, but continued to read. Seemed like the crone was offering to accept their right of denial if the favor was deemed incompatible with the purchase¡¯s worth, and that this worth could be debated within the two on the moment the favor was asked. He continued to check there were no abnormalities with the rest of the contract, and that the seals were within the law and the merchant¡¯s guild. ¡°¡­How did you manage to get this contract done within half a day¡¯s worth of time?¡± ¡°Please, boy. I have a dozen of those prepared for occasions just like this. Why do you think the rumor that I was a witch started going around?¡± Samir looked around at the trepid store, suspicious bottles of colored cocoons and talismans hanging around every corner, then to the owner''s attire and mannerisms. ¡°I¡¯m warning you just once: don¡¯t dare,¡± Martha''s tone was dangerous, but Samir couldn¡¯t help a smirk. ¡°And this?¡± The third sister pointed to the cloth. ¡°Ah,¡± the old one said and pressed her hand on top of it. She seemed to be lost in thoughts for a moment, before making up her mind. ¡°This is something very special, young one,¡± she indicated for them to get closer, ¡°It is both a gift and a token of trust that I can only hope you will make justice.¡± Seeing Samir''s confused face, she wrinkled her nose. ¡°Don¡¯t take me wrong, I am not doing this out of kindness. I have a feeling in my gut that you will all go far. Believe me, it was not hard to notice you Thatcher kids had something special in you. Now with this prophecy thing¡­ Well, let¡¯s just say I expect you to be alive to return my favor one day.¡± She placed the cloth in her hand, and Samir could feel for the first time the unusual weight it had. His curiosity blinding his common sense, Samir unwrapped the coarse fabric with swiftness and wide eyes, like a birthday present. His grip trampled when he finally realized what was inside. Entranced by the black and hard texture of the metal, he beheld a pointed and sharp iron piece. 16 - The quirks of being unknown One thing was in her mind, and it wasn¡¯t Samir''s little night trip or the fact his Father seemed to have chosen the biggest, brightest mansion in the neighborhood. No, it wasn¡¯t even the death threat that was currently hidden in their luggage, thought now and then that did yank her thoughts back at it as the staff entered with their belongings in their new pompous home. As for now, it was the placement of the mansion that didn¡¯t allow her to relax. They were in the very heart of the Nobles district, she was told, two residences down Duke Edward¡¯s own, and directly beside Sir Nathaneal Elliot the II, husband to Louise Eliott, first in line to receive the title of Countess after her Father. There were more mansions and undoubtedly more people from the court there, but just those two made Gabe lose her breath when she was informed of their location. Even worse, due to the aforementioned couple¡¯s marriage, almost all the dukes were currently in the city, a marvelous coincidence considering the Prince¡¯s affairs. Gabe was too dizzy-headed to think of what that meant, but even in her denial, the rush of adrenaline didn¡¯t allow her to fake foreignness to what she unconsciously knew: Their dear Father had picked the worst spot imaginable, as they were the exact middle of the way towards the Castle or away to the selling district. They were within the direct road of almost everyone trying to move through the city, and Gabe was no fool to think all eyes would not be on them while they did. She stared at the wide stone pathway that ended in an archway leading to the equally grand wooden door. The round motif seemed to continue through the mansion¡¯s ornaments, made in either gold or marble stone. The walls themselves were made of vibrant red paint that must have cost a fortune enough to serve a family of eight for a couple of generations. There was a tower on the right side, also adorned with spiral-inspired architecture that resemble greatly the one of the Castle, and it took her but a quick look at it and at the Castle itself to recognize it as a miniature reproduction of the original, so close it was. Gabe tried to breathe as staff moved past her and back to put all of their things inside, with the voice of their Mother ringing around on what should be where. Packing had been useless, they found out. The guards had just put everything up in several carts and bought them all here. She leaned on one of the carriages, trying to go unnoticed as the storm unfolded in front of her. Manny ran around the garden with genuine joy, as it was the very first open space she had ever seen. And what a space it was. Hundreds of meters of shortcut grass and small vegetation surrounded the whole edifice. Bushes bigger than her were cut in the format of deer while the small ones looked like bunnies and foxes. Taller trees could be found around the perimeters of the area, but in the front, Gabe turned to look, there were only the open gates and the view of Sir Nathaneal¡¯s place. She tightened her grip on her chest as she tried to force the air in and out, and as her eyes ventured around aimlessly, she filled in the back of her mind the information that Samir and Lulu were already arguing on the second-floor balcony, undoubtedly about who was getting which room. ¡°No, Alani, don¡¯t you dare lift this bag by yourself my darling. Go inside and tidy up, yes? You look rather tired, love, and we can¡¯t have that here. What if the Prince makes us a welcome surprise?¡± she heard the exultant tone of her Father¡¯s voice as she hid beyond their eyesight, further behind the carriage. Wouldn''t it be wonderful if he made them a surprise? That would have been just perfect. Her knees were threatening to give out, and she kept thinking that maybe if she was closer to the ground she wouldn¡¯t make a noise if she fell. This tale has been unlawfully obtained from Royal Road. If you discover it on Amazon, kindly report it. ¡°Are you okay, Miss?¡± she lifted her eyes to see the coachman offering her a helping hand, ¡°A young girl like you shouldn¡¯t put too much effort into the heavy-handed work, yes? If you are seeking a promotion or whatnot, it¡¯s better to focus on the detailed tasks. Look at yourself now! Someone your figure can¡¯t take more than that. Perhaps I should call someone?¡± Not for the first time, Gabe seemed to have appeared unassumingly enough to pass by a servant. The burly man thought of her as a maid, she realized, and with that¡­ Relief flooded her in a wave, enough to make her whole body relax. ¡°No,¡± she took her hand, forcibly calming down her breaths, ¡°No need to call anyone, thank you. I am just catching my breath¡­ I¡¯m not used to such demanding work, as you say.¡± ¡°If you say so,¡± they went around it, staring at the new residence again. The man stared at the young one running around, ¡°Poor things they are. This house is no good.¡± ¡°There¡¯s something wrong with it?¡± ¡°Not with it, no, but the other side¡­¡± he whispered, ¡°You know what they say about them,¡± he pointed to the other side of the street. ¡°What?¡± she whispered back, chest tightening again. He might suspect her ignorance, so she rushed to explain: ¡°I¡¯m new, so no one tells me much. You see, I don¡¯t even know who lives where.¡± The older man made a token of resistance, but gossip like that was hard to keep amongst the working class, especially when one was lucky enough to share it to someone clueless about the juicer parts. ¡°I mean Lady Eliott, of course,¡± He shook her head, as if bemused, ¡°She¡¯s being a troublemaker again. I heard she is preparing a gathering as we speak, to present the ¡®possible new bride¡¯ to the high society.¡± ¡°And when is this to be held?¡± she egged him on. ¡°As soon as possible, I heard. Maybe in the following week,¡± he looked at her, pleased to see her wide eyes, no doubt taking this as a sign of his good storytelling, ¡°but that is not even the most aggravating¡­ Because Sir Nathaneal has until the end of spring till he is demanded to go back to his post in the north border, he will be attending the party. You know what this means.¡± ¡°Paint me a picture.¡± This earned her a strange look. ¡°You don¡¯t know?¡± Seemed like that was basic enough for even a newcomer to know and she thought quickly about how to react to that. ¡°Oh, now I get it!¡± she pretended to understand, and the coachman nodded, ¡°But that sure makes me wonder if our Highness the Prince is okay with it¡­¡± Gabe had no idea where this would go and was fully prepared to lie her way out if necessary, but if there was a problem involving them being or going anywhere, this was now a problem the Prince would have to deal with too, hence her cover-up attempt. ¡°He¡¯s ought to be. Sir Natheneal might be a bastard but he¡¯s still Her Grace¡¯s Twin after all. After the heights his family allowed him to be diminished from, the Royals must show them face for the time being.¡± Oh, Gabe''s eyes shone. So this Sir Nathaneal was the Natanheal. Gabe bit her lips for her stupidity of not connecting the dots earlier. He was one of the seven known King bastards, and the once more threatening one, as he was the son of a Duke. She sure remembered all talks about him slowly fading away into obscurity, almost as if¡­ Well, as if he was dead. She supposed that was akin to being, since, if she understood it correctly, he married off two ranks below, not only taking his wife¡¯s last name but being deployed to the borders. God¡¯s and goddess above, finally a little bit of luck! The maiden expected to listen very little to him after he went off, most likely with his wife under his wing¡­ But only after that. She wondered the resentment one might harbor toward the Royals if all their prospects were stolen away from them like that, and her good mood dampened again. ¡°I imagine The Duchess will most certainly be there, perhaps even the Prince too. The tension of this reunion... Poor girls,¡± he repeated, and then a third time, ¡°Poor girls.¡± 17 - Inside she goes She paced rapidly over her new personal bedroom as she talked a long, bewildered rant¡­ One she had been at for a good dozen minutes. ¡°I cannot believe they would be this big of a fool after everything that I tried to impart to them about this whole situation, dear Gods, how could they put all of our lives in danger like that without thinking about the consequences of those devil sent deals they made?