I had so many questions I didn’t know where to start, so I just stood there, probably gaping like a fish. A very handsome fish, but a baffled one nonetheless.

Viscountess Artoi smirked. “Be assured that all three deserve their fate.” Now her face darkened. “I would’ve executed my husband as well, but I didn’t want to upset your siblings.”

I could only nod. This woman was too extreme! Way too extreme!

Then she squeezed my hand. “Now, what say you?”

I gently extricated myself from her grip.

“Look,” I said. “It’s not that I’m ungrateful for the offer, but it sounds like far more trouble than I’m willing to deal with.” I hoped she didn’t execute me as well for the presumption, but no one ever called me a coward. Vain, certainly. Arrogant, often. Insane, more times than I’d like. But never a craven.

“Child, think of all the opportunities you’d have. We’re a rich, well-connected and very prestigious bloodline,” she said, a note of exasperation in her voice. “Though it pleases me to see that in addition to my temper you’ve inherited my stubbornness.”

“I’m already rich. I only care about academic politics. As for opportunities, I just want to begin another doctorate.” I paused. “And maybe teach, after.” I wasn’t so sure on the last part, but I had a few years to decide. Especially if that idiot Headmaster was really retiring soon.

She sighed and pinched her nose.

“Azura told me this would happen.” My mother was in on this? Conspiracy!

She took a paper from her military style jacket and passed it to me. I took it gingerly, afraid it would be a blood trap or something.

“That’s a list of some rare books we have in the family library.” Rare books? I nearly scoffed. When people said rare books they usually just talked about- holy fucking shit. I gasped.

“The Comparative Compendium of Ancient Antaran Magic? A Discourse On The Seven Elements? A Soliloquy On The Sun Goddess And Her Sundering Blessings? What? How? Are there any more? Please.”

She looked at my display of academic zealousness with faint amusement. I was glad that the stone-faced impression was just a temporary one.

“There are. And I haven’t checked all the libraries in our holdings, so who knows how many are yet to be discovered.” I was dead. Was I in the Three Heavens?

“Pity,” she continued, in the same tone, “that only the heir to the Artoi family can access all of them.”

I gasped again, this time in outrage. “You just made that up!”

She palmed her cheek. “Did not.”

I continued to bristle. She chuckled and took my hand again. She led me to the papers on the desk, the list of books still clutched in my other hand.

She gave me a pen and an encouraging nod. I couldn’t stop thinking about those poor, precious books, rotting away in some dusty corner with no one to read them. Oh, I hoped they had proper conservation spells. The Viscountess cleared her throat.

Well, fine. I was already convinced, but it didn’t mean I had to sign without looking over the documents. I took them and read them: I, Beatrice Amalia, was set to be legitimized blah blah, my consort officially recognized blah blah. Et cetera ad nauseam. Mm, so no hidden suspicious stuff. I sighed. Then I signed.

“Fantastic.” The Viscountess said. She kissed my temple.

I stared at her. “You know, you really give off a different impression, at first.”

She became stone-faced again. Damn it.

“Ah.” She cleared her throat. “I was nervous. I haven’t seen you since you were a little girl.” Wait, was she embarrassed? Military types, typical. Emotionally stunted the lot of them.

“I don’t remember you.”

She gave me a faint smile. “You were very young.” She hugged me. “And now you’re a beautiful young woman. And a very stubborn one.” she whispered into my hair. We were even the same height.

This time I smiled too. “You say that just because I look like you.” I joked.

She let me go.

“Nonsense. You have your mother’s curls, for one.”

I rolled my eyes. “Sure.”

“Speaking of, let’s get out. I’m sure Azura’s frantic.”

She went to the door and knocked. A second after it was opened with force.

“Your graces!” A soldier said and saluted. The other just stood to attention. Again, needless dramatics.

Mother and Zaya appeared from behind the corner. They probably went to have some calming chai. Alas, their love of seeping leaves had not rubbed off on me and I preferred to drink coffee, Venixian style. In that moment I would have killed someone for a cup of one. Well, alright. Maybe just slightly maimed. I wasn’t that far into my withdrawal phase.

Mother gave us a warm smile.

“How did it go?”

The Viscountess held up the papers in victory. As if it were some kind of peace treaty signed after fifty years of bloody war. Honestly.

“Mother, I was conspired against,” I said, very dignified and a little accusing.

“It was for your own good, sweetie.”

I gave a pleading look to my wife.

She just gave me a mocking smile back. “Serves you right. It looks like conspiracy is a family vice.” Betrayal! Wait...

“Is- Is this about my wedding proposal? I thought you liked it!”

“I did, very much. But you have to admit the before was a little insane even by your standards.”

“I will do no such thing.”

“Children.” said the authoritative voice of the Viscountess. Mother just gave a little laugh.

Zaya shook herself from our bit of marital squabbling and gave my other mother a deep bow.

“Pardon me, that was very rude,” she said. “I’m Zaya Saishi, your daughter’s consort.”

“Well met, Zaya. You may call me Arianne.” She hesitated. “Beatrice, you may call me Mother.”

“Of course, Father.”

Mother laughed again. The Viscountess gave her a plaintive look.

“Must you encourage her?”

“Always.” She promised. Needless to say, I inherited my sense of humor from her.

Father sighed.

“Very well. Girls, please prepare your suitcase for the travel. We must depart immediately.”

“Immediately? But the soirée!” I said, outraged. I wasn’t about to lose out on the best party of the year. Excluding my wedding.

I expected Father to answer, but Mother came forward instead.

“You have to, darling. The situation is safe, but is far from being completely stable. The Viscountess can’t dawdle here for much more time.”

I bit my lip. No matter the remarks about my stubbornness, Mother’s was much worse. Because she was so reasonable about it.

“Fine. Tomorrow at least? Let us rest and say goodbye properly.” It didn’t even need to be said, that Mother wouldn’t be able to come. Antara was a much more traditionalist country and her chosen profession would create a scandal.

And besides that, she couldn’t just abandon her life here. Our investments needed to be overseen and managed. Especially the business venture I managed to rip from my ship captain’s hands when I was being apprenticed.

“Tomorrow morning, then.” the Viscountess said with finality.

Mother clapped her hands.

“Very well! I don’t know about you, but I could do with a spot of lunch.”

Now that she was bringing it up, I was pretty famished. And I missed our chef’s cooking. We didn’t spare any expenses for him. In fact, we stole him away from a rival of Mother’s. She was very passionate about her luxuries but paid her staff very little. Even if she was using them for her nefarious work.

“And of course,” Mother added. “You must tell us all about your honeymoon.”