The castle stood grand on the hilltop. It was massively tall. While the outer walls were purely practical, what should have been the keep was a beautiful palace. Rather than battlements, the building's top had a slanted roof of blue bricks. Whitewash covered the castle, both the keep and the walls, stopping any stone from being shown.

It was far larger than castles of previous eras too. Just a hundred years ago, Count Staufer's ancestors wouldn't have had enough men to defend something that big. Things were different now.

Numerous carriages were lined up from outside the gate to the front of the keep. They were painted in numerous colors. Flags with the sigils of various nobles stuck out of their roofs. Guards surrounded the vehicles while servants got outside first to keep their masters from falling if they tripped.

Eris stepped out of a carriage. She had blonde hai by Xela-The-Conqueror [https://images-wixmp-ed30a86b8c4ca887773594c2.wixmp.com/f/313aaab4-767f-4cea-91cb-69c8d8fbef2a/dgsahpy-a491052d-4b0c-4173-83f9-5ab4106d7aaa.png/v1/fill/w_739,h_1081/eris_stepped_out_of_a_carriage__she_had_blonde_hai_by_xela_the_conqueror_dgsahpy-pre.png?token=eyJ0eXAiOiJKV1QiLCJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiJ9.eyJzdWIiOiJ1cm46YXBwOjdlMGQxODg5ODIyNjQzNzNhNWYwZDQxNWVhMGQyNmUwIiwiaXNzIjoidXJuOmFwcDo3ZTBkMTg4OTgyMjY0MzczYTVmMGQ0MTVlYTBkMjZlMCIsIm9iaiI6W1t7ImhlaWdodCI6Ijw9MTIxNiIsInBhdGgiOiJcL2ZcLzMxM2FhYWI0LTc2N2YtNGNlYS05MWNiLTY5YzhkOGZiZWYyYVwvZGdzYWhweS1hNDkxMDUyZC00YjBjLTQxNzMtODNmOS01YWI0MTA2ZDdhYWEucG5nIiwid2lkdGgiOiI8PTgzMiJ9XV0sImF1ZCI6WyJ1cm46c2VydmljZTppbWFnZS5vcGVyYXRpb25zIl19.O5BmkPvsCEGvjwKCd199Z9qpM1JWwShKtRcmQeAKmS4]

Eris stepped out of a carriage. She wore a beautiful dark red dress decorated with pearls. The girl stepped towards the keep with satin shoes. Her hands were covered in ermine gloves. Looking around, Eris saw that many other nobles were dressed in dark red too.

"A popular color. Bloodstains aren't as easy to see when you're wearing dark red," she thought.

With incredible grace, Eris sauntered to the keep's door. There were two guards wielding halberds at the entrance. Their eyes fixed on her and her trail of maidservants.

"Eris Hapsburg," she curtseyed. "Here for Count Staufer's banquet and charity auction."

The guards looked at the carriage she came from. They saw the two-headed eagle of House Hapsburg on it. One of them nodded.

"Go on in, my Lady," he said.

Eris entered the keep. The sun shone inside from grand windows, lighting up the whole building. There were several feast tables on the side. Tableclothes of grand velvet were between them and the food. In the center of the room was a large dance floor. A large chandelier hovered above the area, its glass shining bright. At the end of the room was a large table with a grand chair coated in a bearskin behind it. The girl saw a tall man with a thick beard sitting on the chair.

With a smile, Eris walked around the room towards the man. She scanned the area as she moved. Numerous nobles were present. Some danced on the floor, others sat at feast tables, and still more stood and talked to each other. Servants ran through the room as well. Eris noticed that some people who were obviously commoners were freely speaking to nobles. A twinge of annoyance passed over her.

"I wasn't looking forward to dealing with those scholars, but I do what I must. More importantly, I can't see Armand anywhere. Where is he? Is he just late, or did something happen?" Eris thought.

Concern flowed through her. Still, the girl hid it well. She stepped up to a line that led to the table at the end of the hall. A few nobles stood in front of her. Eris waited until it was her turn and then walked to the bearded man.

"Eris Hapsburg, here to attend your feast and auction," she curtsied.

"Count Johan Staufer, pleased to meet you," the bearded man said.

Then, a smile crossed his face.

"I'm happy to tell you that, while the auction is tomorrow, my castle has enough rooms for every noble here. You won't have to sleep in the great hall like with normal banquets," Count Staufer added.

