Annika stared at Fin across his work table as the knives magically prepared the food for dinner.

“So… you heard Kraken speak to you,” she began hesitantly.

“I did. I’m not completely sure… but that isn’t the weirdest part of my day!” Fin knew his pride was on the line when he began speaking with a defensive tone. He had to try and salvage the situation before Lady Jenoure began regretting her decision to be with him.

“...What was the weirdest part of your day?”

“Captain Antonio wants to court my mother.”

Annika’s face grew strained as she processed the new information. She didn’t want to insult Fin or his mother inadvertently, but was uncertain whether or not laughing was at all appropriate...

“Oh,” was all that came out of the Lady’s mouth.

“I still don’t know your plan for you and I. Does this interfere with us in any way?” the redhead asked, unable to mask his hopefulness.

Staring at the open garden door where the fluffy black feline had just escaped, Annika felt her heart beat double its normal pace. “Fin… Do you hear your cat speak to you? If so, I need to know sooner rather than later.”

Annika was doing everything in her power to be even tempered and reasonable. Even though within her mind, there was an obnoxious buzzing that was beginning to increase in volume.

“I’ve never heard Kraken before today and I… er… it’s a familiar thing…”

Despite the obvious tonal doubt in his words, Annika latched onto Fin’s explanation.

“I see. I suppose I understand that there are parts of your abilities that may seem… odd.”

She didn’t understand, but she didn’t want to start an argument on their first day of…. Gods knew what. Shovelling the occurrence away in her mind for another time, Annika remembered why she had wanted to come to see him in the first place. It was then she recalled how uncharacteristically nervous she was being back in the same room as Fin.

“I am expecting an important guest to arrive just after the beginning of the midday meal. If you could arrange a luncheon to be set for the rose maze, I would be greatly appreciative.” Her voice seemed to be coming out of someone else’s mouth. There was no way she could sound so proper and removed from a discussion with the redheaded witch.

“Of course my Lady, I will see to it myself…” Fin glanced over her shoulder, then at the castle door before lifting a cheeky grin. “When will I be seeing you again?” he queried in lowered tones.

Annika felt her cheeks flame in pleasure as she realized that he was just as eager to see her as she was him.

“Today is important for my plan, so it might be best if we do not see one another until things settle down. I will come see you as soon as possible.” Annika couldn’t meet his gaze for some strange reason.

“I understand. I don’t suppose you might tell me about this plan at all?” Fin prodded gently. He didn’t want to let on how insecure her reply had made him. He had genuinely hoped that with his confession and their coming together, there would be no further secrets from them and he wouldn’t have to stay away from her nearly as much as before.

‘She’s still a noble and I’m still a cook… that doesn’t magically go away…’ he reminded himself sternly. Even so, the enchantment of their night and morning together began to grow tinged with the gray of reality.

“I will. I just didn’t want to say anything beforehand, but I-”

Just then, Ruby the Head of Housekeeping strolled in through the castle door.

“Mr. Ashowan, the- oh! Viscountess!” The woman dipped into a low curtsey. “Pardon the interruption, I was merely tasked with sending for Royal Cook.” Ruby kept her eyes cast downwards dutifully.

Annika shot an apologetic glance to Fin before her features shifted to a look of cool superiority.

“Not at all Ruby, I was merely giving the cook my instructions for my luncheon with Lord Nam this afternoon.” Taking a graceful step towards the doorway, the Lady gave a kind smile to the Head of Housekeeping before she disappeared from sight.

Ruby turned back towards Fin with a raised eyebrow. “You must have displeased the Viscountess greatly for her to look so coldly at you.”

Fin almost laughed.

“Err, nothing I can think of. I believe Lady Jenoure was merely intent on making sure her meal with the Zinferan went well.” Clearing his throat casually, he changed the topic. “You were asked to send for me?”

Unconvinced, Ruby continued gazing skeptically at the redhead. “Mr. Howard wishes to speak with you. He sends for you quite often, for a man who claims to want nothing to do with you.” She said the last part more to herself than to Fin, and so missed the mischievous smirk on his face.

“Very well, I will alert my aides and be up to see him shortly. Will it be the council room?” he queried, while beginning to untie his apron from his waist.

