Fin tried testing out his body, but Isabel led the way slower than her usual gait. He wanted to run, jump, and walk on his hands, but he was stuck moving at Isabel's sauntering pace. It was as if she was intentionally trying to make him more late than he already was. The two had passed several guards before stopping at an ordinary door. It was typical for the castle but still stronger and sturdier than his front door back home.

Isabel knocked and said, "If we are too late, we can try again tomorrow."

The door swung open to reveal a nominal glare from a newly bandaged face.

"I specifically said "tea at sixth bell," but here you are at a quarter past," Dezi clipped her words. "Can I assume all farmers are as punctual as you?"

Fin shouldered past both Dezi and Isabel and entered the room. It was decorated with light blue patterns against a golden trim. Plants, tables, and tapestries decorated the corners of the room. He was surprised to find a row of instruments lining the wall.

Isabel voiced her horror at Fin's intrusion, but he ignored her and turned toward Dezi. "It appears you and I are courting now. I don't suppose you had anything to do with this?"

Dezi's anger melted instantly, and she offered him a chair. "That's what I wanted to talk about. Will you take tea?"

Fin sat in the chair next to the one Dezi gestured to and waited as she poured tea into two cups.

As soon as Dezi finished pouring the tea, she sat down and watched, astounded at Fin's firm grasp on conveying disappointment, tactical strength, tenderness, and something else she had never seen before. She feigned an air of polite patience as Fin took the cream and set it next to himself, out of her reach. Furthermore, he took a slice of lemon and put the whole thing in his mouth. He chewed the entire thing while looking under each lid for the honey. When he found it, he added a scoop of sugar into the jar of honey.

He looked as if he was making up his mind about something and then took a spoon of sugared honey and added it to his tea. He then offered her the cream he had swindled. She accepted, completely thrown off guard.

Dezi cleared her throat. "Do you want to see my scars?"

Fin looked up from his tea as Dezi began unbandaging her face. She revealed three raw scratch marks across her cheek.

"That will probably scar," Fin said blandly.

"That's what I'm afraid of," Dezi confessed, still unraveling the bandages. "At least no one will try to take me from you."

This time Fin was caught off guard. He sat speechless between the remarks, "If anyone wants you, I will gladly give them written permission," and "I don't think your face is the problem here." Even with the scars, Dezi could be considered beautiful, an aspect that was hard to see behind her treacherous personality. Fin felt she was also pure evil, which was enough reason to leave as soon as possible.

This tale has been unlawfully obtained from Royal Road. If you discover it on Amazon, kindly report it.

"It wasn't my idea," Dezi said, sipping her tea. "All I did was tell my father how much of an asset you would be to the kingdom. You are brave, a strong fighter, and you rescued me. He took it for something else."

Fin drained his tea and set down his empty cup. "I'll tell you what. I will pretend to court you, whatever that means, but I'm still leaving. I have a goblin-run slave camp to liberate, no thanks to you or your father. If that is all, I wish you a good night."

Fin stood up, but Dezi grabbed his arm and stopped him. "Can you stay for a little longer? It gets so boring in here by myself. Do you want to play a game or hear some music?"

"You have musicians on staff?" Fin asked, eyeing the neat row of organized instruments.

"I do if you want me to get them," Dezi said, walking towards a medium-sized harp. "Or I can play something myself?"

Fin looked longingly at the door but resigned himself to his chair. "I can stick around for a song if you want to play something."

Dezi sat on a stool and leaned up against the harp. She tested several of the strings and then began to play. Her fingers started weaving patterns of sound together, slowly at first, plucking a single string at a time. Her song became more intricate without changing the cadence as she grasped at two, three, and four strings at a time. The pastel melody bounced cheerfully to a simple rhythm.

Fin's defenses slipped, and he found himself smiling. When the song ended, He clapped genuinely. He wondered if it was possible to appreciate someone you despised wholeheartedly. He wondered if the Dark Underlord was a woman that could also play the harp.

Dezi stood and curtsied. "Sometimes Father has me play for his guests. Will you stay for one more?"

Fin shrugged off his earlier rush and waved her on. She replaced the larger harp with a smaller, simpler one she called a lyre. This time, the song was less intricate but deep and haunting. She played through a melodic loop several times, and to Fin's great surprise, she started singing.

Her voice was pure and inviting, which stood juxtaposed with the evil in her heart. Her song spoke of planting in the autumn and asked if the winter wine could still melt her heart? Fin knew that once grapes froze, they would be less than useless. If you weren't planting snap peas, some leafy greens, or asparagus, you were better off planting mid-spring. Some seeds could preserve through the winter, but there would be a small chance of survival. Potatoes, maybe, but not grapes and not from a newly planted vineyard.

The haunting music continued, but instead of basic farming, Dezi sang about a lover departing for the winter and their hearts freezing. Fin imagined he and Dezi were the people she sang about. She was the one crying and telling him not to go. Then he brushed the hair away from her cold face, revealing old, tear-streaked scars. Just before his lips touched hers, he snapped out of it. He sat petrified of his disloyal imagination.

Dezi played the song's last note and then stood and bowed playfully. "What do you think?"

Fin's heart was in his throat. He knew that if magic was involved, he would have been able to see it. He just couldn't think of any other reason why his emotions would directly oppose his mind. All he knew was he needed to get as far away from her as he could and never return. At least not until he upgraded his wisdom. He quickly checked to make sure he hadn't upgraded his wisdom. He hadn't.

"I am nearly speechless," Fin said, trying to shake off the spell he was under. "I had no idea you could do that. Can you play every instrument?"

"My father won't let me learn to play the lute," Dezi frowned. "He says it's below me."

"I really enjoyed myself tonight," Fin smiled, casually rushing for the door. "Thank you for inviting me."

As soon as he left her room, his smile dropped to a scowl. He cursed his emotions as he walked. He would be leaving tomorrow, regardless of the circumstances.