¡± Alani watched her agitation with concern. ¡°And this damn house, how are we going to manage to keep an eye on the staff if with this place¡¯s size? It¡¯s a matter of time before some of them find it and rat us out! No, forget it, before the week¡¯s end, they will already have enough sensible information about us to tell to that cursed bastard boy that lives across the street!¡± ¡°Gabe.¡± She stared at her older sister with heavy eyes. ¡°We will have to work together on this. They will make a fuss if it is only me talking, but if you put on your weight too, we might have a chance to reign them in until things calm down.¡± ¡°Gabe, sister,¡± she put her hands around her shoulders, ¡°Listen, yes?¡± ¡°Alani. You know better than anyone that I am right,¡± Gabe shook her head, already predicting how the eldest would try to cover up for the younger ones. ¡°Gabriel.¡± Alani¡¯s tone was one she didn¡¯t do too frequently, so much so that Gabe quieted, begrudgingly paying attention for the first time ever since they entered the conversation. ¡°I am not saying you are in the wrong, my sister. You are not, and Samir¡¯s actions were not ideal, that is for sure. But their actions aren¡¯t to be blamed on them entirely. I, too, was part of the whole thing, and if I didn¡¯t allow them to leave, nothing would have happened. Samir is just sixteen. It was my duty to have a better judgment and I didn¡¯t.¡± Gabe tried to hold back the relief that was spreading in her facial expressions. She was thinking the same, yes, but her words weren¡¯t quite there yet, so the admission of guild alleviated part of the frustration that still boiled in her stomach. ¡°Even so, of one thing I am certain of¨C my mistake was not to allow them to leave and follow their way, but to have stayed behind and deprived them of guidance. That is something you still don¡¯t understand, sister. We can¡¯t stop our sisters from being who they are. They would only find a way to do it behind our backs. Can¡¯t you see Mother and Father?¡± ¡°It¡¯s different. I don¡¯t want them to change, I just want them to be better at what they choose to be. Wiser too.¡± ¡°And how are they supposed to learn that with you taking away their autonomy?¡± ¡°You are distorting my words, Alani, I never meant to take away their free will. Hells bellow, I don¡¯t think us and this whole kingdom combined would be able to do it if we tried,¡± she argued, undefeated, ¡°But they need a stern voice that will protect them from their hotheadedness and show them their mistakes.¡± Alani smiled as if she was saying something so foolish she couldn¡¯t stop herself from finding it amusing. She took Gabe¡¯s hands, holding them tight. ¡°Sister. You already are this voice for them. Who do we turn to when we need to know how to behave? Go back to our first date in the Castle and it¡¯s plain for anyone to see.¡± For the first time, Gabe hesitated. ¡°Give them your verdict and wait for them to grow,¡± She said, emphasizing it word by word, ¡°If we are here for them, they will manage to be the best, I¡¯m sure. We will deal with things as they come... And no more,¡± she shut her before she could continue. Gabe wasn¡¯t completely certain about this argument of hers, and she was nowhere near relaxed, but she allowed the oldest¡¯s arm to go around her shoulders as she paced, decidedly slower than before, around her room and towards the center of the place. ¡°Now, sister, the thing we ought to do is to look around us,¡± she indicated their surrounding with her finger and a sigh, ¡°For better or worse this will be our new home for the foreseeable future. If you want to reign in anything, start by learning how to better use this place and the people in it. I believe this will be more fruticious than trying to control what our sisters do. It will be certainly easier at least.¡± ¡°Or so you say,¡± she gave her a look that wasn¡¯t at all satisfied, but the younger let the matter go for the moment, ¡°Be warned and warn them too, I will still have some words with Samir later on.¡± ¡°Remember to utter them with kindness,¡± she gave her a soft hug and left her for her thoughts. Gabe took a deep breath as she tried to acknowledge her surroundings. Though the house had not been very full when they entered, it still contained some furniture, undoubtedly what the previous owner couldn¡¯t take with them. A wooden bed (triple the size of Gabe¡¯s last one) and a sizeable wardrobe stood out. They had already put her things on the side, close to a writing table decorated with carvings of the same spirals she saw outside. Some of the tapestries that adorned the walls in their last house were divided and placed in different locations; her room had one made of blue and purple geometrical patterns, colors that would have contrasted brightly with the dark wood of the surroundings if they weren¡¯t faded by its many years of existence. A case of content theft: this narrative is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation. It went without saying that it was big, much bigger than her last room, and Gabe could easily pace dozens of steps without stumbling onto any furniture. That gave her an uncanny feeling that she was suppressing rather harshly as the girl was set on dealing with her feeling of overwhelm much later on. Maybe before sleeping perhaps¡­ She supposed that since she would be able to have privacy anytime she wanted, she could also use this to her advantage. This train of thought pleased her, easing enough tension to make her shoulders relax. The first floor was divided by the main set of stairs, and to the left was where they shared their rooms and a balcony. Hers was located opposite Manny¡¯s bedroom since she was now responsible for keeping an eye on her and on her right Samir¡¯s. Opposite her third sister was a room supposed to be Lulu¡¯s¡­ But the girl had insisted on staying on the tower. All of them had tried to pursue her not to, since the place''s first and second floor was occupied by the spiral stairs and it''s top floor was smaller and more isolated than all the others in the house, but once she set her mind on something, no one could convince her otherwise. So, the spare room was said to be converted into a space for the other sisters to ¡°train their skills¡±, in her Mother¡¯s words. To no one surprise¡¯s, Alani was set to sleep beside their parent¡¯s room, on the right side of the mansion. The matriarch wanted to keep her closer than ever and their Father¡­ Well, she doubted he was thinking any deeper than usual. Gabe had long known what kind of man he was. For him, it was granted that since they were all his daughters, they would honor him as daughters would. Even if Alani was not the one... no matter who was chosen, he was certain he would not be disregarded no matter what. Gabe sighed again. Sometimes she couldn¡¯t help but feel anger at their Father¡¯s simplicity, and other times¡­ She felt just helpless. But she supposed she was feeling helpless towards many other things at the moment, not only at their parents. What should she do now? Planning, of course. Regarding Samir¡¯s purchases, they had moved quickly. Manny, the smallest and least surveilled one, had the tea leaves (which they had broken enough to look similar to the real thing) mixed with normal mint leaves in the kitchen and put it together with the spices suitcase their Mother so much loved. Since the older woman was now expected to not spend time in the kitchen, she would not be paying close attention to it. The pills were in her handbag under the label ¡°calming pills¡±, and she had thrown the thing on the bottom of the new wardrobe as soon as she got on the room. The other stuff was currently hidden on a broken plank under her bed. With that out of the way, one of the first things she had to do was to find a way to get all the staff¡¯s names. Her Majesty had been kind enough to gift them all the people they would need to keep the residence clean and the kitchen working, so she would have to be extra careful as to do so without ringing any bells. Later on, she would also have to have to work to observe them enough to discern their quirks and manners, perhaps tempted to guess their intentions, but that would take time she didn¡¯t have for now. Their newest impending doom was that party they were fated to go. She¡¯d have to rearrange the roles all of them were to act on and let their sisters know as soon as possible to play the part convincingly¡­ Though Alani had just been saying for her not to focus on it just now, did she not? She would go the other way around then. Gabe needed to know as much as possible about who might be there¡­ But that would require too many questions, and she couldn¡¯t afford that. The girl massaged her temples in frustration, wishing for some of the ¡°calming tea¡± Samir had fetched the night before, and even without realizing it, she started pacing again. If all the people were impossible, then at least the hosts. They were their neighbors after all, so it should be easier to disguise that inquiry. With the house¡¯s proximity, there were some tricks one could do as well¡­ But she round all the way back to the point that she had to be acquainted with some of the maids as soon as possible for it to be feasible. Gabe would work on it as soon as the next day after things were quieter around the house, she decided. What else, what else? Oh, she could not forget their ¨C her ¨C performance at the event. Gabe would have to promp her Mother to find someone to teach them what was the common manners of someone attending events like these. That at least wouldn¡¯t be hard, but to convince her to do it so quickly might be tricky. Maybe Alani could help on that one. Thinking of her mother¡­ Maybe her interest in making them proper Ladies would come rather handly if played right. If she probed her enough, would she be willing to contact their neighboors for them to be introduced early on? If not all of them, would she take Alani at least? Gabe didn¡¯t know what exactly she could gain from this course of action, but sure as heavens and hells she would feel better to at least have a feel on who she was dealing with. the girl decided to do it as a side move, while really focusing on the other two: trying to find a person to teach them how to act properly and scraping for info about the hosts of the event they would partake in. Other than those two, there was the Prince to think about and the possible tension there might be from his encounter with- ¡°Gabe?