“No, this time he has requested you in the Captain’s quarters.”

All levity in Fin’s mood disappeared. Ruby fortunately failed to see this.

“I see.” He stalked over to the garden door, his stomach churning as he tried not to think about his discussion with the military man only hours before. He knew he was being called to look over another battle plan, but found himself dreading the encounter wholly.

He informed his aides to work back in the kitchen as he would have lunch magically preparing itself, and would require them to be present if he was not back in time for the serving staff to come.

The group all agreed with several moans and groans over being subjected to the heat once again, but they were already picking up their materials as Fin turned back to the castle.

*

Annika sipped her teacup rigidly with her eyes downcast. Lord Nam’s pained expression had become the norm during their courting dates together, and this afternoon was no different. While the summer sun beamed down on the couple, Annika wore a drab high neck gown. It was gray and thankfully a light chiffon dress, and she had even risked a pair of pearl earrings with a ring of diamonds around them for jewelry.

She caught the eye of a footment standing near the mouth of the maze, and saw him give a nearly imperceptible nod to her.

It was time.

“I-I hope you don’t mind Lord Nam I’ve invited a dear friend of mine to join us. She came to visit for the Prince’s birthday, but unfortunately was unwell the night of the ball.” The Viscountess knew it was incredibly poor manners to invite a third party to a courting date. She hoped that this ‘error’ of social behavior was met with the disappointment she was aiming for. She even pretended to be nervous when she glanced at the Zinferan, and nearly cackled aloud when she saw his look of annoyance.

“I barely saw you last evening at the ball, and now you throw another person into our time together? This insult to my character-”

“Presenting, Lady Marigold Iona, daughter of Duchess Roberta Iona.”

A young woman with long auburn hair that glowed like embers in the sunlight appeared at the entrance to the maze centre, silencing the Zinferan. She wore an extravagant cream colored gown with intricate gold embroidery around the gauzy hem and cuffs. Garishly large diamonds dripped from her ears and matched the necklace adorning her pale throat. Her hazel eyes were bright, and as she strolled further into the garden, Lord Nam’s jaw slowly opened.

The Zinferan noble slowly rose from his seat as Lady Marigold neared, while Lady Jenoure smiled into the rim of her teacup.

“Good day Lady Iona. I am Lord Nam.” The Zinferan bowed, and she curtsied in response. Lady Marigold’s eyes were already alight with pleasure as she noted the extravagance of his garb and entourage behind him.

“Good day. I see you have the acceptable amount of servants with you,” she observed bluntly. An observation that would normally earn her a look of disapproval or disgruntlement from the Daxarian nobility, only garnered a look of pleasure from the Zinferan.

“Doesn’t everyone?” he scoffed.

The Lady Iona cast a disparaging look at Annika, who pretended to be very enthralled with the cloud formations overhead. “Tell me, those pants you’re wearing, were they made by-”

“The famous Zinferan stylist Eun Gim? Of course. Why would I not fund one of the greatest talents of our land?” Lord Nam asked with a playful smile on his face as he watched the Lady with growing interest.

“-Especially when he is said to be very exclusive with who he sells to.” Lady Marigold raised an eyebrow, clearly impressed.

Annika cleared her throat. “Lady Marigold is visiting from Sorlia — she was one of the Ladies considered for marriage to yourself. I hope you don’t mind the awkward situation.” Lady Jenoure blushed and hunched her shoulders over the table.

Both Lady Marigold and Lord Nam rolled their eyes, then realized that they had responded identically.

They exchanged a meaningful gaze before the young Lady Iona turned back to the Viscountess. “How is it you were supposed to be the finest match for our guests?” she asked childishly.

“I-I...err… his majesty is very kind, and hoped I would lay my mourning for my late husband to rest. Another reason I believe was that he didn’t want to risk placing any pressure on your father’s legacy.” Annika gave a dutiful nod of her head. Afterall, Lady Marigold did technically rank above her.

Marigold folded her arms gracefully while lifting an eyebrow in Lord Nam’s direction.

“Tell me Lady Jenoure, would you be opposed to my picking Lord Nam’s brain regarding the textiles of his home land? You seem quite… comfortable with your tea.”