"Oh, that's wonderful!" Eris smiled.

"Hopefully, there won't be any assassinations. There weren't any last time, but any murders would get in the way of my plans. Especially if they make Marques Lutin paranoid. I'd prefer it if she didn't notice the magically detonated bombs my servants are sneaking into her carriage," she thought.

Her expression turned serious.

"But I have a slight concern. What if there's foul play at night? We wouldn't know anyone was killed until morning," Eris said.

"Don't worry, Lady Eris. I can assure you that I hired extra mercenaries so everyone remains safe. Besides, I doubt anyone would be so crass as to kill someone during a feast and charity event," Count Staufer replied.

The girl pretended to ponder things. She made a frightful look enter her eyes.

"Thank you for your security, but I'm still a bit afraid. I know it's normally inappropriate for unmarried men and women to sleep in the same room, but my fiance will arrive here soon, and I'd feel much safer if he stayed with me," Eris stated.

Count Staufer stroked his beard.

"This is your first banquet, isn't it?"

"Yes."

"Well, I suppose it's only natural that a vulnerable young woman would feel nervous," Count Staufer said. "I mean no offense. I'm sure that you can take care of yourself, but I saw many depraved men in the War of the Dukes. I can't blame any woman for being paranoid anymore."

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Eris curtsied again.

"I took no offense, Count Staufer. You're right that there are many depraved men around," she said before thinking. "Many useful men around."

The girl then pretended to force a smile.

"So, I must ask you to talk to the other guests. I would prefer it if they didn't assume the worst of my fiance. I'd even allow doctors to inspect my hymen tomorrow to confirm that I'm a virgin," Eris stated.

"Of course. I wouldn't want any of my guests to suffer discomfort. And you're barely an adult, so I'm certain that nothing will happen with your fiance," Count Staufer nodded.

"Thank you."

With that, Eris did a third curtsy and went to the side of the room.

"After he talks to everyone, people will start thinking that I'm a scared young woman. Right now, I need them to underestimate me," she thought.

Three noblewomen approached Eris. Two were walking behind another. They all wore corsets over their other clothing.

The woman in front was a haggard woman in her late 30s. Her face had lines on it, and her blonde hair was starting to gray. She gave off the aura of an iron woman. Grand robes of blue and black coated her body. More jewelry decked her body than anyone else in the room. There was a glass of wine in her hand.

"Duchess Katrina Anhalt, the highest-ranking woman here. Her husband died prematurely, and there were always rumors that she murdered him. She dies under mysterious circumstances a year from now, so I never had a chance to confirm those rumors," Eris thought.

To the duchess' left was a woman of 20 with green eyes and brown hair. She was dressed in a plain red dress. Heavy makeup covered her face, hiding bruises. There was a forced smile on her face.

"Natalia Anhalt, daughter of Katrina Anhalt and future Duchess Anhalt. Despite her age, she's unmarried. If I recall, she never married and the household passed to her cousin."

The last woman was in her late 50s, a rare example of a noble who lived to old age. She may have been beautiful once, but now she was a mess. Her gray hair had almost fallen out, she had a portly body, and there was a perpetual grimace on her face. There were a dozen corsets on her body to constrain her weight.

"Lady Elizabeth Maarten, the aunt of the current Duchess Anhalt. Right now, those three are the biggest obstacle to my plans. Hopefully, my assessment of them isn't wrong," Eris thought.

Aside from Elizabeth, their mouths smiled, but not their eyes. The girl feigned fear as she saw them. Eris pretended to put herself back together. She curtsied.

"I'm honored to meet you. I am Eris Hapsburg," the girl said.

"I am Duchess Anhalt. Tell me which branch of the Hapsburgs you are from."

"The Felsenfurt Hapsburgs," Eris stated.

"Ah, a small, insignificant branch," Duchess Anhalt's eyes narrowed.

She gripped her wine glass so hard Eris thought it would break.

"Tell me, Lady Hapsburg. Why did you bring more servants and guards than I did?"

Natalia Anhalt looked to the side for a moment. Eris didn't look away from the Duchess, but she noticed swift movement.

"What now?" Eris thought before speaking. "I was scared, your Grace. It's my first time at a feast like this, and I wanted to be safe."