¡± a small voice called out, prompting her to stop and face upwards, to a curious little face, ¡°What are you doing?¡± Manny put her head inside from the glass door on the way to the balcony they shared, her hair being blown by the pleasant breeze that also made its way in. ¡°Ah¡­ I was just thinking, darling,¡± she took a deep breath and invited her in with a wave of her hand, ¡°What are you doing?¡± Manny entered leaving it open, the sun also making its way now that the curtains were caught in the open door. ¡°I was looking in everybody¡¯s room,¡± she swirled, big eyes checking her surroundings, ¡°Lulu¡¯s is the smallest but it''s so interesting I wish I had picked it first.¡± Gabe shook her head. ¡°Would you be able to live so far away from your sisters?¡± ¡°It¡¯s not that far!¡± she pouted, ¡°And I¡¯m a big girl, you know? I would do just fine.¡± The older one just chuckled, getting ready to ask her to come another time, after all, there was much for her to think still. ¡°Come, why don¡¯t you have a look at my room? It¡¯s really easy to get there from here!¡± Manny quickly grabbed her hand and pushed her outside, towards the light, ¡°But we have to be quick. We are all waiting for you in our new assembly room.¡± ¡°...New assembly room?¡± ¡°You¡¯ll see!¡± she smiled so brightly Gabe couldn¡¯t help but smile as well. 18 - Uttered with kindness It seemed her sisters had a mind to make the spare room much more of a place to congregate than to train whatever was on their mother¡¯s mind. There was nothing in the room yet, but she supposed it would be an alright fit once they got a table and some chairs in it. By the time she and Manny arrived there though, only Samir resided. Her most peculiar sister fidgeted in the place they stood, shaking like a leaf, no doubt surrendered to their fate and fearfully waiting for her judgment. The sight calmed parts of her anger, but alas, Gabe was wise enough to not allow it to reach her face. She eyed her for a long time, Alani¡¯s unwelcoming words still fresh in her head. The eldest was right, she realized. Just a look at them like that revealed to Gabe that her sister would follow all requests she had, happy or not about them¡­ And that would only serve to distance them. What to do then? Many words flashed in the older sister¡¯s mind and her tongue ached to say them all, but she would restrain herself. Only what was strictly necessary, she decided. She took a small breath. ¡°Do you know what you did wrong?¡± Samir jumped into a position that very much resembled a soldier answering to their commander. ¡°Yes! I sneaked out without permission and I took a deal without thinking things through. I put¡­ I put us in danger.¡± ¡°Correct.¡± Samir finched, ¡°But I supposed there¡¯s more to it than that. Alani¡­ Well, our sister believes it¡¯s more efficient to take another approach to problems like these. Patience, she says.¡± If you encounter this story on Amazon, note that it''s taken without permission from the author. Report it. Samir did not say anything else, waiting for the rest. ¡°Still, I want you to fully understand what you did, Samir. You have to. If any of it has a backlash, I will not stand watching you be staked. Neither will Alani,¡± her sister seemed very confused at that, and Gabe could not hold back a bitter smile, ¡°You cannot be foolish enough as to think we both would ever allow any of you young ones to fall before us. Me, or her, (who was faster I think) would take the blame. And they would kill us.¡± Samir¡¯s eyes went big at that. ¡°We would die. They wouldn¡¯t allow a person so close to the Prince to entertain any ideas of harming him, and we are disposable since there are so many of us. I¡¯m sure you are smart enough to know what this would do to the rest of us. The rest of you.¡± The same brown eyes met hers, and she saw the fitting gravity hanging in there. ¡°You have to be better, sister. And for that, you will think carefully about what you did and what went wrong. I am no master of your craft, so I can¡¯t be the one to tell the mistake in that deal of yours, but it¡¯s you must find out what that was before you do anything else.¡± Gabe sighed, only now realizing Manny had also left and they were alone now. ¡°I supposed that will go hand in hand in this¡­ sabbatical period we all must go through. I can¡¯t see Mother allowing you to leave this house at will,¡± she gave her a stern look when they looked surprised by the revelation, ¡°And sneaking again would, inevitably, cause us more problems like the one you just did. Therefore¡­ think well, sister.¡± She dismissed her, and Samir took just a second before slipping away. Before leaving, though, she paused at the door: ¡°Gabe.¡± She answered, ¡°I¡¯m sorry.¡± Gabe¡¯s face finally relaxed at that. ¡°I know sister. You only tried your best for our sake. I know that.¡± The older one pretended she didn¡¯t see the younger¡¯s glistering eyes when they nodded and went on their way. 19 - Lulu鈥榮 research notepad Year 26, 12th day of the 5th month Albeit with some leftover regret of our parents'' poor foresight, I now see there are some quirks to our new ascension in class. Although I have not yet measured it, I deem my (and my only!) new bedroom just big enough to have a single bed, a writing desk and a small chest. There are a dozen or so shelves already installed on the walls, perfect for storing my sizable collection of books. There is only one circular window that will not be quite apt to provide for ample light, but neither did my last home. The use of candles will suffice. It goes without saying, that the prospects are good. The improvements it will make to my sanity (and therefore, the quality of research) are obvious and make me eager to settle in. Henceforward the initial plan for the following day : 6:00 - breakfast with the rest 6:30 - request for my furniture to be set in place 7:00 - begin to categorize and organize books 13:00 - lunch 13:30 - request to go to the nearest library / search for books related to new research 16:00 - dine 18:00 - meet with our sisters for further planning regarding¡­ the situation. 19:00 - rest Year 26, 13th day of the 5th month We had a meeting early in the morning. I had changed my plans for going out before settling in, but Samir¡¯s poor choice of action (a heritage from our parents I¡¯m certain) had consequences that vexed me profoundly. It¡¯s better if I try to calm my mind before going out. The news is that Gabe wants us to report daily to her. I scoff at the idea of being treated as a child, and to be reasoned as one as well. She says ¡°It is important because she wants to know the steps and the ways of the new servants, so we ought to act as her eyes while she has no one of trust¡±. As if I would believe that. My sister¡¯s brain works fast, and I would bet the 5th of my rarest book she thought of the ruse as a way to fool Alani, who Manny said didn''t allow her to keep a close watch on us. Samir¡¯s mistakes will take a toll on all of us, it seems. I must quickly get on the previous plan or I will lose myself in my righteous indignation. Blatant retaliation never works when Gabe¡¯s mind is set. Further entries will hopefully be about the new books purchased. Year 26, 17th day of the 5th month Even if this is not the intention of this notepad, I have to have a way to vent, or I fear I might lose my mind. I have not yet started my research on the possibilities of the Castle¡¯s architecture. Not damn yet! Gabe had mentioned it to us before, trying to convince Mother to get us a guide on how to behave in the party, but even before she could say anything to her, A new Teacher appeared on our doorstep. I expected Samir to be the usual beacon of our freedom but they are trying to be well-behaved due to the last mishap. I had to take matters into my own hands and rebel, but Mother threatened to have my books taken away if I did not cooperate. The elder sisters, too, say I must. And so I relented and began the treacherous journey of learning how to walk (do I not move around already?), how to use the cutlery (doesn¡¯t the food always end up in my mouth each day?), and, the most aggravating one, how to please others. I shall say nothing on this one, in an attempt to follow the lesson regarding a lady''s supposed worst trait to have: a foul mouth. The narrative has been taken without permission. Report any sightings. Although I am aware of the reasons why I am required to participate, cold anger to be denied my research remains. Year 26, 20th day of the 5th month The formal invitation for the party was finally sent. We are to have evening tea with the Elliots (and half of the city nobles if Gabe is correct) in three days. I do not know if my nervousness stems from being in such a crowd or just finally being allowed to leave the house. Although I am used to being tucked away (Samir at this point is being driven close to insanity by our reclusiveness) being obligated to be taught such lessons day and night is getting to me. To us all I think. Poor Manny looks sort of ill almost all of the time. Mother doesn¡¯t seem to care and I don¡¯t ever see Father in the house anymore. Regarding my books or my research, I simply don¡¯t have any time for them anymore. We are allowed 2 hours of free time a day and the rest is spent practising the History of the Court, Table Manners or Ladylike behaviour. Madame Genoir was chosen by the Queen herself, Mother told us, and that means her lessons are to be taken seriously and tactically. Perhaps just that would make us tolerate the ordeal of those excruciatingly long six days in a reasonable manner, but the teachings themselves are¡­ Well. I will restrain from being too much. Whatever liberties I take because of stress, complaints of this magnitude aren¡¯t fit for a mere notepad. Suffice to say, almost all that Madame says goes directly against what we have ever known. It is not something explicit, but no one of us is foolish enough to not see it steeping in between the lines. As a core example, I am to learn how to be of service to my future spouse (the Prince, she always says). I am to renounce any activity that does not further this purpose and only return with my superior¡¯s permission. I am to say only what is pleasant to hear, and only if required to speak at all. I am beginning to feel that in this new life, we are about to have, I am not supposed to be a real person. And there is little I can do about- No. No more. It will pass, those thoughts. Gabe promised me. Besides what our second sister says, Alani is usually the one to try to keep our spirits up. Last night she prepared a ¡°sleepover¡± for us, and we all shared both funny and scary stories, her room illuminated with candle lights. We slept on the floor together and woke up not good, but better than before. Gabe was the only one of us that did not seem to improve. But it is to be expected. She says the staff is Well. Gabe is merely worried about our next meeting. She will be better after it passes. In fact, I bet my 14th-rarest book that she will be better as soon as Manny and Alani get home from their little trip across the street. Year 26, 27th day of the 5th month And at last, freedom! Not only that, but this pad will finally have its purpose reinstated! I have just returned from the Countess Library with 3 new additions.