The volume of insults and violations of courtly behavior were staggering, and Annika could’ve kissed the bratty woman for all she cared.

“Not at all. It is splendid weather to enjoy a peaceful cup of tea. Afterall, solitude is best for reflecting on the proper humility for a widow like myself-”

Lady Marigold gently placed a hand on Lord Nam’s arm and smiled up at him.

“Tell me, how did you manage to convince Eun Gim to make only a pair of pants? I can tell that your jacket, while of high quality, is not made by the same hand.”

Once the two rounded the corner of the exit, followed by at least three members of Lord Nam’s entourage, Annika leaned back with a broad smile. Pulling out her flask, she topped her cup up, and crossed her leg. Her posture was that of a woman of leisure — as opposed to the timid mouse she had feigned to be.

The remaining two members of Lord Nam’s entourage shared skeptical glances as they noticed Annika’s change in disposition, but she couldn’t be bothered to care. Knowing dear old Nam, he wouldn’t listen to anything they had to report if it had to do with her. She had infuriated him at every turn with lectures of propriety, humility, and frugality. The fact that he could’ve sworn her off and returned to Zinfera had been no small risk. Luckily, it had all paid off.

In truth, Annika had thought it would take a great deal more manipulation to make Lady Marigold desirable to any respectable nobility. However, it were as though Lord Nam had been sent by the Goddess herself. The couple suited each other all too well.

“I must avoid any brats they breed at all cost,” she muttered to herself with a small chuckle.

Closing her eyes, Annika enjoyed the warmth of the sun on her face as she pondered the coming days.

Her next biggest challenge would be handling her brother. Lord Piereva was going to try and force her to marry Lord Miller. She planned on playing up to his pride and the fact that she no longer had to get married as a means to refuse, but knew that in itself was a risk.

Her other option was convincing Lord Miller to flee of his own accord. Encourage him to travel and study on his own before his King could enlist him in the war. That move would be an even greater gamble however, as he could easily turn around and tell King Matthais. While she no longer was under the King of Troivack’s law and command thanks to her marriage with Hank, she would be hunted for defying him. It’d be a matter of time before he’d have her killed.

Annika was about to head back into the castle to try and get a nap in, when she heard her brother’s unmistakable growl behind her.

Slowly, she turned and saw the footmen standing by the maze exit with panicked expressions. They had clearly tried to prevent Lord Piereva from interrupting her, but had failed miserably.

“Where’s the pansy Zinferan you’re supposed to be on a court date with?” he snarled once she had risen and curtsied.

“He stepped away for a moment with some of his entourage,” she answered, while keeping her eyes downcast. Her heart began to pound as she wondered what had brought him to her.

“You refused to meet with me.”

“I had to meet with the suitors for our final courting times before giving his majesty an answer this evening,” Annika answered emotionlessly.

“Your answer will be Lord Miller. Why not inform him now and be done with it?”

She didn’t have to look up to know he was glaring down at her.

“It could be seen as suspicious activity for me to make the decision early, and it would be an insult to-”

Lord Piereva snatched her arm and wrenched it painfully upwards, forcing Annika’s eyes to lift to his as she yelped in pain.

“You defy me?” he demanded. “I heard you sent away my gift this morning to the dungeons. Did you think I wouldn’t learn of your insult? That you should shame your own kinswoman and have her barred — it’s as though you don’t trust your own brother in his judgement of character.”

One of the footmen that had been watching the scene unfold had fled---most likely to get help.

‘Gods. If Lord Nam comes back and sees this he might feel some kind of pity for me and acquiesce to marrying me,’ Annika thought irritably. While her arm did hurt, she had experienced far worse pain before. She also knew that while he might break her arm, she would kill him before he could reach that level of violent frenzy if need be.

“Your gift was putting on airs and being disrespectful. She is a maid and thought she had the right to question me, despite being a descendent of the Piereva family. I didn’t think you’d want such disrespect to pass, brother,” Annika explained, forcing her voice to sound thin and weak.

She could tell her words made him hesitate. She had played his pride countless times, but alas, it seemed he was in a particularly foul mood that day.

“That maid was a gift to help you remember who you truly serve. I see you have a problem with that.” His grip on her arm turned to bone crushing, yet she kept her face controlled and turned down.