The girl made as sympathetic an expression as she could. As the Duchess gazed at Eris, the older woman's face softened. Her eyes remained the same. Duchess Anhalt leaned in close.

"Did you think I would fall for your cute little face? I can tell that you're a horrid bitch of a woman. Even if you weren't, I didn't get to be the head of my house by playing nice," she whispered.

Eris' expression didn't change.

"It looks like I misjudged her. I'll have to go with one of my backup plans," the Hapsburg thought before whispering. "I know. I admire that about you."

"Rats like you cling to people who earned their power like lint on cloth. Now, I'm going to humiliate you so badly that you never show your face in public again. And you are going to let me. If you don't, I will make you regret being born," Duchess Anhalt said.

"So, you have chosen death," Eris thought.

The Duchess stood up. She then pointed at the rafters above them while keeping her eye on Eris. There was a man there. He held a bucket in his hand. Leaning back in, Duchess Anhalt whispered once more.

"That bucket was filled from a public latrine," she said.

Eris moved her hand as quickly as she could, making sure it remained as unseen as possible. She flicked a drop of her favorite poison into Duchess Anhalt's wine.

Eris thought, "All I have to do is dodge the bucket, and..."

A familiar voice interrupted her contemplation.

"There you are, my love," Armand said.

He wore a fine dark red jerkin with a light red velvet doublet under it. His upper hose was also dark red while the stocking below it was white. The boy's shoes were wide-toed and slightly pointed. A hat with a plume from an exotic bird alighted his head.

Armand grabbed Eris' hand.

"Come with me," he smiled.

"Excuse me," Dutchess Anhalt glared. "I was having a talk with this woman."

Armand gave her a quick bow.

"I apologize for this interruption, but I haven't seen my fiance in years. I simply must talk to her now that I have the chance," he said.

He dragged Eris off. She made a show of resisting, but Eris didn't put any real effort in. As the girl looked back, she saw Dutchess Anhalt take a drink from her glass of wine.

Armand brought Eris into a room to the side of the great hall. It was a chapel with a gold statue of a god inside. Cold stone walls surrounded them, and sunlight shone over the room from circle-shaped holes in the wall and roof. Eris and Armand were alone there. The latter gazed at the former with suspicion in his eyes.

"Thank the gods you came when you did. I almost got shit poured on my face," Eris said.

"Don't thank me. Some day, I'll be your husband. And it's a husband's duty to protect his wife's honor," Armand replied before thinking. "Of course, the only way Eris is honorable is that she's not a coward. But doing my duty as a husband before we're married is a good way to get her to like me."

"Armand wants to protect my honor? Even if it's just out of duty, I'm so happy!" Eris thought.

There was a wide smile on her face. She noticed that Armand was just pretending to look happy. Anger was clear in his eyes. Eris' smile faded.

"Were you trying to save Dutchess Anhalt?"

"No. I saw you kill her. Most people wouldn't have figured it out, but you tried to kill me 16 times the same way you killed her," Armand said.

"Don't worry about the Dutchess. She killed her husband, so she deserves to die," Eris replied.

"I don't know that for sure, but all that matters is if Armand believes it," she thought.

"Does Eris think that matters?" Armand thought.

"That is not why you tried to kill her," he said.

It was not a question but a statement of fact.

"Of course, it wasn't. Are you mad about that?" Eris asked.

Concern crossed her face.

"Did I cross a line? Does Armand hate me now? Killing someone for insulting me isn't even wrong. Nobles have to avenge slights. Maybe he's upset that I didn't face Dutchess Anhalt in a duel?" she thought.

"I decided that I'd be more honest with Eris to repay her honesty with me, but is now the time to be honest? Perhaps not, but if I don't say something, I'll be stuck here while she tries to manipulate me into talking. I can't waste that much time," Armand thought.

"I'm not upset about that. If you didn't kill her, she'd try to kill you the next time you show your face in public. Honestly, I shouldn't be mad at all. I know that I can't trust you at all, especially with important things," he said.

Eris' heart sank.

"This is the first time I wished Armand wasn't trying to be more honest with me. Armand should hide his anger more than that. This must be something serious," she thought before speaking. "Armand, I don't have time to play a game of manipulation. Just tell me what I did to make you mad."

Armand stopped pretending to be happy. He glared at Eris.

"Why didn't you tell me that Brutus Medici remembers what happened before I turned back time?"