  1. What we know about the fae and where they live: in which the title is self-explanatory.
  2. Basics of a Castle anatomy: for further understanding what a normal castle was and its difference from the Royal one.
  3. The Forever Castle, a song about the Castle that stood forever. I am not one for folktales, but who knows? It is safer to check before assuming it is useless information.
Further entries will be a detailed account of the book''s contents, and, if I dare to dream, a personal account of the Castle itself. 20 - To be graced with the rays of light at last Two women stood in front of them with the watchful cold eyes of a merchant about to pursue a particularly risky endeavour, every detail being taken into account. To be held under such scrutiny should be enough to shake her more sensitive sisters (the third and fourth one respectively) but after nine days of exposure, Gabe was both proud and sad to see they could hold their own grounds sufficiently well during the trial. Their mother was beautiful as always, this time in a muted olive gown that accentuated her skin tone. Madame Genoir, on the other hand, was in a deep grey dress that contrasted greatly her sharp, bright blue eyes ¨C Quick eyes that, in turn, betrayed her collected and restrained demeanour. The old woman slowly judged their newly crafted outfits and how they all fit in their body ¡ª as perfectly as their posture ¡ª until she stopped at Gabriel. They stared at each other pleasantly, and Gabe knew, just as much as she knew the skies were blue, that the old Madame acknowledged way more of her in those nine days than their Mother in her nineteen years of life. ¡°You look handsome, Miss,¡± she complimented. ¡°I thank you,¡± she curtsied in the pale blue dress that flowed in angelical waves from the chest down, ¡°For your help guiding us through our choices.¡± ¡°I only further enhanced the beauty already there,¡± she smiled candidly. They truly were pretty, all of them, and properly dressed for the occasion. Alani was in a salmon silky dress that was sharp in just the correct amount and made her goddess-like, while Samir was in a long skirt and a corset that merged soft reds and browns. It looked gorgeous¡­ For those who did not know of them. Thankfully, the two others were allowed a more childlike garment: bright silky aquamarine for Lulu and white with colourful bows for Manny. It seemed that, so far, only the three first daughters would have the privilege of truly being considered one of the Prince¡¯s Brides. ¡°We shall go then,¡± Mother declared. ¡°Perhaps we could wait half an hour more, Missus? The girls would be less taxed to greet all the guests at once instead of one by one as they come in,¡± Madame Genoir sensibly requested. ¡°Nonsense. It would be terribly rude of us to be late to our first party,¡± she rebuked. It seemed that her daughters¡¯ hardheadedness did come from somewhere after all, because they crossed the street hastily after that. There was silence from the girls as they went. Were they using their might to stick to their newly learned lessons? Did they just have nothing to say? Gabe could only ponder¡­ But from Lulu¡¯s boiling yellow stare to Samir¡¯s little movements of unrest and Manny¡¯s twisting mouth, the second sister had a very good guess as to what was truly happening. She called Alani¡¯s with her eyes, and they traded messages only they could understand. Alani had previously told her what she could from their brief encounter with Lady Elliot three days earlier (mostly about how pleasant she was), but Gabe made up a conjecture from the crumbs she managed to take from their new Teacher the most. From those, there were some indisputable facts: Lady Elliot was a troublemaker, known for ignoring formalities such as respecting the Royals'' right to choose when to showcase their new setpieces. Her excuse, it seemed, was that the event was already informally scheduled before the Prince¡¯s bride¡¯s news got spread and it would be wasteful to discard all the perishable products already purchased for such a big event. What Gabe could make of the facts, though, was that this Lady was to be treated with extreme care. If one was powerful enough to just¡­ Disregarding the Royals¡¯ wishes, meant they had nothing to lose or strong enough backing to just not care. Either option was to be considered dangerous in equal measure. The guards promptly opened the doors of the adequately grand mansion at the sight of them and swiftly, a butler greeted them with ease. They merely nodded, as was appropriate of their status, and in return as they were led to the courtyard. Big rectangular tables of lavish decorations and shiny cutlery displayed undisputed wealth that would certainly reflect the guest''s standing¡­ After they got there. It seemed they were the first ones to arrive. Gabe quickly stared up at Madame Genoir and then her Mother, catching all the glimpses of the untold show of who was right and wrong. She could not help a small sigh, but soon enough all sights were set on a woman that beamed in their direction, welcoming them. This book''s true home is on another platform. Check it out there for the real experience. ¡°Ah, The Tatchers are here! Welcome, come, come!¡± she got up from her chair, at the first table right at the centre, and gestured for them to approach. Lady Elliot was on the plumper side, small and fair. Dots were sprinkled all over her face and matched the dark blond wavy hair that, contrary to what she learned was the norm, was roaming free in her back. It made a nice contrast to the bright purple dress that cascaded straight over her legs to a pair of ¨C and she double-checked it once she caught it ¨C riding boots. Gabe blinked as they got close and the Lady gently pulled Alani for a kiss on the cheek. She supposed they had met before but were they this close already? ¡°Are you well, Alani dear? I have been thinking greatly of our little talk that day and I can not wait for us to continue,¡± Lady Elliot said warmly. Gabe and her other sisters made sure to make an appropriate expression of surprise that matched the older women''s. ¡°Oh? I did not know you¡¯ve met before.¡± Madame Genoir had that look again. Sharp and calculating. ¡°A lucky encounter,¡± Alani explained with a look of humble embarrassment on her face, ¡°It was that day I requested to go out with Manny, yes? I remember she was feeling stuffed from staying too much inside. Well, Lady Elliot happened to be having a walk at the same time and we ended up exchanging greetings.¡± Gabe surveilled the older women¡¯s expressions closely. Would they be suspicious of something? ¡°Why didn¡¯t you tell us before?¡± Mother seemed a little scandalized at the thought of their golden goose being spotted less than perfect, an expression of regret soon building up her furrowed brows. ¡°It was very brief. I thought it did not matter much since we were to be here soon after,¡± she whispered as if afraid of doing something wrong. ¡°Oh, pay it no mind, Missus Thatcher,¡± the Lady laughed, ¡°And your daughters were perfectly respectful, I can tell you did a great job bringing them up. I can see no better fit for our Prince.¡± Their Mother smiled at that, proud. Madame Genoir too, seemed to relax at last. Soon after that, she pulled Manny for a kiss, too, this time with giggles and a pinch on the other cheek. A good start, Gabe calculated. Better than what she expected. ¡°So, let us sit and wait. The others might take a little to come, late as they always are,¡± she sighed, ¡°And where is Mister Thatcher? Is he not well?¡± ¡°He¡¯s currently spending some days catching up to a friend of his, Baron¡¯s Phillips. Do you know him? He has been a supporter of our business for a couple of years now and insisted on my husband spending some time furthering their ties,¡± Her Mother said, in a sickening sweet tone. Her irritation regarding Father¡¯s lack of communication had been rather obvious in the last few days and Gabe could only imagine what he had been up to so far. Their Patriarch was great in opening discussions, yes, but not so great in maintaining them, as usually that was Mother¡¯s role in their partnership. With her now occupied with their upbringing they could only guess how much of a fool he was making of himself. ¡°Hm,¡± the Lady gave her a knowing look, ¡°Well, the Baron was invited as well, so I hope they can make up time to meet us later on.¡± ¡°Likewise, Lady Elliot,¡± Mother complied, but before she could open her mouth to continue, the Lady changed the subject. ¡°And you, Nanny Genoir,¡± she smiled at the Madame, ¡°How you¡¯ve been doing? How did you end up taking care of the Thatcher girls? I thought you usually stick to those below twelve.¡± Nanny? Gabe¡¯s brows furrowed. ¡°I spend some time taking care of Lady Elliot¡¯s education, in her late childhood. I am proud to say I took care of many young ladies of the court,¡± she explained, appearing to be genuinely proud of herself at that, ¡°And well, regarding these girls, Her Majesty herself requested me to give them some tips, so who am I to deny it?¡± ¡°I see,¡± her eyes flicked in a light Gabe was very used to seeing in her younger siblings. Of mischief, she realised, ¡°And how are they fairing so far?