“Hm? Is that it? Why so quiet sister? You’ve always been a brat, perhaps you’ve forgotten that I-”

“Lord Piereva you will release Lady Jenoure this instant.” The unmistakable voice of the King made the Earl’s head snap around. The man glared for a brief moment before dropping his sister’s arm.

Norman strode forward, his hazel eyes flashing as he stared down the Earl unflinchingly despite their size difference.

When he reached the bear-sized Troivackian, he braced his legs apart, clasped his hands behind his back, and waited with a hardened expression. “You forget your manners. Kneel.”

Lord Piereva was about to bark at his sister to do the same, but saw that she had already lowered herself. It was then with sudden clarity, that the Earl knew who his sister was truly loyal to.

Bending his knee for the briefest of moments, the Lord tried to rise again but Norman held up his hand stopping him.

“I have received a number of reports concerning your behavior as of late Earl Piereva. You’ve been harassing the staff, threatening some of them, and now you assault an esteemed member of Daxarian nobility.”

Lord Piereva’s lip began to curl.

“Your behavior is becoming increasingly hostile and disrespectful, and it will cease this instance. I have sent a letter to your King Matthais with an account of each of your offences, and it has been agreed upon that you will be imprisoned until a vessel arrives for you from Troivack. Lord Piereva you are hereby suspended from the Kingdom of Daxaria until further notice.”

Standing all too swiftly, the Earl rose with a roar. “My King would never agree to such a-”

Mr. Howard had silently appeared over the King’s right shoulder and proffered a rolled parchment with the Troivackian King’s official seal.

Lord Piereva’s eyes narrowed.

Captain Antonio appeared flanked by his highest ranking Knights, and clasped irons over the Earl’s wrists.

“Foolish man. I’ll have you beg my forgiveness on your knees after we’ve slaughtered every last one of your people in the war.”

Norman continued staring at the Earl without a flicker of emotion, but the guards didn’t take him away, instead the King took a step closer, smiled, and said;

“You have a bit of food in your teeth.”

He then turned on his heel and walked away, as calmly as he had entered.

Shouting and swearing loudly enough to be heard throughout the castle, Lord Piereva was escorted off the castle grounds to the Lendenhoff Holding — the prison for nobles that was scarcely used.

Annika was left standing nearly alone in the garden, unsure of what to think or feel after what had just happened.

Slowly, she walked towards the remaining footman-- a young man that was clearly very shaken by the events. “Once Lord Nam and Lady Marigold return, please inform them I am going to lie down for a time.” The poor lad couldn’t even speak, but he did manage to nod after meeting her concerned gaze.

When Annika exited the maze, she passed by Norman who was watching her brother be forcefully escorted away with an unsettlingly cavalier stance. The two shared a wordless nod before she continued on towards the castle, leaving the King to his thoughts.

*

With a sigh, Norman closed his eyes and began to mentally prepare himself for what he would have to do before the ship for Piereva arrived.

‘I’m going to have to tell Finlay the second half of the message from Matthais…’

Mr. Howard returned to Norman’s side after personally witnessing the Earl leaving the castle grounds.

The two men then began their silent journey back to the castle.

‘How am I supposed to tell him…?’ Norman gave a somber nod to the guards at the doorway as he mounted the steps. ‘Troivack’s Chief of Military will be the one coming to pick up Lord Piereva, and when he does, he will be staying for three days.’

Turning down the corridor, the King headed back towards the barracks where the very witch he was thinking of worked on battle plans. Norman’s quip towards Lord Piereva about the food in his teeth had been a response that he had imagined the cook likely to use when he felt like being particularly vexing…

It felt oddly wonderful to use on an enemy.

With another inaudible sigh, Norman decided he didn’t need to tell the witch just yet about his father’s pending arrival. The redhead had seemed in good spirits for once when the official reply from King Matthais had come in, and for some reason, the King didn’t want to dampen the younger man’s day.

With his thoughts turning to his own son, and unborn daughter, he tried to fathom what kind of father would sow such deep pain and anger in their own kin. Not to mention how meeting the man who sired Finlay Ashowan could be anything, but definitely not inconsequential.

‘It will be interesting indeed to see what Aidan Helmer is like in the flesh.’