¡± ¡°After only a few days of effort, they are now perfectly grounded and reasonably set,¡± she smiled at her work, and that finally seemed to push her sisters over the edge. ¡°Well, not without some sweat,¡± Samir complained under their breath. ¡°More like a lot of sweat,¡± Lulu didn¡¯t even raise her eyes to complete. A moment of silence followed¡­ Before the Lady¡¯s laugh filled up their surroundings in pleasant ripples of genuine joy. ¡°Oh you shush, your old hag,¡± she stopped Madame Genoir before she could chastise the younglings, ¡°I see she is trying to teach you how to be quiet too. Well, don¡¯t worry much, as soon as she leaves you¡¯ll be free to talk as much as you want. Look at me now!¡± ¡°Louise, don¡¯t you dare fill their heads with nonsense. You know as well as me they need to be better than that,¡± the old woman shook her head, seeming to decide to chastise the Lady instead. That seemed to cause a shift in her expression. Lady Elliot¡¯s smiling expression turned just a tiny bit icier. ¡°Indeed. But this is not the time or place for them to do so,¡± she resumed smiling, ¡°We are at a party, and so we should play! I, as the host, humbly request that my guests humour me with a game. Is that not fair, nanny Genoir?¡± The old woman had conflicted emotions showing up in her eyes before she sighed and nodded. ¡°It is set then,¡± she clapped, ¡°We will all speak now! All of us. I request to hear your voices. I will make questions and if you would not like to answer you will make questions instead and we will all have our turns to be as loud as we wish!¡± Lady Elliot beamed as the sun, and shone at them with the grace of a long-needed warm embrace. 21 - The new friend ¡°I don¡¯t believe they have anything of interest to say to someone of your standing, my Lady,¡± their Mother started, uncertain how to proceed. ¡°Well, perhaps we should start with you, then,¡± and the Lady was happy to make small talk about foreign delicacies and childhood memories. Her sisters made use of the small break to turn to Gabe, quietly asking how they should proceed. She saw how eager the three youngest wanted to take the bait, but still, they waited for her to take the lead. Gabe¡¯s mind worked quickly. Lady Elliot was giving them a way out, she realised. She claimed it ¡°a game¡± so that whatever they said was filled under the category of words used to entertain her. This woman wanted to know them. Truly know them. Why? Did she want something from them? Maybe further her ties with the Prince? No, she was married to the bastard. If she wanted something, it was a way to harm the Prince¡­ Though that was unlikely. The couple were to leave soon enough, and whatever she wanted to do would require more time than that. The Prince would not let his guard down in such little time, even ¡ª or perhaps especially¡ª for them. ¡°...And so you must evaluate our spices collection,¡± her Mother seemed to beam at the prospects. The Lady called up a maid ¡°Miranda, darling, why don¡¯t you show Missus Thatcher and Nanny Genoir the Kitchen?¡± ¡°I would be perfectly fine here, my Lady,¡± Madame Genoir answered as their Mother stood up. ¡°Oh, you should go as well. Mother has been dying to talk with you and right now, as the guests are not here yet, that would be the perfect time, no? Consider this a formal request from the Countess.¡± Madame Genoir''s eyes shone again, slowly but surely standing on her feet, all the while staring deeply at their host. ¡°Behave, girls,¡± she warned before departing. ¡°And alone at last,¡± she chuckled, giving them all a good look before settling on Alani, ¡°Are you adapting well to the nanny? I know she can be a handful sometimes. Eyes like a hawk, the old hag has.¡± Their eldest gave her a small smile. ¡°Well enough, my Lady.¡± ¡°Oh, please, none of this ¡®my Lady¡¯. Louise is fine.¡± Alani hesitated. Louise sighed, seeming truly troubled at that. ¡°I just thought you might need friends,¡± she looked at the rest of them, ¡°all of you. The court games aim for the soul and to just¡­ be thrown in there like that is truly unfair. I will be here in the City for just a short while, but I thought you might find some solace in at least having one person to be frank with,¡± she smiled bitterly, ¡°My circumstances make it hard for me to have any alliance so you must know I won¡¯t take any sides. That makes it easier for me to know how it feels to be under scrutiny all the time too.¡± Gabe wished she had the Prince¡¯s ability to know the truth, but she would have to settle for the second best. She questioned Alani with a look, and her sister nodded. So she believed she was telling the truth? ¡°Aren¡¯t you afraid your servants will listen to your confessions?¡± Gabe started, and Lady Elliot seemed almost confused to hear her speak. ¡°Which servants?¡± She gesticulated around, ¡°Miranda was the only one with us, and she is away now. She knows to return only after another guest is here.¡± ¡°You trust her,¡± Gabe said, understanding that getting them alone with her was planned way before they arrived. ¡°Deeply. She is the sister I never had,¡± she looked enviously at them, ¡°And oh, how much I wish to be as numerous as you. I reckon I would never feel lonely.¡± Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on the original website. ¡°You would never feel not annoyed just as much,¡± Lulu pointed out, and the Lady smiled in return. ¡° Lulu, you¡¯re making us look bad¡­ The girl is under a lot of stress, My Lady. Don¡¯t take her words to heart,¡± Samir shook their head, moving awkwardly in the dress and muttering about how uncomfortable it was. ¡°See? She¡¯s annoyed and I barely said anything at all,¡± Lulu concluded. She showed a smile that deeply resembled Mother¡¯s, ¡°Perhaps that was why Madame Genoir wanted to keep us silenced.¡± The mirth earned some chuckles at least. ¡°Did your Mother really want to meet with the Madame?¡± Gabe pressed further. If the Lady wanted to play the upfront type, she would have to prove it was not an act. ¡°Perhaps¡± The Lady raised an eyebrow, ¡°Why does it matter?¡± ¡°Because I don¡¯t believe just any regular calling would be able to force someone so¡­ esteemed by her Majesty just like that,¡± She stared at her, ¡°And I¡¯m deeply curious how you managed it.¡± Lady Elliot''s eyes shone in understanding. ¡°Oh.¡± She now knew that Gabe was aware Madame Genoir was the main watchful eye feeding their ins and outs to the Queen, and though that was not hard to guess, it ¨C the fact that she was able to piece it together in just a couple weeks ¨C told some things about Gabe. It was a gamble to be so truthful like that, but it wasn¡¯t as if the Madame herself had not guessed by now. It was enough information to put the Lady on display. How would she react? Would she guard herself now that she knew she could be a threat¡­ An equal? Did she only want them close because she felt they were easy prey? ¡°All she is saying is that we are very used to ample privacy and free time, my¡­ Louise,¡± Alani intervened, ¡°And we would enjoy being allowed a break here and there. It would be nice to have some tips on how to.¡± The lady watched her honest face for long seconds of deep consideration before sighing and smiling as well. ¡°Well, I suppose an army is all the better for having at least one sceptical mind in between their ranks,¡± she turned to Gabe, again seeming full of earnestness, ¡°My Mother is an old friend of hers, and the nanny owes a favour she has yet to return. I thought it would serve to trick her out of here. Even if Genoir knew it was a trick, she¡®s aware I¡¯m not one to give up and I am sure you are smart enough to understand why she decided to follow my suggestions sooner rather than later.¡± Gabe nodded. Because they would be surrounded by other parties soon after. Manny pulled her dress quietly. ¡°Can we speak now?¡± she whispered and Gabe hesitated just a moment more, again checking with Alani before giving her yes to the small one and the others. At least she was there to spot if anything started to go amiss. ¡°It¡¯s really nice to see you again Lady Louisy,¡± Manny said, still shy, ¡°You look like a good person.¡± Lady Elliot opened a smile bigger than all the others before. ¡°And you look like the cutest little girl I have ever seen,¡± she pinched her cheek again, then looked at Alani, ¡°My goodness I can¡¯t wait to have my own.¡± Alani seemed to understand her. ¡°Take your time though. They are a huge responsibility,¡± the oldest seemed lost in thoughts for a moment, ¡°If you have them when you¡¯re not ready, they suffer when they are the most vulnerable.¡± ¡°Yes yes, of course,¡± the other one complied, ¡°Although I must say, me and my husband think we are ready. We¡¯ve been waiting for a long time now.¡± ¡°Oh my! I thought you had just gotten married,¡± said Samir. ¡°Well, that doesn¡¯t mean we weren¡¯t tied to one another before.¡± ¡°Were you betrothed for a long time?¡± was Gabe''s turn to ask. That would be¡­ Unusual considering all the rumours of her now husband getting the Duke¡¯s title, back in the day. Someone of that standing wouldn¡¯t be betrothed to a mere Count¡¯s daughter. She gave them the third knowing look of the evening. ¡°Oh, you misunderstood. No, we were not engaged. But we were enthralled by each other all the same,¡± she said with a soft smile. Gabe felt her cheeks heat up. Married for love then? How baffling! And how¡­ fitting for someone like Lady Elliot, she supposed. ¡°My my,¡± Lady Elliot chuckled, ¡°Not used to romance, are you?¡± For the first time in a long time, Gabe didn¡¯t know what to answer. In her stead, Lulu gave her honest opinion of how romance sounded to her: ¡°Ew.¡± They laughed. 22 - Eyes all seeing Their peaceful atmosphere didn¡¯t last long. After a pitifully short round of pleasant chat, the next guests arrived, and with them their Mother and the Madame. ¡°I¡¯ll convince them to bring you here again some other day,¡± the Lady whispered... And just like that Louise vanished and Lady Elliot returned. It only took that one guest for the rupture of the den, and soon they were surrounded by all sorts of high and low nobles and such. The sheer amount of introductions made it hard to remember much of those people at all, so, as instructed, they remained tied to their mother and Madame Genoir so that they would deal with any questioning thrown their way. It was certainly easier to just play quiet and diligent daughter throughout the sheer amount of attention they were receiving. If there were people in this gathering who didn¡¯t want to meet them, Gabe had not yet seen them. Gabe, like all her sisters, disagreed deeply with Madame Genoir¡¯s methods, but her teachings were surely showing their usefulness. Any mentioning of herself or her name was to be ignored and only when addressed directly would she need to reply. A simple smile was enough to answer most questions, they had been told, even if one felt that a proper answer was needed. She should avoid longer answers at all costs. She should always return compliments to their sender, smile, and quiet down. Some of those things were easier than others, but they all trained till exhaustion how to properly partake in all of it. That kept her and her sisters in the safe lane of spectators most of the time, except ¡°spectators¡± would not be the most fitting word for what was happening. Something closer in meaning would be to compare her and her sisters to living statues on a pedestal, all eyes directly turned on them¡­ Watching their every angle and waiting patiently to leap and exploit a mistake, to deem them a fraud and scoff at the fact they were even there. Gabe thought they could handle it because they had been experiencing this same judgement for hours on end by the dutiful Madame, but it was one thing to be looked at by one and another to be scrutinised by dozens. The guest of the turn was Marquees of Amarant, one of the dozen or so people Madame Genoir made sure they had memorised face and demeanour. He had golden brooches of merit all over his expensively layered suit, but the poignant eyes behind his smooth glasses shone the most. Like so, those three seemed to be the common denominator in the multitude of Viscounts, Earls and Dukes; though different in age and appearance, they all had the gold, the fine fabric and the calculative eyes. Gabe and her sister smiled, curtsied, dodged and repeated this same process until their cheeks hurt and their hands trembled. A thousand times, it seemed, that the only voices they could hear were from others, and their affairs were to be discussed by any other person but themselves¡­Until he came. The Prince arrived, and all conversations immediately halted to behold his presence. ¡°I announce Her Highness the Crowned Prince,¡± the butler shouted as he entered, and swiftly all people in the gathering bowed their heads low. Gabe allowed herself a sigh of relief as she saw the attention shift, and she knew she wasn¡¯t the only one to feel that way. It looked like only the oldest of them was fairing as well as she appeared. ¡°Praise the gods above, I hope they don¡¯t turn to us anymore,¡± Lulu whispered. ¡°They will,¡± forebonded Alani in an equally quiet tone. ¡°I don¡¯t want to be here anymore,¡± begged Manny, words rushed and hands tight in her dress, ¡°when can we leave?¡± No one answered her. Gabe looked over her shoulder but her gaze halted at Samir''s face. They looked like they were about to vomit. ¡°Soon, sisters,¡± she promised, ¡°Hang tight just a little more.¡± The author''s tale has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon. As the gears shifted in her head, Gabe couldn¡¯t ignore a twisted feeling in her gut. Lady Elliot seemed to be a suitable ¡°ally¡± but her duties as a host would surely hinder her from any assistance she might be able to provide. Their Mother and Teacher were, surprisingly, helping, but even that would not be enough. It would be something simple, she was sure, like Manny breaking into tears or¡­ whatever Samir was about to do. Perhaps Lulu would say something out of line or she, herself, would fail to deflect the tones and meanings that no doubt intended to provoke. They were defenceless at the moment, and anything at all would require others to help. Others they would then owe. Where would this way lead? Her sisters were too young and they needed time to adjust to their new role so that their actions would not be used against them. She foolishly believed only those strenuous days would be enough to prepare them but that was doomed to fail from the start and she knew it, Gabe realized. The Queen knew it. She was doing them ¡°a kindness¡± to send Madame Genoir to prepare them (which would save the Royal family some face by showing that the future bride had, at least, the basic manners of the court) while still hoping for their inevitable fall so the oh, Dashing Prince could go on and save them. They would owe him the first of many favours. Gabe looked at the girls again, then the Prince. The gears continued to turn. If that was the hand they were given, the only thing they could do was take the lead. The second sister held the oldest¡¯s hand. Alani almost jumped in surprise. ¡°Lead the way, sister.¡± And but a look was enough to convey her meaning. They followed Alani very close to one another. Perhaps it was her enchanting beauty or the quiet look of purpose in her movements, or perhaps, even, was the desire to see her play herself, but something in the oldest presence made people part ways for them to move. Their movement forced the two older women to follow them, even if they appeared displeased and inquisitive as they went. ¡°Stick to him,¡± she whispered faintly in Alani¡¯s ear while making sure to appear very worried, ¡°We are young and bright-eyed so his influence makes us silly. Now reassure me.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry, sister,¡± she said, low enough to appear private but loud enough for others to hear, ¡°I am sure His Highness will be kind to us. He is a good man.¡± He noticed their approach with a curious gaze, seeming inclined to appreciate Alani¡¯s beauty, but his eyes shifted and he allowed the smallest of smiles when he beheld the two sisters'' small interaction. Although she could somehow understand his expressions, his features once again escaped her. As for his garment, the royal heir was dressed casually, she supposed, for a Prince, but his silky clothes and back leather boots were still a mirror of his wealth. He still chose muted colours, she noticed: greys and blues. They got close and bowed deeply. ¡°We greet Your Highness the Prince,¡± their Mother said. ¡°We meet again, Missus Thatcher. Misses,¡± he acknowledged, ¡°I am happy you were able to attend such a lovely meeting. Are you well in this fine evening?¡± If Alani didn¡¯t get some rosiness on her cheeks, her proper and subdued behaviour surely gave the impression she did. ¡°Yes, Your Highness,¡± she said in a smooth and pleasant tone that brought some approving smiles to people¡¯s faces. Even though it was not her turn to answer him, no one seemed to mind. She continued: ¡°Our previous meeting was the most pleasant. We are glad to see you again, right girls?¡± Alani turned to them and because having his attention made them somewhat drop their polite attitude, she received no answer, ¡°Ah, would you be so kind to forgive their mistakes, Your Highness? You see, they were impacted deeply by your steemed presence.¡± Gabe, also being swept into his Charm, struggled not smiling. That was why they all trusted their eldest more than anyone. Now, as long as it wasn¡¯t something truly extraordinary, they could tactfully tuck away their slips as ¡°the Prince¡¯s influence¡±. They were prepared now, and, by doing so, it seemed to change the general perspective to put the responsibility on him instead of them. The Prince stared straight past Alani, at Gabe. The confusion surrounding his face somewhat disappeared to reveal deep black eyes full of mirth. They looked at each other and Gabe''s unborn smile perished instantly. The Prince saw her. Would he agree to go her way? Would that defy the entire purpose of the trick? ¡°Very well, Miss Alani,¡± and his words held the power of a future monarch, ¡°Their mistakes will be forgiven.¡± Their eyes broke contact as he led them to sit somewhere by him, but Gabe could not shake the feeling his attention still lingered on her. 23 - To understand is the rest a wary mind needs the most Luckily, other matters took the attention away from the sisters. Their Father suddenly appeared and approached the table as if¡­ well, as if he had been expected. He bowed his greetings to His Highness with familiar words, a loud laugh, and (to everyone¡¯s gasps) soft taps on his back. Then, as if that wasn¡¯t enough, he quickly excused himself to pierce through the rows of Nobles he surely thought were new ¡®potential partners¡¯. Mother apologized profusely, promptly rising to follow behind her foolish husband. Nobody blamed her. Now, only The Prince, the sisters, Madame Genoir, the host and her Mother (the Caustess) resided at the table, finally enjoying the admittedly delicious food and tea the servants were presenting. ¡°...But putting the boring details behind us, you just had to see her Majesty''s face when I disregarded what that wretched Eunuch ordered and went inside anyway! Oh, Cian I just wish you could have been a little mouse on the walls to share my joy at her reaction!¡± Lady Elliot laughed as if irritating the Queen was the biggest jest she could think of. The Countess shook her head helplessly but still appeared strangely used to her daughter''s antics of toying with the most important people¡¯s temper. Gabe was using all of her might to restrain herself from allowing her eyes to open wide in surprise. Her sisters were less subtle. ¡°Impressive,¡± said Samir, who seemed to finally be recovering (or perhaps distracting themselves away) from their illness, ¡°Wasn¡¯t she enraged by your petulance?¡± The Prince laughed with their host, offering his hand to hold hers in a gesture of appreciation. It didn¡¯t escape her the way the Lady referred to him with his given name, or how he treated her as a beloved friend. How peculiar, she thought, how unusual. Gabe wondered how he felt about her recent marriage. ¡°It was the most cruel of you, Louise, to decide to do it in my absence,¡± he let go and turned to the third sister, ¡°And well, I suppose people regard it so much as common knowledge that the information doesn¡¯t travel easily. The Countess is my mother¡¯s second cousin, on her father¡¯s part. Little Louise here, Samir, is like an annoying niece to her. Mother is used to her cheekiness by now.¡± Oh. Things suddenly made much more sense now. The Prince looked at Gabe, giving another hearty laugh when he spotted her face. The girl quickly touched it, finally realizing she failed at controlling her eyebrows and finding that they were frozen in the middle of her forehead, eyes big like a doe. She blushed, unable to stop glaring in his direction, and at least the Prince seemed to have the decency to look apologetic. That damn Charm was just- ¡°Oh my,¡± Lady Elliot¡¯s voice had that same tone that puzzled her earlier, but before she could understand her meaning, she carried on the conversation, ¡°So, girls, what are you deeming this ¡®cousin of mine to be?¡± The table¡¯s good mood vanished. ¡°I fear it''s not appropriate for them to answer without their Mother¡¯s presence, My Lad-¡± Madame Genoir started but the Prince allowed none of it. ¡°Worry not, ma¡¯am. I command them to satisfy my curiosity, as I have been thinking this very same question,¡± And with that, it was set. The Charm had varying effects. Lulu was again lost in thoughts, and Manny was busy tasting all she managed to grab. The other three daughters, though, froze. Alani turned to her at the same time that Samir stated the following, with a familiar big smile on their face: ¡°Well, you look like a fine guy, Your Highness, though Gabe says not to trust your good faith too much since nobles have lots of strange mood changes.¡± Gabe shook her head. The effect was hitting hard on Samir the most, but it was no surprise considering how shaken they appeared to be just a couple of moments prior. ¡°Our sister has always been a wary person in nature,¡± Alani defended her, but people at the table didn¡¯t seem to take the third sister¡¯s words to heart. ¡°And what do you think, Miss Alani?¡± the Countess asked kindly. She seemed to have taken a liking to the eldest. ¡°His Highness behaves like an honourable and pleasing gentleman,¡± she didn¡¯t hesitate, ¡°He treats us very well, even considering how distant we are in ranks.¡± They smiled at her earnest tone, none perceiving the half-truths hidden in her words. By the looks of it, her sister was adapting faster than she was. Lulu abruptly stood up, halting whatever else would follow. ¡°I am to go relieve myself,¡± she announced with a stony expression that allowed no further comments. She waited for no one¡¯s permission before going away. ¡°It¡¯s the Charm,¡± The Countess explained to their sisters'' perplexed faces, ¡°It affects some more than others but it will get better with time, don¡¯t worry¡­ Though, it¡¯s surely inappropriate to travel alone in an unknown house. Should we go after her, Genoir?¡± Even if Madame Genoir didn¡¯t seem thrilled to let them alone with the Prince and Lady Elliot, their Mother had trusted their wellbeing to her while she was away. She excused herself to fetch the wild girl. Like so, six people remained. If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation. ¡°What about you, Miss Gabe? I¡¯ve just noticed you still haven¡¯t given your opinion on our Dear Prince,¡± Lady Elliot had that glean of mischief in her eyes again. ¡°I recall your sister said one wasn¡¯t supposed to trust me, was that correct?¡± he continued in a humorous tone, resting his face on his knuckles. Gabe took a deep breath, deciding how to approach the subject matter. It was surely a test, and with the Charm at play she was likely to fail, but she had to find a way to fail in the least damaging way. ¡°How could one trust someone they don¡¯t know? I recall Lady Elliot saying she trusted her maid as a sister and I wonder, how many years did it take for this bond to form?¡± ¡°More than a dozen,¡± Lady Elliot humoured her. ¡°And like so, I speculate it will take many years for me to trust you like that, Your Highness.¡± ¡°Like a brother, you mean?¡± He seemed to find her words funny, ¡°I feel that is not quite apt to¡­ Our situation. Say, Lady Elliot, how long did you take to trust your husband?¡± That made her pause, evaluating what he wanted to do with this information. ¡°Not nearly as long as Miranda, if that is what you want to know.¡± The Prince didn¡¯t take his eyes off the second sister as he continued: ¡°And did that happen naturally? Or would you say it was a deliberate decision you made to¡­ Cooperate with him?¡± Gabe¡¯s mind sobered. He offered her his assistance¡­ or rather if she interpreted things correctly the last time they met, he seemed set on getting her to follow his lead. Gabe once again went through their last encounter from start to finish. Some things had been strangely hard to remember as if the memory itself was quietly trying to run away from her, but as soon as she grasped what was happening ¨C Another of that cursed Charm¡¯s effect she supposed ¨C the girl wrote it all down and read it, over and over again, to make sure she remembered her accounting of the event (before burning the pages away, of course). He felt he had no control, like them ¨C and one thing she had to do was to find out what he meant by that. He also had said he wanted to support her ¨C but why? What was this support for? What exactly did that offer entail to her and her sisters? ¡°Well, yes, there was a decision involved at some point,¡± Lady said from somewhere else, and both she and the Prince continued where they had left. In all honesty, (and Gods and Goddesses, she was rendered a beacon of that because of him) she wanted to say no. All her instincts were shouting it was a trap. But she knew as well as he did that too many things depended on him being satisfied for her to deny him. Gabe gritted her teeth. ¡°One cannot expect blind cooperation without understanding and earnest and continuous goodwill, can they?¡± Gabe settled at last. ¡°Not complete cooperation, no, but some cooperation is already a good start,¡± he gestured around them, ¡°And blind I would expect the other part to be if they ignored such an opportunity. I am a man who shows my goodwill promptly, requesting nothing but for one to sit beside me.¡± She knew it. He agreed to get along with their little trick earlier fully expecting to use it against them later. ¡°If you allow me to be so bold, your Highness, what does it say about ''a person of goodwill¡¯ when they showcase it like a prize and mercy?¡± He hesitated at that, taking long seconds to, finally, concede: ¡°Fair enough,¡± he sighed, finally averting his eyes. He shook his head, ¡°But I must say your headstrongness is doing you a disservice, Miss Gabriel.¡± What else could she say to that? She had won that round but Gabe felt¡­ She too felt she had made a mistake, somewhat. But she couldn¡¯t understand how and what else she could do to make it right, and¡­ and¡­ Gabe just felt so, so deeply frustrated. The same feeling when they had first met, she recognized. ¡°Your Highness,¡± Alani said, a quiet voice that called for all their attention. ¡°If you would allow me a¡­ suggestion.¡± Their sisters looked at the eldest with worry. Why was she calling attention to herself at a time like this? ¡°You may speak,¡± the Prince said, mild curiosity on his face. ¡°As I stated before, my dear sister is a very wary person, though this¡­ affliction of hers can be easily remedied with enough words to make her understand her or another¡¯s situation. If I¡¯m correct, that was what she was previously trying, but unfortunately failing, to communicate.¡± ¡°Oh, that would be the understatement of the age!¡± Samir thought fit to supplement, ¡°People, especially our Gabe, always work best after knowing about everyone and all.¡± Suddenly all eyes were on her, and Gabe tried and failed to hold off a frown. Well, she would never, could never, say it like that, but understanding why the Prince was doing what he was doing would surely help. ¡°Oh¡­ I see,¡± They considered each other, ¡°That¡­ Well, that could be arranged.¡± Gabe let out a breath she didn¡¯t realise she was holding. ¡°I would be the most grateful, Your Highness,¡± she said, bowing slightly. A loud clap shifted the attention once again. Unruly Lady Elliot looked at them with enough mirth to rival a fox. ¡°Well, well, wasn¡¯t that entertaining? Much enlightening too. I almost feel guilty to steal today¡¯s spot on the most remarkable event.¡± ¡°Care to explain?¡± The Prince¡¯s tone held a dangerous tone as if he was waiting for that moment and dreading it immensely. ¡°You¡¯ll see, dear Cian,¡± she chucked, ¡°But I can¡¯t be without mercy to our Crown Prince and his future wife, so¡­¡± She put herself on her feet, some of the Nobles close by looking over before her dismissal. The young lady smiled, indicating Gabe¡¯s sisters. ¡°We shall meet your sister inside the house. Let¡¯s go. No, don¡¯t worry, yes? We will be back in 10 minutes, and your sister is most safe and sound here with so many people at bay. Oh! No, worry not about those leeches around! I¡¯m sure you don¡¯t know it yet but Cian here has the great ability to make people think of him as one of their own. Unfortunately, if he is not in an active role, it frequently makes people forget he is even there. I¡¯m sure little Miss Gabe will be swept under his influence and she will be let alone while we are gone.¡± ¡°Me too?¡± said little Manny, her mouth full of sweet pastries. ¡°No,¡± answered Alani, ¡°You stay and be a quiet girl while we are away, yes?¡± With a nod from her, they followed the vibrant ball of energy that was their host. Vibrant and smart. She knew that would be the perfect (and likely rare) opportunity to arrange their¡­ possible deal without other¡¯s scrutiny. There were too many people and, if the Lady truly spoke the truth, no eyes on them. From what Gabe could observe and the Prince''s manner, it seemed like she was being truthful. ¡°So,¡± The Prince was the first to start, ¡±What do you want to know, Little Miss Gabe?¡± 24 - A Fae鈥檚 Pledge ¡°What is she up to?¡± She squinted her eyes at the house¡¯s direction, where they had just entered. ¡°Who? Louise?¡± He again had a funny undertone to his words, ¡°I must remind you we only have 10 minutes, Miss. Is that what you really want to spend your precious time on?¡± ¡°No! No¡­ I apologize. Let me gather my thoughts for a quick moment,¡± she closed her eyes, massaging her temples. What was it that she wanted to know the most? What would be the best way to ask for the right amount of information? ¡°If you would allow me some advice, just speak away, Gabriel,¡± he sounded exasperated now, ¡°I give you my word I won¡¯t hold your words against you since¡­ Well, since this conversation isn¡¯t really happening to begin with.¡± The quick silence was filled with the noises of ¨C funnily enough ¨C Manny¡¯s teeth still crunching her chosen delicacies, unabashed and without shame. Somehow, that served as a calming balm to her stray thoughts. ¡°Very well. Why do you need my ¨C our ¨C cooperation? And what exactly would we be required to do?¡± Gabe had the impression he straightened his back before answering. ¡°I need your cooperation because of a mistake of mine. You see, when I received¡­ The Prophecy, no one knew but me and the Oracle, and I realize now that I should have kept it that way. Unfortunately, now, the information is out and the decision of whom to marry and how this must be done is once again out of my hands.¡± Many other questions branched off at that. ¡°Who?¡± She set at last. ¡°My Mother. The Council. My Father, if he has the heart to it.¡± ¡°Why would they work against your wishes?¡± ¡°Because they have theirs to fulfil. They will use whatever they can to weaken me so I will be deprived of any choice at all. Just like¡­ Well, just like what happened to many of my predecessors.¡± ¡°And how could we be of use in such a dire situation?¡± ¡°By being by my side, instead of theirs. Working in my ¨C or our conjoint ¨C benefit first. In return, I will do my best to accommodate all of your and your sister¡¯s needs, regardless of who I end up settling with. Have you ever heard of a ¡®Political marriage¡¯, Miss Gabe?¡± ¡°Yes, Your Highness. A marriage without love, based on mutual agreement,¡± Gabe restrained from saying that she knew it was much more an agreement between the two families behind the parties involved than the people themselves. He nodded. ¡°We might as well settle on that if things come to it. I can¡¯t promise that¡­ You will be the one the other powers will agree on, but even if I am to wed one of your sisters, I won¡¯t force my will on them. Everything, including marital affairs, can be decided by agreement.¡± Gabe quieted down at that. His help would be more than what she had ever expected when coming into this ordeal, though, by his words, he was far less powerful than what she had initially imagined. Even so, this deal would no doubt improve their current situation. Support creative writers by reading their stories on Royal Road, not stolen versions. One last question remained simmering in her mind. ¡°How can I believe you are telling the truth? And, if you are, how can I be sure you will keep your word?¡± He almost gave her another exasperated smile, but stopped when he spotted her absolutely serious expression. ¡°It is plain to see you don¡¯t quite understand the¡­¡± he shook his head, before pausing for a small, but definite moment. What was it? Gabe searched deep into his face, noticing the doubt in his eyes and the frown on his thin lips. What was it that he was hiding? Why was he hesitating? ¡°In order to preserve what remains of our short time, I will refrain from expanding on what is commonly known as ¡°A Fae¡¯s Pledge¡±. Louise will no doubt ask you sisters on another playdate later, so you must seek her explanation when the time comes.¡± His eyes left her direction as if he was questioning his own decision, before finally returning. ¡°That being said, I, under my birth name, Pledge that As long as you, Gabriel Thatcher, and your family, agree on cooperating on our mutual behalf, I will do no harm to you and your sisters. You and your people, too, shall do nothing that could harm me in return.¡± Gabe felt the power in his voice. It was something quiet, hidden, like a breeze that travelled through a place somewhere else and hit her in her neck, making all her hair stand up by the suddenly chilly air. The closest to them, Manny, paused her activities too and looked over, wary. Her eyes searched for Gabe¡¯s but she wasted no time. ¡°No,¡± he was stunned, anger starting to rise before she lifted a hand, quick to explain, ¡°I can¡¯t promise things for my whole family, your highness. I would put my hands in the fire for Alani, but the rest¡­ Many times they are too young to fully discern when they are doing good or bad. I won¡¯t even mention my parents, as you can see it for yourself.¡± They both stared at his Father on a neighbor table, as boisterous as he could be, and her Mother close as a nail to him. ¡°I can give my word, however, that I will try my best to lead them straight and, as a collateral¡­ Inform you, as soon as I am able to, of their mishaps.¡± The Prince knocked on the table with his finger, considering it deeply. At last, he changed his words to accommodate her requests. ¡°I agree,¡± Gabe''s voice trembled and it was done. The maiden would have to write extensively about this later, she thought as she mindlessly held Manny¡¯s hand in the reassurance that everything was alright. ¡°See? It wasn¡¯t that hard to trust me after all,¡± he joked, and if she wasn¡¯t feeling suddenly weak out of her wits, she would have spared him another glare, ¡°I fear we have a couple more minutes left. Is there something else you¡¯d wish to discuss?¡± Oh, to have just ¡®something else¡¯ would be an understatement as huge as describing Lady Elliot as a mere ¡°troublemaker¡±. Everything else would be more likely, though some questions burned more than others. ¡°The staff in our house answer to Her Majesty the Queen, am I correct?¡± He appeared surprised, before sighing away his reaction. ¡°You have already found out. Of course,¡± his eyes were burning with curiosity again, ¡°yes, you are correct. I believe you already know what that means.¡± Gabe nodded. They were being monitored at all times. And with her newly founded allegiance to the Prince, that could harm both of them. ¡°You wish for my help to dispose of them,¡± he stated rather than questioned. For the first time in the meeting, she allowed herself to be completely and freely truthful to him. ¡°I don¡¯t know enough of the situation to make an educated move just yet. Instead, I would appreciate having at least one of your people inside while I plan my next move.¡± ¡°An acceptable request. I will see what I can do.¡± Gabe took a deep breath, gazing at the house that her sisters were probably about to leave. She dealt with the future, so she might as well deal with the present. ¡°And what is it that Lady Elliot is up to?¡± The Prince gave a very tired sigh at that. ¡°You and the whole kingdom ought to know, Miss Gabe,¡± he shook her head, ¡°I have been wondering the same question ever since she was old enough to make her own decisions. We can only wait for whatever show she has in store.¡± And like they had conjured her, Lady Elliot reappeared. 25 - A Lady carries more flair when at the top The Lady made her appearance high up a horse of all things. She galloped grandly. A short red cape with golden embroidery now covered her shoulders and projected an even nobler feel to her image. Beside her was a Royal Announcer, with a scroll in his hands. Murmur started to fill the space as people speculated what was about to happen. In the midst of it, her sisters came back along with Madame and, eventually, their parents. The Lady¡¯s Mother approached her, proudly looking up at the daughter who looked just like a younger version of her. She stood at her right side. ¡°Dear guests. It¡¯s an honour and a pleasure to have you all here today. I am the most satisfied to be surrounded by such honourable people, but my heart aches for two absences the most. The first is my beloved husband, who unfortunately was not feeling well and is following the doctor¡¯s orders to rest until better. It has been affecting him deeply, the thought of having to face a crowd! Can you imagine a man that size being this much like a scared cat?¡± The crowd chuckled, and her gaze ghosted the window of the upper rooms of her house. Her eyes returned to the people, a familiar gleam in her eyes ¡°But alas it was this gentle heart of his that captured me the most. Let us all wish for his good health so his affliction will cease and he might rejoin social life again.¡± While for their family it was as simple as giving a good day or good night, Gabe could not restrain from noticing some voices¡¯ reluctance in giving their best wishes for the host¡¯s husband. If you spot this tale on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation. The Prince, strangely enough, was not one of them. In his tone, only politeness could be heard. ¡°The second absence is, of course, of the dearest and the man I most admire in the world: My Father. As you all know, he remains in his county, dutifully ensuring that our King¡¯s land runs smoothly, though he makes his presence known even from far away! I have just welcomed in my home a Royal Announcer bringing news from his and His Majesty¡¯s wishes. Let us rejoice together to hear what can only be good news!¡± The man with official clothes announced himself, and they all bowed to receive their King¡¯s command. Gabe continued to listen with burning anticipation. The Announcer¡¯s voice was loud and proud during the long round of formality, rising still a tiny bit higher when the edict finally arrived at its key point. ¡°¡­ considering the merits aforementioned His Majesty officially sends his deep gratitude to His loyal servant, Count Elliot who so long have served and toiled to better His Kingdom¡± Many people gasped at that, no doubt having guessed where this was going. Gabe¡¯s mind worked furiously trying to catch up with their guesses. She turned to the Prince who had a clear and deep frown of displease in his sharp face. He had concluded something as well. What was she missing? The answer came swiftly and imperiously. ¡°Therefore this edict formally declares: The previous Count is allowed to have his much-deserved retirement, and, in turn, his daughter, Louise Elliot, must prepare herself to partake in the official ceremony to receive the title of Countess,¡± at this point his voice rivalled with many others, ¡°As it is required from her new station, her husband too will receive the title of the Countess¡¯ Consort. In due time she is to return to her County to retrieve her duties!¡±